Business Objects Announces Data Integration Initiative.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 10, 2001

Partners with Acta, Ascential Software, DataMirror, IBM,

Informatica, and Sagent to Offer Customers Solutions for Data

Warehouse Creation

Business Objects (NASDAQ: BOBJ), the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced a new global alliance program called the Business Objects Data Integration Initiative. This initiative was created to offer customers a choice of technologies for the creation of data warehouses and data marts.

The Business Objects Data Integration Initiative has two components. First, for enterprise business intelligence, the company has technology integration and joint marketing agreements with Acta Technology, Inc.; Ascential Software Corporation; DataMirror Corporation; IBM Corporation; Informatica Corporation; and Sagent. Business Objects recognizes that many companies have existing or planned investments in data marts or warehouses. As such, the company wants to ensure that customers can continue using whatever back-end technology they have already invested in, as well as provide technology integration for any future investment that a customer may make. For example, Business Objects has worked with IBM's Data Management software organization to develop a meta-data bridge to enable product integration. Similarly, the company also supports the Informatica Metadata Exchange application programming interface (API). This approach ensures that customers have the flexibility to choose whatever technology and vendor best suits their requirements for enterprise business intelligence.

The second component to the Business Objects Data Integration Initiative is in the area of analytic applications (Editor's note: see related product announcement today). For customers of BUSINESSOBJECTS ANALYTICS and those who need to build data marts or warehouses, the company has reseller agreements with Informatica Corporation, Ascential Software, and Acta. These reseller agreements are in place so that customers can purchase the data integration tool of their choice through Business Objects, receiving the complete technology solution they need from one vendor. (Editor's note: see specific reseller announcements today.)

"In launching the Business Objects Open Data Integration Initiative, we expand our ability to offer customers a complete solution for getting critical corporate information into the hands of business users," said Mark Tice, group vice president of global alliances for Business Objects. "By offering an open solution, we are providing our customers with the ability to choose the best-of-breed technology that best suits their business needs and technical requirements."

Acta Technology, Inc.

"Business Objects is a proven leader in delivering business intelligence software solutions to a global client base," said Carol Mills Baldwin, president and CEO of Acta. "In today's business climate, companies recognize that in order to better serve customers and streamline business, they must be able to quickly and efficiently deliver data needed for business analysis and transactions both inside and outside the enterprise. Our expertise in making all types of enterprise data accessible through our tight integration with enterprise resource planning packages and enterprise applications, coupled with Business Objects ability to deliver data to users of all types, provides a strong best-in-class solution to our mutual customers."

Acta provides a real-time data integration platform to drive today's new generation of real-time analytic, supply chain management and sell-side eCommerce applications. With Acta's scalable data platform, enterprises can maintain a real-time, online dialogue with customers, suppliers, employees, and partners, providing them with the critical information they need for transactions and business analysis. Acta partners with system integrators and leading vendors offering enterprise resource planning (ERP), sell-side eCommerce, analytic, and enterprise application solutions. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.acta.com.

Ascential Software Corporation

"Business Objects Data Integration Initiative is very consistent with Ascential Software's open information asset management strategy," said Daniel Sapir, vice president of business development for Ascential Software. "At the core of any comprehensive business intelligence solution is data integration functionality and analytic applications. Ascential Software and Business Objects are delivering robust, flexible business intelligence solutions to a wide variety of companies, such as France Telecom, Siemens AG, Hartford Life and Zurich Financial Service. In deploying our joint solutions, these companies have been able to leverage the power of Business Objects reporting and analysis tools with Ascential's industry leading data integration functionality, including our unique MetaBroker tool. We are pleased to be part of Business Objects Data Integration Initiative, which will allow customers to deploy best-in-breed solutions."

Ascential Software Corporation (NASDAQ: ASCL) is the leading provider of information asset management (IAM) solutions to the Global 2000. Customers use Ascential products to turn vast amounts of disparate, unrefined data into reusable information assets that drive business success. Ascential's unique framework for IAM enables customers to easily collect, validate, organize, administer, and deliver information assets to realize more value from their enterprise data, reduce costs, and increase profitability. Headquartered in Westboro, MA, Ascential has offices worldwide and supports more than 1,800 customers in such industries as telecommunications, insurance, financial services, healthcare, media/entertainment and retail. More information on Ascential Software can be found on the web at http://www.ascentialsoftware.com.

DataMirror Corporation

"One of the main IT challenges facing companies today is how to gain business insight and advantage from corporate and customer data stored in many different databases, computing platforms, and locations," said Nigel Stokes, chairman, president and CEO of DataMirror Corporation. "As an alliance partner, we look forward to working closely with Business Objects to offer customers the ability to easily capture, transform, and flow data across multi-platform environments for business intelligence and CRM. Business Objects market-leading tools for enterprise query, reporting, and analysis, combined with DataMirror's real-time data integration technology and out-of-the-box support for leading databases, will provide our joint customers with a flexible end-to-end solution for delivering business intelligence to end users."

DataMirror (Nasdaq: DMCX; TSE: DMC) delivers solutions that let customers integrate their data across their enterprises. DataMirror has joined Business Objects Data Integration Initiative to offer joint customers BI capabilities that enable users to access, analyze, and share business information across disparate data sources. DataMirror's comprehensive family of products unlocks the "experience of now(TM)" by providing advanced real-time capture, transform and flow (CTF) technology that gives customers the instant access, integration and availability they demand today across all computers in their business. Over 1,400 companies worldwide use DataMirror software to integrate their data. For more information visit the DataMirror web site at www.datamirror.com.

IBM DB2 Data Management Software

"For years, IBM's DB2 Data Management software business has been championing standards initiatives to make it easier for customers and application developers to leverage and distribute all forms of information," said Jim Kelly, vice president of marketing, IBM Data Management Solutions. "This initiative and Business Objects latest development of a meta-data bridge to IBM's DB2 Warehouse Manager v7.2 provides customers with yet another tool to reduce the cost of developing and maintaining data marts or warehouses as well as make relevant information more available. IBM looks forward to continuing its work with Business Objects to develop customer offerings that deliver true customer value."

As the foundation for e-business, DB2 Universal Database is the industry's first multimedia, Web-ready relational database management system, strong enough to meet the demands of large corporations and flexible enough to serve medium-sized and small e-businesses. DB2 Universal Database combines integrated power for business intelligence, content management, enterprise information portals and e-business with industry-leading performance and reliability to drive the most demanding industry solutions. DB2 Universal Database together with Internet technology makes information easily accessible, available and secure. There are more than 60 million DB2 users from over 300,000 companies worldwide relying on IBM data management solutions. For more information, www.software.ibm.com/data.

Informatica Corporation

"Informatica and Business Objects have worked closely together for more than seven years," said Bart Foster, senior vice president of marketing at Informatica. "Our collaboration in marketing and technical integration has created a joint solution that has attracted hundreds of customers around the world. We look forward to continued success with Business Objects in the future."

Informatica Corporation is a market-leading provider of business analytic solutions that enable companies to leverage business insight for competitive advantage. More than 1,200 global customers leverage the Informatica Insight Network to integrate, analyze, and personalize critical business information to improve business performance and responsiveness across the entire eBusiness value chain. Informatica offerings include a comprehensive family of analytic applications, the industry's most powerful data integration platform, and a wide range of supporting services and partnerships. For more information, visit www.informatica.com.

Sagent

"We are pleased to participate in Business Objects Data Integration Initiative," said Ben Barnes, president and CEO for Sagent. "Our massively parallel ETL server for Solaris and Windows, combined with our open metadata repository and analytic transformation libraries allow us to fully partner with Business Objects and create tremendous value for our mutual customers. Development productivity and time to market are imperatives in today's economy, and this partnership allows customers to implement world-class solutions to complex business problems in a fraction of the time and cost of competing products."

Sagent's suite of BI solutions enables companies to measurably impact their business by implementing successful customer relationship and financial management initiatives. Through Sagent's technologies, organizations can easily and rapidly turn company data into relevant information that can be used for effective decision-making, analysis, and reporting. Information can be extracted from multiple sources (internal and external), optimized for decision support and delivered in a customized format for web-based or client applications. Even the most complex analytic application can be developed in weeks, not months. More than 1,500 companies have selected Sagent software to enhance customer retention, cross-sell/up-sell, improve customer service, increase efficiencies of marketing campaigns, streamline business operations, analyze financials, and reduce costs. Sagent can be reached at www.sagent.com.

About Business Objects

Business Objects is the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions. Business intelligence lets organizations access, analyze, and share information internally with employees and externally with customers, suppliers, and partners. It helps organizations improve operational efficiency, build profitable customer relationships, and develop differentiated product offerings.

The company's products include BUSINESSOBJECTS 2000, the industry's leading integrated business intelligence toolset and platform; and BUSINESSOBJECTS ANALYTICS, an integrated suite of enterprise analytic applications.

Business Objects pioneered the modern BI industry in 1990 by inventing a patented "semantic layer" that insulates users from the complexity of databases. In 1995, the company was first to focus on enterprise-scale BI deployments and today supports customers with more than 20,000 users. The company moved aggressively to the internet in 1997 by pioneering the market for BI extranets, a market that it continues to lead today. In 2000, the company delivered the industry's first interactive mobile BI solution. Today, Business Objects continues to innovate, creating and delivering a unique vision for enterprise analytic applications.

Business Objects has more than 13,000 customers in over 80 countries. The company's stock is publicly traded under the ticker symbols NASDAQ: BOBJ and Euronext Paris (Sicovam code 12074). It is included in the SBF 120 and IT CAC 50 French stock market indexes. Business Objects can be reached at 408-953-6000 and www.businessobjects.com.

Note to Editors: BUSINESSOBJECTS is a trademark of Business Objects SA. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

A full-text copy of this announcement may be downloaded from the web; access http://www.businesswire.com/cnn and search on "Business Objects." Business Objects product inquiries should contact 800-527-0580.