Business Objects Delivers New Solutions for Manufacturers of Consumer Product Goods.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Analytic Solutions Help Improve Customer Loyalty and Increase Product Line Profitability

Business Objects (Nasdaq:BOBJ) (Euronext Paris ISIN code: FR0004026250 - BOB), the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced the availability of Business Objects Consumer Product Goods Analytic Solutions. This new set of products provides manufacturers of Consumer Product Goods (CPG) with insight and best practices to improve brand sales revenue, as well as sales and marketing effectiveness. These new products are part of BusinessObjects(TM) Analytics, a suite of enterprise analytics that allow organizations to better understand their operations, customers, products, and people.

"CPG manufacturers are looking for new ways to gain greater insight into their customers, branding efforts, supply chain, and sales campaigns," said John Van Decker, senior vice president at META Group, a leading provider of IT research, advisory services and strategic consulting. "Business intelligence products provide manufacturers with better oversight and timely analysis, which enables more effective management across the organization and distribution channels."

The new solutions include two products that will help CPG manufacturers improve brand management, reduce customer turnover, monitor their distribution channels, and develop more effective sales and marketing strategies. Each of these products provide managers with guided analysis, dashboards, and best practices that enable them to easily track performance, identify and resolve operational weaknesses, and improve sales. For example, brand managers can use guided analysis to better understand their customer segments and brand composition. Now managers and executives can assess product performance within specific customer segments and adjust their brand assortment and sales campaigns accordingly. Additionally, the new solutions enable CPG manufacturers to accurately evaluate which brands are the best and worst performers, which need improvement, and which should be removed from the assortment. With additional insight, CPG companies can more successfully match brands to customer segments leading to increased sales and profitability.

"Our CPG customers want a formalized way to get better control over their entire sales and distribution lifecycle," said Russ Hill, worldwide director of retail, consumer product goods, and distribution, industry marketing at Business Objects. "Business Objects has delivered business solutions for the CPG industry to help them gain insight into their business and determine what actions are necessary to change processes. We recognize that business intelligence has to be relevant to our customers across all industries and at all levels of the organization, and our analytic solutions is one way we are bringing BI closer all users."

Availability

Both of the Business Objects CPG Analytic Solution products are currently available: Brand Assortment Optimization and Sales and Marketing Effectiveness.

About Business Objects

Business Objects is the world's leading business intelligence (BI) software company. Business intelligence enables organizations to track, understand, and manage enterprise performance. The company's solutions leverage the information that is stored in an array of corporate databases, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

Popular uses of BI include enterprise reporting, management dashboards and scorecards, customer intelligence applications, financial reporting, and both customer and partner extranets. These solutions enable companies to gain visibility into their business, acquire and retain profitable customers, reduce costs, optimize the supply chain, increase productivity, and improve financial performance.

In December 2003, Business Objects completed the acquisition of Crystal Decisions, the leader in enterprise reporting. The combined product line includes software for reporting, query and analysis, performance management, analytic applications, and data integration. In addition, Business Objects offers consulting and education services to help customers effectively deploy their business intelligence projects.

Business Objects has more than 26,000 customers in over 80 countries. The company's stock is traded under the ticker symbols NASDAQ: BOBJ and Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0004026250 - BOB). 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 http://www.businessobjects.com.

Business Objects, the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, WebIntelligence, Crystal Reports, and Crystal Enterprise are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects S.A. or its affiliated companies in the United States and/or other countries.