Cipher Announces Strategic Appointment; Former SAP CI Director Takes VP Position.

ARNOLD, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 11, 1999--Cipher Systems LLC, developer of the world's first competitive intelligence groupware tool, today announced the appointment of James M. Richardson to the newly created position of Vice President of Consulting and Technology.

"We are extremely pleased and excited to add Jim's hands-on competitive intelligence and management experience to the Cipher executive team," said Cipher President Brooke Aker. "As the former head of SAP's competitive intelligence organization, Jim has been in the very position that many of our customers face. His choice of Cipher for SAP convinced him that our approach to competitive intelligence made sense not only for SAP but for many organizations struggling to find the tools and technology they need for competitive advantage. We believe Jim will be an outstanding resource for Cipher customers as they make the tough decisions that Jim understands so well."

In addition to Jim's experience in selecting and deploying CI tools, his years in marketing and sales served him well as he piloted a wide variety of distribution media to ensure that information reached its target, whether that was the executive team or the sales rep on the go. As the world's largest enterprise software company ($3.5B USD in 1997) and one of the world's toughest competitors, SAP understands the need for timely access to accurate - and actionable - intelligence.

Before joining SAP, Jim spent four years with QAD Inc. where he served as Vertical Marketing Manager for the Consumer and Medical Products Group. His experience with the pharmaceuticals sector was a significant asset in QAD's attempt to penetrate that highly regulated and complex market.

Jim is a member of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals (SCIP), as well as the American Production & Inventory Control Society (APICS).

About Cipher

Cipher provides knowledge management and competitive intelligence applications and consulting worldwide. Cipher's Knowledge.Works and IntelAssist products are database and workflow tools chosen by KM and CI professionals around the world. Knowledge.Works and IntelAssist are available on both Lotus and Microsoft technology platforms and are currently installed at over 50 sites in the US, Europe, Singapore, the Philippines, Switzerland and Israel.

For more information about Cipher, please call Heather Hadfield at [phone]. You can find more information on Cipher Systems on the World Wide Web at www.cipher-sys.com.