ClearOrbit to Release Industry's Most Robust Enterprise-Wide Supply Chain Optimization Suite.

Business Editors and High-Tech Writers

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2001

Gemini Series Product Suite Gives Manufacturers Increased Return

on Their Investment in ERP by Providing Greater Control Over

Key Processes

Extended enterprise solutions provider ClearOrbit announced today the release of its Gemini Series(TM) product suite.

Gemini Series broadens ClearOrbit's offerings, which enhance supply chain execution for manufacturers, by providing real-time access to enterprise information through the integration of industrial hardware and software. The new products represent significant increases in the company's ability to impact key shop floor business problems.

"The Gemini Series is the result of intense research with customers and analysts and months of internal development," said ClearOrbit President and CEO Tom Dziersk. "This product suite builds on our company vision to help manufacturers fully leverage the functionality of and investment in their enterprise resource planning system."

According to a recent report by AMR Research, "ClearOrbit is helping discrete manufacturers get more value from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. ClearOrbit appears to have a clear and stable launch with a customer list that includes many well-known global names like Alcoa, Cisco and Xerox. Its new Gemini series, which integrates factory hardware (scales, carousels, scanners, conveyers, parts bins, wireless devices) into ERP in a very visual and intuitive way, should find good acceptance in the market." Source: The AMR Research Alert on Enabling Technologies for May 2, 2001.

The four products released in the Gemini Series build on ClearOrbit's proven experience in developing solutions that extend enterprise value for its customers.

"Companies are feeling increased pressure to make and deliver products faster and more efficiently -- requiring a greater level of control over the manufacturing process," said Dziersk. "The Gemini Series gives our customers control by enabling them to connect industrial devices to their enterprise, automate repetitive processes, view those processes in real time, and proactively manage exceptions."

The Gemini Series includes one platform product, Connect, and three applications, Automate, View and Pro-Act, that are named according to the portion of the manufacturing process they impact.

The products in the Gemini Series include:

Connect - Integration platform that allows companies to

connect their enterprise systems to industrial hardware (RF

scanners, bar code printers, scales and carousels) and

software systems using enterprise application integration

(EAI). Connect is the technology platform for most other

Gemini Series applications, including Automate, View and

Pro-Act.

Automate - Application that automates key processes with

barcode technology to drive cost reductions and efficiency

improvements around critical business transactions. Automate

leverages Connect to create applications that automate high

volume repetitive transactions by extending ERP native

functionality. Automate increases velocity of inventory

movement and manufacturing throughput.

View - Supply chain visibility package that provides

measurement and trending of key business problems. The View

application gives manufacturers the information necessary to

identify process problems impacting the shop floor. Once

business processes are integrated and automated using the

Connect and Automate applications, View allows customers to

measure, monitor and trend those processes.

Pro-Act - Business process management application that ensures

optimal supply chain execution. Pro-Act enables customers to

better manage their manufacturing processes by triggering

specific processes and alerts to deal with problems identified

by the View Application. Pro-Act enables manufacturers to

manage the exceptions that drive up cost and drive down

efficiency with business process management.

"Gemini expands our product offering with much deeper functionality," said Dziersk. "With Gemini, manufacturers can take a comprehensive view of critical business processes and then implement applications that manage those processes at various levels. The result is greater control and visibility into their supply chain."

About ClearOrbit

ClearOrbit extends enterprise value with proven software solutions that allow customers to fully leverage their investment in enterprise applications. ClearOrbit products expand rather than duplicate functionality, eliminating inefficiencies in the supply chain. Through seamless integration of disparate hardware and software, ClearOrbit applications deliver on the promise of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) by addressing functionality issues inherent in most ERP systems. ClearOrbit was founded as BPA SYSTEMS in 1994 and currently serves more than 250 top companies, including Cisco Systems, Texas Instruments and Applied Materials. See how enterprise systems can reach a higher level at www.clearorbit.com.