Cooper Industries Implementing Kaba Benzing AutoTime Time and Labor System; 10,000 U.S. Employees in 59 Sites.

MIAMI LAKES, Fla. -- Kaba Benzing, a subsidiary of $800 million Kaba Holding AG and worldwide leader in time and labor management systems, today announced that Houston-based Cooper Industries is implementing Kaba Benzing's AutoTime time and attendance and labor reporting software at all 59 sites throughout the United States to provide accurate labor information and validate production orders and operations against data retrieved from other software suites. In particular, AutoTime links Kaba Benzing terminals and other hardware data devices to SAP(R) R/3(R). All 10,000 American employees will use the system.

AutoTime is a robust software system for time and attendance, labor distribution, and material movement tracking for exempt and non-exempt personnel. AutoTime captures and processes direct and indirect labor and calculates employee payroll in environments ranging from simple to complex. It offers strategic value to companies concerned with their use and cost of direct and indirect labor. It is highly configurable and quickly accommodates ever-changing, complex work rules that govern employee pay.

"Kaba Benzing's AutoTime time and labor system was selected by Cooper Industries for three main reasons," reports John Edwards, President and General Manager of Kaba Benzing America. "First of all, Cooper Industries had a major need to capture both time and labor information, something that AutoTime does for over 200 individual U.S. sites that employ from 150 to 15,000 employees. Plus, AutoTime interfaces with leading ERP, payroll and enterprise systems. Secondly, since Kaba Benzing helps 900 SAP customers around the world collect time and labor data, we have a good track record with this leading organization. Thirdly, Cooper Industries felt more secure working with a partner having the financial viability of Kaba Holding."

For its complex labor sites, Cooper Industries will use Kaba Benzing's 9580 touchscreen kiosks. In other facilities, they will enter data via web-based PCs.

About Cooper Industries

Cooper Industries, Ltd., with 2003 revenues of $4.1 billion, is a global manufacturer of electrical products and tools and hardware. Incorporated in Bermuda, with administrative headquarters in Houston, Texas, Cooper has more than 28,000 employees serving more than 100 locations around the world, and sells products to customers in more than 50 countries.

About Kaba Benzing

Located in Miami Lakes, Fla., Kaba Benzing is a subsidiary of $800 million Kaba Holding AG and a worldwide leader in time and labor management systems. From touch screen access and shop floor terminals to complex labor costing algorithms and reporting for SAP R/3 and other leading enterprise systems, Kaba Benzing offers an array of time and attendance and production data collection solutions. Kaba Benzing can be contacted in North America at 305-819-4000; website is www.kaba-benzing-usa.com. In Europe and Asia, website address is www.kaba-benzing.com.