Crystallize Appoints New CEO; Industry Veteran Joins Provider of Software for Optimizing Enterprise Applications.

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 7, 2002

Crystallize, Inc., the premier provider of software that optimizes enterprise applications, today announced the appointment of software industry veteran Bob Markese as the company's new Chief Executive Officer.

Markese is a proven executive who brings to Crystallize more than 25 years of senior management experience with enterprise-focused organizations. Most recently, he served as President of ClickCommerce (Nasdaq:CKCM), a leading provider of sell-side B2B e-business applications for global manufacturing companies. While there, he led the company to a market leadership position with revenues of more than $36 million in the year 2000, representing 250 percent year-to-year growth. Additionally, he helped guide the company through its initial public offering in June 2000, which ranked as one of the top ten performing technology IPO's of the year.

"Bob has a proven track record of building leadership software companies," said John Abraham, Venture Partner with Battery Ventures and a Crystallize board member. "He brings to Crystallize tremendous operational management experience and a unique mix of market insight, sales strategy and customer support on a global scale. This is ideal as we continue to position the company for increased growth and market share."

Markese's appointment is part of a long-term strategy to substantially increase the company's market share and global presence. In July 2001, Crystallize secured $19 million in venture financing to further accelerate the company's growth by expanding its management team, intensifying its sales activities and increasing the functionality of Crystallize Software.

"Corporations today simply can't maximize their corporate information or make changes to their software infrastructure as rapidly as changes in their businesses dictate," said Bob Markese, the new CEO of Crystallize. "Crystallize Software gives companies that ability. We're addressing two of the most pressing issues facing companies today - the need to make their applications more agile, and dramatically increasing confidence in their business information. We optimize enterprise applications which accelerates decision making while leveraging IT expenditures for greater return on investment and profitability."

Before joining ClickCommerce, Markese was President of System Software Associates (SSA) North America, an international provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software and services based in Chicago. While there, he managed operations that generated $150 million in sales and had more than 300 customers. Prior to SSA, he held a range of sales and sales management positions at Xerox Computer Services, a software applications provider serving industrial sector companies. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Lewis University in Illinois.

Companies using Crystallize Software products such as FlexChanger, DataCleanser, and Consolidater achieve maximum agility in their enterprise applications, quality in their information, and value from their operational business systems. Crystallize Software enables Fortune 1000-sized companies to accommodate dynamically shifting market and business conditions and enable rapid financial restructuring, business reorganizations, spin-offs and divestitures, and post-merger integration. Crystallize software changes, filters, and copies information in these operational systems making for faster and more accurate decision-making, more responsive customer service and faster time to market. All of this means a greater return on investment for Crystallize customers.

Crystallize was founded in 1998 and currently employs seventy people at its headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan and six regional sales offices. Crystallize has assembled a seasoned management team with years of directly related experience and is now serving a growing customer base that includes global leaders in telecommunications, manufacturing, and technology markets.

About Crystallize

Crystallize(TM) is the premiere provider of software for optimizing enterprise applications. Crystallize Software enables organizations to rapidly implement business change driven by strategic initiatives such as mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, divestitures, and eBusiness initiatives. Crystallize software allows these changes to be generated without the need for traditional programming. Crystallize software employs a patented technology that copies, consolidates, filters or changes data across the enterprise. Crystallize is a member of the Oracle Partner Program and a certified member of Oracle's E-Business Suite Integration (EBSI) and Cooperative Applications Initiative (CAI) programs. Crystallize is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. More information can be found at www.CrystallizeS.com.