Electronic Commerce Leader Sterling Commerce Acquires French Software Company Comfirst SA.

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 1997--Sterling Commerce (NYSE:SE) today announced it has acquired Comfirst SA, a privately-owned French vendor of automated data transfer software, in a cash transaction. The acquisition is part of Sterling Commerce's strategy to expand its European presence.

"The acquisition of Comfirst gives Sterling Commerce a strategic and technical advantage with the European customer base," said Warner Blow, president and CEO of Sterling Commerce. "With our successful history of acquisitions, we anticipate the result of this move to be positive for both Sterling Commerce and Comfirst customers throughout Europe."

Comfirst is known for its Transfer Operations Manager (TOM) software, which is used in many leading financial and manufacturing institutions throughout Europe. The Dallas-based Communications Software Group (CSG) of Sterling Commerce will be adding the Comfirst products to its family of data communications software.

"Many of the European customers use a combination of Comfirst and Sterling Commerce products to manage the exchange of critical business information -- such as currency transfers -- between trading partners," said Steve Perkins, president of the Communications Software Group of Sterling Commerce. "The acquisition not only ensures the software investment of existing customers, but opens up the possibility of new products that will enable customers to conduct more of their business electronically."

"The Comfirst data movement technology was extremely attractive to Sterling Commerce as was its loyal customer base," Perkins said. "Comfirst has developed additional leading-edge technology that will form the basis for future CONNECT products."

By adding the products and technical capabilities of Comfirst, Sterling Commerce's CONNECT software now can meet the unique requirements of French companies in the area of banking and manufacturing. Those unique requirements include protocol support for PeSIT and ODETTE. PeSIT is the French banking protocol that enables customers to transfer files internally and externally to any other PeSIT-enabled product. ODETTE is the European automotive industry protocol for file transfer.

"The acquisition is important to our position in the French marketplace and is part of our strategy to widen our international business," said Pauline Architas, president of the France Division of Sterling Software. "Since we are the exclusive distributor of CONNECT products in France, this acquisition provides the additional protocol support required in the French marketplace, as well as those already offered by the CONNECT products."

"Joining forces with Sterling Commerce represents a strategic evolution in the life of our company," said Gilles Hagege, president and director general of Comfirst. "We chose to join Sterling Commerce because of its sincere desire to meet the needs of customers in France and around the world."

Sterling Commerce, with its executive offices in Dallas, is a leading, global provider of electronic software products and services that enable businesses to engage in business-to-business electronic communications and transactions. Sterling Commerce has been providing electronic commerce solutions for over 20 years, and has nearly 25,000 customer sites worldwide and 1,300 employees.

Sterling Software is a leading worldwide provider of software products and services for applications management and systems management, as well as highly technical professional services for the federal government. The company is also an international distributor for certain Sterling Commerce, Inc. (SE:NYSE) products. Sterling Software, with its headquarters in Dallas, has a worldwide installed base of more than 20,000 customer sites and has 2,600 employees in 70 offices worldwide.

CONTACT: Sterling Commerce

Grace Mazar, 972/868-5335

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or

MCC 

Bridget Cavanaugh, 972/480-8383

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