Getronics Launches the Managed Branch Built on Microsoft and Network Engines Technology.

BILLERICA, Mass. -- Getronics, a global leader in workspace management IT services, today launched its Managed Branch solution for the financial services sector, developed jointly with Microsoft and Network Engines. Managed Branch provides all the technology and IT services needed in the branch workspace as a utility. By using Managed Branch, banks can release capital and reduce TCO while increasing their speed and agility in responding to the market and the needs of their customers.

Getronics provides Managed Branch as a fully managed service for a single monthly fee, calculated according to branch size. There are no up-front capital costs, and the solution can optionally include new lines of business software for tellers and support staff. Managed Branch is particularly effective for temporary, mobile, or just-in-time branches, such as those established at sporting and cultural events.

"Managed Branch is a logical extension of the services Getronics has delivered to its banking clients for years," explains Jean-Paul Adans, senior vice president, Financial Services Industry Practice at Getronics. "With Managed Branch, we do practically everything - except select the location and choose the staff. A key innovation in Managed Branch is the introduction of DBX, or Dynamic Branch eXperience technology, which enables us to set up and support bank branches faster and at lower cost."

DBX uses a hardened branch appliance from Network Engines to deliver services securely into the branch. It can be shipped from factory to branch and remotely configured by Getronics once in place to suit individual branch requirements. The appliance - which is continuously monitored and managed by Getronics - provides the staging infrastructure for Getronics to perform future zero-touch deployments. This is particularly important given the upcoming launch of Microsoft Vista.

Getronics has worked closely with Microsoft to leverage the Windows platform as the technology foundation for its Managed Branch solution. David Vander, Worldwide Managing Director for Banking at Microsoft, is extremely upbeat about the potential for this solution. "Getronics has developed a compelling solution for organizations with branch complexity. By leveraging Microsoft technology such as Windows Server 2003 R2 and ISA Server 2004 in their Managed Branch Solution, Getronics can significantly reduce complexity, improve manageability, and improve security and WAN optimization. Add to this the Getronics managed service and customers have a modern, extensible technology platform that lowers the cost and complexity of managing their branches."

DBX and the secure network appliance from Network Engines are a key enabler for the Managed Branch. Greg Shortell, president and CEO of Network Engines, explains, "Branches can use the DBX appliance to concentrate infrastructure requirements in a single unit that is simply connected to power and to the Internet. Not only does it manage communications including WAFS, local services like printers and workstations but it also provides software as a service for the line-of-business applications the bank needs in the branch."

Initial conversations with Getronics' clients about the Managed Branch concept have been positive. Rigo Dens, CIO of Belgium's Delta Lloyd Bank explains, "Delta Lloyd already outsources much of its branch infrastructure to Getronics, and we are always keen to explore means to reduce cost and increase the responsiveness of branch management. We're definitely exploring whether Getronics Managed Branch makes sense for our organization."

All three companies, Getronics, Microsoft and Network Engines, are bullish about the Managed Branch approach. "The success of the many branch renewal initiatives being undertaken right now demands a high degree of flexibility and responsiveness in branch configuration and support," said Adans. "Getronics Managed Branch has been conceived precisely with that in mind."

About Getronics

With some 25,000 employees in over 30 countries and approximate revenues of USD $3.1 billion, Getronics is one of the world's leading providers of vendor independent Information Technology (IT) solutions and services.

Getronics designs, deploys, and manages flexible and innovative end-to-end solutions, working together with our partners and clients, in order to optimize and increase the productivity of our clients' mobile knowledge workers.

Getronics headquarters are in Amsterdam, with regional offices in Boston, Madrid, and Singapore. Getronics' shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam ("GTN"). For further information about Getronics, visit www.getronics.com/us.