Logica Participates in BT Global Challenge Yacht Race; Challenge Has Yacht Crews Racing to Boston the Wrong Way - Team Logica Aims to Win!

Business/Technology Editors

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2000

Logica announces sponsorship of one of 12 yachts in the BT Global Challenge. Beginning in September 2000, Logica and its 18-member crew will depart from Ocean Village in Southampton, England on a 10-month round-the-world yacht race, known as the BT Global Challenge. The first leg concludes in the port of Boston, MA in late September.

Described as "the world's toughest yacht race," the BT Global Challenge is the only yacht race where individual crews circumnavigate the globe against prevailing winds and currents. The race will involve 12 yachts and over 300 international crew volunteers. This is a race in which teamwork, determination and commitment really count, for the BT Global Challenge 2000-2001 is an extraordinary test of character and human endeavor, stretching personal barriers to the limit. For Logica, it is also a great opportunity to demonstrate how people, teamwork and technology is used to always stay a step ahead.

"Since our beginnings," said Paul A. Nichols, president of Logica North America, "Logica has consistently broken technological barriers to help people and organizations make quantum leaps in what they can achieve, giving them competitive advantage. Logica's BTGC yacht sponsorship acts as a powerful reminder of the difference the right mix of people and technology can make when applied to an extremely challenging situation. As an example, Logica leads the world in the development and implementation of mobile commerce technology. Logica provides the systems that delivers more than half of the worlds text messages that are sent to mobile phones. Companies like Nortel, Motorola & NEC resell our products, and we help companies like Reuters deliver their content via wireless."

About Team Logica

In the spirit of competition, the 12 competing yachts are identical. In addition, every effort has been made to keep the crews as "nearly identical" and evenly balanced as possible. For example, the number of men and women crewmembers is spread evenly across all 12 teams-- the mix being determined by each person's specific skills. Every factor has been taken into account to evenly match the teams: age, sex, nationality, strengths, weaknesses, medical training and even each boat's average team weight. The Logica Yacht's Core Crew includes 12 men and four women. In addition, 2 Logica employees will sail on each of the 6 legs of the race -- these 12 crewmembers are known as "leggers."

The Logica Skipper, Jeremy Troughton, age 26, is the youngest BT Global Challenge skipper ever to participate in the race. After graduating from university, Jeremy became a professional Skipper and Royal Yacht Association Instructor, participating in numerous cross channel races. Commenting about his selection as Logica Skipper, Jeremy said, "I am delighted and proud to be part of the Logica team. I am looking forward to working with Logica and the Logica leggers to build a successful team and win this most challenging race."

Doug Webb, age 39 and Logica North America's Chief Financial Officer since 1995, will sail the entire race, and is one of the two Watch Leaders on the boat. Doug's participation as a core crew volunteer is unusual, in that his employer sponsors the yacht on which he is sailing. Doug initially applied to join the race as a "legger" but when one of the core Logica crew withdrew from the race, Doug was considered and selected for the entire race. Doug's thoughts on the enormity of the Challenge, "I have followed the Global Challenge since its first running 8 years ago and was close to signing up for the last race in 1996/97. The race gives me the opportunity to test myself mentally and physically in a completely different environment from that in which I have worked for the last 20 years. I am particularly excited by the opportunity to be part of a group of people with a clear common goal but that until 6 months ago had never met each other. The dynamics of creating a very close knit team in such a short space of time provide a wonderful parallel to the needs of a business as it develops and grows. With my fellow Team Logica crew members, I am very much looking forward to becoming part of the select group of people who have sailed round the world the "wrong way" - a feat so far achieved by fewer people than have flown in space!"

About Logica

Logica is one of the world's premier software solutions, consulting and systems integration companies. The company delivers repeatable, value-added, mission-critical solutions in partnership with clients in the key markets of telecommunications, financial services, energy & utilities and industry. As a leader in the field, Logica is an ideal sponsor for a race that relies on the most advanced navigation and communication systems on board, in space, and on land. Founded in 1969 and becoming a member of the London Stock Exchange in 1983, the company now operates in 24 countries and is part of the FTSE 100 index of the UK's largest listed companies. Logica's North American headquarters are based in Lexington, Massachusetts with additional offices in Dallas, Denver, Detroit, New York, Houston, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Fort Lauderdale and Toronto.

For additional information on Logica Inc., please call 617 476-8000 or visit the corporate web site at www.logica.com. To track the Logica team's progress as launch date approaches: www.logica.com/logicaglobalchallenge/. For still/video footage, please call Clyde Hakim at 617 476-8250 or email [e-mail].

Save the Children

Save the Children has been nominated as the official charity of the BT Global Challenge 2000-2001. The 29 Save the Children organizations of the International Save the Children Alliance are working in more than 100 countries, including Latin America and the Caribbean, to build a better future for children through emergency relief and rehabilitation, promoting the rights of children worldwide, and implementing long-term development programs. The money raised by the BT Global Challenge 2000-2001 will directly fund Save the Children's international program work.