Rheem Manufacturing Co. Eliminates IT Process Complexities With Sterling Commerce Solutions.

Sterling Collaboration Network and Gentran Integration Suite Centralize Business Processes and Give Inventory Control to Business Users and Partners

DENVER -- Sterling Commerce, an AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) subsidiary, today announced that the Water Heater Division of Rheem([R]) Manufacturing Co., one of the world's leading manufacturers of water heaters, swimming pool heaters, commercial boilers and tankless water heater solutions, has successfully implemented Gentran Integration Suite[TM] (GIS) and Sterling Collaboration Network (SCN) as its multi-enterprise integration platform. Together, GIS and SCN provide flexibility through a hybrid approach to hosting integrated business processes and allow strategic processes to be prioritized while less-strategic processes are managed in the network. As a result, Rheem can securely expose dynamic order information from key customers, such as Home Depot, to internal decision-makers and external partners across its value chain without IT involvement. This capability improves operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and revenues.

GIS accurately, flexibly and rapidly manages the infrastructure required to automatically capture, manage and display customer information across its supply chain, order entry, accounting and credit departments -- while freeing IT resources from time-consuming, low-value, technology-related activity. SCN gives Rheem end-to-end, business-to-business (B2B) connectivity that simplifies real-time collaboration with customers and partners regardless of their technical capability. With 69 percent of all orders coming through electronic data interchange (EDI), Rheem needed a solution that it could trust to handle that flow of information.

Implementing GIS has allowed Rheem to reduce the amount of staff needed to manage EDI files while taking the business process of researching orders and invoices out of the hands of IT. The solution gives Rheem the ability to cost-effectively scale revenue-generating processes and adapt to diverse order formats and protocols, in addition to adapting order entry and call center processes for rollout in various countries, including Mexico.

"By replacing the complex and unstable IT process routing system with the new Sterling Commerce B2B solution, we can instantly put critical, time-sensitive customer order information directly into the hands of the Rheem business," said Jay Palmer, system development manager for Rheem. "Now we can seamlessly connect our business units to our customers. This leads to better customer service and partner collaboration. At the same time, SCN enables secure data movement across multiple platforms, reduces operational risk and reliably supports customer-service-oriented business initiatives behind the scenes."

"Sterling's solution helps Rheem mitigate dynamic market environment and prevent the revenue loss that comes from searching for or losing valuable customer order data and invoices," said Russell Scherwin, global director of product marketing for Sterling Commerce. "Sterling's hybrid solution of GIS and SCN will enable 100 percent community engagement and help Rheem increase competitive advantage by focusing resources on strategic activities while outsourcing nonstrategic activities -- with all processes remaining on the integrated hybrid Sterling solution."

GIS is one of the Sterling Commerce B2B solutions and enables customers to extend processes to their customers, partners and suppliers while maximizing existing and future IT systems and technologies and maintaining compliance with applicable governmental and industry legislation and mandates.

SCN provides a highly reliable and secure B2B communications foundation for enhanced global collaboration through simplified partner integration and management. It provides end-to-end visibility and automation of core business processes, and it improves margins and creates additional efficiency opportunities.

About Rheem Manufacturing Company

Rheem([R]) is a privately held manufacturing company that began operation in 1927 as a supplier of packaging to the petroleum industry. Today, Rheem is a leading North American producer of water heaters, central warm air furnaces and air conditioners, and swimming pool heaters and commercial boilers. The company's products are used for residential and commercial applications and operate on a variety of fuels. Rheem is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Rheem has manufacturing facilities in Montgomery, Alabama; Fort Smith, Arkansas; Milledgeville, Georgia; and Oxnard, California. Rheem has two Canadian locations in Hamilton, Ontario, and Mississauga, Ontario, and one Australian location in Mulgrave, Victoria. Rheem also has two manufacturing facilities in Mexico, one in Nuevo Laredo and one in Mexicali. All manufacturing facilities are ISO 9001 certified.

About Sterling Commerce

Sterling Commerce, a subsidiary of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), has more than 30 years of leadership and expertise in helping FORTUNE 500[R] customers thrive in a global economy by optimizing the performance of their business communities. With nearly 30,000 customers worldwide, the company is one of the world's largest providers of multi-enterprise collaboration solutions. Sterling Commerce has unparalleled experience in the retail, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, financial services, healthcare and telecommunications industries. For detailed, up-to-date information about Sterling Commerce and its solutions, visit www.sterlingcommerce.com.