SPI Assessed at CMMI Level 5.

ATLANTA -- Independent Assessment Reinforces SPI's Industry-Leading Process Model and Track Record of Consistent Quality of Deliverables at Offshore Development Center

Software Paradigms International Inc (SPI), a leading provider of IT services, today announced that the Company's Offshore Development Center in India has been assessed at Level 5 of the Capability Maturity Model Integration(SM)(CMMI-SW version 1.1). SPI achieved this milestone after rigorous independent assessment by KPMG.

The CMMI standard, developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, is the latest and most comprehensive model to assess the 'maturity' of software organizations in product and service development and maintenance. The standard helps companies increase customer focus and improve performance in delivery management. Level 5 on the CMMI maturity scale is commonly accepted as the highest possible assessment a software development company can achieve for excellence in consistently delivering high quality software solutions.

Quantitative project and process management as proved by the CMMI Level 5 assessment helps SPI enable its clients to apply information technology to meet their business objectives with a much higher level of success. Implementing CMMI processes, SPI's measured pre-release defect density went to less than half the published industry average. SPI also achieved a 7 percent reduction in design defect leakage and a 8 percent increase in productivity resulting in a 27 percent improvement in the overall quality of deliverables. This is in addition to substantial productivity and quality improvements that SPI has achieved over a period of years in its progress to other quality standards.

SPI's achievement is significant because it is the first US-based minority-owned and operated business to have a development center that has achieved the remarkable landmark of CMMI-SW Level 5 certification.

"SPI has consistently demonstrated high levels of management commitment for process initiatives, beginning with the company's first certification against the ISO framework in 2002 and subsequent deployment of Six Sigma practices. SPI has been able to make quality initiatives transparent to stakeholders through the company wide use of their IT process management tool - spiProject.com(TM). The amalgamation of this tool into the company's process practices has been a major factor that has allowed SPI to make rapid strides in the implementation of quality processes within the organization." said K. Kothandaraman, SEI Authorized Lead Assessor, KPMG. "Management commitment for process initiatives and a strong sense of belongingness among company employees in SPI have been major contributors to the assessment at CMMI-SW Level 5."

"SPI's CMMI assessment reinforces the value of our leading global delivery model that allows customers to make esoteric quality certifications and assessments meaningful in the context of current business needs. This has been made possible by the integration of systemic program management and delivery techniques such as the use of spiProject.com(TM) into the DNA of the organization," said Sid Mookerji, CEO of SPI. "This assessment demonstrates our ability to proactively bring value to our customers by solving their business problems faster with much higher quality."

About SPI

Software Paradigms International Inc (SPI), a Consulting and Systems Integration Company incorporated in Atlanta, USA, provides customer intimate delivery of low-cost, high-quality IT to corporations all over the world. Software Paradigms India (Pvt.) Ltd., based in Mysore, India and connected to SPI through redundant mechanisms, provides the offshore portion of the equation. SPI presents a very high quality offering including an ISO 9001:2000 certification as well as implementation of Six Sigma and Capability Maturity Model Integration methodologies. Beyond the certifications, SPI renders quality in real terms using spiProject.com(TM) an innovative project lifecycle methodology that provides customers control and ownership of projects as well as transparency in the planning and execution of all SPI activities. Very high project management competency (PMP Project Managers) and quality awareness (Six Sigma Black Belts) in key personnel helps in meeting and exceeding customer expectations in delivery schedules and quality. Further information about SPI can be found at http://www.spiportal.com.