Wipro and webMethods Expand Global Alliance to Jointly Develop New Solutions Using webMethods Fabric.

Latest Initiative Targets the Energy and Utilities Sector; Companies Also Working to Extend Best Practices for Business Integration

FAIRFAX, Va. -- webMethods, Inc. (Nasdaq: WEBM), a leading business integration and optimization software company, today announced that it has extended its global partnership with Wipro Technologies, the global IT services business of Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT). Under the expanded alliance, the two companies will work together to jointly develop new solutions using webMethods' flagship product suite, webMethods Fabric[TM]. The initiative initially targets the unique business process requirements of the energy and utilities sector, where both companies offer demonstrated strengths.

"webMethods and Wipro have been working on a global basis with energy and utilities industry leaders and innovators alike to deliver additional efficiency and enhanced control over their operations," said Vivek Bhasin, vice president, eBusiness and Business Intelligence, Wipro Technologies, Inc. "webMethods Fabric adds a robust and proven platform for capturing and packaging our best practices, which can then be easily redeployed on a customized basis across multiple implementations for maximum efficiency."

webMethods Fabric delivers within an industry-leading service-oriented architecture (SOA) a comprehensive array of tools for integrating disparate systems and trading partner networks; managing complex business processes; and proactively monitoring service levels from both an IT and business perspective with predictive analytics helping users anticipate and respond to real-time change.

As just one example, Wipro is using webMethods Fabric to help the UK's Northern Gas Networks meet, within an aggressive 18 month timeframe, the regulatory requirements associated with its divestiture from the National Grid. Through the use of this more flexible and adaptive application infrastructure, Northern Gas Networks is able to rearchitect existing applications and systems to operate independently without disrupting existing operations or processes. Wipro is also leveraging the webMethods platform to consolidate and retire numerous legacy systems as a means for improving cost-effectiveness, operating performance and reliability, and business agility.

Building upon similar experiences throughout the energy and utilities sector, webMethods and Wipro expect to jointly develop a number of new solutions for this market. In doing so, they will draw upon their demonstrated expertise with a number of key processes and operations, including outage management, energy trading and settlement, asset lifecycle management, customer self-service, supply/value chain operations, and store-level integration as an enabler of vendor-managed inventory and automated replenishment.

Wipro and webMethods will also continue to leverage their industry-leading technologies and methodologies to simplify service-oriented architectures (SOA) adoption as a means for improving IT performance and business responsiveness. SOA is of particular value to energy companies and utilities due to their dependence on very dynamic and transitory markets, their exposure to high levels of regulation, and their unwavering need to meet mission-critical standards for performance and reliability.

"Like all businesses, the energy and utilities industries have long recognized the need for operational efficiency, process adaptability, and enhanced speed-to-market. What complicates their quest is their ever-present need to maintain unquestioned predictability, control and fault-free performance over their operations as well," said Arnold Huffman, senior vice president, Business Development and Industry Solutions, webMethods, Inc. "Leveraging the global reach and significant expertise of Wipro as well as the unique capabilities offered by webMethods Fabric, we can create targeted solutions for institutionalizing industry best practices within these organization's end-to-end business processes. Through the use of SOA to enable the expanded reuse of these processes, we can also deliver greater consistency, performance and cost-effectiveness."

In addition to jointly developing new solutions for the energy and utilities sectors, the two companies will continue to work together to create common implementation methodologies and shared best practices spanning a number of additional industries, including retail, healthcare and telecommunications. With the companies sharing customers across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, this approach will allow each company to more seamlessly and cost-effectively service distinct customer requirements using the most appropriate professional services resources.

About webMethods, Inc.

webMethods (Nasdaq: WEBM) provides business integration software to integrate, assemble and optimize available IT assets to drive business process productivity. webMethods delivers an innovative, enterprise-class business integration platform that incorporates proven integration technology with next generation capabilities into one interoperable set of tools that delivers a unique combination of efficiency, agility and control. webMethods combines industry leadership with a zealous commitment to customers to deliver tangible business value to more than 1,400 global customers. webMethods is headquartered in Fairfax, Va., with offices throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia Pacific and Japan.

About Wipro

Wipro Technologies, a division of Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT), is the first PCMM Level 5 and SEI CMM Level 5 certified IT Services company globally. We provide comprehensive IT solutions and services, including systems integration, information systems outsourcing, package implementation, software application development and maintenance, and research and development services to corporations globally.

In the Indian market, we are a leader in providing IT solutions and services for the corporate segment in India offering systems integration, network integration, software solutions and IT services. In the Asia Pacific and Middle East markets, we provide IT solutions and services for global corporations. We also have a profitable presence in niche market segments of consumer products and lighting.

Our ADSs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and our equity shares are listed in India on the Bombay Stock Exchange, and the National Stock Exchange.

For more information, please visit our websites at www.wipro.com and www.wiprocorporate.com.

The webMethods name and logo are registered trademarks of, and webMethods Fabric is a trademark of, webMethods, Inc. All other marks mentioned are trademarks or service marks of their respective companies.