Xcel Energy Selects IndusConnect for Graphical Design Integration; Furthers Objectives of Operational Excellence and Improved Customer Service.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 15, 2003

Indus International Inc. (NASDAQ: IINT), the leading provider of asset and customer management solutions, today announced that leading electricity and natural gas energy provider Xcel Energy has selected the advanced IndusConnect(TM) Framework and the IndusConnect for Geographical Information System (GIS) solution to help the company achieve operational excellence and improved customer service.

IndusConnect is the standard set of integration methods and tools that extend Indus Solution Series functionality by providing a library of XML-based integration Business Objects within an integration framework to enable interoperability with partner products. The IndusConnect Framework effectively manages the challenge of maintaining application synchronization for both initial integration and throughout application upgrades. IndusConnect for GIS will leverage the IndusConnect Framework and allow Xcel Energy to optimize the use of its graphical design engineering solution from Cook-Hurlbert, Inc.

By providing an integrated solution between the Cook-Hurlbert design tool and the company's Indus PassPort enterprise asset management system, Xcel will now be able to more efficiently manage Energy Delivery related design activities, use the extensive compatible unit capabilities of both PassPort and Cook-Hurlbert, and manage cost accounting into the process from the initial design planning activity. Through the use of this solution, Xcel Energy is gaining better leverage of both PassPort and Cook-Hurlbert applications and enabling further opportunities to achieve both breakthrough cost reductions and operational excellence.

"Xcel Energy's decision to leverage the IndusConnect Framework with the use of IndusConnect for GIS demonstrates their commitment to use PassPort as a key tool to drive operational excellence and improved customer service," said John Gregg, president of Indus Utility Systems. "Optimizing the work of design engineers by providing integration between graphical design and asset management solutions is a critical step toward improving design performance, reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction."

"Indus has been a long-term partner for Xcel Energy, and we see value in implementing their comprehensive solutions such as IndusConnect for GIS," said Michael Lamb, General Manager, Delivery Engineering and Design at Xcel Energy. "The IndusConnect Framework will allow our design engineers to work within their Cook-Hurlbert design environment and send compatible unit designs into the PassPort work management and supply chain solution. We anticipate that this integration strategy will save between 10 and 20 percent in labor costs and improve customer service significantly by automating the business process for design, construction and maintenance operations within our transmission and distribution asset base."

Larry Hurlbert, President and founder of Cook-Hurlbert, added, "Xcel Energy is one of the most progressive utilities in the world. They are further demonstrating their leadership by implementing world-class operations around our design engineering tools combined with PassPort asset management solutions. This integration is the next major initiative for achieving cost reductions and improving customer service."

GIS Integration a Growth Market for Energy Delivery

Xcel Energy's investment in IndusConnect is the latest example of Indus' growing momentum in the energy delivery market. Over the past year, Indus has been focused on the dynamic energy delivery market and has made significant investments in advanced technology to achieve the next level of cost reductions and to help improve customer satisfaction with new capabilities in its Energy Delivery Solution. Based on research from industry experts, these investments will provide key benefits in the near future.

According to a January 2003 AMR Research Alert, "Benefits are not achieved in a vacuum, but with the integration of GIS with work management, asset management, outage management, and mobile workforce." The alert further indicated that "20 percent of North American companies that have not already put some effort into GIS integration will undertake limited initiatives to integrate more closely with work management and outage management," and, "... asset management will make up the bulk of GIS projects in the next three to five years."(1)

About Xcel Energy Inc.

Xcel Energy is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company with operations in 12 Western and Midwestern states. Formed by the merger of Denver-based New Century Energies and Minneapolis-based Northern States Power Co., Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.2 million electricity customers and 1.6 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies. In terms of customers, it is the fourth-largest combination natural gas and electricity company in the nation. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis. More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com.

About Indus International

Indus International provides breakthrough value to its clients by delivering ActionPoint Management, a business improvement program which delivers all the information needed by an end user to make the best decision possible at the point where that decision is made. Indus software products, professional services and hosted service offerings improve our clients' profitability by reducing costs, increasing capacity and competitiveness, servicing their customers and billing for services and ensuring regulatory compliance. Indus solutions are used by more than 300,000 end users in more than 40 countries and diverse industries - including manufacturing, utilities, telecommunications, government, education, transportation, facilities and property management, consumer packaged goods and more. For more information, visit our Website at http://www.indus.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This press release contains statements, estimates or projections that are not historical in nature and that may constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined under U.S. federal securities laws. These statements include, but are not limited to, the anticipated benefits, synergies and cost reductions from the use of Indus products, and Indus' growing momentum in the energy delivery market. These statements, which speak only as of the date given, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our Company's historical experience and our expectations or projections. These risks include, but are not limited to, the successful integration of the acquisition of IUS, including the challenges inherent in diverting the Company's management attention and resources from other strategic matters and from operational matters, the successful rationalization of the IUS business and products, ability to realize anticipated or any synergies or cost-savings from the acquisition, current market conditions for Indus' and IUS products and services, Indus' ability to achieve growth in its core product offerings and the combined Indus/IUS offerings, Indus' ability to achieve projected revenues, gross margin, operating results and earnings, market acceptance and the success of Indus' and IUS products, the success of the Company's product development strategy, Indus' competitive position, the ability to enter into new partnership arrangements and to retain existing partnership arrangements, uncertainty relating to and the management of personnel changes, timely development and introduction of new products, releases and product enhancements, current economic conditions and the timing and extent of a recovery, heightened security and war or terrorist acts in countries of the world that affect the Company's business, and other risks identified from time-to-time in the Company's SEC filings. Investors are advised to consult the Company's filings with the SEC, including its 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, and subsequent quarterly reports for a further discussion of these and other risks.

Indus is a trademark of Indus International, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

(1)"GIS--An Enabling Technology, Not the Centerpiece of an Energy Delivery Strategy," AMR Alert, Jill Feblowitz, January 13, 2003.