Informix Business Solutions Emerges as Ascential Software; Leading Software Company Announces Name Change and Expanded Executive Team
WESTBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2001--Informix Business Solutions, an independent operating company of Informix(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:IFMX), today announced it has changed its name to Ascential(TM) Software, Inc. Ascential Software, the leading provider of platform and database-independent Information Asset Management solutions, was created as the result of the strategic realignment into two independent operating companies that Informix Corporation announced on September 9, 2000.
"Like other corporate assets, information has value. But it must be analyzed, transformed, organized and delivered in a meaningful way to be a true asset to any business--this is the job of Information Asset Management," said Pete Fiore, president, Ascential Software. "The challenge for virtually every company today is to successfully pull together large amounts of disparate information from many different sources, including the Internet, enhance its value, and deliver it, in a usable format, to people who can put it to good use. Ascential Software's products and services will allow our customers to put their information to work for them."
Ascential's product line is designed to enable customers to easily collect, validate, organize, administer and deliver information. The company's offerings include: DataStage(R) XE, a complete set of components to manage the collection, validation, organization and administration of information assets of any type; Media360(TM), an end-to-end media asset management solution; Axielle(TM) Portal, a corporate portal that organizes and delivers relevant business information to users enterprise-wide; and i.Decide(TM), a series of integrated, component-based analytic solutions that address specific, customer-centric business problems.
"We are witnessing leading enterprises becoming increasingly aware of information's tangible value," said Doug Laney, vice president, Application Delivery Strategies, META Group. "Companies with a novel strategy, such as Ascential's, that focus on assisting these enterprises in evolving from treating information merely as a business by-product, to managing it as a true corporate asset, offer real potential as a partner for success."
The new company name combines two words: "ascent," a purposeful progression and elevation; and "essential," connoting a basic yet indispensable element. "Our new name reflects our expanded strategy to lead the market in Information Asset Management--that is, to provide superior technology and services to elevate raw data to corporate intelligence that delivers measurably increased value," said Fiore.
With more than 1,500 customers globally, and annualized revenue in excess of $115 million, Ascential Software is already a dominant provider of data integration infrastructure and content management software that powers applications in high-growth markets including data warehousing and business intelligence, CRM analytics, and media asset management. The company's roster of customers includes:
Insurance/Financial Services: Fleet Financial, Merrill Lynch, Commerce Bank, Britannia Building Society, Juniper Bank, Dresdner Bank, Towers Perrin, Credit Lyonnais, UBS Warburg, BankBoston, Suncorp Metway, Aspecta and Strong Capital Management
Media/Entertainment: The Weather Channel; British Broadcasting Corporation; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; XM Satellite Radio; Televisa and Sistema Brasileiro de Televisao
Healthcare: Pfizer, Inc.; CareGroup Healthcare System; Premera Blue; Regence BlueShield; Humana, Inc; Sunderland NHS
Telecommunications: OneLink; Airtel; NE&T; NexTel Communications, Inc.; Telestra.com and NTT DoCoMo
Retail: BizRate.com; JC Whitney; Sears Roebuck and Co.; Wegmans Food Markets; Benetton Group; LVMH; Kinko's, Inc.; Things Remembered and HomeRuns.com
Transportation: Railpart (UK) Ltd.; Subaru of America, Inc.; Hertz Lease; EuroTunnel; General Motors; International Truck and Engine Corp.; Ferrari Racing Team; Northwest Airlines, Inc. and The Boeing Company
The company complements its strengths in Information Asset Management with a growing list of global product and services partners including Arthur Andersen; Business Objects; Cap Gemini Ernst & Young; Compaq; EMC Corp.; First Logic; Hewlett-Packard; Kasenna; Meridium, Inc.; Microstrategy; PricewaterhouseCoopers; Primix Solutions, Inc.; Seagate; SGI; SPSS; Sun Microsystems; Trillium; USoft and Virage, among others.
New Appointments
Ascential Software also announced additions to the management team. Daniel Sapir as vice president of corporate business development and Eileen Bergquist as vice president of human resources join other seasoned veterans including Pete Fiore, president; Mikael Wipperfeld, vice president of marketing; Alan Kerr, vice president of worldwide sales; Joanne Protano, chief financial officer; Carolyn Layne, vice president and general manager of media management; Jason Silvia, vice president of worldwide client services; Lee Scheffler, chief technology officer; Gary Lloyd, vice president and general counsel; and Laurent Mayer, vice president of product development.
"This management team has an outstanding track record in the software industry, and with over 1,000 employee resources worldwide and a proven offering validated by our many partners and customers, Ascential is uniquely positioned to be the preferred vendor to the growing number of enterprises seeking to turn their raw data into strategic information assets," said Fiore.
About Ascential
Ascential Software, Inc. is the leading provider of Information Asset Management solutions to the Global 2000. Customers use Ascential products to turn vast amounts of disparate, unrefined data into reusable information assets that drive business success. Ascential's unique framework for Information Asset Management enables customers to easily collect, validate, organize, administer and deliver information assets to realize more value from their enterprise data, reduce costs and increase profitability. Headquartered in Westboro, Mass., Ascential has offices worldwide and supports more than 1500 customers, including Fujitsu-Siemens; Towers Perrin; Pfizer, Inc.; BizRate.com and Subaru of America, Inc., in such industries as telecommunications, insurance, financial services, healthcare, media/entertainment and retail. Ascential is an independent operating company of Informix Corporation (NASDAQ: IFMX) and can be found on the Web at www.ascentialsoftware.com.
(c)2001 Ascential Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Ascential is a trademark of Ascential Software, Inc. and may be registered in other jurisdictions. The following are trademarks of Informix Corporation or its affiliates, one or more of which may be registered in the U.S. or other jurisdictions: Informix(R), DataStage(R), Media360(TM), Axielle(TM)and i.Decide(TM).
Safe Harbor Statement
This public announcement contains forward-looking statements which are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include those as to:
-- The extent to which the company can maintain its status as a leading provider of software products to particular segments of the software market,
-- The extent to which the company's software products will enable its customers to realize more value from their enterprise data, reduce costs and increase profitability,
-- The extent to which the CRM, financial services, telecommunications, media/entertainment and healthcare markets for the company's software products continue to experience high growth rates, and
-- The extent to which the company can maintain and grow its current group of product and service partners.
Any statements that are not statements of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and events to differ materially from historical or anticipated results and events. Investors and potential investors should review carefully the description of the risks and uncertainties which, together with other detailed information about Informix Corporation, is contained in the periodic reports that Informix Corporation files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
This public announcement contains information that is accurate as of January 16, 2001, the date of the public announcement. The company disclaims any obligation to update or correct the information as a result of financial, business or any other developments occurring after January 16, 2001.
CONTACT:
Ascential Software
Barbara Petrocelli
(508) 366-3888 x3009
barbara.petrocelli@ascentialsoftware.com
or
Miller Consulting Group
Jennifer Yanoff
(617) 262-1800 x252
jennifer@millergrp.com
KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS
BW2751 JAN 16,2001
9:47 PACIFIC
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