News I just recieved>JOHN MENZIES SELECTS
MAGIC SOFTWARE ENTERPRISES’
APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY
TO DEVELOP ITS NEW
WEB-ENABLED DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
Continuum™ To Provide Menzies’ Publishers
and Retail Partners Enhanced Quality Service
IRVINE, CA (March 27, 2001) – Magic Software Enterprises (Nasdaq: MGIC), a leading provider of state-of-the-art application development technology and business solutions, announced today that it has been selected by John Menzies Distribution (“Menzies”) to help develop Continuum™, Menzies new sophisticated Web-enabled distribution system. Menzies, which controls approximately 25% of the United Kingdom’s wholesale media distribution market through a network of 30 distribution centers, distributes roughly 4 million newspapers every day, 9.5 million periodicals every week and 21 million magazines every month to more than 21,000 supermarkets, gas stations, newsagents and convenience stores. Continuum will integrate Magic with Oracle Data Structures running on Sun Solaris to provide enhanced quality service to Menzies’ publishers and retail partners.
Continuum, which is scheduled to be rolled out in the next several weeks, takes maximum advantage of Magic’s rapid application development and integration capabilities to cover the full range of information technology, from Internet-based customer inquiries through administrative systems such as payroll to a new communications network designed to support Menzies’ complete technological infrastructure. Among the key features scheduled for the initial release are:
· A “next generation” of allocation systems, written using Magic, that provides both “bottom up” and “top down” business analyses of sales potential for magazines and newspapers to help ensure publishers’ business objectives are married to retailer sales demands.
· Web-enabled customer service that allows Menzies’ customers to obtain details on invoices, credit notes, delivery notes, and magazine and newspaper recall notes.
· Sales-based replenishment facilities, which combine the information held in Menzies’ branch computer systems with information received from customers’ systems, to help ensure the availability of magazines and newspapers where required. In addition, the system will alert Menzies to potential sell-out situations so that the problem can be avoided altogether or appropriate corrective action taken immediately.
“We chose Magic because of their e-business expertise and their clear understanding of the issues unique to our business,” said Frank Coyle, IT director of Menzies. “In addition, Magic’s seamless integration with the Oracle Data Structures and the ability to quickly develop sophisticated Web-enabled and other business solutions were key factors in selecting the technology as a basis for Continuum.”
Other features of Continuum include:
· An accountability project focused on returned magazines and newspapers that will enable Menzies to identify the precise reasons for unsold products.
· A contractor self-billing system that enables Menzies to generate invoices from individual contractors in a standard format for expedited processing.
· A Web-enabled document image processing system for the 22,000 invoices produced by Menzies each week to expedite customer inquiries at the branch level.
In addition, Menzies plans to add facilities for customer relationship management and Web-based retail education in the future.
“This is an enormously satisfying project because of the level of sophistication being built into each delivery system and because it once again demonstrates Magic’s ability to integrate quickly and seamlessly with other vendor’s products,” said Menachem Hasfari, chief executive officer of Magic. “Menzies remains the leader in providing state-of-the-art technology for the distribution of newspapers and magazines, and it is expected that this system will lead the market as well in customer-facing innovation.”
About John Menzies Distribution
John Menzies Distribution is a leading operator in the United Kingdom’s news industry, distributing newspapers, magazines and periodicals. Its strong market position is based upon forward-thinking, technological innovation and a constant emphasis on customer service. Using more than 1,200 vehicles covering more than 50,000 miles a day and employing more than 4,000 staff, Menzies handles more than 3,000 regular titles, including 4 million newspapers each day, 9.5 million periodicals each week and 21 million magazines a month.
About Magic Software Enterprises
Magic Software Enterprises, a member of the Formula Group (Nasdaq: FORTY), develops, markets and supports software development and deployment technology that enables enterprises to accelerate the process of building and deploying applications that can be rapidly customized and integrated with existing systems. Magic technology, applications and professional services are available through a global network of subsidiaries, distributors and Magic solutions partners in approximately 50 countries. The Company’s North American subsidiary is located at 1642 Kaiser Avenue, Irvine, Calif., 92614, telephone (949) 250-1718, fax (949) 250-7404, magicsoftware.com. |
