ATG and Comergent Enter Reseller Agreement to Provide More Robust Self-Service E-Business Solutions
ATG to Market and Sell Comergent C3 Configurator
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 24, 2003 - ATG (Art Technology Group, Inc., Nasdaq: ARTG), a leading developer of online marketing, sales, and service applications, and Comergent, a leading provider of demand chain management software solutions, today announced that the two companies have entered into a reseller agreement that will make ATG a reseller of Comergent`s market-leading sales product configuration application, Comergent C3 Configurator(tm). The collective strength of the ATG/Comergent solution offers organizations greater selling capabilities and increased order accuracy.
The agreement calls for ATG to market and sell Comergent`s C3 Configurator, a 100 percent Java configurator with browser-based Visual Modeling capabilities. Comergent C3 Configurator enables enterprises to combine product data residing in back-office systems with best sales practices and business logic to most effectively sell products through self-service, Web-based, and offline configuration. "Companies use sales configuration systems (SCS`s) to configure complex products," said Rob DeSisto, vice president and research director, Gartner. "SCS`s also reduce complexity for the salesperson and improve productivity. They are not just for organizations with product configuration problems; they can help configure pricing and discounts, and create trade promotions."
The ATG/Comergent offering is an ideal solution for organizations that:
* Sell complex products with multiple options (e.g., colors, formats)
* Offer products with technical restrictions or build-to-order
requirements (e.g., not to exceed maximum power consumption)
* Present package options, such as service, warranties, and service
plans
* Wish to up-sell or cross-sell additional products or options
* Market products with compatibility requirements for "accessories"
Companies that build their e-business sites on the combined ATG/Comergent solution will have the opportunity to sell a wider range of complex products and bundles more effectively, and reduce the number of product returns caused by incompatible product configurations. The result will be a more satisfied customer base that is receiving accurate and consistent product solutions each and every time they buy products, without the need for custom coding or more cumbersome configuration solutions.
"Comergent`s configurator and ATG`s solutions are designed for administration by the same business user," said John Dragoon, senior vice president of marketing and product management, ATG. "Moreover, both companies continue to build applications on open Java architecture, providing flexibility and scalability without the need for heavy coding. These are the types of synergistic relationships ATG has sought and will continue to seek, allowing companies to deploy a commerce hub that extends across their enterprise. Our customers can leverage their existing investment in ATG to drive even greater financial returns."
By gaining access to ATG`s install base and expertise in markets such as retail, telecommunications, financial services, and government, Comergent will be able to broaden its vertical reach without deviating from its core competency in the manufacturing industry. In turn, ATG will be able to deepen its penetration in the manufacturing sector while further strengthening its presence in the retail market.
"We believe we have found in ATG an excellent partner for our needs, one that possesses vast expertise in vertical markets we are seeking to penetrate and the open Java architecture which complements Comergent`s own suite of products," said Jean Kovacs, president and CEO, Comergent. "The enhanced user experience provided by the ATG/Comergent solution will help our customers drive sales of their complex products with far less effort and decreased cost."
For ATG, the alliance with Comergent is the latest in a series of partnerships that have enhanced the functionality of ATG`s solutions, following recent agreements with Autonomy (ATG Search) and Hyperion (ATG Analytics). Those features were made available with the release of ATG 6, and the company plans to continue to seek relationship opportunities that can further complement and enhance its industry leading commerce offering.
About Comergent
Comergent is a leading provider of demand chain management software that enables enterprises to make it easier for their customers and partners to do business and reduce the cost of selling processes, all through a single system. The Comergent E-Business System(tm) handles all selling processes for the enterprise-from sales lead to order capture and service. Comergent is a privately held company. Customers include such industry leaders as Cisco Systems, DuPont, General Cable, Maytag, Nissan North America, Seagate, Symbol and Toro. Comergent has been named a Computerworld Top 100 Emerging Company for 2002, a Cool Company for 2001 by Fortune magazine, and is the winner of the 2001 Investors` Choice award by Technologic Partners. This award recognizes the top ten enterprise companies most likely to succeed. For more information, visit www.comergent.com or send e-mail to info@comergent.com .
About ATG
ATG (Art Technology Group, Inc.) is a leading developer of online marketing, sales, and service applications that deliver an integrated, personalized experience for customers, partners and employees: the frontline of every business. Customers around the globe rely on ATG for the frontline applications that help build and manage mutually beneficial relationships. Deployed on the industry`s most popular application servers, ATG`s application suites for e-commerce, portals, and relationship management are ideal for integrated e-business initiatives across the enterprise.
Today, ATG has delivered e-business solutions to blue-chip companies worldwide including Aetna Services, Inc., Alcatel, American Airlines, Barclays Global Investors, Best Buy, BMG Direct, Eastman Kodak, Ford Motor Credit, HSBC, J. Crew, Sun Microsystems, Walgreen Company, and WellsFargo. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with additional locations throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information about ATG, please visit our Web site at www.atg.com .
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Comergent and the Comergent logo are registered trademarks of Comergent Technologies, Inc. Comergent E-Business System is a trademark of Comergent Technologies, Inc. All other products or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
* 2003. Art Technology Group, Inc., ATG and Art Technology Group are
registered trademarks of Art Technology Group, Inc. All other product names, service marks, and trademarks mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important risk factors affecting business generally may be found in periodic reports and registration statements filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Risk factors related to the
subject matter of this press release include the possibility that the ATG product deployment will not be successful, significantly enhance the user`s Internet experience, handle user volume; or result in user efficiencies; that the Comergent reseller agreement will end or fails to result in revenue generation for ATG;; the need to adapt to rapid changes so products do not become obsolete; the possibility of errors in ATG`s software products; the risks and costs associated with intellectual property and other litigation. ATG undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.
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