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Sterling Commerce Delivers an Industry Leading Evolutionary Suite of Data Synchronization Solutions

Posted on: Tuesday, 13 January 2004, 06:00 CST

Offerings address full range of customer needs, from compliance to automated data synchronization

Sterling Commerce announced today that it is providing customers with software and services to achieve complete data synchronization--a standardized approach for establishing and maintaining consistent and accurate business information within and between companies in a supply chain.

Sterling Commerce now offers a data synchronization suite, with flexible solution options ranging from software to hosted services that can evolve as requirements and business needs change. By synchronizing their data, companies experience an increase in supply chain efficiency, strengthen relationships with partners and retailers and gain an overall competitive advantage.

"Companies are quickly learning that synchronizing data with all business partners is a true competitive advantage," said Sam Starr, president and CEO, Sterling Commerce. "But, many have deadlines to comply with customer mandates and need some place to start that doesn't translate to a short-term fix."

Sterling Commerce customers can start with a solution to achieve quick compliance and evolve to a more advanced solution resulting in accurate product information kept in sync within the organization and between customers and suppliers. Sterling Commerce provides a full range of software and hosted services that help companies satisfy their compliance needs. Sterling Commerce's suite of data synchronization solutions include:

-- UCC Certification for UCCnet(TM) Services - Customers will be

able to automatically meet requirements set by retail industry

leaders such as Wal-Mart, The Home Depot and Shaw's

Supermarkets, who are actively moving toward data

synchronization with integral trading partners, and are in

many cases mandating that suppliers exchange product

information through the UCCnet GLOBALregistry(R) service--a

global repository where enterprises can register item data and

share standardized, synchronized supply chain information.

Sterling Commerce is a Certified UCC Solution Partner and one

of the first vendors to achieve UCCnet Synchronization Suite

v. 2.2.1 certification. UCC certification ensures that

Sterling Commerce offers standards-compliant, off-the-shelf

implementation solutions.

-- A Strategic Integration Platform - Customers can leverage the

data synchronization solution to accomplish future business

integration initiatives.

-- World-class Customer Support - Sterling Commerce has more than

25 years of experience in providing unmatched, reliable system

performance and fewer operational disruptions with customers

and trading partners.

"Sterling Commerce's approach to the industry is refreshing," said Al Joughin, vice president, Information Technology Systems, Shaw's Supermarkets. "They realize data synchronization is not just connecting and sending data to UCCnet services, but requires multiple steps to eliminate the manual, error-ridden processes necessary to truly realize the greatest amount of benefits."

"Customers now have the ability to turn to one company and be confident they have selected a solution to help them realize the full financial benefits of data synchronization," said Starr. "And, these financial benefits can be significant."

An A.T. Kearney study stated that data synchronization can save manufacturers $800,000 to $1.2 million for every $1 billion in sales. This same study showed that retailers can expect to save $700,000 to $1 million for every $1 billion in sales. Some specific benefits include:

-- One percent reduction in logistics costs

-- Two to four percent reduction in out of stocks

-- One percent reduction in inventory

-- Thousands of hours saved in warehouse and direct store

deliveries

-- Five to 10 percent reduction in time spent reconciling

invoices

About Sterling Commerce

Sterling Commerce, a wholly owned subsidiary of SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC), is one of the world's largest providers of business integration solutions. For Global 5000 companies and their customers, suppliers and partners, Sterling Commerce software and services help maximize business performance and improve business metrics through integration of applications, external partner systems and people. With more than 25 years of experience serving more than 30,000 customers in a vast range of industries, Sterling Commerce is a recognized pioneer in electronic commerce through its longstanding expertise in EDI. Today, as customers explore new ways to improve business performance via the Internet, Sterling Commerce continues to innovate its software and services to further the global adoption of e-commerce while offering its customers strategic solutions that leverage existing technology. For more information, visit www.sterlingcommerce.com

SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com) is one of the world's leading data, voice and Internet services providers. Through its world-class networks, SBC companies provide a full range of voice, data, networking and e-business services, as well as directory advertising and publishing. A Fortune 30 company, SBC Communications is America's leading provider of high-speed DSL Internet Access services and one of the nation's leading Internet Service Providers. SBC companies currently serve 55 million access lines nationwide. In addition, SBC companies own 60 percent of America's second-largest wireless company, Cingular Wireless, which serves more than 23 million wireless customers. Internationally, SBC companies have telecommunications investments in 26 countries.

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