Response Media Standardizes on BusinessObjects XI; Direct Marketer Imp

    Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

    SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 2005--Business Objects (Nasdaq:BOBJ) (Euronext Paris ISIN code: FR0004026250 - BOB), the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced that Response Media has selected BusinessObjects(TM) XI as its business intelligence standard. Response Media, one of the country's top online marketing and mailing list brokerage firms, and a long time Business Objects customer, will deploy BusinessObjects XI to extend business intelligence capabilities to more users and improve access to financial and sales information. BusinessObjects XI will enable Response Media to provide more employees, partners, and customers with enhanced reporting, query and analysis, and performance management capabilities that will create a competitive advantage for the company.
    Prior to its decision to deploy BusinessObjects XI, Response Media used Crystal Reports(R) for more than seven years, creating numerous sales and accounting management reports. The company will now use BusinessObjects XI to access new, more flexible reports, such as client profitability and ROI per account, which will empower users to make better business decisions. An executive dashboard powered by BusinessObjects XI will enable managers to monitor up-to-the-minute business trends and key performance indicators, and then drill down for detailed information on current sales, forecasting, financial, and customer information. Response Media also plans to extend business intelligence capabilities to external users by providing partners and customers with self-service access to specialized reports and information via an extranet.
    "Crystal Reports has always been our favorite reporting package, but the innovative features of BusinessObjects XI take us to a whole new level of business intelligence," said Randy Blasch, IT manager at Response Media. "On the IT side, BusinessObjects XI will enable us to provide more business value with fewer resources. On the business side, performance management capabilities and flexible report distribution will make us smarter, nimbler, and more competitive."
    With BusinessObjects XI, Response Media will distribute reports over the web and embed them in Microsoft Office applications. Embedding reports in applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel will enable the IT staff to easily provide live, on-demand reports to both internal and external audiences without the need for additional staff training. Users will be able to click through to the underlying data to get immediate access to the information they require.
    "BusinessObjects XI will enhance Response Media's existing Crystal Reports deployment with the most comprehensive business intelligence platform on the market," said Rene Bonvanie, chief marketing officer at Business Objects. "With BusinessObjects XI, companies can continue to access all their existing reports, and then add greater flexibility, expand distribution, and launch performance management initiatives as the need arises."

    About Response Media

    Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Response Media is a leading provider of direct marketing solutions including interactive marketing, list brokerage and promotional media services, to clients within the retail, consumer packaged goods, catalog, technology, B2B, pharmaceutical, publishing and credit/financial industries. Response Media's clients read like a Who's Who of Fortune 100 companies and brands, including Procter & Gamble, Georgia Pacific, Disney, Gerber Life, Bank of America, Carat Worldwide, Abbot Labs/Ross, Pfizer, Wyeth, and Unilever.

    About Business Objects

    Business Objects is the world's leading business intelligence (BI) software company. With more than 30,000 customers worldwide, including over 80 percent of the Fortune 500, Business Objects helps organizations gain better insight into their business, improve decision making, and optimize enterprise performance. The company's business intelligence platform, BusinessObjects(TM) XI, offers the BI industry's most advanced and complete platform for reporting, query and analysis, performance management, and data integration. BusinessObjects XI includes Crystal Reports(R), the industry standard for enterprise reporting. Business Objects has also built the industry's strongest and most diverse partner community, and the company offers consulting and education services to help customers effectively deploy their business intelligence projects.
    Business Objects has dual headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and Paris, France. The company's stock is traded on both the Nasdaq (BOBJ) and Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0004026250 - BOB) stock exchanges. More information about Business Objects can be found at www.businessobjects.com.

    Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, and Crystal Reports are trademarks or registered trademarks of Business Objects S.A. or its affiliated companies in the United States and/or other countries. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

--30--MER/sf*

CONTACT: Business Objects Sherry Lowe, 408-953-6038 sherry.lowe@businessobjects.com or Eastwick Communications Melissa Neumann, 650-480-4036 melissa@eastwick.com

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA GEORGIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE ADVERTISING/MARKETING SOFTWARE NETWORKING PRODUCT MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Business Objects

Copyright Business Wire 2005