SPSS Software Helping Yamaha Motor Europe Gain Customer Insight; Enhan

    Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

    CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 28, 2005--Yamaha Motor Europe N.V., the European headquarters of Yamaha Motor Corporation, is harnessing SPSS software to gauge customer insight into new product designs. With the use of SPSS Inc. (NASDAQ:SPSS) technologies, Yamaha Motor Europe has improved its new product evaluation process and enhanced the competitiveness of its existing products.
    Yamaha Motor Europe gathers customer feedback on new product designs through its online portal, Yamaha Design Cafe. The portal, which can be accessed from the Yamaha Motor Europe Web site, is geared to motorcycle enthusiasts and features articles on the company's latest motorcycles. The Yamaha Design Cafe collects reader feedback about new motorcycle designs by embedding surveys into the feature stories, and uses SPSS survey research software, mrInterview(TM), to develop and field the surveys.
    Another SPSS technology, mrTranslate(TM), assists the Yamaha researchers in translating the survey results, generated from across Europe. Both mrInterview and mrTranslate are part of SPSS' Dimensions(TM) survey research platform.
    "With the help of SPSS software, the Yamaha Design Cafe immediately paid dividends as a new product evaluation tool," said Hennes Fischer, product planning consultant, Yamaha Motor Europe. "It's extremely important to stay in touch with how our customers feel. SPSS survey research software enables us to never feel out of the loop, which gives us confidence that we're always delivering a product that truly meets customer expectations."
    "As Yamaha Motor Europe has discovered, SPSS software provides a quantitative foundation for identifying, evaluating and pursuing new marketing opportunities," said SPSS President and CEO Jack Noonan. "Our software is helping manufacturers gain valuable insight into ever-changing customer preferences and buying patterns, thereby significantly reducing the risk and expense of product development."

    About SPSS

    SPSS Inc. (NASDAQ:SPSS) is a leading worldwide provider of predictive analytics software and solutions. The company's predictive analytics technology connects data to effective strategic action by drawing reliable conclusions about current conditions and critical future events. More than 250,000 commercial, academic, and public sector customers rely on SPSS technology to help increase revenue, reduce costs, improve important processes, and detect and prevent fraud. More than 95 percent of the Fortune 1000 companies are SPSS customers. Founded in 1968, SPSS is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. For additional information, please visit www.spss.com.

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    This press release contains forward-looking information made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements can be identified by phrases such as "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "could," "designed," "should be" and other similar expressions which denote expectations of future events rather than statements of fact. These forward-looking statements involve factors that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties, which may not be currently ascertainable and many of which are beyond the Company's control, may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different than the results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Copies of these filings are available either on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or from the Company's investor relations department. In light of these risks and uncertainties, the inclusion of forward-looking statements in this press release should not be regarded as a representation by the Company that any future results, performance or achievements will be attained. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

    SPSS information is available on the World Wide Web through the SPSS Press Center at: www.spss.com/press

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CONTACT: SPSS Inc. Marc Brailov or Kim McLynn, 800-525-4980 e-mail: pr@spss.com

KEYWORD: ILLINOIS INTERNATIONAL EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: AUTOMOTIVE HARDWARE CONSUMER/HOUSEHOLD SOFTWARE PRODUCT MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: SPSS Inc.

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