STAMFORD, Conn., Feb. 10, 2005 -- BPM Partners, the leading independent authority on business performance management (BPM) solutions and one of the most trusted sources of BPM information and expertise, today announced the addition of several new companies to the BPM Implementation Alliance, the global network of performance management implementation experts. The alliance provides BPM Partners' clients access to more than 200 expert consultants with specialization in performance management solutions from Business Objects, Cognos, Geac, Hyperion, Lawson, Microsoft, OutlookSoft, SAP and others. The new partners are:

-- BizNet Software, (Irving, TX, www.biznetsoftware.com) - a firm specializing in Microsoft-based Business Performance Management solutions for the mid-market.

-- Decision Systems (Northbrook, IL, www.decisionsystems.com) - a consulting and technology company specializing in business intelligence, OLAP, data mining, business analytics and data warehousing.

-- Global Analytics (Waterbury, CT www.4global-analytics.com) - a services company that is focused on implementing Business Performance Management, and developing customized analytical solutions for clients.

-- SandPoint Consulting (Detroit, MI, www.sandpointc.com) - a BPM consulting practice focused on implementing customized solutions that facilitate effective Business Performance Management across the entire organization

"The high level of interest we've seen in the BPM Implementation Alliance, on both the customer and prospective partner sides, points to a market-wide understanding of implementation as a major pain point in the life cycle of a BPM initiative," said Craig Schiff, president and CEO of BPM Partners. "Starting with choosing the wrong product, there are dozens of things that can go awry during the implementation; from budget over-runs and end user rejection to finding you've been chasing the wrong metrics. The experts in the BPMIA help companies design and implement BPM projects that achieve specific goals. Our new partners bring an additional set of skills to further increase the likelihood of success for BPM end users."

"BizNet offers proven results in implementing BPM applications to the mid-market," said George McMann, CEO of BizNet Software. "We recognize that the BPM Implementation Alliance fills a critical role in helping companies choose and implement the right vendor based on their specific project. BizNet looks forward to playing a key role as a partner company in the global BPMIA network."

"The key challenge in today's BPM market is finding the best product that fits your needs and that can be implemented in the most cost effective manner. Coupling the unique combination of BPM Partners' objectivity and insight with the experience and value that specialist consulting firms offer, enables the BPM Implementation Alliance to address this challenge head on," said Reid Karabush, president, Decision Systems Inc.

"With Business Performance Management and analytic applications becoming more mission critical to an enterprise, it's important for solution providers to have strong alliances with firms that understand the value that a BPM solution can provide an organization," said Peter Mulholland, president of Global Analytics Corp. Our alliance with BPM Partners allows us to leverage their experts to bring an independent viewpoint to an evaluation. This helps to ensure that the best solution is selected for a departmental or enterprise-wide BPM deployment."

"The BPM Implementation Alliance provides a valuable extension of SandPoint's offerings," said Bryan Wirthlin, president of SandPoint Consulting. "It allows our prospects and clients access to BPM professionals across the country. The BPMIA allows our organization to focus on core competencies with the confidence that the Alliance partners can offer additional expertise when needed. It is a win/win opportunity for SandPoint, our prospects and clients."

As IT projects have become more specialized and complex, organizations are more likely to need the services of a consultant with a specific set of knowledge and skills. This is especially true in corporate-driven initiatives such as Performance Management. There are significant risks in starting down the BPM road without a proven methodology or the guidance of someone who truly understands the options and has proven to reduce the risk of project failure.

The BPMIA's approach to performance management is based on the collective expertise of its membership and the vendor selection tools, methodology and organizational skills provided by BPM Partners. All members of the BPMIA have extensive experience deploying successful BPM solutions and are incorporating additional tools available from others in the network. The organization offers one-stop shopping for BPM starting with needs analysis and requirements definition through successful implementation of the selected solution. In addition, the organization has a unique level of access to vendor product roadmaps and future development plans due to the relationships developed by the BPM Partners team.

The new members of the BPMIA join the existing members of the organization:

-- Aster Group (Concord, NC, www.astergroup.com)

-- ISA Consulting (Blue Bell, PA, www.isaconsulting.com)

-- ITEC Corporation (White Plains, NY, www.iteccorp.com)

-- TopDown Consulting (San Francisco, CA, www.topdownconsulting.com)

-- US-Analytics (Carrollton, TX, www.us-analytics.com)

BPM is a combination of business processes, select measures (metrics, key performance indicators) and systems that enable an organization to understand, act on and influence its business performance. Budgeting, planning, consolidation, scorecards, dashboards, business intelligence (BI) and analytic applications all fall under the BPM umbrella. In addition, regulatory issues such as Sarbanes-Oxley, Basel II, and IFRS compliance are often business drivers for today's BPM applications.

The Business Performance Management Implementation Alliance can be contacted at www.bpmpartners.com/bpmia.shtml

About BPM Partners

BPM Partners is the leading independent authority on business performance management (BPM) solutions and a founding member of the BPM Standards Group. BPM Partners' vendor-neutral consultants guide companies through their BPM initiatives from start to finish, helping companies attain the maximum value from their business performance management initiatives. This is done through hands-on services that provide insight on how to collect and analyze the right information to address specific business goals. BPM Partners leads clients through needs assessment, vendor selection, and implementation of departmental or enterprise-wide BPM systems.

By analyzing and then matching the client's requirements with the appropriate vendor, BPM Partners helps companies narrow the selection of vendors from a lengthy industry list that includes Applix (Nasdaq: APLX), Cartesis, Cognos (Nasdaq: COGN), Geac (TSE:GAC), FRx Software, Hyperion (Nasdaq: HYSL), Longview Solutions, Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL), OutlookSoft, PeopleSoft (Nasdaq: PSFT), SAP (NYSE: SAP), SAS, Satori Group, SRC Software and others. For further details, go to www.bpmpartners.com

John Colbert, 203-359-5639
jcolbert@bpmpartners.com