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Business Objects helps Catholic Relief Services report on and manage Tsunami relief efforts

Charitable Organization Gets Powerful Reporting Capabilities with Crystal Reports Server XI

SAN JOSE, Calif. & PARIS, May 10, 2005 -- Catholic Relief Services (CRS(R)) has to date received over $145 million for tsunami relief in South and Southeast Asia. The generosity of the donations from around the world has been awe-inspiring, and allows Catholic Relief Services to be in the forefront of efforts to alleviate the human suffering resulting from the recent devastating tsunami. However, this tremendous effort, along with significant increases in other activities, has also made it critically important for the agency to enhance its ability to report on donations received and how they are spent. To meet this challenge, CRS turned to Crystal Reports(R) Server XI from Business Objects (Nasdaq:BOBJ)(Euronext Paris ISIN code:FR0004026250-BOB), the world's leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions.

CRS is implementing Crystal Reports Server XI, a complete reporting solution that lets small and medium-sized organizations create, deliver, and manage reports. With Crystal Reports Server XI, CRS will be able to more effectively and efficiently provide headquarters, field office management, as well as its extensive network of partners, with detailed, up-to-date information on fundraising and assistance programming.

To operate efficiently and comply with governmental regulations concerning non-profits, CRS must keep very specific financial records on where donations come from, and where and how they are applied. To accomplish this with the agency's previous reporting environment, however, time-consuming processes were required which limited their ability to share information around the world. With Crystal Reports Server XI, CRS can now easily create and update detailed reports, then deliver them on a more timely basis over the web and in a variety of formats. Enhanced reporting will also help CRS' ability to monitor and manage its programming.

"Crystal Reports Server XI completely changes our ability to share critical information with our offices and partners around the world," said Or Dashevsky, information technology project manager at Catholic Relief Services. "We can quickly provide the information our users need in the format they prefer. This will help us execute our mission more efficiently and provide more information at a lower cost."

CRS will also expand its use of other business intelligence products with BusinessObjects Live Office. For example, CRS will gain tight integration between business intelligence reporting and its Microsoft Office applications. CRS will also embed "live" Crystal reports in Excel spreadsheets for those users who still rely on Excel for their day-to-day work. Users can then access the reports in a way that is familiar to them, while gaining the added benefit of allowing them to refresh the report and drill into the underlying report -- something users couldn't do previously.

"Today's non-profit organizations are under increasing pressure to perform more efficiently in order to raise more money and distribute more assistance with fewer resources," said Rene Bonvanie, chief marketing officer for Business Objects. "Crystal Reports Server XI is the only packaged reporting solution that makes it easy for small to medium-sized businesses and non-profit organizations to obtain the full power of business intelligence."

About Catholic Relief Services

Catholic Relief Services-USCCB, founded in 1943 and headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency provides in excess of $500 million in annual assistance to people in 99 countries and territories on five continents, on the basis of need, not race, creed or nationality. For more information, visit www.crs.org.

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.



Sherry Lowe, 408-953-6038
sherry.lowe@businessobjects.com

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