IBM to Acquire DWL

Customer Data Integration Software to Strengthen IBM’s Information Management Portfolio

ARMONK, N.Y. -- Aug. 2, 2005 -- IBM today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire DWL, a privately held company based in Atlanta and Toronto. Financial terms were not disclosed.

DWL is a leading provider of customer data integration middleware which helps companies provide a single integrated view of prospect and customer information spread across multiple product and business silos. This capability allows businesses such as banks, insurance companies, retailers and manufacturers to quickly and consistently leverage their customer data to help address business challenges such as regulatory compliance, optimizing customer relationships, or integrating data from mergers and acquisitions. This capability can give them valuable customer insight in transactions and day-to-day interactions, a key enabler of Information on Demand.

The acquisition strengthens IBM’s information management software portfolio, including the company’s existing product information management software and enterprise data integration software, a key part of the company’s On Demand strategy.

“The ability to cut through complexity and provide an accurate view of the customer is one of the most important aspects of information management today,” said Janet Perna, general manager, Information Management, IBM. “With this acquisition, IBM can now deliver the industry’s most comprehensive set of master data management solutions on the market. We are providing an integrated middleware infrastructure that manages information and aligns that information in real time with business processes.”

Today’s increased focus on optimizing customer relationships, as well as regulatory compliance and merger activities, has driven a new level of need for customer data integration solutions. DWL provides the most robust, real-time, transactional customer data integration solution in the market today, addressing the key challenge of delivering relevant, unique, customer information, both internally and externally. DWL technology is widely used among leading companies across the banking, insurance, finance, telecommunications, retail and manufacturing industries.

“Organizations recognize the need to put the customer at the center of their business processes and move away from traditional silos of information generated in various locations, or created by multiple customer applications providing different views of the same customer,” said John W. Baumstark, president and CEO, DWL. “Customer data integration is a key enabler to achieving customer centricity and DWL has worked with IBM as a Strategic Business Partner in helping numerous organizations to create consolidated views of their customers.”

Built on a Java-based platform and the highly flexible services oriented architecture, DWL’s development is consistent with IBM’s overall software strategy and complements IBM’s information integration portfolio, allowing customers to easily integrate it into their multi-vendor environments.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close later in 2005.

About IBM
IBM is the world’s largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of e-business. For more information about IBM, visit www.ibm.com.



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Chris Rubsamen

IBM Media Relations

IBM

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