EDS, an HP Company, Expands Retail Industry Consulting Practice with Targeted Core Retail Solution

PLANO, Texas – EDS, an HP company, today announced the launch of an end-to-end targeted core retail solution designed to enable retailers to compete more effectively and improve profitability.

EDS’ new solution helps retailers more effectively manage local consumer demand with relevant store assortments through improved ordering, merchandising, demand/supply chain management and supporting analytical tools.

Designed specifically for the convenience, grocery and drug segments, the core solution is powered by EDS’ experienced retail industry and technology consultants, the EDS Designed for Run™ methodology, Aldata Solution Professional Services consultants and the Aldata G.O.L.D. retail suite.

“EDS understands that now, more than ever, retailers in all segments are facing increasing challenges due to new competitive formats entering the marketplace, the blurring of channels, consolidations and price transparency, which are driving the requirement for even more retailer differentiation,” said Mike Klaus, vice president, Global Consumer and Retail Industries, EDS, an HP company. “Our first-of-its-kind Designed for Run methodology lets customers take a comprehensive approach to meeting these challenges.”

Retailers have always needed to be vigilant about cost management, bringing new items to market quickly and improving the customer experience across multiple channels. With increasing food costs, rising fuel prices and the fallout from the U.S. mortgage crisis continuing to negatively impact consumer confidence and spending, the pressure on retail sales and margins is only increasing.

EDS’ targeted core retail solution simplifies the management of information, enables the integration of legacy systems through a service-oriented architecture (SOA), leverages the Aldata G.O.L.D. solution, and provides an applications management support model based on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) set of standard processes and tools.

The solution combines EDS’ leadership in program management, business process consulting, change management, integration, hosting, help desk and applications management services for clients with retail-industry leader Aldata’s international retail/wholesale business experience and supply chain application expertise. By leveraging EDS’ Designed for Run methodology, a business can chart a complete course to its strategic goals, implement a measured modernization roadmap and anticipate the cost of operating the final collective system over its lifetime.

Together, EDS and Aldata provide retailers and wholesalers with a single, integrated retail supply chain foundation that can work across all stores and operations to deliver the visibility and responsiveness necessary to respond to change.

EDS is a member of the Aldata American G.O.L.D. Users Association (AGUA) and a sponsor of the 2008 AGUA American G.O.L.D. User Group Meeting, which will feature guest speaker Dale Miyakawa, practice leader of retail industry consulting at EDS.

EDS serves more than 200 consumer and retail industry clients . As a leading provider in the and retail industries, EDS focuses on a variety of market segments, including food and beverage, apparel and footwear, consumer products, and retail outlets including restaurants, mass and department, grocery, drug, convenience, online and catalog, and specialty.

About EDS

EDS, an HP company, is a leading global technology services provider, delivering business solutions to its customers. EDS founded the information technology outsourcing industry more than 46 years ago. Today, EDS delivers a broad portfolio of information technology and business process outsourcing services to customers in the manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, communications, energy, transportation, and consumer and retail industries, and to governments around the world.

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, provides printing and personal computing products and IT services, software and solutions that simplify the technology experience for consumers and businesses. HP completed its acquisition of EDS on Aug. 26, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

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