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Metrix ProductService CRMTM Software Includes Report Generation Capability

Agreement with Indus Consultancy Services, Inc. provides standard reports and report customization tool

Waukesha, Wis., January 10, 2000 - Metrix, Inc. and Indus Consultancy Services, Inc. have entered into an agreement calling for Indus to supply a report writing tool for Metrix's ProductService CRMTM software. The Indus Report Workshop for ForteTM, will be standard on all Metrix software from release 4.2 onward. Operators can use the standard reports included in the package, or license a tool to develop their own customized reports or extend Metrix standard reports.

"Report Workshop takes the valuable, precise data that Metrix software captures and organizes it into the information users need to run their service operations more effectively. It presents the information in whatever manner they choose, such as a bar chart, pie chart or graph, enabling service personnel and managers to spot exceptional conditions and take action more quickly," says Kent Lane, Metrix vice president of business development.

"For example, if our clients want to determine overall maintenance agreement profitability, they can now easily assess revenue input stream vs. the service cost of all their contracts, and determine which contracts are most profitable," he explains. "Then, they can use this information to establish future maintenance agreement offerings. Without the report writer tool capabilities, this analysis would entail laborious manual calculations."

Report Workshop operates in the Forte application environment, affording it robustness and versatility. Because it runs off the server and can operate in the background, it doesn't interfere with other PC functions. "Because both the Metrix ProductService CRM suite and the Report Workshop were developed using Forte, Metrix' selection of Indus as our partner offers a superior functional and technical solution for us and for our clients," according to Lane.

He adds, "We evaluated several reporting packages. We needed a solution capable of producing detailed, complex and custom reports, while also enabling the scheduling and publishing of report content in a secure and scalable environment. Report Workshop met all our needs.

"Shekar Gunaseharan, president of Indus, points out that the agreement with Metrix is indicative of Report Workshop's increasing use within the Forte community. "This is a very significant achievement in the evolution of Report Workshop for Forte," he says. "It underscores the great interest we have seen in the adoption of our product in the Forte development community."

Multiple distribution channels
Report Workshop allows for multiple distribution channels, ensuring that information reaches all audiences. Reports can be distributed via email, hard copy, or in an HTML format for web viewing. The report information can also be imported into Excel. Importantly, the same report saved in a standard format can be re-rendered into other formats, eliminating the need to re-run a report each time a new output type is needed.

Indus is also supplying Metrix with its Job Scheduler product, which is tightly integrated with Report Workshop to provide users with the ability to schedule specific reports to be run automatically. In addition, when scheduling a report, the versioning function allows users to save multiple versions of a report, each representing a specific moment in time.

The latest release of Report Workshop also includes a powerful new expression system. "The expressions feature means that users can direct the software to run the same report indefinitely, since users can use field expressions like 'today minus thirty days' rather than program using specific dates. It's a real time-saver," Gunaseharan explains.

With the optional report design tool, companies can create special reports to meet their unique needs. "Our standard report formats are designed to accommodate the most common and useful reports a company needs, and are so easy to create that an IT person is not required," Lane points out. "But we recognize that some users need unique data analysis. For them, the report writing tool is the perfect option."

About Indus Consultancy Services, Inc.

Indus Consultancy Services (ICS) is a provider of innovative technology solutions to solve today's business challenges. ICS focuses on delivering client/server and object-oriented solutions to its diversified clientele. Various strategic alliances have given ICS the ability to develop and deploy mission-critical and distributed applications. ICS provides services such as: Turnkey Project Development, Framework Development, OO Analysis and Design, System Development, and Mentoring. For more information about ICS, contact the company at 140 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652; Tel (201) 261-3100; Fax: (201) 261-1399; email: askus@indcon.com or visit their web site at www.indcon.com.

About Metrix, Inc.

Founded in 1980, Metrix, Inc. pioneered the service automation industry, and is today the leading worldwide provider of ProductService CRMTM solutions. Its web capabilities and integrated applications address all aspects of the product service chain for multi-divisional and multi-national companies performing on-site field service or repair center activities for high-tech and durable goods. Metrix's headquarters are located in Waukesha, Wisconsin, with additional offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix. Its European headquarters are located in The Hague, the Netherlands: 31-(0)70-383-4114. The Prolog Group is an authorized Metrix distributor in the United Kingdom. Metrix can be reached at (800) 543-2130, (262) 717-6500 or at www.metrix.com.
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