GOVERNMENT

SAN JOSE, CA -- Business Objects (Nasdaq:BOBJ), a leading provider of business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced that Sun Educational Services, a division of Sun Microsystems that provides consulting and training services for Sun's customers worldwide, has selected Business Objects technologies as the front-end BI application for its sales force automation system. Business Objects business intelligence solutions enable more than 300 Sun Educational Services executives around the world to access, analyze, and share vital sales data, then use this information to increase lead generation and revenues. Sun Educational Services integrated WebIntelligence(R), the internet-based business intelligence solution from Business Objects, with Siebel's Sales Force Automation application to enable its employees to quickly access, analyze, and share valuable sales data and thus streamline its sales process. The solution enables sales executives to increase their productivity and quickly respond to sales leads using critical customer information to enhance their chances of closing the deal. Users can create customized ad hoc reports and share them company wide, from any remote location globally. The solution runs on the Solaris(TM) operating environment, and enables all users to quickly and easily analyze vital lead generation sales data including customer account histories, principal contacts, and estimated number of trainees required per sale. Sales executives can also create valuable reports that profile potential client companies, including IT initiatives and details about the potential customer's IT infrastructure and needs. This enables the sales force to make better-targeted sales presentations, close deals more quickly, and increase revenues. "This is a great example of how business intelligence can positively impact the overall success of a company," said Dave Kellogg, senior vice president of marketing for Business Objects. "Sun Educational Services needed a way to leverage the wealth of data in their sales force automation system -- Business Objects has enabled them to maximize its sales process to increase revenues and improve customer satisfaction." After evaluating several competing BI offerings, Sun Educational Services found WebIntelligence to be the only business intelligence platform that encompassed user-friendly ad hoc and querying functionality that was easy to use for non-technical business users. Its reporting capabilities and network stability were also considered superior to those of its competitors. Business Objects technology gives Sun Educational Services' business users immediate access to the company's centralized data repository, enabling them to quickly and easily produce reports to evaluate lead opportunities. "Business Objects provides best-of-breed technologies to all its partners and customers -- we align ourselves with the industry leaders to offer the best enterprise solutions," said Mark Tice, group vice president of global alliances for Business Objects. "Our long time technology alliance partnership with Siebel Systems, in combination with our easy to use BI solutions, made Business Objects a natural selection for Sun Educational Services."