News

Source: Industrial Distribution, February 21, 2003

YARDLEY, PA. - In a push to offer customers more flexibility and drive down the cost of doing business, Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. (SE&A), a manufacturer of electrical, engineering, and automation solutions and products, has partnered with Prophet 21 to become a member of Trading Partner Connect.

Prophet 21 provides distributors with technology solutions that help them increase sales, improve customer service, and reduce operating costs. Trading Partner Connect is an Internet trading network that streamlines the commerce process between distributors, their manufacturers/suppliers, and end-users.

"Prophet 21 is thrilled to welcome Siemens as a member of Trading Partner Connect," said Chuck Boyle, president and CEO of Prophet 21. "We are confident that as they look to streamline their processes with distributors, Siemens will find Trading Partner Connect and their partnership with Prophet 21 to be invaluable resources."

Mark DiNunzio, director of Sales Technology at SE&A, explained that Trading Partner Connect lowers transaction costs for distributors and manufacturers, which results in better business relationships - and better business. 'We learned from our channel partners that their incentive and compensation packages are tied directly to wringing out the costs of doing business. Trading Partner Connect will absolutely help us lower their costs, and help us enhance our competitive advantage."

A Perfect Partnership Chip Yonkee, manager of e-Business at SE&A, knows customers benefit in other ways from the Siemens - Prophet 21 partnership. Prior to Trading Partner Connect and other e-commerce initiatives, Siemens received most channel partners' orders via fax. "Faxed orders adversely impact ordering speed and accuracy. With Trading Partner Connect, that risk is eliminated," said Yonkee.

Excellent News for SE&A Channel Partners "This is excellent news for us," said Ken Mynes, executive vice president of the Virginia-based Control Corporation of America (CCA), one of SE&A's largest channel partners. "Siemens is one of the top electrical manufacturers in the world." Mynes estimated that Siemens' partnership with Prophet 21 will allow CCA to conduct about 50 percent of its transactions electronically, resulting in increased efficiencies, and a massive reduction in time spent processing transactions. "We need to do more transactions electronically, because the world moves so quickly," Mynes continued. "'You do your customers a disservice every time you have to hang up and call them back - or walk to the fax machine - because you're taking their time. Trading Partner Connect helps us save time - and save our customers time."

About Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.

Siemens AG (NYSE: SI), headquartered in Munich, is a leading global electronics and engineering company. It employs 426,000 people in 192 countries and reported worldwide sales of more than $84 billion in fiscal 2002 (10/1/01 - 9/30/02). The United States is Siemens' largest market in the world, with sales of more than $21 billion in fiscal 2002 and more than 74,000 employees in all 50 states. Corporate headquarters for Siemens' U.S. businesses are located in New York City. For more information: www.usa.siemens.com. Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc., is one of Siemens' operating companies in the United States. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga., Siemens Energy & Automation manufactures and markets the world's broadest range of electrical and electronic products, systems and services to industrial and construction market customers. Its technologies range from circuit protection and energy management systems to process control, industrial software and totally integrated automation solutions. The company also has expertise in systems integration, technical services and turnkey industrial systems. Thousands of items, including controls, converters, switches and sockets, are available through Trading Partner Connect.

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