Using the Novell exteNd Web application development suite, Imperial Sugar used Web services technology to transform its customer service operations while making it easier and more cost-effective to transact business with the company

PROVO, Utah — May 29, 2003 — One of the largest sugar refiners and processors in the United States, Imperial Sugar faced formidable challenges as the economics of the sugar business changed in early 2001 and profit margins shrunk. Facing fierce competition, the company focused its efforts on leveraging technology to enhance one of its traditional strengths - customer service. Imperial Sugar used the Novell exteNd Web application development suite to build out its vision of a real-time, collaborative, self-service extranet to transform its customer-facing business processes. As a result, the company has continuously increased amount of business conducted using the extranet, for which it was recognized with a Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award.

The Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Awards recognize Global 2000 organizations that have revolutionized their business through the creative application of technology. Sponsored by Infosys Technologies and the William and Phyllis Mack Center for Technological Innovation at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, this award showcases best practices of using technology to create new paradigms. Awards are based on the level of innovation, thought leadership and transformational results.

"We wanted to make it so easy to do business with Imperial Sugar that it would seem hard to do business with anyone else - this was our vision," said George Muller, vice president and chief information officer for Imperial Sugar. "To implement the vision, we relied on the Novell exteNd Web application development suite to provide the technology foundation for the project. The results have been outstanding and we are thrilled to be recognized with the prestigious Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award for our efforts."

Imperial Sugar used the Novell exteNd suite to Web service-enable its order processing systems and make them available to customers via the Web. This approached reduced the cost of the project by repurposing the company's existing applications while enabling them to easily create new, Web-based processes and enhance the services it provides to customers. The resulting Imperial Extranet provides customers with direct access to their purchasing and order information and enables the company to closely align its objectives with those of its customers.

"Imperial Sugar's vision for its extranet was revolutionary at the time as most traditional industries were not yet experimenting with Web services technologies," said David Litwack, senior vice president of Web application development products at Novell. "The results that Imperial Sugar and other customers have achieved using the Novell exteNd suite are truly gratifying, and we are pleased that Imperial Sugar's efforts have been recognized with Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Awards."

Press contacts:
Sarah Mees
Novell, Inc.
Phone: 781-464-8362
E-mail: smees@novell.com