Press Release

Sterling Commerce Positioned in “Leaders” Quadrant for Integration Service Providers


09/06/2008

Evaluation Based Upon Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision

Columbus, Ohio – June 9, 2008 – Sterling Commerce, an AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) subsidiary, today announced that the company has been positioned in the “Leaders” quadrant in the “Magic Quadrant for Integration Service Providers” report.[1] Recently published by Gartner, Inc., a leading worldwide research and advisory firm, the report evaluated 14 vendors in the integration service provider market based on their ability to execute and completeness of vision.

According to Gartner, “In the highly evolving IaaS [integration as a service] and B2B project outsourcing market segments, leaders must have a critical mass of users (community) in selected industries; a comprehensive and compelling service offering vision; a significant geographic reach (or be likely to establish one); secure, reliable and efficient hosted integration service operations; sustained profitability (or likely to establish it); and strong account management and customer loyalty. They must also be regularly on organizations' shortlists for new B2B projects and be agents of change to the evolving market segment.”

“All businesses know that effective integration with their trading community of suppliers and customers is necessary for success,” said Phil Smith, vice president, global product line, Collaboration Network, Sterling Commerce. “We are honored to be recognized in the ‘Leaders’ quadrant by Gartner, and I believe this recognition is based on our integration solutions that for more than 30 years have securely and reliably transported data within and between organizations.”

According to the report, “In the past two years, Sterling Commerce has increased the fault-tolerant levels in its data centers, introduced new functionality (such as its Supply Chain Visibility) and has made incremental improvements to its rebranded Sterling Collaborative Network (SCN).” Other strengths mentioned in the report include:

• Large, growing B2B software and service customer base

• Hybrid on-demand and on-premises delivery model

• SCN service quality, reliability and reputation

• Profitability and revenue growth

• Strong parent (AT&T)

• Market penetration and awareness

Sterling Commerce solutions protect business operations from inevitable changes in business, technology and legislative environments; improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction by integrating all partners and all processes across industry value chains; and support future growth initiatives by laying the foundation of a strategic, long-term, sustainable multi-enterprise service-oriented architecture (SOA).

About the Magic Quadrant

“Magic Quadrant for Integration Service Providers" by Benoit J. Lheureux is copyrighted May 28, 2008, by Gartner, Inc. and is reused with permission. The Magic Quadrant is a graphical representation of a marketplace at and for a specific time period. It depicts Gartner's analysis of how certain vendors measure against criteria for that marketplace, as defined by Gartner. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in the Magic Quadrant and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors placed in the "Leaders" quadrant. The Magic Quadrant is intended solely as a research tool and is not meant to be a specific guide to action. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Sterling Commerce
Sterling Commerce, a subsidiary of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), helps customers thrive in a global economy by connecting their business communities, processes, people and technology. More than 30,000 customers worldwide – including 80 percent of the Fortune 500 – use Sterling Commerce solutions for business process integration, multi-channel selling, and supply chain fulfillment to improve profitability inside and outside their company walls. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Sterling Commerce has offices in 19 countries and most major cities around the world. More information on the company can be found at www.sterlingcommerce.com.



[1] Gartner, Inc. "Magic Quadrant for Integration Service Providers," by Benoit J. Lheureux and Paolo Malinverno, May 28, 2008.

 

Media Contacts:

Emily Hall, Sterling Commerce, (614) 790-8607
Jamie Leicht, Fleishman-Hillard, (619) 237-7711