Partner Press Release
Singapore Computer Systems Launches Regional XML Services Centere For RosettaNet

For Release July 24, 2002

, Singapore --

Singapore Computer Systems Limited (SCS) and Microsoft announced today the establishment of the SCS Regional XML Services Centre for RosettaNet in Singapore. This Centre is among the first in Asia to offer outsourced services for RosettaNet using the Microsoft.NET platform.

The SCS Regional XML Services Centre for RosettaNet, located within SCS premises, is a one-stop shop that provides RosettaNet consultancy and integration services to companies planning to jumpstart their e-business strategy by leveraging RosettaNet standards. Its unique "pay as you use" service provider model enables companies to get globally connected with RosettaNet at a fraction of the time and cost than they would otherwise had to incur if they had hosted it in-house. This service meets the needs of a growing number of companies, especially the small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) that do not have sufficient resources and know-how to get on to RosettaNet.

RosettaNet, a global consortium comprised of more than 450 of the world's leading high-technology manufacturing companies, is focused on the development and deployment of eXtensible Markup Language (XML)-based business-to-business (B2B) standards for supply chain companies. These e-business processes or PIPs ^® (Partner Interface Processes ^®) enable companies to conduct online business quickly and efficiently by establishing a standard language for electronic document exchange.

“For a company to succeed in the new economy, it has to constantly look for faster, cheaper and more effective ways of doing business, both locally and globally.   XML technology is one of the more commonly used platforms that allows information exchange over the Internet," said Stephen Yeo, President & CEO, SCS.

According to Natasha Kwan, Managing Director of Microsoft Singapore, “Microsoft is dedicated to promoting the value of business-to-business standards across the global trading network. Together with SCS, we hope to encourage widespread adoption and rapid implementation of XML standards among the companies in the manufacturing industry.

We believe strongly that through Microsoft.NET, SMEs and enterprises today will be able to leverage on the technology by SCS as well as the standards on RosettaNet.”

Under this partnership, Microsoft will provide the Microsoft BizTalk Enterprise Server and other related software while SCS will provide the infrastructure and trained consultants to host and manage the Centre. Using the Microsoft BizTalk Server, the Centre will translate RosettaNet PIPs to any structured format as required by the customer, anything from a simple Excel format to a SAP message standard.

"One of the critical success factors in enabling B2B integration across the high technology supply chain is broad implementation of RosettaNet standards, " said SY Foong, Vice President of RosettaNet Asia.  "To achieve this end goal, leaders in the industry must continue to develop low-cost, easy to implement solutions for the small-medium sized enterprises. It is through the efforts of our Partners, such as SCS and Microsoft, that we will continue to see marketplace solutions evolve, and this in turn will help accelerate the continued adoption of RosettaNet standards in Singapore and the Asia region overall."

Exel Singapore Pte Ltd, a leader in supply chain management providing customer-focused solutions to a wide range of manufacturing and retail industries, is the first to sign up for the outsourced solution being offered by the SCS Regional XML Managed Services Centre . Ng Kim Hung, Exel's IT Director for Asia Pacific said, "Exel is constantly looking for innovative solutions to improve our overall supply chain efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The services offered by SCS Regional XML Managed Services Centre for RosettaNet allows Exel to inject RosettaNet business process intelligence into our supply chain and serve our RosettaNet-ready customers worldwide."

Other companies who have endorsed the usage of this outsourced Centre for their trading partners are: Transocean (Malaysia), Hitachi Asia, Seagate, NIE Electronics, Accord Express Holdings Pte Ltd and TX123 Pte Ltd.

About SCS

Singapore Computer Systems Limited (SCS) is a leading information and communications technology (ICT) service provider in the Asia-Pacific region. Our key competencies are in IT and Business Consultancy, Systems Integration, Outsourcing, Networking, E-commerce and R&D/Product Development. Our other services include design and implementation of systems, business recovery and call Centre services, provision of a wide range of computer hardware and software through systems integration and many more.

Incorporated in 1980, SCS has 2,000 employees who operate from Singapore and eight countries - Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand and the United States. The Group's subsidiaries include: SCS Enterprise Solutions, SCS Enterprise Systems, SCS Foresight, SCS Networks, iGlobal Services, Mach30, PeridotHealth Systems, EC1 and TX123.

SCS is a member of the Singapore Technologies Group, a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Singapore.

For more information, please visit us at www.scs.com.sg .

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services, and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.

About RosettaNet

RosettaNet is an independent, non-profit consortium dedicated to the collaborative development and rapid deployment of open Internet-based business standards that align processes within the global high-technology trading network. More than 450 companies representing over $1 trillion U.S. in annual information technology, electronic components and semiconductor manufacturing revenues currently participate in RosettaNet's standards development, strategy and implementation activities. RosettaNet Asia affiliate organizations are based in Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. For a complete list of member companies and more information on RosettaNet, please visit www.rosettanet.org