Daman Consulting Launches Business Intelligence Exchange Series

Microsoft, Knosys and Daman Discuss OLAP Solutions In First Austin-Based Seminar

AUSTIN, TX—March 20, 2001— Daman Consulting, a pioneer in the Business Intelligence industry, today announced the launch of its Business Intelligence Exchange seminar series. The series will kick off in Austin, TX, on April 2nd, 2001 with "OLAP and a Show," a seminar on how to create effective On-Line Analytical Processing solutions for any industry.

Participating in the seminar will be: Norman Comstock, OLAP Solutions Director for Daman Consulting; John H. Miller, Program Manager, SQL Server – Business Intelligence Practice Team for Microsoft; and Shelly Crawford of Knosys. The program will start at 9 a.m. and run through 1 p.m. at the Microsoft Conference Facility in Austin.

The seminar will present OLAP solutions in the context of a show. Comstock says, "An effective OLAP solution must be not only useful, but also engaging, like a good show. The design and functionality must be such that the end user wants to go back and use it again and again, the same way you would want to see a good show more than once."

The program is therefore broken down into show-like component parts: Microsoft's Miller will discuss the analysis services cast: ROLAP, MOLAP and HOLAP; Knosys will focus on the design studio, demonstrating techniques for presenting data with higher impact; and Comstock will take on the role of producer/director, discussing how successful planning and direction leads to better presentation. Admission is free for the four-hour seminar.

OLAP and a Show is just the first in a series of six such seminars which Daman will host around the country throughout 2001. Daman is also hosting three one-day conferences in 2001. Called BI Vision, the conferences will feature BI luminary Claudia Imhoff as a keynote speaker. BI Vision takes place in San Francisco (May), New York (June) and Chicago (September).

One key indicator to the rise in OLAP solutions is the number of major players that have entered the fray. Both Microsoft and IBM have joined companies such as Hyperion in offering OLAP software. At this year's TDWI Conference in Palm Springs, CA, a solid half-dozen vendors displayed new or upgraded tools for online analytical processing.

Rudy Milkovic, Alliances Director for Daman Consulting, explains the impetus for the series: "True progress often comes through collaboration. By working with our partners and other key players in the field, we aim to help further the exchange of ideas and information in the industry."

For more information, visit Daman's website at www.damanconsulting.com.

About Daman
Daman Consulting provides advanced enterprise business intelligence solutions for a broad range of industries. Daman's offerings enable enterprises to fully leverage information assets across all channels of corporate operation and communication. The Daman approach combines traditional data analysis, data warehousing, data access and OLAP implementations with more holistic services which are geared towards integrating operational and analytical systems. These services include enterprise portal implementations, closed-loop analysis, intelligent enterprise integration, and adaptive information architectures. Greater profitability results through improved enterprise decision-making and responsiveness based on real-time business intelligence. For more information, visit Daman's Web site at http://www.damanconsulting.com.

About Knosys
Founded in 1995, Knosys Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with European headquarters in the Netherlands. The ProClarity Analytic Platform provides a completely open, flexible and extensible front-end platform for the development of custom analytical applications around the Microsoft .NET platform, including SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services. Clients include companies such as AT&T, Compaq, Ericsson, GE Capital, Hewlett Packard, L'Oreal, Nabisco, Nordstrom and Pfizer. Platform OEM customers include Best Software, Changepoint, Epicor, Great Plains, Infinium and Manugistics. For more information visit the Web site at www.knosysinc.com.

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.