News
Promerus Selects Livelink to Enhance Business Processes Through Knowledge Management and Collaboration
Livelink Hosted Solution from Open Text to Facilitate Promerus' New Product Development
Chicago, IL - 2002-07-24 - Open Text™ Corporation (Nasdaq: OTEX, TSX: OTC), provider of Livelink®, the leading collaboration and knowledge management software for the global enterprise, today announced that Promerus LLC selected Livelink to serve as the foundation for its collaborative intranet and extranet. Formerly the Electronic Materials Group of The BFGoodrich Company, Promerus™ Electronic Materials selected the Livelink hosted solution from Open Text shortly after it was formed as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Bakelite Co., LTD of Japan on August 1, 2001. The company's incorporation resulted in an immediate need to archive existing proprietary company information; enable rapid communication of old and new processes across the whole organization; and enable a structured project environment for collaborative product development.
"With its intuitive browser format, Livelink seemed the ideal application for a new organization, populated with employees with differing computer skill levels, to collaborate globally on its new product development while disseminating information rapidly and serving as a bridge between the old policies and procedures and the new," said Stephanie Adams, Site Administrator, Promerus LLC. "The hosted solution from Open Text eliminates the complexities and financial responsibilities inherent in ownership while delivering real, bottom-line business value with low overhead."
Livelink has already made a significant impact on Promerus' business processes:
At the enterprise level, Livelink serves as a highly secure repository for Promerus' valuable company information related to human resources; health, safety, and environmental policies; product literature and product safety; marketing and sales information; intellectual property; administrative procedures; corporate identity; and help desk information. Promerus' intranet and extranet ensures that certain key customers, academic contacts and parent company contacts have real-time access to business critical technical information.
Livelink's collaborative environment provides the functionality necessary for Promerus employees to leverage their technical information into business knowledge. Users can populate project folders with key research and development information; share large amounts of information without being restricted by email size limitations; and engage in technical discussions. Facilitating team innovation enables Promerus to more efficiently develop company policies, create product literature, and generate technical presentations.
"To maintain market momentum while managing the complexities of incorporation, Promerus required a solution to be deployed quickly with little or no hardware or software installation," said Kirk Roberts, Executive Vice President, Global Services, Open Text. "The Livelink hosted solution provides the ideal technological architecture for Promerus to implement an intranet and extranet without having to employ IT support. High security levels also ensure the protection of Promerus' highly technical research and development documentation."
"With its intuitive browser format, Livelink seemed the ideal application for a new organization, populated with employees with differing computer skill levels, to collaborate globally on its new product development while disseminating information rapidly and serving as a bridge between the old policies and procedures and the new," said Stephanie Adams, Site Administrator, Promerus LLC. "The hosted solution from Open Text eliminates the complexities and financial responsibilities inherent in ownership while delivering real, bottom-line business value with low overhead."
Livelink has already made a significant impact on Promerus' business processes:
- Promerus performs required Occupational Safety, Health and Administration (OSHA) training through the Livelink interface using html presentations and forms.
- During the development phase of the Promerus' website, the site developer was given privileged access, using Livelink permissions, to specific company and product information for the duration of the project.
- Promerus' Safety committee employed Livelink's discussion channels and virtual project workspaces to develop 21 Health , Safety, and Environmental policies in a limited rights area.
- Up-to-date company information and announcements are broadcast daily to the whole organization using an FYI channel.
At the enterprise level, Livelink serves as a highly secure repository for Promerus' valuable company information related to human resources; health, safety, and environmental policies; product literature and product safety; marketing and sales information; intellectual property; administrative procedures; corporate identity; and help desk information. Promerus' intranet and extranet ensures that certain key customers, academic contacts and parent company contacts have real-time access to business critical technical information.
Livelink's collaborative environment provides the functionality necessary for Promerus employees to leverage their technical information into business knowledge. Users can populate project folders with key research and development information; share large amounts of information without being restricted by email size limitations; and engage in technical discussions. Facilitating team innovation enables Promerus to more efficiently develop company policies, create product literature, and generate technical presentations.
"To maintain market momentum while managing the complexities of incorporation, Promerus required a solution to be deployed quickly with little or no hardware or software installation," said Kirk Roberts, Executive Vice President, Global Services, Open Text. "The Livelink hosted solution provides the ideal technological architecture for Promerus to implement an intranet and extranet without having to employ IT support. High security levels also ensure the protection of Promerus' highly technical research and development documentation."
About Livelink
Livelink is the leader in collaboration and knowledge management for the global enterprise. Its richly-featured enterprise services include virtual team collaboration, business process automation, enterprise group scheduling and information retrieval services, all tightly integrated into a solution that is easily customized and extended. Livelink is essential to the effective management and development of communities of interest that span organizations and industries. For everything from the creation of complex e-community relationships to the automation of simple e-business processes, Livelink delivers true dynamic collaboration between individuals, organizations and large trading communities. Livelink servers are fully Web-based and open-architected to ensure rapid deployment and easy access to its full functionality through a standard Web browser. For more information, visit www.opentext.com/livelink/.
About Promerus LLC
Formerly the Electronic Materials Division of The BFGoodrich Company, Promerus LLC was formed as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Bakelite Co., LTD of Japan on August 1, 2001. As a new member of the Sumitomo Bakelite Group, Promerus represents a significant new presence in North America for both research and commercial applications related to polycyclic olefins. From its office and laboratories in suburban Cleveland, OH, Promerus is focused on growing its business and serving its customers through the development of advanced cyclic olefin materials for electronic applications. For additional information regarding applications, visit www.promerus.com.
About Open Text
Since 1991, Open Text Corporation has delivered innovative software that brings people together to share knowledge, achieve excellence, deliver innovation, and enhance processes. Its legacy of innovation began with the successful deployment of the world’s first search engine technology for the Internet. Today, as the leading global supplier of collaboration and knowledge management software for the enterprise, Open Text supports six million seats across 4,500 corporations in 31 countries and 12 languages throughout the world. As a publicly traded company, Open Text manages and maximizes its resources and relationships to ensure the success of great minds working together. For more information, visit www.opentext.com.
Trademark
Copyright © 2002 by Open Text Corporation. LIVELINK, LIVELINK MEETINGZONE, and OPEN TEXT are trademarks or registered trademarks of Open Text Corporation in the United States of America, Canada, the European Union and/or other countries. This list of trademarks is not exhaustive. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, product names, company names, brands and service names mentioned herein are property of Open Text Corporation or other respective owners.
Release Disclaimer
This news release may contain forward-looking statements relating to the deployment of Livelink and Livelink MeetingZone by customers, and future performance of Open Text Corporation. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks involved in the completion and integration of acquisitions, the possibility of technical, logistical or planning issues in connection with deployments, the continuous commitment of the Company's customers and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the final prospectus for the Company's initial public offering of common stock in January 1996, Form 10-K for the years ended June 30, 1998, June 30, 1999, June 30, 2000, and June 30, 2001, and Form 10-Q for the quarters ended September 30, 2001, December 31, 2001 and March 31, 2002. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and opinions at the time the statements are made, and the Company does not undertake any obligations to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management's beliefs or opinions change.
For more information, please contact
Margaret E. Dobbin
Director, Industry Analyst Relations
Open Text Corporation
+1-519-888-7111 ext.2410
mdobbin@opentext.com
Director, Industry Analyst Relations
Open Text Corporation
+1-519-888-7111 ext.2410
mdobbin@opentext.com

