ThomasTech Web Seminar Asks Manufacturers: `Is Your Data Ready for Real E-Business?'

HORSHAM, Pa.--Oct. 2, 2003--Thomas Technology Solutions, Inc. (ThomasTech), a software and systems integrator, has developed an on-demand Web seminar, "Is Your Data Ready for Real E-Business?" The Web seminar will explore how an industrial manufacturer, CRC Industries, Inc., enhanced its e-catalog repository to achieve the unique requirements of data synchronization, extending its reach to thousands of potential customers. The Web seminar will debut Thursday, October 16, 2003, and can be viewed at any time from the ThomasTech Web site, http://www.thomastechsolutions.com/webseminars.htm.

"Is Your Data Ready for Real E-Business?" will explain why a state-of-the-art e-catalog is more important than ever for industrial manufacturers--not only for gaining internal efficiencies, but for distributing data to a variety of revenue-generating channels. Presenters will include Michael Rioux, President of the Industry Data Exchange Association (IDEA), an organization dedicated to maximizing companies' supply chain efficiencies through e-business solutions, and Pascal Larouche, Information Systems Manager of CRC Industries, a ThomasTech client.

Attendees will learn essential details about data preparation for e-business and examine a Data Extract Utility developed by ThomasTech. The utility enables manufacturers to synchronize product data stored in their e-catalog repositories with trading partners' databases, data warehouses, and e-marketplaces.

In particular, the Web seminar will show how the utility is used to synchronize data for the Industrial Data Warehouse (IDW). The IDW is a central data repository of standardized supplier product and pricing data launched in 1999 by the IDEA. In addition to generating revenue, synchronizing with data warehouses such as the IDW also can help manufacturers realize significant savings. For example, the IDEA estimates that manufacturers participating in the IDW can save an average of $97,000 for every $10 million in sales.

ThomasTech Web seminars often feature case studies that describe how companies apply technology and/or services to address their business challenges. To receive announcements of upcoming ThomasTech Web seminars by email, visit http://www.thomastechsolutions.com/asp/profiles.asp?

About ThomasTech

Thomas Technology Solutions, Inc. (ThomasTech) is a software and systems integrator providing content management and publishing solutions and services to commercial publishers and industrial manufacturers. ThomasTech builds solutions by combining industry-leading third-party software, custom-developed components, and value-added integration, implementation, and production services. Headquartered in Horsham, Pa., with additional offices in London, UK, ThomasTech is a wholly owned subsidiary of Thomas Publishing Company. ThomasTech maintains partner relationships with Arbortext, Inc., Corel Corporation, Documentum, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, and SAQQARA(R) Systems, Inc. For more information, visit www.thomastechsolutions.com.

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