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Vidus, SAP and CapGemini Launch Field Service Transformation Solution For Utilities

Vidus, SAP & Capgemini partnership to deliver seamless integration between SAP utility applications and Vidus taskforceª for field service excellence

Capgemini Deutschland and Vidus Ltd., an @Road company, international provider of intelligent field service automation solution, taskforce, today announces a partnership for the German speaking market and the full integration of taskforce into SAP for Utilities and SAP Mobile Asset for Utilities (MAU). The solution combines best in class consulting, software and expertise from the three companies to provide utility organizations, with an integrated, intelligent and real-time solution that will help them to increase their service levels to meet customer expectations, while reducing operational costs.

Vidus intelligent and automated software, taskforce, has been designed to continuously synchronize the resources necessary to enable companies to provide service on demand, accommodate customer preferences and reliably meet customer commitments by overcoming the complexity and unpredictability of service delivery environments.

"The quality of the customer experience is quickly becoming the benchmark for service performance as utilities are increasingly being judged on the service experience delivered," said Cristian Parrino, VP Strategic Alliances for Vidus. Our partnership with Capgemini and the integration with SAP for Utilities is an integral part of Viduss international business growth and expansion. Through our combined resources we can deliver high-quality, high-value solutions to leading service delivery and utility organizations, globally, to enable them to deliver on the increasing demands of their customers.

To date, Vidus taskforce has helped British Telecom (BT), for example, reduce dispatch control costs by 76%, achieve savings through automation that total £175m a year, and introduce new lucrative service offerings based on its new efficient service. Vidus is also allowing E.ON Hung‡ria Rt. to manage its 1.500 people strong mobile workforce in real time with the aim of meeting two hour appointment windows in accordance with government SLAs, whilst anticipating a productivity gain of more than 30% and a 5% overall reduction in costs.

Commenting on the partnership with Capgemini and the new SAP certification, Martin Bettels, Director Alliances Central Europe said: With taskforce and the SAP integrated solution, Capgemini can deliver utilities with an integrated and intelligent field service delivery solution that brings a new level of automated operational efficiencies and customer experience benefits to their field operations. The synchronization of resources in this way is the only answer to delivering a great customer experience in an increasingly demanding market.

Notes to Editors

The integration of taskforce with SAP for Utilities will enable Capgemini and Vidus to provide utility organizations with the ability to automatically generate, update and manage service orders in real-time; to manage changing workforce management cases on the fly Ð including delay, sickness and skills shortages Ð and advise service technicians of their work orders on mobile devices, including all relevant data regarding customer and job information.
Vidus became a certified partner of SAP on November 30th, 2004
Companies can experience the new system for themselves at Capgeminis showcase facility where Vidus, Capgemini and SAP are hosting demos for the integrated solution. The showcase is located at Capgeminis Advanced Solution Center, Hamborner Str. 55, 40472 Duesseldorf, Germany.

About Vidus

In todays increasingly complex and changing world, Vidus enables service providers to deliver a high quality of experience to their customers at the right time, the first time.

Vidus was created to enable home service delivery companies in newly deregulated markets to deliver high-quality service experience to their customers by providing a unified, up-to-the minute view across the field service resource network. Through extensive operational research and development, Vidus technology was purpose-built to help increase customer profitability by addressing the disconnection between customer acquisition, customer satisfaction, retention and growth.

In its first 12 months, Vidus increased the adoption of software licenses by 73%. Major customers now include BT, Centrica/British Gas, E.ON Hungary and NTL. With more than 100 employees worldwide, the company has a presence in the U.K., Germany, Hungary, Italy, France, Spain and North America. Visit www.vidus.com for more information about Vidus and taskforce.

About @Road

@Road, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARDI) is a leading provider of mobile resource management (MRM) services, a rapidly growing category of productivity solutions integrating wireless communications, location technologies, hosted software applications, transaction processing and the Internet to help companies better manage mobile workers. Any size organization, in any industry or public sector, in which improving the productivity of mobile workers has an impact on revenue, expenses, customer service, and competitive advantage, will benefit from @Road MRM services. Because @Road offers MRM services on a hosted basis, customers avoid expensive and complex software and IT infrastructure investments. Since @Road delivers services on a subscription basis, customers can experience a rapid and measurable return-on-investment.

The company has headquarters in Fremont, CA and secure networked data centers on both U.S. coasts. For more information, visit the @Road Web site at www.road.com.

Media Contact

Alex Moscow/Eleanor Gough
Bite Communications
telephone: +44 20 8834 3416/3472
email: vidus@bitepr.com