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Activant and Parts Manufacturers Collaborate On Faster Delivery of Parts Data

Inaugural Electronic Catalog Forum Explores Factors Affecting Timeliness, Accuracy and Value of Leading Aftermarket eCatalog

LIVERMORE, CA, December 18, 2008 – Representatives of Activant Solutions Inc. and leading aftermarket parts manufacturers reported that the inaugural “Electronic Catalog Forum for Manufacturers,” held during last month’s Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas, was a resounding success.

Sponsored by Activant, the event was designed to help manufacturers identify ways to accelerate delivery of their latest parts information to the thousands of distributor, jobber and service dealer businesses that rely on an Activant electronic catalog or other data products or services. The forum included a detailed presentation covering Activant’s proprietary quality assessment and data publishing processes as well as a discussion of the opportunities for manufacturers to increase their presence in Activant electronic catalog products.

“Fast, efficient processing and delivery of parts data is an important goal for everyone in the aftermarket,” said Tom Aliotti, senior vice president and general manager of the Activant automotive business. “But we also understand that the data that is delivered to the street must be accurate, complete and compatible with a broad range of business management systems being utilized by distributors, jobbers and service dealers.”

“Activant truly excels at being accurate, complete and broadly compatible. Our electronic catalog enables manufacturers to deliver comprehensive, accurate data to a much wider audience of distributors, jobbers, service chains and independent service dealers than any other aftermarket eCatalog.”

In addition to detailed discussion of “time to market” issues for parts data, the event included a strong appeal to manufacturers to provide additional product information – including parts images, installation instructions, technical service bulletins, warranty details, interchange information, and pricing and UPC files – along with their application data. “Our ultimate goal is to pack as much value into our catalog as possible so the end-user can be faster, more efficient and more accurate on the job. This benefits everyone in the aftermarket supply chain, including the manufacturer,” Aliotti said.

Compatibility of aftermarket product data with the industry’s disparate technology platforms was discussed in-depth during the forum. Many North American jobber locations rely on older “green screen” computer platforms that require Activant to perform time-intensive data conversion, according to Aliotti. Additionally, Activant licensed application, interchange, labor and other data also must be formatted for use in a variety of service dealer shop management systems. “We know that manufacturers want their products to be available through all of these businesses,” Aliotti said, “which is why we have invested in the personnel and capital resources necessary to deliver our catalog to the entire aftermarket.”

Duane Meadows, eCatalog project specialist for DENSO, said the forum answered several of his questions regarding the processing and delivery of parts data. “Details of the challenges of providing data to the industry’s multiple formats was extremely helpful,” he said. “It’s clear that Activant is working to increase the speed-to-market of electronic catalog data.”

Activant’s aftermarket parts application data includes more than 5 million parts from over 800 manufacturers. The company’s electronic catalog integrates this data with an array of related databases – such as parts interchange, labor, service intervals, and product images – and value-added tools such as VIN lookup and OE Carry-Forward Analysis. Activant electronic catalogs also are tightly integrated into leading business management and point-of-sale platforms to ensure exceptional efficiency and ease of use.

About Activant Solutions

Activant Solutions Inc. is a leading technology provider of business management solutions serving small and medium-sized distributors and specialty retailers. Activant provides customers with industry-specific software, professional services, content, supply chain connectivity, and analytics. Over 30,000 customer locations use Activant to manage their day-to-day operations. Activant’s systems are designed to help customers increase sales, boost productivity, operate more cost-efficiently, improve inventory turns and enhance trading partner relationships. Headquartered in Livermore, California, Activant has operations in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.activant.com.

This announcement relating to Activant may contain statements that are forward looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, such as statements concerning trends, future technology or products, or Activant’s execution. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties which could materially affect the company’s results, including, without limitation, market demand for products and technology, the company’s ability to meet that market demand, the integration of Activant’s technology and products with technology and products supplied by others, the integration of Activant’s products into the businesses of its customers, customer acceptance of Activant’s products, and the retention and deployment of skilled Activant service providers. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or publicly revise any of the forward-looking statements. Please refer to our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2008, which will be filed with the Securities Exchange Commission prior to December 29, 2008, and can be found through the Activant investor relations website at www.activant.com/company/investors, for a full discussion of the risks and other factors.

Note: Activant and the Activant stylized logo design are registered trademarks of Activant Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.

Press Contact:
Drew Shippy
Pinnacle Communication Group
Tel: 330.688.3500
drew@pinnmedia.com