Avanade Becomes the Leading Dedicated Provider of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Services

SEATTLE – May 18, 2010 – Avanade Inc., a business technology service provider, today announced it has completed its acquisition of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM assets of Ascentium Corporation and its wholly owned subsidiary, Ascentium Federal, Inc., making Avanade the leading dedicated provider of services for Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Approximately 90 Ascentium CRM professionals joined Avanade as part of the acquisition, most of them located in Baltimore, Md., and Bellevue, Wash. The company announced in April its intent to acquire the CRM assets of Ascentium. Exact terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“This acquisition supports our business strategy to maintain Microsoft market leadership so our customers can realize the best results from the Microsoft platform,” said Adam Warby, CEO of Avanade. “We now have the most comprehensive set of Dynamics CRM expertise, assets and solutions available to help our customers build deeper, longer term profitable business relationships.”

The acquisition also extends Avanade’s portfolio of industry specific solution offerings and delivery options. With Avanade’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering, Avanade Online Services (AOS), customers now have the choice to realize benefits from Dynamics CRM delivered onsite or as SaaS.

For more information about Avanade CRM, please visit us at http://www.avanadexrm.com or Avanade CRM blog at http://www.avanadeblog.com/xrm.

About Avanade

Avanade provides business technology services that connect insight, innovation and expertise in Microsoft technologies to help customers realize results. Avanade’s services and solutions help improve performance, productivity and sales for organizations in all industries. The company applies Microsoft expertise from its global network of consultants, drawing on the right mix of onshore, offshore and nearshore skills, which together are designed to help deliver results faster, at lower cost and with less risk. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture and Microsoft Corporation and serves customers in more than 24 countries worldwide with more than 9,700 professionals. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com.

Avanade and the Avanade logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Avanade Inc. Other product, service, or company names

Avanade, one of the leaders in SharePoint Server Deployments and SharePoint Certifications, Develops Avanade Expert Source Solution to Help Companies Identify and Collaborate with Knowledge Experts

SEATTLE– May 12, 2010 – As more organizations are pressured to make their employees more productive and achieve business results, and as social computing takes hold in the workplace, there are new opportunities to efficiently connect dispersed teams in new ways. Avanade, a business technology services provider, today announced the launch of Avanade® Expert SourceTM, a new social computing solution developed on Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, to help companies better connect with a distributed workforce and make the best use of experts in their global organizations.

Today’s fluctuating and competitive business landscape requires that employees increasingly work more effectively with teams across geographies to act more quickly amid business changes. This creates a growing need for highly advanced technologies and communication tools that support rapidly changing business requirements.

The Avanade Expert Source solution helps organizations by: Connecting people with experts who have the right skills and knowledge, widely recognized as a major obstacle in collaboration among global teams. Reducing deployment risks by identifying and engaging the most qualified specialists for critical initiatives. Providing horizontal application methodology, and code with guidelines for vertical industries to establish a catalog of experts across their organizations. Creating a unified platform and process for users to access centralized information and locate experts.

As part of Microsoft’s Technology Adoption Program (TAP), Avanade is an early adopter of SharePoint Server 2010, using the platform’s latest features in development of its internal portal and website, Avanade.com. Avanade is currently one of the leading systems integrators for SharePoint Server-based solutions and also is one of the leaders in SharePoint Server certifications, with 1,600 experts worldwide, 1,000 of which are located in the company’s Global Delivery Network.“We’re seeing strong interest in SharePoint Server 2010 as organizations improve performance through effective collaboration,” said Aziz Virani, executive vice president, Global Technologies and Solutions, Avanade. “With SharePoint Server 2010, collaboration and social computing capabilities are now a pervasive benefit of the platform. Avanade’s collaboration services, including Expert Source, allow companies to utilize the best available resources, helping organizations do more with less and deepen customer relationships.”

The Avanade Expert Source offering is part of Avanade’s Information Management and Collaboration service line and is available to Avanade’s new and existing customers. The solution is rooted in the firm’s deep expertise in the SharePoint Server platform, its long-running executive surveys about social networking and collaboration issues, and its deep understanding of enterprise IT attitudes and adoption trends. Avanade’s Information Management and Collaboration service line includes enterprise search, enterprise content management, collaboration, business intelligence and information architecture practices.

“The potential for Avanade to use SharePoint Server 2010 to offer customer solutions with significant productivity and cost savings benefits is paramount to regaining business stability and growth,” said Jeff Teper, Corporate Vice President of SharePoint at Microsoft. “The Avanade Expert Source solution complements the features and functionality in SharePoint Server 2010, powering productivity and collaboration across the applications people already know and use.”

About Avanade

Avanade provides business technology services that connect insight, innovation and expertise in Microsoft technologies to help customers realize results. Avanade’s services and solutions help improve performance, productivity and sales for organizations in all industries. The company applies Microsoft expertise from its global network of consultants, drawing on the right mix of onshore, offshore and nearshore skills, which together are designed to help deliver results faster, at lower cost and with less risk. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture and Microsoft Corp. and serves customers in more than 24 countries worldwide with more than 9,700 professionals. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com.

SEATTLE – May 4, 2010 – Avanade, a business technology service provider, today announced that Paul Dowling, vice president of ITS hosting, network, and information security has been named a recipient of the 2010 CIO Ones to Watch awards from IDG’s CIO magazine and CIO Executive Council. This honor is bestowed upon 25 rising stars in information technology (IT) who bring leadership, innovation and value to their organization and are primed to become future CIOs.

“The Ones to Watch honorees bring a great diversity of leadership skills and IT experience to their organizations,” says CIO Editor in Chief Maryfran Johnson. “We were especially impressed this year by the keen business focus that is so clearly shaping the careers of this talented group of executives.”

Paul was nominated for his deep understanding of what the company needs to be successful and a vision of what technology is capable of doing. With 21 years of experience, Paul is currently responsible for the global data center and network infrastructure that supports Avanade’s business operations. Most recently, he is leading a major effort to re-engineer Avanade’s data center infrastructure using Microsoft’s Hyper-V platform, which will reduce physical machine count by 75 percent and power consumption by 47 percent.

“This recognition of Paul is well deserved,” said Chris Miller, CIO at Avanade. “Paul has a rare mix of talents that makes for an exceptional IT professional. He understands business and, as a technologist at heart, he knows IT application development, delivery and support inside and out. It is people like Paul who advance Avanade’s commitment to helping customers realize the best results on Microsoft.”

Paul joined Avanade in November 2006 and, as a member of Avanade’s IT organization, was instrumental in optimizing IT project delivery at Avanade to deliver multiple simultaneous large-scale initiatives, including an ERP conversion and enterprise-wide deliveries of Vista, Exchange, Office Communications Server, and SharePoint Enterprise Search.

Dowling was recognized by a diverse panel of top-tier CIOs as an up and coming leader and someone well equipped to become a successful CIO of tomorrow. All Ones to Watch honorees must be nominated or endorsed by a practicing CIO. Nominations were submitted between May and November 2009 and reviewed by a judging panel of leading CIOs. Each judge scored and ranked the candidates he/she deserved to be Ones To Watch finalists. From the highest-scoring finalists, 25 honorees were chosen.”The future of the IT profession is a top passion for the members of the CIO Executive Council. That’s why they volunteer year after year for the tough job of judging which nominees have the best skills and experience to become our next generation of CIOs,” says Pam Stenson, CIO Executive Council Senior VP and General Manager.

Paul accepted his award at the CIO Ones to Watch awards ceremony held on May 3, 2010, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO during CIO magazine’s Leadership Event.

About CIO Magazine and the CIO Executive Council

Launched in 1987, CIO magazine addresses issues vital to the success of chief information officers (CIOs) worldwide. The CIO portfolio includes an award-winning website (www.CIO.com), CIO magazine, CIO Executive Programs and the CIO Executive Council. CIO properties provide technology and business leaders with analysis and insight on information technology trends and a keen understanding of IT’s role in achieving business goals. The U.S. edition of the magazine and website are recipients of 200 awards to date, including two Grand Neals from the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards and two Magazine of the Year awards from the National Society of Business Publication Editors. CIO magazine is published in more than twenty-five countries, including Australia, Canada, Germany, South Korea and Sweden. CIO Executive Programs—a series of face-to-face conferences including CIO The Year Ahead Summit and the CIO 100 Symposium & Awards—provide educational and networking opportunities for pre-qualified corporate and government leaders. The CIO Executive Council is a global professional association of CIOs and senior IT leaders from more than 700 organizations that serve as an unbiased peer advisory network. This member- driven organization is also dedicated to leadership development for current and future IT business leaders and to the advancement of the CIO role and IT profession. CIO magazine, CIO.com, CIO Executive Programs and the CIO Executive Council are produced by International Data Group’s award-winning business unit: CXO Media Inc.

About Avanade

Avanade provides business technology services that connect insight, innovation and expertise in Microsoft technologies to help customers realize results. Avanade’s services and solutions help improve performance, productivity and sales for organizations in all industries. The company applies Microsoft expertise from its global network of consultants, drawing on the right mix of onshore, offshore and nearshore skills, which together are designed to help deliver results faster, at lower cost and with less risk. Avanade, which is majority owned by Accenture, was founded in 2000 by Accenture and Microsoft Corporation and serves customers in more than 24 countries worldwide with more than 9,700 professionals. Additional information can be found at www.avanade.com.

Easily collect, store and report calibration data

EVERETT, Wash. – Fluke Corporation, a global leader in calibration technology, has introduced Fluke Manual MET/CAL^® software – an application for calibration professionals who need to collect, store and report calibration data consistently and efficiently. Manual MET/CAL offers a database-driven solution addressing the mechanical and dimensional workload.

Manual MET/CAL software provides all the tools needed to calibrate torque gages and tools, dimensional and mechanical instruments, and machine tools. It can calibrate such factors as mass, force, density, dimension and hardness, and calibrate multiple instruments at once, increasing cal lab productivity while eliminating the need to record results with paper and pencil.

“Manual MET/CAL helps cal lab professionals increase their productivity,” says Martin Girard, general manager, Fluke Calibration. “It’s easy to use and readily customized to meet their individual requirements, and provides the flexibility they need to calibrate all sorts of instruments and devices.”

Developed with extensive input from calibration lab professionals, Fluke Manual MET/CAL software helps users get up and running quickly. The methodology is based on industry standards, so it will be familiar to many calibration professionals.

To perform a calibration, just open a datasheet and follow the procedure. As each test step is done, enter the test values into the datasheet. When the test is complete, save the results and, if desired, print a calibration report.

Fluke Manual MET/CAL software is designed for those who do not need the full calibration automation capabilities of MET/CAL^® Plus Calibration Management Software, but who need to collect, store and report calibration data consistently and efficiently. Manual MET/CAL software is also useful for MET/CAL Plus software users who need an easy way to collect and manage calibration data for instruments that cannot be automated via IEEE connection, such as dimensional instruments.

Multiple capabilities

Manual MET/CAL software provides the tools needed to:

• Quickly and easily create, edit, test and run calibration procedures.
• Input calibration test data into a computer – no more spreadsheets or paper and pencil.
• Capture pre-computed measurement uncertainty and TUR (Test Uncertainty Ratio) values.
• Perform batch calibrations.
• Calibrate instruments which have separate input and output values, such as transducers.
• Put a calibration into hibernation, then come back and finish it later.
• Save calibration results into a database.
• Run all calibration reports and certificates using Crystal Reports.

“In the real world you’re out in the grunge and you’re doing liquid flow calibrations and gas flow calibrations and deadweight calibrations, pressure calibrations—a lot of mechanical stuff,” said the senior metrologist for a major U.S. auto maker. “This is where Manual MET/CAL comes into play. No more paper or pencil, that’s big. Performing batch calibrations, that’s bigger.”

Manual MET/CAL software stores data in the same MET/BASE database used by the MET/CAL^® Plus Calibration Management system. MET/BASE features a powerful SQL database server for secure, dependable storage of calibration and asset data. It’s compatible with the Microsoft Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) standard so users can exchange data to and from any ODBC compatible application (such as Microsoft^® Excel or Word) for further processing and analysis. And, even more, use MET/TRACK for all your asset management.

Fluke Manual MET/CAL software uses Crystal Reports, which makes it easy to create custom reports, lists, and labels. Several standard reports are included. Use them right out of the box, or use them as templates to create customized reports.

Fluke Manual MET/CAL software licenses are available immediately. For more information on Fluke calibration products, visit www.fluke.com/manualmetcal, or contact Fluke Corporation, P.O. Box 9090, Everett, WA USA 98206-9090 or call 800-760-4523.

About Fluke

Fluke Corporation is the leader in precision calibration instrumentation and software for electrical, temperature, pressure, flow, and RF measurements. Calibration products from Fluke and its Hart Scientific and DH Instruments Divisions are found in calibration facilities around the world, including National Metrology Institutes, that demand the highest levels of performance and reliability, backed by state of the art metrology and uncompromising support. They are relied on by quality engineers, calibration technicians, and metrologists to instill confidence in the measurements that are critical to their organizations for quality, safety, reliability, and cost. In just the past year Fluke tools won more than 15 industry awards including Test and Measurement World Best in Test, Control Engineering Engineer’s Choice, and Plant Engineering Product of the Year. Fluke and DHI are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Fluke Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Ideal for testing high voltage equipment

EVERETT, Wash. – Fluke Corporation, the global leader in portable electronic test and measurement technology, has introduced the new Fluke 1555 and redesigned Fluke 1550C insulation resistance testers designed for a wide range of diagnostic and predictive maintenance programs.

These testers offer digital insulation testing up to 10 kV (Fluke 1555), making them ideal for testing a wide range of high voltage equipment including switchgear, motors, generators and cables.

Fluke insulation testers can now conduct the entire range of test voltages specified in IEEE 43-2000 with a best in class, three year warranty and CAT III, 1000 V, CAT IV 600 V safety rating. With measurement storage and PC interface, the Fluke 1555 and 1550C are perfect tools for long term equipment monitoring.

Features of the Fluke 1555 and 1550C include:

• Test voltages up to 10 kV provides solutions for all applications.
• CAT III 1000 V, CAT IV 600 V safety rating.
• Warning function alerts the user that line voltage is present and gives the voltage reading up to 600 V ac or dc for increased user safety.
• Selectable test voltages in 50 V steps from 250 V to 1000 V, and 100 V steps above 1000 V.
• Measurements can be stored in up to 99 memory locations, with each location assigned a unique, user-defined label for easy recall.
• Long battery life performs more than 750 tests between charges.
• Automatic calculation of Dielectric Absorption (DAR) and Polarization Index (PI) with no additional setup.
• Guard system eliminates the effect of surface leakage current on high-resistance measurements.
• Large digital/analog LCD for easy viewing.
• Capacitance and leakage current measurement.
• Ramp function for breakdown testing.
• Resistance measurements up to 2 TΩ.
• Timer settings up to 99 minutes for timed tests.
• Best-in-class three year warranty.

For more on the full range of Fluke insulation testers, see www.fluke.com/insulation. For information on other Fluke tools and applications, or to find the location of your nearest distributor, contact Fluke Corporation, P.O. Box 9090, Everett, WA USA 98206, call (800) 44-FLUKE (800-443-5853), fax (425) 446-5116, e-mail fluke-info@fluke.com or visit the Fluke Web site at http://www.fluke.com.

About Fluke

Fluke Corporation is the leader in compact, professional electronic test tools. Fluke customers are technicians, engineers, electricians, metrologists and building diagnostic professionals who install, troubleshoot, and manage industrial electrical and electronic equipment and calibration processes for quality control as well as conducting building restoration and remediation services. In the past five years, Fluke tools won more than 50 industry awards, including Test and Measurement World Best in Test,Control Engineering Engineer’s Choice, and Plant Engineering Product of the Year. Fluke is a registered trademark of Fluke Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.