Symphony Metreo and Linksys Receive APICS Technology Partnership Award of Excellence

Companies Recognized for Goal Alignment, Commitment to Supply Chain Transformation and Using Technology to Achieve Excellence in Operations Management

PALO ALTO & IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Symphony Metreo, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise pricing and operations management solutions, and Linksys, a Division of Cisco, today announced they have been recognized by APICS the Association for Operations Management with a Corporate Award of Excellence based on the achievements of their partnership. At an awards ceremony held in conjunction with the APICS 2008 International Conference & Expo, Symphony Metreo and Linksys were awarded the prestigious Technology Partnership Award of Excellence.

“This year’s Technology Partnership Excellence submissions demonstrate the tremendous value of tightly aligned vendor/customer relationships and the quantifiable impact of innovative technology solutions on operations management categories such as supply chain, logistics and inventory”

Award applications were reviewed by a judging panel composed of industry experts holding an APICS certification, industry analysts, media representatives and academicians. Specifically, the Technology Partnership Award of Excellence recognizes a partnership between a technology solutions provider and a corporate customer, where the product has increased a company’s success.

“This year’s Technology Partnership Excellence submissions demonstrate the tremendous value of tightly aligned vendor/customer relationships and the quantifiable impact of innovative technology solutions on operations management categories such as supply chain, logistics and inventory,” said APICS CEO Abe Eshkenazi, CSCP, CPA, CAE. “Symphony Metreo and Linksys represent the type of technology partnership that others strive to emulate, specifically in terms of goal alignment and broad, lasting organizational impact. We are proud to honor them with a 2008 Technology Partnership Award of Excellence.”

Symphony Metreo and Linksys: A Partnership in Excellence

Linksys, the recognized global leader in Wireless and Ethernet networking hardware for consumer and SOHO users, established a relationship with Symphony Metreo to address sales forecasting and inventory management inefficiences that had emerged due to aggressive company growth. Linksys implemented Symphony Metreo’s Finance Sales & Operations Planning solution (FS&OP Manager™) and was quickly able to benefit from a new forward-looking S&OP system that effectively streamlined the company’s entire supply and demand chain.

Within the first year, Linksys recorded several quantitative and qualitative results including inventory improvements, backlog improvements and a reduction in expedited shipping costs. Specifically, Linksys recorded a 90 percent reduction in expedited shipping and a 25 percent reduction in overall shipping costs. Linksys was able to draw customer inventory down by gaining valuable insight into which inventory moved slowly, and understanding product transitions better. Linksys also gained customer service improvements such as higher fill rates and better on-time performance, and backorders are now at record lows.

“We have developed a rewarding partnership with Symphony Metreo that is built on collaboration, trust and alignment around the strategic application of technology to solve complex business problems,” said Mark Payne, vice president of worldwide operations, Linksys. “As a result, we have achieved significant milestones in our supply chain transformation strategy that are apparent both internally, and externally with our customers. With our relationship with Symphony Metreo, we will continue to build our leadership in supply chain excellence.”

Symphony Metreo complements FS&OP Manager with a suite of enterprise pricing and operations and revenue management applications that provide a unified approach to Integrated Business Planning that is necessary for global enterprises to effectively compete on factors of price, volume and cost. Consequently, the Symphony Metreo partnership has been instrumental in helping Linksys align its business and operations; increase collaboration between previously siloed functional groups; and encourage a business transformation that has helped Linksys transition from a reactive organization, to one that is proactive and responsive.

“We are proud of the accomplishments and value that Linksys has achieved in the course of our work together. We would like to thank APICS for this award, and we deeply appreciate this important industry recognition,” said Tal Ball, CEO, Symphony Metreo. “While technology plays a significant role in driving operational and supply chain improvements, it is the sometimes intangible importance of establishing a true partnership, a joint commitment to making fundamental operational and process improvements, that leads to successful business transformation.”

The APICS 2008 International Conference & Expo took place in Kansas City, Missouri, September 14-16, 2008. This is the premier educational event for operations management professionals looking for cutting-edge solutions for the global supply chain, sustainable operations, forecasting, demand management, and more. For more information, visit www.apics.org.

About APICS The Association for Operations Management

APICS The Association for Operations Management is the global leader and premier source of the body of knowledge in operations management, including production, inventory, supply chain, materials management, purchasing, and logistics. Since 1957, individuals and companies have relied on APICS for its superior training, internationally recognized certifications, comprehensive resources, and worldwide network of accomplished industry professionals. Visit APICS online at www.apics.org.

About Symphony Metreo

Symphony Metreo helps organizations meet their financial goals of Revenue and Margin with innovative solutions that align and synchronize top-down planning with bottom-up execution by focusing on the strategic levers of Price, Volume and Cost. Symphony Metreo serves global enterprises with innovative award winning applications in the areas of Enterprise Pricing, Operations Management and Performance Management. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Symphony Metreo is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Symphony Technology Group, a $2.1 billion strategic holding company. For additional information, visit http://www.symphony-metreo.com.

About Linksys

Founded in 1988, Linksys, a Division of Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the recognized global leader in Wireless and Ethernet networking for consumer and SOHO users. Linksys is dedicated to making networking easy and secure by connecting people to their digital world at home and on the move. The company offers innovative, award-winning home networking and networked entertainment products that are designed to seamlessly integrate with a variety of devices and applications. Linksys also provides award-winning product support to its customers. For more information, visit http://www.linksys.com.

Copyright © 2008 Symphony Metreo, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Linksys is a registered trademark of Cisco. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.