Descartes Announces Formation of SAP Working Groups

JOC Staff |
CHICAGO, Sept. 22, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CSCMP Annual Conference -- Descartes Systems Group (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX), a federated global network logistics solutions provider, announced the formation of customer working groups that help Descartes customers derive greater value from the interactions between Descartes and SAP solutions.

Descartes' working groups are designed to help users with common interests standardize business processes and develop best practices. Two specific SAP customer working groups have been formed: one focused on transportation and logistics service providers; and the other focused on manufacturers, retailers, distributors and mobile service providers.

The Transportation and Logistics (TL) Working Group focuses on working with transportation companies and logistics services providers that want to automate and improve their global shipment management processes and comply with regulatory requirements. This group's focus includes integrating cargo booking, cross-border compliance and logistics partner connectivity.

The Manufacturer, Retailer, Distributor and Mobile Service Providers (MRDM) Working Group has been set-up to focus on reducing their logistics costs for working group constituents and improve their delivery performance through integrating route planning and mobile resource management solutions.

Descartes' SAP working groups' objectives include:

* Sharing experiences and best practices;
* Providing a forum for thought leadership;
* Assisting in streamlining the interoperability between Descartes and SAP solutions;
* Guiding the automaton and standardization of business processes; and
* Providing business application feedback to enrich the solutions.

Through our customers' working groups, we create additional value for our customers by enabling a forum for them to come together to address the common opportunities and challenges in united ways, said Art Mesher, CEO at Descartes. We are excited that our customers who use SAP recognize the benefit of coming together to better understand, standardize and streamline how Descartes and SAP solutions work together.

Charter members of the SAP customer working groups include one of the world's top freight transport and logistics companies, Panalpina, and leading Chilean liquid fuel provider, Abastible, among others.

For more information or to sign up for the Descartes working group please visit www.descartes.com/sapwork.

For more information about Descartes' federated platform, its other value-added logistics solutions, the customers announced this week or more about 'The State of Things United' join Descartes in Chicago at CSCMP at one or more of the following events:

* Tuesday, September 22 7:00am - 7:45am, Descartes Press Conference Breakfast Meeting, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Regency D or via a teleconference using designated numbers 800-895-5087 for North America or +1 212-231-2929 for international or via an audio web cast on the Descartes Web site at www.descartes.com/company/investors.
* Tuesday, September 22 10:00am - 11:30am, presentation by Art Mesher, CEO, Descartes Systems Group The State of Things United - The Next Big Thing McCormick Place, West Building, Room 187C.
* Tuesday, September 22 5:15pm - 7:00pm Networking Reception, Sponsored by Descartes, McCormick Place, West Building, Skyline Ballroom.

About Descartes
Descartes (TSX:DSG) (Nasdaq:DSGX) is making the world a better place by enabling global organizations with logistics-intensive businesses to save money by improving the productivity and performance of their operations. Underlying Descartes' offerings is the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN), one of the world's most extensive multi-modal business applications network. As a federated platform, the Descartes GLN combines with component-based 'nano' sized applications to provide messaging services between logistics trading partners, shipment management services to help manage third party carriers and private fleet management services for organizations of all sizes. Descartes' solutions and services deliver results by enabling organizations around the world to reduce administrative costs, billing cycles, fleet size, contract carrier costs, and mileage driven; improve pickup and delivery reliability; and optimize working capital through fleet visibility. Descartes' hosted, transactional and packaged solutions deliver repeatable, measurable results and fast time-to-value. Descartes customers include an estimated 1,600 ground carriers and more than 90 airlines, 30 ocean carriers, 900 freight forwarders and third-party providers of logistics services, and hundreds of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, private fleet owners and regulatory agencies. The company has more than 450 employees and is based in Waterloo, Ontario, with operations in Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Montreal, Miami, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Derby, London, Stockholm, Shanghai, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.descartes.com.

The Descartes Systems Group logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4065

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (forward-looking statements) that relate to Descartes' solution offering and potential benefits derived therefrom; the composition, objectives and results of Descartes customer working groups; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.