SEBL Siebel Systems (MM)

Rimini Street, Inc., an alternative maintenance and support provider for Siebel software licensees (NASDAQ:SEBL), today announced the immediate availability of its anticipated Rimini Street Support Services for Siebel Products. Since its launch several months ago, Rimini Street has worked to build the necessary processes, tools and infrastructure to provide a next-generation support program that will enable Siebel 5.x, 6.x (2000), and 7.x licensees to remain on their current software release without any required upgrades for years to come and with significant annual savings of 50 percent or more. "With Oracle now preparing to take control of Siebel Systems, many Siebel licensees are adopting a 'wait and see' approach to any additional, significant investment in their existing Siebel implementations," said Seth Ravin, president & CEO of Rimini Street. "Whether a Siebel licensee is choosing to hold steady on their current release, just wants to get additional years of return out of their existing Siebel investment, or is looking for more valuable support at a significantly lower annual cost, Rimini Street now offers a more affordable, high-quality and specialized support and maintenance option to meet the current and long-term needs of Siebel licensees." Rimini Street Redefines Enterprise Software Support Rimini Street's objective is not simply to provide a more affordable maintenance and support program for Siebel licensees, but also to offer a program that delivers the actual services clients need most for day-to-day operational success. To achieve this goal of a higher-value, more relevant next-generation support model, Rimini Street has redefined enterprise software support. Rimini Street Support Services - Groundbreaking Program Highlights: -- Support for Client-Made Customizations. While traditional enterprise software vendor and first-generation third party support programs leave licensees exposed by only including support for "vanilla," uncustomized software code, Rimini Street includes support coverage for client-made code customizations at no additional fee, providing a complete support coverage solution for Siebel licensees. -- Support for Performance-Related Issues. Consistent with Siebel software use in call-center environments, system performance is a critical operational requirement for Siebel licensees. Traditional enterprise software vendor and first generation third party support programs do not provide general coverage for performance tuning issues, and licensees are usually forced to hire consultants at additional cost. Rimini Street includes support coverage for performance-related issues at the application and technology foundation layers of client systems. -- Support for Interoperability. Siebel systems operate in complex environments with a variety of other software and system layers. Traditional enterprise software vendors and first generation third party support programs do not include general coverage of environmental issues outside the software package. Rimini Street includes support coverage of environmental issues, and will work with other software vendor support organizations to try and diagnose and recommend solutions to complex environmental interoperability issues. -- Flexible Support Terms. Traditional enterprise software vendors and first generation third party support providers require prepaid and/or non-cancelable support terms, which require significant commitments by licensees and may not align with IT investment strategies, budgets, or cash flow models. To assure Rimini Street clients have maximum flexibility with no long-term commitments, Rimini Street Support Agreements have monthly, quarterly, and annual billing options, and are cancelable at any time, for any reason, with prorated fees. Recognized Leadership Concurrent with the unveiling of Rimini Street Support Services for Siebel Products, the company also announced today that Rimini Street president & CEO Seth Ravin recently was named by The Enterprise Software Observer as one of 25 next generation leaders of the enterprise software industry - joining other industry influentials who, according to the publication, "promise to have an impact on the industry as dramatic as an Ellison, a Gates, or a Premji."(1) Other recognized leaders include senior executives from Oracle, SAP and Salesforce.com. "With his past entrepreneurial successes in the enterprise software industry, Seth Ravin demonstrates that he has the strategic vision and the tactical ability to create a disruptive business model," said J. Bruce Daley, executive editor of The Enterprise Software Observer. "As he continues to build on what he has learned through his new venture with Rimini Street, Mr. Ravin is one of the executives to watch in 2006." About Rimini Street, Inc. Rimini Street, Inc. is the only enterprise software support provider with a proven, experienced third party maintenance management team with a long track-record of delivery, and exclusively focused on the needs of Siebel software licensees. Rimini Street is headquarted in Las Vegas, with Global Support Centers in Foster City, Calif. and Durham, NC. For more information, visit www.RiminiStreet.com or call (702) 839-9671. Rimini Street and the Rimini Street logo are trademarks of Rimini Street, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright (C) 2005-2006. All rights reserved. (1) http://brucedaley.typepad.com/esofto/2005/11/index.html