Press Releases

Press Releases

Rexel cements Activant's Position as the Leading ERP Provider for Wholesale Distribution.

In one of the larger technology deals in wholesale distribution history, Rexel Inc. chose to implement Eclipse, a leading solution within Activant Solution’s distribution suite, throughout its US operations.

"This transaction cements Activant's position as the leading ERP provider in wholesale distribution in North America and puts an exclamation point on our #1 provider position within the electrical distribution industry," said Kevin Roach, executive vice president and general manager of Activant's Wholesale Distribution Division.

"Activant clearly has invested in wholesale distribution, and more specifically electrical distribution," said Jeremy de Brabant, CEO of Rexel Inc. "We understand that a significant number of the top electrical distributors run an Activant solution and that depth of electrical industry experience is what we need in an ERP solution."

"That Rexel Inc. chose to make this investment during this economic downturn is a testament to their vision and the value of Activant's software functionality and our ability to deploy," said Pervez Qureshi, CEO of Activant. "The most successful distributors keep their focus on the long-term and do not let the economy drive their businesses."

A Business Partnership for the Future

Rexel Inc., with approximately $3 billion in sales in 2008 across 250 locations, is a division of International Electric Supply Corp. (IESC), a leader in electrical distribution in the US.

Currently, Rexel Inc. uses several different ERP solutions throughout its many branches. "Our goal is to unify our business with one ERP solution," said de Brabant. "We look to Activant to help us improve operations and increase productivity. We also want to add the functionality that our customers need and expect from us as the leading electrical distributor."

Rexel Inc. had been considering consolidating operations under another system when an acquisition of a company running an Activant solution got their attention. "That group showed higher earnings per employee than any other part of Rexel Inc.," said de Brabant. "We discovered that the Activant Distribution Suite software was a significant contributor to their performance."

We want to be in the business of delivering the best electrical distribution products, services, and capabilities to our customers", said Chris Hartmann, CEO of IESC. "There is no need for any customization with Activant and that's important," continued Hartman. "We don't want to be in the business of developing software".

Ultimately, Rexel Inc. was looking for a long-term strategic business relationship. "We look for partners that are the best at what they do, those that have superior offerings and process that are of the highest quality and are repeatable," explained Hartman. “That's where you create real value for your customers."

To find out more about the Prophet 21 software, visit www.activant.co.uk, e-mail uk@activant.com, or call 0845 60 5 60 20

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 is on file with the Securities Exchange Commission 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 stylized Activant logo design are registered trademark of Activant Solutions Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Press Contact:
Jane Gideon
Incendio International
Tel: 415.682.9292
jane@incendiopr.com