News Release

Editorial Contact:

Tricia Ritterbusch
Sterling Communications (for Open Systems Advisors)
+1-415-749-6550
tmr@sterlingpr.com

BOSTON, Mass. - October 21, 2003 - Open Systems Advisors, Inc. (OSA) has issued a Call for Participation for the Crossroads A-List Awards 2004 Program. For the past 10 years, the Crossroads A-List has identified the best new technology solutions proven to deliver results. In 2004, the A-List will concentrate on comprehensive solutions and services.

The theme for 2004 is focused on measurable results. According to Nina Lytton, president and principal analyst of OSA, "Businesses, institutions and governments must do more with less. They must focus more tightly, invest less money up front, spend less time for integration and expend less redundant effort. At the same time, they expect a measurable bang for their buck." These trends have two implications for the Crossroads A-List Awards:

• Awards will focus on big wins relative to the investment required --- comprehensive solutions, easily adoptable services, products that complement installed systems, and technology that differentiates its adopter.
• Only 10 Awards will be conferred in 2004, as this year's awards will focus only on the top technology opportunities that produce demonstrable business results.

The Crossroads A-List Awards program considers all types of commercially available IT solutions and services for the enterprise --- as long as they deliver value in line with today's business priorities.

To be considered for a Crossroads A-List Award, a vendor must offer a new or significantly enhanced solution or service that is proven through four established customer implementations and is significant to business. Solutions or services that have the greatest chance of winning a Crossroads A-List Award: enable business strategy; add customer-visible differentiation; enhance agility; help grow the top line via improved marketing, sales, service or retention; improve the bottom line by lowering costs or increasing productivity; shrink IT infrastructure costs; improve return on assets; or improve security by lowering risk.

Vendors that are encouraged to submit for the Crossroads A-List Awards 2004 include companies with one or more of the following offerings:

• Web services for business
• IT infrastructure services
• IT solutions for technology-user organizations that deliver business-visible value, do not require costly, lengthy integration and implementation and/or complement popular software suites or middleware platforms
• Embedded or OEM technologies that enable businesses to offer enhanced products or innovative services

Past Crossroads A-List Award winners include: BEA Systems, Contivo, Inc, CustomerSat, Inc., Cybermation, Inc., Guardent, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, IMlogic, Inc., Informatica Corp., NativeMinds, Inc., Noosh, Inc., OuterBay Technologies, Spirian Technologies, Inc., Spotfire, Inc., Sun Microsystems and Teros (formerly Stratum8 Networks). A complete list of recent winners is available at www.crossroads-osa.com.

Crossroads A-List Awards 2004 program information is available on the Web at www.crossroads-osa.com or by e-mailing a request to info@crossroads-osa.com. Those with questions regarding the application process should contact Tricia Ritterbusch at 415-749-6550, or tmr@sterlingpr.com.

Open Systems Advisors, Inc. (OSA), founded in 1989, helps businesses align their priorities with their technology investments, and identify the best new technology solutions for today's business challenges. OSA conducts the Crossroads A-List Research and Awards program on an annual basis. The company provides strategic and marketing consulting services for technology vendors, and bizno-tech advisory services for organizations looking to maximize the business value of their technology investments. Principal Nina Lytton has spent 20 years analyzing major issues in applying technology to business. She provides advice to Fortune 500 corporations on IT user and vendor clients' most pressing issues in light of technical and market realities. The company can be reached by sending email to info@crossroads-osa.com.