CGI today announced the signing of several Internet-related contracts with clients which further consolidate its strong presence in all segments of the North-American e-commerce market. Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Compaq Computer Corporation, Cokesbury On-Line, AltusMortgage.com and TotalFunding.com are a sampling of the client organizations that CGI is currently helping to harness the power of the Internet.
"The diversity of these mandates, both in terms of the clients industry sectors and the types of interventions required clearly demonstrate that we have the capabilities and the know-how to globally address all aspects of e-space development and implementation," noted Jean Brassard, President and COO of CGI. "Our excellent track record in large scale outsourcing, systems integration and IT services contracts, coupled with our thorough understanding of e-business issues, results in a powerful combination. We support all of our clients' e-space needs, from business feasibility analysis to final implementation, all the way through systems architecture, creative design and technical development."
CGI now draws 20% of its revenue from e-business activities which CGI defines as e-space. Today, its professionals put their expertise to work for its clients by helping them transform their organization to take advantage of the Internet. Clients need to plan their e-space infrastructure to support their changing business model, develop new applications or Web interfaces and integrate them with legacy systems and applications. CGI, in its role as systems integrator and manager of IT systems, is their partner of choice for any such undertakings. To provide its clients with the best tools available, CGI has entered into non-exclusive agreements with a core set of software partners, that are recognized for their leadership in the software product space.
CGI is currently supporting the following organizations' e-space initiatives:
Compaq Computer Corporation: CGI is providing services for three different mandates for Compaq: (1) Currently in operation, the DirectPlus e-commerce site is the PC market leader's dedicated Internet sales platform, which Compaq uses to beat the competition by selling PCs to the small and medium-sized business market. It supports custom configuration of PCs, servers and workstations as well as direct purchase through the Internet. (2) compaqworks.com, Compaq's Factory Outlet e-commerce site, which allows small to medium-sized customers to purchase the company's refurbished hardware and third party accessories, is undergoing major improvement to support multi-million Internet hits per day. (3) The Kiosk-based e-commerce Site is a Web-type version - working stand-alone in Radio Shack outlets - of the "Built For You" system which allows retail customers to custom configure and order their computers.
The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: CGI will help develop an important export-import control system based on business process re-engineering, e-commerce, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), security, private sector certificate management, Web development and cross-department communications. CGI's Ottawa office helped redefine a business case, carry out business process engineering and resolve organizational and process issues. A virtual e-commerce trading community is being set up involving exporters, importers, brokers and the Export and Import Controls Bureau within Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
AltusMortgage.com: As the client's Internet technology partner, CGI helped create a Web-distribution financial services enterprise architecture specially designed to automate the mortgage loan process. For this Internet-based lender, everything can be done online, that is - investigating, applying for and proceeding with a mortgage loan. Altus' technology is so sophisticated and customer-centric, staff's time with the customer is maximized for service and the sale rather than procedure. People are used only when necessary and effective, improving the customer's experience and keeping costs low. Altus' strategy and technology does not require customers to trade service for cost, which allows the firm to utilize every advantage on the Web for the customer and the business.
Cokesbury On-Line: This is the Internet site of the United Methodist Publishing House (based in Nashville, Tennessee) which offers an extensive line of electronically published materials and books to a worldwide audience. CGI conducted the business requirement analysis, evaluated the risks and developed the e-commerce solution as well as the security framework. This has enabled the client to improve their service levels and revenues at a greater rate than a physical store. The initial phase of this project has been completed with ten virtual bookstores at ten Web sites.
TotalFunding.com: CGI is providing end-to-end e-business consulting services for the design and build-out of functionality for this .com company's web site. TotalFunding.com is the leading e-commerce intermediary specializing in business-to-business leasing. The technology being developed by CGI is unique and fully automated, matching pre-defined credit criteria provided by funding sources with submitted lease applications. Participants will be able to apply to a forum of funding sources with one lease application per transaction, saving them valuable time. The application is quickly processed and approved almost immediately.
About CGI
CGI is the fifth largest independent information technology consulting firm in North America and the largest in Canada, based on its revenue run rate of CDN$1.5 billion. The company's order backlog totals approximately CDN$7.5 billion. CGI has 10,000 professionals and provides end-to-end IT services and business solutions to 2,500 clients in the United States, Canada and 23 countries around the world. CGI's shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (GIB), as well as on the Toronto and Montreal exchanges (GIB.A). They are included in the Toronto Stock Exchange's TSE 300 Composite and TSE 100 indexes. Web site: www.cgi.ca
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For more information:
CGI
Ronald White
Director, Investor and Media Relations
(514) 841-3230
ronald.white@cgi.ca
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