ASI Launching Oracle-Powered Technology Platform

Sales-boosting tools to include cloud capabilities and software services tailored for the industry

TREVOSE, PA – July 13, 2011 – The Advertising Specialty Institute today announced the upcoming launch of a next-generation sales and revenue generating system powered by technology giant Oracle and designed by ASI exclusively for the advertising specialty industry.

ASI, the industry leader in sales and marketing tools for over 60 years, teamed with Oracle, a worldwide database and software innovator for over three decades, to build an industry-specific technology platform designed to fundamentally change the way suppliers and distributors communicate, collaborate and nurture their business relationships.

The result of the development effort will be business tools that will help distributors, suppliers and decorators grow their sales and manage their profitability.

The undertaking, which represents a multimillion-dollar investment by ASI, leverages Oracle’s cloud-based technologies with ASI’s products and services to create a unique, highly secure platform consisting of a hybrid implementation of cloud and locally hosted software and databases.

ASI said the new offering will include comprehensive product sourcing powered by ESP, order management, reporting and business analysis and other functions.

“For the past couple of years, everyone has been focused on cutting costs. It’s time to shift back to growing sales,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI. “We’re happy to continue leading the industry technologically - especially with a powerhouse like Oracle.

“By supplying the technology that brings together buyers and sellers,” Andrews said, “ASI will help transform the way members do business with efficient, revenue-driving solutions. We can’t wait to make this technology a part of every member’s business.”

In addition to the new Oracle-powered implementation, ASI initially invested $1 million to increase protection of data driving the industry and continues with annual investments of $500,000. Safety measures include upgrades to disaster prevention and recovery systems at its primary site and the establishment of a U.S.-based remote information backup facility located alongside backup systems for Fortune 500 companies and some of the world’s largest financial services firms.

“There isn’t a single company in the industry spending more on product development and data integrity and security than ASI,” Andrews noted, “and that long-standing commitment is something I and the Norman Cohn family are proud to have as our hallmark.”

ASI expects to announce general rollout plans in September, with initial availability anticipated for the fourth quarter. For more information, distributors may contact Dan O’Halloran, executive vice president of distributor services, at dan.ohalloran@asicentral.com or 215-953-3070; and suppliers may contact Rich Fairfield, publisher and executive vice president, at rfairfield@asicentral.com or 215-953-3627.

About Oracle
Oracle provides the world’s most complete, open and integrated business software and hardware systems, with more than 370,000 customers – including 100 of the Fortune 100 – representing a variety of sizes and industries in more than 145 countries around the globe. Oracle’s product strategy provides flexibility and choice to customers across their IT infrastructure. Now, with Sun server, storage, operating-system and virtualization technology, Oracle is the only vendor able to offer a complete technology stack in which every layer is integrated to work together as a single system.

About ASI
The Advertising Specialty Institute is the largest education, media and marketing organization serving the advertising specialty industry, with a membership of over 26,000 distributor firms (sellers) and supplier firms (manufacturers) of advertising specialties. Supplier firms use ASI print and electronic resources to market products to ASI distributor firms. Distributor firms use ASI print and electronic resources, which contain nearly every product in the industry from more than 3,200 reputable suppliers, to locate supplier firms and to market services to buyers. ASI provides catalogs, information directories, newsletters, magazines, websites and databases, and offers e-commerce, marketing and selling tools. Visit ASI at www.asicentral.com, and on Facebook, Twitter , LinkedIn, YouTube and the CEO’s blog.

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