Centric and Hokura Enter Agreement Focused on Fashion Industry Services Delivery

2008-07-01 15:16:11 -

- Reichert Communications, LLC Barbara Reichert, 415-296-5130 barbara@reichertcom.com Centric Software, a leading provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions for fast moving consumer goods industries, today announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Hokura LLC, a leading provider of retail supply chain automation and compliance management software and services. Under the terms of the agreement, Hokura will deliver value-added implementation and integration services to Centric customers in the fashion and retail markets.

Customers who purchase Centric's comprehensive solution suite, tailored specifically to address the PLM requirements of the fashion and retail industries, will have the option to leverage Hokura's domain expertise within those industries and quickly realize competitive advantage. Additionally, the availability of Hokura resources will enable Centric to continue its aggressive growth.

"Centric's solutions are known for their rapid implementation cycles and their ease of connectivity to other data sets within the customer environment," said Ric Lara, CEO of Hokura LLC. "These characteristics, combined with our expertise in implementing best-practice business processes within the apparel, fashion, retail, and other fast moving consumer goods markets, will provide exceptional value for companies seeking to optimize their new product introduction, global sourcing, and other processes with a world-class PLM implementation."

Hokura customers include major organizations in the retail, apparel, and fashion industries, including the Mervyns department store chain. This industry-specific business process experience, combined with training and certification in Centric's new Certified Partner Program (CPP), means that Hokura's skilled consultants are now capable of delivering installation, implementation and configuration services for the Centric Software in conjunction with Centric's field engineers.

"Our partnership with Hokura represents an important milestone in our plan to lead the PLM industry for fast moving consumer goods companies," said Chris Groves, president and CEO of Centric Software. "Hokura's talented people will deliver valuable knowledge to our customers with a quick time-to-value, which is fundamental to our business philosophy. Their business process expertise, combined with the rich functionality and extensibility of our solution suite, will help customers realize the benefits of a complete PLM solution designed specifically for fast moving consumer goods industries."

About Hokura LLC

Hokura's mission is to automate the retail supply chain for transparent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) compliance management, so companies can hold their business partners accountable for ethical human rights, labor and environmental practices. Hokura's vision is to eliminate the check-box approach to CSR compliance and replace it with an ethics-based self-regulated approach, where suppliers comply because it's the right thing to do. Hokura not only helps customers implement best practices in business process integration and automation, but also delivers customized software solutions through the Hokura Integration Suite and TransparentCMS compliance management system, automating the process of managing CSR compliance and Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) security compliance in the global retail/manufacturing supply chain. For more information on Hokura Software Solutions, visit www.hokura.com.

About Centric Software, Inc.

Centric Software is a leading provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions for fast moving consumer goods industries. Centric solutions enable companies to speed new products to market, drive margin improvement, and improve global collaboration and compliance. Designed specifically to meet the needs of the apparel and private-label industries, Centric leverages proven, next-generation internet-based technology. Centric's Product Intelligence technology enables team members and partners to securely access the information they need to improve global collaboration, execution, and business performance. Global enterprises including Artsana, Best Buy, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Coleman, Kiewit, Le Coq Sportif, Moen, Timex and United Stationers use Centric's solutions to achieve top line revenue growth and cost reductions. For more information on Centric Software, visit www.centricsoftware.com.

Centric is a registered trademark of Centric Software and Product Intelligence is a trademark of Centric Software. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Implementation and Integration Services Agreement Will Leverage
Hokura's Apparel and Retail Industry Expertise, Enable Centric
Expansion