Lawson Software (Nasdaq: LWSN) today announced an expanded partnership with supply chain service company Global Healthcare Exchange (GHX) to help healthcare organizations reduce supply costs and help maximize the value of their Lawson Supply Chain Management system. Through the agreement, Lawson provides deep healthcare supply chain management expertise and other value-added services while GHX provides data enrichment, standardization and classification services in a new offering called Lawson Data Management Services.

Lawson Data Management Services will help healthcare providers better manage their supply expense and increase supply chain efficiency by accelerating application deployment and incorporating data cleansing into software implementation or upgrade projects. For example, it will help healthcare providers consolidate and standardize products on their item master list so the same latex glove, catheter or various other instruments are identified the same way organization-wide.

Healthcare providers manage thousands of supplies across geographically dispersed facilities. Continually changing supply names and prices make it extremely difficult for hospitals and clinics to maintain current product descriptions and pricing data. And, as many healthcare organizations turn to packaged business applications to help control rising supply costs, they must first standardize their supply data before moving it into the new system.

Lawson Data Management Services, based on GHX's Advanced Content Services, will simplify this process by combining Lawson's supply chain application and implementation expertise with GHX's access to supplier-verified healthcare product data and experience in helping providers standardize that data for a variety of clinical, materials and financial applications. This packaged offering will help healthcare providers coordinate data cleansing efforts as part of a Lawson implementation or upgrade project on a more predictable timeline. It also gives them a single budget and vendor contact for the entire project.

Specifically, Lawson Data Management Services provides validated commerce information, enriched and standardized product descriptions and product classification. By loading this information into the Lawson system and using subscription services to maintain data accuracy and currency, providers can reduce purchasing errors and streamline contract management with healthcare suppliers and group purchasing organizations on an ongoing basis. Other key benefits of Lawson Data Management Services include more efficient purchase order and invoice processing, more effective analysis of supply spending and usage trends, simplified processes for moving supply data in and out of the Lawson system and more supplies purchased on-contract or through volume discounts.

?This partnership is a natural extension of our healthcare offering by pairing two proven solutions ? Lawson services and applications with GHX's expertise in content ? so customers can achieve business results faster,? said Keith Lohkamp, supply chain management product strategist, Lawson Software. ?With clean, categorized item and vendor data, Lawson customers will reap even greater value from their Lawson investment through improved analysis of their supply costs by product category, facility or vendor.?

?Having managed hundreds of implementations for healthcare providers, we saw an opportunity to collaborate with GHX and deliver a strategic services offering that will help our joint customers tackle one of their key business challenges,? added Jim Catalino, vice president, Consulting Services, Lawson Software.

?Many of the more than 3,000 hospitals currently utilizing GHX to transact business electronically with suppliers are also Lawson customers,? said Bill Carlson, vice president, Product Management and Marketing, GHX. ?By working together, we can provide our combined customer base with a turnkey solution that offers the most current supply chain data available. Through this combined offering, hospitals can achieve measurable savings that deliver real value to the bottom line.?

Lawson serves more than 500 healthcare industry clients representing more than 4,500 facilities, including eight of the top 10 integrated delivery networks. The company also serves managed care systems, academic medical centers, hospitals, clinics, physician group practices, home healthcare, long-term care and other health services enterprises. Lawson solutions help healthcare organizations manage their business so they can focus on their patients, automate and streamline materials management for a better bottom line, and overcome the challenges of the labor shortage.

About Lawson Software

Lawson Software provides software and service solutions to 4,000 customers in manufacturing, distribution, maintenance and service sector industries across 40 countries. Lawson's solutions include Enterprise Performance Management, Supply Chain Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Customer Relationship Management, Manufacturing Resource Planning, Enterprise Asset Management and industry-tailored applications. Lawson solutions assist customers in simplifying their businesses or organizations by helping them streamline processes, reduce costs and enhance business or operational performance. Lawson is headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., and has offices around the world. Visit Lawson online at www.lawson.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that contain risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements contain statements of intent, belief or current expectations of Lawson Software and its management. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from the potential results discussed in the forward-looking statements. The company is not obligated to update forward-looking statements based on circumstances or events that occur in the future. Risks and uncertainties that may cause such differences include but are not limited to: uncertainties in Lawson's ability to realize synergies and revenue opportunities anticipated from the Intentia International acquisition; uncertainties in the software industry; uncertainties as to when and whether the conditions for the recognition of deferred revenue will be satisfied; global military conflicts; terrorist attacks; pandemics, and any future events in response to these developments; changes in conditions in the company's targeted industries; increased competition and other risk factors listed in the company's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lawson assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release.