Leading Asset Lifecycle Management Functionality Gives Customers 360-degree View of Asset Intensive Operations REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., March 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In order to create sophisticated, condition-based maintenance strategies and operations, and eliminate excess and obsolete spare parts inventory, customers around the world have successfully implemented Oracle(R) Enterprise Asset Management. Organizations including Hanover Compressor Company, MTR Corporation Limited, Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., POSCO and Simmons Foods have been able to increase business efficiencies, streamline spare parts management, improve compliance and safety practices and gain a complete, enterprise-wide view of their asset-driven operations with Oracle. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020718/ORCLLOGO) Application Integration Yields Visibility, More Efficient Operations POSCO, the leading, multinational supplier of steel products based in Korea, previously relied on a non-Oracle solution to support its facility maintenance operations. The company found the solution to be too costly and cumbersome to manage and decided to replace it with the Oracle E-Business Suite to leverage the asset management functionality. "We needed to dramatically improve efficiencies and streamline processes across our global operations and realized the best approach would be to rely upon a completely integrated suite of software applications," said POSCO's CIO Mr. Kyu Jeong Lee. "Oracle Enterprise Asset Management has enabled a complete integration of POSCO's facility maintenance system with our enterprise-wide ERP environment. We've been able to achieve process innovations by streamlining our facility maintenance processes by 40 percent -- a process that previously required 10 steps can now be completed in 6 steps. Also, by standardizing facility classifications and maintenance work procedures based on Oracle Enterprise Asset Management, we have substantial improved the capabilities of POSCO's maintenance force. Overall, the decision to use Oracle Enterprise Asset Management is contributing significantly to the company's management and operational performance." Maintenance Reliability Ensures Productivity Simmons Foods, a third-generation, family-owned poultry manufacturer, realized there was a significant opportunity to restructure and standardize its maintenance practices. Simmons understood that without high reliability and high availability of its equipment, products would not be produced and delivered to its customers including food service chains and retail mass merchandisers. The company committed to making equipment maintenance a top priority and decided to better utilize its investment in Oracle Enterprise Asset Management. "Our equipment is fundamental to our ability to deliver the right products to our customers. To keep our ovens, freezers and cooking equipment in a maximum state of readiness, we rely on Oracle," said Simmons Foods Vice President of Pet Food Operations and Corporate Information Systems Seth Kaufman. "Additionally, to be good stewards of our environment and to be actively involved in our communities, we need to make sure that we're following best safety practices. With Oracle Enterprise Asset Management, we can monitor our equipment to ensure quality standards are properly maintained and that we protect the well-being of our employees." Asset Management Capabilities Mitigate Risk Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. is engaged in the transportation, storage, terminalling and marketing of crude oil, refined products, liquefied petroleum gas and other natural gas related petroleum (LPG) products. Relying on interstate transportation, Plains is subject to many regulatory requirements for inspection and maintenance of its pipelines, tanks and equipment. The company recently upgraded to the latest version of Oracle Enterprise Asset Management to comply with multiple regulatory mandates and manage its diverse assets. "We operate in an asset intensive, highly dynamic environment. On an average day, we manage over 3 million barrels of crude oil, refined products and LPG through our extensive network," said Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. SVP of Technology and Risk Management Al Lindseth. "As a result, we are exposed to multiple compliance mandates and working with Oracle, we are able to better mitigate risk, streamline our asset lifecycle management and ensure that we are thorough in our compliance practices." New Industry and Mobile Functionality in Oracle Release 12 Oracle Enterprise Asset Management Release 12 delivers rich industry functionality including capabilities to help life science and pharmaceutical companies address 21 CFR Part 11 and asset and operational statistics for fleet and transportation management operators. This release also provides new mobile functionality that promotes all aspects of work execution through mobile handheld wireless devices. Additionally, flexible and configurable workflow-based work management provides automated approval workflows, user defined job status, warranty management and material shortage analysis. "Oracle Enterprise Asset Management Release 12 delivers some of the most significant enhancements in the history of the product," said Oracle Senior Vice President Application Development Richard Jewell. "With over 20 new features, latest technology, enhanced portals and industry capabilities, this release expands the appeal of Oracle's enterprise asset management functionality to a broad set of industries while providing tools for a holistic approach to asset lifecycle management." About Oracle Oracle (NasdaqGS: ORCL) is the world's largest enterprise software company. For more information about Oracle, please visit our Web site at http://www.oracle.com/. Trademarks Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020718/ORCLLOGO http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Oracle Corporation CONTACT: Jessica Moore of Oracle Corporation, +1-650-506-8741, ; or Catherine Griffin of Zeno Group, +1-415-369-8125, , for Oracle Corporation Web site: http://www.oracle.com/

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