Clemson University Upgrades to Datastream 7i to Integrate Financial and Asset-Management Data

The Web Architecture of Datastream 7i Delivers Powerful Facilities Management Capabilities to Leading Public University

Greenville, S.C., Oct. 27, 2003—Datastream Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: DSTM) today announced that Clemson University, a public land-grant institution in South Carolina, has upgraded to the Datastream 7i^TM Asset Performance Management solution. With this upgrade, Clemson will be able to automate its asset-management processes and integrate its financial data with its asset-management data, giving the university real-time visibility into the state of its operations.

Clemson University comprises five distinct colleges with more than 17,000 enrollments each year. The university supports its own facilities department, University Facilities, which is a group of 450 employees responsible for maintaining more than 500 acres of property and 3.8 million square feet of building area. Clemson is using Datastream 7i to modernize this department and automate facilities-management processes. With Datastream 7i, Clemson is able to eliminate the need for cumbersome and inefficient paper-based processes and equip workers with wireless computing capabilities.

University Facilities had originally implemented Datastream’s MP5® enterprise asset management application. Because of the team’s success with Datastream and MP5, Clemson ultimately decided to upgrade to Datastream 7i, Datastream’s flagship Asset Performance Management solution.

“Upgrading to Datastream 7i was a great move for our organization,” said Michelle Hutchings, system administrator of Clemson University. “Besides being incredibly simple from an upgrade standpoint, it gave us a host of new capabilities that helped us transform our business processes in ways we never imagined.”

University Facilities took full advantage of the ability of Datastream 7i to automate virtually every aspect of its asset-management processes. For example, Datastream 7i supports electronic signatures, an important capability for the University Facilities team because it greatly reduces the number of paper-based requisitions. This reduces costs and improves efficiency, because it eliminates the inherent risk of human error in paper-based requisition processes.

The Datastream 7i Data Collection module enabled Clemson to integrate a custom mobile solution that allows workers to access the application through their Nextel handheld devices. Through the cellular network, technicians can make updates, logging hours or viewing historical data in less than six seconds. This capability will be expanded in the coming year as the department utilizes the Web services capabilities of Datastream 7i to create new types of user interfaces.

The Databridge module of Datastream 7i has enabled seamless integration with the university’s PeopleSoft financial system. Datastream’s rich set of key performance indicators (KPIs) also give supervisors the tools they need to manage the university’s operations more efficiently and effectively, giving them a real-time understanding of their operations.

“Facility management organizations on large campuses like Clemson University face a significant challenge – they not only must maintain a broad array of buildings and facilities across an expansive geography, but they are also being asked to reduce costs while maintaining service excellence,” said Larry Blackwell, president and CEO of Datastream Systems, Inc.  “Datastream 7i is an excellent solution for these organizations with its Web architecture and broad functionality providing a centralized solution for managing all university assets with maximum efficiency. We are extremely pleased that Clemson has joined the hundreds of Datastream customers who have successfully upgraded to Datastream 7i.”

About Datastream Systems, Inc.
Datastream Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: DSTM) provides Asset Performance Management software and services to enterprises worldwide, including more than 65 percent of the Fortune 500. Datastream’s solutions combine world-class asset management functionality with advanced analytics to deliver a powerful platform for optimizing enterprise asset performance.

By using Datastream’s solutions, customers can maintain and manage capital assets – such as manufacturing equipment, vehicle fleets and buildings – and create analyses and forecasts so they can take action to improve future performance. Datastream’s flagship product, Datastream 7i^TM, delivers a complete Asset Performance Management infrastructure by combining an Internet, web services architecture with broad enterprise asset management functionality, integrated procurement, advanced analytics and multi-site capability.

Datastream was founded in 1986 and has customers in more than 140 countries. For more information, visit www.datastream.net.