Paris, March 2008

W4, provider of Business Process Management solutions, has announced that it is taking over LYRIA, a company specializing in systems for the rapid development of interactive applications. This takeover represents significant external growth, and demonstrates W4’s continuing dynamism. W4 was created in 1996, and has quickly become the European leader in Business Process Management (BPM), while remaining one of the market’s few truly independent players.

For nearly 12 years, W4 has built its success on an iterative methodology that enables decision-makers, business analysts and operational and technical teams to work together when defining, improving and automating business processes. The methodology is based essentially on a BPM product designed to build quickly a business application that meets user expectations.

W4’s announcement of the LYRIA takeover strengthens its position as a major player in the sector for rapid and pragmatic business-application development. Since it was formed in 2000, LYRIA’s core objective has also been to offer its customers architectures, systems and services to help them develop effective Human/Machine Interfaces (HMI), irrespective of their technology choices.

Thus this acquisition broadens W4’s offering by extending it to rapid application development. Because the solutions from W4 and LYRIA complement each other, the new structure will enable SME customers, major account holders and public bodies rapidly to develop and roll out applications that meet the specific requirements of their business and their organization.

Laurent Hénault, W4’s President, says: “I am delighted with this merger - it will open new development perspectives for us. Now, with our help, our customers can not only automate their processes, but also enhance them with interfaces tailored to meet all their application needs”.

W4 is frequently cited by leading firms of analysts as a pure BPM player. It demonstrates its growing strength by taking over LYRIA and moving into Dynamic Business Applications, an area of great potential. In fact, some large companies have anticipated the merger and recognized very quickly the importance of combining the flagship products from the two businesses. Structis, an IT services subsidiary of the Bouygues Group is one such company: it has chosen W4 and LYRIA as exclusive technology suppliers for its Rapid Development Section (Atelier de développement rapide - RAD).

Jean-Luc Saouli, LYRIA’s founder and director, summarizes: “We are proud to join W4: our visibility and our European presence are now on a par with those of a major firm. With a consolidated turnover of more than €6 million, the W4 Group joins the ranks of France’s leading 75 software companies”.
Each company's particular product line will continue to be marketed, and each will strengthen the other. The technical teams have already worked on product interoperability. We will provide more information on the merger at the 2008 Documation trade show, to take place on 12 - 13 March at CNIT – Paris La Défense.

About LYRIA
LYRIA (“HMI made simple”) was created in 2000 and produces and markets solutions that automate the production of HMIs, thus enhancing the application development life-cycle.
It offers its customers (mainly large businesses, software companies and integrators) open global solutions that work with existing systems (including databases, EAI and application servers), to produce a range of applications (such as ERP, CRM, SCM and BPMs). Leonardi, a model-driven framework for producing HMIs, has a number of advantages for users, in terms both of technology and budget, and can reduce development times by more than 70%.

LYRIA’s customers include Alstom, Cache-Cache, Aon Networks, Dust Networks (USA), EADS DS, Equant, Agora, Gluon Networks (USA), Niji, Atos, Ipanema Technologies, Protexsur, ObjectStream (USA), Orange, Structis (Bouygues Group), TDF, Mixcom, TECH’advantage and SITA etc.

For more information, go to www.lyria.com.