Covast Attains Certified Partner Status in Microsoft Partner Program

ATLANTA and ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands -- January 5, 2005 -- Covast, provider of the recommended electronic data interchange (EDI) solution for Microsoft BizTalk Server, today announced that the company has attained certified status in Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Partner Program recognizing Covast's expertise and total impact in the technology marketplace. As a Certified Partner, Covast has demonstrated expertise with Microsoft technologies and proven ability to meet customer needs. Microsoft Certified Partners receive a rich set of benefits including access, training, and support that give them a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

"Only companies that have demonstrated high levels of customer service, proved their experience and attained advanced certification receive the designation of Microsoft Certified Partner," said Allison Watson, vice president of the Worldwide Partner Sales and Marketing Group at Microsoft. "Today, Microsoft recognizes Covast for its skills and expertise in providing customer satisfaction with Microsoft products and technology."

Covast’s flagship EDI Accelerator enables complex EDI support within Microsoft BizTalk Server. The combination of Covast’s EDI Accelerator with BizTalk Server enables companies to securely manage the co-existence of EDI and proprietary file formats with open standards such as XML. Covast's EDI technology and Microsoft BizTalk Server form a complete B2B solution and a state-of-the-art EDI platform that through ease-of-use greatly reduces support and maintenance costs. The system also offers customers the capability to move step-by-step from expensive Value Added Networks (VANs) to the Internet.

"Our new Microsoft Certified Partner Status is another indication that when Microsoft customers need EDI functionality, Microsoft feels confident directing their BizTalk Server customers to Covast," said Daan Scheer, CEO, Covast. "This achievement is the direct result of having developed our flagship EDI Accelerator product exclusively for the Microsoft BizTalk Server environment and delivering tangible business benefits to our customers through this solution."

Covast's EDI technology together with Microsoft BizTalk Server, delivers one integration platform for a company’s application-to-application (A2A) and business-to-business (B2B) integration needs. The Covast EDI Accelerator is a key component to developing .NET solutions in a heterogeneous IT environment

About Covast
Covast provides the Microsoft recommended EDI solution for BizTalk Server. The combination of Microsoft BizTalk Server, the Covast EDI Accelerator and AS2 Adapter delivers the ultimate B2B solution - enabling companies to easily integrate their EDI infrastructures with internal applications and providing a gateway for connecting trading communities. With its European headquarters in the Netherlands and its U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, Covast has strategic relationships with partners and customers including Microsoft, HP, Citrix, Flextronics, Siemens, Ocean Spray, Grampian Foods and ABX Logistics. For more information, visit http://www.covast.com.

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