1,500+ Business Leaders to Gather at Largest User Conference Focused on ERP Software for Distribution

YARDLEY, Pa., Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As one of the largest and most well-established events of its type in the world, Summit, the annual conference for distribution customers of Activant Solutions Inc., will welcome more than 1,500 distributors to Orlando, Florida, on March 6-9, 2011. At Summit, distributors will have the opportunity to better understand the growing economic, social, and technological role of information in driving their business.

"Distributors, like most businesses today, are struggling to determine the potential as well as the risk of emerging technologies that blur the boundaries between business and social contexts," said Kevin Roach, executive vice president and general manager of Activant's Wholesale Distribution Group. "Technology is fundamentally reshaping our concepts and expectations of how to conduct business, particularly with the advance of social media. The theme of Summit this year, Learn, Change, Improve, speaks directly to Activant's mission, which is to help our customers successfully deploy technology to gain competitive advantage for their business."

Headlining the event is Geoffrey Moore, noted business consultant, venture partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures, founder of The Chasm Group LLC, and author of global best-sellers including Crossing the Chasm. Moore will share his unique insights on the implications and potential of linking enterprise systems of record (SOR) with socially oriented systems of engagement (SOE). According to Moore, "The Internet has brought computing out of the back office and put it squarely in the middle of business processes up and down the value delivery chain. Distributors have more opportunities than ever to take cost and cycle time out of their businesses, and the real question is, where can they get the most 'bang for their buck.' That's what we'll be talking about at Summit."

Moore will be joined at the conference by other leaders in industrial distribution, enterprise IT, integrated supply, strategic pricing, and customer service and segmentation, including:

• Kevin Roach, EVP and GM, Activant Solutions, who will present the opening general session;
• Dr. Barry Lawrence, director of Texas A&M's Industrial Distribution Program;
• Mike Marks, managing partner of Indian River Consulting Group;
• Greg Alexander, CEO of Sales Benchmark Index;
• Bill McCleave, president of W.R. McCleave & Associates;
• Jon Schreibfeder, president of Effective Inventory Management Inc.;
• David Bauders, president of Strategic Pricing Associates; and
• Jim Miller, managing director and principal, Vetus Partners.

At this year's event, there will be more than 250 educational and networking sessions, including hands-on workshops with Activant's industry-leading Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software applications. Activant experts will share with attendees their knowledge of leveraging technology to gain efficiencies, profitability and growth in distribution businesses.

David Bauders, the industry's preeminent strategic pricing expert, will lead a panel on optimized pricing in a rebound economy. "Distribution is a thin-margin business with extraordinary pricing complexity," said Bauders. "With thousands of products and thousands of customers, and lots of different individuals setting prices, the risks and potential rewards to profitability are great. Now is the time for market leaders to master their pricing, especially with newly emerging signs of inflation as the economy recovers from recession."

In his session, Mike Marks will review emerging trends that are reshaping wholesale distribution. According to Marks, "Summit attracts those distribution leaders that see change as an opportunity rather than a threat. During the presentation, we'll discuss why the big national houses are losing share to the independents."

Summit, now in its 33rd year, has traditionally been an important networking forum for distributors. Unlike industry trade shows, Summit attracts distributors from across the wholesale spectrum, providing opportunities to exchange insights and gain practical tips that they can take home for direct benefit to their business. Landon Edwards, IT manager at Carter Distributing of Salt Lake City, Utah, commented, "Summit is an excellent opportunity...for the value of the education you receive...the face-to-face time with Activant employees...and all of the networking with other users."

About Activant Solutions Inc.

Activant Solutions Inc. ("Activant") is a leading technology provider of business management solutions serving distributors and SMB retailers. Activant provides customers with industry-specific software, professional services, content, supply chain connectivity, and analytics.

Activant's systems are designed to help customers increase sales, boost productivity, operate more cost-efficiently, improve inventory turns and enhance trading partner relationships. Headquartered in Livermore, California, Activant has operations in Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

For more information, please visit distribution.activant.com. Find Activant updates online at distribution.activant.com/follow.

This announcement relating to Activant may contain statements that are forward looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, such as statements concerning trends, future technology or products, or Activant's execution. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties which could materially affect the company's results, including, without limitation, market demand for products and technology, the company's ability to meet that market demand, the integration of Activant's technology and products with technology and products supplied by others, the integration of Activant's products into the businesses of its customers, customer acceptance of Activant's products, and the retention and deployment of skilled Activant service providers. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or publicly revise any of the forward-looking statements. Please refer to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2010 and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2010, which have been filed with the Securities Exchange Commission and can be found through the Activant investor relations website at www.activant.com/company/investors, for a full discussion of the risks and other factors.

© 2011 Activant Solutions Inc. Note: Activant and the Activant stylized logo are registered trademarks of Activant Solutions Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Kathleen Lang, 215-493-8900

SOURCE Activant Solutions Inc.