Miller Brewing Company Names Softshare as EDI Provider for Independent Distributors

Softshare's comprehensive suite of e-commerce products offers affordable EDI solutions to Miller Brewing Company's independent distributors

SANTA BARBARA, CA – December 5, 2000 - Softshare and Miller Brewing Company are working together to bring EDI (electronic data interchange) capabilities to a significant percentage of Miller's 500 independent distributors. Because many grocery and convenience store chains such as Kroger, 7-Eleven, and Rite-Aid encourage—and sometimes require—their suppliers to be EDI capable, Miller's distributors will see immediate benefits from the implementation of Softshare's EDI solutions.

The majority of distributors will be running Softshare Vista in conjunction with Softshare Delta. Softshare Vista is a desktop application that creates, sends, and receives EDI, XML, and e-mail documents. Softshare Delta is a data translator that picks up EDI data from Softshare Vista for integration with internal business applications or, moving in the opposite direction, hands off translated EDI data to Softshare Vista. By combining the two applications, Miller's distributors will be able to send and receive EDI documents such as purchase orders, invoices, and promotion announcements as well as integrate these documents into their route accounting systems.

For those distributors whose EDI volume does not warrant integration, Softshare is offering two alternate solutions. Distributors can either run Softshare Vista without the accompanying data translator or, if they are only exchanging a few EDI documents per month, access Softshare's Web-based EDI application, Softshare Athena.

"The more successful our distributors are, the more successful Miller Brewing Company is," said Christine Settle, Miller's Distributor Technology Specialist. "That's why it was important for us to find a top-notch EDI provider. Softshare's software is easy and powerful and they have been wonderfully responsive. We feel we've entered into a true business partnership."

"Anything that brings more Miller Genuine Draft to my grocery store is a good thing," joked Allen Levy, Softshare's Senior Sales Executive. "But seriously, by offering several scalable EDI solutions, we are allowing each of Miller's distributors to implement the solution that is right for their sales channel."

About Miller
Miller Brewing Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Philip Morris Companies Inc. Principal beer brands include Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Genuine Draft Light, Miller High Life, Milwaukee's Best, and ICEHOUSE and Red Dog from the Plank Road Brewery. Miller also produces Sharp's, a non-alcohol brew.

About Softshare
Softshare offers a multi-tiered approach to electronic commerce with EDI/XML software solutions that range from desktop applications to fully integrated server applications. Supporting these applications is Softshare's value added network and accessible customer service. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, Softshare has more than 20,000 clients using its various network, software, and EC services. For more information, call 800-346-6703 or visit Softshare's Web site at www.softshare.com.

Softshare Media Contact: Diane Springhuth, 800-346-6703 / dianes@softshare.com.