Columbus IT Implementation Recognized For Outstanding Business Achievements

Tommy Hilfiger, a Columbus IT (CPH: COLUM) customer, was recognized by Microsoft for outstanding business achievements and has earned Microsoft Dynamics(TM) Award for Fast Track Excellence. The awards were announced at Convergence 2006, an annual Microsoft customer conference held recently in Dallas.

The best implementations were analyzed and selected by Microsoft. Columbus IT was chosen for its proven track of 5000 implementations, library of industry solutions, global experience with international projects and ability to make the implementation fast. All these criteria were considered by customers that work with Columbus IT and then by Microsoft to assign the highest nominations.

The Pinnacle Awards, established in 1997, are presented yearly and recognize Microsoft Dynamics customers that have achieved notable accomplishments with their Microsoft Dynamics applications. Microsoft Dynamics customers, partners and team members contributed Pinnacle Award nominations.

Tommy Hilfiger was honored by Microsoft(R) with a 2006 Pinnacle Award for Fast Track Excellence. It was selected because it has accomplished great strides and achieved significant results in the first year of its Microsoft Dynamics implementation. Columbus IT built the back-end for a new e-commerce site in only six months which allowed Tommy Hilfiger to meet its deadline for a full-scale online retail presence. Tommy Hilfiger had selected Microsoft Axapta and Columbus IT for several reasons, including rapid implementation, a deployment success rate of close to 100 percent and thousands of installations worldwide.

Microsoft has recognized the Tommy Hilfiger project with the highest award due to fast and high quality implementation from Columbus IT, full use and integration of standard Microsoft technologies (Microsoft Windows Server System(TM) for the Web site and Microsoft Business Solutions–Axapta(R) for global enterprise resource planning). Tommy Hilfiger designed, developed and deployed both the Web presence and the ERP system in only six months.

Through the use of Microsoft software, Tommy Hilfiger anticipates new business capabilities, an estimated 25–30 percent decrease in IT operating costs, improved competitive advantage and an additional return on investment through compressed product design times and supply chain optimization. By implementing Dynamics AX Tommy Hilfiger improved its revenue incrementally by allowing them to conduct business through an added channel of distribution previously not available - the Internet.

"Tommy Hilfiger’s fully integrated front-to-back e-commerce implementation was a tremendous success especially given the very tight timeframe we were all charged with," said Bill Donan, account manager, Columbus IT. "This success is attributable in a large part to the exceptional fusion of teamwork between Tommy Hilfiger, Microsoft and Columbus IT."

"Columbus IT specializes in global implementation projects and we are happy that such a big international customer as Tommy Hilfiger has achieved its business goals and received a high award for successful implementation," says Vladislav Martynov, president of Columbus IT.