M-Factor Launches 4th Generation Solution Suite and Platform   October 7, 2008

SAN MATEO, Calif.-- (BUSINESS WIRE)-- M-Factor, Inc. announces the availability of its fourth generation Profit and Revenue Optimization suite and platform. M-Factor 4 is the first integrated solution suite that supports the full range of marketing investment decisions including consumer marketing, trade spend, and portfolio level pricing. The suite is underpinned by the DPRO 4 Platform, a scalable and configurable enterprise-class data management, modeling, analytics, and optimization technology backbone.

"Today, sales and marketing executives at consumer goods companies are facing unprecedented challenges due to the multitude of marketing vehicles, margin pressure due to rising commodity costs, retailer consolidation, and growth of private label products," said Lawrence Whittle, CEO of M-Factor. "M-Factor 4 delivers timely, accurate, and actionable predictions that business executives require as they face planning and real-time spend allocation decisions resulting from the current dynamic business environment."

M-Factor 4 is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering supported by comprehensive business consulting and advisory services. Its model-based analytics go well beyond historical analysis to support predictive forecasts, evaluation of ''what-if'' scenarios, and dynamic optimization within unlimited business constraints. The solution is based on up-to-date data and models to ensure accuracy, and is available on a continuous basis.

''As highlighted in the 2008 marketing strategy bestseller by Christopher Vollmer, Always On, a survey by the Association of National Advertisers and Booz & Company has shown that two-thirds of senior marketers believe their greatest need is to develop capabilities in return on investment (ROI) analytics. Approaches such as M-Factor’s that address these longstanding challenges using advanced technology is exactly what’s required to allow a broader range of companies and brands to succeed in their objectives in this area.'' said Hans Van Delden, Vice President Consumer & Media Practice, Booz & Company.

The M-Factor 4 suite consists of three solution sets. The first, called M4, is a marketing investment management offering that enables marketing teams to continually track and optimize marketing and in-store promotional investments. T4, a trade spending effectiveness solution, helps sales executives and trade-focused brand managers reallocate trade spend to beat financial targets. Finally, P4, for portfolio pricing optimization, allows marketing and sales managers to price strategically across regions, channels, and products in a changing market.

''Many companies recognize the need to do a better job of allocating their trade and marketing spend, but most have found themselves hampered by traditional approaches,'' said Phil Delurgio, M-Factor Founder and Chief Technology Officer. ''With the sheer number of products and locations in market today, it’s not possible to handle the complexity of the problem with a spreadsheet-based approach. CPG firms can’t afford to hire enough analysts, manage disparate data sources, estimate, then update demand models on an ongoing basis, and account for important cross-portfolio interactions without the right tools. M-Factor 4 has been designed from the ground up to conquer each of these challenges.''

M-Factor 4 is available either as an integrated suite supporting all three solutions or with any stand-alone solution. The M-Factor 4 suite is available effective 11/1/08 with M4 and T4 solutions. The P4 solution will be available from 12/1/08.