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TIES Builds Plumtree-Powered Classroom and School Management Applications to Support 400 Schools Across Minnesota Service-Oriented Applications Will Integrate 15 Backend Systems and Connect Schools, Reducing Time and Cost of School Management SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Enterprise Web leader Plumtree Software (NASDAQ:PLUM) today announced that TIES, an education and technology consortium that represents over 400 schools in Minnesota, will deploy the Plumtree Enterprise Web Suite to teachers, students, parents and administrators across 37 school districts. With Plumtree's platform and developer tools, TIES will build service-oriented applications that consolidate access to 15 information systems and deliver personalized access to classroom and school resources over the Web. As a result, districts will be able to manage their schools more effectively, saving time and money. Prior to deploying the Plumtree Enterprise Web Suite, TIES' member districts had to access many different systems, including separate student information, HR and finance systems, to get the information they needed. Information resources were not personalized according to the needs of teachers, students, parents and administrators. "Many schools are strapped for resources, but still need to keep up with the Web communication and collaboration needs of their teachers, students, parents and administrators," said Betty Schweizer, TIES co-executive director. "By providing a Web infrastructure to support schools, we're helping them meet their tight budget requirements, while giving them the tools for collaborating, organizing information and reaching their many constituencies over the Web." What's in TIES' Plumtree Deployment? During phase one of deployment in September 2004, TIES will roll out the Plumtree Enterprise Web Suite to 1,000 users including its own staff and school decision makers such as principals, superintendents, business managers and special interest groups. In phase two, TIES will add 50,000-70,000 teachers, and in phase three, it will add 250,000 students and their parents. Some of the service-oriented applications that users will be able access through the TIES portal include a: Classroom management application where teachers can: -- Create class assignments using Plumtree Content Server and link to online resources; -- Keep track of attendance and enter grades; -- Access class schedule information from the Student Information System; -- Collaborate with students and parents via threaded discussions; and -- Collaborate on common concerns and best practices with other teachers across district schools in forums like a math teacher community. Classroom application where students can: -- Look up their lunch balance or the status of overdue library books; -- Access class assignments and online resources and handouts; -- Register for clubs, events and activities; -- Collaborate with their peers in project-based work environments; and -- Access online classes and distance learning. Student progress application where parents can: -- View their children's grades, attendance, discipline records and transcripts; and -- Obtain class schedules, homework assignments and status of library books. -- View and change contact information. School administration application where decision makers can: -- View communications from TIES about new resources; and -- Review dashboards for principals that include metrics on financials, discipline statistics, attendance levels, and scores on tests and assessments. Employee services application where all district employees can: -- Look up benefits, pay stubs, certification records and announcements; -- Search through curriculums at different district sites; and -- Access job postings. With these new service-oriented applications, TIES expects to help schools increase collaboration, accomplish curricular goals and improve student achievement. Plumtree Chosen for Web Services Architecture and Unifed Administration Capabilities TIES selected Plumtree for its Web Services Architecture, which made it possible for TIES to build applications that could integrate services from disparate backend systems and pull them into a cohesive, personalized user experience. TIES also selected Plumtree due to the robust administrative capabilities of Plumtree's suite that let customers build and manage many applications through a single portal instance. About Plumtree Software Plumtree Software is the Enterprise Web leader. Plumtree's mission is to create a comprehensive Web environment for employees, customers and partners across the enterprise to interact with different systems and work together. Plumtree's Enterprise Web solution consists of integration products for bringing resources from traditional systems together on the Web, shared services such as collaboration, content management and search for building new Web applications, and a portal platform for delivering these Web applications to broad audiences. Plumtree's independence and its Web Services Architecture allow this solution to span rival platforms and systems, helping maximize customers' return on their existing technology investments. With offices in more than a dozen countries, Plumtree has licensed over 640 customers, including Boeing, Ford Motor Company, Procter & Gamble and the U.S. Navy. For more information, visit Plumtree on the Web at http://www.plumtree.com/. NOTE: Plumtree is a registered trademark of Plumtree Software, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries. All other registered and unregistered trademarks in this document are the sole property of their respective owners. CONTACT: Carilu Dietrich Plumtree Software +1-415-399-7047 DATASOURCE: Plumtree Software, Inc. CONTACT: media, Carilu Dietrich of Plumtree Software, +1-415-399-7047, or Web site: http://www.plumtree.com/

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