Acquisition strengthens ERP vendor’s position in manufacturing systems for food and beverage, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors

Solarsoft Business Systems announced today that it has acquired Informance International Inc., the Northbrook, Illinois based specialist in Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence (EMI) systems. The acquisition strengthens the company's position in manufacturing systems for food and beverage, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

Toronto, ON - 29 April 2010 - Solarsoft Business Systems, an investment of Marlin Equity Partners, announced today that it has acquired Informance International Inc., the Northbrook, Illinois based specialist in Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence (EMI) systems.

Informance's software solutions give managers a clear view of performance across their manufacturing operations. Starting with real-time shop floor data capture, Informance aggregates production information and presents actionable intelligence to decision makers tracking key metrics such as OEE, yield and waste. Informance has grown rapidly on the strength of its technology and expertise in the food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. The company is proud to serve a broad client base including blue-chip names Unilever, Cargill, ConAgra and L'Oreal among its customers.

Commenting on the transaction, Shawn McMorran, Chief Executive Officer of Solarsoft Business Systems stated, "Informance is an excellent fit with Solarsoft's strategy of bringing together specialist applications that empower business owners and managers in well-defined vertical markets. This acquisition expands our capabilities in manufacturing systems and deepens our expertise in important and growing markets."

"We believe that the combination with Solarsoft will provide new momentum for the development of Informance's business," said John Oskin, Founder and Executive VP at Informance. "Informance has a strong presence throughout North America and the business and its employees will now benefit from the international reach that Solarsoft can offer."

Shawn McMorran added, "Manufacturing systems are already a significant part of Solarsoft's business. Informance's focus on Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence (EMI) complements the production and process controls systems in our Mattec product range which is an established leader in the plastics, stamping and die-cast manufacturing sectors. Together with Solarsoft's ERP systems, we now have a comprehensive proposition for manufacturers; we have strong software products and the industry expertise to help customers get the most out of their investment with us. We are delighted to welcome the customers, management and employees of Informance into the Solarsoft group."

About Solarsoft Business Systems
Solarsoft provides modern enterprise software and IT services to manufacturers, distributors and wholesale businesses in North America, Europe and Asia. The company has grown organically and through acquisition since 1986 and has worldwide revenues of US$100 million. Solarsoft employs more than 400 professionals providing local support across 16 time zones. More than 2,000 companies rely on Solarsoft to bring clarity and efficiency to their daily operations.