August 3, 2005

IT service provider offers operation of fully functional IT systems as an efficient complete package

Lufthansa Systems will equip FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region with Plug'n Work workstations. In the Plug'n Work model, employees will receive complete IT workstations that are equipped with standard software and hardware from leading vendors.

"It has been my belief for quite some time that companies like us in particular expose themselves to a largely ignored and underestimated risk by operating their own IT systems on their own premises. External solutions can minimize risks and are more cost-efficient in the medium and long term," says Dr. Hartmut Schwesinger, managing director of FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region. "We expect the Plug'n Work complete solution from Lufthansa Systems to deliver a fully functional infrastructure which we can expand to include new workstations at any time and which offers all security features that are required today."

According to the newly concluded agreement, Lufthansa Systems will provide all workstations for the new company and ensure stable and secure operation based on a turnkey service. The IT service provider will handle the implementation of all components, take care of all maintenance work and update software remotely from its own data center. Plug'n Work means that the employees of FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH can rely on their IT infrastructure to be fully operational at all times, which enables them to focus on their new task: to attract companies from all over the world as investors to the Frankfurt region.

The Plug'n Work standard package includes hardware such as thin clients, TFT screens, printers, phones and active network components as well as current versions of Microsoft office applications, e-mail, IP telephony, file and print services and a 24/7 helpdesk service. Firewalls, virus scanners and data back-up systems ensure a very high security standard. In the thin-client model, all users work on central servers, thus benefiting from flexibility and fail safety. The solution is complemented by Smartphones (XDA mini) which
enable users to access data worldwide. Appointments and e-mails including attachments are thus made available anytime, anywhere.

The workstations are offered as complete packages. Billing will be based on a monthly flat fee. If requested, Plug'n Work can be expanded to include customer relationship or enterprise resource management solutions.

Note to editors:

FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region is responsible for providing international location marketing services to the Frankfurt-Rhein-Main region. By highlighting and bundling the region's economic strong points, the company promotes the perception of the region as a favorable business location. The company's goal is to attract enterprises from all over the world to the Frankfurt region, to create a homogeneous image and, ultimately, to develop the economic region into a sustainable brand.

Lufthansa Systems is one of the leading IT service providers for the airline and aviation industries worldwide. As systems integrator, the wholly-owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group covers the entire range of IT services, including consulting, development, implementation and operation. Lufthansa Systems provides its IT infrastructure and operations services to a variety of industries. Headquartered in Kelsterbach near Frankfurt/Main, Germany, the company has branches in Germany and 17 countries and employs about 4,500 people worldwide. In business year 2004, Lufthansa Systems recorded sales of EUR 628 million. For more details, see www.Lhsystems.com.