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Descartes Latest Rate Builder and Price Management Applications Deliver Payback

LONG BEACH, California — March 1, 2010 — Annual Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference — Descartes Systems Group, a federated global logistics network, unveiled its latest Global Logistics Management Suite for Ocean Freight, a suite of logistics applications. Working with leading shippers, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs), non-vessel operators (NVOs) and other service providers shipping ocean freight around the world, Descartes has made major enhancements to the ocean freight suite created specifically to address the needs of this logistics community.

Descartes’ global logistics management suite for ocean freight provides accurate and sophisticated contract management, rate management and pricing services to the international shipping community. The completely web-enabled applications assist transportation providers to make better pricing decisions, process faster quotes for their customers to close more business, enhance contract management and rate management processes and improve customer satisfaction levels. In addition, the Ocean Freight applications support multiple global compliance regulations including cross-border customs filings for internationally manufactured products, such as the 10+2 Importer Security Filing (ISF) for the United States Customs & Border Protection agency. These applications enable ocean freight service providers and shippers to cut costs and streamline their logistics operations, offer new levels of customer service and help ensure compliance with rapidly emerging international shipping regulatory requirements.

Descartes’ new global logistics management suite for ocean freight helps to manage the increased complexity of both procurement and delivery processes, and provides visibility into the movement of goods within the supply chain through:

* NVO Price Management: Descartes centralized rate and contract management solutions provides NVOs with the ability to understand their cost structure by organizing paper contracts, spreadsheets electronically through a centralized rate database and allowing them to keep up-to-date in real-time with carrier governing surcharges. This centralized database allows NVOs to compare rates and services across their carrier base, presenting best options for their customers. Built on Descartes’ Rate Builder contract management system, this price management solution offers NVOs a suite of easy-to-use, web-based tools making the job of managing, sharing and quoting from carrier buy contracts and inland transportation costs, simple and efficient.

* Self-service Publishing Tools: Descartes Rate Builder reduces the complexity of contract and surcharge maintenance with intuitive self-service publishing tools. Web-based features and Microsoft Excel-based imports allow NVOs the ability to quickly add and manage cost information. Descartes Rate Builder’s powerful plain-language charge builder user interface and extensive Microsoft Excel-based tools demystify the task of creating and managing complex carrier surcharges.

* Cost-based Quoting: The latest suite of solutions allows NVOs to quote simply and accurately. The price management feature supports a simple drag and drop quoting module allowing organizations to search, compare and quote on the fly. Quoted rates are tied to the buy rate, giving the user the ability to see their costs during the quoting process. Users can optionally set margin preferences that are automatically applied to newly-quoted rates. The solutions provide a host of easy-to-use tools that provide users with the ability to update large numbers of quoted rates at a time, simplifying the maintenance process. Buy/Sell calculations provide real-time profitability analysis giving the user access to critical information while quoting.

* Financial/Regulatory Compliance: The latest solution gives NVOs the ability to comply with certain financial and regulatory requirements for document retention. Changes made within the system are identified, tracked and audited. Data can be stored in compliance with applicable local financial regulations and can be archived to the NVOs specifications. This ultimately empowers customers to have better control over shipment-related information. In addition, the recently mandated ISF “10+2” regulation is supported through the regulatory compliance functionality.

* Freight Auditing: Integrated into the suite is freight auditing capability. This capability provides NVOs with a cost-effective tool to offer value-added services to their customers. Powered by the Descartes Global Logistics Network, the suite automates invoice collection, auditing and approval. Integration with customer back-office financial systems is also supported. In addition to 310-based electronic pre- or post-payment freight auditing, the solution provides NVOs with powerful auto-rating capabilities of commercial documents, such as Advanced Shipment Notification (ASN) for planning expected transportation costs.  

* Analytics: Through the integrated Descartes Reporting Services component, customers can perform financial analysis to determine profitability and expected transportation spend. This capability allows the user to compare and contrast carrier buy contracts and performs sales analysis as well as evaluates sales performance in closing quotes and identifies and get in front of regional pricing trends as they emerge.

“Descartes has been providing applications to the ocean freight industry for over 20 years. As a leader in ocean rate management, shipment execution tools and compliance, our team of industry professionals guides NVOs using our comprehensive ocean freight solutions to meet the changing factors associated with international trade,” said Cindy Yamamoto, Senior Vice President of Product Strategy at Descartes. “Our latest comprehensive suite is designed specifically for NVOs wanting to increase value-added offerings through reduced costs, improved customer service and better financial management.”

Descartes' global logistics management suite for ocean freight leverages the power of the Descartes federated Global Logistics Network (GLN) to provide connectivity necessary for line-item visibility. Over 6,000 connected companies use the Descartes GLN to better manage logistics processes.

For more information about Descartes’ global logistics management suite for ocean freight and federated logistics platform meet with Descartes industry experts at the 10th Annual Trans-Pacific Maritime Conference at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California from March 1-2, 2010.

About Descartes

Descartes (TSX: DSG) (NASDAQ: DSGX), is making the world a better place by enabling global organizations with logistics-intensive businesses to save money by improving the productivity and performance of their operations. Underlying Descartes’ offerings is the Descartes Global Logistics Network (GLN), one of the world’s most extensive multi-modal business application networks. As a federated platform, the Descartes GLN combines with component-based ‘nano’ sized applications to provide messaging services between logistics trading partners, shipment management services to help manage third party carriers and private fleet management services for organizations of all sizes. Descartes’ solutions and services deliver results by enabling organizations around the world to reduce administrative costs, billing cycles, fleet size, contract carrier costs, and mileage driven; improve pickup and delivery reliability; and optimize working capital through fleet visibility.  Descartes’ hosted, transactional and packaged solutions deliver repeatable, measurable results and fast time-to-value.  Descartes customers include an estimated 1,600 ground carriers and more than 90 airlines, 30 ocean carriers, 900 freight forwarders and third-party providers of logistics services, and hundreds of manufacturers, retailers, distributors, private fleet owners and regulatory agencies.  The company has more than 400 employees and is based in Waterloo, Ontario, with operations in Atlanta, Copenhagen, Heverlee, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Montreal, Miami, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Derby, London, Silver Spring, Stockholm, Suzhou, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Toronto. For more information, visit www.descartes.com.