ISS signs $3m deal with Microsoft for FMG systems

Nedlands-based information and technology company ISS Group Ltd has received a $3 million order from Microsoft for the implementation of its enterprise resource planning system with ISS's Babelfish manufacturing execution system for Fortescue Metals Group.

The full text of a company announcement is pasted below

PERTH, Western Australia - ISS Group Limited (ASX: ISS) is pleased to announce the receipt of the order from Microsoft, as project prime, for the implementation of the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solution for FMGL. The Microsoft services order value is approximately A$3,000,000, A$750,000 of which has been invoiced to
date. This is in addition to the A$650,000 product license order with FMGL announced on 29 June 2007.

This is a very significant order for ISS, given BabelFish will be integrated with the new Microsoft Dynamics AX solution (Microsoft's ERP). The BabelFish product will provide bi-directional integration between the MES layer and the ERP layer.

In addition to the BabelFish integration and visualisation layer, the implementation includes several ISS Minerals Solution applications, such as, operations reporting, downtime recording, data validation, production reporting, condition monitoring, and process visualisation.

BabelFish will integrate with Microsoft Dynamics AX by routing information to support FMGL's core business processes such as mine grade control, rail monitoring, production planning, consumables management, stockpile management, fault notification, operating statistics, product tracking and ship inventory management. The integration will provide a seamless and consistent view of the operation to managers, engineers, and operators across the process at both MES, and ERP levels, from pit to customer.

Shane Attwell (ISS Managing Director) noted "we are very excited about working with Microsoft / FMGL and being one of the MES vendors to be integrated with the Microsoft Dynamics AX system. The recognition of the value of placing the BabelFish Server as the integration engine between the process layer (plant, mine, rail, and port)
and the BizTalk / Dynamics ERP layer is confirmation of the advanced state of the BabelFish technology. It is also good to see such a complete end to end implementation of ISS's Minerals Solution from pit to port."