ANSR Hackett Grp., Inc.(The) (MM)

Answerthink, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANSR), announced today the successful go-live of EzMed, an SAP All-in-One business software solution, at Abiomed, Inc., a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of circulatory support technology for patients in heart failure. Joining a growing list of midsize companies opting for the industry-specific business management solution from Answerthink and SAP, Abiomed is one of ten life sciences companies that have selected EzLifeSciences solutions within the past year. Headquartered in Danvers, MA, Abiomed currently has exclusive indications on its ventricular assist devices for potentially recoverable acute heart failure. To date, more than 8,000 patients worldwide have been supported with Abiomed devices, including the AB5000� Circulatory Support System and the BVS� 5000 Biventricular Support System. Abiomed also developed the Abiocor�, the world�s first completely self-contained, implantable artificial heart. The Company�s minimally invasive catheterization lab technologies, the Impella 2.5 and 5.0, are currently in clinical trials in the U.S. Answerthink is a leading business and technology consulting firm that enables companies to achieve world-class business performance. SAP All-in-One solutions are industry-specific software, implementation, and training solutions developed by SAP partners using SAP applications. EzMed is an industry-specific offering from Answerthink based on best practices from SAP and customized for growing companies in the medical device industries. It is part of Answerthink�s EzLifeSciences family of preconfigured solutions that are designed specifically to help life sciences companies achieve goals such as streamline new product development, automate medical device manufacture reporting, and meet regulatory compliance requirements. �We now have the right business management software in place to support Abiomed�s strategy to be a global leader in circulatory care,� said Daniel Lubin, director of IT for Abiomed. �SAP and Answerthink have provided us with a system that will scale with our business as it grows, enhance supply chain management, enable business decision support tools and analysis, and incorporate the employment of industry best practices." The project, which was completed in 26 weeks, included core functionality in the areas of finance, human resources, materials management, production planning, sales and distribution and quality management, and is also designed to help support regulatory requirements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. "Abiomed is exactly the type of company that will benefit from our EzMed solution,� according to John McGrath, managing director of Answerthink's SAP Solutions Group. �They are bringing exciting new products to the market and needed to quickly move to a best-in-class enterprise software solution. We are looking forward to the next stages in the rollout of SAP throughout their company.� About Answerthink Answerthink, Inc. (www.answerthink.com) is a leading business and technology consulting firm that enables companies to achieve world-class business performance. By leveraging the comprehensive database of The Hackett Group, Answerthink's business and technology solutions help clients significantly improve performance and maximize returns on technology investments. Answerthink's capabilities include benchmarking, business transformation, business applications, business intelligence, and offshore application development and support. Founded in 1997, Answerthink has offices throughout the United States and in Europe and India. About Abiomed Based in Danvers, Massachusetts, Abiomed, Inc., is a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical products designed to assist or replace the pumping function of the failing heart. Abiomed currently manufactures and sells the AB5000� Circulatory Support System and the BVS� 5000 Biventricular Support System for the temporary support of all patients with failing but potentially recoverable hearts. The Company also developed the AbioCor� Implantable Replacement Heart. In Europe, Abiomed offers the minimally invasive Impella� Circulatory Support System under CE Mark approval. The Impella� 5.0 and 2.5 are investigational devices limited by Federal Law solely to investigational use in the United States. Other Impella devices are not yet available for sale in the United States. For additional information please visit: www.abiomed.com. Copyright � 2006 SAP AG. All rights reserved. SAP, R/3, mySAP, mySAP.com, xApps, xApp, SAP NetWeaver and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and in several other countries all over the world. All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this document serves informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary. This press release contains �forward-looking statements'' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Answerthink's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that impact such forward-looking statements include, among others, the ability of the products, services, or practices mentioned in this release to deliver the desired effect, our ability to effectively integrate acquisitions into our operations, our ability to attract additional business, our ability to effectively market and sell our transformation advisory product offerings and other services, the timing of projects and the potential for contract cancellations by our customers, changes in expectations regarding the information technology industry, our ability to attract and retain skilled employees, possible changes in collections of accounts receivable, risks of competition, price and margin trends, changes in general economic conditions and interest rates as well as other risks detailed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.