ARMONK, NY--(MARKET WIRE)--Apr 9, 2008 -- IBM (NYSE:IBM - News) today announced that a leading industry research firm has named IBM and Unilever Europe the first-place winners of the 2008 FAO Research Awards of Distinction for outstanding achievement of finance and administration outsourcing (FAO) results.

The award recognizes industry leadership in improving finance operations for competitive advantage and deemed IBM as "champion of the FAO industry in 2008." According to FAO Research, the IBM and Unilever Europe engagement "demonstrated the maturation and increased sophistication of organizations in viewing FAO as a strategy to improve business operations." In addition, the team exemplifies a best practice case "of achieving dramatic, measurable results by leveraging FAO."

Signed in 2005, the Unilever Europe contract includes the outsourcing of significant parts of Unilever's financial transactional services to IBM. The agreement covers more than twenty European countries and is part of the One Unilever program, which aims to streamline the organization in order to increase competitiveness in the marketplace and step up growth.

"Of the FAO engagements nominated for this award, the Unilever Europe-IBM initiative represents a truly joint approach to strategic transformation which is only one key factor that distinguishes this contract," said Lisa Ross, CEO of FAO Research. "The size, scale, and scope of change required for IBM to complete transition successfully, let alone manage this complex engagement in the midst of Unilever Europe's existing change agenda, are unprecedented in the FAO market."

"We are proud of our joint achievements over the past two years," said Gijsbert de Zoeten, Managing Director of Unilever Finance Business Services, Europe and Jean-Stephane Payraudeau, Director and Senior Project Executive, IBM. "The successful partnership between IBM and Unilever Europe along with an ambitious transformation agenda will continue delivering significant and sustainable benefits for Unilever Europe."

IBM provides financial services including Purchase to Pay, General Accounting and Bill to Cash and is delivered from IBM centers in India, Poland, and Portugal. The agreement is on track to deliver significant cost savings to Unilever throughout the contract, including anticipated cost savings that will contribute to the overall annual savings of the One Unilever program.

"Unilever Europe's success is a strong validation of IBM's FAO model and the decidedly joint approach to transformation that we try to implement with all of our clients," says Don Schulman, General Manager, Global F&A, Managed Business Process Services for IBM. "We are thrilled to be recognized with this award."

About FAO Research, Inc.

FAO Research, Inc. is the only independent research firm worldwide focused exclusively on the Finance and Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) and Procurement Outsourcing (PO) markets. FAO Research conducts market research, performs custom services and hosts events for FAO/PO service providers, advisors and companies that want to better understand market activity, the supplier landscape and buyer needs. With frequent publishing of reports, events and unbiased viewpoints, FAO Research is a trusted source worldwide for impartial research and opinions. For more information, visit www.faoresearch.com.

About Unilever

Unilever's mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong local roots in more than 100 countries across the globe. Its portfolio includes some of the world's best known and most loved brands including twelve EUR 1 billion brands and global leadership in many categories in which the company operates. The portfolio features brand icons such as Flora, Bertolli, Dove, Lux, Pond's, Lynx, Sunsilk, Persil, Cif and Domestos.

Unilever has around 174,000 employees in approaching 100 countries and generated annual sales of over EUR 40 billion in 2007. For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com.

About IBM

For more information, visit www.ibm.com/services/process.

     Media Contacts:
     Jenna Gable
     IBM Corporation
     (917) 472-3512
     gablej@us.ibm.com
      
     Gerbert van Genderen Stort
     Unilever Europe
     + 31 10 217 3715
     Gerbert-van.Genderen-Stort@Unilever.com
      
     Lisa Ross
     FAO Research
     (617)787-3267 (US)
     lisa.ross@faoresearch.com