Nov 28, 2001-- Eigner, a leading developer of precision product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions, today announced that it has acquired the Italian product data management (PDM) business unit of Imation Corp., a worldwide leader in data storage and information management. In accordance with Eigner corporate policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Based in Milano, the Imation PDM unit is one of Italy's leading providers of product data and document management solutions for medium- and large-sized manufacturing organizations. The company's solutions are based on Eigner technology and its customers include some of the world's most respected manufacturing organizations such as Olivetti, ItalTel and Fiar. "By managing more than 15,000 bills-of-material, 30,000 technical documents, 2,000 firmware items and 3,000 electronic change orders, Eigner PLM has become a vital solution for managing our products' lifecycles," said Silvano Pozzi CIO of Italtel. "With Eigner's deep understanding of the product lifecycle processes combined with Imation's PDM implementation expertise, we feel that the Eigner-Imation combination will further enable us to extend our successes in process and operational efficiencies." "Manufacturing organizations around the world need solutions that reduce the inefficiencies associated with the product lifecycle. With its impressive portfolio of customers and unparalleled customer satisfaction results, Imation has established itself as premier provider of product lifecycle management solutions in the Italian market," said Frank Azzolino, president and CEO of Eigner. "The addition of Imation PDM to the Eigner family enables us to establish a subsidiary with extensive Eigner product and process knowledge, and established relationships in the Italian market." "This acquisition clearly validates the work we've done and provides the best possible service solutions for our existing customers in Italy," said Simon Daughters, European Business Director at Imation. "We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with Eigner in other European markets, as well as the rest of the world." For more information on Eigner and its line of precision product lifecycle management solutions, please visit www.eigner.com.