Press Releases

Amsterdam, 20 December 2006 - Sapient (Nasdaq: SAPE), a global provider of marketing, business operations and technology services, recently expanded its European operations with a new office in the Netherlands.  The company, with operations in the United States, Europe, Canada and India, selected Amsterdam as the location for its presence in the Netherlands market.

“The Netherlands is an important market because it is home to a large number of Global 2000 companies,” said Christian Oversohl, Managing Director and Vice President, Sapient Europe. “Our client portfolio is growing, and we are already producing award winning work with our Dutch-based client, Essent.  The Amsterdam office will enable us to take maximum advantage of this momentum.”  

Sapient’s work for Essent has received some of the energy industry’s most prestigious awards, including Energy Risk magazine’s Award for the Best In-house Software System, as well as the Computerworld Honors Award for the Best In-house Developed IT Program 2006.

Sapient created a comprehensive energy trading and risk management system for Essent Energy, which is unprecedented in this sector based on the size, complexity, and the long-term value of the project.  A primary innovation introduced through this project was the optimization of the gas trading floor.  The gas optimization solution gave Essent real-time visibility into its entire gas portfolio, from long- and short-term contracts to physical production and delivery.  This innovative system resulted in cost savings of $4 million within 24 hours; it literally paid for itself the first day it was live.  The system is also largely credited for driving growth within the company, which has doubled its earnings, before tax and interest, each year since implementing the new system.

In the Netherlands, Sapient is led by Arnoud van Druten, who has been with the company since 2005 and is a seasoned leader with more than 18 years of IT and management

experience.  van Druten holds a mechanical engineering degree and a bachelor of Business Administration at Nyenrode University, and a degree in Economics from the University of Amsterdam.  His background also includes work with companies including Baan, Olivetti and Capgemini. 

“There is a clear need in the Dutch market for a firm like Sapient with in-depth market knowledge combined with an intense focus on creating success for its clients.  The energy market, in particular, has strong potential for further efficiency.  The program and the awards for the work with Essent are proving this vision,” added van Druten. 

"We are thrilled to have been recognized by EnergyRisk for our internal software system,” states Gareth Griffiths, Senior Vice President, Trading, at Essent.  “Partnering with Sapient to develop a system that can measure the intrinsic value of all of our holdings enabled us to increase the overall worth of the entire portfolio.  Not only did the project contribute to significant operational improvements, but it also added tremendous strategic value by helping us better target customer segments.”

About Sapient 
Sapient helps clients innovate their businesses in the areas of marketing, business operations, and technology. Leveraging a unique approach, breakthrough thinking, and disciplined execution, Sapient leads its industry in delivering the right business results on time and on budget.  Sapient works with clients that are driven to make a difference, including BP, Essent Energie, Harrah’s Entertainment, Hilton International, Janus, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Sony Electronics, the U.S. Marine Corps, and Verizon.

Founded in 1990, Sapient is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and operates across North America, Europe, and India. More information about Sapient can be found at www.sapient.com.

Sapient is a registered service mark of Sapient Corporation.