Cognos Extends ReportNet with Enterprise Information Integration

SAN MATEO, Calif. - December 7, 2004 - Cognos (Nasdaq: COGN; TSX: CSN), the world leader in business intelligence and corporate performance management (CPM), today announced it is embedding the Composite Information Server from Composite Software, the leading independent provider of Enterprise Information Integration (EII), into Cognos ReportNet through an exclusive BI OEM agreement. Cognos has further solidified the partnership by taking a $4.5M minority equity stake in Composite.

The Composite relationship is one of many initiatives underway in delivering on Cognos's open data strategy for its customers. Cognos, recognized for its leadership and ability to provide the broadest and deepest solution for BI standardization, is committed to helping customers leverage their ever-increasing complex data environments in order to maximize their return on investments. This agreement provides Cognos with a solution to support very high performance joins on an expanded set of disparate data sources.

With this agreement, Cognos allows new styles of reporting and analysis by combining historic data from warehouses with real-time operational information from a wide range of data sources including XML, JDBC, WSDL and LDAP – enabling a "single version of the truth" – without moving or replicating data. Organizations can dynamically access and leverage all information, internal or external, no matter where the information resides in order to be more competitive.

"Our research into the use of business intelligence applications for enterprise operations shows that integrating data from multiple data sources is a key requirement. Augmenting the data warehouse with dynamic data from other sources that include Java applications, the Internet, and other similar sources drive this requirement," said Eric Rogge, VP, and Research Director at Ventana Research. "Solutions such as the integration of Cognos ReportNet with the Composite Information Server are a natural extension of BI technology and are a necessary step forward to meet emerging enterprise information needs."

Through its modern web services architecture, Cognos offers an open data strategy to leverage existing investments companies have made in capturing data assets and data integration strategies, including EII and extract, transform and load (ETL) software. Through the embedded Composite Information Server capabilities and through active partnerships with Ascential, Informatica, IBM Information Integrator, Attunity and other data integration technologies, Cognos strengthens ReportNet's appeal to meet the broad user and diverse reporting requirements of the enterprise.
"The open data strategy demonstrates why Cognos is the leader in BI - Cognos offers the data flexibility and breadth that customers are seeking," said Jim Green, Chairman and CEO at Composite Software. "We're pleased to be the only EII technology to be embedded into Cognos ReportNet."

"Of all the EII platforms we tested, Composite offered the best combination of outstanding performance and simplicity of operation, and we are pleased that Cognos will be the exclusive BI platform for the Composite Information Server," said Neal Hill, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development at Cognos. "We will continue to take the lead in responding to the market need for true enterprise reporting and BI standardization."

The Composite Information Server for Cognos ReportNet is available immediately at no additional charge.

Safe Harbor for Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, the impact of the agreement with Composite, including on Cognos's product offering and its customers; Composite's EII platform and Information Server; and Cognos's open data strategy and the associated benefits for its customers.

These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to, Cognos ability to maintain revenue growth or to anticipate a decline in revenue from any of its products or services; Cognos ability to develop and introduce new products and enhancements that respond to customer requirements and rapid technological change; new product introductions and enhancements by competitors; Cognos ability to compete in an intensely competitive market; Cognos ability to select and implement appropriate business models and strategies; Cognos ability to efficiently embed Composite Information Server; fluctuations in its quarterly and annual operating results based on historical patterns; currency fluctuations; tax rate fluctuations; the impact of global economic conditions on Cognos business; unauthorized use of Cognos intellectual property; claims by third parties that Cognos software infringes their intellectual property; the risks inherent in international operations, such as currency exchange rate fluctuations; Cognos ability to identify, hire, train, motivate, and retain highly qualified management and other key personnel; and Cognos ability to identify, pursue, and complete acquisitions with desired business results, as well as the risk factors discussed in Cognos most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other periodic reports filed with the SEC. Readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Cognos disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statement to reflect any change in its expectations or in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.

About Composite Software

Composite Software is the acknowledged leader in Enterprise Information Integration (EII) solutions, which provide real-time views of critical business information across multiple systems. The company's flagship Composite Information Server enables access to distributed enterprise data as if it existed in a single location. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in San Mateo, CA, Composite Software is funded by Palomar Ventures, Apax Partners, Lehman Brothers Venture Partners, Clearstone Venture Partners and Dot Edu Ventures. For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.compositesw.com.
 
About Cognos

Cognos, the world leader in business intelligence and corporate performance management, delivers software and services that helps companies drive, monitor and understand corporate performance.
Cognos delivers the next level of competitive advantage - Corporate Performance Management (CPM) - achieved through the strategic application of BI on an enterprise scale. Our integrated CPM solution helps customers drive performance through planning; monitor performance through scorecarding; and understand performance through business intelligence.

Cognos serves more than 23,000 customers in over 135 countries. Cognos enterprise business intelligence solutions and services are also available from more than 3,000 worldwide partners and resellers.  For more information, visit the Cognos Web site at http://www.cognos.com.

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Cognos, the Cognos logo and ReportNet are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cognos Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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