The ministère de l'Éducation du Québec has selected CGI Group Inc. (CGI) (TSX: GIB.A; NYSE: GIB) for the development of a major portion of the system that will house all information required for the registration and graduation for all pre-school, elementary and high school students in the province. As part of this project, CGI will upgrade the architecture for the entire system, which includes the management of student attendance, validation of the student population to obtain financing from the education system as well as the management of completion of studies. This project also comprises the implementation of the elements involved in tracking completion of studies and the exchange of students for the education system. This initiative of upgrading technology will support the Ministries' strategic education reform. This four year contract, valued at CDN$9 million, will be installed in phases beginning in the year 2005. Over 80 technology professionals and users are working on this initiative making it one of the largest Oracle integrations over the past few years.
"This new and improved system will replace five systems that are currently storing this information. We chose to collaborate with CGI further to an open bid with other technology suppliers last January. Having partnered with CGI over the years, we have been able to experience firsthand the importance of consistent, rigorous quality management of every step of every project. The result being that we will be able to provide a more robust and complete system," said Denis Nadeau, computer project leader, Charlemagne project, of the ministère de l'Éducation du Québec.
Michael Roach, CGI's president and chief operating officer added: "We are excited about this new opportunity as we continue to build a strong partnership with the Ministry. Our teams are working very hard to keep in line with our client strategic plan as well as building a system that is designed for growth moving forward."
About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent information technology and business process services firms in North America. CGI and its affiliated companies employ approximately 25,000 professionals. CGI provides end-to-end IT and business process services to clients worldwide from offices in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific as well as from centers of excellence in India and Canada. CGI's annualized revenue run rate is currently CDN$3.8 billion (US$2.8 billion) and at March 31, 2004, CGI's order backlog was CDN$12.0 billion (US$9.1 billion). CGI's shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB) and are included in the TSX Composite Index as well as the S&P/TSX Canadian Information Technology and Canadian MidCap Indices.
Website: www.cgi.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this press release that do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements represent CGI Group Inc.'s intentions, plans, expectations, and beliefs, and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, of which many are beyond the control of the Company. These factors could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements.
These factors include and are not restricted to the timing and size of contracts, acquisitions and other corporate developments; the ability to attract and retain qualified employees; market competition in the rapidly-evolving information technology industry; general economic and business conditions, foreign exchange and other risks identified in the Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) in CGI Group Inc.'s Annual Report or Form 40-F filed with the SEC, the Company's Annual Information Form filed with the Canadian securities authorities, as well as assumptions regarding the foregoing. The words "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", "anticipate", "foresee", "plan", and similar expressions and variations thereof, identify certain of such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. In particular, statements relating to future revenue from outsourcing contracts are forward-looking statements. CGI disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
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For more information:
The ministère de l'Éducation du Québec:
Denis Nadeau
Computer project leader, Charlemagne project
(418) 643-0737
CGI:
Investor relations
Ronald White
Director, investor relations
(514) 841-3230
Media relations
Eileen Murphy
Director, media relations
(514) 841-3430
