NineSigma Launches New Professional Service Offering to Help Companies Optimize Open Innovation

CLEVELAND, OH--(Marketwire - May 15, 2008) - NineSigma, the leading provider of open innovation (OI) solutions, today introduced RapidOI(SM), a new innovation service offering to help companies launch or re-configure their open innovation programs. The new service incorporates NineSigma's experience with more than 1,000 innovation projects, focusing on the best practices for leveraging the global research and innovation community to speed product development.

RapidOI is a multi-step approach that supports the development and implementation of an enterprise-wide open innovation program. A combination of methodology and consulting, RapidOI guides companies through an open innovation initiative, from defining program goals and connecting with innovators to the acquisition of a technology or solution. NineSigma's consulting team works closely with clients to establish key roles and responsibilities and integrate best practices to help ensure a successful outcome and maximum return on their open innovation investments.

"Our new service offering is helping companies fully understand the opportunities available through open innovation," said Paul Stiros, president and CEO of NineSigma. "RapidOI further leverages our years of experience and our team of experts from business and academia to help create more successful engagements between innovations seekers and solution providers. Our service offerings have struck a chord with our customers, and whatever their needs, from beginning the OI process to evaluating solutions and engaging with providers, we have a complete set of services to make it happen."

"RapidOI provides a deeper level partnership with our customers' organizations, and it allows us to further demonstrate the value of a well-defined open innovation plan," said Skip Davis, vice president of consulting for NineSigma. "We have seen a broad range of processes and practices for leveraging the global research and innovation community to support product development, and we understand the speed of business today. We have developed RapidOI to help our customers move strategically and quickly so that they can experience a rapid return on their commitment to open innovation."

For more information on NineSigma's service offerings, please contact (216) 295-4800 or visit www.ninesigma.com.

About NineSigma

NineSigma partners with Global 1000 companies to help transform their innovation capabilities and overcome business and technology challenges by connecting them with solutions not readily available in the public domain. NineSigma's proprietary process for Open Innovation enables companies to dramatically improve speed to market while lowering product development costs. NineSigma's open network of innovators is the largest of its kind and spans industries, geographies and technical disciplines. Companies such as Xerox, GlaxoSmithKline, DuPont, Kraft, P&G, and Unilever engage NineSigma to build new innovation capabilities that leverage research and innovation globally to deliver greater value to their customers. NineSigma is a private company with offices in the United States, Belgium and Japan. For more information visit: www.ninesigma.com.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Dan Dyer 513-478-7818