Tuesday July 21, 9:30 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Software Publishing Corporation Holdings, Inc.
Software Publishing Corporation Holdings, Inc., Announces Agreement to Provide Direct Marketing Services to IBS, Inc.
Insurance Premium Auditing and EDI Software Bundle Expected to Gain Wide Market Acceptance By American Businesses and Spur Profit Opportunities for CPA Firms
FAIRFIELD, N.J., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Software Publishing Corporation Holdings, Inc. (the ''Company'' or ''SPCH'') (Nasdaq: SPCO - news), publishers of Harvard Graphics and a leader in the direct marketing and telemarketing of computer software products, announced an agreement with International Business Saveware Inc. (IBS) to provide direct marketing services for its insurance premium auditing software. The Workers Comp Consultant Version 5.2 for Windows, which is promoted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a tool for helping businesses significantly reduce insurance premiums for workers compensation, is expected to be offered in conjunction with the National Industrial Injury Data System (NIIDS) software, an electronic data interchange (EDI) program developed by STAR Advanced Communication Concepts Corporation (SAC3). The NIIDS networking software facilitates the electronic transmission of workers compensation data. SPCH expects the Workers Comp, Consultant-NIIDS bundle may become the solution of choice among businesses, CPAs and accounting service providers as states begin to require businesses to electronically submit workers compensation data.
SPCH expects to utilize its direct marketing operation to develop and implement a direct mail and telemarketing campaign marketing the Workers Comp Consultant-NIIDS bundle to selectively targeted businesses, CPAs, consultants, and other accounting service providers in the U.S. The program guides employers in designing human resource and insurance models to better solicit cost-effective workers compensation insurance premiums. Users of the Workers Comp Consultant may expect to potentially lower their insurance premiums.
Additionally, SAC3's NIIDS EDI networking software provides seamless electronic transmission of data to state workers compensation agencies. The Company believes that as many as a dozen states have mandated or are considering mandating that businesses use an EDI solution for the submission of workers compensation claims.
''We expect that the Workers Comp Consultant will help American businesses manage and significantly lower the cost of an oftentimes not understood obligation-workers compensation insurance,'' said Andre Brisson, President of International Business Saveware Inc. ''The product's ability to manage, automate and guide users to the most cost-effective insurance program is likely to provide tremendous, quantitative benefits to American businesses. Furthermore, the NIIDS software included with the Workers Comp Consultant program utilizes a cost-effective pay-for-use fee system. This presents a radical improvement over most EDI solutions, which typically require a significant installation cost.''
Accounting service professionals, such as CPAs, may also utilize the Workers Comp Consultant to effect lower costs in premiums and claims for clients. In addition, the ability to facilitate EDI compliance may be presented to clients as a value-added service, allowing accounting service professionals and agencies additional revenue opportunities from use of the software.
''Given SPCH's competency in direct mail and telemarketing, we anticipate a successful direct marketing campaign that will facilitate broad market acceptance of the Workers Comp Consultant-NIIDS bundle among businesses, CPAs, consultants and other accounting service providers,'' said Jim Tsonas, Vice President of Business Development for Software Publishing Corporation Holdings, Inc.
Software Publishing Corporation Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries Serif Inc. and Serif (Europe) Limited, operates a direct marketing enterprise for computer software products and has begun to offer direct mail and telesales services to third-party software publishers as an outsourcing solution. In April, 1998, the Company announced an agreement to market digital imaging software for publishers Ixla USA, Inc., and Ixla Limited.
For information on purchasing Workers Comp Consultant and NIIDS, contact 888-566-5641. Additional information may also be found on International Business Saveware's website at www.ibsaveware.com.
About the Company
Software Publishing Corporation Holdings, Inc., ( www.spco.com ) through its subsidiaries Serif Inc., Serif (Europe) Limited and Software Publishing Corporation, is an international developer, publisher and supplier of visual communications software, including desktop publishing, presentation graphics, business productivity and other computer software applications, for the corporate, small office/home office (''SOHO'') and consumer markets. The Company's products produce documents through its easy-to-use desktop publishing, drawing and presentation graphics applications, and also improve the graphical appeal and overall effectiveness of documents produced by either the Company's or third parties' desk-top publishing, presentation graphics, web page, e-mail, word processing and other similar applications. The Company's product lines include Serif PagePlus(TM), Serif DrawPlus(TM), Harvard Graphics(R), Harvard ChartXL(R), and its Active series of products, including ActivePresenter(TM), ActiveMail(TM) and ActiveOffice(TM). The Company has established a multi-channel distribution system utilizing direct mail, telemarketing, retail, corporate, OEM and the Internet. SPCH's Serif subsidiaries operate significant direct mail and telemarketing operations that market and sell its software products.
Safe Harbor Statement
Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth herein which are forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include such factors as the level of business and consumer spending for computer software, the market acceptance and amount of sales of the Company's products, the extent that the Company's direct mail programs achieve satisfactory response rates, the efficiency of the Company's telemarketing operations, the competitive environment within the computer software and direct mail industries, the Company's ability to raise additional capital, the ability of the Company to achieve the anticipated results of its reorganization efforts, the cost-effectiveness of the Company's product development activities and the extent to which the Company is successful in developing, acquiring or licensing successful products. Investors are directed to consider other risks and uncertainties as discussed in documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Trademarks
The Harvard product line is a group of products having no connection with Harvard University. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE: Software Publishing Corporation Holdings, Inc. |
