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Technology Stocks : IFMX - Investment Discussion -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: paul feldman who wrote (12832)	1/15/1999 6:03:00 PM
From: RAYS	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14631

I'm glad I'm in ! Great News ! : U.S. Department of State Launches New U.S. Passport System Using Informix Database Technology Business Wire - January 11, 1999 09:05 PORTSMOUTH, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 11, 1999-- Informix Dynamic Server Used for Storage and Handling of Digitized Photographs in New U.S. Passport System Informix Corporation (Nasdaq:IFMX), the technology leader in enterprise database-powered solutions, today announced that the U.S. Department of State is launching its new U.S. passport system, utilizing new technologies and equipment, including Informix(R) Dynamic Server(TM). Informix database technology is being used for storage and handling of textual information and digitized photographs in the new U.S. passport system. The Bureau of Consular Affairs, Passport Services of the U.S. Department of State will be conducting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to launch the first of 15 sites to issue the new, more secure U.S. passports at the National Passport Center in Portsmouth at 1 p.m. EST today. The new U.S. passport issuance system produces passports that include digitized, printed photographs that significantly enhance the security of the passports. Informix Dynamic Server was chosen as the database engine for this system. "Informix technology helps Passport Services to deliver one of the most important improvements in producing U.S. passports," stated Pat Ward, U.S. Dept. of State Account Manager at Informix. "By providing an efficient way to handle digitized images, Informix facilitates the processing of passport photographs with no decline in production schedules." The Informix database technology recognizes and processes the digitized images through its efficient handling and replication of BLOBS (binary large objects). Informix Consulting Services were also contracted to set up and configure the operating environment for the new system. "The ability of Informix Dynamic Server to efficiently replicate the digitized images on any server is an important feature of the new passport system," stated Ward. "Replication enables our customers to effectively distribute the workload across the servers, and ensures continuous operation through a backup server." Informix Dynamic Server, running on Sun Solaris Intel platform edition, supports 250 users at the National Passport Center in Portsmouth. This center produces up to 60,000 passports in one week. To generate the new U.S. passport, photographs are electronically scanned into the Informix database and stored as BLOBs. Passport application information is loaded into the Informix database as well. The end result is a printed passport book containing the textual data and digitized photograph. Informix will be the database platform at all U.S. passport agencies for the production of the new passports. While production of the existing version of the U.S. passport will be phased out gradually, all domestic passport agencies will be equipped to produce the new passport by the end of 1999. In the meantime, both versions of the U.S. passport will be issued, and bearers of the passports now in circulation will not be required to exchange them for the newer version. About Passport Services In Fiscal Year 1997, the Passport Services Directorate of the Bureau of Consular Affairs issued over 6 million U.S. passports to American citizens. Passport Services operates 15 passport issuance agencies in 14 different cities including the National Passport Center in Portsmouth. About Informix Informix Corporation, based in Menlo Park, Calif., provides innovative database products that assist the world's major corporations to attain competitive advantage. Informix is widely recognized as the technology leader for corporate computing environments ranging from small workgroups to very large parallel processing applications. Informix's database server, application development tools, superior customer service, and strong partnerships enable the company to be at the forefront of major information technology solution areas including data warehousing, high performance OLTP, and Web/e-commerce. For more information, contact the sales office nearest you or visit the Web site at informix.com. Note to Editors: The following are trademarks of Informix Corporation or its affiliates, one or more of which may be registered in the U.S. or other jurisdictions: Informix(R), and Informix Dynamic Server(TM). Informix news releases are available at no charge through Business Wire's NewsOnDemand fax service. To immediately receive an index of available releases, call 1-800-356-0851. CONTACT: Informix Software, Inc. Christina Dort, 650/926-1046 cdort@informix.com Headlines Previous Story Next Story -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- %INFORMIX IFMX %CALIFORNIA %NEW-HAMPSHIRE %COMPUTERS %ELECTRONICS %COMED %GOVERNMENT %PRODUCT V%BW P%BW