SOURCE: Alpha Bytes, Inc.
Alpha Bytes, Inc. Introduces H-Net(R),
Internet-Based, Comprehensive
Transaction Network for Healthcare
Industry
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Alpha Bytes, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ABYT -
news), North America's leading provider of software for the vision care industry, announced today the
introduction of a new Internet- based transaction network for the healthcare industry called H-Net®. The
service is expected to be available in the second quarter of 1999.
Initially available to the vision care industry, the comprehensive new service will electronically link vision
care providers including retail opticians, retail optical chain home offices, optometrists, ophthalmologists
and optical laboratories together, along with insurance companies and credit and debit card networks.
The Internet-based network will enable participants to significantly reduce costs while speeding up
processing of health care claims and payments and simplifying the accompanying paper work. The
network has potential applications for other healthcare segments and industries.
There were an estimated 475 million transactions between various participants in the vision care
industry in 1997, a significant number of them handled manually. The transactions included such
activities as checking for insurance eligibility, insurance claim submissions, eyeglass frame ordering,
lens ordering, frame trace submission, billing for lab services and credit/debit card transactions. H-Net®
is designed to integrate all of these functions into an automated seamless network.
Anton M. Stephens, chairman and chief executive officer of Alpha Bytes, Inc., said, ''As a transaction
service provider (TSP), we are creating an Internet-based, real-time on-line processing system that we
believe has significant growth opportunities beyond vision care. H-Net® will operate from a central hub
that receives, processes and forwards data instantly to the appropriate site. All transactions will pass
through an electronic tollbooth. With our business alliance partners Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT -
news) and Compaq Computer Corp. (NYSE: CPQ - news), we are building a powerful, dependable and
responsive system that will seamlessly link with our existing software client base. This is an exciting
opportunity because H-Net® has so many potential applications. The relatively low cost of
implementation, combined with significant cost savings and ease of use, make this a highly attractive
service for the Healthcare industry. We already are in advanced discussion with a number of important
companies in the healthcare industry who understand the benefits of H-Net® and have shown a high
degree of interest in the service. In addition, we are looking forward to demonstrating H-Net® to other
major players in the vision care industry next week.''
H-Net® is being publicly demonstrated for the first time at the Vision Expo East in New York March
19-21 in New York.
Alpha Bytes, Inc., North America's leading provider of enterprise software for the vision care industry, is
transforming itself into an Internet-based electronic transaction service provider. With an existing
customer base of approximately 6,000 vision care outlets, Alpha Bytes is making significant R&D
investments to facilitate a rapid deployment of H-Net® to as many users as possible. The relationship
with the alliance partners Microsoft and Compaq is designed to assure the company of the most
powerful solution for an Internet based transaction network that will set the standard of excellence in the
healthcare industry.
For more information contact Christine Stephens at (905) 475-3249, Email: info@h-net.net or Frank
Hawkins or Julie Marshall, Hawk Associates, Inc. at (305) 852-2383, Email: info@hawkassociates.com.
Detailed information about Alpha Bytes can be found on the website www.alphabytesusa.com. Copies
of Alpha Bytes, Inc. press releases, SEC filings, current price quotes, stock charts and other valuable
information for investors may be found on the website: hawkassociates.com.
''Safe Harbor'' statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this
press release regarding the expansion of the Company's operations are forward-looking statements.
Words such as ''expects,'' ''intends,'' ''believes,'' ''anticipates,'' and ''likely'' also identify forward-
looking statements. Actual results may differ from such forward-looking statements as a result of a
number of factors, including but not limited to, continued acceptance of the Company's products,
increased levels of competition for the Company, new products and technological changes, the
Company's dependence upon third-party suppliers, intellectual property rights and other risks detailed in
periodic reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
