FORT WORTH, Texas and MONTREAL, Aug 11, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Vertical Computer Systems, Inc. (OTC Pink Sheets: VCSY) and AD OPT Technologies Inc. AD OPT) (TSX:AOP), a leading developer and vendor of advanced workforce management solutions, today announced a new strategic alliance between their respective wholly-owned subsidiaries, NOW Solutions and Total Care Technologies. This alliance will see NOW Solutions collaborate in the healthcare market with Total Care to integrate and co-market its human resources solutions with Total Care's workforce scheduling solutions.
The alliance will provide customers with a joint product offering that will allow them to achieve better efficiency and a stronger return on investment. Customers of both organizations will be able to avail themselves of a solution that eliminates the duplicate data entry that is often characteristic of disparate applications.
"We are extremely pleased to announce this relationship with Total Care," said Marianne Franklin, President and Chief Executive Officer, NOW Solutions. "Total Care's solutions are highly complementary to both the human resources and payroll functionality provided by emPath(R). By teaming with Total Care to integrate our products, we will be able to offer a better value proposition to both existing and new customers."
Total Care's Vice President and General Manager, Iain McLean, emphasized that, while the alliance will allow both organizations to benefit from cross- selling opportunities, the real objective was to create a more comprehensive solution offering. "This relationship is about much more than generating sales leads," stated McLean, "both organizations are committed to investing in the collaboration required to achieve a solid integration of our products. The initiative is a direct response to a marketplace that is putting more and more emphasis on the concept of seamless data transfer between applications while, at the same time, maintaining best of breed functionality."
NOW Solutions' emPath(R), a Web-based HRMS solution leveraging Microsoft(R) .NET technology, provides functional efficiency for the entire enterprise and remarkable performance gains. By tightly integrating the organization's human resources and payroll functions, emPath(R) provides comprehensive administrative and workflow capabilities, as well as employee empowerment via employee and manager self-service, all delivered with zero client administration.
Total Care's ESP software solutions facilitate the effective management of healthcare's largest operating expenditure -- the workforce. R-ESP provides Web-based remote access of scheduling information for employees and managers, while ESP Time & Attendance is a new Web-based functionality to support the automation of daily attendance management.
NOW Solutions Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Vertical Computer Systems, Inc., is a best-of-breed HRMS and payroll software and business solutions provider. A pioneer in HRMS solutions, NOW Solutions provides the capabilities companies need to manage their ever-changing workplace in the face of today's complex requirements. NOW Solutions is a respected business partner serving customers throughout the United States and Canada. NOW Solutions' presence can be found in industries including education, for profit services, healthcare, high technology and communications, insurance, manufacturing, natural resources, not for profit, public sector, retail, transportation, and utilities. NOW Solutions has offices in Fort Worth, San Francisco Bay Area, and Toronto to serve its customers. For information on NOW Solutions and its products, visit http://www.nowsolutions.com.
Vertical Computer Systems, Inc. (VCSY) is a multinational provider of administrative software, internet core technologies, and derivative software application products through its distribution network. VCSY's main administrative software product is emPath(R), which is developed and distributed by NOW Solutions Inc., the Company's subsidiary. VCSY's primary internet core technologies include SiteFlash, ResponseFlash, NewsFlash, and the Emily XML Scripting Language, which can be used to build web services. For information on VCSY and its products, visit http://www.vcsy.com. This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. With the exception of historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release involve risk and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any forward- looking statement.
AD OPT's Total Care workforce management solutions are specifically designed to support healthcare organizations by providing advanced staff scheduling software. With over 300 combined person-years of experience specific to healthcare workforce management, Total Care's solutions reflect the knowledge of its staff. Currently over 300,000 healthcare employees across the world are scheduled with Total Care's resource management software employed to align and optimize their work practices everyday. For more information, visit Total Care at http://www.total-care.com.
AD OPT is a leading provider of advanced workforce planning, scheduling and management solutions. AD OPT's best-in-class applications enable organizations to quantify labour costs, enhance planning capabilities, and improve employee quality of life. Headquartered in Montreal with offices in British Columbia, Canada and Queensland, Australia, the Company's industry- specific solutions operate in more than 400 facilities worldwide. For more information, visit us at http://www.ad-opt.com.
For more information on NOW Solutions, please contact
Marianne Franklin
President & Chief Executive Officer
NOW Solutions Inc.
905-671-9888
mariannefranklin@nowsolutions.com
For more information on AD OPT, please contact
Dave Mason
Investor Relations
The Equicom Group Inc.
416-815-0700 ext. 237
dmason@equicomgroup.com
Donna Farnworth
Chief Financial Officer
AD OPT Technologies Inc.
514-345-0580 ext. 344
donna.farnworth@ad-opt.com
Hellen Diamantakis
Marketing Communications Manager
AD OPT Technologies Inc.
514-345-0580 ext. 250
hellen.diamantakis@ad-opt.com
SOURCE: Vertical Computer Systems, Inc.