Alpharel/Trimco's WISDOM enters beta testing at Alcatel Network Systems; second beta site for new Internet tool.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 25, 1996--Alpharel/Trimco (NASDAQ/NMS:AREL), a principal supplier of enterprise-wide information management solutions, Monday announced that its new Web Information Server and Distributed Object Maitre'd (WISDOM) product has entered beta testing at Alcatel Network Systems in Richardson, Texas.

WISDOM, an Internet tool that facilitates access to participating electronic document vaults, is web server software designed to instantly and economically expand a traditional integrated information management enterprise into an all-encompassing integrated document network.

Alcatel Network Systems designs, manufactures and markets a full line of voice, data and image transmission products to the telecommunications services industry. The company, one of the largest manufacturers of communications equipment in the world, has subsidiaries in 22 countries and trades in 110 countries on five continents.

Alpharel/Trimco integrated an Enabler System at Alcatel Network Systems in 1995 to eliminate hardcopy pages and aperture cards and facilitate on-line information management among four manufacturing sites in the United States and two in Mexico and Canada. To leverage the benefits of managing documents on-line, Alcatel Network Systems has agreed to beta-test WISDOM.

Stephen Gardner, Alpharel/Trimco president and chief executive officer, stated: "WISDOM is an exciting supplemental interface to our integrated information management systems. By enabling access to these systems through Internet browsers now commonly found on user desktops, WISDOM enables rapid integrated document management deployment while minimizing rollout time.

"Alcatel's participation in perfecting this product is greatly appreciated. Their input during the beta testing program will ensure that WISDOM is truly an end-user oriented product."

Based on the open systems model, WISDOM is compatible with all popular graphical browsers and web-server software. The product offers two approaches to image display, plus access to all forms of multimedia objects through the use of helper applications.

"The telecommunications industry is highly competitive," commented Jim Rutelonis, director of the Document and Data Management Department for Alcatel Network Systems.

"To succeed now and in the future, we need to acquire the tools that will facilitate efficient global commerce. We feel that WISDOM will improve our ability to compete by improving the flow of information, facilitating access in seconds from virtually any location."

Full release of WISDOM is scheduled for early in the second quarter. WISDOM pricing remains to be finalized, but will be consistent with other web products.

Alpharel/Trimco is a leader in delivering enterprise-wide integrated information management systems to thousands of customers around the world. These systems are installed in manufacturing, utilities, petrochemical, government, banking, transportation and other industries.

Documents of all sizes, from letter-size pages to large-scale engineering drawings, are handled rapidly over global networks in a very cost-effective manner. Alpharel/Trimco products and customers have won numerous industry awards over the past few years.

CONTACT: Alpharel/Trimco, San Diego 

Stephen P. Gardner or John W. Low, 619/625-3000

619/546-7671 (fax)

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