Arbortext Announces Change Processing Application; Streamlines Updates to Military Documentation.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Arbortext, the leading provider of enterprise publishing software, today announced that its new Change Processing application will be generally available in June. Based on the U.S. Department of Defense MIL-SPEC documentation standard, this new application increases the efficiency and reduces the risk of errors in making updates to military documentation from defense contractors to the military.

In no other industry or public sector is information more central to efficient and effective operations than in defense. The need to produce information that can be quickly reused, updated and shared with suppliers is vital to smooth, fast maintenance. The Arbortext Change Processing application addresses this requirement by eliminating the manual effort to produce loose-leaf publishing of maintenance manuals, illustrated parts breakdowns, operator manuals and checklists.

"Over the years, we have relied on Arbortext's dedication to provide the best enterprise publishing software available and their change processing application is another example of that commitment," said Lora Krupitzer, Corporate SGML/XML Program Manager for HEBCO. "Arbortext continues to be a great business partner."

"Arbortext is proud to provide software that helps people in the military receive more accurate information more quickly," said PG Bartlett, VP Product Marketing, Arbortext. "When service technicians have the right information at their fingertips, they have a much greater ability to keep all systems operating safely and effectively."

With its Change Processing application, Arbortext standardizes and automates the process so that defense contractors and agencies can:

--Eliminate costs associated with proprietary publishing systems

--Eliminate redundant information within weapon systems documentation

--Achieve and maintain compliance with MIL-SPEC documentation standards

--Reduce the time and cost associated with managing change page information by eliminating manual tasks associated with creation, review, approval and publishing of loose-leaf change pages

Defense contractors and agencies that purchase the Arbortext Change Processing application will receive:

--Industry-proven, mature XML/SGML authoring and publishing tools

--Twenty DTDs (data models) that support the MIL-SPEC documentation standard for Basic Manuals, Flight Manuals, Illustrated Parts Breakdowns, Job Guides, Work Cards, Checklists and others.

--Fully-supported application for creating and managing change page processes

About Arbortext (www.arbortext.com)

Arbortext is the leading provider of enterprise publishing software, enabling companies around the world to automate the assembly and publishing of product information, marketing documents, service instructions, maintenance procedures, technical publications, legal information and software documentation. Arbortext software allows companies to efficiently and cost-effectively publish to multiple audiences in multiple languages in multiple hardcopy and electronic output formats. As a result, companies can dramatically improve authoring productivity, reduce translation and publishing costs, enhance information quality and speed time-to-market of new products. Arbortext's software is installed at over 1,700 organizations worldwide.

Current customers include Abbott Laboratories, American Express Financial Services, Audi, Boeing, Bombardier, British Aerospace, Caterpillar, DaimlerChrysler, Ericsson, Ford, General Electric, GlaxoSmithKline, GM, IBM, Thomson Publishing, Lucent, Nokia, Nortel Networks, Oracle, Pfizer, Ricoh, Sun Microsystems, Toyota, United Airlines, Volkswagen, Volvo and the US Department of Defense including the Navy, Air Force, Army and Marine Corps. Arbortext is a founding member and active participant in the XML Activity of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, Arbortext has offices around the world.