Benefit Software Inc. Raises the Bar on Online Employee Benefits Enrollment.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 2000

Online enrollment in group insurance plans has been in its infancy until now, according to industry leader Benefit Software Inc.

Benefit Software has been producing employee benefits communication-related technology since 1978, and has just announced a new service that totally redefines the concept of online enrollment.

"Our `Fringe Facts(R) Online Benefits Enrollment and Communication Service' totally redefines online enrollment by taking the self-service potential to its desired conclusion," said Larry DuBois, president of Benefit Software. "Fringe Facts Online not only handles benefits enrollment, but also provides employees with personalized employee benefit statements.

"When the benefits enrollment is ended, the employees are encouraged to come back often to their own personal Web site to view a summary of all their benefits and interact with the system using any one of the many included self-service features.

"Unlike other online enrollment services that end when the employee has completed his or her enrollment, Fringe Facts Online shows the employee the total value of the benefits package paid for by the employer. This summary is often referred to as the `Hidden Paycheck.'

"Fringe Facts Online helps improve employee understanding and appreciation for all their benefits, and often results in improved morale and decreased turnover. But the service doesn't stop there. Fringe Facts Online puts numerous other HR and benefits forms online so that the HR/Benefits people are freed up from handling mountains of paperwork to concentrate their time and efforts in taking a pro-active role in other areas of employee relations," said DuBois.

The Fringe Facts Online service includes a powerful administration center that allows HR/Benefits people to quickly and easily generate a variety of insightful online reports regarding employee data. These reports can be viewed or printed online as well as downloaded to the employer's local PC or uploaded to the company HR or payroll system.

The benefits broker and carrier can also easily import data from the system. HR/Benefits people can additionally create employee surveys to be distributed online, as well as collected, tabulated, and set up for reports online. Other features include online calculators so that employees can see the value of enrolling in 401(k) and 125 plans.

"Online enrollment has suffered till now from the limited nature of the offering," continued DuBois, "but Fringe Facts Online offers the whole package of additional features that HR/Benefits people need -- at a cost that may be lower than the typical pricing by vendors of traditional online enrollment."

Benefit Software, unlike so many high-tech firms, is not a recent start-up with venture capital hoping to go public before the funding runs out. Benefit Software was founded in 1978 and has had its headquarters in Santa Barbara since 1991. For more information, see the Fringe Facts Online Web site at http://www.fringefacts.com or contact Larry DuBois, president, Benefit Software Inc. at 800/533-1388.

Note to Editors: Fringe Facts is a registered trademark of Benefit Software Inc.