Berrien County, Michigan Selects Anthem Public Records Management System from Hart InterCivic.

AUSTIN, Texas -- After a comprehensive evaluation, Berrien County, Michigan has selected Hart InterCivic's Anthem(TM) System for integrated public records management and electronic recording of documents.

In July, Berrien County Commissioners approved the purchase of the Anthem System after an extensive procurement process. The contract is valued at $185,000 and Berrien County will pay for the Anthem System with funds raised through the Michigan Register of Deeds Technology Fund. Implementation of the Anthem System is currently underway and scheduled for completion by the end of 2004.

"I am very pleased that we have selected Hart InterCivic and the Anthem System," said Lori Jarvis, Berrien County Register of Deeds. "We went through a lengthy and extremely thorough evaluation process in order to find the best vendor with the most innovative solution for the Register of Deeds office and the public we serve."

The Anthem System is replacing an internally built land records application that the Berrien County Register of Deeds office has been using for over 20 years. Anthem will be able to integrate with Berrien's countywide imaging system to provide maximum access to imaged documents. In addition, Anthem will significantly reduce many of the time consuming manual processes that must be completed for the recordation of a document as well as allow for flexibility in the office procedures.

In the future, Berrien County's plans call for Anthem to enable convenient public access to documents, which will enhance productivity and accuracy while protecting data integrity and accessibility to the information.

Anthem will add a lot of efficiencies to our current processes for public records management," said Jarvis. "Anthem is a very technologically advanced system that will integrate with our countywide imaging system. One of the most beneficial features of Anthem to Berrien County is its ability to enable electronically 'linked' documents so that we can cut down on some of our time-consuming manual processes associated with hand searching to see if a mortgage, lien or other document has been discharged, assigned, etc."

Anthem will also provide for electronic recording (eRecording) of documents. Initially this will be an intra-county process within Berrien County offices with planned rollout to the community in 2005-2006. eRecording allows title companies and others to electronically submit for recording real estate documents from any location, at any time of the day or night. Hart InterCivic's Universal eRecording Counter(TM), a feature of Anthem, can accept all electronic documents that meet standards established by the Property Records Industry Association (PRIA), regardless of the format used to create them.

"Berrien County is an excellent addition to our growing list of Hart InterCivic customers," said Britt Kauffman, Hart InterCivic's President and CEO. "They have clear needs and expectations for their records management system and I am confident they will be very pleased with the capabilities, flexibility and ease of use that Anthem provides. We are very excited to be in partnership with Berrien County, our second Anthem customer in Michigan, and will provide them with the same excellent customer service we have been providing to Anthem customers throughout the country for over a decade."

Anthem is a comprehensive, modular system that captures a document from initial imaging and recording through indexing, verification, archiving, and search and retrieval. Anthem employs a powerful Microsoft SQL-based relational database, proven imaging system, and sophisticated suite of business-driven applications to provide unparalleled productivity, security, and accessibility for county and public users.

About Hart InterCivic (www.hartintercivic.com)

From electronic voting to the most effective technologies for automating local government processes, Hart InterCivic's name stands for exceptional expertise, absolute accessibility, and trusted transactions. Hart InterCivic is a leader in providing products and services that help redefine the relationship between state and local governments and the citizens they serve. Hart InterCivic, with offices in the U.S., including company headquarters in Austin, Texas, is working nationwide to bring governments closer to citizens through complete electronic government (e-government) solutions and election management solutions. More information about Hart InterCivic is available from the company's Website at www.hartintercivic.com.

Hart Anthem and Universal eRecording Counter are trademarks of Hart InterCivic, Inc.