Captiva Announces Internet, XML and Free Form Recognition Support; FormWare Version 3.0 Captures Data From Any Source.

Business/Technology Editors

AIIM 2000

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2000

AIIM Conference & Exposition, Jacob Javits Convention Center,

New York, New York, Booth No. 1665

Captiva Software Corporation, the market leader in enterprise information capture software, today announces the release of FormWare(TM) 3.0. This version includes fully integrated Internet forms, XML data processing, distributed scanning via the Internet and free form recognition technology, and adds many new rapid application development tools to FormWare's award winning forms processing and document capture capabilities.

FormWare is a modular, highly scalable solution that automates data capture from forms and documents, in addition to scanning, enhancing and indexing images. This business critical information can then be exported to database, document and other information management systems, maximizing the value of the data, speeding the capture process and increasing productivity.

"Today's organizations require a comprehensive solution for managing information into the enterprise, and FormWare 3.0 offers the ability to capture information from any source," said Reynolds C. Bish, President and CEO of Captiva. "FormWare 3.0 adds many Internet capabilities to FormWare's architecture, allowing our customers to leverage a single information capture platform for both paper and electronic data while consistently applying the business rules needed to ensure the validity of all data captured."

Internet Forms (I-Forms)

FormWare's I-Forms capability provides an easy way for users to extend data capture to the web and takes advantage of the Internet as an extremely cost effective platform for data capture. FormWare's Designer module is used to design robust and highly interactive DHTML pages, which can be posted to a URL as standalone pages or be embedded within an existing HTML document. As users enter data into an I-Form, extensive real time edits catch errors as each field is completed and customized error messages prompt users to correct their mistakes, thus minimizing frustration and web site abandonment rates. As each page is submitted, FormWare's I-Forms web server collects the data entered, executes additional data validation routines to ensure accuracy, provides the user with a unique transaction confirmation number and inputs the resulting data into FormWare's standard workflow for additional processing alongside paper based transactions and eventual export to a customer's information management systems.

"The move to Internet forms and away from paper for B2B and B2C transactions is attracting a great deal of interest and activity as companies anticipate potential savings, but all paper forms cannot be converted overnight and some will inevitably remain," states Harvey Spencer, President of Harvey Spencer Associates. "In the meantime, businesses need an easy way to collect and capture accurate data regardless of how the transaction originates. In FormWare 3.0, Captiva enables organizations to use paper as well as electronic sources and to consistently apply their legacy business rules."

XML Data Processing

The eXtensible Markup Language (XML) format is an emerging standard for structuring data that allows XML enabled software products to exchange electronic data without extensive and costly custom application development and maintenance. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) formally recommended it as a standard in February 1998 and since then a number of industry leaders, including Microsoft, SAP, IBM, Sun and Oracle, have announced support for XML. Many believe this standard will drive the rapid adoption of XML based replacements for current EDI applications, demand for data in an XML format and the open integration of applications across enterprises in general. FormWare 3.0 enables data capture from Internet forms, e-commerce transactions and other electronic data sources in an XML format and the ability to export data in a XML format, regardless of its source. This lets customers leverage their business rules in order to also purify XML data streams and to populate databases and other repositories with data in this popular format.

Distributed Scanning

Many organizations have widely distributed operations and would like to be able to scan forms and documents locally at those remote sites, thus eliminating the need to transport paper to a centralized scanning facility. FormWare 3.0's distributed scanning capabilities allow for a remote scanclient to be installed and run as a separate process at those locations. As forms and documents are scanned, the resulting files are bundled up and sent to the receiving site where a FormWare remote scan server receives and inputs those files into FormWare's standard workflow for additional processing. High-speed links utilizing Internet protocols allow for low cost transmission from virtually any location.

Free Form Recognition

FormWare 3.0's free form recognition technology provides the ability to locate data on complex forms without defining a unique template for each form type. It is particularly appropriate for forms that contain the same data to be extracted but in varying positions, such as invoices, purchase orders, explanation of benefits forms and dental claims. A free form field is specified and data is located by looking for a key word or data pattern, such as "invoice number," and FormWare will automatically locate, extract and validate data.

Al Wiggins, Regional Vice President of Lason, Inc., who has installed and tested the free form recognition features of FormWare 3.0, has been very impressed with its capabilities. "At Lason, we are extremely excited about FormWare's free form recognition technology," said Wiggins. "It brings tremendous value to some of our present applications as well as opening the doors of opportunity for significant volumes of new data capture business."

Requirements, Pricing and Availability

FormWare 3.0 runs on Windows 9X and NT in a desktop or client/server architecture that supports both Microsoft's NT Server and Novell's NetWare. An Intel 400MHz processor with 128MB of RAM or more is recommended. FormWare 3.0 is currently available and pricing starts at $35,000 for a four-station network system. The software can be purchased directly from Captiva or through its authorized channel partners. It is fully supported through Captiva's AdvantEDGE services program, which provides a complete range of professional and technical services.

About Captiva

Captiva Software Corporation is a leading provider of information capture software. Since 1989, the company's award winning products have been used to manage business critical information from paper, faxed and scanned forms and documents, Internet forms and XML data streams into the enterprise in a more accurate, timely and cost-effective manner. These products automate the processing of billions of forms and documents annually, converting their contents into information that is usable in database, document and other information management systems. Captiva's technology serves thousands of users in insurance, government, banking, financial services, direct marketing and other markets. Captiva is privately held with headquarters in San Diego, CA. For more information, please visit www.captivasoftware.com.

Captiva and FormWare are trademarks of Captiva Software Corporation.

All other companies and products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.