Cimage and Access Systems LLC Get Down to Business with the City of Fremont, California.

Business Editors

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2000

Access Systems LLC has provided the City of Fremont with a 240 user Cimage document management system for immediate citywide access to documents.

The City of Fremont, with a population of just over 200,000, and located in the southeast corner of the San Francisco Bay is implementing an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) for the purpose of making available all forms of business documents. City employees will have access to these documents via their desktop computers, intranet and Internet access.

The Cimage Document Manager and Staffware Workflow suite, both of which are provided by Access Systems, have been selected for this project, which will include a number of phases, each of which will endeavor to bring new groups online and address their specific requirements. The City of Fremont system is anticipated to grow to between 600-800 users enterprise wide over the next two years, and eventually access to documents online for citizens. Public access to the system will allow for electronic submission, modifications, and approval of drawings and other documents, elevating the level of service provided by the City of Fremont to their customers.

The first phase of the project, completed April 1, 2000 addresses the needs of the Development and Environmental Services (DES) group, and the City Clerk's Office. Documents associated with their business operations include city council, historical, archival, permits, code enforcement, inspection records, soil reports and engineering drawings. Other documents such as fire, hazardous materials, personnel and finance documents, associated with civic planning and building and safety are included in phase 2.

An automated workflow process for application and approval of parade permits, which require review and approval of six major divisions has been designed to expedite, improve and replace paper routing methods. During this first phase requirements for document retention and disposal are also being addressed. There are several million images being loaded into the system as part of phase 1. They have nearly completed converting 2,000 rolls of microfilm into electronic files using the outsource services of Image Scanning of America (ISA).

Phase 2, which begins in June 2000, will address the specific document management needs of the Police Department. This phase will address some of the document management needs of the City of Fremont Police Department and is intended to target the management and archival of police reports. Additional documents planned for a later phase will include crime lab, property room, arrest reports, finger print, and missing person records and photographs.

In the third phase, integration efforts will continue to evolve interfacing the Cimage EDMS to two other City of Fremont Information Technology systems, a Permitting System by Tidemark and a GIS system by ESRI. The estimated dollar amount for the contract awarded for the entire project is 1.2 million.

About Access:

Access Systems LLC is one of the industry's leading integrators of Technical Document Management and Workflow solutions with over six years of experience and over 40 customers located throughout the world.

Access is dedicated to providing and supporting comprehensive, scaleable solutions for the management and use of long life-cycle documents in the manufacturing, utilities, petrochemical, telecommunications, AEC and pharmaceutical industries.

Access offers the most comprehensive design, implementation and support services in the industry. They work across the customer organization, assuring the system meets the intended objectives and user needs.

About Cimage:

Cimage Enterprise Systems Ltd. is a leading supplier of document management and workflow solutions to manufacturing, utility, nuclear, petrochemical and process companies worldwide. These solutions are typically used to store, distribute and manage engineering drawings and related documentation. The benefits Cimage customers enjoy include improved change control to plant and manufacturing designs (resulting in more efficient and safer operations) and wider access to up-to-date information across the organization (improving the efficiency of communications and assisting compliance with statutory regulations).

From Cimage headquarters in Bracknell, Berkshire, United Kingdom, the company serves a worldwide market through a global network of distributors and business partners covering Europe, the United States, the Middle East, Africa, the Far East, and Australia.

Cimage has over 500 installations in 18 countries. Its customers include Rover Group, Detroit Diesel, British Energy, Wisconsin Electric, Lucas Aerospace, British Nuclear Fuels, Raytheon Corporate Jets, TXU Utilities, Amoco, Marathon Oil, and John Crane.

Cimage is a registered trademark of Cimage Enterprise Systems Ltd. DM-Net is trademark applied for. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective companies.