City of Fort Worth deploys Microsoft Windows 95 and Office 95; City of Fort Worth adopts the Microsoft BackOffice and Office 95 suite of applications.

FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 24, 1995--Today, with the click of a mouse, mayor Kay Granger of the City of Fort Worth launched Technology 2000, a technology commitment designed to make city workers more productive with computers and the city more accessible to its citizens.

With the help of Practionary Inc., and utilizing Microsoft BackOffice(TM) products including Systems Management Server, over 400 workstations were upgraded to the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 95 operating system and Office 95. Under the Technology 2000 plan, the city will network approximately 3,500 workstations over the next two years.

"We are proud to help bring the City of Fort Worth to the cutting edge of technology with Windows 95 and Office 95," said Kay Granger, mayor of Fort Worth, Texas. "It is our goal to bring the technological advancements to our city government that will make our systems more accessible to users and citizens of Fort Worth. We believe Microsoft(TM) technology will enable us to manage our city's resources and plan for the future in the most cost efficient and productive way possible."

"The adoption of Office 95 and Windows 95 by the City of Fort Worth represents a major commitment to providing the technology to both users and citizens, making it easier to access information, no matter where it is," said Greg Evans, president of Practionary Inc., a Microsoft Solution Provider. "We have been working with the city for one year, and the staff's enthusiasm for implementing the right technology is contagious. I am proud to have been a part of this effort."

Practionary Inc. began working with the City of Fort Worth by introducing the Microsoft BackOffice line of products, which include Windows NT(TM) Server, Microsoft SQL Server(TM), SNA Server and Systems Management Server. Because of the ease of use and integration of Windows 95 and Office 95 with desktop products, the City of Fort Worth chose to evaluate them. After reviewing the benefits and features of these new products, the city decided to adopt these products as their standard.

By standardizing on Microsoft software, the city is able to effectively manage all of its systems. This is enabled by the "commonality" of administration interfaces for the products. Microsoft Systems Management Server is being used to deploy Windows 95 and Office 95 throughout the city, saving over 70 percent of the support costs normally associated with rolling out new technology. Windows 95 utilizes the Windows NT Domain Security to grant access to users. Remote Policy and Registry Tools provide the ability to change and enforce network policies, thereby reducing support costs and security issues. The integration of Office 95 with both Windows 95 and Microsoft BackOffice will make users more productive.

"Technology 2000 is a commitment to the philosophy `Information at Your Fingertips,'" said Michael Di Paolo, director of information services. "It is important that users be able to access information they need no matter its type, source, or location." To this end, the City of Fort Worth is implementing Microsoft Exchange as an enterprise messaging solution. Microsoft Exchange will allow remote and networked users to collaborate on projects, share information, and communicate with the public using a common interface.

Founded in 1994, Practionary Inc. is a strategic solutions provider. The company offers a full range of services including consulting, engineering, development and integration which solve today's issues and leverage future technologies. The results are information systems designed to empower its customers to stand above their competitors in the business world.

-0-

Microsoft, Windows, BackOffice and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Practionary is a trademark of Practionary Inc.

CONTACT: Practionary Inc., Fort Worth

Greg Evans, 500/677-6583 or 214/663-8250

Internet: [e-mail]