Mitchell International Praises Plans by Competitors ADP and CCC To Join in Allowing Open Communication of Estimate Data.

Business Editors & Automotive Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2001

Longtime Advocate Mitchell Says Open Communication is in the Best

Interest of the Entire Industry

Mitchell International, which has long been the sole voice among the 'Big-Three' information providers to endorse open communication of estimate data, today applauded recent statements by competitors -- ADP and CCC -- that they will reverse their stance and join Mitchell in allowing open access to CIECA-standard EMS output files from their estimating systems.

"We have always strongly supported open communication of estimate data," said Mitchell President and CEO Jim Lindner. "We believe it is the best interest of the entire industry because it promotes open competition and the ability to share information between shops and insurers -- which is so critical in our industry.

"We therefore applaud our competitors -- ADP and CCC -- for following our lead and promising to remove restrictions on the use of their estimate data."

During last week's Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Minneapolis, representatives from ADP and CCC made statements reversing their earlier stance on open access.

Lindner said the result of all three data providers allowing open communication of estimate data will have both immediate and far-reaching impacts for the industry.

"This will allow customers to choose products based on price, features and functionality rather than proprietary requirements. We think everyone will benefit by being able to use and integrate with the products of their choice."

An immediate impact for users of CCC's and ADP's estimating systems will be the ability to export the EMS file to the body shop management system of their choice. Body shops using these estimating systems will now be able to easily export data to Mitchell's proven, industry leading ABS Body Shop Management System.

Another immediate impact will be that insurers can now have estimators send files from any of the top three estimating systems through eMitchell.com for processing. Mitchell recently announced the availability of on-line claims processing at eMitchell.com, and used open communication standards in its design.

"In anticipating the ultimate adoption of these standards by the industry, Mitchell took action months ago to offer on-line claims processing at eMitchell.com based on open standards," Lindner said. "With the other data providers allowing open access, insurers can adopt claims processing at eMitchell.com to achieve greater efficiency and lowered costs without concern about which estimating system they currently use."

The subject of data access, which has become an extremely heated issue in the collision repair industry, came to the forefront last December at a CIC meeting in Orlando, Fla. At that meeting, attended by data providers, shop owners and other members of the collision repair industry, shop owners questioned the data providers on their stance on open communication. Only Mitchell of the three major data providers endorsed open access to estimate data.

"We support open systems very ardently," Paul Gange, Mitchell's vice president of product management, said at the meeting. "We want to compete on the merit of our product and on the merit of our service offerings and allow you (industry members) to be able to responsibly use the data from an estimate you created."

As the industry debated the open communication issue in meetings and in the press over the last several months, Mitchell has remained firm in its stance on open systems.

Mitchell International has long been a strong supporter of the Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) and open communication standards and was honored to receive the CIECA Electronic Commerce Company of the Year award in 1999. Mitchell has backed its stance on open communication by implementing CIECA standards throughout its product lines over the past several years.

About Mitchell International

Mitchell International, founded in 1946 and headquartered in San Diego, is The Source for information software and e-business solutions for the insurance and automotive repair industries. Providing services that enhance productivity, profitability and customer satisfaction, Mitchell facilitates several million electronic transactions between more than 16,000 business partners each month. Mitchell's own parts and labor database, a critical connectivity point between shops and insurers, is trusted for its accuracy and respected as the industry standard. For more information on Mitchell International, call Chris Andrews, director of marketing, at 858/578-6550, ext. 8321. Visit our Web sites at www.mitchell.com and www.mitchell.com.