Mitchell Releases UltraMate Advanced Estimating System, Version 4.8; New Easier-to-Use Version Helps Users Enhance Efficiency and Increase Productivity.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2002

Mitchell International announced today the release of a new version of UltraMate, one of the leading estimating systems in the collision repair and insurance industries, which includes many new features designed to enhance ease-of-use, save time and increase productivity.

"Our new version of UltraMate, Version 4.8, is the most advanced and reliable collision estimating system on the market today," said Jennifer Maze, Mitchell's UltraMate product manager. "We have added numerous enhancements that will enable users to write more accurate estimates and operate more efficiently, resulting in increased productivity and enhanced customer satisfaction."

UltraMate 4.8 increases productivity with such features as Compare Part and Compare Estimate. With Compare Part, users can quickly choose between new, used and remanufactured parts all on one screen, enabling them to make quicker and more accurate decisions on the fly. With Compare Estimate, users can create a second version of an estimate enabling them to experiment with different scenarios, such as used assemblies versus individual parts, resulting in the most cost-effective estimate.

Road tested and proven reliable by both field claims staff and collision repairers for more than eight years, UltraMate continues to be one of the most widely used systems in North America.

UltraMate is part of Mitchell's enterprise-wide suite of technology solutions that provide insurers and collision repairers the information, tools and processes needed to better manage the entire claims and repair cycle.

"UltraMate remains an industry favorite due to its many features and benefits, including its link to the industry-standard Mitchell Database, which has been the recognized leader in collision repair information for over 55 years," Maze said. "UltraMate users also enjoy support from Mitchell's award-winning Customer Service team." Mitchell's Customer Service group was recently recognized with the prestigious STAR award for sustained customer service excellence by the Service & Support Professionals Association, the industry's leading professional organization.

Among UltraMate 4.8's new features -- in addition to Compare Part and Compare Estimate -- are:

-- Pre-selected Typical Vehicle Equipment -- Automatically highlights loss
vehicles' typical equipment, which saves time by reducing manual entries.

-- WebCom -- Enables users to communicate with Mitchell's host system using
high-speed cable connections, DSL and T1 lines, or any ISP connection, thus
increasing communication capabilities.

-- Estimate Report Headings -- Makes the estimate report easier to read by
creating report headings by part category, further improving communication
between the estimator and the shop.

-- Tires Database -- Provides access to a comprehensive database of current and
discontinued tire information (available by subscription). This saves the
estimator time by accessing the tires on their computer versus calling a
vendor.

As with previous versions of UltraMate, Version 4.8 complies with Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) standards and allows open transfer of information between UltraMate and body shop management systems. Web-based training on the use of UltraMate is available at Mitchell University, Mitchell's online learning center at www.mitchellu.com.

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 collision 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, call Chris Andrews, Marketing Director, 858/578-6550 Ext. 8321. Visit our Web sites at www.mitchell.com and www.emitchell.com.