South African Rail Commuter Corporation Chooses Spescom Software; On Track for Success with Spescom Software's eB CM.

Business Editors

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 15, 2001

Spescom Software, Inc. (OTCBB:ALTS), previously Altris Software Inc., a leading provider of integrated document, configuration and records management (iDCR) solutions today announced an order from a new customer, South African Rail Commuter Corporation (SARCC). SARCC joins existing Spescom flagship customers such Railtrack and London Underground in the UK and Bechtel and BNFL in the USA, as users of the eB Configuration Management solution.

SARCC is the preferred commuter rail service for the government and transport authorities throughout South Africa. One of its main objectives is to provide a world-class commuter service, while at the same time ensuring the services it provides comply with the very highest standards of safety. It was this determination to run a safe, as well as an efficient service, that was a key factor in SARCC's choice of Spescom Software as a technology supplier.

Carl Mostert, CEO for Spescom Software commenting on the new order, said: "It is encouraging to see that our track record and experience in the rail sector in the UK has resulted in success with the SARCC. We are building up a solid knowledge base of the rail transport sector and will be pro-actively targeting this market going forward."

The proven abilities of the eB Configuration Management software solution and the specialized consulting expertise the company offers its clients allows SARCC management to drive the organization toward its essential goals of efficient management of millions of dollars worth of physical assets and inventory while simultaneously improving productivity of staff and the efficiency and safety of the service provided.

This is achieved by the extensive automation of data capture and real-time updates of the company database, enabled by the comprehensive information management functions built into the eB software. "The software will help to ensure that all documentation required for the full life-cycle (currently between 40 and 60 years) support of the rolling stock is delivered, and it will validate the asset-to-documentation correlation," says Douw Krynauw, Configuration Manager, Rolling Stock, at SARCC. "It will also help to control asset modifications and documentation changes to ensure that the asset-to-documentation correlation remains valid throughout the life cycle."

Other advantages, resulting from eB CM's collaborative and reporting functions include:

-- improved access to accurate information relating to assets by all staff

-- more rapid error detection and correction of errors in the existing database


-- enabling full change effects analysis, ensuring that management decisions
can be tested before implementation, with immediate beneficial results for the
company's bottom line and safe operations record.

Configuration management enables changes to be accommodated during the lifespan of an asset in a controlled manner thereby ensuring that information integrity is maintained 100% accurately. Douw Krynauw says: "SARCC accepts as a necessary condition for technological growth and cost effectiveness the idea that change, provided it is properly managed, is a vehicle for optimizing costs and other requirements."

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this release include forward-looking statements that are dependent on certain risks and uncertainties, including such factors, among others, as market acceptance, market demand, pricing, changing regulatory environment, the effect of the company's accounting policies, potential seasonality and other risk factors detailed in the company's SEC filings.

Notes to Editors

About Spescom Software, Inc.

Spescom Software (OTCBB: ALTS) delivers enterprise eBusiness solutions that provide rapid access to accurate information in context to customers, assets, products and processes, resulting in improved customer satisfaction, productivity and safety. It achieves this through a tightly integrated suite of document, configuration and records management technologies that not only allows it to capture and securely store information, but also organizes and structures this information to place it in context.

Key customers include Continental Airlines, AmerenUE, City of Winston-Salem, Britannia Airways, Salt Lake County, Entergy, North East Utilities, London Underground, Mack Trucks, Railtrack, City of Tempe, and many others.

About Spescom eB(R)

eB is a registered trademark of Spescom Software Inc. eB comprises an extensive set of software components that together form the foundation for an extremely flexible and powerful information management platform. eB's components include: media management; document management; document control; item control and action and workflow components. These components are tightly integrated with CAD, GIS, office and email applications to capture and view information. The full functionality of eB is available via a set of API's that enable the rapid definition and deployment of customer specific solutions and integration with other line-of-business applications including ERP, CRM, SCM, maintenance management and project management products.

About Spescom Limited

Spescom Limited is an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company with operations in USA, UK and South Africa. The group is active in two main areas of the world IT market, namely offering product and solutions to connect to the networked economy, and the provision of software solutions to manage information and knowledge.

The strategic focus is on the convergence of knowledge, document, configuration and voice transaction management technologies.

Spescom holds the controlling interest in USA based, Spescom Software Inc., a NASDAQ, OTCBB listed company, and the developers of the award winning eB software.