TALX Releases TALXWare 9.1 for Microsoft Windows NT -- The latest version of its Software that Provides Web and Voice Access to ERP Solutions, Popular Call Center Platforms and Back Office Systems.

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 20, 1998--

New release offers standard SAP interface, further integration of

Component Object Model (COM) and migration path so applications from

previous versions are easily adapted

TALX Corp. (NASDAQ: TALX) announced that it has put into production the latest release of TALXWare, the interactive Web and voice response software platform utilized by more than 70 of the Fortune 500, as well as clients throughout the public sector and other businesses. The latest release completes TALXWare's optimization for the Microsoft Windows NT operating environment -- a process that began last year with the release of TALXWare 8.1 -- and it offers even greater connectivity to popular enterprise resource planning (ERP) application software such as PeopleSoft, SAP and Oracle; relational databases as well as other back-office systems.

"While all clients will benefit from TALXWare's enhanced open platform, perhaps the biggest news is for existing clients because TALXWare 9.1 is totally compatible with previous releases of TALXWare," commented John Tubbesing, executive vice president of TALX Corp. "We achieved our goal of fully protecting the investments that our clients have made developing applications in earlier TALXWare versions. To do this, we've taken rigorous measures to create a smooth migration path that allows both forward and backward compatibility," Tubbesing commented.

"Organizations are looking for open, cost-effective and easy-to-use Web and computer telephony solutions, and they're increasingly recognizing that Windows NT Server provides a great platform for these kinds of solutions," said Kevin Kean, group product manager at Microsoft Corp.. "With TALXWare now running on Windows NT 4.0, TALX can take advantage of these features to provide a variety of advanced Web and IVR solutions that integrate with Windows," he said.

TALX has incorporated Microsoft's Component Object Model (COM) technologies in several areas of TALXWare 9.1. Among other benefits, COM enables clients and third-party developers to create custom extensions to TALXWare using tools such as Visual C++, Visual Basic, Visual J++, Delphi, PowerBuilder, or any environment capable of generating COM components.

"TALXWare's integration of open standards components makes the software very easily extendable whether the client's source data resides in a legacy mainframe or in the client/server software they're installing next quarter," commented Tubbesing. "TALX is committed to providing an open development environment for our clients," he added.

TALXWare Offers a Gateway to SAP, PeopleSoft, Relational Databases and More

"We selected the TALXWare 9.1 platform for our automated time reporting application that interfaces to SAP R/3's Cross Application Time Sheet (CATS) module," noted Joyce Zeasman, assistant controller with Telephone and Data Systems, TDS, a large national telephone company that operates in 37 states. "The application will be fax-enabled," Zeasman added. "Users of the TALX system will have real-time access to SAP, which will eliminate the costs associated with paper time sheets, data entry of time sheets and the errors introduced when administrative resources key data from others' time sheets," she said.

TALXWare 9.1 also includes a standard SAP interface that can access any SAP application through Remote Function Calls (RFC) including a Business Application Program Interface (BAPI). TALXWare 9.1 as well as previous versions of TALXWare include a standard interface for PeopleSoft. TALXWare 9.1 also supports integration with Oracle application software.

In addition to ERP software applications, TALXWare's open platform offers connectivity with relational databases such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase and Informix and numerous other databases using Microsoft Universal Data Access technologies like OLE DB and ODBC.

TALXWare is Y2K Compliant and Compatible with Popular Call Center Infrastructure

TALXWare 9.1 offers robust features including the ability to incorporate fax , speech recognition and text-to-speech into self-service applications. As is TALXWare 8.1, TALXWare 9.1 is year 2000 compliant.

TALXWare 9.1 is compatible with the leading computer telephony integration (CTI) software products used within sophisticated call center operations throughout the world, such as Aspect's Application Bridge, Genesys' T-Server Framework, IBM's CallPath Enterprise and Quintus' Nabnasset CTI.

TALXWare 9.1 Completes Phase Two of Windows NT Compatibility

TALXWare 9.1 is the second release of TALXWare to offer Windows NT compatibility. "Last year's release of TALXWare met the demands of many clients in the midst of migrating to Windows NT," commented Dave Fowler, director of technology, TALX Corp.

Fowler acknowledged that TALX could have shaved at least two quarters off its development cycle by introducing a Windows NT version of TALXWare that did not artfully lay out a clean migration path for users of previous TALXWare versions.

"After putting ourselves in our clients' shoes, we made the decision to phase in Windows NT compatibility. This strategy allowed us to provide a fast, but limited functionality solution last year for those who needed it then. But more importantly, our Windows NT-based strategy enabled us to invest time and resources to offer a fully featured Windows NT version of our software that doesn't force clients to rewrite applications created with previous TALXWare releases," he commented.

About TALX

St. Louis-based TALX Corp. provides interactive Web and interactive voice response (IVR) software and services to the Fortune 1,000 as well as clients within the state and federal government sector. Providing self-service solutions for the human resources, payroll and benefits sector, TALX is a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider as well as a partner of ADP, Kronos, PDS, PeopleSoft, SAP and other leaders in the software industry. For more information about TALX, visit the company's web site at www.talx.com.

Information contained in this press release may include forward-looking statements and does not constitute investment advice. Investors should seek further information about TALX from documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.