WRQ Verastream Optimises Sorting and Processing System at DHL Belgium; Centrally Stored Data Integrated into Local System.

SEATTLE -- WRQ, Inc. today announced that DHL Belgium has automated its sorting system to both decrease costs and increase sorting speeds. Shipment data stored centrally in the United Kingdom is integrated from the central shipment system in Belgium using WRQ Verastream(R) software. Key functions from the central shipment system are now available as web services. Furthermore, both the speed and reliability of the sorting system have improved considerably since installation in May 2004.

Sorting freight based upon its dimensions and weight is a slow, labor-intensive, unreliable, and expensive business. To save costs and accelerate throughput, DHL Belgium has streamlined its sorting process. The company's greatest stumbling block was the fact that all information about shipments is recorded within a central UNIX application in the United Kingdom, with no application programming interface (API) for the DHL Belgium office to use. Integration of the central UNIX application through the terminal interface was the only alternative. However, UNIX applications are the most difficult to integrate with a VT terminal interface due to the complexity of the VT data flow.

WRQ is one of the few suppliers capable of successfully and reliably integrating VT based applications. Using WRQ(R) host integration server, the company integrated centralized legacy data and logic in London with the sorting system located in Belgium. All the required functions are now available as web services, without rewriting the application.

WRQ has 24 years of experience with host applications, including UNIX and OpenVMS versions, and the VT terminal interface. Many clients have successfully and reliably completed integration projects using WRQ Verastream.

"DHL Belgium is working on the introduction of a new automated sorting and processing system," says Jan Vanherck, development and deployment manager at DHL Benelux. "For this, we needed access to an application on the central host in London so that we can scan and weigh the shipments prior to sending them to the correct destination. With WRQ Verastream, we can use that application and link it to the system controlling the sorting process. This enables us to automate the entire process without requiring expensive modifications to the application."

Belgium has a key position in the global DHL network. DHL Belgium operates a "superhub," its largest outside the United States, at Zaventem Airport in Brussels. This handles an average of 900 tons of freight nightly. An ultramodern sorting system ensures that 80,000 items an hour are sent to the right destination along seven kilometers of conveyer belts.

About WRQ

WRQ(R) builds software for accessing and integrating legacy applications. WRQ Reflection(R) software provides a broad range of terminal-emulation and PC X server solutions. WRQ Verastream(R) integration server provides a single platform for reusing legacy logic and data in web applications, CRM applications, or portals. Our products help companies get the most from their hosts today as they advance their long-term IT strategy.

Established in 1981, WRQ is one of the largest privately held software companies in the U.S. It has over six million users worldwide and the highest customer-support rating in the industry. Three out of four Global 500 companies rely on WRQ daily. Learn more at www.wrq.com.

Access. Integrate. Transform.(R)

Copyright (C) 2005 WRQ, Inc. All rights reserved. WRQ, the WRQ logo, Reflection, Verastream, and "Access. Integrate. Transform." are either registered trademarks or trademarks of WRQ, Inc., in the USA and other countries. Some Reflection products include software developed by the OpenSSL Project for use in the OpenSSL Toolkit (http://www.openssl.org). All other trademarks, trade names, or company names referenced herein are used for identification only and are the property of their respective owners. USA patents pending.