KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Feb. 25, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Neoware Systems (Nasdaq:NWRE), the leading supplier of award-winning software, services, and solutions for the Appliance Computing market, today announced that CHD Meridian Healthcare has standardized on Neoware Capio thin client appliances, further strengthening Neoware's leading position as a supplier of thin client appliance software and solutions in the healthcare arena.
CHD Meridian Healthcare is a national leader in the provision of employer-sponsored healthcare services. The company offers significant cost savings as well as improved access and quality of care to large and mid-sized employers by offering direct contracting for primary care and pharmacy benefits. With over 150 sites in more than 30 states, the Tennessee-based company provides its services to Fortune 1000 companies and the federal government through a unique business model. Operating as an application service provider, the company maintains a centralized data architecture that permits its customers to offload hardware and software acquisition, installation, and support costs.
At the heart of the company's operations is the CHD Meridian Data Center which hosts a wide array of computing applications for its healthcare customers, including pharmacy dispensing, scheduling, and billing systems; administrative applications such as email, word processing, and Internet access; as well as business intelligence reporting systems. Through this business model, CHD Meridian's clients can take full advantage of a centralized data and reporting structure without having to finance, construct, and maintain an entire computing infrastructure within their own organizations.
As a data-driven corporation, CHD Meridian recognized early on that it needed a highly secure, highly reliable information technology (IT) system that was low in cost as well as easy to deploy and maintain. Initially the computing platform consisted mainly of PCs and text terminals; however, the growing company soon needed a more cost efficient, more manageable solution to respond to the increasing reporting and data analysis demands of its expanding client base. The challenge was to find a PC-like platform that would offer a lower cost, quicker time-to-market approach for deploying new applications or platforms and performing updates without having to physically visit each desktop to make modifications to the end user device.
CHD Meridian looked to invest in a thin client appliance infrastructure for its Data Center. During the first round of deployment, a number of leading thin clients were installed along with traditional PCs. Neoware's Capio line of thin clients was included in the evaluation, and CHD Meridian was impressed with the high functionality and reliability of the product line. CHD Meridian chose to standardize on Capio thin clients for its computing platform. Operating in a Windows NT environment, the CHD Meridian Data Center currently utilizes Capio thin clients to provide round-the-clock applications access and technical support to its client base.
"Neoware's Capio thin client solution has enabled CHD Meridian to maintain the high system scalability and flexibility that is essential to a hosted environment," said Joe Cron, Assistant Vice President of IS at CHD Meridian Healthcare. "The ability of these thin client appliances to run text terminal and Windows sessions simultaneously has dramatically increased productivity among our end users. In addition, Neoware's remote management software has allowed our IT staff to make changes to firmware and configurations without traveling to the end user location, saving the company significant time and money. With their low total cost of ownership and ease of deployment, Neoware thin client appliances have proven to be a cost-effective platform for our operations, allowing us to integrate some of the premier software packages in our industry quickly and cost effectively."
About Neoware
Neoware provides software, services, and solutions to enable Appliance Computing, a new Internet-based computing architecture targeted at business customers that is designed to be simpler and easier than traditional PC-based computing. Neoware's software and management tools power and manage a new generation of smart computing appliances that utilize the benefits of open, industry-standard technologies to create new alternatives to personal computers used in business and a wide variety of proprietary business devices. Neoware's products are designed to run local applications for specific vertical markets, plus allow access across a network to multi-user Windows servers, Linux servers, mainframes, minicomputers, and the Internet. Computing appliances that run and are managed by Neoware's software offer the cost benefits of industry-standard hardware and software, easier installation, and have lower up-front and administrative costs than proprietary or PC-based alternatives. More information about Neoware can be found on the Web at www.neoware.com or via email at info@neoware.com. Neoware is based in King of Prussia, PA.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the cost benefits and other advantages of the Company's products. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted in any such forward-looking statements include Neoware's timely development and delivery, and customers' acceptance, of Neoware's appliance computing products, pricing pressures, rapid technological changes in the industry, growth of the appliance computing market, increased competition, Neoware's ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, adverse changes in general economic conditions, risks associated with foreign operations in the U. S. and internationally and political and economic uncertainties associated with current world events. These and other risks are detailed from time to time in Neoware's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended June 30, 2001.
Neoware is a registered trademark of Neoware Systems, Inc. Windows and NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other names, products, and services are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.