A. B. Computer Systems, Inc.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ACCPAC Messenger 1.1 Delivers Cost-Effective Unified
Messaging that Scales From SMBs to the Enterprise

New Version Adds Wireless Text Message Alerts,
Expanded Internet-based Faxing, Greater Scalability and Interoperability with Core Business Applications

PLEASANTON, Calif., May 5, 2003 - ACCPAC International, Inc., a subsidiary of Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA), announced today the release of ACCPAC Messenger 1.1, the latest version of the company’s integrated, network-based unified messaging system. ACCPAC Messenger is a cost-effective application for managing voicemail, call center and fax communication that now scales from small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) to the enterprise. The product provides anytime, anywhere communication capabilities through administration of telephone, fax and other messaging functions from a networked PC. Businesses can automatically route both voice messages and faxes over a company’s local area network (LAN) into e-mail as simple file attachments for replay or viewing.

In addition to providing many of the same features of more expensive messaging systems, ACCPAC Messenger can work with existing phone hardware from several major vendors, making installation and deployment easier while offering even more cost savings. ACCPAC Messenger also integrates with other ACCPAC end-to-end business management applications in addition to e-mail and contact manager applications from other vendors, such as Microsoft Outlook.

With version 1.1, ACCPAC Messenger provides new features that further simplify and improve a company’s communications management. Remote employees can now receive instant text alerts on their cell phones notifying them of new voice, fax, and e-mail messages. With new enterprise-level database support, it can now manage the unified messaging needs of large organizations with thousands of users, and also provides more international faxing points via the Internet including Canada, France and Germany, for substantial cost savings versus traditional phone-based faxing.

"With ACCPAC Messenger 1.1 we’re giving businesses of every size the tools to manage communications between employees, customers and business partners very efficiently and inexpensively," said ACCPAC President and CEO, David M. Hood. "By integrating with the business applications that employees use every day, ACCPAC Messenger empowers every employee to be more productive."

ACCPAC Messenger offers world-class unified messaging capabilities at a price approximately one-third that of similar systems from companies such as Cisco Systems and Avaya Inc., among others. The combination of ACCPAC Messenger software’s advanced functionality, value pricing, and hardware independence means large organizations have the potential to reduce their communication costs compared to their existing suppliers’ offerings without sacrificing features or worker productivity, and smaller organizations can benefit from enterprise level functionality at a price they can afford.

"We looked at similar products from vendors such as Avaya, Nortel, and Cisco-ACCPAC Messenger offers many more easy-to-use features and at a fraction of the cost," said Avi Chalid, CEO of eHomes, Inc. "The other vendors’ solutions typically were to rip out the existing equipment and replace it with new hardware. ACCPAC Messenger allowed us to keep our existing phone and data network and still gain new efficiencies."

ACCPAC Messenger 1.1 New Features:

Message Alerts Via Wireless Text Messaging

ACCPAC Messenger enables users to establish event triggers that send wireless text messages to the user’s cell phone. This can be used to notify the user of incoming voice, fax, and e-mail messages at the office and can easily be set to include urgency and contact information, virtually eliminating the need for a separate pager. Employees can always be connected for important messages, regardless of type.

Business Application Integration

In addition to its new integration with other ACCPAC business management applications such as ACCPAC Advantage Series and ACCPAC Pro Series accounting systems, and ACCPAC CRM, ACCPAC Messenger integrates with Microsoft Outlook and contact management products such as ACT! and Goldmine. This new integration enables users to easily send a fax or voice message to a contact stored in any of these applications and provides a single point of management for all contacts.

Cost-Efficient Scalability from the Small Business to the Enterprise

ACCPAC Messenger can be deployed with Microsoft SQL, Oracle, or IBM DB2 databases, interfacing with telephone systems from Avaya, Nortel, NEC, Mitel, Seimens and Panasonic. It also supports Sprint, Verizon, Nextel and T-Mobile text messaging services.

With its new multi-vendor database support, ACCPAC Messenger can scale up to support thousands of users, offering small, mid-size and large businesses alike the ability to better leverage their existing database investments and to easily expand their unified messaging system as their companies grow and expand.

Domestic and International Internet-based Faxing

With the addition of fax points in Canada, France, and Germany, ACCPAC Messenger provides faxing via the Internet in over 170 cities in North America and Europe. A company with employees in several U.S. cities and Europe can now subscribe to a common service that receives faxes via local numbers in those regions, then routes them through the corporate network to the appropriate employee’s e-mail box. These local fax numbers enable improved local service to clients at very low cost and provide the system administrator with complete control of fax routing and centralized billing.

About ACCPAC

ACCPAC International, Inc., a subsidiary of Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA), provides small and mid-size businesses a broad range of end-to-end business management applications designed to enhance customers’ competitive advantage. Product lines include ACCPAC Advantage Series, ACCPAC Pro Series, ACCPAC HR Series, ACCPAC Business Analysis Suite, ACCPAC eTransact, ACCPAC Exchange, ACCPAC CRM, ACCPAC Warehouse Management System, ACCPAC ePOS, Simply Accounting, FAXserve and ACCPAC Messenger.

Based in Pleasanton, Calif., USA, with offices in Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Mexico, the Middle East, the Netherlands, South Africa, Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom, ACCPAC has more than 500,000 customers and more than 6,500 channel partners in more than 130 countries worldwide.

All other marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.


About A. B. Computer Systems, Inc.

A. B. Computer Systems is a leading provider of turnkey business solutions that include software, hardware and services. Established in 1989, the company specializes in Accounting, Distribution and Manufacturing Systems, Internet Commerce and Custom Designed Business Software. With offices in Melville, Manhattan and Saddle Brook, the company caters to mid-size businesses that invest in technology in order to improve productivity, efficiency and their bottom line.

For more information: Joe Keller, 800-440-4082, joekell@abcsi.com.

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The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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