Northwest Airlines Selects OPTIX Document Management System

Flint Hill, VA - July 14, 1997 - Northwest Airlines has signed a contract to purchase an OPTIX Document Management System from Blueridge Technologies. The airline will use the OPTIX system to store, retrieve, and manage aircraft maintenance manuals for the company's fleet of more than 400 aircraft.

Northwest serves more than 390 cities in 80 countries and will use the OPTIX system to provide access to stored documents via the world wide web. Employees with the proper security authorization will be able to access maintenance manuals, from anywhere in the world using a web browser, or OPTIX client software, and a connection to the Northwest intranet. In addition to supporting Internet client software, OPTIX supports both Macintosh and Windows workstations.

According to Howie Swaim, Director of Marketing for Blueridge Technologies, "Our reputation for providing reliable, cost-effective, document management solutions for the airline industry is becoming well-known. Federal Express, the world's largest all cargo airline, has used OPTIX to more efficiently manage their aircraft maintenance records for years. We're eager to use the expertise we've gained over the years with FedEx, to assist Northwest in more efficiently managing their aircraft maintenance documents, and we look forward to providing them with a level of customer support that exceeds their expectations."

News of Northwest's decision to purchase an OPTIX system comes less than two weeks after the Washington Post announced that they would be installing OPTIX to improve the newspaper's handling of display advertising projects.

Founded in 1988, Blueridge Technologies is one of the industry's oldest and most respected providers of electronic document management systems (EDMS). In 1994 OPTIX became the first document management system to offer workflow, document imaging, document control, COLD (Computer Output to Laser Disk), and natural language text retrieval for both Windows and Macintosh workstations. Via the new OPTIX WEB interface, OPTIX also supports popular Web browsers, including Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer from Microsoft, Mosaic, and all the client platforms these products support -- including Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX workstations.

OPTIX systems begin in the range of $40,000 and include server software, client software for both Macintosh and Windows, installation, training, and support.