Optio Software And Geac Forge European Partnership

Alliance will strengthen document-driven processes for System 21 Product Line


ATLANTA, Dec. 9, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Optio Software, Inc. (OTCBB:OPTO), a leading provider of solutions that enhance the form, content, distribution and availability of business critical documents and information today announced the expansion of their partnership with Geac, the Canadian-based, global enterprise software company for business performance management. The partnership is an extension of the companies' current relationship and is focused on the utilization of Optio's document output management solutions to enhance offerings in GEAC's System21 line as they move into global production across the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) marketplace. As a component of the relationship, Geac will introduce and refer Optio to System21 customers seeking to enhance and automate their business processes that are heavily document dependent and international in scope.

Optio's solutions will be utilized to craft customer-facing documents such as invoices, statements and dunning letters, tailor the content of those documents based on profile-driven business rules, and automate their distribution to System21 users and customers. In addition, Optio's technology will be used to provide real-time localization of content so that customers and other trading partners receive their information in the appropriate language; ranging from single byte languages such as French, German, Spanish and Italian to double byte languages like Japanese (Kanji) and Chinese. In the complex world of international trade, improving the speed and efficiency of key business processes, such as revenue cycle, helps to reduce disputes and ensure accurate and timely payments by customers. As document volume and complexity increases the requirement for process improvement becomes essential.

"Geac selected Optio because of their ability to efficiently manage and add value to System21's document-driven processes particularly as they move into multi-national deployment," said Sharon Crawford, System21 Product Manager. "We have a series of mutual customers that have benefited greatly from our respective solutions and felt strongly that we should move our relationship to the next step by beginning to introduce and promote Optio's solutions to our international customer base."

Another consideration driving the relationship was Optio's ongoing support for applications utilizing the IBM i-series product line which is well represented in Geac's System21 customer base of more than 900 organizations in the EMEA market.

"We look forward to working closely with Geac here in the EMEA marketplace," said Michael Wendl, Optio's Managing Director for EMEA. "Our combined focus on delivering superior value to an expanding customer base will help ensure that maximum value is realized from their investments."

About Geac

Geac (TSE:GAC) is a global enterprise software company for business performance management, providing customers worldwide with the core financial and operational solutions and services to improve their business performance in real time. Further information is available at http://www.geac.com or through e-mail at info@geac.com.

About Optio Software, Inc.

Optio Software, Inc. provides infrastructure software that improves the quality of an organization's communications with customers, suppliers, partners and employees by capturing information from critical data sources and applications, customizing that information for the specific needs of those varied audiences, and delivering and exchanging that information over a global network of digital destinations and formats. Optio's customers span the manufacturing, healthcare, retail, distribution and financial service industries. Founded in 1981, Optio Software is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with satellite offices in Paris, Germany and the United Kingdom. For more information, please visit: www.optiosoftware.com.



            

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