VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 22, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Imagis Technologies Inc. ("Imagis") (OTCBB:IMTIF) (TSX-V:WSI) (DE:IGYA) announced today that pursuant to shareholder approval, received at the company's annual general meeting on June 17, 2005, the company intends to change its name to "Visiphor Corporation" and to continue the company under the Canada Business Corporations Act. The name change remains subject to regulatory approval by the Canadian Registrar of Companies and the TSX Venture Exchange. The company's shares will continue to trade under existing stock symbols until the legal name change has been completed. The new name is derived from the term "visual metaphor", which describes how the company's advanced integration solutions utilize visual symbology to reduce the complexity involved in connecting disparate data and systems.
The company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Norman Inkster, founder and President of the Inkster Group, to the Board of Directors. Mr. Inkster's distinguished career includes roles as Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from 1987 to 1994, President of Interpol from 1992 to 1994, and Special Advisor to the Auditor General of Canada. Following the events of September 11, 2001 the Government of Ontario appointed Mr. Inkster as Special Advisor on matters of security. An Officer of the Order of Canada, he is also a Member of the Canadian and International Associations of the Chiefs of Police. His professional background in law enforcement and managerial expertise is a welcome addition to the Board.
Due to a demanding schedule of other business interests, Mr. Karim Khoja did not stand for re-election to the Board at the recent annual general meeting. The company wishes to express its thanks to Mr. Khoja for his past service and guidance, and wishes him well in his future endeavors.
The company is also pleased to announce that Mr. Dan Vermeire is joining our team as Vice President, Sales. Mr. Vermeire has more than 25 years of experience in software engineering, systems development, sales and marketing. During a highly successful tenure at Architel Systems Corporation, he was an integral part of the company's growth in annual revenue from under $100K to over $70M, having closed more than C$34M of business in a single year. He also led Architel's marketing growth-strategy until Nortel Networks eventually acquired the company. Mr. Vermeire holds a BSc. Business degree from the University of Kansas and lives in the Dallas, TX area with his wife and two children. Mr. Al Kassam, Imagis Director and former Vice President, Sales, has been appointed Vice President, Professional Services.
"More exciting changes as our company continues its turnaround," said Roy Trivett, President and CEO. "Our new Visiphor brand more accurately reflects the nature of what we do for data integration and information sharing networks, and I'm very pleased that Norman Inkster and Dan Vermeire are joining our company to assist us in delivering new opportunities and revenue growth."
Oliver "Buck" Revell, Chairman of the Board of Directors stated, "I am delighted to have my old friend and professional colleague, Norm Inkster, join our Board. We worked together very closely while he was with the RCMP and I was his counterpart with the FBI. Norm brings exceptional experience and professional knowledge to the organization. I am also pleased to welcome fellow Texan, Dan Vermeire, who has a terrific business skill set and will represent us very well in the American, Canadian, and international markets."
About Imagis Technologies Inc.
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Imagis specializes in developing and marketing software products that enable integrated access to applications and databases. The company also develops solutions that automate law enforcement procedures and evidence handling. These solutions often incorporate Imagis' proprietary facial recognition algorithms and tools. Using industry standard "Web Services", Imagis delivers a secure and economical approach to true, real-time application interoperability. The corresponding product suite is referred to as the Briyante Integration Environment (BIE).
Numerous production deployments of BIE have demonstrated remarkable reductions in the time, complexity, and risk associated with defining, implementing, and supporting integrated access to physically and technologically disparate computers. The broad ranging applicability of BIE into a variety of areas (e.g., health care, financial services, government services, telecommunications, etc.) has been clearly demonstrated by recent, highly-successful deployments in the United States and Canada. Imagis booking and facial recognition systems are deployed in Canada, the United Kingdom, United States, Mexico and the Far East.
Imagis is a Microsoft Certified Partner.
For information about Imagis or the company's products and services, please refer to www.imagistechnologies.com and www.visiphor.com
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Roy Trivett" President and CEO, Imagis Technologies Inc.
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Forward Looking Statements: This press release may contain statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results include the risks and uncertainties described in Imagis Technologies Inc.'s Form 10-KSB filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.