Ventana Corp. announces new president/CEO; Company to focus on Web and Client/Server versions of award-winning GroupSystems

Business Wire, April 8, 1996

TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 1996--Jay Nunamaker, chairman and a founder of Ventana Corp., Monday announced that James M. Thornton has been appointed president and chief executive officer of the Tucson-based firm.

Thornton's 17 years of general management and financial expertise include development and implementation of strategic financial, MIS, manufacturing, human resource and operational plans for Aldus Corp., creators of the widely used PageMaker software.

During his tenure as chief financial officer, Aldus revenues grew from $1 million to $60 million in three years. He negotiated and raised $40 million in an initial public offering of common stock through Alex Brown & Sons. He also has been employed by Bank of America, Newsweek International, and Price Waterhouse. He received a B.S. from Manhattan College, holds an MBA from Rutgers University and is a CPA.

Ventana Corp., founded in 1989, is an example of the technology transfer process at the University of Arizona. The company's GroupSystems software is used by a customer base that totals 1,200 organizations and includes Fortune 500 customers such as Chevron, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Procter and Gamble, Ernst & Young, and Price Waterhouse. Government organizations include all branches of the Department of Defense and the FAA.

A regional Ventana office in Falls Church, Va., supports 110 customer organizations. In addition to Washington and Tucson, sales offices are located in Dallas, Seattle, Cleveland and Phoenix and serve a network of 34 sales associates throughout the continental United States. In addition, there are 15 international distributors.

Ventana provides leading-edge, workgroup productivity software and collaborative applications for organizations. This software supports virtual (desktop) and face-to-face (conference room) meetings.

Ventana also provides facilitation, consulting and training. GroupSystems enables organizations to save time and money through better decision making and improved communication in an anytime and anyplace environment.

Commenting on Ventana's "priorities," Thornton stated that, "During the next six months, we will focus on releasing two significant versions of GroupSystems: GroupSystems Client/Server and GroupSystems WEB for the Internet and Intranets.

"GroupSystems WEB will be the first version of GroupSystems capable of holding anytime/anyplace meetings over the Internet. As part of our overall business plan, we also will be raising additional equity capital."

CONTACT: Ventana Corp., Tucson

Lynn Lyle, 520/325-8228; Fax: 520/325-8319