CalOPTIMA Selects Mercator for Integration Architecture of Web-based Healthcare System and HIPAA Compliance

Business Wire, Dec 20, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

WILTON, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2000

Mercator(R) Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCTR), today announced that CalOPTIMA, has selected Mercator Commerce Broker as the business-to-business (B2B) integration architecture for its health care system. Mercator Commerce Broker is designed to provide CalOPTIMA with real-time, any-to-any integration and transformation of its information infrastructure so that CalOPTIMA may expand its services to the Internet and comply with federally mandated regulations known as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

"CalOPTIMA is dedicated to providing members with access to quality health care services delivered in a cost effective and compassionate manner," said Betsy Ha, director of operational implementation at CalOPTIMA. "A key to our success will be integrating our system with the Web, as well as making it HIPPA compliant. We are committed to this process, and we chose Mercator Commerce Broker because we wanted to rely on a single technology that was faster, proven, and cost-efficient."

Mercator met CalOPTIMA's need to complete multiple interfaces in time for integration testing of the new system, using the Mercator Commerce Broker for its HIPAA compliant X12 formats and its any-to-any data integration and transformation capabilities. Mercator's integration architecture supports the transactions and field mapping features currently needed to comply with nationally mandated transaction standards while preserving local autonomy and allowing for future changes in federal regulation. With the Mercator Commerce Broker, it is anticipated that CalOPTIMA will reduce the costs associated with new interface development and easily extend more of its business processes to the Web in the future.

"While cost control has long been a health care industry imperative, compliance with HIPAA regulations is now a major driver for key technology decisions -- especially to support e-business integration," said James P. Schadt, chairman and CEO, Mercator. "We are delighted that CalOPTIMA selected Mercator to leverage their investment not only for HIPAA compliance but to build an e-business infrastructure for the future."

About CalOPTIMA

CalOPTIMA is the Medi-Cal administrator in Orange County and contracts with physicians, clinics, hospitals and pharmacies throughout the county to provide health care to approximately 220,000 low-income children, elderly and disabled individuals. CalOPTIMA is a five year old organization that manages an annual operating budget of $580 million.

About Mercator

Mercator software integrates electronic information throughout a business enterprise and with the applications of its customers and partners -- while leveraging current technology investments at every step.

More than 5,000 customers, across every industry, use our software to help accelerate their transformation to e-business. Over 100 partners, including application software providers, systems integrators and Net markets, embed or resell our technology to enhance their product or service offerings. Additional information about Mercator can be found at www.mercator.com

Mercator is a registered trademark of Mercator Software, Inc. "the e-business transformation company" is a trademark of Mercator Software, Inc.

Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Mercator Software's beliefs, expectations, hopes or intentions regarding the future. Forward looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future federal regulation and cost reduction associated with the use of Mercator Commerce Broker. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties such as unanticipated changes in federal regulations, difficulty or delays in developing new or enhanced products, changes in demand for application integration or e-business integration software and the company's Mercator e-business integration broker suite of products in particular the ability of the company to expand its international operations, the ability of the company to manage expanded global operations, the ability of the company to continue to add resellers and other distribution channels, and the success of third parties in utilizing and marketing the company's products, or seasonality in operating results. Readers should also refer to the risk disclosures outlined in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements and reasons why results might differ included in this release are made as of the date hereof, based on information available to the company as of the date hereof, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement or reasons why results might differ.