Giant Print Media Exposition Previews Next-Generation Equipment Service Strategies from Questra

Business Wire, May 28, 2004

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 28, 2004

Leading Drupa Exhibitors Demonstrate Intelligent Device Management

for Prepress, Press, and Postpress Equipment

Print industry executives attending drupa 2004, the world's largest print media exposition, saw live demonstrations of next-generation service strategies based on remote monitoring and management of equipment at the customer site. Questra software for intelligent device management (IDM) was demonstrated on working prepress, press, and postpress equipment in the booths of Agfa and Heidelberg, worldwide leaders in the print media industry.

Heidelberg, the show's largest single exhibitor, announced at the show that the company will power its new generation of Web-based remote service using Questra IDM software. The company gave a live demo of Questra remote monitoring and diagnostics, and showed how diagnostic applications can be administered over the Internet from a central location. Heidelberg estimates that over 49,000 visitors witnessed presentations in Heidelberg's five solutions demo centers.

The Agfa exhibition space included a demonstration of several Questra IDM applications. In one, Agfa showed how it used Questra software to automate software release distribution over the Internet to customer equipment worldwide, removing the need for a field service site visit to each device. Agfa ensures its customers of higher equipment uptime by using Questra software to remotely check on several critical parameters such as the power of the laser of a platesetter. In case of anomalies, Agfa engineers are alerted by email and intervene proactively to resolve problems before they affect customer operations.

Drupa 2004 took place from May 6 to 19 in Dusseldorf, Germany. More than 394,000 attendees registered, including 54% from outside Germany. Attendees registered from 122 countries, in all.

The Questra IDM solution includes enterprise platform software, server-based applications, agents loaded into in-field devices, and connectors that interface with enterprise applications and wireless devices. The high-performance Questra architecture supports massively scalable deployments, such as the ones in progress at Agfa and Heidelberg.

"Web-based remote service is revolutionizing the delivery of high-uptime, high-reliability printing," said John Canosa, Questra chief technical officer. "Questra works with the industry leaders to increase the productivity of their equipment and enhance the profitability of their customers."

About Questra (www.questra.com)

Questra Corporation, www.questra.com, is an enterprise software company leading the development of intelligent device management solutions. The company's remote diagnostic and monitoring applications collect data from medical instruments, printing equipment, power monitors, and other remote devices. Equipment manufacturers and their customers using the Questra Smart Service Solution lower their service costs through reduced emergency calls, proactive device monitoring and diagnostics, and streamlined accounting for consumables and usage. Equipment manufacturers such as GE Healthcare, Diagnostic Products Corp., Eaton Corp.'s Cutler-Hammer business, Heidelberg, and SAIC use Questra. Questra is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif.