FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, please contact:
Jessica Clark
VisionWeb
(512) 241-8561

- Or -

Ed Buffington
CEO, OfficeMate Software Solutions
(800) 269-3666

OfficeMate and VisionWeb Partner to Streamline Practice Management
All Major Contact Lens Brands Now Available Online at Optical Industry Portal.

Austin, Texas - March 10, 2003 - OfficeMate Software Solutions, the leader in eyecare practice management software, and VisionWeb, the premier Internet-based eyecare practice tool, announced they have entered the next phase of beta-testing a new version of OfficeMate that integrates VisionWeb's remote order-entry functionality. The new system enables eyecare practitioners to order products from within the OfficeMate software environment, saving time and streamlining the task of re-keying patient information.

The announcement comes as more and more eyecare practices incorporate technology that helps them to run a more efficient business and provide better service to their patients. Using OfficeMate with VisionWeb, customers can access existing patient and prescription data to create orders for lenses, frames, and contact lenses, and automatically transmit those orders to their suppliers over the Internet. The result is a dramatic increase in order accuracy, elimination of redundant data entry, reduced turnaround time, and, ultimately, better patient service.

"Our company is focused on providing technology solutions that benefit the eyecare practice," said Ed Buffington, CEO of OfficeMate Software Solutions. "Since we began testing, our customers immediately recognized that the ability to order products directly from within the OfficeMate software was an exciting feature." About 7,100 eyecare practices currently use OfficeMate software. The suite of products includes OfficeMate for practice management, OPIS ReportWRITER for patient and professional communications, and ExamWRITER for electronic medial records software.

"We're very excited to be a part of the beta-test for the combined VisionWeb and OfficeMate product and believe this type of automation represents the future of eyecare practices," commented Dr. Robert Rosenstein, OD, FAAO of Rosenstein Eye Center in Durham, NC."The ability to enter patient information directly into the system from the exam room eliminates the chance of errors that frequently occur from transcribing and re-keying,"Dr. Rosenstein continued.

"There clearly is an opportunity to provide substantial benefit to the practitioner with our combined technologies," said Jim Vitkus, Chief Marketing Officer at VisionWeb. "VisionWeb dramatically makes the task of ordering patient eyewear more efficient while minimizing errors, and the ability to access the service directly within the practice management software means that practitioners and office staff can concentrate more on providing quality patient service."

VisionWeb, whose service enables online order placement to over 100 suppliers in the optical industry, began working with OfficeMate in 2002 to incorporate their functionality into OfficeMate software. Close to 4,000 eyecare professionals have become VisionWeb members since its launch in March of 2002.

The companies will continue to conduct this next phase of beta-testing with a small group of customers to ensure a seamless integration and that the benefits to the eyecare practice are fully realized. A rollout to the broader marketplace is planned following the completion of beta testing.