FYI-Accessibility Product announcement-Microsoft FrontPage developers

HiSoftware strengthens strategic relationship with Microsoft to bring newly
enhanced Web Accessibility Solution to Microsoft FrontPage Users

AccVerify 2002 SE helps Microsoft FrontPage Web developers Verify compliance
with Section 508 and W3C Accessibility Standards

Concord, NH, (February 15, 2002) HiSoftware, Inc., a leading provider of Web
content accessibility solutions, announced today that it has extended its
strategic relationship with Microsoft Corporation and will provide all users
of Microsoft FrontPage access to a newly released Special Edition of
HiSoftwares Web accessibility compliance tool, AccVerify 2002 SE for
FrontPage., free of charge. Through the agreement, FrontPage users will be
able to use AccVerify 2002 SE to automatically identify accessibility
violations in Web pages created in FrontPage to ensure compliance with
standards mandated by the federal government's Section 508 of the
Rehabilitation Act.

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments went into effect on June
21, 2001. The section mandates that federal agencies must ensure that all
electronic and information technology purchased, maintained, or developed
meets the accessibility standards established by the U.S. Access Board.
Although federally mandated, state governments and private organizations can
benefit by adhering to these standards.

AccVerify 2002 SE for FrontPage allows users to develop strategies for
accessible Web design within their organization," said Giovanni Mezgec, Lead
Product Manager for Microsoft FrontPage. We are pleased to be working with
HiSoftware to extend FrontPage functionality and to educate FrontPage
developers in the design of accessible Web sites.

Since its initial launch in September of 2001, this product has received
tremendous interest from Federal and State government Webmasters, as well as
University and private sector Webmasters who are interested in learning
about designing accessible sites, said Robert B. Yonaitis, CEO and
President of HiSoftware, Inc. We are pleased to be working with Microsoft
to support and enhance their leadership role and commitment to accessibility
initiatives.

AccVerify 2002 SE features a Statistics Summary report, which provides
comprehensive, high-level details regarding the contents of a web site.
This report includes basic information such as how many images, applets, and
other common elements exist, but also locates other types of files that may
have accessibility issues and specific phrases that may cause a site to fail
accessibility tests.

Additionally, one of the most time consuming aspects of accessibility
testing is determining which tables are layout tables, and which tables are
used for data presentation. AccVerify 2002 SE allows users to create rules
for AccVerify to programmatically identify a layout table.  This feature
takes the guesswork away from the individual reviewing and repairing these
pages.

New features available in AccVerify 2002 SE include:
Batch processing of up to 6 Web files.
Advanced Rule Settings
Summary Report
Statistics Summary Report
File Type Link Report
Table Layout Editor
Link Phrase Link Report
Data Table Link Report
Set Maximum File Size

Pricing and Availability

AccVerify SE for Microsoft FrontPage is immediately available free of charge
to FrontPage users from http://www.hisoftware.com/msacc/index.html.
Additionally, FrontPage users will receive a discount on the entire
HiSoftware Accessibility product line, including the AccRepair for
FrontPage, which allows users to make automated programmatic corrections to
Accessibility errors across their FrontPage Webs.

About HiSoftware
Hiawatha Island Software Company, Inc. (HiSoftware) is a leading global
supplier of Advanced Search, Web site accessibility, and Web site management
solutions for government, corporate, educational, and consumer markets.
HiSoftwares award-winning solutions are used by organizations to maximize
the effective use of their respective corporate intranets and the Internet.
The companys solutions promote the effective use of metadata for index,
search, and retrieval. Metadata allows document authors, information
managers, archivists, and Webmasters to classify, rate, and describe the
contents of their documents. The companys solutions are sold worldwide
through distributors, corporate resellers, integrators, and direct sales.
HiSoftware solutions are also available to federal government customers
through the GSA schedule. For more information call HiSoftwares corporate
headquarters at 603-229-3055, or visit our Web site at
http://www.hisoftware.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in
software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business
computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed
to empower people through great software -- any time, any place and on any
device.

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Dana Louise Simberkoff
HiSoftware Company
www.hisoftware.com
+1-603-229-3055

Received on Friday, 15 February 2002 11:06:28 UTC