Optika shines in Q1'99 with 40% revenue gain

Optika appears to be back on track -- but not yet profitable -- based on its Q1 '99 financial performance.

First quarter revenue of $5.2 million represents a 40% increase from Q1' 98. Net loss over the same period was $280,000 compared with $1.3 million. Revenue from services and maintenance contributed heavily to the gains, increasing 58% from the year before.

During the quarter Optika signed new customers Caterpillar, Ford Motor Company and Thomson Newspapers. In its second quarter of availability Optika's eMedia now has 65 global customers, 20 of whom are currently in the production phase.

Optika has also announced a deal with Arthur Andersen to add eMedia to the consultancy's arsenal of recommended enterprise software solutions. Arthur Andersen manager Everett Burns is "confident that Arthur Andersen's clients will reap the same benefits" in business-to-business transaction cycles as other document-intensive Optika clients.

The first beneficiary of the Optika/AA deal is Pennsylvania-based cable and telecom firm Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI), which will use eMedia's imaging and workflow components to process invoices and payments for its customer support programs, allowing customers to pay for support services via a phone call.

"By automating our customers payment process, we are expecting faster customer handling time and higher customer satisfaction," according to Sharon McCarthy, TCI's customer operations manager.

Also, Optika recently increased its exposure to Global 2000 customers by signing a North American reseller agreement with Xerox Professional Services (XPS).

Commented XPS VP Robert Couture: "Optika is becoming a key vendor in the emerging Web commerce marketplace."

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