NEW YORK-June 26, 2001--Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. has cut costs and increased worker productivity by introducing systems and solutions offered through Xerox Corporation's Xerox Business Partner Program. The Xerox Business Partner program links selected resellers, software providers, distributors and systems integrators with the resources of Xerox to provide customized solutions that extend the functionality of Xerox office systems. Mercedes-Benz U.S. International's manufacturing plant in Vance, Ala., has implemented KnowledgeShare, a document management solution that resulted from the collaboration among Xerox, Cobra Technologies and Lotus and is designed for Domino.doc environments. KnowledgeShare has helped Mercedes-Benz reduce the labor involved in complying with strict industry policies and in locating records after they are filed. "The auto industry must comply with a multitude of record-keeping requirements, so we are required to keep meticulous records. We needed a customized solution to help us comply with the law, provide access to important information and reduce labor costs,'' said Bill Engelke, assistant manager of information technology, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International. "We couldn't find a solution compatible with Domino.doc until Xerox, Xerox Connect, Cobra, and Lotus helped customize one.'' Prior to using KnowledgeShare, the automaker's system for managing its regulatory documents was a manual process that would not work for the long term. Now, Mercedes-Benz workers use Xerox Document Centre multifunction systems to scan hardcopy originals directly into the Lotus Domino.doc document management system. This eliminates manual, paper-intensive processes, and workers can instantly search and retrieve business-critical documents electronically with standardized record-retention practices. By replacing 82 printers, fax machines and copiers with 46 Xerox Document Centre multifunction systems, Mercedes-Benz also saved valuable office space, cut supplies and maintenance costs, and lowered its output cost per page. Streamlining Document Management In addition to Mercedes-Benz, Xerox highlighted two other customers at PC Expo 2001, a major IT trade show. International Creative Management (ICM), a Beverly Hills, Calif., talent agency, has simplified the process by which actors access thousands of scripts in its library. Xerox collaborated with McLean Group, a supplier of document management software tools and a Xerox Business Partner reseller for the past two years. ICM maintains a repository of about 20,000 television, movie and play scripts, which actors can search, review and print. Using Xerox DocuShare as the Web-based interface software has given more users faster access to the library without slowing the network, slashing search time from a half-hour to mere seconds. McLean Group provided the technology to enable the transition to the new DocuShare database. In Florida, the 950-room Boca Raton Resort and Club now can offer convenient and confidential in-room faxing to its guests thanks to SpectraFAX, a provider of voice/fax messaging systems and a new Xerox partner. At the resort, the SpectraFAX Fax Liaison uses a 16-port fax server to link multiple fax machines so that each guest has his or her own unique fax number. The solution eliminates the labor of receiving and delivering faxes to guest rooms, and it consolidates all faxing resources in one location with centralized management. The Boca Raton Resort and Club has also replaced its microfiche system with Xerox DocuShare software so users can capture, manage and share electronic documents. All of the resort's documents are scanned directly to DocuShare via Document Centre systems, so about 1,000 employees can now easily access files from their desktops. All solutions developed through the Xerox Business Partner Program are available to customers in North America and Europe through its partners, including independent software vendors, value-added resellers, and system integrators.