Software supports share plan compliance requirements.

Press Release Summary:



Providing detailed financial reporting of data to help users meet compliance regulations including FAS 123R, Express Options Application v6.5 allows tracking and reporting on participant retirement eligibility. It provides users with ability to group earnings per share dilutions report by codes that they define. Software enables comparing forfeiture estimates to actual activity against awards and allows users to define retirement eligibility parameters at plan and grant level.



Original Press Release:



Computershare Releases Express Options(TM) Application Version 6.5



Computershare Releases Express Options(TM) Application Version 6.5

Greater reporting flexibility and detail to support share plan compliance requirements

SHELTON, Conn., Oct. 4 - Computershare Plans Software, a business unit of Computershare Limited announced today the release of Express Options application version 6.5 (v6.5). The enhancements to the Express Options application provides for more efficient and detailed financial reporting of data to help users meet complex compliance regulations, including FAS 123R. Express Options is part of the Express Equity Suite(TM) of products, which also includes Express Stock Purchase(TM), Express Desktop(TM), and Express Share Tracking(TM).

"This is the second major release of Express Options this year," said Gary Scrofani, Senior Product Manager for Computershare Plans Software. "We have enhanced the flexibility of the financial reports to help our clients meet their compliance requirements and efficiently handle ever-changing regulations. Moving forward, we will continue to support our clients and the industry by investing in further enhancements to the Express Equity Suite of products."

Similar to all software enhancements from Computershare Plans Software, the release of Express Options application v6.5 is a no-cost upgrade for current customers. A key component of v6.5 is the enhancement of financial reporting and the addition of tracking and reporting on participant retirement eligibility.

Users will now be able to group the earnings per share dilutions report by codes they define themselves, which will allow them greater alignment of the reporting with their own internal cost centers or divisions. And, a new line item was added to the existing disclosure summary report that will assist users in gathering the numbers needed for FAS 123R - paragraph A240 b(2)(d). This will provide the number and weighted-average grant date fair value for awards that became vested within a user-defined reporting period.

FAS 123R also requires the estimation of forfeitures for expense purposes and the "truing up" of these estimates to the actual forfeitures that occur. A new report feature in Express Options application v6.5 assists in this process by comparing forfeiture estimates to actual activity against the awards.

Express Options users will now be able to define retirement eligibility parameters at the plan and grant level to help meet FAS 123R retirement eligibility reporting requirements. A new report has also been created that lists all participants affected by retirement eligibility for audit purposes.

Support for an additional database engine version has also been added. Starting with version 6.5 of the Express Equity Suite; Oracle 10g will be supported - an addition to Computershare Plans Software's existing list of supported databases engines, which include Oracle 9i, Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and MSDE 2000.

Computershare to exhibit at the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals

Computershare will exhibit Equity Options v6.5, as well as the entire line the Express Equity Suite(TM) of products, at the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals' (NASPP) annual meeting taking place October 10-13 in Las Vegas. To learn more about Computershare's equity plans software solutions, please stop by booths 501, 503 and 505 and ask for Joe Potenza, Senior Vice President, Computershare Plans Software. The NASPP is the leading membership association devoted to meeting the needs of stock plan professionals. They have nearly 6,000 members whose responsibilities relate, directly or indirectly, to stock plan design and administration, including compensation and human resources professionals, stock plan administrators, securities and tax attorneys, accountants, compensation consultants, corporate secretaries, transfer agents, stock brokers, and software vendors.

About Computershare

Computershare is a global leader in transfer agency, employee equity plans, proxy solicitation and other specialized financial and communication services. Many of the world's largest companies employ our innovative solutions to maximize the value of their relationships with investors, employees, customers and members.

Computershare has approximately 10,000 employees across the world and serves 14,000 corporations and 100 million shareholders and employee accounts in 17 countries across five continents. For more information about Computershare, visit www.computershare.com/ .

About Computershare Plans Software

Computershare Plans Software is the equity plans software solutions provider of choice of over 2,000 corporations worldwide. As part of the Computershare group of businesses, Computershare Plans Software delivers a comprehensive range of software solutions aimed at responding to the needs of today's equity compensation environment. Computershare Plans Software develops, maintains and markets the Express Equity(TM) suite of products, which includes Equity Options, Express Stock Purchase, Express Desktop, and Express Share Tracking.

Source: Computershare

CONTACT:
Juli Bark,
EVP, Marketing and Strategic Development,
+1-312-588-4249,
juli.bark@computershare.com

Jeff Stein,
Press Relations,
1-212-805-7271,
jeff.stein@computershare.com

Web site: www.computershare.com/

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