PR Newswire - May 4, 2000

Millions of bits of information from millions of U.S. residents completing the 2000 Census will be translated into useable, managed data using a software encoding system developed by Wheeling, WV-based HGO Technology, Inc. and implemented
by the U.S. Bureau of the Census (BOC).

The HGO system, through efficient, low-error data encoding, potentially can save $12 million in taxpayer costs for training and staff processing. It will be used on data collected by the BOC from more than 30 million long-form census surveys. The
West Virginia firm's production-level software won out over competitive versions from Canada, France, Australia and other U.S. companies.

HGO, an information technology firm, has developed the Standard Occupation & Industry Coding (SOIC) system in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH). The system classifies occupation and
industry responses from the census forms with a standardized coding scheme.

The BOC awarded HGO NIOSH a contract for a production-level AutoCoder in March, 1999. The AutoCoder exceeds BOC production standards for the system to code data at a low error-rate. Errors in coding require manual reprocessing. BOC estimates that every production percentage point achieved by the AutoCoder saves about $1 million in training and staffing taxpayer costs.

HGO's extensive experience in code-assignment software began in 1993 with a NIOSH contract to code cancer registry and death certificate vital records. The coded data is used to identify industries and occupations at risk for work-related injuries and
diseases. Researchers use the data to prioritize means of making safer work environments. It is used by 25 cancer registries, 26 states and 42 other government agencies.

"Such a coding system for critical census and vital statistics information has been a long standing need. This successful solution is a collaborative effort of government and private IT expertise," James O'Malley, HGO president, said.