National Obituary Archive(NOA)

1/31/2002

JONESBORO, Ark., Jan. 31-Continental Computer Corp. today announced the launch of its redesigned National Obituary Archive Web site with new search and navigation features that make it easier for the site's millions of visitors to find obituaries they are seeking among the archive's 55 million records.

"We are the nation's obituary page," said Dr. Michael Fullington, CEO of Continental. "We want to enable all our visitors to locate the information of greatest interest to them, whether they search by name, hometown, date, celebrity or some combination of criteria."

The Web site address is www.NationalObituaryArchive.com. Members of America Online can search the site at AOL Keyword: obituary.

Called Version 2.0, the new design focuses on the many ways and reasons visitors search for obituaries, whether they are trying to keep up with events of family or far-away places or researching family history.

Unlike a conventional newspaper death notice, an item in the National Obituary Archive is an enduring, illustrated memorial, where visitors can sign a Guestbook, attach their own personal Tribute or send condolences or gifts to a bereaved family.

Funeral directors across North America serve as Contributing Members to the project and use Continental's technology to upload obituaries directly to the National Obituary Archive. Many funeral homes have added their archival records to the database. The site uses verified public records from the Social Security Administration and elsewhere to create a comprehensive file of deaths in the United States covering many decades.

In-house staff and news reports from The Associated Press, the world's largest news-gathering organization, report the most prominent deaths of the day on the site, and staff writers have produced obituaries of hundreds of historical figures.

Continental Computer Corp. is the world's leading developer of software for managing funerals and funeral homes. More than 5,000 funeral homes in the United States use the company's flagship product, The Director's Assistant. Software magazine has consistently ranked Continental one of the top 500 software companies in the world.

Contacts: Michael Putzel Vice President, Web Operations and Communications Continental Computer Corp. 877-932-6248 mputzel@continentalcomputers.com