SAN DIEGO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 07/01/09 -- Mitchell International, Inc., a leading provider of information, workflow and performance management solutions to the Property & Casualty claims and Collision Repair industries, today announced the release of UltraMate® 7, the next major version of one of the industry's most widely accepted collision estimating solutions for both insurers and collision repairers. In addition to adding new features, UltraMate 7 sets a new standard for quality, ease-of-use and estimating proficiency that both improves the estimating process and lays the foundation for future estimating innovation.

"UltraMate 7 is optimized to meet the needs of today's estimator who must quickly prepare an accurate estimate the first time. UltraMate 7 delivers on all fronts by providing an intuitive application that leverages a highly trusted industry standard like Mitchell's Parts and Labor Database," said Jesse Herrera, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Management, Mitchell International. "UltraMate 7 is the first of several Mitchell innovations we will be rolling out in 2009, in keeping with our promise to the collision repair community to help improve the claims settlement process for all participants, whether repairers, insurers or customers."

All users will enthusiastically embrace UltraMate 7's intuitive, easy-to-use design. Mitchell has worked closely with industry experts and conducted extensive research regarding the end user experience. This research has led to the development of new features such as such as highlighted active tabs, updated icons, alternating color repair grid lines, and title case fonts, which are complemented by improved navigation and updated graphics -- all to enable estimators to more easily identify and select parts and write estimates more efficiently.

Monte Etherton, 30-year Mitchell customer and owner of Fender Mender Inc. in Encinitas, Calif., is impressed with UltraMate 7's new features. "Through the years, Mitchell has always been a step ahead in innovation, and this latest version is just packed with new features! Our favorite is when you select to blend or refinish a panel, the software knows that panel needs de-trim, and a pop-up window appears with a list of items needed for R&I that can be added with one mouse click," said Etherton.

Above all else, UltraMate 7 continues the tradition of creating write-once estimates quickly whether you are a novice or experienced estimator. New features like UltraMate 7's Additional Operation Add-To windows (for procedures such as de-trimming a door for refinish or adding recommended components as a result of an airbag replacement) help novice estimators feel confident they have not missed any necessary procedures. At the same time, experienced estimators can quickly select additional operations without having to look through different part categories and procedure pages. The Special Materials Warning ensures that, as vehicles become more and more complex, both novice and experienced estimators alike will know up-front if a panel is made of a special material before attempting to repair it. This will result in fewer costly mistakes, fewer necessary supplements and decreased cycle times as a result of improper repairs. This is significant as the majority of 2009 model vehicles (over 55%) contain special materials.

Herrera added, "UltraMate 7 now leads the pack in combining database accuracy with an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. This makes UltraMate 7 the right choice for quickly producing an accurate estimate that will be readily accepted by all participants in the collision claims process. This is collision repair at its highest performance."

To learn more, please visit www.mitchell.com to sign-up for our ShopTalk Live webinar, UltraMate 7 Preview, on July 8th.

About Mitchell International, Inc.

Mitchell International (www.mitchell.com) is a leading provider of information, workflow, workers' compensation, medical bill review, and performance management solutions to the automotive insurance claims industry, serving carriers, collision repair facilities, and other commercial participants in the physical damage and auto-related medical claims markets. Mitchell facilitates millions of electronic transactions between more than 25,000 business partners each month to enhance their productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction levels.

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