NORTH CANTON, Ohio, Jan. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Diebold,
Incorporated (NYSE: DBD), has further strengthened its position within the
electronic voting industry with the strategic acquisition of Data
Information Management Systems (DIMS), one of the largest voter
registration companies in the United States.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000608/DIEBLOGO )
Headquartered in Costa Mesa, Calif., DIMS has provided proven, flexible
voter registration solutions and excellent customer support for more than
22 years in a variety of jurisdictions, including Los Angeles County, the
nation's largest county, where the company installed the largest
county-based voter registration system in the country for more than 5
million voters.
DIMS' voter registration systems support election data for more than 55
percent of the registered voters in the state of California, among others.
DIMS offers product solutions for both county and statewide voter
registration requirements. This addresses the statewide voter registration
system standards of the $3.9 billion Help America Vote Act, an election
reform bill recently signed by Congress and President Bush.
"This acquisition strategically complements Diebold's suite of
offerings in the electronic voting arena and propels DIMS onto the
national elections stage," said Thomas W. Swidarski, vice president of
Strategic Development & Global Marketing for Diebold. "The addition of
DIMS will further streamline and enhance Diebold's proven capabilities of
providing a total voting solution that integrates everything from voter
registration and voter outreach, to poll worker training, the casting of
ballots and tabulation of results on election day," said Swidarski, who
also oversees Diebold Election Systems.
DIMS has also developed a revolutionary electronic poll book solution
that can electronically provide voter registration data at individual
voting locations. This electronic poll book is designed to contain data on
all voters within the entire jurisdiction, and to eliminate the need for
and expenses associated with the printed voter registration book. The poll
book also electronically stores voter history information that can be
uploaded to the voter registration system immediately following the
election, eliminating the cost and long hours required to manually input
voter history information.
"We have a number of employees with extensive experience as election
officials," said John Hice, president for Data Information Management
Systems. "This is an invaluable expertise that provides us with a keen
insight into all of the complexities of preparing for and holding a
successful election."
Diebold's extensive nationwide support network, combined with the voter
registration system technology and expertise of DIMS, creates a very
powerful, proven solution for election officials in counties and states
throughout the country. DIMS has already successfully interfaced directly
with Diebold Election Systems' election solutions in several
jurisdictions, including Los Angeles County, where the number of voters
supported by the Los Angeles voter registration system is larger than the
registered voter count in all but eight states across the country.
John R. Hice founded data Information Management Systems in 1981. In
more than 22 years, Hice and DIMS have built an outstanding reputation for
innovative election management automation, reliable software products, and
dedicated, responsive customer support. The company currently services
more voters than any other voter registration company in the United
States, supporting information for more than 14 million voters. DIMS'
expertise, combined with the financial strength and nationwide support
network of Diebold, provides a voter registration solution which is
unmatched in the election industry.
Diebold Election Systems is a wholly owned operating subsidiary of
Diebold, Incorporated, a global leader in providing integrated
self-service delivery systems and services. Diebold employs more than
13,000 associates with representation in more than 88 countries worldwide
and headquarters in North Canton, Ohio, USA. Diebold reported revenue of
$1.76 billion in 2001 and is publicly traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol 'DBD.' For more information on Diebold Election
Systems, Inc., visit the company's Web site at www.dieboldes.com , or call
1-800-433-VOTE. SOURCE Diebold, Incorporated
-0- 01/23/2003
/CONTACT: Media, Joseph Richardson, +1-330-490-5562, or
richarj2@diebold.com, or Investors, Michelle Griggy, +1-330-490-3773, or
griggym@diebold.com, both of Diebold, Incorporated/
/Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000608/DIEBLOGO