June 7, 2007 - WOONSOCKET, RI – Ten newspapers, three dailies and seven weeklies (The Times in Pawtucket, The Kent County Daily Times in West Warwick, The Call, Cumberland Lincoln Neighbors and Better Living in Woonsocket, The Coventry Courier, the East Greenwich Pendulum, the Standard Times in North Kingstown, The Narragansett Times in Wakefield, Charibo Times in Wyoming, RI) make up Rhode Island’s newest newspaper group. When R.I.S.N. Operations, Inc purchased a major group of Rhode Island newspapers from the Journal-Register Co., one of the first challenges was to find a new method of handling the business functions of their newspapers. After an industry-wide search, they chose a complete line of products to handle circulation management, total advertising (display and classified) and an expanding suite of web functions from Vision Data Equipment Corporation of Rensselaer, NY.

R.I.S.N., with a combined print circulation of over 40,000, will be running off of a new Sun Microsystems server located in Woonsocket. Classified ads will be entered and auto-priced directly in the system as will display ad orders. Remote offices will have full system access from each location, as well.

The Vision Circulation Management package will include file conversions, combining the data from three separate former vendors into a single database, allowing a total of 20 users to manage all circulation functions for distribution and billing, including electronic funds transfer functionality to handle direct debiting of checking, savings, or credit card accounts for E-Z pay functionality. Additional features include PostNet Barcoding, CASS Certification, Lockbox interface, and the Vision Insert Module to handle the distribution and zoning of preprints.

The circulation database will also be directly linked to the Vision Total Advertising system through the Vision Integrated Customer Service System to provide cross-selling opportunities to the classified sales department. It will also link directly to the Total Advertising preprint order system to seamlessly handle preprint distribution, zoning and billing.

The system will create a single file for each advertiser, regardless of whether they are running display, classified or both, simplifying accounting and receivables management while greatly improving contact management and overall sales management functions through a variety of new sales and marketing screens. The system includes on-screen credit card verification as well as the ability to directly fax or email classified ad proofs or e-mail bills. The Vision system will also include complete classified pagination systems in both Woonsocket and Pawtucket

VisionWeb is one web application integrating a single rating engine between all applications, offering intuitive up-sells in a private-party and commercial classified ad-builder. VisionWeb also integrates circulation and subscription maintenance, and commercial and contract ad placement for display, classified display, and retail space reservations. Advertisers can even access transaction reports, all in one simple application! VisionWeb Home Order Entry has yielded unprecedented returns since its release.

Thomas A Dempsey, president of Vision Data, commented: “As a welcome addition to the rapidly evolving newspaper industry, R.I.S.N. joins the growing list of over 1500 publications currently using Vision Data software systems.” For over 30 years, the independently owned publishing companies and emerging groups have been a real strength in Vision Data’s pattern of continuing growth.”