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Innovation Associates Completes U.S. Air Force’s Rigorous Certification/
Accreditation Processes for Information Technology Security
Vendor’s Acquisition of Key Certifications Paves Way for Continued Relationship with USAF Pharmacies

JOHNSON CITY, NY - February 20, 2003 - Innovation Associates announces that its PharmASSIST® Symphony+ System for automated prescription dispensing has successfully completed the U.S. Air Force’s most rigorous certification and accreditation processes for information technology security: DITSCAP, Certificate of Networthiness, and Certificate to Operate.

Innovation’s completion of DITSCAP (Defense Information Technology Security Certification and Accreditation Process, as required for DoD entities by DoD Instruction 5200.40) means that the PharmASSIST Symphony+ System has been certified and accredited by the Air Force Medical Services, Information Assurance Branch. As part of this process, the Government performs a comprehensive evaluation of a system’s technical and non-technical security features, and ensures that a system’s design and implementation meets a standard set of security requirements.

The combination of the Certificate of Networthiness and the Certificate to Operate is a two-pronged certification process established by the Air Force Communication Agency to ensure that only secure applications are deployed and connected to the Air Force Symphony+. The Networthiness Assessment determines the impacts, risks, and vulnerabilities of fielding a system, and address such issues as infrastructure requirements, network security, network impact, network compatibility, and so on. The possession of a Certificate of Networthiness was a major consideration in a recent decision by the Air Force to award a sole source contract to Innovation Associates for its PharmASSIST Symphony+ System; a decision recently upheld by the General Accounting Office (GAO).

“Innovation Associates is certainly pleased to have completed this critical certification process,” says Harry Boyer, chairman and CTO for Innovation. “I was extremely impressed with the Government’s comprehensiveness and attention to detail as we worked through this substantial year-long effort. We are proud to be the first commercial pharmacy system to obtain the certification, and we believe this puts us in a great position to address security concerns of the military departments and the Government in general.”

Innovation Associates, Inc., a leader in the world of automated prescription dispensing, offers the PharmASSIST family of products to address the prescription growth, quality assurance, pharmacy workflow, and cost control challenges of all size pharmacies. With over 25 years of broad-based, business experience, Innovation Associates is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality pharmacy automation products to the pharmacy industry. For more information on Innovation Associates, Inc., visit www.innovat.com.

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