ATLANTA, July 25, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The countdown has begun for Harland Financial Solutions' annual client conference, with Captain James Lovell on board to launch the event as this year's keynote speaker. Connections 2005 is being held August 25-27 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.
The Connections Conference is an annual gathering of Harland Financial Solutions' clients and strategic partners from the United States and abroad. The event is a mix of educational sessions and networking opportunities all focused on improving financial institution performance.
Harland expects attendance at this year's conference to beat last year's record. "With over 1,200 clients and partners already registered to attend, we're expecting to have over 1,500 total participants registered by the time the event kicks off in August," said Scott Hansen, vice president of marketing and business development for Harland Financial Solutions.
Captain James Lovell Jr. was chosen in September 1962 for the space program following extensive experience as a naval aviator and test pilot. Lovell executed various commands in the Gemini and Apollo Program, including serving as backup pilot for the Gemini 4 flight, pilot of Gemini 7, backup commander for Gemini 9, commander of Gemini 12, and command module pilot and navigator on Apollo 8, man's maiden voyage to the moon. He then was backup commander to Neil Armstrong for the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. His fourth and final flight was on the perilous Apollo 13 mission in 1970. As spacecraft commander, he and his crew successfully modified their lunar module into an effective lifeboat when their cryogenic oxygen system failed. Their emergency activation and operation of the lunar module systems conserved both electrical power and water in sufficient supply to ensure their survival in space and their safe return to Earth.
In 1994, Lovell and Jeff Kluger wrote "Lost Moon," the story of the courageous mission of Apollo 13. The book has recently been re-released as "Apollo 13: Anniversary Edition" to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission. In 1995, the film version of the best-seller, "Apollo 13," was released to rave reviews. Lovell appeared in several segments of Tom Hanks' "From the Earth to the Moon," the acclaimed HBO documentary miniseries that aired in the spring of 1998.
"Jim Lovell, the Apollo 13 crew and NASA clearly experienced the value of training, teamwork and focused determination to succeed," said John O'Malley, president of Harland Financial Solutions. "These are the same traits our financial institution clients must embrace to achieve their goals in today's increasingly competitive and complex environment. We're honored to have Jim Lovell with us this year, and look forward to hearing his incredible and inspirational story firsthand."
Harland Financial Solutions' clients may register for Connections 2005 until August 22 at www.harlandfinancialsolutions.com/connections2005.
About Harland Financial Solutions
Harland Financial Solutions (www.harlandfinancialsolutions.com), a wholly owned subsidiary of John H. Harland Company, supplies software and services to over 6,000 financial institutions of all sizes, offering its solutions in both an in-house and service bureau environment. Harland Financial Solutions delivers core systems, item processing, payment processing, electronic document management, financial accounting systems, electronic documents, deposit & loan origination, customer relationship management, compliance training, branch automation, mortgage lending and solutions consulting.
About Harland
Atlanta-based John H. Harland Company (NYSE:JH) (www.harland.net) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "JH." Harland is a leading provider of software and printed products to the financial institution market. Harland's software solutions include, deposit & loan origination, platform, teller, call-center, mortgage, business intelligence, core systems, and customer relationship management systems. Harland's printed products offerings include checks, direct marketing and financial forms. Scantron Corporation (www.scantron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary, is a leading provider of software services and systems for the collection, management and interpretation of data to the financial, commercial and educational markets.
This press release contains statements, which may constitute "forward-looking statements." These statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of John H. Harland Company and members of its respective management, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Reference is made to the Risk Factors and Cautionary Statements in Harland's Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed under the Securities Exchange Act.