LSI Integrates with a la mode’s Mercury Network

San Francisco – a la mode announced today that LSI, a division of Lender Processing Services (NYSE: LPS), is in the final development and testing phase of "round trip" appraisal integration between LSI's eLenderSolutions and a la mode's Mercury Network Vendor Management Platform (VMP).

As the need for accurate collateral valuation expands exponentially, the seamless connection between the largest stand alone appraisal management companies and the largest provider of appraisal technology will provide benefits to lenders and appraisers alike, in terms of regulatory compliance, quality assurance, report security, cost, and scalability.

Speed and efficiency are primary cost-saving objectives of the new integration, which will provide LSI with the ability to electronically place an appraisal order via Mercury Network web services to the single largest pool of electronically connected real estate appraisers in every county of every state. Bi-directional status updates flow through the Mercury Network, providing a secure audit trail of interactions while making great strides toward eliminating the multiple manual "phone tag" and email messages which sap the efficiency of all the parties involved.

Order and tracking functions will utilize a la mode's open, industry-standard TOTAL XML format. Final appraisal reports are delivered as secure, unaltered PDFs of the appraiser's original work, ensuring absolute compliance with state and federal regulations. Reports are delivered from the appraiser's desktop software, through the Mercury Network, directly into LSI's backend systems.

A key Mercury Network capability is custom LSI workflow rules run by the a la mode software plugin on the appraiser's desktop. The workflow scripting language uses TOTAL XML-based data analysis to enable LSI's business and regulatory compliance review rules specific to individual LSI lender clients, before the report ever leaves the appraiser's desk. By performing over a thousand standard and custom checks before transmission, reports aren't sent and then rejected after manual review due to missing, incorrect, or unclear data. Time and cost savings are immediate.

Unlike other solutions in which appraisers are forced to go to a specific website to accept orders or send reports, with this type of integration the Mercury appraisers, LSI, and LSI's lender clients will conduct business within their existing software and systems, updating all parties in real time. Transactions ride seamlessly on top of the transparent Mercury Network backbone, guided by a la mode's desktop appraisal software plugins and LSI's servers.

Executives of both companies are optimistic that benefits will be immediate yet long-lasting.

"Mercury offers us a large secure national footprint of electronically-connected appraisal providers, along with the ability to have our quality control rules executed at the appraiser's desktop", said Ron Frazier, LSI President. Frazier added that "This integration will provide benefits to both LSI operations and our lender clients."

Scott Kinnaird, a la mode's CEO commented that "We're proud to have been selected by a dominant leader such a LSI for this critical component of their strategic plans. I speak for both companies when I say that we're proud of the immediate benefits this will provide to our respective customers, and in particular to the broader chaotic mortgage collateral market, which needs all the help it can get right now."

About Lender Processing Services
LPS is a leading provider of integrated technology and services to the mortgage industry. LPS offers solutions that span the mortgage continuum, including lead generation, origination, servicing, portfolio retention, risk management and default, augmented by the company's award-winning customer support and professional services. Approximately 50 percent of all U.S. mortgages are serviced using LPS' MSP. In fact, many of the nation's top servicers rely on MSP, including seven of the top 10 and 16 of the top 20. LPS also offers proprietary mortgage and real estate data and analytics for the mortgage and capital markets industries. For more information about LPS, please visit www.lpsvcs.com.

Contact:
Jennifer Miller
1-800-252-6633
jennifer.miller@alamode.com

###

About a la mode

Founded in 1985, a la mode develops desktop tools, mobile tools, web sites for real estate professionals, mortgage brokers, and appraisers. a la mode's flagship product, WinTOTAL form-filling software for appraisers leads the residential appraisal industry. a la mode's Mercury Network, a vendor management platform for lenders, provides the most experienced local appraisers in an HVCC-compliant, easy-to-use loan ordering and management application. a la mode's mission-critical products are used by hundreds of thousands of appraisers, agents, inspectors, and lending professionals to complete the nation's real estate transactions. The company's state-of-the-art offices are located in Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, and Washington, DC. To learn more, visit www.alamode.com.