EWR, Inc., provider of electronic cotton warehouse receipts, has released new software to enhance communications with its system.

The computer program, called IRIS, is designed to make telecommunication of files between the EWR Inc. system and its users easier while being more efficient. The new program will be available to all users at no charge.

IRIS is intended to replace two current programs, EWRPlus and VECTOR, currently in widespread use.

At present several hundred users from every segment of the cotton industry and every region of the Cotton Belt utilize one of the two older programs. IRIS combines the best features of those two programs while incorporating many new functions.

New capabilities include multi-account management allowing a user to keep track of several holder and user IDs in a straightforward manner. The new program also can be set, at the option of the user, to continually check the EWR system throughout the day — without any manual intervention — to search for and retrieve files sent to the user.

Security is enhanced in multiple ways in the new program. Several different telecommunication options are built into IRIS so that the user can select the one which operates best and so that communication methods can be quickly changed if necessary.

According to Joseph Wyrick, EWR Inc. president and CEO, “IRIS offers a more modern, intuitive user interface and has been designed from scratch to work well with Microsoft's new VISTA operating system, while maintaining compatibility with Windows XP/2000. Our customers definitely will find it advantageous to make the transition to IRIS right away.”

IRIS is available for free downloading at www.ecotton.com or www.ewrcotton.com.