Stratus Data Systems' flagship product Stratus MLS has been designated the best overall iMLS system of 2001 by Clareity Consulting, a Scottsdale, AZ-based firm serving the real estate industry and related businesses.

Clareity said the Stratus system stood out from the pack for several reasons. Among them are that it is functionally complete, 100% Web-based, and easy-to-use because of a clean, consistent design throughout. Furthermore, the Clareity recognition also cited that Stratus pioneered state-of-the art push technology to deliver dynamic information to the user's personalized desktop.

Another factor that made Stratus the winner is that it has experienced no down time throughout the year including for its large 14,500-member system client. The Clareity 2001 iMLS Vendor Awards were announced after a review of all leading iMLS systems.

"We are pleased and honored," said Carlos Grass, Stratus Data Systems president. "Our goal is to provide unsurpassed service to our customers, and we have invested considerable time and money into developing a system that will put agents within easy reach of property listings and numerous REALTORŪ tools. This award is further recognition that we have achieved this."

Stratus MLS offers all the standard functionality of traditional MLS systems, enriched with interactive features made possible by the Internet. Stratus MLS makes huge amounts of information available to REALTORSŪ quickly, in a very user-friendly format and from any location, including wireless devices. The system is used by two of the largest local multiple listing service boards in North America, the Toronto Real Estate

Board, with 17,500 members, and MLS of Long Island, with 14,500 members.

The company recently completed the initial phase of installation in Toronto and expects to move completely to the new system by this summer when Stratus will then be involved in providing ongoing monitoring, maintenance and security for the system.

Stratus was founded in 1998 when management purchased the assets of 18-year-old Greenwich, Ct.-based Dator Corp., a leader in MLS systems, and incorporated the flexibility and functionality of older systems into the Web environment.