<ARTICLE>                                   5
<LEGEND>
This  schedule  contains  summary  financial   information  extracted  from  the
consolidated balance sheets,  consolidated statements of income and consolidated
statements of cash flows  included in the Company's Form 10-Q for the nine month
period ended  September 30, 1997,  and is qualified in its entirety by reference
to such financial statements and the notes thereto.

</LEGEND>
<CURRENCY>                                  U.S. DOLLARS
       
                                            
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                  9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                                 JAN-1-1997
<PERIOD-END>                                   SEP-30-1997
<EXCHANGE-RATE>                                            1
<CASH>                                             4,062,000
<SECURITIES>                                               0
<RECEIVABLES>                                     42,821,000
<ALLOWANCES>                                       1,271,000
<INVENTORY>                                                0
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                                  53,454,000
<PP&E>                                            33,207,000
<DEPRECIATION>                                    17,836,000
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                    96,409,000
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                             24,839,000
<BONDS>                                                    0
<COMMON>                                          42,193,000
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                      0
<PREFERRED>                                                0
<OTHER-SE>                                                 0
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                      96,409,000
<SALES>                                           81,947,000
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                                  81,947,000
<CGS>                                             40,728,000
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                     40,728,000
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                                  36,000,000
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                   1,022,000
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   923,000
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                    3,274,000
<INCOME-TAX>                                       1,146,000
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                                2,128,000
<DISCONTINUED>                                             0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                            0
<CHANGES>                                                  0
<NET-INCOME>                                       2,128,000
  
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                           0.25
<EPS-DILUTED>                                           0.25