Hauppauge, NY, February 20, 1997 — Seeking a leadership role in the evolving $1.5 billion chat software market, eShare Technologies, Inc. today announced that it is shipping the first powerful, easy-to-use, and readily deployable communications software that enables businesses and organizations to create highly interactive, interpersonal intranets, extranets, and Internet sites. eShare, a software-development start-up that recently received $2.5million in early funding from venture capitalists SOFTBANK Ventures, Chase Capital Partners, and Flatiron Partners, has already enjoyed early adoption of Expressions, a breakthrough product.

Lotus Development has deployed Expressions on its innovative Lotusphere Web site (www.lotusphere.com) to encourage and facilitate knowledge exchange and relationship building. Sony Music has incorporated Expressions for its popular Live By Request telecast, to enliven audience participation via the Web (www.livebyrequest.com) before the Tony Bennett concert, on February 14. Highly successful, earlier eShare chat products are deployed at organizations such as American Express, Universal Underwriters, Ernst Young, The World Bank, and on hot sites such as Hit the Beach. Expressions is really slick ChatWare, with added functionality that makes it stand out from the rest of the market offerings, said Matthew Malloy, manager of Internet Technologies for Lotus Development Corp. This ChatWare doesn't require plug-ins and really meets the needs of end-users and more importantly, companies that want to provide chat to facilitate distance learning through their Web presence. We like how Expressions seamlessly streams through firewalls. It's also Java-based; which we like because it fits into Lotus' Inet vision. Lotus plans on using eShare's Expressions on its Web site in order to facilitate real-time interactive communications.

Designed for do-it-yourself adoption, Expressions Chat Server represents the next generation of chat technology, enabling businesses and organizations to harness the universal reach of the Web to create enduring bonds and improve relationships with business partners and employees. Unlike competing products, Expressions can be installed in minutes — even by non-technical users — and requires no client downloads or plug-ins. Also unlike competing products, the Java-based Expressions operates behind firewalls — a critical feature for corporate acceptance, given that firewalls protect nearly 50% of end users. The competitively priced solution allows simultaneous communications with expansion to unlimited number of people. Expressions will also be available in HTML and ActiveX versions.

The first-generation community tools out there aren't geared for mass adoption by the Internet, intranet and extranet markets because they are cumbersome to install and have limited functionality, said James P. Tito, president and CEO of eShare Technologies. The ease of use and robustness of our software is raising chat to the next level, letting people create inclusive worlds where they can interact with like-minded people to promote productivity, participation, and partnership.

Analysts and venture capitalists estimate that the market for chat software will reach $1.5 billion by 2000. Right now, however, the market is in its infancy with first-generation products marked by technical complexity and installation difficulties. The demand for interpersonal communication software such as chat, however, is escalating. Businesses and organizations are seeking ways to achieve greater inclusivity, which would allow them to establish strong customer loyalties, improve employee involvement and cooperation, and speed time to decision. Led by a highly experienced and well-connected management team, and offering technological superiority, eShare is poised to take the leadership in this market.

eShare is the only company focused on creating powerful Web-based interpersonal communications software that can be readily deployed by corporations, organizations, and individuals seeking to create highly interactive inclusive worlds through which people work in concert, relationships are strengthened, and ideas and knowledge shared. By linking eShare's inclusive technology to Internet-based customer service, sales, distribution, technical support, supply chain management, and human resources, a company or organization can ensure that issues are discussed and resolved, needs voiced and met, and interpersonal bonds formed. Corporations and organizations have come to realize that people want to participate and be included in everything that affects their businesses and their lives, said eShare's Tito. Inclusion is at the root of loyalty and is therefore a key to profitability and strategic strength. Our Web-based chat allows them to form an inclusive world by forging stronger market and personal relationships in a way that voice mail and e-mail cannot. We are going to see an explosion in business uses for this powerful software.

Key Differentiating Features of Expressions

• eShare's Expressions clearly eclipses current market-leading technology by offering the following unique features that are critical to corporate and organizational adoption: 32-bit, multi-threaded turnkey application with web server Hassle-free, out-of-the-box point and click installation
• Readily customizable with remote administration Requires no browser plug-ins or downloadsMulti-homing capability allows up to 254 instances of server to run on a single machineJava version works behind firewalls and proxies Real-time and Bulletin Board Service communications built in
• Multiplatform operation Priced at $795 for 50 simultaneous user license expandable to unlimited simultaneous users with upgrade Public, private, moderated rooms with password protection Database support
• Uniform, graphical remote administrator Automatic in-line images within messages compatible with any browser Includes obscenity filter

eShare Technologies, Inc., (www.eshare.com) is the only company focused on creating powerful Web-based interpersonal communications software that can be readily and easily deployed by corporations, organizations, and individuals seeking to create highly interactive inclusive worlds that promote productivity, participation, and partnership. With early-stage financing from SOFTBANK Ventures, Inc., Chase Capital Partners and Flatiron Partners, the Hauppauge, NY, software developer has launched Expressions, a breakthrough product that is redefining the chat market. The pioneering company has a blue-chip client list that includes Lotus Development, Sony Music, American Express, Ernst Young and Hit the Beach.

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