COMMACK, NY (May 13, 1997) — How does a U.S. soldier stationed in Bosnia stay in touch with his family in Arkansas? The usual answer is a phone call over expensive temporary phone lines. Now, there's a better, far less costly way through the Internet and the latest in chat technology.

eShare Technologies Inc. and Charter Communications Military Network, have teamed up to enable veterans, members of the U.S. Armed Forces, and their families and friends around the globe to reunite and chat online at a privately-run Web site. The only requirement is an Internet connection.

"You are a U.S. Marine based in an overseas hot-spot like Bosnia," said Robert Gunny Hiles, a former Marine and co-founder of the Military Network which aims to provide online information and community for members of the armed forces. "Talking to your partners and families over temporary long distance lines takes a significant chunk from your paycheck. Now, eShare in conjunction with the Military Network provides an affordable method to connect with your loved ones."

The Military Network is the brainchild of Vietnam Veteran Hiles, a decorated and retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, and Dale Smith, a former member of both the U.S. Army and Naval Reserve."Say you served in Vietnam," said Smith, Senior Editor of the Military Network. "To physically arrange a reunion might not be feasible, especially on a regular basis. eShare and the Military Network will provide you with a forum to both maintain regular relations with fellow unit members and track-down long-lost former colleagues in the Armed Forces."

Predominantly, but not exclusively used by members and former members of the U.S. armed forces past and present, the Military Network was founded in November 1996, and currently has over 2000 visitors per day. It aims to create a virtual service club and a dynamic forum for the exchange of ideas, issues and concerns.

"Adding eShare's Technology has made our web site a more inclusive experience, greatly boosting traffic," said Hiles. The no-plug-ins philosophy allows more people to get involved and the Bulletin Board (BBS) technology enables dialogue across conflicting time zones."

eShare Expressions enables veterans to post searches for long-lost fellow unit members online, organize periodic reunions, both real and virtual or simply discuss veteran issues such as survivors guilt or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A special guest area enables groups like students and academics to post requests for real-life accounts of historical events. Seasoned Military figures often respond with their own personal stories.

The Military Network is not solely geared towards the Armed Forces. Foreign governments, military staff and even embassies are encouraged to participate. They also facilitate discussions with reservists, charitable groups and non-profit organizations. The site even has a section completely dedicated to the cause of lost children worldwide.

"We looked at a number of community-building programs, but needed a solution that offered both chat and BBS," said Hiles. "Ninety-nine percent of our users are delighted with eShare Expressions, its ease-of-use, product friendliness, and user interface."

"Everybody is trying to build community on the Web," said James Tito, President and CEO of eShare. "eShare Expressions advances the principle of inclusivity, where online chat strengthens the bonds between friends, families and colleagues over large distances while taking out the hassles of plug-ins, downloads or technical complexity."

eShare Expressions is a next-generation chat technology that has been adopted by blue-chip clients such as Sony, Lotus, GeoCities and Onlive! Technologies. Lotus Development Corporation recently used Expressions on its innovative Lotusphere Web site (www.lotusphere.com) to encourage and facilitate knowledge exchange while Sony Music has adopted Expressions for its popular Live By Request telecast, to enliven audience participation via the Web (www.livebyrequest.com). OnLive! announced it is licensing eShare Expressions for incorporation into the new OnLive! text server. GeoCities has also selected eShare as its preferred community building tool of choice for it's web site (www.geocities.com), the largest online community of personal home pages and the seventh most-trafficked Web site, according to PC-Meter's December 1996 report.

eShare Expressions is the first powerful, easy-to-use and cost-efficient chat solution of its kind on the market, empowering corporations, organizations and individuals to easily create highly interactive, "inclusive" worlds that promote productivity, participation and partnership on the World Wide Web.

Unlike competing products, eShare Expressions can be installed in minutes -- even by non-technical users -- and its chat client requires no client downloads or plug-ins. Also, unlike competing products, the Java-based Expressions chat client operates behind firewalls -- a critical feature for corporate acceptance, given that firewalls protect nearly 50% of Internet users. The competitively priced base solution allows simultaneous communication for up to 50 chatters with the possibility of expansion to an unlimited number of people. The eShare Expressions chat client will also be available in HTML and ActiveX versions.

The Military Network (http://www.military-network.com) is a joint venture of Charter Communications International, Inc., and Dale R Smith and Robert "Gunny" Hiles. The Military Network is committed to serving those millions of past, present and future serving in American Armed Forces, and their survivors, families and friends.

Charter Communications International, Inc. (www.c-com.net) builds and operates electronic communication systems, offers enhanced telecommunication services, creates telecommuting solutions and provides satellite Internet and telecommunication links between the US, Latin America and the Caribbean. C.COM is headquartered in Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia. The Company has telecommunications operations in Houston, Atlanta, Panama and Venezuela, and has facilities in Mexico and El Salvador. C.COM is also licensed in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Peru.

eShare Technologies, Inc., 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 Commack, NY, software developer has launched Expressions, a breakthrough product that is redefining the chat market. For more information, please contact eShare at (516) 864-4700 or at www.eshare.com.

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