Crystal Announces Enhanced Support For Microsoft BackOffice 2.0; Crystal Takes Advantage of Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server And Microsoft Internet Explorer To Add New Reporting Capabilities For Customers

Business Wire, April 30, 1996

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 30, 1996--Crystal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Seagate Technology Inc. (NYSE:SEG) and a world leader in client/server database reporting solutions, today announced built-in support for the Microsoft BackOffice 2.0 family of products in its leading database reporting software.

As a Microsoft BackOffice 2.0 beta participant, Crystal has enhanced its Crystal Reports Professional 4.5, the number one award-winning Windows database report writer, and Crystal Info 4.5, a three-tier client/server reporting system, to allow seamless use and integration with Microsoft BackOffice 2.0 products.

This gives Microsoft BackOffice administrators and users a complete, flexible, out-of-the-box solution for retrieving, analyzing and distributing their Microsoft BackOffice data.

"We consider Crystal Reports an important enabling technology for Microsoft BackOffice 2.0," said Rich Tong, general manager, desktop and business systems division at Microsoft Corp.

"Our customers want powerful, easy-to-use reporting tools to help them administer their Microsoft BackOffice-based businesses. Crystal reports meets this customer need, providing a well-integrated compliment to the Microsoft BackOffice suite of server applications."

"Because of the open architecture provided by Microsoft BackOffice 2.0 with its standard protocols and APIs, we were able to quickly build unique features in our software that add reporting capabilities to the suite of Microsoft BackOffice products," said Greg Kerfoot, Crystal president.

Crystal software accesses the complete range of Microsoft BackOffice data sources, including Windows NT Server Event Logs, Exchange Information Store and Microsoft Internet Information Server Web activity logs, and Microsoft SQL Server.

With the addition of Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Internet Information Server to Microsoft BackOffice 2.0, Crystal software now also provides more powerful distribution options to its users for reports.

"For example, we allow you to run a report from Windows NT Event Logs from multiple machines, include them in a single report and publish them to a Microsoft Exchange folder or directly to the Web," said Donna Izzo, program manager at Crystal. "Crystal Reports is the only report writing tool that provides these options."

"Crystal is also the only reporting solutions vendor to introduce a set of powerful, ready-to-run reports for Microsoft BackOffice administrators," Izzo said.

"The time-saving Crystal 101 Reports for Microsoft BackOffice CD provides the top requested reports for Windows NT Event logs, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Systems Management Server, Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Internet Information Server."

Crystal in Microsoft BackOffice 2.0

New for Microsoft BackOffice 2.0a special version of Crystal Reports 4.5 is no bundled in the Microsoft Exchange Technical Resource Kit CD for Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0, available from Microsoft at no charge.

Continued from Microsoft Backoffice 1.5a special 32-bit version of Crystal Reports ships with Microsoft Systems Management Server 1.1, and in the Microsoft Windows NT 3.51 Resource Kit.

Crystal, a Seagate Software Company

Established in 1984, Crystal shipped the first report writer for the Windows operating system in 1992. Crystal Reports is the number one award-winning reporting tool with over two million units shipped, and is bundled with over 110 shrink wrapped products, including Microsoft Visual Basic 2.0 and Microsoft Visual C 4.0.

Crystal's product line includes Crystal Reports Standard and Crystal Reports Professional (report writers), Crystal Info (three-tier client/server reporting system) and Crystals 101 Reports for Microsoft BackOffice CD.

To find out more about Crystal's line of products visit Crystals Web Page at http: //www.seagate.com/software/crystal or contact at 4th Floor, 1095 West Pender St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 2M6, 800/877-2340. Facts-On-Demand 604/681-3450. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: Seagate and Seagate Technology are registered trademarks of Seagate Technology Inc. Crystal, Crystal Reports, Crystal Reports Professional, Crystal Info, Crystal Report Engine and Crystal Web Report Engine are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Seagate Technology Inc. or one of its subsidiaries.

All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Microsoft BackOffice, Windows, Windows NT, Visual Basic and Visual C are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

CONTACT: Crystal

Matt Dion, 604/893-6329

mattd@crystalinc.com

or

Janine Crawford, 604/893-6392

janinec@crystalinc.com

or

Seagate Software corporate information

Robin Lutchansky, 408/342-4772

robin_j_lutchansky@notes.seagate.com