NetObjects Attracts Seasoned Management; Business Development, Engineering Executives Further Company's Web Site Production Software Leadership

Business Wire, April 9, 1996

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 9, 1996--Continuing its efforts to build a seasoned management team, NetObjects, Inc., an emerging leader in Web site production software, today appointed the chief operating officer of 24 Hours in Cyberspace and the original Borland Sidekick engineering manager as key business development and engineering executives respectively.

Reporting directly to CEO Samir Arora, Tom Melcher, vice president of business development, and Martin Frid-Nielsen, senior director of engineering, bring over a decade of experience each in their respective fields.

"Our vision of Web site publishing and company culture continue to attract stellar industry executives to our team," said Arora. "We worked closely with Tom as a key early customer of our technology, and found that we shared similar work styles and approaches to Web site publishing. His proven ability to identify, structure and negotiate partnerships and Martin's experience in developing and shipping hit software tools and products will be invaluable in building NetObjects into a thriving business."

Melcher brings over ten years of strategy and business development in the interactive content and entertainment industries. Most recently, as chief operating officer and technical coordinator of 24 Hours in Cyberspace, Melcher orchestrated a landmark online publishing event that was sponsored by 55 leading companies including Eastman Kodak, Sun Microsystems, Adobe Systems, America Online and Netscape Communications. The event showcased the first-ever real-time Web publishing system, and integrated the efforts of over 200 editors, photographers and engineers worldwide.

Prior to that, as director of strategy and business development at daVinci Time & Space, Melcher established partnerships with leaders in the TV programming, advertising, telecommunications and cable industries. Prior to that, Melcher spent four years at McKinsey & Company, where he led efforts to implement change in several international organizations, and two years in marketing and sales with IBM. Melcher holds a masters of business administration from Harvard Business School and a bachelor of arts from Yale University.

Frid-Nielsen brings over a decade of engineering management and development and experience. As principal of Hilltop Software Technologies, Frid-Nielsen developed an Internet electronic commerce home banking application prototype for Wells Fargo Bank and shipped Fractal Designs Painter 4.0 for Windows. Prior to that, Frid-Nielsen spent ten years at Borland International in senior engineering management positions where he developed and shipped personal organizer, graphics, spreadsheet and integrated professional productivity products. Key accomplishments included the development and release of Sidekick 1.0 & 2.0, the company's hit personal information organizer that created a new market category, won numerous industry awards and sold 3 million copies worldwide.

In addition, Frid-Nielsen spearheaded Borland's efforts in the development of the Borland-Novell Office suite and designed the company's first, cross-platform object-oriented application framework. Frid-Nielsen pursued studies in computer science at the University of Copenhagen.

NetObjects brings a unique combination of design, technology and business expertise to the Internet Web site publishing market. The company's Web site publishing products are based on object technology and a structured content approach which will dramatically improve the design, production and maintenance of Web sites. Founded in November 1995, NetObjects provided the key enabling Web site publishing technology for the 24 Hours in Cyberspace web site, the largest online publishing event to date. The company is funded by Norwest Venture Capital, Venrock Associates and private investors. -0- Note to Editors: NetObjects and Structure of Linked Objects are trademarks of NetObjects, Inc. All other trademarks belong to their respective holders.

CONTACT: NetObjects Inc.

Kamini Ramani, 415/562-0285

kamini@netobjects.com

http://www.netobjects.com