Microsoft and Portal Information Network Agree to Integrate Portal's Infranet with Microsoft Commercial Internet System; Technology and Marketing Agreement to Deliver Internet Services Solution

Business Wire, Dec 9, 1996

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 9, 1996--The Portal Information Network today announced a technology development and marketing agreement with Microsoft Corp. whereby Portal will integrate its Infranet customer management and billing software with Microsoft Membership System, part of Microsoft(R) Commercial Internet System (formerly known as "Normandy").

In addition, Portal will port Infranet to Windows NT(R) and the two companies will work cooperatively on joint customer accounts.

The software, called Infranet MCIS Manager(TM), will give businesses the ability to handle all billing, rating and customer care activities for installations using Microsoft Membership System.

The product will eliminate the need for custom integration between Microsoft Membership System and an external billing system. This will allow service providers to quickly bring their product offerings to market. Infranet MCIS Manager will be available in February 1997.

"We believe customers will benefit from Portal's Infranet, because its comprehensive billing capabilities complement Microsoft Commercial Internet System," said Anthony Bay, general manager of Microsoft's Internet Systems Business Unit.

"Combined with Microsoft Membership System, Infranet provides customers a billing system that's both scalable and powerful to meet their needs for doing business on the Internet."

The port of Infranet to Windows NT will make customer management and billing capabilities available to a very broad customer base. The availability of Infranet MCIS Manager, along with the Infranet port to Windows NT, allows providers of Internet services to now implement a completely integrated Windows NT-based solution.

"Our mission is to develop comprehensive infrastructure software to enable Internet commerce," said John Little, founder and chief executive officer of The Portal Information Network. "We are very excited to partner with Microsoft to bring Infranet products and services to the users of Microsoft's new Commercial Internet System."

About Infranet MCIS Manager

Infranet MCIS Manager will provide integration of Portal's Infranet with the Microsoft Membership System at the user registration level, the event rating level and the billing level. Simultaneous registration will occur into Infranet and Microsoft Membership System using a Portal-developed ActiveX application.

Portal will integrate Infranet's Rating Manager to allow service providers to implement real-time rating of billable activities. The Infranet Rating Manager supports a wide range of pricing options.

Portal will also integrate the Infranet Billing Manager, which provides a flexible method for generating customer billing. Infranet Billing Manager consists of two main functional modules: cyclical billing and payment processing. The Billing Manager uses information provided by Infranet's Rating and Activity Managers to generate a detailed bill for each account.

Infranet's Emphasis on Scalability and Reliability

Portal's Infranet consists of a suite of core business applications and a proven object-based software system that enables Infranet customers to design and implement a massively scalable, reliable and flexible network of cooperative and interoperable applications that support basic Internet access and enhanced services.

The system is based on Portal's Information Architecture, an advanced object platform for enterprise integration that was developed over an 11-year period. Because of Infranet's object-based design, Portal customers can easily customize or add new services and value-added applications to their existing Infranet system today and as the Internet continues to evolve.

About The Portal Information Network

The Portal Information Network develops and markets Infranet, the industry's most comprehensive and flexible customer management and billing system. Infranet allows Internet service providers (ISPs) and enhanced service developers to rapidly deploy a highly scalable, integrated and extensible infrastructure for Internet commerce. Founded in 1985, Portal is headquartered in Cupertino.

For more information, contact The Portal Information Network by phone at 408/343-4400, ext. 2; fax at 408/343-4401; email at sales@corp.portal.com; or on the World Wide Web at http://www.portal.com. -0-

Note to Editors: Microsoft, ActiveX and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Portal and the Portal logo are registered trademarks and Infranet and The Portal Information Network are trademarks of Portal Information Network Inc.

All other company, brand and product names may be trademarks of their respective holdings and hereby recognized.

CONTACT: Stirling & Cohan

Julie Hart, 209/725-8298

JulieMHart@aol.com

or

The Portal Information Network

Cindy Larson, 408/343-4400

clarson@corp.portal.com