McAfee Launches New Interactive Web-Based Online Support Forum; Introduces New Electronic Commerce Capabilities on Web Site with Opening of The McAfee Store

Business Wire, Feb 26, 1996

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 1996--McAfee (Nasdaq: MCAF), a leading vendor of network security and management software, today announced that it has launched a new Internet support forum on its Web site, www.mcafee.com. The free service sets a new standard in online support forums by moving beyond static FAQs to create an interactive community for McAfee customers.

The McAfee Internet Support Forum provides an environment where McAfee customers can interact with McAfee support engineers and other users to discuss general virus issues and the use of McAfee's network security and management products. By browsing the Forum's discussion areas, customers can post questions to McAfee support engineers or participate in threaded discussions on a wide variety of topics.

The launch of the McAfee Internet Support Forum, which leverages Net.Threads technology licensed from Cambridge, Massachusetts-based net.Genesis, follows McAfee's minority investment in net.Genesis in January. The McAfee Internet Support Forum joins other McAfee online support forums on CompuServe, America Online and The Microsoft Network. In its first few days of operation, the new service has become the company's busiest online support forum.

"We operate one of the industry's busiest Web sites, with hundreds of thousands of downloads each month of our anti-virus and network management software products," said Jon Wong, online services marketing manager at McAfee. "The McAfee Internet Support Forum allows us to provide our global base of over ten million McAfee customers with high quality online support."

Continuing the evolution of the McAfee Web site, McAfee also introduced The McAfee Store, which allows customers to download McAfee anti-virus products and purchase maintenance plans. All purchases are made with a credit card on a secure Netscape Commerce server.

As an indication of the popularity of McAfee's Web site, the site was recently rated One of the Top 5% of all World Wide Web sites by Point Survey.

McAfee an Electronic Commerce Pioneer

McAfee helped pioneer online electronic commerce when it began distributing its first anti-virus software package, VirusScan, on bulletin board systems in 1989. The company's strategy from the beginning was to leverage the 100% free sampling of electronic distribution as a way to maximize product awareness and earn the trust of the online community. McAfee realized from the onset that the same people who had the expertise to download software from bulletin boards were the same people who were fast becoming the Information Systems Managers in large corporations.

As the online community expanded with the increasing use of online services and the Internet, McAfee continued to evolve by distributing and supporting its software in all major online environments.

McAfee's strong ties to the online community have since enabled the company to achieve a broad and loyal following. Today, McAfee has built a business that in 1995 derived revenues of $90,065,000, the majority of which originated exclusively from online distribution channels. McAfee's success in online software distribution helped legitimize the medium and pave the way for other companies such as Netscape.

In other news today, McAfee announced that Bob Chappelear, 51, formerly vice president of engineering, has resigned from the company to pursue other interests.

Founded in 1989, McAfee is a leading worldwide vendor of Network Security and Network Management products for the PC LANs. The Company is also a leader in Internet and Web-based electronic software distribution. McAfee is headquartered in Santa Clara, California and can be reached by phone at 408/988-3832 or by fax at 408/970-9727. McAfee's Web address is http://www.mcafee.com.

CONTACT: Dovetail Public Relations

Mark Coker, 408/395-3600

or

McAfee

Jon Wong, 408/653-3046