Bitstream and Intervista form strategic alliance to promote dynamic fonts in 3D Internet applications

Business Wire, April 22, 1997

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 1997--Seybold Conference-- Bitstream, Inc. (NASDAQ:BITS) and Intervista Software, Inc. announced today a strategic relationship aimed at improving the quality of text in 3D Internet applications. Intervista has agreed to license Bitstream's TrueDoc, the award-winning font compression and portability technology, for inclusion into its future products. The agreement will have a positive impact on VRML's role as a interactive medium for both business and personal communication. In addition Bistream and Intervista have agreed to work together to promote Bitstream's portable font resource specification for standardization within the VRML Consortium. Acceptance of portable font resource technology will empower developers who want to take advantage of the dynamic interactive features of Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML). This is the first in a series of joint announcements regarding this strategic relationship.

Support for Dynamic Fonts

Text is as essential in 3D Internet environments as it is to 2D web pages. Today, VRML developers are limited to primitive typefaces, forcing developers to compromise functionality. Developers wrestle with textual 3D models, which create large files that take time to download and, when displayed on the user's system, still look unsophisticated. The incorporation of portable font resource technology will enable character images to appear correctly when viewed--regardless of the fonts or font technologies resident on the user's system. By bringing their technology together Bitstream and Intervista are taking the necessary steps toward enhancing information display on the Internet.

"This business agreement formalizes our joint commitment to providing high quality text support for 3D computing environments where none exists today," said Tony Parisi, president and chief executive officer at Intervista Software. "We are taking the lead on this issue because this problem needs to be resolved quickly so developers can go about their business of creating innovative 3D environments."

"Bitstream is delighted to enter into this agreement with Intervista Software, Inc. and lend our expertise in type technologies and multilingual fonts to 3D environments," said Jim Welch, director of emerging technologies at Bitstream Inc. "We look forward to establishing new standards for fonts in VRML as we have done for HTML."

Mark Pesce, co-creator of the original VRML specification says,"...high-quality typography adds depth to the page as VRML adds depth to the web. As Intervista and Bitstream bring them together, we'll see the quality of text in cyberspace improve dramatically. This move puts Intervista far ahead of their competitors."

About VRML

VRML 2.0 allows communication in as many ways as possible. The specification gives developers the opportunity to transform static 2D web-sites into 3D environments complete with sound, images, video and dimension. VRML enables the capability to control the experience, interact with the content and connect to the community--VRML exposes the full potential of the Web.

About Intervista Software

Intervista Software, Inc., a leader in 3-D technology for the Internet and intranets, designs, develops and markets 3-D interactive software. The company is committed to designing products that make it easy to create and deliver 3-D multimedia content on networked computers. Intervista Software was the first company to create VRML-based 3-D Internet browsers for all Microsoft Windows platforms and recently licensed its WorldView 2.0 software to Microsoft Corporation to be integrated into future versions of Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Intervista has developed relationships with industry-leading companies including 3Dlabs, Diamond Multimedia, Microsoft Corporation, Macromedia, Mak Technologies, Planet 9 Studios, SOFTBANK, S3 Incorporated, UMAX, and Ziff-Davis Interactive.

About Bitstream

Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts USA, Bitstream is traded on the National Market System under the NASDAQ symbol "BITS." Bitstream Inc. develops and sells software solutions for the creation, enhancement, transport, viewing and printing of electronic information. Bitstream licenses type libraries and font technology to hundreds of hardware and software developers worldwide. The Company licenses its products and technologies directly and through its subsidiaries, business agents and distributors in North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim. For more information on Bitstream or its products, visit the company's home page on the World Wide Web at http://www.bitstream.com . -0-

Intervista web site location: http://ww.intervista.com Bitstream web site location: http://bitstream.com

WorldView is a trademark of Intervista Software, Inc. Bitstream is a registered trademark of Bitstream Inc. All other trademarks mentioned are for identification purposes only and are the property of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Intervista Software, Inc.

Barbara Tallent, (415) 543-8765, Ext. 241