Verity Demonstrates Ground Breaking Metaphor for Search and Navigation at Demo 97; Code-named Voila! Provides Intuitive Interface for Fast and Precise Navigation Through Thousands of Documents

Business Wire, Feb 12, 1997

PALM SPRINGS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 1997--Verity, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTY), a leading provider of search and retrieval technology for the enterprise and the Internet/Intranet, today previewed code-named Voila!, an intuitive search interface technology that allows users to navigate through thousands of documents and quickly discover relevant information.

While conventional searches are hard to read with their long results list (documents displayed by order of relevance), Voila! allows users automatic aggregating search results into logical categories or taxonomies to find relevant information easier and quicker. Voila!'s map-based display of results and navigational tools enables the user to immediately go to the precise category of interest, or to discover unknown areas that may be worthwhile exploring.

The Voila! user interface capabilities are scheduled to be available as part of the SEARCH'97 platform in the early part of summer'97.

"We are extremely pleased to introduce at DEMO 97, a new and powerful user interface metaphor that can permit users to find and discover information in a natural and engaging way," said Philippe Courtot, chairman and CEO of Verity.

This new and patented approach to information access is based on visually displaying the results of a query in a two-dimensional map, where spatial layout is used to indicate the semantic organization of the retrieved documents. Documents are positioned on the map around the semantic categories they belong to, and the categories are positioned such that related categories are located near each other while unrelated categories are located far from each other.

Layout of categories is performed automatically by the system based on an initial statistical analysis of the documents within each category. Users can focus in on a particular category by clicking on the category name, at which point a new map appears showing the subcategory structure, with the relevant documents laid out according to subcategory.

Since the set of categories and their spatial positions remain fixed for a particular document collection, users are consistently presented with a set of familiar landscapes for navigating through results by category to find documents of interest, or for making serendipitous discoveries.

About Verity's SEARCH'97 Product Suite

The SEARCH'97 product suite includes SEARCH'97 Information Server, SEARCH'97 CD-WEB Publisher, SEARCH'97 Agent Server Toolkit, SEARCH'97 Developers Kit, SEARCH'97 Personal for Microsoft Exchange and SEARCH'97 Information Server for Microsoft Exchange. Verity is expanding the product line to include its SEARCH'97 Personal products for Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer, which are scheduled for availability in February 1997, as well as a number of intelligent search components that enhance query ease and accuracy, enable the visualization of information and expand information navigation capabilities.

About Verity

Verity Inc. was founded in April 1988 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. Verity develops and markets software tools and applications for searching, retrieving and filtering information across the Internet, enterprise and CD-ROMs. Verity's products have been licensed to corporations, government agencies, on-line service providers, Internet publishers and developers worldwide.

Verity partners include Adobe Systems, AT&T WorldNet, Dow Jones, Hitachi, Individual Inc., Informix Software, Lotus Development Corp., Netscape Communications, PC DOCS, SAP, SCO, Sybase Inc., WavePhore and many others.

This release contains forward looking statements relating to the Company and its (code-named) Voila! technology and its SEARCH'97 products under development, including the expected features and performance and estimated dates of commercial availability. The successful development and release dates for this technology and these products are subject to potential delay and other risks inherent in software development.

Also, there is no assurance that the products will achieve market acceptance, due to the rapidly changing market for the Company's products, competition and other factors. These and other risks relating to Verity's business and product development efforts are as set forth in the Company's Form 10-K and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information contact Verity at info@verity.com or at the World Wide Web site http://www.verity.com/ or by calling 408/541-1500 -0-

Note to Editors: Verity and SEARCH'97 are Trademarks of Verity Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Verity Inc.

Marguerite Padovani, 408/542-2224

mpadovan@verity.com