Bitstream Inc. signs letter of intent to acquire Archetype, Inc

Business Wire, Feb 18, 1997

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 18, 1997--

Leading provider of type and type technology to team up with

innovative developer of information management and Internet

publishing software to deliver cutting edge

electronic document solutions

Bitstream Inc. today announced that it has signed a letter of intent to acquire Archetype, Inc. of Burlington, Mass., for an undisclosed amount of cash and common stock. The acquisition would be accomplished by the merger of Archetype into a newly formed and wholly owned subsidiary of Bitstream, that would continue to operate under the Archetype name.

Completion of the acquisition is planned to coincide with the end of the first calendar quarter of 1997. However, consummation of the acquisition is subject to a number of conditions, including the execution of a definitive merger agreement and the approval of the merger by Archetype's stock holders.

"There is great synergy between the products, strategies and goals of the two companies," said Ray Boelig, president and CEO of Bitstream Inc. "The merging of Bitstream and Archetype will result in a stronger new company that will have the people, technologies and products to effectively take advantage of current and future market opportunities."

Archetype develops and markets server-based information management and Internet publishing software for the graphic communications industry. The company focuses on providing innovative solutions for "Flexible Publishing" -- accelerating prepress and Internet publishing through advanced information object management. Archetype's products and services are delivered to the market through an extensive Value Added Reseller [VAR] network.

Archetype's Product Line

-- InterSep(tm) OPI & InterSep Output Manager Represent the industry's most advanced OPI (Open Prepress Interface) and print queue manager for RIPs and servers. Together they offer a dramatic acceleration of OPI processing and free up MacOS and Windows workstations in seconds, thereby increasing production through-put.

-- MediaBank(tm) is a server-based information and workflow management package that archives and tracks images, pages, text and multi-media files on a network.

-- NuDoc(tm) is an advanced new technology for Flexible Publishing that is used to create richly formatted pages for the Internet and other media.

"Bitstream's strengths in typographic technology and document imaging complement our strengths in document servers and composition perfectly," said Paul Trevithick, president of Archetype. "Together, we will be able to provide comprehensive solutions that will make the management, distribution and imaging of electronic documents easier, faster and more reliable than ever."

About Archetype, Inc.

Archetype, Inc. with headquarters in Burlington, Massachusetts, develops and markets server-based information management software for the graphic arts industry. Using leading-edge technologies, the company focuses on providing innovative solutions for Flexible Publishing. Archetype distributes its products through an international network of VARs and OEMs and has over 3,000 installations worldwide.

About Bitstream Inc.

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, call Bitstream at 617-497-6222 or visit the company's home page on the World Wide Web at www://bitstream.com

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InterSep, MediaBank and NuDoc are trademarks of Archetype, Inc. All other names are the property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Colleen Cronin

Bitstream Inc.

617-520-8329

ccronin@bitstream.com