Berkeley Software Design, Inc. Announces New Customer Support Programs

Business Wire, June 21, 1999

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 21, 1999--

BSDI provides full range of responsive and cost-effective

services

Berkeley Software Design, Inc. (BSDI) has enhanced its customer support to provide even more comprehensive, responsive and cost-effective technical assistance.

These enhancements set BSDI apart from other open standards based operating systems, offering Internet application developers and service providers more technical support programs with faster response times and lower costs than others in the industry.

With this announcement, BSDI introduces two new support options: a 24x7 Program with a guaranteed response time of one hour and six points of contact, and a new Platinum Support Program offering a one-hour turn-around time on highly technical issues, including kernel tuning, and system and network security. Both programs accelerate response time and deliver quality technical help to customers who develop and deploy complex Internet applications and services.

The Platinum Support Program is available immediately, and the 24X7 program will be available September 1, 1999.

In addition to these two offerings, BSDI has enhanced its existing customer support programs, adding inexpensive per-incident support, faster guaranteed response times, more points of contact, and comprehensive site support licenses.

While new OS vendors struggle to understand customer needs, BSDI leads the industry with high quality, cost effective commercial support on the most reliable and scalable open standards-based Internet operating system in the industry. For example, Red Hat's 25-incident telephone support plan is 5 times more expensive than BSDI's plan - and BSDI offers unlimited support and faster guaranteed response times. LinuxCare is over 35 times more expensive than BSDI - charging $60,000 for annual telephone technical support that BSDI offers for just $1,600. (See attached Support Comparison Chart for details).

"With many other companies, buying a support contract only gets you whining rights and the privilege of being placed on hold. With BSDI, you get fixes and that makes all the difference in the world," said Steven M. Schultz, GTE Government Systems Corp. Sr. Software Engineer. "BSDI support is worth every cent."

"As more customers develop complex and revolutionary Internet products, applications and services, they need to be assured they are using a platform that has the responsive, cost effective technical help they need. We understand these needs and have embellished our technical support for both administrators and developers offering them the level of technical assistance needed to be successful," says Steven Hinkle, BSDI's Director of Support. "By expanding our offering to include 24x7 and Platinum response, we provide the most comprehensive support in our industry."

About BSDI

Berkeley Software Design, Inc. is the commercial supplier of high-performance BSD/OS and Internet networking software originally developed at the University of California, Berkeley. Internet experts worldwide are powering the networked economy with over 100,000 servers running BSDI software engines, servers, and applications. BSDI products include the BSDI Internet Super Server, and e/BSD embedded OS and networking software for OEM Internet application and appliance developers.

BSDI customers include Ascend Communications, Chase Manhattan Bank, CompuServe, Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ), Telia, UUNET, U.S. West, MCI WorldCom, and thousands of other leading Internet Service Providers, network application developers, and corporations worldwide. BSDI is a privately held company based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. For more information, phone (719) 593-9445, email info@bsdi.com, or visit the company's Web site at http://www.bsdi.com. -0-

Support Comparison Chart


Vendor  Upgrade  Email    Phone       Gold      24x7     One  Response
          per                                            Time   Time
        License


BSDI -  $600/yr $850/yr   $1600/yr,  $3000/yr $50,000/yr $25/15   1-4
unlimit-        1 POC,    2 POC,     3 POC,   6 POC      minutes  hrs
ed user         unlimit-  unlimit-   unlimit-
license         ed        ed         ed
                incidents incidents  incidents


FreeBSD $40/new   NA      $2500/yr,  $5000/yr,  NA       $100/   24-48
Mall    CD                5 POC,     70                  incident hrs
                          30         incidents,          or 20
                          incidents  5 POC               minutes

Red Hat $40/new
        CD        NA      $2995- 10  $35,000/yr $60,000/yr NA    4-12
                          incidents  2 POC      4 POC            hrs
                          $7295- 25
                          incidents

LinuxCare  NA     NA      $95/        $195/     $120,000  (See   1-24
                          incident    incident  or        Phone  hrs
                          or $60,000  $90,000/  $150,000/ & Gold
                          /yr, 2 POC, yr 2 POC  yr. -    columns)
                          unlimited             4 POC
                          incidents

SCO     $749/yr   NA      $1500 - 5      NA     NA         NA    1-6
        4 CDs             incidents                              hrs
                          $2274 -
                          unlimited
                          incidents

Notes:
POC = point of contact