Critical Path Selected By VAST to Provide Powerful Internet Messaging Solutions

Business Wire, Sept 21, 1999

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 21, 1999--

Critical Path and VAST To Lead Convergence of Internet and Wireless Devices By Delivering Value-Added Services Available Anytime,

Anywhere, Any Device

Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPTH), a leading provider of business-to-business Internet messaging solutions, today announced a strategic relationship with VAST Solutions, a subsidiary of Paging Network, Inc. (Nasdaq: PAGE). Through this relationship, VAST will provide Critical Path's carrier-class Internet messaging solutions to wireless carriers and other businesses that wish to extend their Internet-based services to wireless users.

VAST works with wireless carriers to provide access to value-added services like Web-based email and information services that can generate additional revenue for carriers. Through VAST Gateway Services, wireless carriers and other companies can extend these capabilities to wireless users at a low cost. Critical Path enables VAST to provide email to wireless devices including pagers and cellular phones. This relationship will provide two-way communication capabilities to these devices for Internet messaging, including the ability to read, forward, reply to and delete email messages. This capability ensures users' messages, folders, and address books are available anywhere, anytime.

"Business professionals and individuals are demanding messaging and content that is accessible anywhere, anytime, any device," said Doug Hickey, Critical Path's president and CEO. "Together VAST and Critical Path intend to lead the convergence of the Internet and wireless devices, and delivering an integrated messaging platform with increased functionality, information access and scalability to wireless carriers. VAST is a leader in wireless solutions. Critical Path is dedicated to the emerging wireless market and will continue to partner with industry leaders such as VAST to stay at the forefront of the exploding market."

"Critical Path's robust, secure, and highly scalable Internet messaging solutions, provide VAST with the ability to confidently deliver Internet email to wireless users," said Mark Knickrehm, president of VAST Solutions. "Our relationship with Critical Path accelerates our ability to deliver secure and reliable messaging services."

This relationship will enable wireless users to maintain a single electronic identity for all their electronic communication needs, which users can access through the traditional land-based lines or over wireless devices. Advanced filtering technology from Critical Path, enabled through Internet standard protocols, gives wireless users the ability to control the volume of email sent to their wireless devices by filtering messages based on their importance, sender, or specific keywords contained in the subject field.

Through this partnership, VAST Gateway Services will convert email messages in Internet protocols to the formats used by various wireless devices, so that the message is displayed correctly whether on the screen of a one-way or a two-way pager, or on various wireless phones and appliances. VAST will transparently convert traditional email messages from Internet protocols such as the simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) and Internet message access protocol (IMAP) to the proper wireless protocols.

Critical Path's Web-based email will be integrated with VAST On-Line, a highly customizable content service, which will deliver information such as news, traffic, weather and stock information--from VAST's content provider partners including Yahoo!, CNN, ESPN, Bloomberg and others--to wireless devices including pagers.

About VAST Solutions

Announced in June 1999, VAST Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Paging Network, Inc., the leading provider of wireless messaging and information services with approximately 9.8 million subscribers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada. VAST is organized around three core businesses. VAST Wireless Solutions develops integrated systems to increase productivity and improve performance for major corporations. VAST On-Line plans to introduce a variety of customizable information services for pagers and other devices, having partnered with content providers such as Yahoo!, CNN, Bloomberg, ESPN, and others. Vast Gateway Services markets wireless-to-Internet portal and support services to wireless carriers, content providers, e-businesses and others. Detailed information for VAST Solutions and PageNet services are available on the Internet at www.pagenet.com.

About Critical Path, Inc.

Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPTH) is a leading provider of business-to-business Internet messaging solutions for corporations, Internet service providers (ISPs), Web hosting companies, and Web portals. Critical Path has built an industry-leading global infrastructure with data centers connected to key Internet exchange points, and currently reaches millions of end-users through its customer relationships. Critical Path provides reliable, secure, and scalable e-mail, and a flexible suite of enhanced messaging services to partners such as E