Software.com and Tumbleweed Announce Strategic Alliance for Secure Internet Business Communications

Business Wire, Oct 16, 2000

Business Editors

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. & REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oct. 16, 2000

Software.com Inc. (Nasdaq:SWCM), a leading developer of carrier-scale Internet infrastructure software for communications service providers, and Tumbleweed Communications (Nasdaq:TMWD), a leading provider of advanced email solutions for business communications, today announced an alliance for delivering highly scalable, secure messaging solutions for business communications on the Internet.

The alliance will benefit service providers who require messaging solutions that offer extremely high levels of security for meeting the needs of their customers. With this alliance, service providers will be able to tap lucrative wholesale opportunities in such industries as banking, healthcare and law, which demand the highest levels of secure communications.

The joint solution is made possible through the integration of Software.com's highly scalable market-leading InterMail(R) messaging platform and Tumbleweed's secure messaging products, including: Integrated Messaging Exchange(TM) (IME(TM)), a platform and set of applications for creating secure email channels between a business and its customers, partners and suppliers and Messaging Management System (MMS(TM)), a set of email management products that protect sensitive data on the Internet.

The integrated suite of messaging enables a heightened level of security to ensure that messages are delivered as intended and not intercepted. Service providers can further leverage the security capabilities with Software.com's LDAP-enabled Software.com(R) Directory for managing subscriber data and classes of service. This functionality provides a great deal of flexibility in segmenting messaging by security requirements within organizations.

"Our customers are seeking secure communications capabilities that can easily integrate with the InterMail(R) messaging platform," says John MacFarlane, Software.com's founder and CEO. "Tumbleweed's messaging products, which process 30-million secure messages per day, are the ideal solution. With our alliance, we can deliver the most broadly used, secure communications platform and email management services available today."

"Software.com has built the industry's most reliable and scalable infrastructure for communications services providers -- and the 116 million users at Software.com customers like AT&T and Sprint PCS test that platform every day," said Jeffrey C. Smith, president and CEO, Tumbleweed Communications Corp. "Software.com's success shows that email has become the backbone of business communications, and the company's strategy shows that they know exactly what it takes to build out the best communications infrastructure for the 21st century. We are delighted to provide the secure communications and management solutions to integrate with their InterMail platform."

Software.com and Tumbleweed will jointly market the integrated solution to current and potential customers.

About Software.com

With more than 116 million seats licensed, Software.com is a leading supplier of carrier-scale Internet infrastructure software for communication service providers worldwide. Software.com provides the scalable platform that enables service providers to deploy next-generation business and consumer Internet services, including e-mail, directory, IP unified messaging, mobile mail and mobile instant messaging.

In addition, Software.com has established strategic relationships with Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Nortel Networks and Telcordia Technologies (formerly Bellcore). Founded in 1993, with headquarters in Santa Barbara, California, the company has regional operations in the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, China and Australia. Visit www.software.com for more information or in the US call 805/882-2470.

About Tumbleweed Communications Corp.

Tumbleweed Communications Corp. is a leading provider of advanced e-mail solutions for business communications. Our products and services enable businesses to create and manage secure online communication channels that leverage established e-mail networks and enterprise applications. Tumbleweed Integrated Messaging Exchange is a platform and set of applications for creating secure communications channels between a business and its customers, partners, and suppliers. Tumbleweed Messaging Management System is a comprehensive solution that extends internal e-mail systems to the Internet through centralized security, policy enforcement, filtering and archiving. Used together, Tumbleweed IME and Tumbleweed MMS automatically apply security policies and redirect sensitive e-mail for secure, trackable delivery. Companies that rely on Tumbleweed IME or MMS products include American Express, Chase Manhattan Bank, Datek Online, Daiwa, the European Union's Joint Research Council, the Food and Drug Administration, Mitsui & Co., Nippon Telephone and Telegraph, Northern Trust, Pitney Bowes, TD Waterhouse, Travelers Property Casualty, UPS, and the United States Postal Service.