Cipher Systems Committed to Using Microsoft .NET Technologies; Leading Competitive Intelligence Firm Adopts the Microsoft .NET Framework

Business Wire, Feb 12, 2002

Business/Technology Editors

GLASTONBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 2002

Cipher Systems LLC today announced their commitment to Microsoft .NET technologies. Cipher's flagship product, Knowledge.Works, is being redesigned from the ground up on the Microsoft .NET platform, the leading platform for developing and deploying XML Web services.

Microsoft .NET--the next generation of software that connects information, devices, and people in a unified, personalized way--enables the creation and use of XML-based applications and Web sites as services that can share information and combine functionality on any platform or smart device, providing customized solutions for organizations and individuals.

Cipher developers will utilize Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, a rapid application development tool, to revolutionize their collaborative intelligence product. Bert Sirkin, Cipher CTO, said, "The Microsoft .NET Framework enables us to create an application that is more responsive to our clients' needs. It permits us to provide function and communication beyond where today's applications are. Our clients will have greater capabilities to gather and act on more relevant information than previously available. It facilitates better decisions by giving people the information they need in an actionable form--in the field, at the office, and in between. Knowledge.Works already provides this functionality, but the move to this new platform will allow us to create a more cost-effective, functional and flexible solution for our clients."

"Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework are aimed at accelerating the next generation of distributed computing," said David Lazar, group product manager for the Developer and Platform Evangelism Division at Microsoft Corp. "We look to our partners to extend this vision by building Internet-enabled products and services that allow software to be delivered any time, any place, and on any device. Microsoft is pleased to see Microsoft Certified Partners like Cipher Systems take the initiative to transform their applications using Microsoft .NET."

About Cipher (www.cipher-sys.com)

Cipher, established in 1996 and based in Annapolis, MD, is the pioneer of innovative competitive intelligence and knowledge management applications and consulting worldwide. Cipher's Knowledge.Works product is a multi-platform database and workflow tool chosen by intelligence professionals around the world.

Cipher Systems and Knowledge.Works are trademarks of Cipher Systems (patent pending). Microsoft and Visual Studio are registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp.