FutureTense Texture Introduced at Demo 96; First Java-based Web Authoring
System

Unique New Toolkit and Java Viewer for Web Designers Offers Unprecedented
Combination of Graphical Control, Interactivity, Ease of Updating, and
Customization

FutureTense Web Site: URL -- http://www.futuretense.com

PALM SPRINGS, CA-- FutureTense, Inc., today introduced FutureTense Texture,
the industry's first Java-based Web publishing system. FutureTense Texture
is a Windows 95- based Web authoring tool and Java-based viewer/applet
that lets graphic designers create Web publications that are visually
appealing, highly interactive, easily updated, and customizable. Because
Texture publications are delivered via Java, they are portable across
popular platforms and browsers: Window 95/NT, Macintosh, UNIX, and
Netscape Navigator 2.0 or other Java- based browsers.

FutureTense Texture was unveiled publicly for the first time at a
demonstration here as one of the Demo 96 Premiere products at "PC
Letter"'s Demo 96 Conference. The new product was one of only seven chosen
for Premiere status from a field of 85 showcased products.

Currently in alpha test at major third-party Web sites, FutureTense Texture
will enter beta test in February and ship in the second quarter of 1996.
It will be offered at a special introductory price of $495. The Texture
authoring tool will be available at launch for the Microsoft Windows 95
and Windows NT platforms, soon to be followed by a Macintosh version. The
FutureTense Texture viewer/applet -- which is free for private,
non-commercial use -- is Java-based and can be used with any Java-enabled
browser on Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX platforms. Unlike other viewer
products, FutureTense Texture's viewer/applet is dynamically downloadable
and requires no prior installation. Today, Texture documents can be viewed
"in the frame" on Windows 95/NT or UNIX machines running Java- enabled
Netscape Navigator 2.0.

"FutureTense Texture technology could help customers create striking
electronic publications based on Reuters news feeds without the need for
time-consuming programming and virtually automatically," said David
Graves, senior vice president of Reuters NewMedia Inc. "Reuters' content,
combined with this new FutureTense technology, could be a compelling
combination for Web publishers."

FutureTense Texture offers Web designers and publishers a unique
combination of features and benefits. It builds on the rich traditions of
print publishing by offering unprecedented control over layout and
typography. In addition, it provides control over features that are unique
to electronic publishing: layering, interaction, navigation, and
time-based content updating.

Text, image, and graphical elements can be positioned freely on a page.
Specific behaviors can be triggered by users' actions against any page
element -- icons, headings, images, or text. Control over time-based
changes in information content allows cycling of ads or refreshing of
time-sensitive information like weather, sports scores, or market
reports.

"FutureTense Texture and Java are going to revolutionize online
publishing," said Jim Welch, director of emerging technologies at
Bitstream Inc. "Bitstream is proud that its TrueDoc Imaging Technology
resolves the font fidelity issues in new media publishing, and is a part
of FutureTense's exciting solution."

David Coursey, editor and publisher of "PC Letter," who named it a Demo 96
Premiere product, said, "FutureTense Texture is a great tool for
publishing on the Web. It gives content owners the ability to provide
customized information to their customers, using Java to create
great-looking pages on demand. Better, the development tools build on the
skills content creators already have, so they don't have to become
programmers."

The FutureTense Texture toolkit offers sophisticated electronic document
authoring capabilities including:

* drag-and-drop image placement with conversion from various
  image formats such as PCX, TIFF, BMP, and EPSF to GIF and
  JPEG;
* drag-and-drop text placement;
* full control over typography (font, color, indents, leading, and
  justification)
* full font fidelity with the accompanying TrueDoc technology
  licensed from Bitstream to make fonts available at the user's
  desktop;
* multiple layering of objects on the screen, including
  transparency;
* advanced navigational devices (pop-boxes, section navigators,
  multiple linked text boxes with scrolling text, etc.);
* interactive behavior (show/hide elements, scroll, pan);
* time-based behaviors (content updating);
* automatic composition and formatting of text and graphic
  elements drawn from multiple, distributed Web sites; and
* one-button preview of the "finished" publication.

FutureTense, Inc., is pioneering dynamic electronic publishing. "Texture
gives serious Web designers the tools they need to create sophisticated,
highly interactive content," said Joel Bresler, President of FutureTense.
"No other product combines an easy- to-use authoring tool with a
Java-based viewer that can be used to quickly create Web publications that
are hosted on any web server and viewed within any Java-based browser."

FutureTense, Inc., is located at 2254 Main St., Concord, MA 01724. The
phone number is (508) 371-3445. The company's email address is
info@futuretense.com and its World Wide Web URL is
http://www.futuretense.com.

What The Industry is Saying About FutureTense Texture

Bitstream, Inc.: "FutureTense Texture and Java are going to revolutionize
online publishing. Bitstream is proud that its TrueDoc Imaging Technology
resolves the font fidelity issues in new media publishing, and is a part
of FutureTense's exciting solution." -- Jim Welch, Director, Emerging
Technologies

Information Access Company: "The Library Division of IAC offers InfoTrac
SearchBank for libraries, which makes InfoTrac as well as a range of
popular databases from other leading information providers available on an
around-the-clock basis via an Internet- accessible remote reference
service. By removing restrictions governing the format and content of
electronic documents, FutureTense Texture will allow InfoTrac SearchBank
users to view and manipulate documents in ways that add value to the
information delivery process. It's a truly revolutionary advance in
electronic publishing." -- Dan Woods, Vice President, Marketing, Library
Division

Netscape Communications Corp.: "FutureTense Texture puts content
presentation control right where it belongs: in the hands of designers and
publishers. Netscape Communications is delighted that Netscape Navigator
2.0 client software is the first platform to deliver Java-based
applications created with FutureTense Texture. FutureTense is pioneering
leading-edge Java applications and is a developer to watch." -- Tim
Hickman, Technical Evangelist, Developer Relations

Open Market, Inc.: "As a leading provider of Internet software for
business, Open Market is excited about the possibilities of Java- based
applications for the Internet. Combining the FutureTense Texture
Java-based Web publishing system with Open Market's well-known electronic
commerce and enterprise applications will provide end users of both
products with leading-edge solutions for their Web needs." -- Shikhar
Ghosh, Chairman

"PC Letter:" "FutureTense Texture is a great tool for publishing on the
Web. It gives content owners the ability to provide customized information
to their customers, using Java to create great-looking pages on demand.
Better, the development tools build on the skills content creators already
have, so they don't have to become programmers." -- David Coursey, Editor
and Publisher

Progressive Networks: "We see FutureTense Texture as a leading-edge
authoring toolkit that facilitates the use of new technologies in
highly-complex, rapidly changing Web sites. We are pleased to work with
FutureTense to bring RealAudio streaming audio technology into FutureTense
Texture." -- Rob Glaser, CEO

Razorfish: "FutureTense Texture is very easy to use and makes our job of
creating compelling, dynamic experiences for the Web much easier. We work
with a lot of publishing companies and are often asked for ways to make a
site more dynamic and more strongly designed. FutureTense Texture is the
perfect tool to accomplish that, so we're very excited about the
opportunities that lie ahead." -- Craig M. Kanarick, Principal

Reuters NewMedia Inc.: "FutureTense Texture technology could help customers
create striking electronic publications based on Reuters news feeds
without the need for time-consuming programming and virtually
automatically. Reuters' content, combined with this new FutureTense
technology, could be a compelling combination for Web publishers." --
David Graves, Senior Vice President

Spyglass, Inc.: "FutureTense Texture demonstrates how Java- enabled Web
browsing brings a new dimension to online publishing, combining the best
features of static desktop publishing with the new dynamic capabilities of
this exciting medium. Applications like this are the reason that Spyglass
has committed to providing our fifty-six OEM partners a Java-enabled
platform." -- Tim Krauskopf, Vice President of Research & Development

Sun Microsystems: "As the first Web publishing system to use Java,
FutureTense Texture lets designers create visually rich,
highly-interactive Web publications quickly and easily. We believe
FutureTense Texture is the first of a new generation of powerful,
trailblazing tools -- based on Java -- that will dramatically improve all
aspects of Web publishing." -- Kim Polese, JavaSoft Marketing Manager

Contact: Brenda Nichols, Parker, Nichols & Company
Voice: 508-369-2100
Email: parker-nichols@bbnplanet.com
 
 =========================================================
 From the 'New Product News' Electronic News Service on...
 AOL (Keyword = New Products) and Delphi (GO COMP PROD)
 =========================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the
 company/author mentioned. For additional details, please
 contact them directly at the address/phone# indicated.
 Trademarks are the property of their respective owners!
 =========================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  USA
 Email:   rbakerpc@delphi.com   --or--   rbakerpc@aol.com
 =========================================================
