Softway Systems announces agreement with Microsoft to develop UNIX for
Microsoft Windows NT, and introduces OpenNT

Federal market gains immediate access to Windows NT with POSIX.2
conformance

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, February 12, 1996 -- Softway Systems, Inc., an open
systems technology company, today announced OpenNT for Microsoft Windows
NT. The product line will enable Windows NT-based platforms and products
to compete in traditional UNIX systems markets, U.S. federal government
procurements and European markets. Softway Systems is building this
product line under a long term agreement with Microsoft Corporation.

The OpenNT product line provides full conformance with IEEE POSIX.1 and
POSIX.2 specifications for Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. In the
next 18 months, Softway Systems will release a series of products to
provide complete branded XPG4 UNIX conformance for Windows NT.

According to Michael Goulde, Executive Editor of Patricia Seybold Group,
"Softway Systems brings Windows NT one step closer to becoming a universal
application platform while UNIX vendors continue to avoid Windows NT and
Microsoft interfaces like the plague. Softway Systems has implemented a
complete UNIX personality on top of the Windows NT kernel. More
importantly, OpenNT will be as standards compliant as most UNIX
offerings."

Steven Cooker, Vice President of NCR Federal & State Divisions said, "The
announcement of OpenNT from Softway Systems effectively changes the rules
in Microsoft's ability to compete directly with the leading vendors of
UNIX operating system platforms. By conforming to POSIX standards and
delivering X/Open branded products, Windows NT with OpenNT can now be
considered a UNIX operating system. This now leaves the door wide open for
Windows NT solution providers to enter numerous new markets, especially
within the U.S. federal government."

"OpenNT will provide Windows NT users and developers an environment with
much of the functionality of today's advanced UNIX operating systems. Add
to this, all the existing features of Windows NT and you have a powerful
operating system that gives the end user the best of both worlds. Thanks
to the open architecture of Windows NT we have been able to build a
robust, full featured product in a short period of time." said Douglas
Miller, CEO of Softway Systems.

Softway Systems and Microsoft entered into this long term agreement in
September 1995. Softway Systems will be responsible for product
development, support, marketing and sales of the OpenNT product-line.
Softway Systems has also licensed portions of the Windows NT source code
in order to ensure seamless integration between the two product
technologies.

"We are excited by the launch of OpenNT for the Windows NT platform.", said
Mike Nash, Microsoft's Group Product Manager, Windows NT Server. "By
providing additional POSIX conformance, Softway Systems has provided UNIX
developers, ISVs and customers with a new incentive for bringing their
applications to the Windows NT platform."
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First Product Provides POSIX.2 Utilities

The first product, OpenNT Commands and Utilities will provide the full set
of utilities and a command shell conforming to the IEEE POSIX.2 Execution
Environment Utilities standard. Popular POSIX utilities, like awk, find,
grep, sed, ls and od are among the tools included with the product.

Coupled with the POSIX.1 subsystem for Windows NT, OpenNT Commands and
Utilities will provide complete conformance to POSIX.1 and POSIX.2 as
described in FIPS 151-2 and FIPS 189 respectively. OpenNT will add new
functionality to Windows NT by providing support for file links, file and
group ownership and protections, file case sensitivity, background
processing and more.
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The POSIX and UNIX Systems Market

POSIX.1 and POSIX.2 conformance is required for all operating systems
procured by the U.S. federal government as defined in FIPS 151-2 and FIPS
189. Additionally, many European governments and commercial customers
require X/Open brands for all operating systems purchases.

While Microsoft has satisfied the requirement for POSIX.1 with Windows NT
in the past, POSIX.2 conformance has not been available until now. Softway
Systems will obtain and maintain National Institute of Standards &
Technology (NIST) certifications for FIPS 151-2 (POSIX.1) and FIPS 189
(POSIX.2) for the OpenNT product line. In the near future, Softway Systems
will release products that provide full conformance with XPG4 UNIX.
Softway Systems has licensed the X/Open VSC Test Suite and will brand the
resulting products through X/Open's branding program to provide a
conformance guarantee to corporate and government customers who require
open systems standards. As open systems buyers increasingly mandate
products that carry the X/Open UNIX brand in their procurements and
require a guarantee of conformance to the Single UNIX Specification,
Windows NT vendors will be able to bid for such contracts when the OpenNT
product carries the X/Open brand.

"Delivery of a version of Windows NT that is guaranteed, by use of the
X/Open brand, to conform to the Single UNIX Specification will, for the
first time, allow NT access to contracts that require UNIX systems. Since
X/Open introduced a standard that defines a UNIX system (the Single UNIX
Specification) in March 1995, many vendors have been working to ensure
that their products include the specified interfaces. This allows them
access to markets that require UNIX systems -- a market currently worth
many billions of dollars.", said Graham Bird, Director of Branding, X/Open
Company Limited of Reading, England.
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Pricing and Distribution

OpenNT Commands and Utilities will be commercially available on March 29,
1996 with a suggested list price of $199. OpenNT products will be sold
through OEMs, systems integrators and resellers. The product will also be
available direct via Softway America at 1-800-GET-UNIX. Softway America
will offer OpenNT Commands and Utilities at a special introductory price
of $99.
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Softway Systems, Inc. was founded in 1995 and has offices in San Francisco,
Denver, Washington DC, Paris, France and Kitchener, Canada. The company's
founders and management have been active in the open systems community for
more than 10 years. The company is privately held.
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For more information, contact Softway Systems at:

     Softway Systems, Inc.
     185 Berry Street, Suite 5514
     San Francisco, CA 94107
     Telephone: (415) 896-0708
     Fax: (415) 896-0709
     Sales: (800) 438-8649
     Email: OpenNT@softway.com
     WWW: http://www.softway.com/OpenNT
 
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