ALPHA MICROSYSTEMS LAUNCHES ALPHACONNECT AGENT TO HARVEST DATA FROM
INTERNET AND INTRANETS FOR DELIVERY TO POPULAR WINDOWS APPLICATIONS AND
WEB PAGES

SANTA ANA, CA (April 3, 1996)....Alpha Microsystems (Nasdaq NM:ALMI)
announced today the introduction of AlphaCONNECT, a powerful software
agent and communications tool for selectively harvesting data from legacy
applications running on corporate Intranets and local area networks, as
well as from Internet sites using HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) and
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) standards. AlphaCONNECT converts the
harvested data and delivers it for use by popular applications that run
under Microsoft Windows, Windows 95 or Windows NT. The new software agent
can also be used to create dynamic self-updating Web pages through its
ability to deliver collected data to automatically edit and update
specified pages on the Internet. The current release of AlphaCONNECT
supports the delivery of retrieved data to Microsoft Word, Microsoft
Excel, Microsoft Access, Quattro Pro, WordPerfect, Borland Paradox, or Web
browsers such as Netscape. AlphaCONNECT will be available for delivery
through Alpha Microsystems in mid-May at a retail price expected to be
less than $150 per copy.

For those interested in testing the software, starting today, and until
mid-May, a free copy of a beta-test version of AlphaCONNECT software can
be downloaded from the AlphaCONNECT Web site. To download a
limited-time-use copy of the beta-test version of AlphaCONNECT software,
connect to the AlphaCONNECT Web site from an Internet browser:
HTTP://WWW.ALPHAMICRO.COM/AC

According to Alpha Microsystems President and CEO Douglas J. Tullio,
AlphaCONNECT is "a powerful and versatile data collecting and conversion
tool with unique communications abilities. It cuts through the Internet
clutter to capture desired data from wherever it is located, whenever it
is wanted, delivering it to whatever appropriate destination a user
wishes."

According to Gregory M. D'Alessandro, WebMaster for Westergaard On-line,
the Internet-based investor's information service of New York City-based
Westergaard Publishing Corporation, "We have been testing AlphaCONNECT for
the past several weeks and have found it to be a powerful tool for the
real-time capture of data from servers on the Internet and the dynamic
updating of our Web pages. With AlphaCONNECT, we are also able to easily
deliver data retrieved from other servers and Web sites to our Paradox and
Microsoft Access data bases. The software is well-designed and, with its
intuitive Windows user interface, it is easy to use. The installation
process is straight forward, and AlphaCONNECT's automated scheduling
features make it easy to automate the entire data retrieval and updating
process, thereby saving us personnel and connect time. It's a great
program, it's flexible and we have only scratched the surface of its
potential uses."

Tullio said that AlphaCONNECT uniquely harvests data via standard Internet
protocols such as FTP and HTTP. It can access data from legacy system text
or report files located on mainframes, minicomputers, PCs, local area
networks and wide-area networks, as well as from Web pages on the
Internet. The data can be delivered automatically to the user in two ways:
as an updated Windows office application; or as an HTML (Hyper Text
Mark-up Language) file, properly formatted to enter an enterprise Intranet
or the World Wide Web.

Based on user-specified criteria and under the control of a built-in timer,
AlphaCONNECT will automatically control the entire data harvesting and
updating cycle. It can be set up to establish the connection with the
specified legacy applications or Web sites, collect the desired data,
launch the appropriate Windows application or Web page updating routines,
filter the incoming source data, map the output to the specified
destination and shut down the application when all processes are
completed. When delivering data to Windows applications, AlphaCONNECT can
create new documents or spreadsheets, or update existing ones using
established formulas, formats and attributes.

"AlphaCONNECT is user-friendly as well as comfortable for the experienced
user," Tullio remarked. "In addition to the standard Windows application,
AlphaCONNECT can also handle Web page creation, formatting and
reformatting as desired, giving the sophisticated user more control." To
assist the user in locating and connecting to a broad range of Web sites
on the Internet, AlphaCONNECT contains an address book and approximately
200 sample links to Web pages. In addition, software developers can
further extend the capability of AlphaCONNECT by writing small programs
known as "plug-ins." With these simple programs, AlphaCONNECT can be
enabled to support additional file formats.

AlphaCONNECT is sensitive to industry concerns about security. Data
acquisition requires user name and password access to FTP sites and
results cannot be posted live on the Internet unless access to the gateway
computer is authorized. AlphaCONNECT can also be installed in "run-only
mode", which allows users to run predefined tasks, but not to modify or
add tasks.

"Now almost anyone can devise and maintain dynamic, self-updating Web
pages, spreadsheets, word processing documents or database files that
require new data or citations gathered from other sources at regular or
even irregular intervals," Tullio added.

Alpha Microsystems is an information technology products and services
provider concentrating on software market niches served both directly and
through value-added resellers and distributors. The Company also provides
consulting, networking, software support and maintenance services, with
approximately 50 locations in North America and The United Kingdom.
 
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