Intergraph Briefs IT Managers on Web Technology's Potential

HUNTSVILLE, ALA., MAY 2, 1996 -- In response to a growing need among
companies to make Web technology an integral tool in their overall
businesses, Intergraph, Microsoft, and Intel are currently sponsoring
seminars describing how to implement Web technology as a true business
information tool. Initially offered to Information Technology managers in
29 U.S. cities, the seminars also will be conducted worldwide.

DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION, AN ORGANIZATION'S LIFEBLOOD

In most organizations, for every creator of data there are perhaps ten to
20 people who are users of that data - a sharing process which Web
technology can facilitate. "The Web is really about the distribution of
information," said Intergraph CEO Jim Meadlock. "But on the typical Web
site, the information consists simply of prepared text or unintelligent
images delivered through static homepages. It's just a snapshot of
selected information, not the actual flow of information that is an
organization's lifeblood."

Paul Maritz, Group Vice President at Microsoft added, "As Web technology
moves beyond the novelty stage, business people are sensing there's far
more potential to this networked client-server paradigm. They're eager to
explore the possibilities - and companies like Intergraph and Microsoft
are bringing to market the tools to achieve those possibilities."

NOT CANNED "BILLBOARDS," BUT INTERACTIVE ACCESS

The next phase of Web growth - where major business benefits will be
realized - features dynamic pages where data is retrieved online, often
from large databases. "Organizations can no longer afford to view their
Web sites as just static 'billboards,' containing canned information that
can be viewed but not manipulated," Meadlock said.

As seminar speakers from Intergraph, Microsoft, and Intel explain, the
biggest pay-back may come from exploiting Web technology on internal
networks - or Intranets - where up-to-the-minute business information can
be shared. This saves money and time in distributing information and
fosters more collaborative work environments.

"Intranets are a key to business use of the Web," stated Meadlock,
observing that IT managers plan to use Web technology increasingly to
integrate:

 different enterprise activities and locations
 members of the supply chain, affiliates, and business partners
 downstream operations
 end-users and consumers

THE TOOLS FOR INTERACTIVE WEB SITES

To equip IT managers to handle the surge of new data flowing through
interactive linkages on their networks, Intergraph offers a complete
package of open hardware, software, and services - basically everything
needed for a successful IT enterprise. Included is server installation,
data storage and backup, connectivity and interoperability in multivendor
networks, network problem monitoring, and network security and access
control. An Intergraph Web installation combines content creation,
technical data access, distribution management, and system security in one
environment. Two thousand Intergraph service personnel worldwide provide
complete installation and set-up services for Web servers.

Intergraph's InterServe Web Servers, built around the Intel processor
architecture and Microsoft Windows NT Server operating system, can handle
several times the client load when compared with popular Unix servers.
These systems unite online databases with such applications as live video,
animation, and office and technical software.

For example, the 1996 Academy Awards Web site (http://oscars.guide.com),
which has registered millions of hits in its short life, delivered a
dynamic online database with live audio/video clips and 3D animations.
Windows NT Server gives the Intergraph InterServe the interoperability,
compatibility and multi-tasking capabilities for tight integration of the
many applications and databases used to create such a complex site.

Meanwhile, the Intel Pentium Pro easily handles the integer performance
requirements of relational databases. And with nearly 100 percent
scalability in SMP configurations, the Pentium Pro can neatly meet the
demand of heavy query loads.

BRINGING INTERACTIVE INTELLIGENCE TO WEB-BASED TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS

For many technical professions - such as Intergraph's traditional markets -
a major concern is how to bring graphics data to the Web. Rather than
simply publishing manuals, reports, and drawings, these professions want
to extract and use data from the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) process and
deliver it to other users within the organization.

Just as Intergraph pioneered "intelligent" computer graphics in which
attribute information is linked to features within a graphics model, so
the company has developed tools to add intelligent links to vector
graphics represented by the Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM) format. CGM
has been a recognized standard for delivering drawings and technical
information for many years. CGM is specified as the exchange format of
choice for 2-D graphics by many influential industry and government
groups, including the Air Transportation Association (ATA), CALS (defense
systems) and J2008 (automotive). CGM provides vector images which are much
more compact than equivalent bitmaps and permit far greater detail and
clarity at multiple zoom levels.

Managing the linkages with stored data is accomplished with Intergraph's
information resource management system - DM2. This information and
workflow manager is used to orchestrate data creation and data usage. As
source data is updated, DM2 reestablishes relationships among Web
documents.

Feeding the entire process is Intergraph's suite of applications for
technical design, engineering, geographic information, and information
resource management. These applications produce Web-ready data in industry
standard formats.

INTERGRAPH BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Intergraph Corporation (Huntsville, Ala.) is the world's largest company
dedicated to supplying interactive computer graphics systems. Products
range from point solutions, meeting individual and departmental needs, to
integrated, enterprise-wide systems. The company's common stock trades on
The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol: INGR.

Noted for delivering interoperable systems and applications, Intergraph
bases its products on Windows, Windows 95, Windows NT, and UNIX operating
systems.

The company has five business units:

INTERGRAPH COMPUTER SYSTEMS (ICS) develops and markets Intergraph hardware
products, including personal workstations and servers.

INTERGRAPH SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS (ISS) develops and markets integrated
software for the Technical Desktop - the combination of compatible
technical applications and personal productivity tools in a single desktop
computer. Technical applications include computer-aided design,
engineering, analysis, manufacturing, publishing and earth sciences. ISS
also provides core system software, high-end applications, and training,
consulting, and implementation services.

INTERGRAPH FEDERAL SYSTEMS markets commercial off-the-shelf products and
services, and specially-developed products, to governments worldwide.

INTERGRAPH PUBLIC SAFETY develops, markets, and implements systems for
public safety agencies around the world.

VERIBEST INC. develops and markets a complete suite of Electronic Design
Automation (EDA) software tools for design capture, simulation, synthesis,
layout, and verification/analysis.
 
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