3M Announces Agreements With Netscape and Software.net; 3M Opens New Online Distribution Channels for Post-it Software Notes.

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 1998--3M, the maker of the popular Post-it(R) Note, announced today separate agreements with major Internet portal site, Netscape Netcenter, and online software superstore, software.net. Both relationships open new online distribution channels for Post-it(R) Software Notes, an electronic version of the paper note.

"3M is very excited to be working with two of the Internet's leading brands," said Andy Feld, Post-it(R) Products marketing manager at 3M. "Our relationships with Netscape and software.net will not only expose millions of potential customers to Post-it(R) Software Notes, but also demonstrate 3M's commitment to the online arena and our desire to become as well-known a brand online as we are offline."

3M Keeps Netscape "Posted"

Beginning in July, a 30-day sample of Post-it(R) Software Notes will be available for download on Netscape SmartUpdate, a service on the Computing and Internet Channel within the Netscape Netcenter portal site. SmartUpdate is a personalized notification and updating service that optimizes a user's Internet experience by providing the latest audio, video and communications components and add-ons for Netscape Communicator client software. SmartUpdate offers users a one-stop resource for downloading and installing the latest software.

The Post-it(R) Software Notes sample provides all the functionality of a paper Post-it(R) Note to help users remind, communicate and organize on their PC. When users download the sample of Post-it(R) Software Notes from SmartUpdate, it will also update their Internet browsers to enable them to view Post-it(R) Notes on Web sites and drag them to their own desktops.

"As we expanded our SmartUpdate service, we were looking for leading-edge software products that would provide real value to our Netcenter members and Post-it(R) Software Notes from 3M seemed like a natural fit," said Wayne Dyer, Director of Computing and Commerce Channels for Netscape Netcenter. "SmartUpdate has proven itself to be a valuable service for users that want to keep their software up to date."

In addition, the full version of Post-it(R) Software Notes will be available for purchase through Netscape Software Depot by software.net, an online software store. The agreement with Netscape also includes advertising support for Post-it(R) Software Notes in the Software Depot's SOHO Center.

Software.net "Sticks" to Post-it(R) Notes

Software.net (http://www.software.net), a leading, online reseller of commercial off-the-shelf computer software and strategic partner with America Online (AOL), is partnering with 3M to further expand distribution of Post-it(R) Software Notes. Users who log onto AOL to purchase Microsoft's Windows 98 through software.net will receive a free, 30-day sample of Post-it(R) Software Notes bundled with the operating system. The promotion began at the end of June, with the availability of Windows 98, and will help place Post-it(R) Software Notes in the hands of an estimated 60,000 AOL members.

Software.net's partnership with 3M to sample Post-it(R) Software Notes provides added value to AOL members by offering access to the electronic version of a familiar brand that will help them organize their daily lives.

As part of the agreement between software.net and 3M, advertisements for Post-it(R) Software Notes will run on AOL's Computer Main page, Computer Download page, Computer Superstore, as well as on Excite, another strategic partner of software.net. The full version of Post-it(R) Software Notes will also be available for purchase from software.net through this agreement.

About Post-it(R) Software Notes

Post-it(R) Software Notes brings the convenience and power of the Post-it(R) Note to the PC. An electronic dispenser of Post-it(R) Software Notes sits on top of the Windows desktop and can be accessed from any application the user is working in. A click on the note pad dispenser creates a note that can be left on the desktop as a reminder, "stuck" on a customized "Memoboard," or sent to someone via electronic mail. Users can set alarms on individual notes to help them remember important meetings or tasks and print out their notes to take with them.

About 3M

For more than 90 years, 3M has set the standard for creating innovative products in 30 core technologies. 3M, with 1997 revenues of $15.1 billion, has 74,000 employees in more than 60 countries, working together to create and sell thousands of products around the world. Wherever they are found, 3M products respond to real customer needs and change the way people live and work.

For more product information and tips on how to use Post-it(R) Products, consumers can visit the Post-it(R) Products Web site at www.3M.com/Post-it.

"POST-IT" is a registered trademark of 3M. All other registered trademarks are owned by their respective holders. Editor's Note: When writing Post-it(R) Products, please include the "(R)," and remember to follow the trademark with the appropriate noun: Post-it(R) Flag, or Post-it(R) Note, for example.

Netscape, Netscape Navigator, Netscape Certificate Server, Netscape ONE, SuiteSpot and the Netscape N and Ship's Wheel logos are registered trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation in the United States and other countries. Other Netscape logos, product names, and service names are also trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation, which may be registered in other countries.

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