8e6 Technologies Denounces Deceptive Sales Tactics in Use Within the Internet Filtering Industry; Company Takes Unusual Step of Calling Websense's Actions `'Hitting Below the Belt''.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

ORANGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 27, 2002

8e6 Technologies, a leader in the Internet Filtering and Reporting industry, has taken the somewhat unusual approach of publicly calling on one of their competitors to stop deceptive sales tactics.

"We believe Websense to be one of the major players in the content filtering business, particularly in the corporate area. They are a strong, publicly held company that should not have to lower themselves to these type of tactics," said George Shih, president and CEO of 8e6. "We are quite surprised at this. Our only explanation is that our growth and success in the market is eating into their share."

At issue is a marketing piece Websense is distributing titled "Why Websense Enterprise Beats 8e6 Technologies." According to 8e6, the piece goes way beyond the normal marketing hype and includes items that are purely fiction.

"For example," Shih said, "they present a comparison of the size of our database compared to theirs. Since we do not make public the number of entries in our database, they just made up a number for us. This is really hitting below the belt."

The piece also details at least a half dozen technical "untruths" about 8e6's filtering technology, according to 8e6. "Some of the clients that have shared the Websense piece with us have been amazed at the disregard for accuracy. For the knowledgeable client, it doesn't show Websense in a very favorable light," Shih said.

Shih also said that recently 8e6 has replaced Websense's product in a number of large customer sites, such as an Atlanta-based power company with more than 25,000 employees and another client that is the fourth largest life insurance group in the nation. Shih added, "It looks like our successes have had an effect on them."

About 8e6 Technologies

8e6 Technologies is a privately held software and hardware developer, specializing in Internet filtering solutions for thousands of businesses, ISPs and schools throughout the world.

Located in Orange, the company assists clients in managing the impact of the Internet on employee productivity, legal liability and abuse of network resources, through flexible, accurate and high speed filtering of Internet content. For more information visit www.8e6technologies.com.