AST Computer leaps ahead of the pack with innovative Ovation! program.

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 1996--

New Marketing Program Gives VARs More Bang For Their Buck 

Giving a whole new meaning to the word support, AST Computer (NASDAQ:ASTA) on Wednesday announced its innovative and revolutionary AST Ovation! program for its reseller partners.

The AST Ovation! program is designed to provide a comprehensive arsenal of marketing tools and programs to empower AST VARs to more efficiently and effectively market AST products. Kicking off the Ovation! program is a seminar series portfolio, marketing templates and business development guides now available to designated resellers.

"Imagine being able to generate high-quality leads in a cost-effective and focused manner. AST has made it possible with the Ovation! program," stated Gary Mullinix, vice president of U.S. sales for AST.

"VARs and resellers can select from a menu of tools and programs which they feel would be most beneficial to their marketing efforts. What this means to the reseller is an increase in return on investment by leveraging the national marketing efforts of AST."

According to AST, the true beauty of the Ovation! multitier program is its simplicity. The Ovation! program provides a comprehensive offering of turnkey programs and templates, which are designed to include further developments to keep the program fresh and effective.

The reseller simply chooses the program offerings that best suits their needs and orders from a provided form. For extensive support, special AST Ovation! consultants will guide the reseller to the most appropriate and cost-effective solution.

"What we have created with the Ovation! program is a series of value-added programs which help enable our resellers and VARs to quickly get their product into the hands of their customers. The Ovation! program provides a series of building blocks that maximize AST's first-to-market strategy while helping to provide improved margins for resellers," Mullinix added.

Ovation! was created by AST to support qualifying resellers through individualized business development assistance. AST has demonstrated its dedication to the success of its resellers through helping to increase reseller productivity and enhance sales efficiency.

Giving New Meaning To Turnkey Programs

AST has truly stepped out of the box with the Ovation! program -- providing a new level of support to resellers. In the area of sales impact, AST leads the way with their Niche Marketing Series, which helps resellers generate responses from a particular target market at a very low cost. Through the Ovation! Trade Show Loaner Booth program, resellers can also make a strong impact at industry trade shows.

To aid resellers in the area of business development, Ovation! also offers a Better Business Teleconference Series. These are convenient, telephone-based seminars lead by industry professionals that provide practical how-to information on sales, marketing and business development topics.

Also offered is a Peer Group Information Exchange. Sponsored by AST and other industry organizations, quarterly conference calls and annual in-person meetings give AST VARs a unique opportunity to gain valuable business insights and learn about best practices from their peers in a non-competitive environment.

More Than Lip Service 

One of the offerings that truly sets the Ovation! program apart is the Seminar Series Portfolio, a prepackaged seminar that enables the reseller to make an informed, illustrated presentation. For example, the first seminar package available is "AST Computer: Unlock the Power," which is based on recently announced findings in a new International Data Corp. (IDC) white paper.

The seminar package is designed to help resellers educate their corporate customers on the transition to the 32-bit environment and includes a professionally designed PowerPoint presentation, an expertly-written script, data sheets and invitations.

Getting Out From Under The Shell

With limited resources and time, many VARs have difficulty developing effective, comprehensive programs. AST provides a solution through the Ovation! program. Standardized AST Ovation! shells/templates enable resellers to greatly reduce the cost of developing customized marketing materials. Professionally produced, four-color collateral pieces are available and come in Invitation, News Flash and Tri-Fold Mailer shells.

Each piece in the Ovation! program leaves plenty of designated space for the insertion of reseller-specific copy, photography and artwork. Currently, Ovation! is offering AST Ascentia P Model Update News Flash Mailer and the Manhattan Presence Pro Tri-Fold Mailer.

Reaching For The Gold - Together

Kicking off the Ovation! program and available immediately are the Marketing Shells, News Flash Mailer, Tri-Fold Mailer, Announcement Mailer and Seminar Series Portfolio featuring "AST Computer: Unlock the Power". Because the Ovation! program is designed to be updated, new templates, activities and services may be added to the program on a regular basis.

Resellers interested in participating can call AST Ovation! program management at 800/886-7697.

Visit The Web

Information about AST's products can be found on the World Wide Web at www.ast.com With a recent face lift to its Web page, AST products and company information are now easier than ever to find and explore. Also available on AST's World Wide Web site is Web Support, a feature that allows users to e-mail questions from the Web site directly to AST's On-line Support Team.

Corporate Background

AST Research Inc., a member of the Fortune 500 list of America's largest industrial and service companies, is one of the world's leading personal computer manufacturers. The $2.468 billion company develops a broad spectrum of desktop, mobile and server PC products that are sold in more than 100 countries worldwide.

AST systems meet a wide range of customer needs, from corporate business applications to advanced home and home office use. Corporate headquarters is located at 16215 Alton Parkway, P.O. Box 57005, Irvine, Calif. 92619-7005. Telephone: [phone] or 800/876-4278. Fax: [phone]. Service and support, technical specs and other information about AST's products can be found on the World Wide Web at www.ast.com -0-

NOTE: AST is a registered trademark and Ascentia, Ovation! and Manhattan are trademarks of AST Research Inc. PowerPoint is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. All other product or service names mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT: AST Research

Camerone Welch-Thorson, 714/727-8858

[e-mail]

or

The Benjamin Group Inc.

Lisa Zwick, 714/727-7961

[e-mail]