Aladdin Launches MacHASP USB for Comdex; The First Software Protection Token for iMac and USB-Equipped Macs.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 12, 1998--Aladdin Knowledge Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ALDNF), a leading developer of solutions for the secure licensing and distribution of digital content, today announced the launch of MacHASP USB, the first software protection key designed for the best-selling iMac product line, and other USB-equipped Macs. MacHASP USB will be demonstrated at Aladdin booth No.S2882 in Sands Hall at Comdex, Las Vegas, November 16-19.

MacHASP USB was first announced back in May following Apples adoption of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) inter-connectivity standard, already widespread in the PC world. As with HASP USB for the PC platform, Aladdin was first-to-market with products that met developers requirements in full.

Today, MacHASP USB enters a market which analysts predict will see upwards of 800,000 iMacs in use by the year end, far outstripping market expectations.

"Our development of MacHASP USB was inevitable, given our lead in utilizing USB for software protection on the PC,' said Rami Kasterstein, Aladdins VP R&D. "The ease-of-use, security and transparency of HASP protection gets a major uplift with the greater speed USB offers."

A major benefit developers enjoy with MacHASP USB and HASP USB is the ability to release software in demo, time limited and modular versions. These are simply enabled with the USB key, and easily upgraded to full versions when desired using Aladdin's Remote Upgrade System (RES).

"Software developers demand both market-leading protection for their products, and a powerful marketing tool," said Eyal Manger, Aladdin VP Software Security Sales. "Our recent agreements with Quark in the USA and Universalis in France, confirm once more, that when industry-leaders want the best, they choose HASP." (See Aladdin press release of November 9, Aladdin's NetHASP Chosen By Quark)

MacHASP USB comes in two versions:

MacHASP USB (available now)\ for protecting applications running on stand-alone Mac computers

Net-MacHASP USB (available first quarter 1999) for protecting applications running in Mac network environments.

Both models contain 90 bytes internal read/write memory, 10 bytes developer-privileged memory, 4 bytes RAM, and a unique ID number. MacHASP USB and Net-MacHASP USB are fully compatible with their ADB versions: MacHASP-M and Net-MacHASP respectively.

Protecting software against piracy is still the biggest challenge facing the software industry today. Both the SPA and BSA estimate that illegal use of software cost the industry over $11.4 billion in 1997 alone, and that almost 50% of business applications in use today are unlicensed.

About Aladdin:

Aladdin Knowledge Systems is a global leader in the secure licensing and distribution of digital content. Aladdins product range includes HASP and Hardlock, key-based software security systems which monitor software licensing and prevent unauthorized use of computer programs, Privilege(TM), a suite of software licensing and metering tools for developers and corporate IT managers, and ASE - ASE - providing smart card security solutions for integration with PCs and other electronic devices. Aladdin is an ISO 9002 accredited company with headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel, 5 international offices and distributors in more than 40 countries, serving over 25,000 clients worldwide. For more information, visit the Aladdin home page at http://www.aks.com.