American Greetings uses Informix software to create interactive greeting card Web site; never forget a birthday with database-drive system -- personalized cards automatically delivered; American Greetings wins Retail Network Innovation Award for Mass Customization.

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 11, 1997--Informix Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:IFMX) the leading provider of innovative database technology today announced that American Greetings Corporation (NASDAQ:AGREA), the world's largest publicly owned greeting card company, has selected Informix's Universal Web products as the foundation to create, manage and deploy their unique Web site to deliver personalized greeting cards to customers.

Utilizing the Informix software, American Greetings won the first annual Retail Network Innovation Award for Mass Customization at the Retail Systems '97 Conference in Chicago last month. (Mass customization is the process whereby customized or personalized product applications are made available to the mass market.)

American Greetings has selected Informix's object/relational database and Informix Web DataBlade module, products contained within the company's Informix Universal Web Architecture. Informix Universal Web Architecture consists of Informix database servers, middleware tools, strategic partnerships and special programs that allow businesses to create intelligent Web applications for both publishing and transaction-based environments.

American Greetings' Online Web site (www.americangreetings.com) offers a unique on-line system that helps customers remember important birthdays or special occasions. Called the Forget-Me-Not(TM) Reminder, this system based on the Informix object/relational database, notifies senders of important dates via an E-Mail message. Customers can select from a range of cards to personalize, designate the receiver and the date they would like it to be delivered, and have the card automatically sent out via E-mail or the Web.

Customers can also create their own Address Book for recording an unlimited number of names and addresses. When ordering a card, customers simply click on the address they want and the name and address appears on the order form.

The site also has Add-A-Photo(TM) cards that enable customers to add their own photograph to a card. Participating local developers or retailers process customers' film and scan the images onto a password-protected Web site. The photos can then be retrieved and embedded into custom printed cards and sent to relatives or friends. A Shopping Cart feature enables customers to select and personalize a number of items and then order them all at one time.

The Informix object/relational database manages all the photographic images, graphics, text, membership, Address Book, Forget Me Not Reminder and Shopping Cart information and data for the card to be created and distributed.

"This Web site provides a unique, easy, and flexible way in which to enhance a customer's greeting card buying experience, and allows American Greetings to address a whole new target audience," said Josef Mandelbaum, Director of Electronic Marketing, American Greetings.

"With the Informix database and Web DataBlade module, we are able to give the customer many creative choices for creating their cards, whether it's utilizing their own photographs, writing personal messages, sending Animated Greetings(TM), or even purchasing a specialty gift item," Mandelbaum said. "All of this information is stored natively in Informix for effective tracking, managing and transacting customer's personalized cards. Informix is the only database vendor that can provide this capability in a single database."

"The American Greetings Online Web site provides unique value to encourage frequency and customer loyalty to their site in two ways," said John Bartlett, director, Web marketing, Informix. "One, is that the site allows customers to easily send pre-printed cards or dynamically create their own and deliver them quickly to family and friends. And two, the site uses an event-based trigger system based on the Informix database notifying customers of special dates coming up, and reminding them to make a purchase."

About American Greetings

Founded in 1906, American Greetings is the world's largest publicly owned creator, manufacturer, and distributor of greeting cards and social expression products. Headquartered in Cleveland, the Company has operations, subsidiaries and licensees in more than 75 countries and has one of the largest creative departments in the world. Fiscal 1997 revenues were $2.2 billion.

American Greetings has been recognized as a technology leader in the social expressions industry since the introduction of the Company's CreataCard(R) kiosks at retail stores in 1992. For more information about the Company, visit http://www.americangreetings.com

About Informix

Informix Software, based in Menlo Park, provides innovative database technology that enables the world's leading corporations to manage and grow their business. Informix is widely recognized as the technology leader for corporate computing environments ranging from workgroups to very large OLTP and data warehouse applications. Informix's database servers, application development tools, superior customer service, and strong partnerships enable the company to be at the forefront of many leading-edge information technology solution areas. More information about Informix is available via the World Wide Web at http://www.informix.com . -0-

Note to Editors: Informix news releases are available at no charge through Business Wire's NewsOnDemand fax service. To immediately receive an index of available releases, call 800/356-0851.

The following are worldwide trademarks of Informix Software, Inc., Informix Corporation, or their subsidiaries, registered in the United States of America as indicated by "(R)" and in numerous countries worldwide: Informix(R), The Informix logo(R), Illustra(TM), Universal Web Architecture(TM) etc. All other names or marks may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Informix Software, Inc.

Jaye Prosser, 415/926-6316

[e-mail]

or

American Greetings Corp.

Jill Froula, 216/252-7300

[e-mail]