Austin Technology Incubator Launches Eight New Companies; Enterprising Bill Bock of Verity Ventures to be Keynote Speaker.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 2001

The Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), a program of the IC2 Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, will celebrate its 2001 graduating class on Thursday, May 17 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. in the MCC Auditorium, located at 3925 West Braker Lane.

This year's graduating class consists of eight companies of varying technologies. Together the graduate companies employ over 200 people in Austin in such fields as electronic design automation (EDA), wireless equipment management, computer support and training services, and user interface design solutions.

Since 1989, ATI has graduated more than 62 technology-based companies, generating over 2,500 jobs in the Austin region. ATI companies have raised more than $600 million in capital and reported revenues exceeding $1 billion. ATI is an activity of the IC2 Institute at The University of Texas at Austin and partners with the City of Austin and the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.

The maximum incubation, or development, period at ATI is three years, and the graduation ceremony serves as the official "launching" of companies into the business world. The ceremony includes an impressive line-up of speakers, a video presentation and an information area featuring some of the growing, high-tech start-ups of ATI.

This year's keynote speaker is Bill Bock, a general partner with Verity Ventures. Bock previously served as president and CEO of Dazel Corporation. During his four years with Dazel, Bock successfully managed the sale of the company to the Hewlett-Packard Company, where he was named as HP vice president overseeing both Dazel and HP's Digital Workplace Services consulting business. Bock serves on the boards of directors for Silicon Laboratories, the Austin Software Council, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the KLRU public television station system, and is chairman of the board for the Austin Entrepreneurs Foundation.

Also participating in the graduation ceremony are Dr. George Kozmetsky, founding director of the IC2 Institute and ATI visionary; Dr. Robert Ronstadt, IC2 Institute director; Dr. Joel Wiggins, ATI director; and Wesley Cole, ATI assistant director.

ATI's eight graduating companies are developing a wide range of new technologies. The companies and a brief description of their products and services follow:

-- computer moms international corporation

Computer moms is a national franchiser offering opportunities in computer support and training services that are specifically tailored to meet the needs of each client. During its three years at the Austin Technology Incubator, computer moms international corporations awarded over 60 franchises in Texas and Oklahoma, has recently introduced its franchise model nationally, and has awarded several franchises in other states since the first of the year.

-- ergosoft laboratories

Founded in 1995, ergosoft laboratories brings extensive expertise and professional objectivity to user interface design and evaluation through the implementation of scientific methods and analysis of data from real users. Working with clients ranging from technology start-ups to FORTUNE 100 companies, ergosoft techniques improve ease of learning and ease of use for technology products of any type.

-- Evity (BMC Software)

Prior to the company's acquisition by BMC Software (based in Houston) in May 2000, Evity spent approximately one year as an ATI company. Evity's flagship service, SiteAngel 2000, is now called SiteAngel and is a part of BMC Software's Service Provider Solutions business unit.

-- Isochron Data Corporation

Isochron Data Corporation is a leading provider of wireless equipment management for customers seeking to communicate with distributed field assets (i.e. vending machines) to increase operational efficiency. Isochron systems use wireless two-way paging to enable direct control over a company's field assets and immediate access to timely, accurate and actionable information.

-- NORDview

NORDview's mission is to focus on original equipment/original design manufacturing and marketing of portable digital photo albums (PDPA) and accessories for the digital still camera market. The PDPA family extends the picture storage capacity of a digital camera by 1000s of times while providing photo and audio organization and enhancement, playback on a television, Internet connection and printing on most popular printers.

-- Really Easy Internet

Really Easy Internet Inc. was a leading provider of voice interaction solutions for Web-based customer interaction. ReallyEasy's powerful services restored the personalized human experience to online business transactions. The company was acquired by !hey Inc. (based in North Andover, Mass.) in 2000.

-- Speedgate

SpeedGate's primary focus is design verification of integrated circuits in the electronic design automation (EDA) sector of the electronics market. Acquired by Mentor Graphics in 2000, SpeedGate continues to develop and market new and innovative verification solutions targeted at the well-publicized "ASIC verification bottleneck."

-- Spiraco

Spiraco develops user interface design solutions for software and Web applications. The firm's synergetic team unites accomplished visual designers with expert interaction specialists to create and transform messages with inspired, interdisciplinary design solutions across a wide range of media platforms. Since its inception in 1999, Spiraco has quickly emerged as a design studio that weds a refined aesthetic sense to a deep understanding of information and how users relate to it.

Past ATI graduate companies include: Exterprise, InfoGlide, Applied Science Fiction, TManage, Metrowerks, DTM Corp., Encore Orthopedics, Logical Information Machines (LIM) and Factory Logic Software Inc.

About the IC2 Institute

The IC2 Institute is an international, multi-disciplinary research and education institute at The University of Texas at Austin that links technology, entrepreneurship and education to foster sustainable social and economic development around the world. One of its programs is the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), which supports promising high growth companies in a variety of technology-based industries with strategic advice, access to financing, marketing and public relations support, employee benefits programs, mentoring and turn-key physical infrastructure. For more information about IC2 and ATI, please visit its Web site at www.ic2.org or call 800/687-8532.

NOTE TO EDITORS: In the organization name above, IC2 Institute, the "2" is a superscript. It was changed for transmission purposes only.