Avitek Hosts First Annual Java Technology Harvest; Annual Event Will Offer Insight and Networking Opportunities for Regional IT Experts.

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 18, 1998--Java(tm) technology developers and business executives along Colorado's Front Range will gather today at the Boulder offices of Avitek, Inc., for the First Annual Java Technology Harvest and grand opening of the Avitek Authorized Java Center(SM).

This daylong event, organized and hosted by Avitek, will include presentations on the latest Java developments, successful case study applications and an opportunity for Java enthusiasts to meet, share experiences and socialize.

"For the grand opening of the Avitek Authorized Java Center we decided to organize a mini-Java conference so area high-tech professionals could share ideas and learn more about Java technology," said Tim Miller, Avitek's president and CEO. "The response we received from customers and business partners was so overwhelmingly positive that we created the Java Technology Harvest concept and now plan to hold the event on an annual basis."

As a leading developer of custom Java applications within the Denver/Boulder metro area, Avitek is at the forefront of the Java technology explosion. The company has achieved 250 percent average quarterly revenue growth, over the prior years quarters, for seven consecutive quarters. Its staff now includes more than 25 full-time employees, with forecasted growth calling for 75 employees by the end of 1999. To accommodate its growth, Avitek recently signed a new three-year office space lease, expanding its space from 5,100 square feet to more than 11,300 square feet.

At the Java Technology Harvest, Avitek has enlisted technical experts from Sun Microsystems, WebLogic, Object Design, SCM Labs, Electronic Commerce Associates and the Root Group to present on a wide range of Java technology-related subjects. Session tracks will focus on business and technical issues, Java product demonstrations and round-table discussions on the current and future status of the emerging Java technology.

"We've created a format for the Technology Harvest that combines useful technical information with a loose and fun atmosphere," explains Avitek's Miller. "The Boulder technology community is extremely hard-working, yet it doesn't take itself too seriously. We intend for everyone to have a great time." Some of the "fun" activities planned for Harvest attendees include a foosball tournament, a chance to challenge Avitek engineers to the company's home-grown (a Java-based) video game - Spacelets, catered food, a gourmet coffee bar and live music provided by Laughing Hands, a local Boulder band.

With Boulder emerging as a nationally recognized hot spot for high-technology start-ups, the number of Java programmers in the area is expanding at a rapid rate. "When we started Avitek we made a commitment to the Java technology platform because it was apparent that object-oriented and Internet technologies were becoming increasingly important factors for businesses," says Ryan Martens, Avitek's vice president of marketing. "Couple Boulder's start-up community with Denver's strength in telecommunications and you have one of the fastest growing Java development communities in the country."

Introduced by Sun Microsystems in 1995, the Java platform is now recognized as a revolutionary new programming language - enabling a fundamentally new way of computing. It is an operating environment and complete operating system, designed to build applications that run on almost every type of computer, consumer product or other device - especially computers connected to networks like corporate Intranets and the Internet. The success of Sun's Java technology has attracted hundreds of thousands of new programmers every year, with an estimated 750,000 programmers now working in Java.

For more information on the Java Technology Harvest, the Avitek Authorized Java Center or Avitek, contact Ryan Martens at [phone], Ext. 104.

ABOUT AVITEK INC.

Founded as a Java technology development organization in 1995, Avitek has continued to grow rapidly as an employee-owned business based in Boulder, Colorado. Through reuse of custom Java technology components and by utilizing the company's proven Steel Thread(R) methodology, Avitek has established itself as a technical leader in the development of Java software solutions for businesses. With complete project support from technical analysis, design and prototyping through engineering, component assembly, development and deployment, Avitek has successfully completed more than 25 Java technology projects for clients including U S WEST, TRW, EchoStar Communications and DMW Worldwide. For more information about Avitek, its services and the Avitek Authorized Java Center, contact Ryan Martens at [phone], e-mail at [e-mail], or visit the company Web site at http://www.avitek.com.

Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Java and Java Center are trademarks and registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.