Be Appoints Industry Veteran Steve Sakoman as Chief Operating Officer; Company Also Appoints Lamar Potts as Vice President of Marketing.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 18, 2000

Be Incorporated (Nasdaq:BEOS) today announced the appointment of Steve Sakoman as chief operating officer. The company also announced the appointment of Lamar Potts as vice president of marketing. These promotions are part of Be's effort to focus its resources on the rapidly growing Internet appliance market.

"I have had the privilege of working with Steve Sakoman for over a decade," said Jean-Louis Gassee, chairman and chief executive officer of Be. "His track record in creating new platforms --from personal computers to handheld devices and advanced game consoles -- is outstanding. This experience makes him the perfect choice to lead our company as we focus on the Internet appliance market. I am also pleased to have Lamar Potts leading our company's marketing efforts. His background will be invaluable to us as we promote our software platform for Internet appliances."

As chief operating officer, Mr. Sakoman is responsible for the company's engineering, sales and marketing efforts for all its products. He joined the company as vice president of engineering from Apple Computer, where he was director of CPU development managing the hardware group, which was responsible for the Apple II and Macintosh product lines. Mr. Sakoman also started and managed the Newton development team. He was also with Silicon Graphics, where he was the director of the Consumer Products and Technologies Group, which included the Nintendo 64 project.

As vice president of marketing, Mr. Potts is charged with launching Be's software platforms for Internet appliances, consumer electronic devices and other dedicated hardware solutions. In this role, he oversees research, competitive analysis, product marketing, developer relations, technology licensing and marketing communication activities. Before joining Be, Mr. Potts founded LP Resource Group, a management consulting firm that focused on corporate development, marketing and partnering strategies. Prior to that, Mr. Potts was the vice president of Apple Computer's MacOS licensing business unit that launched Apple into the Mac compatible marketplace. Mr. Potts was vice president, sales and marketing for an ITT financing company and held sales and management positions with Pitney Bowes.

About Be Incorporated

Founded in 1990, Be Incorporated creates software platforms that enable rich media and web experiences on personal computers and Internet appliances. Be's headquarters are in Menlo Park, California, with offices in Paris and Tokyo. It is publicly traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol BEOS. Be can be found on the Web at http://www.be.com.

Be Incorporated Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained in this Press Release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" including without limitation statements regarding plans for product and reference platform development and release, the market for Internet appliances, future availability and performance of BeOS and third party devices and applications, including Internet appliances, and market acceptance of BeOS in the Internet appliance market. Actual events or results may differ materially as a result of risks facing Be Incorporated or actual results differing from the assumptions underlying such statements. Such risks and assumptions include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to product development, the competition and market acceptance of BeOS for the Internet appliances market, and our ability to meet OEM requirements and establish strategic relationships with OEMs. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by the "Risk Factors" and other cautionary statements included in Be Incorporated's prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 on July 20, 1999 (Commission File No.333-77855), and other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Note to Editors: Be and BeOS are trademarks or registered trademarks of Be Incorporated in the United States and other countries. Other brand product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders. All rights reserved.