Bowstreet Predicts 2002 Will Be The `Year of Web Services'; Kicked Off by Microsoft Windows XP.

Business/Technology Editors

PORTSMOUTH, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 2001

Early piece of .NET strategy falls into place, advancing

Internet-based, plug-and-play software components

Bowstreet (www.bowstreet.com) today hailed the release of Microsoft(R) Windows XP, saying it will help make 2002 the "year of web services." The XP operating system, touted to be streamlined and stable, will deliver Microsoft's first web services and increase demand for web services in general.

Web services are platform-neutral software components that companies publish on the Internet for customers and partners to use. In a web services world, for instance, typing a vacation date in a handheld personal calendar could precipitate a series of web services interactions that reserve a flight, hotel and car without any further effort on the user's part.

As a recognized leader in web services, Bowstreet has seen and espoused the promise of web services since the company's inception in January 1998. The Bowstreet(TM) Business Web Factory helps companies mix, match, combine and customize web services that are dynamically assembled into entirely new composite web applications on demand. Microsoft is soon expected to deliver web services - Microsoft .NET My Services - on XP for calendaring, contact-list management, document/image storage, credit card information and personal identification data, among many others.

"Even as the technology industry faces an uncertain economy, web services are on the rise because they lower costs and expand market reach," said Bob Crowley, Bowstreet's president and CEO. "The standards, tools and developer skills are already in place. Microsoft's newest operating system takes web services another giant step toward mass market appeal, acceptance and inevitability."

Bowstreet interacts with Windows XP in three ways. First, Bowstreet's Business Web Factory lets companies take Microsoft's .NET My Services, combine them with web services from any source, then dynamically assemble them into composite web applications. Second, the Business Web Factory lets companies extend their web services to the emerging XP audience. Third, the Business Web Factory will support the Microsoft Windows XP server operating system.

Analyst firm Gartner, Inc. calls web services "likely the hottest trend of 2001 and 2002" and "an underestimated technology." Microsoft is "betting the company" on web services, CEO Steve Ballmer has said. Every other technology giant - including Sun, HP, IBM, Oracle and BEA - supports web services. Bowstreet's products create, assemble and maintain web services and composite web applications that integrate with these vendors' solutions.

About Bowstreet

Bowstreet, a recognized leader in web services, enables businesses to form dynamic, distributed networks called "business webs" that leverage the strengths of the entire value chain while providing rich, streamlined web experiences for employees, partners and customers. The Bowstreet(TM) Business Web Factory automates the creation, assembly and maintenance of families of composite web applications, dramatically increasing programmer productivity. Available options harness the power of the Business Web Factory with leading application, portal and integration platforms. More information may be found at www.bowstreet.com or by calling 603-559-1900.

Bowstreet is a trademark of Bowstreet, Inc.

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