CORRECTING AND REPEATING/Epson Announces Strategic Alliance; Partnership With Csoft Facilitates Convergence Retailing.

NOTE: This news release corrects and replaces the previous

version, issued Monday, Nov. 16, 1998. Please note that the

headline now reads xxx Epson Announces Strategic Alliance;

Partnership With Csoft Facilitates Convergence Retailing (sted

Facilities Convergence Retailing).

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 1998--Epson America Inc. Monday announced that its Multimedia Communications Group has entered into a strategic alliance with retail software developer Csoft International.

Through the alliance, Csoft will use Epson's virtual transaction terminal (VTT) technology as the platform for its Intuition suite of retail software. Epson's virtual transaction terminal technology combines comprehensive networking capability, powerful multimedia and animation support, Internet access and credit card processing ability into a single thin-client terminal.

"As quick service restaurants, grocers and convenience stores face increased competition, they must re-invent themselves and provide higher levels of customer service and increase customer convenience," said Patrick Doran, marketing manager, Epson.

"This need has led to the emergence of retail convenience centers -- in essence, one-stop shopping locations. Csoft is leading the market by creating solutions for convergence retailing, and we are very pleased that they are using Epson's VTT technology as their hardware platform."

"`Buy anywhere, pay anywhere' is the consumers' current credo," said Pablo Reiter, president, Csoft. "Banks in grocery stores, food outlets at gas stations and in department stores are only the beginning of convergence retailing. The combination of our Intuition retail software and Epson's VTT technology allows retailers to provide the highest level of service and convenience to their customers."

Reiter noted that convergence retailing POS systems must support a transaction model that allows the consumer to select a product from anywhere in the store -- from behind a counter, shopping aisle, gas pump or fast food restaurant -- buy lottery tickets, and use coupons and value cards, all in a single transaction at the same one-stop location.

"Imagine the convenience of being able to fuel your car, shop for food and order home delivery of specialty items for your dinner party next week. And, you pay for it all through the e-commerce kiosk where you place your orders," continued Reiter.

Csoft's Intuition is a suite of in-store retail software products based on Microsoft technologies designed to derive benefit from both best-of-breed software and integrated solutions. Intuition offers significant out-of-the-box retail functionality for any size and type of retailer.

With Intuition, interaction is brought directly to the consumer with thin-client, electronic commerce applications that integrate directly into the store infrastructure using customer-activated kiosks based on hardware technologies like the Epson Multimedia Communications Group's tabletop virtual transaction terminal.

Epson's VTT technology will be used for Csoft's demonstration of its innovative transaction processing solutions at the FS/TEC show in Atlanta, in Booth 543. The demonstration will include Table Top Kiosk, POS, Kitchen Displays and Drive-Thru systems.

About Csoft International

Csoft International provides retail software products and services based on a component architecture called ExPOSs. Founded in 1995 with the objective of providing client server solutions based on Microsoft architecture and technologies, Csoft is focused on achieving the vision of Convergence-Retailing, Universal Consumer Access and Open Information Exchange.

Csoft has not only leveraged architectures created by Microsoft like Windows NT, ActiveX/COM, but has embraced and implemented initiatives and standards like ActiveStore and OPOS. Csoft International has headquarters in Wake Forest, N.C. For more information on Intuition, contact David Walters at 919/556-1816 or via e-mail at [e-mail].

About Epson

Epson offers an extensive array of image capture and image output products for the consumer, business and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added-point-of-sale (POS) solutions for the retail market.

Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America has headquarters in Torrance.

For more information on VTT technology, contact Patrick Doran at 310/787-6300 or via e-mail at [e-mail].

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