China Information Broadcast Networks to Expand Scope of Media-Rich Services With Critical Path Messaging Solution.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 12, 2002

Leading Broadband Carrier Selects Critical Path Messaging Platform for

Scalability and Lowest Cost of Ownership

Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPTH), a global leader in Internet communications, today announced that China Information Broadcast Networks (CIBN), a leading broadband multimedia carrier, has selected the CP(TM) Messaging Server to expand the scope of messaging services to its subscriber base. Headquartered in Beijing, CIBN provides one-stop broadband services to enterprise and individual clients based on a nationwide CATV backbone network operating from data centers in 16 Chinese provinces.

Serving more than 20 million cable-modem based broadband data service consumers, CIBN has its own facilities for recording and editing video programs and provides rich media content to its subscribers including audio, video streaming, video mail, video conferencing and video peer-to-peer chat. CIBN chose Critical Path along with APAC partner NetStar Group, whose professional services team will provide customization and integration support for the project.

"We need to expand the scope of our services to meet growing market requirements," said Mr. Wang Ping, chief executive officer of CIBN. "Initially we will be integrating video and audio mail into the CP Messaging Server, growing to a million users in the first year, followed by an expectation to expand thereafter in increments of millions of users per year. Given our requirements, the CP Messaging Server was an obvious choice because of its proven scalability and the industry's noted best total cost of ownership."

Noted by industry analysts for its lowest total cost of ownership and immense scalability, the CP Messaging Server is an Internet-based email solution that can service large groups of users while helping customers simultaneously reduce costs. Highly scalable, reliable and secure, it supports HTML, WAP, E/ESTMP, POP and IMAP standards, and provides Web-based administration tools. The CP Messaging Server also enables organizations to leverage existing infrastructure, helping further reduce costs.

"We won this project largely because Critical Path's products offer easy deployment of additional revenue generating applications," said Azita Nader, vice president, Critical Path Asia Pacific. "When building communications platforms, customers tell us that long-term cost of ownership is an important factor. Not only do customers carefully consider initial software and hardware costs, but they look at ongoing management, installation, training and downtime costs, as well as the cost of accommodating new users and deploying new services."

"This project is very interesting and important for us because it gives us an opportunity to work on the customization of the CP Messaging Server's user interface to enable not only email, but audio and video communications support within the Critical Path mail environment," said Mr. YS Chan, managing director of NetStar China. "The resulting media-rich email platform will suit a wide range of other applications. We look forward to building a long-term partnership with CIBN, providing Netstar's technical expertise and professional services and partnering with Critical Path to build on their leading solutions."

About CIBN

China Information Broadcasting Network Co. Ltd. (CIBN) is a broadband network company under the State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) P.R.C. Based on the CATV fiber backbone, its business covers value-added Internet service and international networking services. At present, CIBN has already obtained the ISP license covering 24 provinces nationwide issued by Ministry of Information and Industry (MII) and the ICP certificate authorized by Beijing Communication Bureau. A telecom-standard multimedia data center (MDC) has also been built up at the CCTV tower with area of 1,100m2 , where CIBN launched its own broadband multimedia delivery platform and an network operation center. The portal website www.catv.net is ready to provide variety of practical broadband applications such as VOD, live broadcasting, video advertisement, video email, video chat/conference, instant messaging, etc. With a group of program production professionals and a 400m2 digitized studio room, CIBN has brought about 10 channels of multimedia content including news, music, fashion, online games and education etc. Meanwhile, we have established a strategic partnership with edge-leading media companies home and abroad. As the expansion of the customer market and the rapid growth of the core technology, CIBN will extend the end-user terminal from PC to TV, PDA and mobile phone. Having always kept up with the broadband multimedia trend, CIBN is aiming at leading the customers into a "faster, broader, and more exciting" broadband video novelty.

About NetStar

NetStar Group is one of Asia's leading providers of managed secure Internet/IP enabled network infrastructure and web-based applications. An Asian multinational with 18 offices in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Australia, Taiwan and Singapore, NetStar has more than 600 employees, of whom nearly 300 are qualified engineers. NetStar specializes in the design, implementation and support of appropriate and effective information technology solutions and brings to our clients a broad wealth of experience in data and voice communications. NetStar's primary focus is to ensure that the business objectives defined by our clients are matched with available technologies and service providers.

About Critical Path, Inc.

Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPTH) delivers software and services that maximize the value of Internet communications. The company provides messaging and collaboration solutions -- from wireless, secure and unified messaging to basic email and personal information management -- as well as identity management solutions that simplify user profile management and strengthen information security. The standards-based Critical Path Communications Platform, built to perform reliably at the scale of public networks, delivers the industry's lowest total cost of ownership for messaging solutions and lays a solid foundation for next-generation communications services. Critical Path's customers include more than 700 enterprises, 190 carriers and service providers, eight national postal authorities and 35 government agencies. Critical Path is headquartered in San Francisco with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America. More information on Critical Path can be found at www.cp.net.

Note to Editors: Critical Path and the Critical Path logo are the trademarks of Critical Path, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their holders.