Common Ground Advances Growth of Electronic Document Distribution; Sets Standard Release of new Windows version guarantees exact reproductions, enhanced functionality and affordability.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 1995--Common Ground Software, Inc. began shipping Common Ground(TM) 2.0 for Windows(TM) today. At $189, the new version sets a standard for platform-independent electronic document distribution by guaranteeing exact reproductions of originals and placing lower system requirements on users.

Common Ground 2.0 converts electronic documents into DigitalPaper(TM). This new version adds advanced search, navigation, annotation and publishing tools for DigitalPaper documents. These documents can be distributed electronically via e-mail, the Internet, diskette and CD-ROM. Users can distribute electronic documents with confidence that recipients are able to view and print exact reproductions of the original documents - regardless of the operating system, application, fonts or graphics used to create the documents. Text, images and PostScript(R) graphics retain their precise form on Windows and Macintosh(R) computers.

"Competing products require more - specific font support, system extensions, more processing power, more memory - and deliver less." said Rich Preston, president of Common Ground Software, Inc. "Common Ground 2.0 is the only product of its kind that guarantees an exact reproduction of the original document. This is critical to maintaining the look and feel of corporate identities established by fonts, format, and logos. For $189, our product will allow corporations to streamline the creation of document repositories, encourage collaboration within workgroups and simplify electronic document distribution. Common Ground's goal is to make electronic documents as commonplace as paper."

Enhancements Over Earlier Versions

Common Ground 2.0 offers many enhancements over earlier versions, including:

-- Universal font support. Using BitStream's TrueDoc(TM) technology, Common Ground 2.0 captures font information and creates an exact, scalable outline of the original characters. TrueDoc works independently of operating systems and fonts; any font may be used without violating licensing agreements or copyright laws. No font substitution is ever made, and recipients are never required to have the fonts on their systems in order to view and print exact reproductions. Support is also provided for non-roman character sets such as Kanji, Cyrillic, scientific and musical notations.

-- Anti-aliasing of text. Enhanced readability on screen is assured by reducing jagged edges of text - even at point sizes below seven points.

-- Advanced navigation and annotation tools like table of contents, hyperlinks, thumbnail views, bookmarks and notes.

-- Full text indexing, search and retrieval. The integration of Verity's TOPIC(TM) search engine now allows for Boolean, proximity and stemming searches. Users can index collections of DigitalPaper documents and perform full text searches locally or across a network.

-- Direct e-mail integration with Lotus(R) Notes, Lotus cc:Mail(R), Microsoft(R) Mail and Microsoft Exchange.

-- DES encrypted security with user-configurable password protection.

-- JPEG and text compression resulting in file sizes up to 40% smaller than with previous version of Common Ground.

Common Ground Component

Common Ground 2.0 consists of four major components:

-- The Maker is a printer driver that converts all documents (including PostScript files) from any application to DigitalPaper, Common Ground's electronic document format.

-- The ProViewer allows users and recipients to view and print a DigitalPaper document, navigate within the document, search for text strings, make annotations, and copy and paste from the document into other documents.

-- The MiniViewer, a compact version of the ProViewer, enables viewing, navigating and printing of DigitalPaper documents. Both the ProViewer (700K) and MiniViewer (250K) are embeddable; users can send self-launching, executable files that anyone can open and print. The MiniViewer is freely distributed.

-- The Search Engine, a full text search and indexing engine to allow for searches in a single or a collection of DigitalPaper documents.

System Requirements

Common Ground 2.0 for Windows requires a 386 or higher personal computer, Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher, and 4 MB of RAM. The MiniViewer can operate on machines having only 2 MB of RAM.

Price and Availability

Common Ground 2.0 for Windows includes the Common Ground Maker, the MiniViewer, the ProViewer, full text search and indexing and integrated PostScript support for $189. Registered Common Ground users may upgrade for $49.00.

Integration of Common Ground into Other Applications

Common Ground 2.0 functionality can be seamlessly integrated into other applications. Using the DigitalPaper ToolKit, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Value Added Resellers (VARs) can incorporate the ability to access and manipulate DigitalPaper documents into their applications. This functionality is currently being built into web browsers, electronic mail, CD-ROMs and custom applications. Companies that have licensed the DigitalPaper ToolKit include Lotus Development Corporation, Teknema, iMedia, KnowledgeSet, and Xcellenet. Because Common Ground technology does not interfere with the operating system, a number of applications offering viewing and printing support of DigitalPaper documents are expected.

About Common Ground Software

Common Ground Software Inc. (formerly No Hands Software, Inc.) pioneered the electronic document distribution market with the release of Common Ground in 1993. With a focus on the development of standard-setting applications for electronic document distribution, the company maintains a competitive edge by delivering exact reproductions of documents for electronic distribution, requiring lower system configurations of users and recipients of electronic documents, and ensuring accessibility of electronic documents by providing capabilities at substantially lower cost than competing products. Common Ground software is available in Windows and Macintosh versions.

Headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., the company can be reached at [phone] or [phone]. To receive information via the Internet, address your request to [e-mail] or access the company's Web site at http://www.commonground.com.

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Note to Editors: DigitalPaper, Common Ground, MiniViewer and ProViewer are trademarks of Common Ground Software, Inc. All other trademarks are owned by their respective manufacturers and companies.

CONTACT: Nickelsen Communications

Kathleen Miller or Myrna Nickelsen, 510/845-8804

E-mail: jane [e-mail] or [e-mail].