Compaq Selects Talarian to Provide High-Speed, Multi-Platform Messaging for Zero Latency Enterprise Initiative.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LOS ALTOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 11, 2002

Reseller Partnership Helps Enable the Real-Time, High Availability 

Promise of ZLE solution; Expands World-Wide Availability

of Talarian Solutions for High-End Systems

Talarian(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:TALR), a leading provider of infrastructure software solutions that deliver data and content in real time, announced today that Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE:CPQ) has selected Talarian's high performance messaging technology for its Zero Latency Enterprise (ZLE) initiative. As a result of the agreement, Compaq will partner with Talarian, including selling and supporting Talarian's SmartSockets(R) solution worldwide as part of the Compaq ZLE architecture, expanding the availability of Talarian's software in markets where systems require real time access to business-critical data and the highest levels of availability and scalability.

Compaq's Zero Latency Enterprise is a transaction-oriented solution providing a single, integrated view of business and customer transactions as they occur, no matter where they occur in the enterprise, in real time. In a zero latency environment, the flow of internal information is accelerated to the point where transactions are instantaneously propagated within the enterprise and can be acted upon in real time. The ZLE framework combines leading enterprise application integration (EAI) with operational data store (ODS) technologies. Talarian has ported its SmartSockets product to the ODS hub of the system which is built on the highly scalable, fault-tolerant Compaq NonStop(TM) Himalaya(TM) server.

Designed for high-end systems moving massive volumes of data, Talarian's software helps enable the instant-response, fault-tolerant capabilities that are the heart of ZLE solutions. Compaq ZLE solutions, using SmartSockets for real-time communication, can give enterprises immediate insight into customer requests and business transactions, providing competitive advantage.

Using industry standard technology, including the Java Message Service (JMS) interface, Compaq chose Talarian SmartSockets technology to simplify the integration of software applications and hardware with messaging technology that is easy to use and does not require extensive programming. Further supporting the size and complexity of ZLE solutions, SmartSockets meets the industry's highest performance benchmarks and provides scalability designed from the ground up for n-tier architectures.

"Talarian is distinguished by a proven track record in helping to eliminate the risks associated with moving high volumes of data in real time across systems made up of disparate applications, platforms, and databases," said Rayvon Williams, vice president of ZLE Business Development and Planning. "To realize the customer benefits of ZLE and gain competitive advantage, data must be made instantly available anywhere on the network without fail regardless of its current or future size. The ability to then act on that information in real time is what provides true competitive advantage. Compaq's NonStop Himalaya server technology together with Talarian's SmartSockets product delivers the highest possible levels of reliability, scalability, and real-time performance needed for customized enterprise solutions."

"Any strategy that advances the Zero Latency Enterprise allows businesses that implement it to sell more product, deliver better customer service and capitalize on new business opportunities sooner than their competitors," said Roy Schulte of Gartner Group who has been working on ZLE for four years. "When the 'right hand' knows what the 'left hand' is doing at every moment, the possible efficiencies and opportunities for enhanced customer service and for increased cross-selling are enormous."

"Our commitment to enabling real-time, fault-tolerant messaging solutions is reflected in our history, our strong partnerships with industry leading companies, and our early support of the zero latency enterprise concept," said Tom Laffey, Talarian's co-founder and chief technology officer. "We are pleased to partner with Compaq because they are the one of the only vendors today that provides a complete line of hardware and software solutions for implementing the zero-latency enterprise. SmartSockets will play a critical role in Compaq's ZLE architecture by enabling instantaneous communication between applications anywhere in the enterprise or across the Internet."

For additional information on Talarian and Compaq, their agreement for the zero latency initiative or Talarian's history providing messaging infrastructure, visit www.talarian.com/compaq.

About Talarian Corp.

Talarian Corporation (Nasdaq:TALR) provides leading infrastructure software solutions that deliver data and content in real-time over a variety of networks to most devices. Through innovative technology called adaptive multicast, Talarian software can select the appropriate data delivery mechanism "on-the-fly" based on application needs and network capabilities. Talarian's high performance, scalable products are deployed by hundreds of the world's largest organizations in their most demanding applications. Customers include the American Stock Exchange, Bear-Stearns, Boeing, Cisco, Credit Suisse First Boston, Earthlink, Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin, MCI, the New York Stock Exchange, Nortel Networks, Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Raytheon and Southwest Airlines. Talarian is headquartered in Los Altos. Additional company and product information is available online at www.talarian.com.

Talarian and SmartSockets are registered trademarks and SmartPGM is a trademark of Talarian Corporation, Los Altos, California. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the opportunity for the zero latency enterprise market, the opportunity for our products within the zero latency enterprise market, the functionality and benefits of our SmartSockets product and the combination of our SmartSockets product with Compaq's zero latency enterprise line of products, the expected benefits of our partnership with Compaq, and the demand and market acceptance for Talarian's and Compaq's products. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, without limitation, our limited operating history in providing products within the zero latency enterprise market, the uncertain market for the Compaq line of products in the zero latency enterprise market, the affects of competition in the real-time infrastructure software market, the rapidly changing nature of the industry in which we operate, the uncertainty of current economic conditions and their affect on customer purchase decisions, and the risk factors described in Talarian's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Talarian Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended September 30, 2001 and the Form 10-Q for the period ended December 31, 2001. The forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and the Talarian undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.