Compaq To Enhance Customer Support with Verity's Search Tools; Customers will benefit both from the speed and convenience of CD-ROM-based delivery and the timeliness of web-based delivery.

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 1996--Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ), the world's largest supplier of personal computers, and Verity, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTY), a leading provider of search-and-retrieval applications for the enterprise and the Internet, today announced that Compaq's on-line product information and support tools will be enhanced with the incorporation of Verity's CD-Web publishing search technology. Any Compaq customer or reseller performing a routine "search and retrieval" for Compaq information will be able to take advantage of both the speed and convenience of CD-ROM-based support information and, concurrently, the timeliness of the constantly-updated information on Compaq's web site.

"Compaq is transitioning all our product information marketing materials, technical specifications, service advisories, instruction manuals and the like to our corporate web site," noted Gus Kolias, Vice President of North America Service and Support at Compaq. "We have found in the process that some customers and resellers prefer CD-ROM-based information. With Verity's CD-Web publishing search technology, we can offer the best of both worlds and advance our long-term commitment to deliver an enterprise-class knowledge-delivery system to our worldwide customers."

At regular intervals, Compaq will replicate some contents of www.compaq.com onto CD-ROMs enabled with Verity's search technology. These CDs will be bundled with future Compaq products and distributed to customers and resellers. Users searching for Compaq information can pull the results directly from the local CD. And if they also have an Internet connection, the search engine can automatically "check in" with www.compaq.com and augment the CD search results with any updated or additional materials.

"Compaq is harnessing the power of electronic media and search-and-retrieval technology for mass distribution of information vital to their global customer base," said Philippe Courtot, Chairman and CEO of Verity. "In addition to the obvious speed and convenience, this hybrid information solution also dramatically reduces the amount of unused paper documents created and stored a real step to further protect the environment and reduce operating costs."

Compaq customer support representatives and visitors to Compaq's world-wide web site will also use Verity's search engine to conduct advanced information searches customized for their special business requirements. The CD-ROMs are expected to start shipping with selected Compaq products by the fourth quarter of 1996.

Company Backgrounds

Verity, Inc. was founded in April 1988 and is headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Verity develops and markets the CD-Web publishing search family of software tools and applications for searching, retrieving and filtering information across the Internet, enterprise, and CD-ROMs. Verity's products have been licensed to corporations, government agencies, on-line service providers, Internet publishers and developers worldwide. For more information, contact Verity at [e-mail] or at http://www.verity.com or by calling 408-541-1500.

Compaq Computer Corporation, a Fortune 100 company and the world's largest supplier of personal computers, delivers useful innovation through products that network people with information. Compaq is strategically organized to meet the current and future needs of its customers, offering enterprise computing solutions, networking products, commercial PC products and consumer PCs. In 1995, the company reported worldwide sales of $14.8 billion. The company is an industry leader in environmentally friendly programs and business practices. Compaq products are sold and supported in more than 100 countries through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Customer support and information about Compaq and its products can be found at http://www.compaq.com or by calling 1-800-OK-COMPAQ. Product information and reseller locations can be obtained by calling 1-800-345-1518.

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Compaq, Registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Verity and TOPIC are registered trademarks of Verity, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Verity, Inc. is not related to the International Stock Exchange of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland Limited, which provide computerized information under the name Topic.

CONTACT: Compaq Computer Corporation

John Sweney

713-514-0484

[e-mail]

or

Verity, Inc.

Marguerite Padovani

408-541-1500

[e-mail]