Computer Associates Acquires Viewpoint Datalabs, World's Leading Creator and Publisher of 3D Digital Content.

ISLANDIA, N.Y.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--October 29, 1998--Computer Associates International, Inc. (CA) today announced the acquisition of privately-held Viewpoint DataLabs International, Inc. (Viewpoint), the world leader in 3D digital content creation and publishing. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Viewpoint (www.viewpoint.com) is widely recognized for creating and publishing the world's largest and fastest growing library of 3D digital content, and providing unparalleled custom modeling services to the professional animation community. Viewpoint is also driving the future of 3D in the mainstream with LiveArt, its revolutionary graphics productivity software.

Viewpoint will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of CA, and will continue to operate with its existing management team and employees in its Utah, Los Angeles, San Francisco and United Kingdom offices.

CA plans to use Viewpoint's technology to further advance the capabilities of leading edge products such as Unicenter TNG and Jasmine through the use of sophisticated 3D technology. Viewpoint will also continue to offer and evolve its technologies, products and services for its existing customers in the entertainment, advertising and visual simulation industries.

"The acquisition of Viewpoint will extend CA's leadership in bringing the benefits of 3D technology to enterprise applications," said CA Chairman and CEO Charles B. Wang. "We believe that through the use of three-dimensional interfaces, interactive 3D objects and enhanced digital imagery, CA customers will be able to create differentiating value in their applications, improve the productivity of their knowledge workers and develop new types of compelling content that will help them win on the Web."

According to Wang, the rapid growth in online interactivity between companies, customers, suppliers and other partners is blurring the line between operational and marketing technologies - making visual interfaces and presentations increasingly critical to success in e-commerce. "In an electronic marketplace, the ability to attract, present and communicate effectively on a computer screen is mission-critical," said Wang. "Viewpoint's technology and business acumen in applying that technology are clearly of extraordinary value in enabling customers to fulfill this critical requirement." Joining CA enables us to significantly accelerate our ability to deliver comprehensive content, creative service and software solutions to a wide range of visual communicators," said Martin Plaehn, chairman and CEO of Viewpoint. "With CA's backing, we can leverage our products and cutting-edge technologies to become the premier digital content provider to the corporate community - in addition to strengthening our commitment to provide quality 3D digital content and services to professional animators in the entertainment and visual simulation industries," said Plaehn.

With its rapidly growing library of thousands of 3D digital objects and artistic 2D rendering technology, Viewpoint is helping to fuel the expansion of 3D into mainstream markets and businesses. The company's 3D models and images derived from those models will be a critical part of business applications over the next 20 years.

"The age of 3D business applications is upon us," said Jon Peddie, president of Jon Peddie Associates, a market research firm tracking innovations in digital media and 3D graphics. "The new 3D business applications will, over the next few years, become as much a part of the office automation working environment as spreadsheets, e-mail and presentation packages are now. As they become integrated into everyday office use, we will see the beginning of the shift from a technology push solution to an application pull, thanks to user demand."

Viewpoint serves more than 5,000 customers in entertainment, visual simulation, corporate communications, computer-based training and advertising. Customers include leading corporations such as Microsoft, Intel, General Motors, Lockheed Martin and Boeing; major entertainment studios including DreamWorks SKG, Industrial Light & Magic, PDI and Digital Domain; broadcast companies including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox and CNN; leading game developers such as Electronic Arts, Sierra On-Line, Psygnosis and Activision; advertising agencies including BBDO/Detroit and Saatchi & Saatchi/Los Angeles; and numerous government agencies.

Viewpoint also plays an increasingly visible role as a collaborative creative and 3D modeling partner to major entertainment studios, including its recent work with PDI on the feature film "ANTZ" and with Centropolis on "Godzilla."

"Over the years, PDI and Viewpoint have worked together to create amazing digital content and visual effects for films and advertisements," said Carl Rosendahl, president and CEO of PDI, a leading computer animation studio specializing in high-end 3D animation and visual effects for the entertainment industry. "Alliances such as ours have contributed to the unquestionable value and pervasiveness of computer graphics in entertainment today. As part of CA, Viewpoint will be in an excellent position to deliver the benefits of 3D to a much broader audience."

Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA), with headquarters in Islandia, N.Y., is the world leader in mission-critical business software. The company develops, licenses and supports more than 500 integrated products that include enterprise computing and information management, application development, manufacturing and financial applications. CA has over 11,000 people in 160 offices in 43 countries and had revenue of $4.7 billion in fiscal year 1998. CA can be reached by visiting www.cai.com, emailing [e-mail] or calling 1-516-342-5224.

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