Comshare Announces Membership in Microsoft's Data Warehousing Alliance; Comshare's Management Planning and Control Applications Integrate Seamlessly with Microsoft's Proven Technologies.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 1999--

Comshare Inc. announced today its membership in Microsoft's Data Warehousing Alliance 2000 (DWA). Membership in the DWA 2000 means that Comshare has demonstrated that it provides customer-ready solutions that leverage the Microsoft Data Warehousing framework, which include open standards for data access such as OLE-DB that are built into Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 and Microsoft Office 2000. These proven platform technologies, as well as Microsoft Internet Information Server, combine seamlessly with Comshare's products for management planning and control (MPC) to create a standard for distributed applications. This product combination gives users all the benefits of true Web-architected applications, including end user flexibility, low administrative maintenance, a distributed application, and broad, economical deployment.

"Microsoft is pleased to have Comshare as a DWA member," said Andrew Hoover, Industry Manager for Business Intelligence in Microsoft's Business Solutions Group. "Whether it's legacy data transformation, SQL Server 7.0 data warehousing, or client interface support in Excel and Internet Explorer, Comshare applications take advantage of and promote Microsoft's Data Warehousing Framework. Comshare's been a very valuable partner."

"Comshare has had a strong partnership with Microsoft, and it boasts a high degree of cooperation in product and market development," said Dennis Ganster, president and CEO of Comshare. "The result has been powerful MPC product combinations, where end users take advantage of the benefits offered by Comshare, Microsoft Excel 2000 and Microsoft Internet Explorer, for example, to reduce training needs and utilize company IT standards."

Currently Comshare works closely with Microsoft in the following capacities:

-- Microsoft Certified Solution Provider

-- Data Warehouse Alliance Member

-- Universal Business Intelligence Campaign Participant

-- Windows 2000 Launch Partner

-- SQL Server 7 Launch Partner

-- OLAP Services Training & Consulting

-- BackOffice Logo Certified

-- Premier Support for Development

-- Bundle of BudgetPLUS with SQL Server 7

-- Decision/DecisionWeb on SQL Server OLAP Services

About the Data Warehousing Alliance

Microsoft Data Warehousing Alliance 2000 (DWA) members embrace standards for query, reporting, and analysis, and they provide solutions that extend the data warehousing capabilities of Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 and the business intelligence functionality provided in Office 2000. DWA members provide complementary data warehousing design and management tools that leverage the power of the Microsoft Data Warehousing Framework built into SQL Server 7.0. Data Warehousing Alliance 2000 members also provide a wide range of tools and complementary applications with prebuilt industry or functional specific analytics and reports, preconfigured enterprise-class Web reporting and analysis client offerings, and advanced data visualization tools.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

About Comshare

Comshare (Nasdaq:CSRE) is a leading provider of software applications for management planning and control (MPC), which includes planning, budgeting, financial consolidation, management reporting and analysis. Comshare's MPC applications deliver business-critical information that can be used to make sound planning and management decisions. In business for 33 years, Comshare is one of the top independent software companies, with customers around the world, many of which are Fortune 500 and Financial Times Top 1000 companies. Comshare is a Microsoft Certified Solutions Provider, Microsoft Data Warehousing Alliance Member, Microsoft Universal Business Intelligence Campaign Participant, and Microsoft Windows 2000 Launch Partner. For more information on Comshare, call 1-800-922-7979, send e-mail to [e-mail] or visit Comshare's Web site at www.comshare.com.

Comshare is a registered trademark of Comshare Inc. Comshare BudgetPLUS, Comshare Decision, and Comshare DecisionWeb are trademarks of Comshare Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.