Critical Path Adds SOAP/XML Web Services Connectivity and Security Auditing to Identity Management Software.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 7, 2003

Fourth-Generation Critical Path Meta-Directory Provides Reusable

Foundation for Addressing Data, Security, and Helpdesk

Initiatives in Enterprises, Governments, and Carriers

Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPTH), a global leader in identity management and messaging software and services, announced that it is now shipping a new, fourth generation of its industry-leading meta-directory software. The new version expands connectivity, enhances manageability, and provides a foundation for addressing a wide range of identity management initiatives. Critical Path Meta-Directory 4.0 now has built-in support for SOAP/XML and related standards for integrating with Web Services, providing them with up-to-date, accurate identity data. As a result, Web Services can easily be linked into -- and automatically provisioned by -- organizations' existing HR applications, operational databases, directories, and other information systems. In addition, Critical Path's Meta-Directory now provides extensive security auditing of all data updates. Organizations can use standard SQL reporting tools to monitor activities managed by the Meta-Directory, simplifying efforts to verify data security and comply with emerging regulatory mandates.

Critical Path's Meta-Directory enables organizations to tie together distributed information systems while ensuring the reliability and integrity of data. The new release extends Critical Path's comprehensive support for highly available data systems, providing connectivity to multi-mastered Sun ONE directory environments. In addition, it simplifies administration by automatically alerting systems administrators of important events such as changes to the availability of connected systems.

"Critical Path's new fourth-generation Meta-Directory makes it easier for enterprises, government agencies, and telecommunications carriers to cut operational costs, boost security, and make more efficient use of existing resources," said Bernard Harguindeguy, executive vice president and general manager of identity management at Critical Path. "Our breadth of out-of-the-box connectivity and proven track record of fast, successful deployments enables organizations to solve pressing problems today with an architecture that can applied to additional issues in the future."

Critical Path Meta-Directory provides a foundation for addressing a wide range of data, security, and helpdesk initiatives, including:

-- Password management and self-service resets

-- Portal authentication and single sign-on 

-- Active Directory deployment and Exchange migration in

heterogeneous environments

-- Real-time integration of HR data with databases, directories,

portals and security systems

-- Providing a single source of authoritative identity data

across an enterprise, reducing development time and support

costs for new applications

-- Data validation and privacy protection for regulatory

compliance

"The flexibility of Critical Path Meta-Directory is the result of its modular, extensible architecture," said Eric Leach, Senior Product Manager for identity management solutions at Critical Path. "For example, with the new SOAP connector and its support for open standards such as WSDL (Web Service Definition Language), organizations can easily use Meta-Directory to integrate Web Services without having to modify already-deployed applications and systems."

Critical Path Meta-Directory 4.0 is now available from Critical Path on Windows, Solaris, and HP-UX. The software provides connectivity to over 70 different applications and is unique in its breadth of built-in connectors for major business systems -- including directories from the industry's major vendors; relational databases from Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM; enterprise applications such as SAP HR, Lotus Notes, and Microsoft Exchange; as well as IBM RACF mainframe security and other operating system platforms. In addition, its support for industry-standard interfaces such as Java, Perl, XML and SOAP provides easy extensibility and frees organizations from having to learn proprietary scripting or programming languages in order to integrate their own applications and data. As a result, the Critical Path Meta-Directory allows identity management solutions to be deployed more rapidly, with significantly lower upfront and ongoing costs.

About Critical Path, Inc.

Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPTH) is a global leader in digital communications software and services. The company provides messaging solutions -- from wireless, secure and unified messaging to basic email and personal information management -- as well as identity management solutions that simplify user profile management and strengthen information security. The standards-based Critical Path Communications Platform, built to perform reliably at the scale of public networks, delivers the industry's lowest total cost of ownership for messaging solutions and lays a solid foundation for next-generation communications services. Solutions are available on a hosted or licensed basis. Critical Path's customers include more than 700 enterprises, 200 carriers and service providers, eight national postal authorities and 35 government agencies. Critical Path is headquartered in San Francisco. More information can be found at www.criticalpath.net.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements by the Company and its executives regarding the performance, security, scalability and interoperability of our product and service offerings, the ability of our customers to achieve cost savings in the provision of services, industry trends, market and customer requirements, the ability of our products and services to meet the business needs of our customers, the market for products and services like ours and the performance of our senior management in achieving strategic goals. The words and expressions "look forward to," "will," "expect," "plan," "believe," "seek," "strive for," "anticipate," hope," "estimate" and similar expressions are intended to identify the Company's forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to, our evolving business strategy and the emerging and changing nature of the market for our products and services, our ability to deliver on our sales objectives, the ability of our technology and our competitors' technologies to address customer demands, changes in economic and market conditions, unplanned system interruptions and capacity constraints, software and service design defects. These and other risks and uncertainties are described in more detail in the Company's filings with the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov) made from time to time, including Critical Path's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002,and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended March 31 and June 30, 2003, as may be amended from time to time, and all subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov).

Note to Editors: Critical Path and the Critical Path logo are the trademarks of Critical Path, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their holders.