Critical Path Software Drives Down Helpdesk Costs in Enterprises and Governments.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 20, 2003

Meta-Directory Software Integrates & Distributes Identity Data for

Centralized Password Synchronization, Whitepages and

Automated Provisioning 

Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPTH), a global leader in digital communications software and services, today announced a new version of its identity management software that enables enterprises and government agencies to slash a wide range of helpdesk costs. With the latest Critical Path(TM) Meta-Directory Server, organizations can automate many of the expensive, manual processes associated with setting up, maintaining and revoking access to the breadth of applications and information systems required in today's business environments. Key business solutions that the software enables include centralized password synchronization, whitepages directories for distributed organizations and automated provisioning. This release also adds support for the HP-UX server operating system.

Critical Path's Meta-Directory ensures that employees, contractors, partners and customers can be given access to crucial information resources -- or have access removed -- quickly and accurately. Administrators can update passwords for all of a user's applications, databases and operating systems from a central location. Automating such labor-intensive tasks reduces errors and frees up helpdesk staff for other activities, saving organizations as much as $230 per user, per year according to industry estimates.

In addition, Meta-Directory consolidates and integrates all identity information -- not just passwords -- stored in data systems throughout an organization. This comprehensive approach enables key services such as Web security access control and corporate whitepages containing critical identity information to be deployed more reliably and easily. The Critical Path software keeps the underlying data current and only permits changes from authorized sources, reducing the need for helpdesk personnel to spend time tracking down and correcting mistaken information.

This ability to manage all identity data according to customer-specified business rules provides a flexible infrastructure that can be extended as an organization's needs grow. "Assembling reliable, authoritative identity information is the first step in controlling the costs of many helpdesk activities," said Bernard Harguindeguy, chief marketing officer at Critical Path. "Our customers and partners are using Meta-Directory to efficiently add new services such as password synchronization, single sign-on and whitepages directories to increase the efficiency of their organizations while cutting costs."

Multi-OS Support and Broader Connectivity Reduce Costs of Deployment

The Critical Path Meta-Directory Server 3.4 is now available on HP's HP-UX as well as Sun's Solaris and Microsoft's Windows server platforms, giving customers more flexibility and choices in deploying solutions. New support for integrating with security interfaces on IBM's zSeries mainframes, with Oracle 9i databases, and with text-based reports and data sources further extends the Critical Path software's industry-leading ability to offer "out-of-the-box" connectivity, reducing the need for time-consuming, expensive custom development.

About Critical Path Meta-Directory Server

Meta-Directory integrates identity data -- such as names, user ids, passwords, email addresses, phone numbers, etc. -- that are scattered throughout the various data systems in an organization. This information is consolidated according to highly customizable business rules into a consistent, accurate profile of each user. Then, using customer-specified policies, appropriate portions of this clean identity data are automatically distributed to all applications and systems that depend upon having accurate, up-to-date information about each user.

Critical Path's identity management software is unique in its breadth of pre-built connectors and its support for industry-standard languages such as Java, Perl, XML and DSML, as well as key mainframe and database systems. Organizations are freed from having to learn proprietary scripting languages, enabling them to deploy identity management solutions 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, 190 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, 2001, and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 30, June 30, and September 30, 2002, all as may be amended from time to time.

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.