Crystal Decisions Reconfirms Its Commitment to False Advertising Suit Against Actuate; Calls Actuate's Claims ``Tremendous Disservice to Software Buyers''.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 24, 2002

Crystal Decisions today reconfirmed its commitment to pursuing the next stage of its recently announced false advertising suit against Actuate Corporation to ensure that customers have access to accurate product information when choosing mission-critical business intelligence software. In late December, Crystal Decisions filed suit seeking damages and an immediate stop to what it asserts is an ongoing campaign of false and deceptive advertising by Actuate. At that time, the California state courts granted Crystal Decisions an early hearing date, which would have allowed an initial ruling to be issued by the end of January.

Commenting on recent efforts by Actuate to have the case moved from state to federal court, Crystal Decisions vice president and general counsel Susan Wolfe called the moves "nothing more than an effort on the part of Actuate to unnecessarily delay the legal proceedings by changing courts and filing frivolous counterclaims. We are eager to document for the court Actuate's long-running pattern of disseminating false information on the Internet and via mass e-mails, which is not only illegal but also does a tremendous disservice to software buyers who have a right to fair and accurate information on which to base their buying decisions. We believe the evidence in our case is exceptionally strong, and we fully expect the court to order Actuate to halt its deceptive practices and pay damages for false advertising.

"Crystal Decisions' consistently strong financial results and sales records stand as clear testimony to our unwavering focus on continuous product innovation to help our customers achieve their business goals," Wolfe said. With more than 10 million licenses shipped of its award-winning technology, Crystal Decisions is a leader in the business intelligence marketplace. For the first fiscal quarter ended Sept. 28, 2001, Crystal Decisions reported increased profitability and a revenue growth rate nearly twice that of its nearest business intelligence competitor.

For More Information

For more information on Crystal Decisions technologies and services, phone [phone] (North America) or 604/681-3435 (International), or visit the Crystal Decisions web site at www.crystaldecisions.com.

About Crystal Decisions

Crystal Decisions, formerly Seagate Software, is a privately held Seagate company owned by a group of investors that include Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group. Crystal Decisions is an information infrastructure company, which provides award-winning reporting, analysis, and information delivery solutions. The company's world-class products are used by millions of customers in thousands of companies worldwide and include Crystal Analysis, Crystal Enterprise, Crystal Reports and Holos. Crystal Decisions can be found on the Web at www.crystaldecisions.com.

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