DataChannel and Extensibility Partner to Advance XML Leadership; Extensibility to Support PML 1.0; DataChannel Extends Training.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 7, 1999--

In a joint announcement from XML '99, DataChannel and Extensibility have partnered to deliver advanced XML industry solutions.

The collaborative efforts from this alliance will help businesses leverage existing information systems by synchronizing data exchange from disparate systems, differing schemas, and e-business applications.

Extensibility, the foremost authority on XML Schema management, will create a validated schema for DataChannel's Portal Markup Language 1.0. (PML 1.0). PML 1.0 has been submitted and accepted by the OASIS group as the first industry standard markup language for content display and management by an Enterprise Information Portal.

XML Authority (TM), Extensibility's unparalleled schema processing and validation server will contain PML 1.0 support in its next release.

DataChannel will accelerate its lead in providing XML training and solutions by becoming the lead training partner for Extensibility, creating new curriculum and certification for XML Authority as well as other company offerings.

These courses, along with other advanced tutorials from DataChannel will be offered in both open-enrollment and customized training sessions, available the first half of next year.

Additionally, DataChannel will include an evaluation copy of XML Authority in the SDK of its XML-based Enterprise Information Portal, DataChannel Server(TM) 4.0 scheduled for first quarter of 2000.

Coupling of the two products will deliver the industry's most advanced XML tools, training, support, and sample development allowing customers and partners to build extensible, scalable, XML-based corporate portals. DataChannel will also include XML Authority in its repertoire of offerings for schema design services and portal implementation engagements.

"We continue our commitment to providing our customers and partners with the most advanced XML-based solutions in the industry. In the realm of XML schema management, Extensibility stands alone.

"We are extremely fortunate that we are able to partner with them to extend our own functionality as well as provide these services for our respective customers," said Lucie Fjeldstad, chief executive officer, DataChannel Inc."Extensibility excels at schema processing and we give customers a way to manage those validated XML documents with our portal."

"Our customers are developing some amazing applications with our products. This agreement will provide them with additional training support and extend our value with DataChannel's training and services capabilities. They will enjoy advanced XML curriculum from one of the premier solutions companies in the industry.

"We also will enable advance content management capabilities by supporting DataChannel's portal markup language," commented Reid Conrad, chief executive officer Extensibility.

As part of the agreement, Extensibility joins DataChannel's XpertPartner(TM) Program. Other aspects of the agreement include joint development efforts on future offerings that were not disclosed by the companies.

About Extensibility Inc.

Extensibility Inc., (http://www.extensibility.com/) is the leading provider of enabling technologies for XML schemas.

Thousands of organizations, including industry initiatives such as BizTalk (http://www.biztalk.com/), FpML (http://www.fpml.com/) and Acord (http://www.acord.com/) use XML Authority to build Internet-ready business and industry vocabularies for next generation e-business applications.

Extensibility is a strategic partner with leading companies such as Microsoft (MSFT; http://www.microsoft.com/), CommerceOne (CMRC; http://commerceone.com/), OneSoft (http://www.onesoft.com/) and Quark (www.quark.com). Based in Chapel Hill, N.C., the company was founded in 1998 and is a member of the W3C Schema Working Group and OASIS.

About DataChannel

DataChannel advances the way the world does business by providing open-standards-based Internet solutions through its products, services and partners; ensuring that customers maximize the value of their information.

Privately held and founded in 1996, DataChannel Inc. is an XML-based Enterprise Information Portal (EIP) Solutions company that unleashes enterprise information over the Internet, making it easier for employees, customers and partners to participate in your business. DataChannel's EIP Solutions Framework(TM) provides the building blocks for a solid e-business strategy.

DataChannel Server(TM) 4.0, an XML-based portal server, provides a personalized and secure e-business interface, a core component of the Framework. The foundation of the Framework is the XML backbone, which extends your existing infrastructure by using XML to expose all enterprise information so that it can be accessed in a uniform manner to build dynamic Web-based applications.

To learn more about DataChannel, visit the company's Website at http://www.datachannel.com.

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