EBT Announces the Dynabase Web Management System for Bringing Control to Enterprise Web Sites; DynaBase Operates as a "Plug-in" to Netscape and Microsoft Web Servers and Works with All Web Authoring Tools and Relational Databases.

SAN JOSE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 30, 1996--Closely following the receipt of Seybold Editors' Technology Trailblazer Award for its innovative DynaWeb server, EBT today announced the beta release of the DynaBase Web Management System here at Internet World. DynaBase is a complete, easy-to-use Web management system for corporate and commercial Webmasters who require robust management, development and production tools for Web site publishing. DynaBase is an open environment that brings control, extensibility and automation to Web publishers.

DynaBase is the first integrated system that combines sophisticated content management capabilities with a powerful Web development system for both Netscape and Microsoft Web server environments. Unlike other Web management systems, DynaBase works with any HTML or graphics editor, enabling authors the freedom to choose the best tools for each task. DynaBase "plugs-in" to both Netscape and Microsoft Web Servers and provides those servers with remote authoring, version control, link management, automatic indexing, content validation, fielded searching, and integrated scripting.

"DynaBase offers a comprehensive solution for Web management, including version control, database connectivity, scripting and content management," said Mark Jesson, technical consultant, Brann, a marketing communication group in the UK whose clients include DHL, CompuServe, Dell, Sony, Guinness and Microsoft. "We are particularly excited about the opportunities for personalisation and for creating dynamic content. It gives us the freedom to put our imagination to work and concentrate less on low-level technical issues. DynaBase will take the Web to a new level of interaction with the host organisation - crucial in managing the interface between our clients and their customers. I haven't seen anything yet that competes," continued Jesson.

"The Web community is now demanding ubiquitous access to real-time information that is interactive, personalized, and of exceedingly high quality," said Jonathan Bachman, Senior Product Manager, Internet Publishing Solutions at EBT. "DynaBase's unique environment provides the automation necessary to control complex Web sites while leveraging existing Web content, authoring tools, servers, and databases. This enables Web managers to cost effectively meet the new demands of the Web without changing they way people currently work."

The DynaBase Web Management System has two major components, a server add-on that plugs into Netscape or Microsoft servers, and a client that operates over the standard HTTP Internet protocol. This architecture enables a distributed workgroup of authors, developers, and editors to collaborate on Web projects from any number of remote locations.

The DynaBase client provides a "file manager-like" interface for directly authoring and managing Web content. Using this standard desktop metaphor, the DynaBase client can access any remote DynaBase server to load data or check-out and launch any authoring tool including products such as, Adobe PhotoShop, Microsoft Internet Assistant, and Netscape Navigator Gold, as well as general purpose text editors. DynaBase provides rigorous access controls that prevent conflicts and fosters communication within distributed workgroups.

The DynaBase server is a version controlled Web data management system for all types of Web content, including HTML pages, graphics, multi-media and Java applets. Based on a commercial OODBMS - ObjectStore from Object Design, Inc. - the DynaBase server provides a robust, high-performance, and scaleable, Web data repository for publishing multiple versions of closely related Web content.

When an item is updated within DynaBase, the server validates the content, automatically creates a new version, and updates any indexes so that the integrity of the server is never compromised. This mechanism enables teams to publish and develop concurrently and enables end-users to effectively search for the latest information added to a Web site. DynaBase's unique ability to publish multiple concurrent 'editions' of a Web site eliminates the need for proofing servers and enables the management of content for multiple audiences. The DynaBase client includes Web Basic Editor, an integrated cross-platform, scripting environment built upon BasicScript, a Microsoft Visual Basic-compatible language licensed from Summit Software. Web Basic Editor enables development of high speed CGI scripts for the Netscape and Microsoft servers. Utilizing the version control facilities within the DynaBase server to manage CGI scripts, Web developers are freed from the complexity of managing scripts in a separate source control system. This enables the incremental development and testing of complex interactions within the Web server without the need to create duplicate test servers; dramatically simplifying Web development.

Web Basic scripts written within DynaBase have native access to content within the DynaBase server, as well as access to relational databases through ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) drivers. This capability enables easy integration of DynaBase with virtually all major database systems such as Oracle, Sybase, and Informix. In addition, Web Basic scripts can update and access HTTP header information, including logs and cookies, through the Netscape and Microsoft Web server APIs (application programmer interfaces). This unified environment enables almost anyone to build and maintain dynamic, interactive, and personalized Web sites.

"It's clear that DynaBase is an environment specifically architected for interactive Web publishing," said Darren Bryden, Executive Vice President, Logical Design Solutions, corporate Intranet developers in Morristown, N.J. "We think DynaBase' dynamic document serving is key because it will replace alot of specialized CGI coding. We see DynaBase as a new composition platform."

DynaBase also provides "user extensible" HTML which is a unique capability to control the generation of HTML tags/content without embedding program logic into each page. This capability also extends the HTML markup with site-specific tags. Web developers can therefore author content in 'descriptive' HTML shorthand while generating expanded, richly formatted HTML for viewing by different Web clients.

DynaBase provides link management in the form of a "link view" and URL-independence. URL-independence enables developers to rename and reorganize files without breaking links within the site, and without breaking links external to the system pointed at the site. Other link management strategies, which attempt to repair links after modifying or moving files, fail because links external to those systems, such as bookmarks, cannot be updated and will inevitably break.

DynaBase is currently in a restricted beta testing cycle. A public beta version will be available in June and the product will ship in late summer. DynaBase will be available for an introductory price of $2,500. This limited time option includes the DynaBase server and clients for a workgroup of ten authors or developers. For the initial release the DynaBase client runs on Windows 95 and Windows NT, and the DynaBase server runs on Windows NT within a Netscape Server. The DynaBase server plug-in for Microsoft servers and additional Unix platforms will be available closely following initial ship date.

EBT is a leading provider of standards-based online publishing solutions for the corporate and commercial publishing market. Founded in Providence, RI in 1989, EBT is a privately held corporation providing software and services for managing and publishing electronic content on all media, including the World-Wide Web and CD-ROM. EBT is a founding member of the MIT World-Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and can be contacted at http://www.ebt.com or [phone].

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DynaBase, DynaWeb, Web Basic and EBT are trademarks of Electronic Book Technologies, Inc. Netscape is a trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation. Visual Basic is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. ObjectStore is a trademark of Object Design, Inc. BasicScript is a trademark of Summit Software. Unix is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, exclusively licensed through X/Open Company Ltd. All other company, product, or service names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

CONTACT: Media contacts:

Paul Lamoureux([e-mail])

EBT

[phone] x241

or

Craig Librett([e-mail])

Miller / Shandwick Technologies

[phone]