Microrim to release Internet database.

BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 13, 1995--Microrim Inc., a subsidiary of Abacus Software Group, announced today that it will introduce the first real database for the Internet at the Las Vegas-based Comdex Trade Show Nov. 13-17.

The product, called R:WEB, was partnered with SBT Internet systems and is the Internet version of Microrim's leading database management software, R:BASE.

R:WEB provides companies that want to conduct business over the Internet with an affordable, powerful, and programming-free database solution. R:WEB allows companies to take orders for products or provide services directly through their "home page" on the Internet's graphically friendly World Wide Web. It automatically links their Web page with their corporate database, whether it's an R:BASE database or any ODBC-compliant database, allowing real-time solutions to product orders and inquiries.

R:WEB is designed to run on a Web server, similarly to the way the R:BASE database software runs over a local-area network server. When an Internet user accesses an R:WEB-based form on a Web site, R:WEB generates a connection to the associated database located on the company's network server. R:WEB then creates a Web document based on the form. This form appears on the customer's Internet browser, allowing him or her to input order information directly into the company's database exactly as an employee would input it into the database from an e-mail messaged order -- which is currently the most prevalent option.

R:WEB requires no Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Common Gateway Interface (CGI), Perl, or C++ programming knowledge. Internet customers can browse through real-time data such as inventory quantities, enter their own shipping and billing information, and easily request information directly from an R:BASE or ODBC-compliant database through the organization's WWW site.

"The release of R:WEB opens the door to efficient and affordable Internet data processing. Imagine the power of ordering a product on-line and having the data processing completely automated. No time is lost re-entering e-mail messages from the Net into your database. R:WEB does it for you on the fly, and that saves a lot of money and time," explains Art Miller, president and CEO of Microrim.

David Harris, president of SBT Internet Systems, commented: "R:WEB is ideal for companies that want an easy solution to conducting business on the Internet -- whether they want to post and update their product catalog while processing orders at the same time, or have remote field sales representatives who need to enter sales orders and figures directly into their corporate databases. R:WEB can reduce wide area network costs and long distance charges. Virtually every type and size of business can benefit by using the no-programming R:WEB to streamline their operations on-line."

R:WEB includes the newly released R:BASE 5.5 for Windows as a free development tool, which will be demonstrated along with R:WEB at Comdex booth H933. R:WEB provides on-line documentation to help users learn how to generate R:WEB-compatible forms. The price of R:WEB (including R:BASE 5.5) is $995 per Web server. It will be available directly from Microrim, through distributors and through various retail outlets.

R:WEB and R:BASE 5.5 for Windows (which is required to design the forms) provide a time-tested, powerful fourth generation language (4GL) with embedded SQL and all the graphical interface design tools needed to design a truly powerful, and relatively inexpensive, Internet database solution. With R:BASE's powerful data integrity rules, constraints and password security, organizations using R:WEB forms have complete control of what information an Internet user can or cannot access.

SBT Internet Systems is a subsidiary of Software Business Technologies, established in 1980 to develop software solutions for businesses. SBT develops and markets Internet and Database Applications through value added resellers and consultants. For more information about SBT products and services, contact Rich Jenkins, Internet Marketing Director at 415/444-9967 or e-mail at [e-mail]. SBT headquarters is located at 1401 Los Gamos Drive, San Rafael, CA 94903. SBT's web site is http://www.sbt.com.

Microrim, founded in 1981, was among the first companies to market databases for personal computers. Privately held until March 1995, Microrim is a wholly owned subsidiary of the publicly held Abacus Software Group (ASG). ASG also owns the Edmonton-based Abacus Accounting Systems Inc., producer of the Abacus II accounting software. The Microrim product line includes R:BASE 5.5 for Windows and OS/2 PM, R:BASE 4.5++ for DOS, R:BASE LAN Pack, R:BASE SQL Engine 2.0 for Windows, R:SCOPE, R:BASE Runtime, Westlake Imager, Zolton Graphics and R:BASE books and journals. Microrim headquarters is located at 15395 S.E. 30th Place, Bellevue, WA 98007. Microrim's web site is http://www.microrim.com. -0-

Note to Editors: For more press information on Microrim or to request software for evaluation, please call Jodi Sorensen, Marketing and Media Relations Manager at 206/649-2534, or e-mail, [e-mail].

Microrim, R:BASE and R:WEB are registered trademarks of Microrim Inc. Other products listed may be trademarks of their respective companies and have been used for identification purposes only.

CONTACT: Microrim Inc., Bellevue

Jodi Sorensen, 206/649-2534 or fax [phone]

e-mail: [e-mail]

Internet: http://www.microrim.com

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Belinda Young Public Relations 

Belinda Young, 206/932-3145

[e-mail]

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The Fearey Group

Michael Flynn, 206/343-1543

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