Percussion Software and Active Data Exchange Partner to Offer Optimum Digital Information Network.

Business/Technology Editors

STONEHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 2000

Collaborative Offering Will Enable Well-Managed Delivery of Asset

Distribution Network

Percussion(R) Software, the leader and innovator in next-generation, native XML content management solutions, and Active Data Exchange(R), a provider of content distribution software, today announced a partnership that will allow their customers to be the first to truly manage content in real time on the Internet. The combination of Active Data Exchange's Active Data Syndicator(TM) and Percussion's Rhythmyx Content Manager(TM) will enable companies to integrate content from disparate data sources and effectively manage and publish the content for various audiences in real time.

"The Rhythmyx Content Manager's XML-based architecture lets companies build a comprehensive content management solution by integrating other key content technologies from vendors like Active Data Exchange. The Active Data Syndicator will allow our customers to implement a sophisticated asset distribution solution," said Barry Reynolds, president and CEO of Percussion. "As the Internet grows, businesses will increase the amount of content they have and where they want that content displayed. An open, standards-based framework is essential to a company maintaining a unique and valuable presence on the Web. The combination of Rhythmyx Content Manager and Active Data Exchange provides a well-managed content network that leaves control of the content assets where it belongs - with the content owners."

Active Data is the first true vendor-neutral platform for taking content from multiple locations and in a variety of data formats and networking and assimilating it in a Web environment. The company answers the challenges faced by today's corporations to enhance business relationships, to give users targeted, real-time access to dynamic information regardless of format or physical location, and to improve the efficiency of business operations.

Active Data Syndicator uses a unique process called Active Data Exchange(TM) Protocol to allow real time access of digital files to different corporate information networks from a host database. This advanced syndication protocol enables any authenticated URL address (of the subscriber) to request information from a host server for the retrieval of information to that subscriber. The technology takes advantage of distributed processing at the browser level and integrates seamlessly with Percussion's Rhythmyx Content Manager to provide an advanced end-to-end content delivery solution.

"Our partnership with Percussion provides the most efficient method of digital information delivery to companies that want to reduce information distribution costs and improve the delivery of targeted mission-critical data. The ability to broadcast any kind of digital data to Web sites and wireless devices is the next wave of efficient use of the Internet," noted Susan Yee, CEO of Active Data Exchange. "We have participated with Percussion on a variety of projects and see this as solidification of our current relationship and the future of business-to-business information management."

Both Rhythmyx and Active Data Exchange support an open, flexible architecture. Rhythmyx utilizes XML and XSL as enabling technologies, complementing Active Data Syndicator. The integrated solution leverages next-generation XML, XSL and Java technologies to provide companies with the means to more effectively develop, manage and deploy Web sites, enabling information flow from any content source to any audience. Rhythmyx and Active Data Syndicator offer the combination of real-time aggregation and syndication of content from any data source to any Web site or connected device (browser, mobile phone or PDA) with on-demand content acquisition and transformation to the target device. This ensures that the information comes from the source location and that the referring URL is authorized to display the data.

About Percussion Software

Percussion(R) Software (www.percussion.com) offers the most cost-effective solution for Web content management for fast-paced businesses with mission-critical Web sites. The Company's flagship product, Rhythmyx Content Manager(TM), adopts a superior, standards-based architecture that enables the integration of critical e-commerce components to build a "best of breed" solution that is easy to use and maintain. Rhythmyx Content Manager received Spring Internet World 2000's "Best of Show" award for "Best Web Application Development Software."

Founded in 1994, Percussion Software is headquartered in Stoneham, Mass., with an office in Los Angeles, Calif., and European headquarters in London, England. Percussion Software is a Lotus Premier Business Partner, a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider, and has development partnerships with SAP, Oracle, IBM, Sybase, and Informix. For the second consecutive year, Deloitte & Touche has recognized Percussion Software as one of the fastest growing high-tech companies in New England. In addition, the Boston bureau of internet.com, a news and information resource for Internet professionals, ranked Percussion Software second on its "20 for 2000" list, identifying the greater Boston area's 20 most promising, privately-held start-ups.

About Active Data Exchange

Active Data Exchange is a leader in syndication software solutions that empower companies to get the right content to the right place at the right time. Active Data Exchange helps create highly effective information delivery chains with partners, customers, vendors, distributors, investors, and other target groups and affects commerce with communications tools better than existing email technologies. The company is active in several industry standards committees including the Information Content Exchange Authoring Group and the W3C XML Protocol Standards Committee. Clients include Crown, Cork and Seal, RealTime Media, MainStreet Networks, Turner Construction, Penn Mutual Life Insurance, and Lehigh University.

Notes to Editors: Percussion is a registered trademark and Rhythmyx is a trademark of Percussion Software, Inc. Active Data Syndicator is a trademark of Active Data Exchange, Inc.