Helsinki, Finland, 3 February 1998 -- Two leading software companies, Data Fellows Ltd. and Aviso Systems Ltd. are joining forces to take the world by storm.

Data Fellows will transfer its award winning Vineyard product line and the groupware innovator Aviso Systems its entire business to the new Vineyard International Ltd. The staff of Vineyard International will own 65% and Data Fellows 35% of the new company.

"Combining the Vineyard and Aviso productst is a classic case where one plus one equals at least three and a half," says Mr. Risto Siilasmaa, Chief Executive Officer of Data Fellows, a company known also for its F-Secure anti-virus and encryption products. "The Vineyard groupware and customer management system is an internationally established and highly acclaimed product with a distributor network covering over 50 countries. The additional resources of the young and dynamic Aviso Systems will enable the faster development and aggressive growth Vineyard is hungry for."

"Vineyard’s independence from Data Fellows will also ensure it gets the attention it deserves and the space it requires to conquer the rest of the world on its undeniable merits," continues Mr. Siilasmaa.

"We are all thrilled about the product fusion," says the former Director of Aviso Systems and the Director of Solutions and Services of the new Vineyard International, Mr. Matti Kaasalainen. "Vineyard’s strong foothold in the international market is a great stepping stone into the world for the fresh, innovative technology of Aviso Groupware. The fusion provides Aviso with the resources to take the world, and we are ready for the challenge."

Both products are already highly acclaimed. Vineyard has been reaping awards since 1993, including the Best of Show award at Groupware and the PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice. Its users include the US investment bank Morgan Stanley Co. and Canadian Westcoast Gas Services Inc. Aviso’s award career began in 1996 with the Best Commercial Multipurpose Software Solution in Finland.

"The new Vineyard International is aiming at a 100% annual net growth in the next few years, and is focusing strongly on the US market," says Mr. Kaasalainen. "We are presently looking for a venture capital investor to finance the growth."

The integration of the two product lines into one is already underway, and a smooth migration path is available for existing customers. In the first phase, Vineyard International is launching new improved versions of its contact and information management products, Vineyard and Vineyard Aviso, as well as the new web user interface Vineyard Web.

Vineyard and Vineyard Aviso are based on the idea of all information as objects that are located in multiple folders. These objects can be viewed from unlimited angles and managed in several contexts simultaneously, allowing for the sharing of information between colleagues. Vineyard presents all data as icons and their relationships as visual links, whereas Vineyard Aviso uses a calendar as the user interface. In addition, Vineyard Aviso allows for the replication and synchronization of data, making off-line use possible. The new web user interface Vineyard Web now also makes it possible to access the same information from anywhere in the world.

The next phase, scheduled for autumn 1998, will see the evolution of the existing products into one, Vintage ’98.

"The new evolving Vineyard product family combines the best of both worlds and more," says Mr. Kaasalainen. "The easy-to-use, visual presentation makes grasping the multiple connections, cross-references and hierarchical structures within collections of data a breeze. Add to that the technology for on-the-road use, and in my opinion, Vineyard workgroup solutions are a must for any modern organization."

To facilitate its fast growth, Vineyard International is recruiting for more staff both in Finland and abroad. Says Mr. Kaasalainen: "We are looking for product development staff and absolute top international marketing professionals to drive our aggressive push for the world market."

Data Fellows Ltd.

Data Fellows is one of the world’s leading software development companies with offices in San Jose, California, and Helsinki, Finland. Its major business areas are anti-virus, data security and cryptography software, and groupware products. The most successful product group of Data Fellows is its F-Secure Anti-Virus product family, the world’s first anti-virus software to use multiple virus scanning engines simultaneously. F-Secure Anti-Virus combines two of the best available scanning engines in the world, F-PROT Professional and AVP.

Data Fellows has distributors in more than 50 countries all around the world. Its annual growth in net sales has been over 100% since the company was founded in 1988. Data Fellows belongs to an elite group of companies that have a triple-A rating from Dun&Bradstreet. Triple-A is the highest possible credit rating.

Aviso Systems Ltd.