COMPUSERVE JOINS STARDUST WINSOCK LABS
STRENGTHENS COMMITMENT TO OPEN INTERNET STANDARDS

SEATTLE, Wash., Oct. 24, 1995 -- Demonstrating its firm commitment to open
Internet standards, CompuServe today announced it has become a member of
the Stardust WinSock Labs. As a member, CompuServe will perform rigorous
WinSock interoperability testing on pre-release versions of its Internet
and online access software products.

"CompuServe is deeply committed to supporting open Internet standards such
as WinSock and TCP/IP," said Tim Oren, vice president and general manager
of CompuServe's Internet Division. "We chose to work with Stardust WinSock
Labs because they are the recognized experts in WinSock interoperability
testing. Their advanced lab facilities will help us achieve the highest
level of interoperability."

The WinSock Labs are based in Campbell, Calif., and serve as the industry's
first independent testing center for WinSock interoperability. The labs
are managed by Martin Hall, Stardust's co- founder and chief technology
officer, one of the originators of the WinSock API. First published in
1993, the WinSock specification manages the communication interface
between Windows applications and the Internet's TCP/IP protocol. WinSock
allows any WinSock- enabled application to operate over any of the dozens
of TCP/IP stacks. The phenomenal growth of the World Wide Web and the
Internet has been propelled by the WinSock standard's ability to
TCP/IP-enable millions of Windows PC users.

"Despite the WinSock API's broad acceptance, significant interoperability
problems still remain," said Martin Hall of Stardust. "As a valued member
of the WinSock Labs, CompuServe can proactively identify and resolve
interoperability issues before new products are released."

By becoming a member of the Stardust WinSock Labs, CompuServe joins an
elite group of vendors who are committed to furthering WinSock
interoperability in their Internet products and services. Other members
and sponsors of the Lab include WRQ, FTP Software, NETCOM On-Line
Communication Services, Novell, SunSoft, Powersoft, SurfWatch, System
Software Technologies, Millinet, NetManage and Persoft.

Founded in 1995, the Stardust WinSock Labs provide comprehensive support
and services to developers and implementers of the Windows Sockets API.
The company was co-founded by Martin Hall, the originator of the Windows
Sockets standard. Mr. Hall is the founding and present chairman of the
WinSock Group, the loosely structured industry coalition that in 1993
created the WinSock 1.1 specification. Stardust WinSock Labs are located
at 1901 S. Bascom Ave., Suite 333, Campbell, Calif., 95008 and can be
reached by phone at (408) 879-8080 and by fax at (408) 879-8081. The
company's anonymous FTP address is ftp.stardust.com and its World Wide Web
page is located at www.stardust.com.

About CompuServe

CompuServe is an H&R Block (NYSE:HRB) company.

Founded in 1955, H&R Block, a diversified services company, is the world's
leading tax preparation and online services company. CompuServe operates
the most comprehensive network in the world, providing online services to
more than 3.6 million customers in more than 140 countries and network
services to more than 850 corporate customers worldwide. H&R Block Tax
Services provided tax-related services for almost one in every seven
returns filed with the IRS in 1995, and served 17.1 million taxpayers in
more than 9,500 offices worldwide.
 
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