Lotus Announces SmartSuite 3.0 for Windows

Major New Releases of 1-2-3 and Approach Highlight the First Notes-Ready
Suite Provides Superior Integration for Personal and Team Computing

NEW YORK, June 28, 1994 -- Lotus announced today SmartSuite 3.0 for
Windows, the only complete suite of desktop applications for users who
work alone or collaborate in teams. SmartSuite 3.0, the first Notes-ready
desktop suite, includes the newly announced 1-2-3 Release 5, Lotus
Approach 3.0, Ami Pro 3.1, as well as Freelance Graphics 2.1, announced
today. All four applications have been updated to take advantage of
Notes/FX 1.1, the latest version of Lotus' technology for exchanging data
between desktop applications and Lotus Notes. SmartSuite 3.0 also includes
Organizer 1.1, a personal information manager. ScreenCam 1.1, the
multimedia screen and sound capture utility, has been added to enable
businesses to directly address their need for custom training and end-user
support. SmartSuite 3.0 will ship in North America in the third quarter of
1994.

In addition to the new desktop applications, SmartSuite 3.0 includes unique
suite features that assist users in performing cross-application tasks and
help businesses deploy and support installations of SmartSuite. These
suite-specific features include:

* SmartCenter -- the application switching tool pioneered in SmartSuite 2.0
has been enhanced to provide cross-application user assistance along with
a customizable application palette;

* ScreenCam Help Movies -- a tool for creating and executing visual screen
demonstrations with sample movies included, accessible from SmartCenter;

* Configurable Installation -- a single install program that quickly and
easily installs all of the SmartSuite applications in standard or
customized configurations.

Solving the Needs of Today's Individuals, Teams and Businesses

SmartSuite 3.0 addresses the needs of individuals, teams and businesses in
an unprecedented manner. SmartSuite 3.0 offers innovative usability
enhancements that help users get the job done. For the first time ever in
a suite, users are provided with central access to cross-application
assistance based on the tasks they want to complete. Integration among
applications has also been enhanced. For example, the integration between
1-2-3 and Approach enables 1-2-3 users to access Approach features
directly from 1-2-3 menus. SmartSuite also offers common processes across
applications, greatly reducing ramp-up time and accelerating task
completion. In a team environment, SmartSuite 3.0 helps users collaborate
and share information through tighter integration with Notes and
electronic mail systems such as cc:Mail.

For businesses, SmartSuite 3.0 offers solutions that help manage the costs
of computing by including a series of training and support tools. A
configurable installation program eases deployment and minimizes system
requirements through shared code.

"We designed SmartSuite 3.0 to work the way users work, providing them with
the task-oriented tools needed to produce results faster and easier than
ever," said Tim Davenport, vice president of Lotus' SmartSuite Products
and Technology Division. "In addition to providing the best, most usable
applications, SmartSuite's tight integration with Notes empowers users to
collaborate, communicate and delegate work among teams. The architecture
of Notes, together with SmartSuite, lets users share knowledge in ways
never before possible."

Growing Demand for Integration and Team Computing

Organizations seeking the benefits of superior integration and team
computing are creating a strong demand for SmartSuite. The U.S. Marine
Corps has purchased 29,000 copies since earlier this year. Lotus expects
that number will increase to 40,000 within two years. Additionally, the
Public Works and Government Services of Canada has purchased licenses for
11,000 users to date.

"SmartSuite has revolutionized the process of deploying desktop software,"
said Bob Weiler, senior vice president of Lotus' North American Business
Group. "Organizations of all sizes are choosing SmartSuite and Lotus Notes
to quickly build and deploy workgroup applications that more effectively
manage their business processes. Notes is taking suite users beyond a
stand-alone set of applications to networked environments that support
teamwork in powerful new ways."

According to Paul Peters, BC TEL's project manager for the Commonwealth
Games in Victoria, BC, SmartSuite and Notes enables the project team to
share and collaborate the numerous details associated with this event.
"SmartSuite and Notes have been nothing short of superb," said Peters. "I
most like the usability and interoperability between the programs. The
look and feel of every product is similar and there's a short learning
curve for getting up to speed on all the applications. The job of managing
thousands of details is much easier." The Commonwealth Games will be
broadcast this summer to more than 500 million people worldwide.

Task-Based Integration Helps Users Get the Job Done

Lotus' task-based approach to integration, introduced in SmartSuite 2.0,
enables users to focus on the task at hand rather than the application.
SmartSuite has built integration directly into each application by
automating the cross-application tasks that users perform most often. By
providing common features, a common interface, and unique integration plus
the powerful new SmartCenter, SmartSuite 3.0 helps users to produce better
results in less time.

SmartCenter is a major new implementation of the Lotus Application Manager
pioneered in SmartSuite 2.0. SmartCenter is designed to be a central
resource for users working across applications. The customizable
SmartCenter icon palette allows users to easily launch and switch between
applications -- not only Lotus applications but also any Windows
application on their PC. SmartCenter also includes SuiteAnswers, a central
source of information on how to perform cross-application tasks.
SuiteAnswers provide users with conceptual help in the form of a
SmartSuite Guided Tour; procedural help in the form of ScreenCam movies on
integration topics; and task-specific help in the form of Help Cards that
guide users through the execution of 50 different cross-application
tasks.

In addition to adding support for OLE 2.0, the new versions of 1-2-3 and
Approach take integration a step further by allowing spreadsheet users to
dynamically access Approach features from 1-2-3 menus. Now with the help
of Approach, 1-2-3 users can easily add data entry, mailing labels, and
report forms to their 1-2-3 data tables, as well as analyze sales or
product data in 1-2-3 using a dynamic crosstab from Approach.

"1-2-3's integration with Approach is invaluable in terms of giving us
access to VAX data and simplifying the number of steps users must take to
accomplish a given task, such as pulling information directly into
reports," said Stacy Myers, staff environmentalist for the South Florida
Water Management Agency. "We expect this automation in SmartSuite 3.0 to
have enormous productivity benefits for our users. "

SmartSuite continues to set standards by providing common process-oriented
features to its applications. In addition to the common user interface
pioneered in prior releases, SmartSuite 3.0 adds to 1-2-3 and Approach:
SmartMasters -- first introduced in Freelance Graphics -- to provide users
with predefined templates that streamline the preparation of budgets,
forecasts, business plans, forms, reports and more; Smart Assistants to
step a user through building a chart, querying a database, and creating a
form; and Fast Format -- pioneered in Ami Pro -- to duplicate the
attributes of a range or field with just a click of a mouse. SmartSuite
now presents a common SmartIcon palette across all applications and
includes Bubble Help, which provides eye-level descriptions of every
SmartIcon or SmartCenter icon in SmartSuite. While a common interface in a
suite accelerates learning, common processes help users to produce better
results in less time with less effort.

Notes-Ready Team Computing

Expanding on Lotus' expertise in the area of workgroup computing,
SmartSuite 3.0 empowers users by providing new features for people working
together in teams. 1-2-3 Release 5, Approach 3.0, Ami Pro 3. I and
Freelance Graphics 2.1 are all Notes-enabled. Each application has
expanded its integration with Notes, the industry standard client-server
platform for developing and deploying groupware applications. These
applications now support Notes/FX I .1, the data exchange technology that
enables users to build business process applications that combine Notes
and desktop applications. Notes/FX I . I (available in the June 1994
update to Notes 3.1) increases the level of integration between Notes and
Notes/FX compliant applications. Each application provides improved
performance and usability within the context of a Notes/FX application.

Notes/FX applications store and categorize desktop information for
distribution, access, and update by workgroups; provide automation of
front office processes, and form the basis for collaborative tasks
including reviewing, forecasting and budgeting. Consistent with Lotus'
commitment to developing and delivering business solutions, the CD-ROM
edition of SmartSuite 3.0 will include a series of ready-to-use Notes/FX
applications based on SmartSuite 3.0.

1-2-3 Release 5 and Approach 3.0 have been further integrated with Lotus
Notes. Both applications can query and update Notes databases through
their support of the ODBC driver for NotesSQL. NotesSQL support allows
1-2-3 users to work directly with Notes data in their spreadsheets and
Approach users to include Notes data in reports and mailings. And, for the
first time, Notes users and administrators have powerful, easy-to-use
tools for Notes database reports and analysis.

Besides being Notes-ready, SmartSuite applications also support team
computing in non-Notes environments. 1-2-3 Release 5 for Windows and
Approach 3.0 offer powerful routing features that allow users to collect,
distribute and comment on spreadsheet or database information using any
VIM- or MAPI-based mail system. 1-2-3's Range Routing allows a user to
send a selected spreadsheet range rather than an entire spreadsheet file
to a sequence or group of users. 1-2-3's Version Manager used with Range
Routing makes it easy to collect and consolidate data ranges received in
response to a routed request. Similarly, Report Routing in Approach 3.0
lets users disseminate data reports automatically throughout a workgroup
for review.

All SmartSuite applications support VIM- and MAPI-compliant electronic mail
systems, allowing users to send and receive mail directly from within
their applications. Ami Pro 3.1 takes this a step further by adding a new
feature for users of cc:Mail or Notes that enables users to create, send,
and reply to mail memos using Ami Pro as the editor for their mail. Users
can create a mail memo using Ami Pro's robust text editing capabilities,
tables, graphics, and layout when creating a message. Ami Pro provides
options that automatically copy the message into cc:Mail or Notes for
recipients on non-Windows systems and/or include the mail document as an
attachment in Ami Pro and other word processing formats.

Managing the Costs of Computing

SmartSuite 3.0 includes enhancements in three areas that are intended to
help businesses manage the increasing costs associated with end-user
computing. The enhancements address enduser support, software installation
and deployment, and hardware upgrades needed to support expanding Windows
applications.

With the addition of ScreenCam 1.1, movies can be deployed and viewed
through SmartCenter simply by adding them to one of the directories
accessed by the SmartCenter Movie Guide. A movie can be created in minutes
that literally shows a user what to do while telling them how to do it.
Support organizations can create movies covering their top ten call list;
end users can create movies to educate their peers. By allowing businesses
to address their support issues directly, ScreenCam and SmartCenter help
to control the rising costs of end-user computing.

SmartSuite's configurable installation program has been designed to reduce
the costs associated with installing and deploying software applications.
The SmartSuite install program allows businesses to create their own
custom versions of the install program that are tailored for specific
network, personal computer or business profiles. The configurable install
program makes it easier for LAN administrators to automate installation of
SmartSuite over corporate networks.

SmartSuite 3.0 has been optimized to protect its reputation as the fastest
suite in the market. To perform integrated tasks comfortably with
SmartSuite, users need only 6MB of RAM and a 386 16MHz PC. To accomplish
similar tasks with other office suites, it would be preferable to have
8MB, of RAM on a 486 PC. By allowing businesses to deploy SmartSuite on a
high percentage of their installed base without requiring hardware
upgrades, SmartSuite 3.0 helps businesses save money.

System Requirements

System requirements for SmartSuite 3.0 are an IBM PC compatible (386 or
higher) running Microsoft Windows 3.1 and a Microsoft Windows compatible
video adapter (VGA or higher resolution). A minimum of 4MB of RAM is
required to run any single SmartSuite application. 6MB of RAM with a 6MB
permanent swap file is recommended when performing integrated tasks
involving two applications. Installation of all products requires a
minimum of 31MB of hard disk space; additional space is required for the
installation of optional features.

Pricing and Availability

The suggested retail price for SmartSuite 3.0 is $795. A CD-ROM version
will be available within 30 days at the same price; upgrades will be
available from Lotus at a special $299 "trade-up" promotional price for a
limited time; upon completion of that special offer, upgrades will be
available at a suggested retail price of $595. Upgrades are available to
users of current Lotus desktop applications and to users of qualifying
competitive spreadsheets, word processors, or presentation graphics
packages. Users can order directly from Lotus at 1-800-343-5414.

As part of Lotus' Product Globalization program, SmartSuite 3.0 will be
available in International English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, and
Japanese within two weeks of its release in the U. S. The product will
also be available in Portugese, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian,
Finnish, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Russian, and Traditional Chinese within
90 days.

Lotus Development Corp. (NASDAQ: LOTS), founded in 1982, offers high
quality software products and support services that reflect the company's
unique understanding of the new ways in which individuals and businesses
must work together to achieve success. Lotus' innovative approach is
evident in a new class of applications that allows information to be
accessed and communicated in ways never before possible, both within and
beyond organizational boundaries. The company now markets its products in
more than 80 countries worldwide and provides numerous support services,
both from its consulting division and its award-winning 24-hour support
center.

Lotus Development Corp
55 Cambridge Parkway
Cambridge, MA 02142
617-577-8500

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