DCA'S NEW GROUPWARE PRODUCT, "OpenMind," PROVIDES COLLABORATIVE
CONFERENCING, DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT, PUBLISHING AND SEARCH FOR IN-HOUSE
INFORMATION SYSTEMS

OpenMind IS READY-TO-USE, ENTERPRISE-WIDE

August 1, 1994 -- ALPHARETTA, Ga. -- Digital Communications Associates Inc.
(DCA) today announced "OpenMind," a client/server groupware product for
companies requiring an easy- to-use, enterprise-wide in-house information
service enabling groups to work together collaboratively to exchange
ideas, share files, blend internal data with external information and
manage the enterprise's knowledge resources.

Equipped with a powerful navigation system and search engine, document
management utility, discussion database and intuitive graphical interface,
OpenMind lets users manage documents and discussions in a way that
leverages the strength of group collaboration.

OpenMind will support from tens to thousands of users out of the box,
without requiring additional programming support. With a server based on
Microsoft's Windows NT, OpenMind is a true 32-bit, multi-threaded
client/server application that supports automatic replication among
distributed servers. Servers can replicate information over LAN/WAN and
dial up connections.

Extensive network protocol support is provided including IPX/SPX, NETBEUI,
TCP/IP, NETBIOS, AppleTalk and modem dial up, enabling OpenMind to be used
with a wide range of local area networks. OpenMind's client software is
based on Microsoft Windows 3.1 and Macintosh. Remote clients can use
OpenMind through DCA's Remote LAN Node.

Other key features include: 

* security at section level, user-id and password required
  to access OpenMind
* e-mail integration with VIM and MAPI-compliant systems
* Microsoft OLE 2.0 automation integrates OpenMind into external
  applications, such as news services on the Internet or
  CompuServe and provides access to other agents.

Publishing

OpenMind allows groups to share information by publishing documents. With
OpenMind, the original look of the document is preserved. Built-in viewer
technology displays the top 150 application file formats, enabling the
user to access a document in its native state, while eliminating the need
to have the application. Users can launch the applications in which the
document was created to make changes or to save it to their local drive.

Document Management for the Masses "Document management for the masses" is
a key feature of OpenMind. As users contribute changes to a document, both
current and earlier versions remain available. By "locking" a document, a
user can prevent others from making changes to it, although they can still
read it. This feature helps coordinate the editing process and prevents
accidental overwriting of others' changes.

Navigation and Collaboration

User Interface

OpenMind's client interface is presented as a hierarchy of sections which
is customized by the corporation. Sections and subsections might be
structured and named based on the company's organization or some other
logical hierarchy familiar to the business. As items are posted -- files,
messages, questions, replies, attachments or scanned-in documents -- "the
Mind" begins to grow. Anyone with access to a section can post a response,
create a discussion or access a document folder. Once the sections have
been created, users will spend most of their time on "the Mind" in one or
more "views."

Explorer View: To Access Sections

The Explorer View is where users navigate through the sections of "the
Mind" to which they have access. As with any of the three views of "the
Mind," users can read and contribute to discussion, as well as access
other sections or posted documents.

Transcript View Promotes Collaboration

OpenMind's unique "Transcript View" presents discussions in an
easy-to-read, easy-to- follow format. Unlike an e-mail system where users
view a list of subjects, but may read only one message at a time, OpenMind
presents a fully-threaded discussion in a transcript-like format. When a
discussion is opened, users see a condensed summary that allows for easy
scanning. Clicking on a discussion line expands the contents in full
transcript format. Users scroll through the discussion as they would a
document, which enables them to contribute comments in the context of the
overall discussion, eliminating the need to reestablish the basis for a
reply.

Search View:

The Search View has a fast and powerful full-text search engine, enabling
users to conduct a full-text search of any posted information, such as
discussions, other documents attached to messages, user information and
documents in folders. OpenMind's client/server architecture stores files,
discussions, group documents and other electronic forms of information,
providing a fully-indexed repository of everything on OpenMind. This
information can be automatically replicated between severs.

OpenMind's Search view enables users to use a variety of criteria such as
content, date ranges, author, file type and sections. Because the contents
of "the Mind" are full-text indexed, including application files in their
native format, no document conversion process is necessary for users to
read searched documents.

Track View:

The Track View functions similarly to an in box. Here, users can keep an
eye on something, simply by selecting the section title. Users can mark
information throughout "the Mind" and will be automatically notified when
others make a change to it or respond. Users can also alert others to an
item of interest, or let them know of a published document by sending an
"FYI," which appears as a flag in the Track View box. This is also the
space where, when working on "the Mind," the system alerts users to
incoming information.

DCA's OpenMind has been in beta test at the company since February. Over
500 users have participated, from sites including the company's
headquarters outside Atlanta, development facilities and sales offices
ranging from San Jose, Calif., to Charlotte, NC., to New York, as well as
international offices in Europe.

Pricing and Availability

OpenMind Windows client and server software will be available in September.
The suggested retail price ranges from $295 for a single client to $225
per client for 100 users or more. The OpenMind Windows server will be
available for $995. The OpenMind Starter Kit includes one server and five
clients and is priced at $995. OpenMind will be available through selected
value added resellers and DCA's corporate sales force. A Macintosh client
will be available in October.

Located in metro Atlanta with offices worldwide, DCA is the worldwide
leader in providing personal computer communications solutions for host
and remote information access. DCA's host access communications software
and development tools improve business processes and leverage corporate
investments. DCA facilitates the integration of information on existing
IBM, Unisys, DEC and HP systems into new client/server applications. DCA's
software products for remote communications give users complete access to
corporate data and information services, regardless of where they may be
located.

Digital Communications Associates Inc
1000 Alderman Dr
Alpharetta, GA 30201
404-442-4000, 800-348-3221

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