Third Party Partners

Lotus Development Corp. and U.S. Robotics Announce Partnership to Create Links Between Lotus Messaging/Groupware/Time Management Products and PalmPilot

Partners creating PalmPilot synchronization tools for Lotus cc:Mail, Lotus Notes and Lotus Organizer 97 GS

Mountain View, Calif. and Cambridge, Mass., March 10, 1997 -- U.S. Robotics (NASDAQ: USRX) and Lotus Development Corporation today announced several joint initiatives that will make PalmPilot^TM a mobile extension of Lotus Notes, Lotus Organizer, and Lotus cc:Mail. The two companies will provide integration between the PalmPilot e-mail applications, Address Book, To-Do List, Memo Pad and Date Book, and corresponding functions in the Lotus Notes, Lotus Organizer 97 GS and Lotus cc:Mail products, enabling users to carry PalmPilot as a mobile extension of their Lotus products without adding or purchasing additional software.

U.S. Robotics' Network HotSync^TM, the new TCP/IP-based network synchronization capability, is complementary to Lotus solutions because it provides remote access to Notes, Organizer and cc:Mail data from the PalmPilot over dial-up lines or via wide area networks. Modem-equipped PalmPilot users can dial into a standard access server and download e-mail from cc:Mail, and update Notes or Organizer calendar information. Enterprise users of Lotus groupware products can use Network HotSync for company wide synchronization over their internal LAN or WAN.

"We are extremely pleased that Lotus and U.S. Robotics are working together to develop links to PalmPilot and to extend the reach of Lotus cc:Mail, Lotus Notes and Lotus Organizer to the pockets of individual users," said Ed Colligan, vice president of marketing at Palm Computing Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. Robotics. "Lotus' groupware solutions are wonderful productivity tools, and become even more effective when users can access them from a handheld device anywhere, anytime."

"Extending calendaring, scheduling and messaging capabilities into the pockets of our customers is a critical part of Lotus' commitment to help businesses increase corporate and personal productivity," said Nina McIntyre, general manager, Lotus Calendaring and Scheduling. "Our work with U.S. Robotics to integrate PalmPilot support into our product lines further enhances the power of our products by providing connectivity to portable, convenient handheld devices with access to critical information from Lotus data stores.".

Lotus cc:Mail and Lotus Notes Mail E-mail Integration with PalmPilot

U.S. Robotics has integrated e-mail software into PalmPilot Professional, enabling users of Lotus cc:Mail to create new messages, reply to or forward messages, and manage the contents of their desktop mailbox remotely from their PalmPilot. The Lotus Notes Mail conduit will be supported by U.S. Robotics within 90 days after this month's release of PalmPilot Professional. To send or receive new messages, users simply HotSync their PalmPilot, and the PalmPilot's mailbox is intelligently synchronized with the desktop mailbox.

"The PalmPilot/Lotus solution gives our mobile customers access to groupware data from their pocket," said Nick Ordon, general manager of the cc:Mail division of Lotus. "The combination of a truly portable device with seamless PC connectivity is the perfect complement to our existing mobile products."

Lotus Organizer 97 GS Integration with PalmPilot

When released this Spring, Lotus Organizer 97 GS will include a PDA synchronization feature that will exchange Lotus Organizer appointments, tasks, contacts and notes with the corresponding Address Book, To-Do List, Memo Pad and Date Book functions on PalmPilot. This feature will enable Lotus Organizer users to continue to access, share and manage schedules with other Lotus Organizer users, and carry up-to-date information with them conveniently, in a compact device, when they leave the office. End users will have this capability whether they choose to use Organizer 97 GS in a standalone environment or in a group scheduling environment with the Domino 4.5 server.

Lotus Notes Calendaring and Scheduling Integration with PalmPilot

Lotus has developed a link between Lotus Notes and PalmPilot which enables users to synchronize their PalmPilot Organizer with Notes 4.5 Calendaring and Scheduling data. Users can maintain the same data in their PalmPilot and on their desktop. Synchronization is a bi-directional exchange between PalmPilot and the Notes client that compares the records in the PalmPilot to the documents in Notes and makes whatever changes are necessary in each system to keep them "in sync." The Lotus Notes link to PalmPilot will be available at no charge as a free download from the Notes.net Web site by the end of March. The Lotus Notes conduit for the calendar allows the transfer of appointment, invitation, event and anniversary data entered in Notes 4.5 Calendaring and Scheduling to the PalmPilot. Future versions of the product will also allow the transfer of 'to do' entries, addresses and memo data. Lotus, along with U.S. Robotics, is investigating further integration with e-mail and other Notes applications.

Lotus Development Corporation, founded in 1982, is a subsidiary of IBM Corporation. Lotus offers high quality software products and 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 allow users to access and communicate information in ways never before possible, both within and beyond organizational boundaries. Lotus now markets its products in more than 80 countries worldwide and provides numerous professional consulting, support, and education services through the Lotus Services Group.

U.S. Robotics is one of the world's leading suppliers of products and systems that provide access to information. The company designs, manufacturers, markets and supports remote access servers, LAN switching equipment, desktop/mobile client products and modems, telephony products and handheld organizers. U.S. Robotics products connect computers and other equipment over analog, digital and switched cellular networks, enabling users to gain access to, manage and share data, fax and voice information. Its customers include Internet service providers, regional Bell operating companies and a wide range of other large corporations, businesses, institutions and individuals. The company's fiscal 1997 revenues were $1.97 billion. For further product information, customers can contact U.S. Robotics at 800-881-7256 or visit the PalmPilot web site at http://www.usr.com/palm.

U.S. Robotics, the U.S. Robotics logo, Palm Computing and Graffiti are registered trademarks of U.S. Robotics, and HotSync, PalmPilot, Palm OS, and the PalmPilot logo are trademarks of U.S. Robotics and its subsidiaries. All other brands and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Lotus is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Lotus and Lotus Notes are registered trademarks and Domino and Notes are trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

Contacts:

Robson Grieve
A&R Partners
(415) 363-0982, ext. 221
robson_grieve@arpartners.com

Paul LaBelle
Lotus Development Corp.
(617) 693-1028
paul_labelle@lotus.com