Hermosa Beach, CA -- November 9, 1998 -- Gefion software today announced the release of InstantOnline Technology Preview 1.0, a preview of a set of new components and enhancements to its InstantOnline Java Servlet suite. These extensions make it as easy to add web site support for sending email, uploading files, and dynamically built web forms as it is to database enable a web site using InstantOnline Basic 1.0.1.

"InstantOnline is an alternative to proprietary server-side technologies like Microsoft's Active Server Pages and Allaire's Cold Fusion," says Hans Bergsten, President of Gefion software. "Since InstantOnline is based on standards and implemented in Java, it works with all major web servers and application servers, all major databases, on all major operating systems. This makes it a very flexible solution for dynamic web sites of all sizes."

InstantOnline is a set of Java Servlets that are embedded in HTML files using HTML-like <SERVLET> tags. The Servlets are executed on the server and the dynamic HTML they generate is merged with the static HTML in the page where they are embedded. The combined result is then returned to the browser. InstantOnline Basic 1.0.1 contains Servlet components for reading information from a database and presenting the result as an HTML table or as a free-form HTML pattern, and for storing information submitted by a user through an HTML form. The InstantOnline Technology Preview 1.0 adds extended variable handling, debug features and enhanced error handling to these components, plus a set of brand new Servlets for file upload and server-side file manipulation, dynamic web forms, and sending email. The components can be combined, for example to send an email to the service department when a new question is posted to the web site's discussion forum.

Dynamic features, such as searchable product catalogs, discussion forums, and customization are becoming more and more popular as a way to add value for web site visitors. Nationsbanc Montgomery Securities LLC, as reported by Inter@ctive Week on June 25, 1998, predicts that the market for tools like InstantOnline will grow 37% annually from $145 million in 1997 to $700 million in 2001.

Thousands of people have downloaded InstantOnline Basic and customers are using it to develop interactive, dynamic web sites such as Golf Link Inc.'s Hotels & Resorts section at http://www.golflink.net/resources/hotels_resorts/map-us.htm. "In the process of upgrading our site from a static information site to a dynamic, database driven site we researched a lot of tools. We found that Gefion Software's InstantOnline was everything we were looking for, and more," says Tom O'Brien, Golf Link Inc.

Pricing and Availability

InstantOnline Basic 1.0, released June 2, 1998, is available in three versions:

• InstantOnline Basic 1.0.1 Evaluation (2 concurrent sessions) free of charge,
• InstantOnline Basic 1.0.1 (10 concurrent sessions) $249.00,
• InstantOnline Basic 1.0.1 Pro (unlimited number of concurrent sessions) $499.00.

The InstantOnline Technology Preview is available now as a free add-on to InstantOnline Basic 1.0.1 to give users a taste of what's to come and a chance to provide feedback. The features in the preview will be released as part of the next version of InstantOnline Basic and/or as new InstantOnline products later this year.

For more information please visit http://www.gefionsoftware.com/InstantOnline/.

About Gefion software

Gefion software is a privately held company located in Hermosa Beach, California, founded in 1997. Gefion software develops products that simplify development of network based, platform independent applications.

With the company's focus on platform independent solutions, Java is the programming language of choice. All Gefion software products are developed in Java and use Java based technology to interface proprietary systems, such as JDBC for database access. For more information about Gefion software and its products, please visit http://www.gefionsoftware.com/.