Press Release 2000-09-21

Release of Mithral's Client-Server SDK Makes Development of Distributed Computing and Peer-to-Peer Applications Simple

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - September 21, 2000 - You probably first learned about distributed computing, running multiple computers in parallel, from the distributed.net RC5 cracking project. Then you may have heard about the SETI@Home screensaver and thought it was pretty cool. Lately, you have seen Napster in the news for its file-sharing capabilities. What if you could quickly and easily produce your own distributed applications and harness the untapped power of the Internet? Now you can, with the Mithral Client-Server SDK. The Client-Server SDK grants any software developer the power to create custom distributed computing and peer-to-peer applications on more than 20 differentplatforms.

Mithral Communications and Design Inc., announced today the commercial availability of the Client-Server SDK. Available to both academic and commercial clients under the Mithral Dual License, the Client-Server SDK is the only thing a developer needs to produce custom distributed applications. It is the first product to be released as part of the Cosm project, a family of products that allows for single-source development.

While other companies have attempted to create a distributed computing "cycle-sharing" market, Mithral has chosen to make distributed technology available to everyone. Mithral realizes that many companies have confidential data that cannot be shared over an open network. Because of this fact all current distributed computing applications are useless for most commercial clients. By using the Client-Server SDK, companies can reap the benefits of distributed computing on private, internal networks, without exposing valuable data to the world. Developers wanting to reach a worldwide market via the Internet can do so without difficulty.

"We realized years ago that an Internet based cycle-sharing market was not viable for a number of reasons, the least of which is the security issue," said Adam L. "Duncan" Beberg, founder of Mithral and Chief Technical Officer. "With the release of the Client-Server SDK, Mithral has given everyone the ability to easily build custom distributed and peer-to-peer applications."

The Client-Server SDK is ready for use with any distributed or peer-to-peer application. Among the advantages to using the Client-Server SDK:

Public Source - No concerns about application security. Full source is provided.
Become your own "cycle broker" - No more reliance on a third party to develop and maintain your application.
Easy-to-create distributed and peer-to-peer applications for any purpose.

Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., Mithral Communications and Design, Inc. is a privately held technological research center that focuses on cross-platform development tools. Founded in 1995, Mithral is currently developing the Cosm product line - a family of tools designed to provide seamless, cross-platform, single source development. More information on Mithral and Cosm can be found on the Web at www.mithral.com.

The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements.