BackWeb Unveils Proactive Desktop Portal at Demo 2001

Groundbreaking BackWeb Shadow Introduces New Portal Paradigm by Proactively Delivering Customized Content and Notifications to the Desktop

SAN JOSE, Calif. — February 12, 2001 — At DEMO 2001 today, BackWeb® Technologies (Nasdaq: BWEB), a leading provider of push communications infrastructure for e-business, unveiled BackWeb Shadow version 1.0, a new desktop-based portal that proactively delivers and updates requested content and time-sensitive notifications. The new PC toolbar uses BackWeb's patented Polite™ push technology to transparently download information, documents, video and audio to enterprise, extended enterprise and consumer users. BackWeb Shadow is part of BackWeb's initiative to deliver the right information to the right person at the right time, via the Internet's de facto push communications infrastructure.

With BackWeb Shadow, even narrowband users can enjoy broadband-quality, full-screen video and CD-quality audio without having to endure long and inconvenient downloads. Shadow extends the portal experience by allowing users to enjoy and interact with downloaded content even when they are not online. BackWeb also announced that FILMSPEED and Memberdrive plan to deliver content via BackWeb Shadow, and distribute it to millions of users.

"There is enormous value in proactively delivering requested information to Internet consumers and enterprise users – and in finding ways to make that delivery simple and painless," said Chris Shipley, executive producer of DEMO 2001, the annual conference focusing on emerging technologies and new products selected from across the spectrum of the personal technology marketplace. "Building on the company's initiative to deliver information politely, BackWeb Shadow is an exciting and important development in this area. With today's debut, BackWeb offers an ingeniously familiar vehicle for content providers to reach end-users with the information and content they want."

Available in April, BackWeb Shadow is an enhanced platform for broadband content delivery and proactive communications. Shadow uses a familiar toolbar framework that docks at the top of a user's screen and serves as a powerful portal for incoming content and notifications. With a single click, the Shadow launch pad presents interactive Shadow "boxes" or windows that display delivered content. Using a unique, patent-pending display technology developed by BackWeb, a streamlined version of the Shadow appears in the titlebar of any active Microsoft® Windows® application and "follows" the user from one active window to the next – making it easy for end users to receive important content no matter what application they are using.

"We have leveraged our success in the enterprise space to carefully refine and position push technology for use on every desktop and device. BackWeb Shadow is the most significant step toward that goal," said Eli Barkat, chairman and CEO of BackWeb Technologies, who will address DEMO attendees Feb. 12 as part of a CEO panel titled Internet – And Beyond. "This powerful advance in content delivery and display allows any organization to easily create a seamless offline portal on its employees' desktops, while major destination sites can constantly touch their subscribers with customized, time-sensitive information and rich-media content."

"Over the past year, the market has evaluated the growth and escalation of Polite push in critical business applications including customer relationship management, sales effectiveness, and partnership communication," said Sheryl Kingstone, program manager for Yankee Group. "BackWeb's unique applications for proactive communications are addressing the growing demand for delivery of critical business content and timely information to the extended enterprise."

Customized Content for Every User
BackWeb Shadow delivers information both for business-to-employee, business-to-business and business-to-consumer applications. BtoE users receive information targeted for them by employers, including task-specific information, corporate updates, executive video communications, sales materials, timely news, and benefits information. BtoB users, typically resellers or supply chain members, receive customized alerts and updates on new pricing and promotions, product literature, sales presentations, and competitive information. Individual users subscribe through portals and other destination sites, pinpointing the type of content they want to receive, which can include high-quality movie trailers, music videos, and MP3 music.

Key features of BackWeb Shadow include:

Familiar Toolbar Framework. BackWeb Shadow is a desktop toolbar that docks to the top of its user's screen similar to the Microsoft Office toolbar. Only 23 pixels high, it displays a launch pad for quickly accessing delivered content in Shadow boxes and a ticker for viewing headlines and alerts.

'Follow Me' Display Technology. Users can choose to display Shadow in the title bar of any active Windows application. In Follow Me mode, a streamlined version of Shadow unobtrusively follows the user from one application to the next, providing easy access to constantly updated content and alerts. This powerful and unique feature is currently patent-pending.

Shadow Boxes. Shadow consolidates rich digital media content and time-sensitive notifications in interactive Shadow boxes, or window-style modules. Shadow boxes are content-specific user interfaces that display a user's personalized content. Content providers can customize their Shadow box interfaces to maintain a consistent look and feel with their Web sites or corporate portals.

Polite Delivery. Utilizing BackWeb's patented Polite push technology, selected content automatically downloads and updates transparently by using only available network bandwidth. BackWeb's Polite delivery allows even large media-rich files to seamlessly download over low-bandwidth connections, including dial-up modems.

Alerts. BackWeb Shadow's pervasive yet unobtrusive sliding "alert ticker" and BackWeb's unique, high-impact Flashes notify users when new content has arrived or specified alerts are triggered. Shadow can be personalized to alert users to a broad range of events, including critical communications, document updates, new email in an online account, or when a stock reaches a determined price. User interaction with desktop notifications can be confirmed upstream with BackWeb's robust close-loop reporting technology.

Ticker. The Shadow ticker displays time-sensitive content such as personalized breaking news and updated stock quotes. Users can quickly link to online or delivered content with a single click of a ticker title.

FILMSPEED and Memberdrive Announce Implementation Plans
A new alliance with FILMSPEED®, a full-service Internet motion picture service provider and content syndicator, brings high-quality Hollywood film content to BackWeb Shadow users. Creators of FILMSPEED DownPlay™, a proprietary DVD-style interface around downloadable movies, FILMSPEED will expand its relationship with BackWeb to establish a secure, scalable infrastructure for delivering the Internet's finest quality video experience. Using Microsoft's Windows Media Format with its advanced digital rights management (DRM) technology, FILMSPEED plans to leverage BackWeb Shadow as a broad delivery mechanism to distribute secure and trackable full-length motion pictures online.

In addition to providing the new desktop portal directly to its own Fortune 2000 customer base, BackWeb will license the Shadow platform to key destination sites, content providers, Web portal developers, and other e-businesses that reach large numbers of subscribers. As part of this effort, BackWeb also announced that Memberdrive, an online and offline direct marketing agency that commercially represents leading national affinity groups whose network reaches 34 million members and donors, will begin incorporating Shadow as part of its portal offerings. (See related press release.)

Development and Channel Partnerships
Beta partners and resellers interested in BackWeb Shadow should contact business development at 408-933-1700 or email busdev@backweb.com.