BackWeb Helps Compaq Revolutionize Customer Service for Home PC Owners

More than 13 Million Alerts, Software Upgrades and Performance Enhancements Delivered to Presario Customers with BackWeb's Push for E-Business Technology

SAN JOSE, Calif., — November 8, 1999 — BackWeb® Technologies (Nasdaq: BWEB), the leading provider of push for e-business solutions, today announced that its patented Polite™ push technology is playing a pivotal role in Compaq's revolutionary eService strategy. Over the past 15 months, BackWeb's push for e-business technology has enabled Compaq to target and deliver more than 13 million performance updates to Presario owners worldwide. The network-smart transmissions occur automatically and "politely," allowing customers to continue working without interruption in their chosen applications.

The PC leader has used BackWeb software to alert customers of software upgrades and performance updates. With BackWeb, the Compaq Service Connection is able to deliver multimedia-rich digital packages of any size or format, including audio, video, graphics and html, that feature beneficial system enhancements such as video performance updates, modem drivers and CD-ROM drivers.

"With BackWeb, Compaq realizes substantial cost savings by proactively minimizing technical support issues. However the greatest benefit is our ability to increase customer satisfaction," said Geraldine Rossiter, who manages Compaq's eService Delivery. "Through this support application, BackWeb has allowed us to touch millions of customers on a regular and frequent basis, while keeping them informed about their PCs, and assisting them in keeping their PCs healthy. Most importantly, it sets the stage for Compaq to introduce and deliver valuable computing-related products and services for Presario owners in the future."

BackWeb's push for e-business solutions have broad uses at Compaq. The PC giant at one point used BackWeb's attention-management and closed-loop delivery tools to proactively alert Presario owners to a potential problem with some support hardware. The system allowed each customer, with the click of a mouse, to order a new part under warranty. The proactive BackWeb approach saved Compaq and its customers significant time and money by automating the replacement process.

"I commend Compaq's commitment to its products, and am very happy that Compaq has taken the initiative to proactively send me updates, rather than waiting for me to experience a problem and be required to call Tech Support," said Trent Smith, a Compaq Presario owner who relies on his system for work, school and personal activities. "Not only is Compaq Service Connection easy to use, but it has saved me considerable time and hassle, and has contributed to my overall satisfaction with my Presario."

Compaq also uses BackWeb technology to proactively solve issues not directly related to Compaq products. Compaq recently identified a compatibility issue with a popular retail computer game, whose driver was not yet Y2K compliant. Instead of waiting for Presario owners to experience problems on Jan. 1, 2000, Compaq worked with the manufacturer to proactively deliver an updated driver. Compaq's service organization earned accolades from Presario owners worldwide who were spared a time-consuming download.

"Compaq recognizes the lifetime value of its Presario customers, and this is powerfully reflected in its choice of BackWeb as a cost-efficient means of ensuring brand loyalty and a reputation as a trusted source of quality products and services," said Todd Johnson, vice president of BackWeb's worldwide marketing. "BackWeb is helping companies like Compaq elevate customer service with an intensely responsible approach that proactively and efficiently reaches customers before they even know a problem exists. As a result, Compaq has gained a key competitive edge by establishing and maintaining a legion of satisfied customers."

As soon as a Presario customer logs onto the Internet, BackWeb and the Compaq Service Connection start doing the work for the consumer. Together, they automatically begin delivering software updates needed to enhance the performance of that particular Presario model. BackWeb's Polite Agent™ avoids disrupting the customer by using only available bandwidth, politely delivering the information in the background. The only time that the Presario customer becomes aware of the delivery is when a rotating "Q" (the Compaq icon) appears in the lower right hand corner of the screen. After clicking on the icon, the customer can install, postpone installment or delete the update.

About BackWeb Technologies
BackWeb Technologies is a leading offline Web software company. BackWeb extends the value of technology investments by offering mobile and remote employees offline access to portals, intranets and other Web-based applications and content. The company's products reduce network costs and improve the productivity of an increasingly mobile workforce. At the core of BackWeb's products is its patented Polite® synchronization technology that can distribute large amounts of data even over narrow bandwidth connections. BackWeb® customers include market leaders such as Boehringer Ingelheim, Centocor, Eastman Kodak, GE Healthcare, Guidant, HP, KLA Tencor, Lam Research, Pfizer and more than one hundred other companies. BackWeb also has strategic reseller alliances with software industry leaders: Plumtree, SAP and IBM. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. and Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel. For more information, visit www.backweb.com or call (800) 863-0100.

Statements in this news release, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Securities laws, including statements of beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Examples of these statements include, but are not limited to, the ability of BackWeb software to allow customers to gain mobile, disconnected use of their portals and help increase field sales and field service productivity, the integration of BackWeb software with BEA products will help developers extend portal applications for offline use without changing the way they work, and the ability of the resulting applications to help field sales and service organizations realize maximum productivity, cost savings, and process acceleration gains while disconnected from the network. Actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include unforeseen technological issues related to use of the BackWeb software, deployment issues related to implementation, unforeseen software errors, competitive factors and business and expense factors that may affect the perceived efficiencies from use of BackWeb's products, and the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in BackWeb's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. BackWeb assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release.