Shapeware Announces Name Change to Visio Corporation

Successful Windows-Based Program Drives New Corporate Brand Strategy

SEATTLE--May 1, 1995--In a move inspired by the success of the company's
flagship computer software application, titled Visio, Shapeware Corp.
today announced that it is changing its name to Visio Corp. The company' s
investment in the name change will support a single brand identity that
leverages substantial corporate gains realized since the launch in
November 1992 of Visio 1.0, a product that pioneered a category of drawing
and diagramming software designed specifically for mainstream computer
users. The decision will influence all aspects of the company's business
operation and advance a higher level of brand and corporate awareness
among an estimated 70 million users of the Microsoft Windows operating
system worldwide.

"Our long-term investment in the value of the Visio brand and in the
constant enhancement of our products made the decision to move from
Shapeware to Visio Corp. a natural choice," said Gary Gigot, vice
president of marketing at Visio Corp. "The evolution to Visio Corp. also
marks the next wave of business opportunities upon which we are embarking:
deepening corporate usage of Visio beyond early adopters and technical
experts, expanding distribution of Visio worldwide, and an aggressive
marketing strategy positioning Visio on the forefront of Windows 95-based
technology."

Investment in Single-Brand Identity

Although several corporate brand models can be found throughout the
industry, Visio Corp.'s new brand strategy follows the success of
companies that have branded their corporation the same as their lead
product. This includes companies such as Dell Computer Corp. and former
WordPerfect Corp.

"Companies such as Visio Corp. that have established a stable lead product
are wise to realize the value of investing in that brand identity," said
Brian Sharples of Intelliquest, an independent market research firm. "In
measuring the power of branding among high-technology makers, we found
that 79 percent of consumers rate a corporate brand more important than
the product brand."

"Look at companies such as Ford and American Express, which achieved
success based upon the significant consumer loyalties they have achieved
in their brands," said Jerry McGee, senior partner and executive vice
president of Ogilvy & Mather, one of the premier branding agencies
worldwide. "It has been our experience that once a company is successful
in building consumer trust in a brand, it should concentrate and
capitalize on that success, thus ensuring subsequent product growth and
corporate gains."

A History of Success

Since the launch of its first product, Visio Corp. has focused on making
drawing and diagramming a mainstream, horizontal category for the
Windows-based platform, analogous to word-processing, spreadsheets and
database products. Today, Visio 3.0 has become an essential software
product for the Windows-based desktop, giving business and technical
professionals the power to communicate visually with business graphics.
The product architecture of Visio--a common graphics engine with the
ability to customize solutions using the company's SmartShapes
technology--also has allowed for natural extensions of the Visio product.
The development of products that sustain individual usage segments include
Visio Technical, which targets technical drawing users, and Visio Home,
which is designed specifically for the home computer enthusiast.

The expansion of the Visio product line has allowed Visio Corp. to increase
customer adoption of its products as a strategic technology that can be
deployed easily on all Windows-based desktops. In fact, Visio rapidly is
becoming the single standard for drawing and diagramming in the corporate
marketplace. Thus, the company's new corporate strategy will continue to
position Visio as an enterprise-wide solution, dedicated to meeting the
drawing needs of a broad range of users.

About Visio Corp.

Visio Corp, the leading drawing and diagramming software developer, was
founded in October 1990. The Seattle-based company pioneered the drawing
and diagramming market with the release of Visio 1.0 in November 1992.
Since then, Visio has released additional drag and drop drawing products
designed for business, technical and consumer users. The company markets
the Visio product line in the United States, North America, Europe and the
Far East. In April 1995, the company also began shipping Visio 3.0 in
Japan.

To place an order or to obtain more information on any Visio product,
customers can contact Visio Corp. at (800) 446-3335.

Visio Corp
520 Pike St, Suite 1800
Seattle, WA 98101
206-521-4500,  fax 206-521-4501

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