Lotus Enhances SmartSuite for OS/2 With New Value Pack

Lotus Development Corporation Delivers New Tool To Increase Application
Integration and Usability under OS/2; Shows Improved SmartSuite
Performance on OS/2 Warp

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., October 31, 1994 Lotus Development Corp. today announced
Lotus Value Pack for OS/2. Value Pack for OS/2 is a collection of
productivity tools that enhance Lotus SmartSuite for OS/2 and the OS/2
Workplace Shell (WPS). Value Pack boosts users' day-to-day efficiency by
tightening the integration between SmartSuite applications and the WPS, as
well as among the SmartSuite applications themselves. Lotus also said
today that preliminary test results indicate SmartSuite Release 1.1 for
OS/2 runs, on average, 70 percent faster on the newly introduced OS/2 Warp
than on OS/2 2.11.

Value Pack Offers Improved Integration and Task Assistance

Value Pack for OS/2 comprises five key components: SmartCenter for OS/2,
Ami Pro Bonus Pack macros, the 1-2-3 File Translator, new Freelance
SmartMaster presentation styles and business symbols, and REXXLink for
1-2-3. The Value Pack further demonstrates Lotus' ongoing commitment to
OS/2 users by delivering usability, compatibility and programmability
enhancements to the SmartSuite product line.

SmartCenter for OS/2 is an object-based icon bar from which users can
manage their entire OS/2 desktop. The SmartCenter, first introduced in
SmartSuite for Windows Release 3.0, provides a central location for
launching and switching among SmartSuite applications, other applica-
tions and desktop tools. The OS/2 version, however, differs from its
Windows counterpart by exploiting the OS/2 WPS to deliver additional
benefits, such as drag-and-drop functionality for customization, easy
access to OS/2 tools such as Find and Lockup, and a hardware resource
monitor. SmartCenter for OS/2 is an extension of Lotus live Status Bar
technology first introduced in Ami Pro, and is designed to enhance the
usability of SmartSuite for OS/2 as well as other applications under
OS/2.

The Ami Pro Bonus Pack macros is a set of new SmartIcons that give users
the benefit of tighter integration between Ami Pro, 1-2-3 and Freelance
Graphics. It includes Collect and Copy capabilities for quickly
incorporating multiple live-linked 1-2-3 spreadsheet ranges and Freelance
slides into Ami Pro documents; a one-step facility for automatically
creating Ami Pro handouts and speaker notes from Freelance presentations;
and a collection of Quick Calculators for performing simple calculations,
such as a mortgage payment or college tuition, without leaving Ami Pro.

Other Value Pack tools include the 1-2-3 File Translator that simplifies
cross-platform interoperability between the OS/2 and Windows versions of
1-2-3; more than 40 additional Freelance SmartMaster sets that simplify
creation of high-quality business presentations, including those designed
to assist with day-to-day business communication; 32 new Freelance
Graphics business symbols; and a facility for creating powerful custom
1-2-3 macros and @ functions using the OS/2 REXX language.

"When we announced SmartSuite Release 1.1 for OS/2 in April, we committed
to enhance our OS/2 products. Our goal is to achieve convergence of
Windows and OS/2 versions for all of our desktop products," said Ilene
Lang, senior vice president of Lotus' Desktop Business Group. "Value Pack
for OS/2 delivers on our vision of making the benefits of the advanced
OS/2 environment more accessible to users through our applica- tions. With
the new Value Pack and the performance improvements of SmartSuite for OS/2
on Warp, we are delivering a compelling, powerful, native OS/2 desktop
that users will find easy to use."

"With the Value Pack, Lotus is again showing that it can take advantage of
the OS/2 operating system by providing additional functionality in the
form of SmartCenter and other integration and productivity tools," said
Karl Wong, principal analyst, Dataquest. "Many users will find that the
SmartCenter alone is a worthwhile benefit to using OS/2 with SmartSuite
for OS/2."

Users Note Usability and Productivity Improvements

Matt McClain, micro resources coordinator in the Information Services Group
at Honda of America Mfg., Inc., Marysville, Ohio, sees Value Pack as
evidence of Lotus expertise in developing applications that take advantage
of the unique features of OS/2. "OS/2 is a major part of Honda's
information technology infrastructure," said McClain. "Additional OS/2
applications from a major vendor such as Lotus reinforce our commitment to
OS/2. SmartCenter's integration with the Workplace Shell will allow our
users to take full advantage of OS/2's functionality. One click on a
SmartCenter icon and users can intui- tively open or switch to that
application or document." McClain also noted that Value Pack's File
Translator for 1-2-3 will help Honda's users to share information across
Windows and native OS/2 versions.

Improved Performance of SmartSuite for OS/2 on Warp

According to the results of early performance tests under the new OS/2
Warp, SmartSuite Release 1.1 runs an average of 70 percent faster than on
OS/2 Version 2.11. Tests for application launching and basic file
operations for Ami Pro 3.0b, 1-2-3 Release 2.1 and Freelance Graphics
Release 2.1 were conducted using a 486-based PC with 8MB RAM. Lotus
attributes the significantly improved performance of its 32-bit applica-
tions to the broader deployment of 32-bit technology in OS/2 Warp and the
reduced memory requirements of the new operating system.

Pricing and Availability

Value Pack for OS/2 will be generally available in early December to
licensed SmartSuite for OS/2 users for a shipping and handling charge of
$10. Customers can order Value Pack for OS/2 by calling 1-800-TRADEUP,
ext. 9779. Value Pack for OS/2 will begin shipping as part of SmartSuite
for OS/2 within 60-90 days. The software requires SmartSuite Release 1.1
for OS/2 and OS/2 Version 2.1 or higher.

Lotus SmartSuite for OS/2 is a complete, native desktop solution for OS/2
users, designed to exploit OS/2 benefits such as the advanced WPS user
interface and 32-bit architecture. SmartSuite Release 1.1 for OS/2
comprises Ami Pro Release 3.0b, 1-2-3 Release 2.1 for OS/2, Freelance
Graphics Release 2.1 and cc:Mail for OS/2 Workplace Shell 1.03.

All prices and terms are for the U.S. only.

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