Digital Signs Software Resale Agreements With Microsoft And Lotus

Partnerships with leading software companies are part of Digital's effort
to help customers manage their computing environments more
cost-effectively, productively

MAYNARD, Mass. -- February 3, 1995 -- Digital Equipment Corporation today
announced it is now participating in both the Microsoft and Lotus volume
purchasing and upgrade programs. The move enhances Digital's capability to
provide large corporate users with an easy, cost-effective and flexible
way to make volume purchases of the industry's most popular business
software and reduce the lifecycle costs associated with keeping a
computing environment up-to-date.

Both Microsoft "Select" and Lotus "Passport" are comprehensive programs for
purchasing and upgrading each company's software worldwide. By partnering
with Digital, both Microsoft and Lotus are giving their customers access
to the power of attractive volume- based pricing with Digital's proven
software management experience and expertise.

Digital's agreements with these leading software vendors are part of its
Software Utility program. Software Utility provides leading-edge tools and
services to help customers leverage their software budgets and achieve the
most efficient use of their staff and software assets throughout the
software life cycle. It comprises three components, Software Acquisition
Programs, part of which includes partnerships such as the Select and
Passport programs; Asset Management offerings, including the recently
announced POLYCENTER AssetWORKS; and Support Service, which includes a
full-range of user support services for technical information and
technical support for Help Desk staff.

"Microsoft is committed to helping businesses streamline the process of
software acquisition and distribution and lower their total cost of
software ownership," said Eliza Ward, Microsoft Select Group Marketing
Manager. "Digital's 10-year record of serving customers' increasingly
complex support needs, combined with Microsoft Select's strategy to help
customers efficiently acquire all the software they need when and where
they need it, positions Digital as an ideal partner to participate in the
Select program."

"Lotus is committed to helping businesses achieve optimal return on
investment from their mission-critical computing environments," said Bob
Weiler, Lotus' senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing.
"Following through on that commitment means supporting customers'
enterprises on a worldwide basis. Digital, with its global service and
support capabilities and its core competencies in networking and
integration, is an ideal partner to help us meet this objective. Digital's
experience in working with a number of Lotus products, including Lotus
Notes, will bring to our customers the confidence that they will receive
high-quality service and support regardless of the geographical
composition of their enterprise.

"Digital is aggressively helping customers manage their desktop assets by
reducing the cost of buying and upgrading their PC software," said John
Rando, vice president of Digital's worldwide Multivendor Customer Services
organization. "As part of our Software Utility program, the partnerships
with Microsoft and Lotus help reduce the direct and "hidden" software
support and maintenance costs users incur over the life of their PCs.
Analysts estimate that these costs can run into the tens of millions of
dollars for large corporations over a five-year period."

For global companies with multiple offices throughout the world, having one
vendor overseeing its software purchasing, update subscriptions and
maintenance worldwide is especially critical. Since purchase discounts are
based on volume, Digital, through its participation in the Select and
Passport programs, allows customers to leverage their savings by buying
software for their entire global organization.

In addition, customers save on administrative costs, since one transaction
process can cover purchasing for the organization's entire chain of sites.
Distribution costs are also reduced because Digital, with its worldwide
network of locations, can cost-effectively deliver an order quickly to a
customer site.

Both the Microsoft Select and Lotus Passport programs include a variety of
licensing and maintenance options. Available now to customers in 25
countries, both programs will be expanded by Digital over the next year.
The programs can be purchased directly through Digital. Cost will vary
depending on program options and volumes selected.

Digital Equipment Corporation is the world's leader in open client/server
solutions from personal computing to integrated worldwide information
systems. Digital's scalable Alpha platforms, storage, networking, software
and services, together with industry-focused solutions from business
partners, help organizations compete and win in today's global
marketplace.

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