IBM Makes Shopping for Software at Home Quick and Easy

SOMERS, N.Y., Feb. 14, 1995 . . . IBM continues to expand its innovative CD
Showcase program with the delivery of its new Right At Home Software
Series, a library of theme CDs that lets customers quickly and easily shop
at home for software products in the expanding desktop CD-ROM market.

The first CD in the series is Small Office Home Office (SOHO), which IBM
delivered in late December 1994 for small offices, home offices, and
families. It contains over 35 products, such as WordPerfect, PC
Paintbrush, Simply Accounting, and Harvard Graphics. IBM plans to offer
all the CDs in the Right At Home Software Series through major retail
stores, continuing its emphasis on working within the channel. Currently,
the SOHO CD is available in 26 PC Warehouse stores, with more retailers
planned in the future.

"Unlike shrink-wrapped products that require customers to know what they
want before they buy, the Right At Home Software Series lets customers try
or compare products before making a purchase," said Michael P. Kiyosaki,
director of marketing, IBM Software Manufacturing Solutions. "IBM has done
the 'pre-shopping' for customers by selecting the highest quality
products, grouping them logically by theme, and combining them onto one
inexpensive CD." Customers can purchase the CD, try or compare software
products, view marketing materials, and then buy the preferred products
directly from their home or office at any time of the day or night.

Plus, customers receive free software and money-saving offers with the
purchase of any Right At Home Software Series CD. On the SOHO CD,
customers get $150 worth of free software and more than $300 in
money-saving offers.

Each Right At Home Software Series CD contains a variety of software
products. Software publishers participating on the SOHO CD include 4Home
Productions; Caere Corporation; Cybermedia; Delrina; IMSI; Individual
Software Inc.; Lotus Development Corporation; Novell, Inc.; O.A.G.;
SoftKey International Inc.; Software Publishing Corporation; Symantec; and
T/Maker.

How Does A Customer Purchase the Software on the CD?

A customer purchases any CD in the Right At Home Software Series at a major
retail store typically for about $10, inserts the CD into a home or office
personal computer CD drive, and then reviews a variety of software
products and promotional demos. To purchase a product, the customer calls
the toll-free telephone number provided, arranges for credit card payment,
and receives a code that instantly releases the product and any related
documentation for installation. The customer receives any full
documentation by mail.

What Are the Benefits?

For software publishers, the Right At Home Software Series offers
substantial marketing, merchandising, and production-cost benefits.
Participation in this innovative marketing program from IBM Software
Manufacturing Solutions lowers the cost of goods sold while letting
publishers penetrate new markets and capture valuable registration data
with each purchase. When a publisher agrees to participate and a product
is selected for a theme CD, IBM handles manufacturing, encryption,
production costs, registration, and documentation fulfillment. Publishers
receive royalties each time a customer purchases a product.

For retailers/resellers, the Right At Home Software Series means lower
inventory costs, lower "returns" costs, and increased customer
satisfaction through pre-purchase product reviewing. Software retailers
can expand software product offerings without increasing shelf space
requirements and other overhead costs. For retailers looking to enter the
software market, the Right At Home Software Series provides a low-risk way
to offer customers a variety of software products with minimal cost and
effort. The retailer earns a margin on each CD sold, plus healthy net
rebates each time a customer purchases a product at home. IBM handles
order entry, licensing and registration, disbursement of publisher
royalties, and other administrative functions.

For consumers, the Right At Home Software Series brings the convenience of
reviewing, purchasing, and installing software directly to the customer's
desktop. And, with each CD, customers also receive free software in
addition to special pricing and discounts on future software purchases.

IBM Software Manufacturing Solutions (ISMS) is part of IBM Software
Solutions, an IBM division headquartered in Somers, N.Y. ISMS offers to
software publishers, information providers, retailers, and resellers a
broad spectrum of software manufacturing and distribution services
worldwide. Services range from electronic distribution and packaging to
consulting, replicating (diskette, tape, compact disc), printing,
translation, localization, packaging, shipping, and order fulfillment.

 ============================================================
 From the 'New Product News' Electronic News Service provided
 via AOL (Keyword = New Products) & Delphi (GO BUSINESS PROD)
 ============================================================
 This information was processed from data provided by the 
 company or author mentioned. For additional details, please 
 contact them directly at the address/phone number indicated.
 All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
 ============================================================
 All submissions for this service should be addressed to:
 BAKER ENTERPRISES,  20 Ferro Dr,  Sewell, NJ  08080  U.S.A.
 Email: RBakerPC (AOL/Delphi), rbakerpc@delphi.com (Internet)
 ============================================================
