Wednesday August 16, 6:49 pm Eastern Time

Mainsoft MainWin Product and Professional Services to Be Used by Microsoft To Port Internet Explorer Technologies to UNIX

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Mainsoft Corporation, the leader in common code-base cross-platform solutions for the enterprise, today announced that Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - news) has signed an updated contract with Mainsoft securing Mainsoft's Professional Services and the right to use MainWin® to port Internet Explorer technologies and potentially other technologies to UNIX platforms. Mainsoft's flagship technology, MainWin, enables software companies to develop and run Windows applications in the UNIX environment. This announcement underscores Mainsoft's commitment to providing Internet-based companies with seamless cross-platform development solutions, along with migration and interoperability applications for UNIX and other operating systems. The new agreement includes the ability to port the Internet Explorer technologies and also accommodates other technologies and professional services.

"Mainsoft's Windows platform for UNIX is the most seamless solution to port Internet technologies across any platform," said Yaacov Cohen, president of Mainsoft. "We realize the need for Internet applications to be cross-platform capable and are pleased to provide our solution to the enterprise community. Our continued success working with Microsoft reinforces the unique position of the MainWin solution as a singularly valuable cross-platform Web infrastructure application for companies doing business on the Internet."

Mainsoft has worked closely with Microsoft in the past on Internet Explorer for UNIX to meet the needs of Internet-based businesses operating Windows technology. Microsoft has been distributing Internet Explorer for Solaris and HP/UX since 1997 by utilizing Mainsoft's MainWin product to port Internet Explorer technologies to UNIX. In this new contract, Microsoft has engaged Mainsoft's Professional Services organization to assist in maintaining and updating Internet Explorer for UNIX. This support service allows Microsoft to most effectively benefit from Mainsoft's extensive cross-platform application development expertise with proven methodologies, best practice tools and professional skills honed during hundreds of successful porting projects.

"Mainsoft's technology has been key to our ability to rapidly deliver Internet Explorer for UNIX for our corporate customers," said John Frederickson, General Manager at Microsoft. "In offering updates to Internet Explorer for UNIX, we are able to deliver a solution for our customers who request a cross platform solution."

About MainWin

MainWin is Mainsoft's Windows platform for UNIX systems. MainWin includes the implementation of Win32 APIs and Windows services on UNIX. Through strategic agreements with Microsoft, Mainsoft has access to Windows NT and Windows 2000 source code. Mainsoft has incorporated several million lines of original Windows source code into MainWin. This ensures that applications developed with C, C++ and Dynamic HTML for Windows will run on UNIX as it does on Windows. To date, the company has deployed more than one million end-user licenses of MainWin. For example, in addition to porting Internet Explorer technologies including Outlook Express, some of the leading business applications re-hosted to UNIX with MainWin include: Computer Associates' OpenRoad; Alcatel's X-Vision Enterprise and Magic's Enterprise Edition V.8.

About Mainsoft Corporation

Mainsoft provides a Windows platform for UNIX. Its flagship product MainWin allows developers to create applications and deploy the software code to several different operating environments simultaneously.

Mainsoft's corporate headquarters is located in San Jose, California, with sales offices in Boston, Washington D.C., London and Israel. Mainsoft's customers include Fortune 1000 companies including ISVs, corporate enterprise software developers, government agencies and OEMs. In 1999, a strategic alliance was formed with Crystal Systems Solutions, who took a controlling interest in Mainsoft, to leverage financial and synergistic business opportunities in the corporate IT marketplace. For additional information on Mainsoft Corporation, call 408-544-1400 or visit their Web site at www.mainsoft.com.

About Crystal Systems Solutions

Crystal Systems Solutions Ltd. (Nasdaq: CRYS - news) has been providing proprietary software technologies and services for Fortune 1000 companies since 1987. Crystal's solutions include e-Business enabling for legacy systems, cross-platform migration and IT mergers and consolidations. Crystal supports its customers, both directly and via its partners, offering end-to-end solutions through consultancy, assistance and service in conjunction with its wide variety of proprietary software tools.

Crystal Systems Solutions is a member of the Formula Group (Nasdaq: FORTY - news). The Formula Group is an international information technology company principally engaged, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, in providing software consulting services developing proprietary software products, and providing computer-based solutions.

NOTE: MainWin is a registered trademark and Mainsoft and Mainsoft Corporation are trademarks. All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.