A new standard for Escher's peer-to-peer messaging, data management and content storage platform

Boston, Mass. - January 7, 2002 - Escher Group, Ltd, a leading provider of peer-to-peer messaging and data management solutions, today announced the availability of WebRiposte™ 2.1, the third major release of its standards-based, Web-enabled, peer-to-peer messaging platform. WebRiposte 2.1 features built-in support for Microsoft's Common Internet File System (CIFS) protocol, a standard for remote file system access, which enables greater flexibility and interactivity between groups of users on the Internet and over corporate intranets.

By utilizing the CIFS interface, WebRiposte 2.1 acts as a distributed file system, simplifying the management of content across the network. Documents are easily stored, retrieved, and replicated to all users on the network. The end result is a decrease in the total cost of ownership because the applications, application data, and operating system updates are easily accessed in the WebRiposte Content Repository.

"Our customers are now able to manage the content on their networks with the same ease that a fileserver provides while benefiting from WebRiposte's highly advanced active replication technology," said Don O'Neill, CTO of Escher Group. "This powerful combination makes information exchange and the deployment of software across their vast networks markedly simplified and much more efficient."

This release furthers Escher's ability to help customers build secure, highly scalable, multi-channel applications for services such as banking and retail. WebRiposte is designed to support distributed applications and is ideal for high-volume transaction processing environments. Currently, WebRiposte and its predecessor, Riposte®, process over 15 million transactions per day amounting to a value of $225 billion annually.

"WebRiposte 2.1 exemplifies the maturity of this product in its first year on the market," a spokesperson for Escher Group commented. "The CIFS protocol creates a more dynamic and efficient working environment for our customers while reducing their integration and maintenance costs."

About Escher Group, Limited

Escher Group Limited is a leading provider of distributed transaction processing and data management solutions and services. The company offers a business-to-business XML-based transaction management environment, used in thousands of locations worldwide. Since its introduction in 1993, Riposte®, Escher's flagship messaging solution, has grown to become the market leader in post office counter automation.

Trademarks: WebRiposte and Riposte are trademarks or registered trademarks of Escher Group, Limited in the United States and/or other countries. All other product names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact Information:

Escher Group Limited
information@eschergroup.com