Press Release

For Immediate Release

CONTACT:
Software Council of Southern California
Bill Manassero (310) 328-0043
Or Glynne Harris, Mike Harris & Associates (909) 338-5634

Internet, Software Superstars Shine at 6th Annual Southern California Software Industry Awards

Honors Given for CEO of the Year, Developer of the Year, 1999 Software Entrepreneur, Multimedia Company of the Year and Internet Company of the Year

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 29, 1999 - Many of the brightest stars in the Internet and Software galaxy took time to cheer their own heroes last night, saluting enterprise and creativity at the 6th annual Southern California Software Industry Awards program held at the Century Plaza Hotel.

Reflecting how the Southland has become a cutting-edge center for software, Internet and multimedia development, key industry entrepreneurs, CEOs, venture capitalists and creative talent from around the country applauded as honors were handed out for CEO of the Year, Developer of the Year, 1999 Software Entrepreneur, Multimedia Company of the Year and Internet Company of the Year.

Hosted by the Software Council of Southern California (www.scsc.org) and sponsored by KPMG, O'Melveny & Myers LLP and Silicon Valley Bank, tribute presented last night included:

CEO of the Year Award went to Ed Gavaldon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Peerless Systems Corp.
Developer of the Year Award went to jeTECH DATA SYSTEMS, Inc. based in Camarillo.
1999 Software Entrepreneur Award went to Jim Jonassen, CEO of Manhattan Beach-based PeopleMover. Inc.
A tie award for Multimedia Company of the Year going to Blizzard Entertainment (based in Irvine), and Knowledge Adventure (based in Torrance), both Havas Interactive Divisions. Blizzard won for its StarCraft game, and Knowledge Adventure won for its JumpStart Learning System educational software series.
Internet Company of the Year Award went to Tickets.com, based in Costa Mesa.

Keynote speaker for this year's Southern California Software Industry Awards program was Hubert Joly, CEO for Havas Interactive.

In his remarks, Joly provided his views about the critical importance of integrating a global dimension in software organizations. He discussed the opportunities -- and challenges -- that executives face in managing retail and Internet growth, both domestically and abroad.

This year's list of award winners covers a geographical range from Ventura County south to Orange County, and includes some of the industry's cutting-edge leaders. The list includes:

CEO of the Year / Ed Gavaldon, Peerless Systems Corp.

Top CEO honors went to Ed Gavaldon, who joined Peerless Systems Corp. in January 1995 as President and CEO, also serving as a director, and who has been Chairman of the Board since July 1996. Founded in 1982, Peerless was an engineering consulting company until 1989, when it entered the printer / intellectual property business.

"I am very pleased and thankful to be acknowledged by the SCSC with this CEO of the Year Award, and in particular I want to recognize the Peerless Systems' employees who certainly contributed to the success of our company," Gavaldon said. "We are completing a year of significant accomplishment at Peerless Systems, and this award is a wonderful testament to the contributions everyone has made."

Within 11 months of his arrival, Peerless achieved its first profitable quarter in five years. Gavaldon successfully refocused the company, building a recurring revenue stream based upon the licensing of Peerless' core imaging technology to leading OEM customers.

In September of 1996, Gavaldon took the company public by raising $30 million in cash. Of the 670 companies that went public that year, Peerless was named to the Top 50 IPO list. When he joined the company in 1995, the business valuation by the analyst community was $17 million. Today, the market cap is more than $200 million.

"With this award, we honor his exemplary leadership," Bill Manassero, SCSC executive director, said. "Ed Gavaldon demonstrated his ability with an approach and execution that clearly moves him to the highest level of managerial leadership in our industry."

Developer of the Year / jeTECH DATA SYSTEMS, Inc.

jeTECH DATA SYSTEMS, INC., a privately held corporation, is the world's leading supplier of enterprise solutions for Labor Resource Planning (LRP). Founded in 1983, jeTECH DATA SYSTEMS, INC. provides an integrated application solution for Labor Resource Planning (LRP), which consists of Labor and Project Management in addition to resource scheduling and planning. These solutions are available through jeTECH's Web business portal, elabor.com™ in a hosted (ASP) or standard license scenario.

"When you consider that Southern California represents some of the biggest software names in the world, winning software Developer of the Year is extremely rewarding," said Michael Edell, jeTECH DATA SYSTEMS president and CEO. "We've worked hard over the past 16 years to develop innovative technology to deliver enterprise solutions for labor resource planning that offer a direct and positive bottom-line result to our corporate customers."

1999 Software Entrepreneur / Jim Jonassen of PeopleMover, Inc.

Jim Jonassen, co-founder and CEO of PeopleMover, Inc. was presented with the 1999 Software Entrepreneur award for successfully developing and launching a company that is well-positioned for significant market growth. PeopleMover is a recognized leader in enterprise workforce management, providing application software and information systems to the staffing and IT services industries. PeopleMover serves as an expert resource to help management balance the competency, availability, and individual desires of knowledge workers with the requirements of jobs and project teams.

"I am honored to accept the prestigious 1999 Software Entrepreneur award on behalf of PeopleMover," said Jonassen. "We believe that by offering people-powered organizations a way to strategically leverage the Internet to manage their scarcest and most valuable resource - talent, we are enabling our customers success in the new economy. PeopleMover has grown exponentially in the last year and the talent, passion and entrepreneurial spirit here in Southern California bodes well for the growth and vibrancy of the entire software industry here on the Digital Coast."

Multimedia Company of the Year (tie award)

Blizzard Entertainment®

A division of Havas Interactive, Blizzard Entertainment® is a premier publisher of entertainment software. Since establishing the Blizzard label in 1994, the company has quickly become one of the most popular and well respected makers of computer games. StarCraft, which released in March 1998, was the company's biggest launch of a game ever with more than 1.5 million copies being sold worldwide. The game is the company's third number-one selling game and was named the best-selling game of 1998 by PC Data.

Knowledge Adventure®

A division of Havas Interactive, Knowledge Adventure is a leader in developing, publishing and distributing award-winning, multimedia educational software for use in both homes and schools. The company is internationally renowned for its ground-breaking JumpStart Learning System™, which has been the #1 educational software brand for the past three years, with over six million copies sold nationwide*. This multi-subject, grade-based software series is designed to provide children a solid foundation for learning at every stage in their elementary education from ages 9 months (JumpStart BabyTM) to 12 years (JumpStart Adventures 6th GradeTM). Knowledge Adventure is currently building its proven JumpStart franchise with a wide range of children's education products such as books, videos and electronic learning games, which parents and teachers can turn to with confidence to give their children a head start in the classroom and beyond. * (PC Data, Jan. 1996 - June 1999 dollar and unit sales)

Said Hubert Joly, CEO of Havas Interactive, "PC Data statistics for the past year confirm Havas Interactive's leadership positions in the entertainment and education categories. These prestigious industry awards for Blizzard and Knowledge Adventure further illustrate our commitment to creating the highest-quality software for children and adults. We are deeply honored to receive this recognition from the Software Council of Southern California, and fully appreciate their efforts to foster the growth and success of the Southland's technology community."

Internet Company of the Year award / Tickets.com

Tickets.com is an online source of entertainment tickets, event information and related products and services. The company sells tickets through retail outlets, call centers, interactive voice response systems and the Internet. At www.tickets.com, consumers can obtain information on thousands of events and entertainment organizations, purchase tickets and shop for related products and services. Tickets.com's automated ticketing solutions are used by over 4,000 entertainment organizations and venues such as leading performing arts centers, professional sports organizations and various stadiums and arenas in the U.S., Europe, Australia and Latin America.

Thomas Gimple, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tickets.com said, "We are honored to receive this prestigious award. I want to take this opportunity to recognize the many Tickets.com employees, who have all contributed to the company's achievements."

The 1999 Software Industry Awards program available for viewing

Delayed webcast coverage of the 1999 Southern California Software Industry Awards program was provided by Direct Stock Market, and is available for viewing at DSM's Web site at (www.dsm.com/softwareawards99)

About the Software Council of Southern California

The Software Council is a non-profit, membership-only trade association, comprised of software development organizations as well as those companies that provide support and services to the Southern California software industry. Based in Torrance, Calif., the organization voices the concerns of the software industry in Southern California, and serves as a clearinghouse for industry information. Its website can be found at www.scsc.org

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