4D, Inc. Corporate Backgrounder

About 4D, Inc. 4D Inc., formerly ACI US, is a worldwide leader in database software development tools for both the Windows® and ® platforms. For over a decade, 4D Inc.’s 4th Dimension® (4D®) product line has delivered database development solutions for companies of all types and sizes, from single-person operations to Fortune 500 companies. A wide range of industries, organizations and educational institutions use 4D applications. The United States headquarters are located in San Jose, California and the parent company, 4D SA, formerly ACI SA, is based in Paris, France. 4D has subsidiaries in Germany, Japan, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and sells products through distributors worldwide. Since its inception, 4D Inc. has excelled in breaking new ground in the database software market. Successful in delivering cross-platform database applications, 4D Inc. focuses on perfecting technologies that take database publishing beyond the desktop.

History 4D SA was founded in 1984 as ACI, Analysis Conseils Information, to supply the world with the innovative desktop relational database management system 4th Dimension (4D). Laurent Ribardière, president of 4D SA since 1984, is the original author of 4th Dimension and the primary designer and for other products in the 4th Dimension environment. 4D’s other core have been with the company for an average of eight years. This unprecedented continuity in engineering brings efficiency and consistency to 4D’s software development processes. A privately held company, 4D is a leading European exporter of computing products. Since it began shipping 4th Dimension, it has been the leading RDBMS vendor for the Macintosh. The company's market share varies in each individual country. 4D holds 70% of the Macintosh RDBMS market in the United States and over 90% in France. In 1995, 4D penetrated the Windows market with significant success.

Product History Since 1984, the 4D product line has evolved from a desktop relational database to include an integrated client/server solution, an SQL front-end, numerous productivity plug-ins, an ODBC driver and an Internet development environment. In 1993, 4D Inc. released 4D Server®, the client/server version of 4th Dimension, which broadened 4D’s presence in many corporations and organizations. By the end of 1993, 4D Server accounted for 40% of the company’s revenue. Originally created for the Macintosh, all 4D Inc. products have been available for Windows (95 and NT) since 1995. In 1997, 4D Inc. released the first version of 4D to contain a fully integrated web server, allowing developers to translate 4D forms into HTML on the fly using only the 4D language. Spring 2000, 4D SA acquired StarNine Technologies and the WebSTAR product line, a Macintosh based suite of servers, complete with Web, FTP, Proxy and Mail Servers, to compliment 4D’s own web server and provide a wide range of web development options. 4D, Inc. 3031 Tisch Way, Suite 900, San Jose, CA 95128 Tel. 408.557.4600 Fax 408.557.4605 http://www.4D.com The Products 4D, Inc. markets products and services under the 4th Dimension (4D) and the WebSTAR Server Suite product lines. 4D products focus on database solutions for organizations of all sizes, and represent the most complete family of relational database products available for desktop platforms. 4D enables users to create and manipulate all the elements of relational database publishing, from data tables to integrated spreadsheets and graphics, and combine them into complete forms for use on the desktop and the Web. All 4D products run on Windows 98 and 2000, Windows NT® and on Macintosh and Power Macintosh®. All are 32 bit clean. 4D products on both platforms are completely compatible without modifications. High level integration characterizes the 4D product line. Upward and downward compatibility provides scalability and flexibility. Any application developed with 4th Dimension or 4D Server can be run by the other database, on either platform, without modification to the source development efforts. From inception, all 4D products have been and continue to be Year 2000 compliant. A white paper on 4D and the year 2000 is available from 4D Inc. WebSTAR Server Suite is a set of four servers, designed to offer users a complete package for all of their Internet needs. The ease-of-use and power is perfect for Internet or Intranet serving, single or multiple sites, small and large businesses. With built in database connectivity it serves as a complement to the 4D product line and offers another web solution to developers who want to put their 4D forms on the web. WebSTAR Server Suite runs on Mac OS 8 and higher and requires a minimum of 10 MB of RAM and at least 50 MB of available disk space along with a TCP/IP connection to the Internet and/or Local Area Network.

4th Dimension As the flagship application, 4D, provides a graphical user interface, comprehensive and multi- platform capabilities. It offers an ideal development environment for all types of users in companies of all sizes. 4D enables rapid development of flexible, powerful applications, making it an indispensable RDBMS for hundreds of thousands of developers and users around the world. With its graphical, multi-tasking and transactional capabilities, 4D runs successfully in all industries, including: scientific and medical research, automation, finance, production and process control. The release of version 6.7 built upon the legacy of intuitive Internet implementation and rapid application development (RAD) for client/server architecture set by earlier releases of 4D taking 4D data management to a whole new level of sophistication. Data management on the Web is incorporated as a standard database task within the 4D integrated client/server architecture. By writing only a few lines of code, users can work with any 4D form in a browser to create and publish data on the Web and access it securely from anywhere thanks to the integration of SSL. 4D supports HTML, WML, XML, CGI’s and external products; users can also add JavaScript applications and Java applets to built-in 4D features and 4D V6.7 is 100% Java compatible.

4D Server 4D Server is the cross-platform data and application server for 4D, developed for companies and workgroups that need powerful and economical multi-user database systems. Any stand-alone 4D application easily scales to a workgroup client/server solution using 4D Server. 4D Server is an extremely versatile software platform with the ability to integrate and consolidate all types of data for thousands of users over any network, including the World Wide Web. It intelligently gives users access to data using standard Web browsers. Because Web services are part of 4D Server and not a CGI, 4D Server takes full advantage of the existing 4D engine, giving Web users the same views and data integrity as those using 4D Client. 4D Server handles a wide range of data management tasks. 4D Server applications can consist of 4D Server alone or can be integrated as part of larger enterprise information systems. Many 4D Server applications are mission-critical and include advanced technologies that synchronize distributed, remote or mobile data and control peripherals such as bar code readers, linear accelerators or satellites. 4D Server fills the gap between low-end file sharing based systems and complex SQL-based RDBMS systems. Any 4D Server application smoothly interacts with existing enterprise databases (ORACLE, Sybase or any ODBC-compliant server)5/00 with the use of 4D Connectivity Plug-ins. Page 2 4th Dimension Environment The 4th Dimension environment includes four series of products, tightly integrated into the 4D database engine: • Development Tools: - 4D Backup®. This is an integrated, transaction-based backup utility that offers programmable backups, mirroring, log file and a host of other backup and restore features. - 4D ® . This is a cross-platform, multi-target compiler developed for 4th Dimension and 4D Server applications. As a true machine-language compiler, 4D Compiler generates code adapted to a wide range of processors. - 4D Insider® . This cross-referencing tool and graphical code browser and management application enables component builders and users to modularize or merge existing applications and to examine database objects and their dependencies. • Productivity Plug-ins: - 4D Write® . An integrated word processing application, 4D Write can create and modify all sorts of textual documents, from simple letters to multi-part contracts. 4D Write provides file translation capabilities and a complete document merging system. - 4D Draw® . An integrated, object-oriented drawing application, 4D Draw creates graphics that can be derived from, dependent on and integrated with database information. 4D Draw pictures can be constructed to act as graphical user interfaces. - 4D Chart® . A charting application integrated within 4th Dimension. 4D Chart enables both two- and three- dimensional graphing of data directly from a database. • Connectivity Plug-ins: - 4D ODBC. This plug-in allows data exchange between 4D and any ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity) data source, easily connecting 4D with products developed by third party vendors. - ODBC Driver for 4D Server. This plug-in enables any Windows application to communicate with 4D Server through ODBC calls and SQL queries. Based on existing 4D components (Server API and Network Components), this driver is a fully integrated element of 4D’s open architecture. With only a client installation, ODBC Driver can be deployed without any changes to an existing database in production. It follows the standards of the Open DataBase Connectivity interface defined by Microsoft. - 4D for ORACLE. This plug-in allows 4D to communicate with an ORACLE server, enabling management of the data and the structure of an ORACLE database from the 4D engine. • Application Programming Interface: - 4D Open®. This is the Application Programming Interface (API) for connecting to 4D Server. Using a set of /C++/Pascal libraries, any foreign client application can access a 4D Server database. Allows data manipulation ranging from basic operations such as selecting a server on the network to high-level data processing.

WebSTAR Server Suite The WebSTAR Server Suite is a complete set of powerful and easy-to-use Internet servers for the Mac OS designed to provide a single software solution for a broad range of server needs. It can serve secure web pages and host email accounts or publish databases and share files all on one Mac. WebSTAR is exceptionally secure. It allows administrators to restrict Web, Mail, and FTP access based on user names and passwords, and can allow or deny access for each server based on IP address and hostname. Built-in SSL support enables encrypted serving of sensitive data which makes it ideal as an e-commerce solution. The unified WebSTAR Admin application allows web administrators encrypted control over the entire Server Suite from any Mac via TCP/IP, and includes monitor windows for the Web, Mail, FTP and Proxy Servers. Web-based administration is also included with the suite.

The WebSTAR Server Suite includes: •5/00 WebSTAR Server. Page 3 The acclaimed Web server, the de facto standard for the Mac since 1995 is a high performance Web server, capable of serving tens of millions of connections a day. It comes complete with high performance file info and data caching architecture which allows pages to be served faster and more efficiently. WebSTAR Server provides SSLv2 and SSLv3 support on a per-IP address basis, including support for multiple X509, X509v3, PKCSv7 chained, Netscape chained and Server Gated Cryptography (SGC) style certificates, and RC4-128, 3DES, DES-56, DES-40, RC4- 40 and MAC-only encryption options. • WebSTAR Mail. The complete POP, IMAP, and SMTP email server with Web-Mail access that can support multiple domains and user accounts and has advanced relay blocking and Allow/Deny security for the prevention of unsolicited “spam” email. • WebSTAR FTP. A full-features FTP server for instant file-sharing over TCP/IP. WebSTAR FTP provides user level access control privileges for uploading, downloading, creation and deletion of content. • WebSTAR Proxy. Caching Proxy server accelerates Internet access and increases security. The Proxy Server has advanced HTTP caching architecture for reducing network bandwidth demands and has a security architecture for preventing Proxy access from and Proxy access to individual hosts and web sites. Distribution Channel 4D is supported by an established distribution channel in over 30 countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The product line is localized in 15 languages, including: English, French, German, Japanese, Hebrew, Arabic, Korean and Farsi. Developers A key factor in 4D’s success is its large developer community with over 6,000 third-party solution providers and VARs worldwide creating custom 4D databases for clients and vertical applications. Many of the commercial developers publish off-the-shelf applications based on 4th Dimension. These applications include sales automation, accounting and client tracking programs. An active and well-respected community, 4D developers possess expertise in a variety of markets, technologies and cultures. Developers are an important element in the success of 4th Dimension. Their competence and creativity yield mission- critical and highly sophisticated applications in organizations of all sizes. 4D Inc. works synergistically with its developers to reinforce their 4D skills and to obtain valuable feedback.

Support and Education 4D Inc. provides answers and assistance to customers through a variety of services and programs. Partner Services 4D, Inc. supports registered third-party developers (Partners) with tools to produce and deliver 4D-based solutions and to take advantage of new market opportunities. Services include technical support, a developer registry database, referrals, lead generation, monthly mailings, product discounts and technical notes. Technical Support 4D Inc. offers a variety of technical support options to meet the needs of all users. Knowledgeable engineers who have immediate access to current technical information provide quality phone and on-line response to customer questions. Training Classes 4D Inc. has a program of training classes and seminars for every type of user, from beginners to information system managers. The classes range from introductory sessions to sophisticated programming techniques and advanced development methodologies. Technical Notes These monthly notes contain valuable database examples as well as 4D and 4D Server programming tips.

Copyright © 2000 4D, Inc. ACI, 4th Dimension, 4D, WebSTAR, the 4D logo, the WebSTAR logo and all other 4D product names are registered trademarks of 4D SA. All other referenced company names and product names are trademarks, registered trademarks or 5/00 Page 4 copyrights of their respective holders.