Mustang Announces Internet/Intranet File LibrarySystem; FileCenter Automates Process of Posting,...

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 23, 1997--Posting and cataloging the growing number of files on Internet/intranet sites is an ever-more-challenging problem for Web masters.

Solving this problem, Mustang Software Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTG) Thursday announced availability of the FileCenter

FileCenter automatically manages the whole process of submitting, posting and locating files on Internet/intranet sites. FileCenter stores file information, including file name, description, author and location, in an ODBC Access Database for lightning-quick searches. Taking full advantage of Microsoft's Active Server technology, FileCenter also indexes all the words found in the document. Users can search for the files they need by title, author, description, date, even the number of downloads.

"FileCenter eliminates the need to have programmers manage FTP sites," commented Jim Harrer, president and CEO of Mustang Software. "Until now there has not been a technology to automate the task of administering files on Internet/intranet sites. While FTP servers were never designed to catalog and index files, users have been forced to place files on their FTP sites as if they were."

File creators may upload their files to FileCenter's library using a Web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 or Netscape Navigator 3.0 by simply clicking on an "upload" icon on a Web page. The system's Wizard prompts the file's submitter for all relevant information. FileCenter automatically catalogs the file and can even optionally scan the file for viruses using McAfee Virus Scan. FileCenter posts the file, updates the new submission list, places the file in the proper category and group and creates the necessary HTML code to permit viewing the index with an ordinary browser. System users can then search on any of FileCenter's database fields, including the name of the person uploading the file and the date of submission.

"FileCenter is also much more powerful than traditional solutions for distributing files," added Harrer. "Because the process is completely automated, companies can now post files on FTP sites rather than waste the disk space and bandwidth required to distribute them as e-mail attachments. By using FileCenter along with Mustang's ListCaster, the proper people can even be automatically notified when pertinent files are posted."

Administrators also have the option of requiring down-loaders to fill out forms which are automatically e-mailed to the file submitter. This permits authors of financial documents to track their use, and permits shareware authors to monitor file downloads.

Before FileCenter, the only way to distribute files via the Internet was to post them on FTP sites. However, FTP servers lack file library and cataloging systems, making locating the files difficult. The alternative of also manually creating HTML pages to index the files was laborious, and there was no easy way to accept uploads or new submissions.

FileCenter is ideal for such applications as storing and cataloging pleadings and other papers for law firms so that all the firms' attorneys and paralegals can access them from local and remote sites, and for providing Web sites with a robust system to enable end users to download files, documents and images.

"Web masters know that managing files is much harder than simply storing them," stated industry analyst David Coursey. "Mustang's idea was to create a system that allows companies to use their intranet or Web site effectively as a file exchange center -- sort of a 90's version of the file libraries that were the staple of every BBS 10 years ago -- complete with multiplatform support, a good user interface and virus checking."

Mustang Software has created a shareware file library containing business files to demonstrate the power and ease of use of the FileCenter system. Shareware authors are invited to submit their products to the site, and users are invited to check out the growing library of business applications at http://www.filecenter.com.

FileCenter is the third member of Mustang's Web Essentials family, joining ListCaster and Internet Message Center. All Web Essentials products are so simple that Mustang promises that even a non-programmer can have them up and running within 20 minutes.

Mustang Software designs, develops, markets and supports Internet/intranet servers, Web Utilities and communications software. Among the many awards earned by Mustang's products, the company's WIN Server was PC/Computing Magazine's MVP Award winner in 1996.

For more information, contact Mustang Software at 805/873-2500, fax to 805/873-2599 or visit the company's Web site at http://www.mustang.com . -0- NOTE: Web Essentials, FileCenter, Internet Message Center and ListCaster are trademarks of Mustang Software Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

Keywords: Internet, online, intranet, business applications, communications, software, internet software, website management, webmasters, server applications

CONTACT: Mustang Software, Bakersfield

Jim Harrer, 805/873-2500 ext. 9003

805/873-2457 (fax)

editors@mustang.com

http://www.mustang.com

or

S&S Public Relations

Michelle Strykowski, 847/291-1616

847/291-1758 (fax)

michelle@sspr.com