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Award-Winning Developer of InstallAnywhere to Incorporate ActiveInstall Technology into Windows Deployment Solutions

San Francisco, CA, December 9, 2003 - Zero G Software, Inc., the leading provider of multiplatform software deployment and delivery solutions, today announced that it has acquired privately-held ActiveInstall Corporation, developers of ActiveInstall 2004.

The strategic acquisition of ActiveInstall adds Windows Installer - also known as .MSI - deployment technology to Zero G's industry-leading multiplatform deployment solution family, InstallAnywhere. Zero G will integrate ActiveInstall technologies into a new solution named InstallAnywhere.NET.

Michael Sanford, CEO of ActiveInstall Corporation, has joined Zero G to lead the development. In addition to his significant accomplishments with ActiveInstall, Sanford brings an impressive background and strong credentials in Microsoft Windows technologies and is one of only a few Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) awarded to provide peer support for Windows Installer technologies.

"I have always been impressed with Zero G's abilities in the multiplatform installer market," said Michael Sanford, CEO of ActiveInstall Corporation. "And its entry into the Windows deployment space with the acquisition of ActiveInstall adds to the competitive landscape. I'm thrilled to be joining the Zero G family."

"The acquisition of Wise by Altiris leaves Zero G as the only competitor to InstallShield," said Eric N. Shapiro, CEO, Zero G Software, Inc. "ActiveInstall truly leverages Windows Installer technology and adds innovative features that customers demand when planning Windows- and .NET-based deployments. The extensive feature set, extensibility and quality of the product were major factors in our decision to acquire the company."

ActiveInstall 2004 creates powerful Windows Installer-based setups, delivering unprecedented ease of use without sacrificing the powerful features that the most demanding installation projects require. Additionally, ActiveInstall is the only Windows Installer solution that provides a full set of the features required by .NET-based applications.

"Microsoft is pleased Zero G is committed to supporting Windows deployment technology," said Susanne Peterson, director in the Developer and Platform Evangelism Division at Microsoft Corp. "Our mutual customers will benefit from Zero G's deployment solutions for Windows-based application authors and ISVs focused on .NET technologies."

"After looking at several solutions, we found ActiveInstall best addressed our Windows deployment needs. Its ease of use and lack of proprietary scripting cemented our decision to license the software," said Paul Butterworth, Chief Technical Officer, AmberPoint. "Since we deliver multiple products across a wide variety of platforms, we are excited to have Zero G provide one stop shopping for our install solutions."

Availability

InstallAnywhere.NET will be available in Q1 2004. Current ActiveInstall customers can access technical support and other information at http://www.ZeroG.com/ActiveInstall.

About Zero G

Zero G is the leading provider of software deployment and delivery solutions for multiple platforms and packaging standards, including Windows Installer and the Windows .NET Framework, Linux, UNIX, NetWare and Mac. Founded in 1996, the privately-held company transformed Java's "write once, run anywhere" vision into reality by developing InstallAnywhere, the de facto industry standard for multiplatform software deployment. Zero G's solutions are used by thousands of enterprise and commercial software developers, including IBM, HP, Intel, Novell, Borland and Sun Microsystems. Privately held, Zero G is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and can be contacted at +1.415.512.7771 or online at ZeroG.com.