Microsoft and Adobe Systems to Deliver Universal Font Format Brings Profit Alliance Model to Microsoft’s Small Business Web Site

SAN FRANCISCO, May 6, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. and Adobe Systems Inc. today announced they are collaborating on a new universal font format that will combine today’s leading TrueType®
and Type 1 font technologies. Called OpenType
™
, the effort will streamline management of existing fonts and provide a font format to handle the next generation of type for personal computers and the Internet. As part of the initiative, Adobe and Microsoft will broadly cross-license the Type 1 and TrueType font technologies to each other and make the OpenType specification available to other operating system and Internet-based vendors.

OpenType will include compression technologies that will ensure efficient, high-quality representation of fonts on the World Wide Web. In conjunction with the announcement, the companies will present a proposal based on the OpenType initiative for a standard mechanism to embed fonts in HTML documents on the Internet at the Fifth International World Wide Web conference this week in Paris. This new proposal is intended to consolidate previous proposals the two companies have been developing with industry partners.

“OpenType promises to simplify the way customers use today’s fonts and set the stage for significant innovation in the quality of type both on screen and in print,”
said Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft.
“We look forward to collaborating with Adobe to advance type technology still further and to making the process of installing and using fonts seamless for all customers.”

“This initiative is great news for users and developers,”
said John Warnock, co-founder and CEO of Adobe.
“By having both TrueType and Type 1 available in Windows® , we’re providing customers with the best type solution, whether they’re working with print or online documents.”

Microsoft expects to incorporate OpenType into future versions of Windows operating systems. Adobe plans to support OpenType in upcoming releases of its graphics, publishing, dynamic media and Internet products, beginning with an update to Adobe
™
Acrobat
™
, due out later this year. Adobe and Microsoft are also working together to ensure that OpenType works with all Adobe PostScript
™printers and on cooperative type development for the Microsoft® Windows 95 and Windows NT®
operating systems.

Based in Mountain View, Calif., Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ
“ADBE”
) develops and supports products to help people express and use information in more imaginative and meaningful ways, across all print and electronic media.

Founded in 1982, Adobe helped launch the desktop publishing revolution. Today, the company offers a market-leading line of application software and type products for creating and distributing visually rich communication materials; licenses its industry-standard technologies to major hardware manufacturers, software developers and service providers; and offers integrated software solutions to businesses of all sizes. For more information, see Adobe’s home page at


http://www.adobe.com/
on the World Wide Web.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, OpenType, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

TrueType is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc.

Adobe, Acrobat and PostScript are trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc.

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