New multimedia and e-learning software debuts

Knoxville, Tennessee -- December 5, 2002 -- Discovery Systems International, Inc. (DSI) today announced the immediate availability of onViz, a new authoring tool for creating multimedia and e-learning software that runs on Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows computers.

Knoxville, Tennessee -- December 7, 2002 -- Discovery Systems International, Inc. (DSI) today announced the immediate availability of onViz, a new authoring tool for creating multimedia and e-learning software that runs on Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows computers.

onViz enables people to quickly create interactive applications for computer-based instruction, electronic books and reference manuals. In addition, people can develop their own interactive video, expert systems, product and services demos, advertising, presentations, simulations, kiosks, games, and any other media rich interactive content.

The diverse group of people using onViz includes K-12 teachers, college and university professors, corporate trainers, multimedia developers, consultants, sales and marketing personnel, manufacturers, healthcare practitioners, aviators, artists, museum curators, social workers, government agencies, and individuals creating their own software for sale.

"onViz is a product that I think fills a genuine need in the marketplace -- A Mac-based cross-platform authoring tool with some very high-performance features," said Michael Heckman, Senior Producer at Cool Films.

Creating a software program is as simple as drawing a line between graphical elements on a flowchart. onViz enables people to create interactive content without having to learn programming code or scripting languages, and includes dozens of features for creating software programs that run identically on Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows computers.

"onViz has significant value as a multimedia and e-learning authoring tool because it has been carefully designed and tested for ease of use, flexibility, reliability, and cost effectiveness," said Janice Tocher, president of DSI.

Applications created with onViz can connect to the Internet and launch a Web browser or open almost any other software application or document residing on computers using the Apple Macintosh or Microsoft Windows operating systems.

onViz-authored applications can also be configured for delivery of interactive content over various computer networks including the Web. Data can be automatically retrieved from different network locations, including simultaneous file retrieval from multiple networks including the Internet. For applications such as e-learning or networked kiosks, onViz can automatically generate report files and send the data to any network destination.

A Macintosh computer is presently required for authoring. To ensure backward compatibility with older operating systems and computers, the onViz authoring environment runs on Macintosh OS 8.6 or later. Authoring within the Macintosh OSX operating system is forthcoming.

"Several customers that are using Microsoft Windows have purchased an Apple Macintosh computer and onViz simply because our product is easy to use, includes the features they need, and they find this approach less expensive than many alternatives," Tocher said.

onViz is the result of a 4-year research and development effort. Although it builds on the strengths of the companys older CourseBuilder authoring software, it is an entirely new product.

Introduced in 1987, DSIs CourseBuilder was one of the first commercially available products for authoring interactive applications on personal computers. CourseBuilder pioneered the multimedia software industry as the first such commercial software application to use a visual method for programming, which has become common throughout the industry.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
onViz presently retails for $599, with a price of $475 for academic and non-profit customers. Upgrades from DSIs CourseBuilder product are $299 through December 31st. onViz can be purchased immediately from DSIs Web site, and an evaluation version is available as a free download. The evaluation version limits the size of applications created; otherwise it is fully functional.
Competitive upgrades and site licenses are also available.

ABOUT DISCOVERY SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL
Discovery Systems International (DSI), founded in 1992 and located in Knoxville, Tennessee, creates interactive content development tools with the belief technology should enable people to express their creativity unimpeded by the technology used.

For more information, visit DSIs Web site at http://DiscoverySystems.com
Or contact Discovery Systems International, Inc.
P.O. Box 1188
Knoxville, TN 37901-1188
Toll Free: +1 888.284.5389
International: +1 865.637.0311
Fax: +1 865.609.2460
e-mail:info@discoverysystems.com

onViz is a trademark of Discovery Systems International, Inc. Other company and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.