NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Alan Shulman, DCI Media Relations
(508) 470-3870

Release Date: February 19, 1997

Year 2000 Computer Problems, Future of Internet
And Client/Server Will Be Key Issues
At DCI's Database & Client/Server World

Leading Industry Experts Will Participate in Toronto Event, April 15-17

Andover, MA -- "What can be done to avoid the impending Year 2000 computer apocalypse?" "Has the Internet killed client/server?" These are two of the industry's most pressing business and technology issues that will be addressed at DCI's Database & Client/Server World at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, April 15-17, 1997.

The event will feature many of the software industry's foremost and most influential experts providing insight into the tools and techniques available to combat the looming Year 2000 crisis as well as future product and technology trends and their impact on database strategies.

More than 10,000 persons are expected to attend Canada's premier event for information technology professionals. The event features six focused conferences under one roof: Year 2000 Issues and Answers; Client/Server Technologies and Tools; Data Warehousing; Intranet Development Tools and Techniques; Databases & Data Modeling; and Client/Server Application Packages. The conference will feature more than 100 educational sessions and demonstrations of the newest products and services available from over 100 exhibitors, primarily from the Canadian marketplace.

Considered one of the most critical but least understood issues facing the computer industry today, the Year 2000 clock is ticking, and losses to the business community from the inability to handle the move into the next century are forecast to run as high as $1 trillion, with a single Fortune 500 company having to spend up to $100 million to correct the problems.

According to Conference Chairman Peter de Jager, the Brampton, Ontario-based information technology consultant, the issue is not Year 2000 awareness, but rather Year 2000 survival. "The purpose of this conference is to highlight the risks and provide suggestions to minimize them," de Jager said. Joining de Jager in addressing the problems that will face businesses over the next three years will be Frank Arthur, Year 2000 Project Manager for Ontario Hydro; Ken Orr, Principal, The Ken Orr Institute; and Thomas McCabe, President, McCabe & Associates, among others.

Experts To Square Off in 'Great Debate'

A major highlight of the three-day conference will be a provocative debate among leading-industry advocates and opponents on whether the Internet way of computing with thin clients and the new network computers will eclipse the established and highly vested client/server architectures that prevail in most corporations. The debate, moderated by Dr. George Schussel, Founder and CEO of DCI, will feature Todd Finch, Netscape Communications, Canada; Robert Epstein, Sybase; Don Haderle, IBM; Chuck Rozwat, Oracle; and Norm Judah, Microsoft.

Included in the conference agenda are the following timely topics: The Future of Database and Information Technology; The Web-Centric Data Warehouse/Data Mart; Evaluation Strategies for Data Warehouse Tools; and New Directions in Relational Database Design, among others. The event will feature presentations by information technology executives from such prominent Canadian companies as IBM Canada, Ltd.; Microsoft Canada, Inc.; Royal Bank of Canada; and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

"Our tradition of combining strong program content with a far reaching showcase of leading edge technologies sets DCI's Database & Client/Server World apart," said Dr. Schussel, Conference Co-Chairman, and a leading expert on client/server computing and the Internet.

DCI, based in Andover, Massachusetts, is the largest U.S.-based promoter of information technology conferences, trade shows and expositions and a leader in the Canadian marketplace. DCI's Internet Expo, the premier Canadian Internet, Web and EMail Conference, and DCI's Sales Force Automation Conference and Exposition will run concurrently at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, October 28-30, 1997. With a staff of more than 150 IT marketing and event-planning professionals, DCI is a recognized world leader in high-technology education, trade shows and management consulting.