Press Release

February 10, 1999

OTTAWA, Canada - 10 February 1998: Microware Systems Corporation (NASDAQ: MWAR), supplier of the world-leading OS-9 real time operating system (RTOS), today announced an alliance with Espial Group Inc. to provide advanced graphical user interface (GUI), customizable DeviceTop™, browser, email, and PIM capabilities for embedded Java applications. Coupled with Espial's™ and Portico™, Microware's PersonalJava provides crucial time savings to embedded Java developers.

"Java allows easy integration of Espial and Portico, adding essential features that are crucial to Java developers as they design next generation products," said Robert Egner product team leader at Microware. "Our analysis shows that a developer can build an entire application in two months time, providing significant time savings."

Espial Espresso is a full-featured, graphical user interface package that includes advanced components such as trees, lists, tab panels, tables, and tool tips. It is ideal for consumer applications developed for hand-held computers, set-top boxes, mobile hand-held devices and smart phones. A maximum footprint of 175K makes Espial Espresso a superior GUI toolkit of choice for embedded applications using Java.

Espial Architect is a visual user interface development environment for consumer devices. Advanced features include on-screen consumer device layering, JDK1.1 and PersonalJava compliant code generation, portable user-interface file formats for easier collaborative development, and support for creating applets, applications, and re-usable components.

"We provide user-centered, super small, high performance solutions for PersonalJava which have been tested and proven" said Jaison Dolvane, president of Espial Group Inc. "Integration with Microware's PersonalJava and Java for OS-9 provided developers a real advantage due to Microware's Java history, and the reduced development time. These are extremely important as developers work to increase their products time-to-market."

Portico Productivity suite includes a customizable DeviceTop which can launch applications, upgrade software, and support various input devices. Also included is a full-featured Java web browser, an email client, and a personal assistant complete with an address book, calendar, and appointment manager. Like Espial Espresso, these components have an extremely small footprint, are extremely easy to use, flexible, and robust.

"Embedded application developers using Java are demanding these features, and Espial Group provides an excellent solution for embedded developers," added Egner. "Combined with Microware's Java, Espial's software provides a solid technology solution."

Microware Systems Corporation

Microware (NASDAQ: MWAR) develops, markets, and supports real-time operating system software covering the spectrum from deeply embedded applications to high end consumer devices. Microware's flagship operating system, OS-9, coupled with the powerful new integrated development environment, Hawk, provides the essential building blocks and full set of development tools for embedded devices. Ariel, Microware's new full-source, royalty-free RTOS provides customers with an affordable solution to help them remain competitive. Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, Microware was founded in 1977, and has technology and sales offices throughout the United States and in England, France, Germany, and Japan.