FOR RELEASE APRIL 20, 1995

Contact:        Alan Oppenheimer
               (503)488-4127
               alan@opendoor.com

OPEN DOOR NETWORKS INTRODUCES THE WEBDOOR(TM) AUTOMATIC WEB PUBLISHING SYSTEM

WEB PUBLISHING FOR THE REST OF USг

ASHLAND, OR. -- April 20, 1995 -- Open Door Networks Inc., a pioneer in the field of easy-to-use Internet access for Macintosh computers, today announced the availability of its WebDoor automatic World Wide Web publishing system.  Continuing Open Doorеs tradition of innovative, easy-to-use Internet solutions for the Macintosh, the WebDoor system allows any Mac user to create, proof and publish information on the World Wide Web in a matter of minutes.  By eliminating most of the complexity and cost of publishing information on the World Wide Web, the WebDoor publishing system brings Web-based publishing within the reach of any Mac user.  I like to call it дWebtop Publishing,ег said Alan Oppenheimer, president of Open Door Networks, because weеre trying to do for Web-based publishing what the LaserWriter did for desktop publishing.г

Traditionally, publishing on the World Wide Web has required a permanent connection to the Internet, a dedicated Web server, and the ability to author World Wide Web pages using a language known as HyperText Markup Language (HTML).  WebDoor users can publish information directly on the Web without any of these elements.  Open Door Networks maintains the permanent Internet connection and Web server at its premises, and provides software which eliminates the need for a user to understand HTML in order to publish information on the Web.  Whereas a traditional Web publishing system costs thousands of dollars and often takes weeks to install and learn how to use, for as little as $20 a month a WebDoor customer can have a page liveг on the Web, often within an hour of signing up.

There are two key pieces of technology which make up the WebDoor publishing system: WebDoor Publisher software and a WebDoor account.  WebDoor Publisher is a HyperCard-based application which enables an Open Door customer to create, proof and publish a Web page without any knowledge of HTML or of the way the Web works.  Written to lead the user through the entire process one step at a time, WebDoor Publisher takes advantage of the natural link between HyperCard and hypertext, the point-and-click access system of the World Wide Web.  The user enters information for their Web pages using familiar fields, buttons and menus.  WebDoor Publisher then uses HTML to create a copy of the userеs pages on their hard disk, where the pages can be proofed using any of the popular Web browsers, such as Netscape Navigator from Netscape Communications Corporation.  

Once the user is satisfied with the look of their pages, the user can have the pages automatically published through their WebDoor account.  A WebDoor account is an Open Door account which includes storage space on the Open Door Web server.  Since Open Door accounts also include an e-mail address and Internet access, a WebDoor account represents a full Internet presence for the user.  The WebDoor publishing system leverages the trademark ease-of-use of an Open Door account to transparently transfer the userеs pages and associated graphics over to the Open Door Web server.  Once the pages are transfered, they are immediately available to anyone with access to the World Wide Web.

In addition to providing an innovative new option for Web-based publishing, the WebDoor publishing system also fits in directly with Appleеs recent announcement of its Internet Server Solution for the World Wide Web.  WebDoor provides a growth path for those who may not yet be ready for a full Internet Server solution.   WebDoor is based on the same software as the Apple Internet Server, and Web pages created with WebDoor can be used, unmodified, on Apple Internet Servers.  WebDoor also provides a simple, low-cost way for a potential Internet Server customer to experiment with Web publishing before making the investment involved with an Apple Internet server and a permanent Internet connection.

The WebDoor system was first shown publicly last month at Mactivity in Boston, and has been receiving rave reviews from beta customers ever since.  Some representative comments include I put together a home page over lunch between bites.  Very easy,г and I'm still blown away by the simplicity of it.  If you see my grandmother publishing her own Web Page don't be surprised.г

The WebDoor publishing system is available immediately.  Customers can sign up by using Apple Remote Access, version 2.0 or later, to dial in to Open Doorеs ARA server at 503-482-3181, connecting as a guest,г or can call 503-488-4127 to sign up by phone.  Through June 1, special introductory rates will apply.  Open Door Networks is also making the WebDoor Publisher software, along with detailed information on the WebDoor system, available through its WWW server at http://www.opendoor.com.

Open Door Networks, Inc., a pioneer in the field of easy-to-use Internet access for Macintosh computers, was founded in January, 1995 by Alan Oppenheimer, an 11-year Apple veteran and co-creator of the AppleTalk network system.  Open Doorеs mission is to provide Macintosh users with Internet solutions that are as easy-to-use and as powerful as the Macintosh itself.  Open Door Networks is based in Ashland, Oregon.

A Web-based version of this press release, created entirely through the WebDoor publishing system, is available at http://www.opendoor.com/webdoor/webdoorpressrelease.html.

Open Door Networks is a service mark and WebDoor is a trademark of Open Door Networks, Inc.  All other trademarks are owned by their respective companies.