BULLISH: Softlink's Email VOICELink Now Available At Staples Inc.; Leading Office Superstore Chain Offers Latest in Email Technology SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2000--Softlink, Inc. (OTC BB: SFLK), the leader in multimedia email software and message creation services, announced today that Staples Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS), a multi-billion dollar retailer of office supplies, furniture and technology, will now carry the company's eMail VOICELink(TM) product in their approximately 800 stores in the United States. Merisel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MSEL), a leading distributor of computer hardware and software products, will be responsible for distributing eMail VOICELink to Staples. Softlink's eMail VOICELink enables email users to easily record voice email messages, attach photos and graphics, and send the messages through their preferred email system. The voice files are compressed to eliminate impact on mail servers. "This agreement represents another important milestone for our company, as it significantly increases our access to the consumer market through hundreds of Staples superstores across the country," said Carol Prior, Softlink VP of Sales. "eMail VOICELink is now available at most of the leading computer-related retail stores, including CompUSA, Frye's and BJ's, which represents a critical component of our consumer marketing strategy, and we plan to develop similar alliances with other retail chains. We are also pursuing direct sales to corporate partners, OEMs and resellers to enhance our market penetration and improve our financial performance." About Staples Inc. Staples Inc. is a $7 billion retailer of office supplies, furniture and technology to consumers and business from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany. Headquartered outside Boston, Staples invented the office superstore concept and today is the largest operator of office superstores in the world. The company has more than 46,000 employees serving customers through more than 1,100 office superstores, mail order catalogs, e-commerce and a contract business. More information about the company is available at staples.com. About Softlink, Inc. Founded in 1996 and based in Santa Clara, CA, Softlink, Inc. (OTC BB: SFLK), is an innovator in multimedia-based Internet communications. Using advanced compression and composition technology, combined with multi-platform message rendering technology Softlink's revolutionary multimedia email products transform conventional text-based email with voice, graphics, pictures, animation and live annotation. For more information, visit the company's web site at inchorus.com. Information contained in this press release contains "forward-looking statements," which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "expects", "may" "should", or "anticipates" or the negatives thereof, or implying that the future results covered by the forward-looking statements will be achieved. Various risk factors could cause actual results to vary materially from the future results covered in such forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to other risks and uncertainties. Note to Editors: eMail inChorus and eMail VOICELink are trademarks of Softlink, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are acknowledged. --30--fap/ny* km CONTACT: Porter, LeVay & Rose, Inc., New York Lori Parks, Elisa Keys or Jonathan Gordon 212/564-4700 or Softlink, Inc., Santa Clara Lauren deVries, 408/588-4113 ldevries@inChorus.com |