Press Release

Centigram Joins Forces with Data Connection to Deliver X.500-based Directory Support for Universal Messaging

Company is First Voice Messaging Vendor To Support Leading Messaging Standard

Philadelphia: April 7, 1997. Furthering its commitment to open standards, Centigram Communications Corporation (NASDAQ: CGRM) today announced at EMA '97 in Philadelphia, along with Data Connection Ltd. (DCL) of the United Kingdom, that it is adopting the X.500 directory support standard for open messaging. Centigram is working with DCL to integrate this standard on Centigram's Series 6 communications server using DCL's "DC Directory" product.

The X.500 directory standard will be supported by all members of the Electronic Messaging Association's (EMA) Voice Protocol for Internet Messaging (VPIM) workgroup. As the first voice mail vendor to support this open standard, Centigram's customers will benefit from the ability to share voice and fax messages more easily with users on other vendors' voice processing systems through a universal directory Centigram will create with DCL.

"The voice messaging industry in general has held onto proprietary technology, while the rest of the communications world is developing open systems," said Paul Stockford, analyst for In-Stat. "Centigram is leading the charge for making voice and fax mail as universal and easy-to-use as email."

The Centigram X.500 directory will allow users to address an Internet-based voice or fax message with a telephone number. Centigram's Series 6 will be used in VPIM's demonstration of a prototype X.500 voice messaging directory at EMA '97 this week.

"Centigram's strategy is to establish relationships with companies like Data Connection, whose open technology adds a richness to Centigram's communications servers," said Dan Spalding, of Centigram. "As part of the VPIM workgroup, Centigram is committed to pioneering the adoption of those open messaging standards supported by VPIM that will help voice and fax messaging systems reach the same level of universality common to email systems and protect customers investments in messaging systems through open standards."

"With enterprises workgroups often comprised of workers in separate offices with disparate messaging systems, Centigram's support of the X.500 standard will bring the same ease-of-messaging capabilities currently available to email users to voice and fax communications," said Graeme MacArthur, Director of Data Connection Ltd. "Information systems managers will realize significant time savings from the ability to execute universal directory updates on their Series 6."

All models of Centigram's Series 6 will integrate the X.500 standard directory, developed in conjunction with Data Connection by early 1998. The goals of the VPIM work group, of which Centigram was a founding company, include establishing an internationally accepted standard profile of ESMTP/MIME to allow the interexchange of voice and fax messages between voice messaging systems; ensuring that this profile also allows interexchange with non-voice messaging MIME compatible email systems, establishing a directory service to support lookup of the routable address, and establishing a defined mapping specification with other voice messaging.

Data Connection Limited

Data Connection Limited (DCL) is the leading independent developer and supplier of Messaging, Directory, SNA and ATM portable software products, with customers including Hewlett-Packard, IBM Corp, Tandem, Microsoft, and large end-users such as banks, governments and airlines. Further offerings include data-conferencing and retail software. DCL is headquartered in London UK, with US offices in Virginia. It was founded in 1981 and is privately held. For more information, visit DCL's Web site at www.dataconnection.com.

Centigram

Centigram is a leading global provider of wireless and wireline messaging and communications solutions. Centigram delivers communications solutions by integrating voice, data and facsimile on its Series 6 communications server, and by providing access to this multimedia information through a telephone or PC. The Series 6 platform is based on industry-standard hardware and software.

Centigram also licenses TruVoice, its patented text-to-speech software.

Centigram is headquartered at 91 East Tasman Drive, San Jose, Calif., 95134. Phone (408) 944-0250, fax (408) 428-3732. Centigram has sales and support offices in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia.

Centigram and TruVoice are registered trademarks of Centigram Communications Corporation.

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