FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WebVentures Pty Ltd
23 Clarkson Place, KENMORE HILLS, Qld, Australia 4069
Company URL: http://www.webventures.com.au

Media Contact: Colin Lythall , Managing Director
Tel: (07) 3374 0281, Intl +61 7 3374 0281
clythall@webventures.com.au
Company Fax: +61 7 32012044

(Brisbane, Austrailia--October 9, 1996)--(PRESSXPRESS)--Managing Director of
WebVentures Pty Ltd, Mr Colin Lythall, announced the release today of
the Do-It-Yourself Database(TM). With DIY-DB, anyone can build working
databases on the Web in ten minutes without a knowledge of database
systems or CGI-scripting.

On-line configuration is easy with DIY-DB. Just 'load and go' onto
any server running Java, then link to common database engines such as
mSQL or ODBC-complient databases. DIY-DB makes it simple and quick
to build a database on the Internet or an Intranet from scratch.
Everything is done right down to the consistent look and feel of
presented pages. It's easy to add your own logos and text to
customise databases for individual sites.

DIY-DB let's you present different views of the database, for example, private
and public views. You can set password protection of each record or
on an entire view. In each view you can allow or disallow operations
such as deletion or addition of records and the ability to edit or
re-edit existing records. Individual fields may be editable (read
and write), visible (read-only) or invisible.

As an example, a small business site can easily be created using
DIY-DB to build a catalogue. Because DIY-DB fields can contain
embedded HTML, it can produce attractive search results containing
images, hyperlinks, lists and email addresses as well as formatted
text. The business proprietor can update the catalogue on-line
through the secure private view while the public can read but not
alter data. Some private fields may not be publicly visible.

The same business may run a second database which is a request-book
where the public can leave their contact details and information
requests. Because records can be made once-only editable, they can
also take on-line orders.

Similarly, in an intranet situation sales people who want a customer
contact system can use this product. DIY-DB makes it easy for each
salesperson to quickly generate their own personal contact list and
keep it secure.

"With DIY-DB you don't even need a http server package, we supply a general
purpose http server written in Java as well. The server has access
restriction controls using name and password authentication or
IP-address allow and deny directives." Lythall stated.

The use of the Internet for business sales is increasing
exponentially. Up until now, small business has been hampered by lack
of skills and resources to easily publish database information such
as catalogues. What Netscape has done for the Web in page
presentation, DIY-DB is doing for database publication on the
Internet or intranet. Small businesses can now compete in a global
marketplace by enjoying global distribution of information which
enhances their market presence and returns."

"The Do-It-Yourself Database is being sold exclusively over the
Internet. Enthusiastic enquires have already flooded in from Europe,
the Americas and the Middle East" said Mr Lythall. "In Australia,
DIY-DB pre-release sales have gone into industries such as retail,
real-estate, solar power and information technology."

"The new standard in leading-edge software development for platform
independent applications is Sun Microsystems' Java. By using Java
to write server-based applications we are able to run on UNIX, NT,
Windows-95 or Macintosh with equal ease. By incorporating JDBC, the
Java Database Connectivity standard, the software works with
ODBC-complient database packages such as Microsoft Access and Oracle
or popular UNIX-based databases like mSQL." said Mr Lythall.

The Do-It-Yourself Database costs US $89 and is available for free
download now for a 30 day trial from http://www.webventures.com.au/diy-db.

DIY-DB is just the first in a line of enabling products from
WebVentures. While DIY-DB is aimed primarily at the creation of new
databases, other products currently in development will provide easy
and secure Internet or intranet interfaces to existing populated
databases.

WebVentures is an Australian, Brisbane-based Web development and
consulting company employing some of the country's foremost software
developers. WebVentures' management possess a meld of business and
high technology skills which have been developed through higher
tertiary degrees in the US and by positions on boards of successful
IT companies in both the United States and Australia. This group
has now focussed on the Internet as the medium for the future. Our
logo is the Australian platypus, an amphibious, egg-laying monotreme
"Ornithirhynchus antatinus" having webbed feet and a duckbill. The
highly effective mixture of "feather, fur and fin" which makes the
platypus is analogous to the powerful mix of technology and business
skills that constitutes the WebVentures team.