HELIUS EXTENDS ITS "HIGH-SPEED PIPE FOR THE INTERNET" TO ALL MAJOR NETWORK OPERATING SYSTEMS

OREM, Utah – Oct. 14, 1997 – Helius Inc., developers of Network Edition for DirecPC, the only product currently offering satellite-to-LAN Internet communication, today announced an upgrade that makes its "high-speed pipe for the Internet" compatible with all major network operating systems. Version 2.0 of Network Edition for DirecPC, scheduled to ship in November, will add support for Microsoft Windows NT and Linux to the existing Novell NetWare support.

"NT has increased in popularity among schools and businesses alike," said Myron Mosbarger, president of Helius. "Linux has a loyal following among network administrators and is particularly strong in Europe. Now with version 2.0 supporting NT, NetWare and Linux, more networked organizations than ever before will have high-speed Internet access regardless of their location. While many speak of satellite-based Internet for LANs as something four to five years in the future, Helius offers it today."

Network Edition for DirecPC gives K-12 schools and small-to-medium sized businesses Internet access at speeds and in locations never before possible. Teachers can effectively incorporate Internet content into learning and connect their students to the "Biggest Library in the World," without the long wait times involved with many schools' land-based systems. Schools and businesses that have been unable to get high-speed Internet connections in their area or could not afford the large capital expenditures associated with implementing and maintaining land-based systems, can become connected via affordable satellite technology.

"Distance does not have to be a barrier to education any longer," said Mosbarger. "Network Edition for DirecPC is reaching across traditional barriers to give opportunities to schools and businesses everywhere."

For example, Network Edition for DirecPC is giving the seven campuses of Dinè College, located throughout the 26,000-square mile territory of the Navajo Nation, first-ever, high-speed Internet access. Connecting schools in this area, where half of the households don't even have telephones, was a tremendous challenge. According to Dr. David Basham, director of the Navajo Learning Network, where dial-up lines did exist, bandwidth was so low that usually only one person could access the Internet at a time.

After the installation of Network Edition for DirecPC, Dinè classrooms now have high-speed, multi-user Internet access, giving educators and students powerful new learning opportunities and the ability to stay up with their urban cohorts. "Network Edition for DirecPC is the fastest Internet service available on the Navajo Nation right now," said Dr. Basham. "It is the only affordable option for us."

R.H. Watkins High School in the small Mississippi town of Laurel, has experienced a tremendous increase of speed in Internet access with its installation of Network Edition for DirecPC. Previously the school could only connect to the Internet through one router shared by 3,500 schools throughout Mississippi. "The Internet as it stood was an ineffective teaching tool," said Laura Sullivan, coordinator of media services for the Laurel School District. "You have to have good connectivity. If you are sitting in a classroom waiting for a site to come up, you will start to have chaos."

With Network Edition for DirecPC, R.H. Watkins students can now even access graphics and audio websites in seconds. "It is amazing how quickly Network Edition for DirecPC can pull down a graphic-intensive program and download it to the network or a disk," Sullivan said.

Businesses, too, are benefitting from Network Edition for DirecPC's fast, multi-user Internet and e-mail access, data transfer and network security. Realty offices are using the product to quickly download large video clips and high resolution images of available properties to multiple agents simultaneously.

With download speeds up to 400 Kilobits per second, Network Edition for DirecPC is three times faster than a 128K ISDN connection and 14 times faster than a 28.8 Kbps modem. In addition, Network Edition for DirecPC provides universal high-speed distribution of databases, video clips, corporate information and software at 3 Megabits per second (twice T-1 speeds). The software is easy to install and runs directly on the network server.

Network Edition for DirecPC is available through Helius and its authorized resellers. In the United States, pricing for the complete system, including software and hardware, starts at under $1,600, and for schools, the setup costs and service rates qualify for Universal Services Fund E-rate subsidies. In Canada, pricing begins at $2,400 (Cdn.) and service rates for schools qualify for special government subsidies.

Founded in 1995, Helius, Inc. is a privately owned company, funded by The Canopy Group, based in Orem, Utah. Helius developed the first software to manage Internet transmissions from a satellite to local area networks. Its business focus is developing software that facilitates the delivery and access of data to LANs. For more information about Helius and its products, visit the Helius website at http://www.helius.com or call 888-764-9020.