OASIS MEMBER NEWS: SoftQuad Announces XMetaLT 2.0

["Laura Walker" <laura.walker@oasis-open.org>]

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News Release


SoftQuad Announces XMetaL™ 2.0
New features deliver easier XML content creation, and more rapid
deployment of effective content solutions

PARIS, France – XML 2000 Europe – June 12, 2000 – SoftQuad Software, Ltd.
(OTC
BB: SXML), an internationally-recognized developer of XML enabling
technologies and
commerce solutions for e-business, today announced XMetaL 2.0, a major
upgrade to its
advanced, yet easy to use XML content creation solution.

The new version of XMetaL makes it easier for everyone to create XML
content, and
provides integrators even greater flexibility in deploying effective content
solutions for
real world production environments. Key features to this upgrade include
well formed
editing, a new Structure view, support for more advanced XML constructs and
expanded
customization options.

"XMetaL 2.0 significantly raises the bar for XML content creation," said
Roberto
Drassinower, president and CEO, SoftQuad Software, Ltd. "Now companies can
develop
and deploy highly-productive XML content applications in electronic
publishing, e-
commerce and knowledge management that everyone within an organization can
use."

XMetaL 2.0 provides new features and functions for deploying effective
content creation
environments that integrate seamlessly with an organization's applications
and workflow
processes. XMetaL 2.0 features built in access to script engines and a
Script Editor that
supports code coloring and pretty printing. XMetaL 2.0's Forms Editor
facilitates the
creation of custom dialog boxes to bring windows dialogs and behaviors right
into the
document interface. XMetaL provides support for inline ActiveX controls and
features an
extended object interface that allows embedded ActiveX controls to be hosted
within a
Resource Manager tab. Plus, XMetaL 2.0 features enhanced support for
advanced XML
constructs like internal subsets, parsable external entities, the DOM, OASIS
catalogs, and
UTF-16 (Unicode) encoding.

"The beauty of XMetaL for integrators is the flexibility it provides for
customizing the
interface for different users, and the speed with which it can be integrated
with your XML
systems," said John Turnbull, XMetaL product manager. "Many of these
customizations
can be performed using menu-based controls, or writing script level code.
That means
that XML applications that use XMetaL can be deployed faster and used more
effectively
than anything else in the market."

Software AG, Europe's largest system software vendor, has chosen XMetaL as
the
content creation solution for their XENON architecture, the first complete
architecture for
XML applications designed specifically for the development of electronic
business
systems.

Dr. Helmut Wilke, president and CEO of Software AG Inc. says: "Our XENON
architecture for commercial XML applications enables us to integrate 'best
of breed'
components from the world's leading independent software vendors. With the
release of
SoftQuad's XMetaL 2.0, we are confident that XENON will deliver the very
best XML
content creation solution to our customers."

XMetaL 2.0 also provides new, versatile, easy-to-use, XML authoring
capabilities. It
supports well-formed editing, so users can open and edit documents without
associated
DTD and work with document fragments.  As well, XMetaL 2.0's new Structure
View
provides a quick way to navigate and edit documents.

"XML content is growing as fast as e-business applications are being
developed," said
Frank Gilbane, editor of The Gilbane Report, a seven year-old journal for IT
strategists,
covering computing and content.  "Because a successful e-business requires
the sharing
of content across virtually all e-business functions, the number and type of
people
creating, accessing, and integrating XML content is increasing dramatically.
As a result,
products such as XMetaL that facilitate the creation and integration of XML
content
across and between organizations, need to be included in e-business
technology
infrastructure purchases."

Availability

XMetaL 2.0 will be available in late June 2000.  New users can purchase
XMetaL 2.0 for
$495.00 (US) per single user license. Registered owners of XMetaL 1.0 or 1.2
with a
support and maintenance contract can upgrade to XMetaL 2.0 for $75.00 (US).
Without a
maintenance contract, the upgrade price is $195.00 (US). The product is sold
directly and
through VARs and OEMs.  Volume discounts, site licenses, partner programs
and on-site
training are all available.

About XMetaL

SoftQuad XMetaL 2.0, the premier enabler for XML-based content applications,
provides
the power and flexibility required to create and work with XML content in a
real-world
production environment. Combining state-of-the-art XML editing features and
the ideal
front-end to e-commerce, e-publishing and knowledge management applications,
XMetaL 2.0 makes it easy for an entire organization's user-base to create
content.

System requirements include Windows 95/98, NT 4.0 and Windows 2000, a
Pentium
compatible processor, 32 Mb of RAM, 50 Mb available hard disk space, 256
color/SVGA
display, 640 x 480 resolution or higher, and a CD-ROM drive for
installation.

About SoftQuad Software, Ltd.

SoftQuad Software, Ltd. (OTC BB: SXML) is an internationally recognized
developer of
XML enabling technologies and commerce solutions for e-business. A founding
member
of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the Organization for the Advancement
of
Structured Information Standards (OASIS) and XML.org, SoftQuad has been
instrumental in shaping and developing both the standards and technologies
that are
changing the way companies exchange information and do business over the
Web.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with European operations based in London,
SoftQuad
was first to market with an advanced, yet easy-to-use, XML content creation
solution,
XMetaL. It has already become the premier enabling technology for XML-based
content
applications in electronic publishing, e-commerce and knowledge management.

For more information, visit SoftQuad's Web site at http://www.softquad.com


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Note to editors:  If you're interested in viewing additional information
about XMetaL or
SoftQuad Software, Ltd., including technical specs, downloads, screen shots
and box
pictures, please visit the SoftQuad web page at http://www.softquad.com

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipates", "estimates", "expects",
"will", "should", "projects", "intends",
"plans", "believes" and words and terms of similar substance used in
connection with any discussion of future
operating or financial performance identify such forward-looking statements.
Those forward-looking statements are
management's present expectations of future events.  As with any projection
or forecast, they are inherently susceptible
to uncertainty and changes in circumstances.  SoftQuad is an early-stage
growth company that operates in a highly
competitive and rapidly changing environment, and its business results are
dependent on numerous factors, including
demand for its products and services, its ability to manage costs and
generate revenues, technological developments,
protection of its intellectual property rights, its ability to attract and
retain key personnel, the resolution of issues
concerning commercial activities via the Internet, including security,
reliability, cost, ease of use and access,
government regulation, risks related to international sales and potential
foreign currency exchange fluctuations,
economic, political and social conditions in the countries in which it
operates and other risks detailed from time to time
in periodic reports filed by SoftQuad with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission and other regulatory
authorities. SoftQuad's actual results could differ materially from
management's expectations because of such factors.



For further information on SoftQuad Software, contact:

David Terry
ITPR (for SoftQuad Software)
(416) 860-3899 ext. 3607
david@itpr.com

Sacha De Groot
ITPR (for SoftQuad Software)
(416) 860-3899 ext. 8026
sacha@itpr.com

Fax: +1 978 667 5114