FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 14, 2000

NEW VERSIONS OF FORECAST PRO GREATLY EXPAND CAPABILITIES, PERFORMANCE AND EASE OF USE

On February 14, 2000 Business Forecast Systems of Belmont, MA will release Forecast Pro Version 4 and Forecast Pro XE (extended edition) Version 4, two complete forecasting systems designed for businesspeople.

Forecast Pro Version 4 is a complete revision of the popular Forecast Pro package currently in use at thousands of locations around the world. Forecast Pro is used by businesses of all sizes to forecast such things as product sales, revenues and demand for services. Forecast Pro has received much critical acclaim including two Editors’ Choice awards from PC Magazine and Industry Week’s 1999 Technology of the Year Award. Forecast Pro Version 4 sports a host of new features and many substantial improvements.

Forecast Pro Version 4 is a state-of-the-art statistical forecasting package that uses artificial intelligence and powerful methodology to yield unsurpassed forecasting accuracy. The package is extremely easy to use, and does not require a background in statistics. Forecast Pro uses a rule-based expert system to analyze the data, select the appropriate forecasting technique, and explain the reasoning behind its selection. The forecasting techniques were chosen so as to cover virtually all business applications and include curve fitting, exponential smoothing models, Box-Jenkins and methods specifically designed for low volume data sets. A graphics utility allows you to display, print and adjust your variables and forecasts. You can create your data files from within the package, import and export from other sources, read and write directly from Excel or 1-2-3 worksheets, or establish direct connections to ODBC compliant databases.

Forecast Pro XE contains all the features and capabilities of the standard edition, plus several powerful extensions to handle advanced forecasting needs. Dynamic regression models allow you to exploit explanatory variables and leading indicators. Multiple level models allow you to aggregate data into groups which can be reconciled using a top-down or bottom-up approach. Event models extend exponential smoothing by providing adjustments for special events like promotions, strikes or other irregular occurrences. X-11 seasonal decomposition factors a time series into its major constituents—it is the procedure that the U.S. government uses to obtain deseasonalized estimates of major macroeconomic indexes. Forecast Pro XE also supports a batch mode operation to automate large forecasting jobs.

The package requires a computer running Windows 98, 95 or NT, with 8 megabytes of RAM, and 4 megabytes of hard disk space.

The products will ship on February 14, 2000. The cost will be $595 for the standard edition and $995 for the extended edition. Special upgrade pricing is available to registered users of previous version of Forecast Pro.