September 21, 1998
(Executive Council)

Province and Corel sign software licencing agreement

Premier Brian Tobin and Dr. Michael Cowpland, Chairman, President and CEO of Corel Corporation, today signed a deal that will see Corel provide a vehicle for the province to licence software, maintenance and related documentation under a two year non-exclusive licence agreement.

"The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has been using WordPerfect since 1987," said Premier Tobin. "This agreement will allow us to buy this software at a greater discount, without minimum purchase requirements, and will mean a need for fewer copies of the same program. It's a great opportunity for government to achieve savings, while at the same time support a Canadian company which has already demonstrated its interest in this province."

Additionally, Corel Corporation is working with worldclassroom.com to facilitate instruction of Corel software programs via the Internet. In June, Corel Corporation announced that it would licence approximately $1.05 million worth of word processing and graphic design software to Newfoundland and Labrador's 372 schools at a cost of about $100,000. A number of local companies have become involved as sponsors of that initiative.

"We are pleased to be a part of this licence agreement with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador," noted Dr. Cowpland. "The government's history of using WordPerfect shows that the software is well suited, and it is a pleasure to be able to provide a flexible arrangement while reducing the total cost of ownership to the province."

The licencing agreement is effective immediately.

Media contact: Heidi Bonnell, (709) 729-3564.

1998 09 21                                                                                 12:35 p.m.