Be, Inc. Signs Agreement with Leading French Distributor

RELEASED May 11, 1999

For more information contact:

Be, Inc.
Sylvie Pelaprat sylvie@be.com
+1 (650) 462-4113

CHEN PR
Shelly Eckenroth or Mary Leddy
+1 (650) 357-8749

In Europe:
Jean Calmon, jcalmon@beeurope.com
+33-1-55-91-7731

Be, Inc. Signs Agreement with Leading French Distributor

MENLO PARK, Calif., May 11, 1999 - Be, Inc. today announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with APACABAR, the leading French distributor of digital media products.

This agreement highlights Be's strategy of developing a strong network of distributors and resellers in Europe for the Be Operating System (BeOS®).

APACABAR will build a network of resellers for BeOS that will include prominent companies such as FNAC and Surcouf, as well as resellers specialized in audio, video and digital media. APACABAR also plans to distribute applications for BeOS. More than 10,000 developers worldwide are now developing for BeOS.

"We are delighted with this partnership," said Jean Calmon, vice president and general manager of Be Europe. "APACABAR is an experienced distributor in the digital media market."

"BeOS is a unique opportunity to get the best performance out ot the existing hardware platforms for media," said Jérôme Anrès, president of APACABAR . "APACABAR'S knowledge of digital media constitutes a significant asset for the distribution of BeOS in France."

APACABAR has already built an inventory of BeOS Release 4 packages, with boxes and documentation in French.

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About Be®
Be, Inc., founded in 1990 by Jean-Louis Gassée, is a software company focusing on building new foundations for the next generation of digital content and media design tools. With a team of industry-leading engineers and business executives in the United States and Europe, the company is dedicated to removing the limitations of existing computer architectures and delivering a new level of price performance on both personal computers and Internet appliances. In 1997, Be published the first public release of the Be Operating System (BeOS®), the core product of this strategy. Additional information on Be and the BeOS is available online at http://www.be.com/. Be, Inc. is headquartered in Menlo Park, California.

About APACABAR
APACABAR successfully promotes and distributes multimedia and graphics software for professional and consumers. APACABAR'S catalog comprises a broad range of software including the most prestigious brand names of the digital media market. More information on APACABAR products and services can be found at http://www.apacabar.fr

Be and BeOS are registered trademarks of Be, Incorporated. Other brand product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders. All rights reserved.