Morris Communications Selects Ascential DataStage XE To Speed Deployment of Enterprise Decision Support Solution

WESTBORO, Mass. — August 27, 2002 — Ascential Software Corporation (NASDAQ: ASCL), the leader in enterprise data integration, today announced that Morris Communications Co., LLC, a leading U.S. publisher of newspapers, books, and magazines, has selected Ascential's DataStage® XE enterprise data integration solution to drive creation of the company's first enterprise-wide business information resource bank.

"We have 11 divisions, a diverse portfolio of broadcast, print and on-line media services and thousands of customer touch points recorded in various finance, circulation, and purchasing applications each day," said Steve Stone, chief financial officer and vice president, newspaper division, for Morris Communications. "Ascential's technology will enable us to quickly consolidate this information across applications and address data quality issues so that we can rapidly deliver integrated information into our enterprise decision support system. We look forward to using DataStage XE as a scalable rapid-deployment data integration solution to help us achieve a rapid return on investment on our data warehouse project."

Morris Communications is deploying DataStage XE as the foundation for its Shared Technology And Resource (STAR) project. The STAR project is a company-wide business information platform that has been designed to improve customer service and reduce operational costs in key areas, including direct and indirect materials, cross-divisional shared functions like human resources and finance, and core business functions like circulation and advertising. .

"With a large subscriber base and a strong product portfolio marketed across a variety of media outlets, Morris Communications is ideally positioned to benefit from an end-to-end data integration approach that allows them to gain insight into their customers and capitalize upon that institutional knowledge," said Mike Cassettari, chief marketing officer for Ascential Software. "Enterprise data integration is central to allowing media and communication companies to transform existing corporate IT systems into information resources that can reveal new insight into what customers want and how those services can be delivered more cost effectively and profitably."

About DataStage
The Ascential DataStage family is the industry's most comprehensive enterprise data integration solution, enabling companies worldwide to create and manage infinitely scalable, complex data integration infrastructures. DataStage software enables successful implementation of data intensive applications such as customer relationship management, supply chain management, enterprise resource planning, decision support and e-business. Together with DataStage, Ascential's MetaRecon data profiling product and INTEGRITY data quality product comprise the industry's only end-to-end enterprise data integration platform.

About Ascential
Ascential Software Corporation is a leading provider of enterprise data integration solutions to the Global 2000. Customers use Ascential products to turn vast amounts of disparate, unrefined data into reusable information assets that drive business success. Ascential's unique comprehensive data integration solutions enable customers to easily collect, validate, organize, administer and deliver information assets to realize more value from their enterprise data, reduce costs and increase profitability. Headquartered in Westboro, Mass., Ascential has offices worldwide and supports more than 2,100 customers in such industries as financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, consumer goods and retail. More information on Ascential can be found on the Web at www.ascentialsoftware.com.

About Morris Communications
Based in Augusta, GA, Morris Communications is a privately held media company with diversified holdings that include newspaper and magazine publishing, outdoor advertising, radio broadcasting, book publishing and distribution, and computer services. For more information visit www.morris.com.

Press Contacts:

Barbara Petrocelli Ascential Software (508) 366-3888 x3009 Barbara.petrocelli@ascentialsoftware.com