Firepond Announces Patent Licensing Program (email this article)

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 2003--Firepond (Nasdaq:FIRE - News) (Company Profile, Past Stories, Case Studies) a leading provider of configuration and interactive selling solutions announced today a new patent licensing program. As a pioneer in configuration and interactive selling solutions Firepond has long delivered the most advanced products for configuration and selling needs. A proof point of its pioneer status lies in its rich patent portfolio.

Recently Firepond has moved to protect its intellectual property, filing patent infringement actions against several competitors. Although Firepond is committed to protecting the value it has created over the past twenty years, it also realizes the potential value its patents can provide other solution providers. To that end Firepond has created a patent licensing program that will allow companies to leverage Firepond's intellectual property.

Under the program companies will be able to license the following technology patents:

U.S. 5,283,865

Computer Assisted Parts Sales System - A system for configuring particular part needs, pricing, and availability based on the equipment with which the part will be used.

U.S. 5,367,627

Computer Assisted Parts Sales Method - A sales method for configuring particular part needs, pricing, and availability based on the equipment with which the part will be used.

U.S. 5,493,490

Electronic Proposal Preparation System For Selling Vehicles - A system for configuring a customized proposal in relation to the sale of vehicles based on customer requirements. The system queries the user to determine needs and the appropriate content (pictures, text, etc...) to fill in the proposal templates.

U.S. 5,615,342

Electronic Proposal Preparation System - A system for configuring customized proposals based on customer requirements. The system queries the user to determine needs and the appropriate content (pictures, text, etc...) to fill in the proposal templates.

U.S. 5,625,776

Electronic Proposal Preparation System For Selling Computer Equipment And Copy Machines - A system for creating customized proposals for selling copiers and printers. The system queries the user to determine needs and the appropriate content (pictures, text, etc...) to fill in the proposal templates.

U.S. 5,758,331

Computer Assisted Sales System For Utilities - A system for configuring customized reports relating to the usage of a given utility provided by a utility company.

U.S. 6,169,979

Computer Assisted Sales Method For Utilities - A method for generating customized reports related to the usage of a given utility provided by a utility company.

U.S. 6,067,525

Integrated Computerized Sales Force Automation System - An integrated sales force automation system which shares information by an automatic event manager.

U.S. 6,141,658

Computer System And Method For Managing Sales Information- A system that is directed to managing product knowledge related to products offered for sale.

U.S. 6,438,547

Computer Readable Data Product For Managing Sales Information - A system that is directed to managing product knowledge related to products offered for sale.

U.S. 6,453,302

Corporate Image Proposal Generation System And Method - A system that generates a customized proposal incorporating the style and images specific to the customer.

"The new licensing program will allow companies to benefit from our 20 years of experience in configuration and interactive selling solutions, helping them to reduce time to market or creating competitive advantages within their products," said Christian Misvaer, Vice President of Sales Solutions Business Unit. For more information about the patents or to contact someone about the licensing program email patents@firepond.com.

About Firepond, Inc.

Firepond provides interactive selling and eService software solutions that help companies more profitably acquire and retain customers. The complementary configuration, guided selling, on-line customer service, and response management applications incorporate proven intelligence engines and patented automation technology. Firepond's solutions help drive new revenue streams, increase profitability, and manage customer interactions across all channels throughout the sales and service cycle. Firepond is headquartered in Minnesota with additional offices in France and Japan. For additional information about Firepond visit www.firepond.com.

Portions of this release contain forward-looking statements regarding future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. We wish to caution you that there are some factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results indicated by such statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: economic and other factors affecting the demand for e-business sales and service solutions; market acceptance of Firepond's SalesPerformer and Brightware Product Suites and their components in chosen vertical industries; quarterly fluctuations in operating results attributable to the timing and amount of orders for our products and services; difficulties with the implementation and integration of Firepond products; uncertainty, costs, potential damages associated with material litigation; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; our ability to keep pace with changing product requirements; and other risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Form 10-K filed in January and Forms 10-Q filed in March, June, and September, copies of which may be obtained through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

Firepond and Firepond product names are trademarks of Firepond, Inc. All other product or company names are the properties of their respective owners.