06-February-2004

Dear Agent Users:

We are pleased to announce the release of Agent 2.0, the next generation of Agent. I'd like to provide you with some background on our Agent 2.0 development decisions.

Agent 1.x was at a critical point in its life cycle. We could force more features, including support for multiple news servers, into an aging software platform. This would have been the fastest approach to providing the next version of Agent. However, this approach would be risky and may have created a product that didn't meet the quality standards that Agent users have come to expect.

In January 2003 we made a long-term strategic decision to "bite the bullet" by undertaking an extensive re-write of Agent's internal architecture. The re-write is now complete, providing Agent with a powerful new development foundation that will enable us to rapidly add the features you've been waiting for.

At the same time we have made substantial investments in staff and infrastructure. We have established better channels of communication with our customers through the Agent Design Board, the Agent Beta Team, and the Agent Translation Teams. These changes enable us to design better products and provide the resources to deliver new releases in a timely fashion.

The Agent Team and I would like to extend our thanks to Agent users worldwide for believing in us and remaining loyal. Our strategic decisions and investments will position us to deliver the most innovative solutions on Usenet.

Sincerely,
 

Charles Dazler Knuff

President