MONROVIA, CA (November 8, 1999) - Despite spending up to $20 million to establish a truly differentiated Web presence, Fortune 100 Web sites are surprisingly dysfunctional, according to a landmark Web audit conducted by ParaSoft Corporation, a leading provider of software error prevention and detection solutions.

ParaSoft's breakthrough report reveals that top corporate Web sites are riddled with flaws, such as coding, link, and HTML errors that seriously threaten corporate returns on Internet investments. For example, ParaSoft's Web audit reports that the 95 sites examined have an average of one Web site link error every 3.5 pages and over 12 HTML coding errors per page.

Web-site errors can cost companies productivity, customers, and profits. According to a recent Zona Research report, $58 million per month in e-commerce sales are lost due to Web page loading failures. Typical Web users are inclined to click elsewhere if they encounter bad links or other time-consuming Web site errors. This online attrition can be especially painful, since it takes up to $200 to cultivate each new on-line customer, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.

"Global corporations are unnecessarily threatening their returns on Internet investment by making sloppy coding errors," said ParaSoft CEO Dr. Adam Kolawa. "Our Web Audit underscores the fact that the majority of these of errors are easily detectable and avoidable."

"To be sure, the Internet is redefining corporations worldwide," Kolawa added, "but to what degree the Internet reshapes global business will be determined, in large part, by how successfully corporations pull-off the transition to the Web."

ParaSoft utilized its proprietary error detection technology, SiteRuler, to scan 95 of the Fortune 100 Web sites for coding errors and other functional and aesthetic glitches. The findings include the following summary results:

Link Error Statistics

The ParaSoft analysis shows that the Fortune 100 Web sites reviewed have 292,357 pages and 84,302 link errors. That means almost 29% of the pages contain link errors, or one link error every three and a half pages.

HTML Error Statistics

In the 292,357 Web pages, there were 3,683,974 HTML coding errors. This means that on average there are over a dozen HTML coding errors per page on corporate Web sites.

Link Errors Per Page by Industry

ParaSoft found that Motor Vehicles and Parts (0.65 errors per page), Pharmaceuticals (0.57 errors per page), and Diversified Financials (0.57 errors per page) were among the worst industries in terms of average number of link errors per page. Additionally, Wholesalers (0.07), Beverages (0.04), and Mail/Package and Freight Delivery (0) fared the best.

HTML Coding Errors Per Page by Industry

For HTML coding errors per page by industry, Mail/Package & Freight Delivery, Petroleum Refining, and Aerospace fared the best, while General Merchandisers, Computers and Office Equipment, and Utilities ranked the worst.

The Web Audit examined the Fortune 100's Web sites using the following criteria:

* Link errors: refer to navigational errors like a missing page, bad anchor, or malformed URL, are the most damaging errors a Web site can have. * HTML errors: refer to flaws ranging from incorrect layout and form functionality to browser incompatibility causing a Web page to be viewed incorrectly. While these errors are not always critical, they can communicate carelessness or lack of technical ability.

* Technology usage: refers to the type of software technology included in the SiteRuler-analyzed corporate Web sites. The technology usage analysis did not involve identifying errors; it was included to gauge the technical complexity of the Web sites examined.

"Our Web Audit aims to highlight the importance of error detection and just how pervasive and damaging Web-site errors are across industries," said Arthur Hicken, executive vice president of ParaSoft. "Identifying and preventing errors is crucial to not only effective Web-based commerce, but also to survival and sustained success in the new Internet economy."

Copies of ParaSoft's Web Audit, "Internet Error Detection and Prevention: How Dysfunctional Are The Fortune 100 Web Sites," are available upon request. To place an order, contact: Dominique Garcia at ParaSoft (888) 305-0041 x345.

About ParaSoft

ParaSoft develops and markets advanced error prevention and error detection tools for UNIX, Windows and Internet development environments. ParaSoft's award-winning products and patented technologies assist developers and managers in improving software quality, accelerating time to market and reducing development costs. ParaSoft's headquarters is located at 2031 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016. Telephone (888) 305-0041. Fax (626) 305-3036. Email: info@parasoft.com. URL: .

For more information:
call (888) 305-0041 x345 (for Dominique),
email dbgarcia@parasoft.com,
or fax (626) 305-3036