Mentor Graphics Implements Primus Knowledge Solutions Software to Reinforce its Online Support Offerings

Mentor Graphics Uses Primus Software to Give Customers Instant Access to the Most Up-to-Date Product Information and Solutions to Design Problems

Mentor Graphics is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. The company's SupportNet KnowledgeBase system, launched in December of 2002, leverages the power of Primus(R) eServer knowledgebase, Primus(R) eSupport for Web self-service, and Primus(R) eServer iView, which allows expert agents to view solutions and contribute to the knowledgebase. Now, Mentor Graphics customers have 24X7 access to the combined expertise of Mentor's global team of more than 300 corporate applications engineers (CAEs) in a robust database.

"Reliable, fast access to customer support is essential for customers of Mentor Graphics," said Michael Brochu, president and CEO of Primus Knowledge Solutions. "Our technology is enhancing the ability of Mentor Graphics to provide technical answers to thousands of customers worldwide, which continues to help the organization maintain its consistent level of superior customer support."

The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system includes advanced searching capabilities such as natural language processing (NLP) and refined search functions. When a customer submits a question online, a list of relevant solutions is presented. If a user is unable to find an appropriate solution, they may open a Service Request, pre-populated with their question, from within the knowledgebase using a single click. To help users identify the most relevant information, each TechNote is organized into three sections: Symptoms, Solutions, and Environment. The TechNotes fall into six categories: Patch, Release, Defect, Solution, Enhancement, and Business.

"We considered a number of knowledge management solutions, but Primus was by far the leader in this technology because of its natural language processing ability, immediate knowledge-sharing, and its integration with our call tracking system, Siebel's Service Request System," said Tom Floodeen, vice president and general manager, customer support division, Mentor Graphics. "SupportNet KnowledgeBase gives our customers flexibility to search independently online for the information they need, when they need it, and offers rapid, qualified responses to the issue at hand."

Mentor has compiled more than 18,000 TechNotes in the SupportNet KnowledgeBase system. Mentor CAEs create a knowledge record every time they answer a support request from a customer as part of their workflow. By capturing each solution, this process eliminates duplicate defect and problem reporting and allows Mentor customers to benefit from rapid and consistent expert responses to questions that have been answered for others. The Mentor Graphics SupportNet website (www.mentor.com/supportnet) also includes advanced interactive features such as online customer discussion groups and personalized email notification of product updates.

Floodeen continued, "This new knowledge capture workflow has become a well-integrated part of the processes used by Mentor CAEs and new TechNotes are being added at a rate of more than 600 per month. Primus software has been and will continue to be an integral part of what makes us the only 5 STAR Support in EDA."

About Primus Products Used by Mentor Graphics

The Primus(R) eServer knowledgebase enables customer service and support organizations to continually capture, create, and refine solutions as a natural part of the workflow. As solutions are added to the knowledgebase, they become immediately available for shared use across multiple channels, including phone, email, and the Web.

Primus(R) eServer iView allows expert staff to view solutions and contribute to the knowledgebase, includes powerful querying, searching, authoring, and escalation tools; flexible administration features; and one-click linking to call tickets.

Primus(R) eSupport enables organizations to publish knowledge--real solutions to real problems--for direct customer access via the Web, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Primus eSupport leverages the Primus(R) Associative Search Engine capabilities of Primus eServer to deliver fast, reliable answers to users and capture information for future use by the organization. For more information, go to http://www.primus.com/products/.

About Primus Knowledge Solutions, Inc.

For more than a decade, Primus(R) (Nasdaq:PKSI) has provided knowledge management software solutions that help companies define, meet, and exceed the productivity and quality goals of their contact centers, help desks, and Web self-service environments. Businesses around the world use Primus software to increase customer satisfaction, improve employee efficiency, and lower operating costs. Primus customers include such industry leaders as 3Com, The Boeing Company, Concord Communications, EMC, Enterasys, Ericsson, Inc., Fujitsu Limited, Inc., IBM, Motorola, Novell, and VeriSign. For more information, visit www.primus.com.

Primus, Primus Knowledge Solutions, Primus Answer Engine, Primus eServer, Primus eSupport and Primus eServer iView are registered trademarks or service marks of Primus Knowledge Solutions, Inc. Other products and company names mentioned in this press release may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Any statements, expectations and assumptions contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts, such as statements about the integration, performance, use, and deployment of Primus products and the anticipated results, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There is no guarantee that these results will actually occur. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release are based on current expectations, are not guarantees of future performance, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include the following: difficulties encountered in the integration, deployment, or implementation of the Primus products and customer's systems; failure in the customer's widespread adoption and use of the Primus products; quality of the customer's database of solutions; fluctuations in customer demand; use of the Web as a delivery vehicle for customer support or eCRM solutions; risk resulting from new product introductions and customer acceptance of new products; rapid technological change; the risks associated with competition and the rapid consolidation of competitors; continued growth in the use of the Internet; the ability of Primus to manage its growth and integration efforts and the ability of Primus to compete successfully in the future, as well as other risks identified in Primus' Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including, but not limited to, those appearing under the caption "Factors Affecting our Future Operating Results" in Primus' Report on 10-K filed in March of 2003 and Form 10-Q filed in May of 2003. The extent of return on investment of Primus products is specific to our customer's experience.

CONTACT: Primus Knowledge Solutions, Inc., Seattle
             Kristin Treat, 206/834-8325
             ktreat@primus.com