Tuesday, August 13, 2002

MACROMEDIA AND COURSE TECHNOLOGY LAUNCH MACROMEDIA EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Companies develop curriculum for web design and development teaching

Boston, MA and San Francisco, CA—August 13, 2002—Macromedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: MACR) and Course Technology, a worldwide leader in computer education products and services and part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC), today announced a partnership to publish, market, and jointly distribute a new brand of educational oriented textbooks and curriculum entitled Macromedia Education.

Macromedia and Course Technology will develop a co-branded series of multimedia and webdesign content and curriculum specifically created for students and teachers in the K-12 and higher education markets. This series, available in eight languages, integrates Macromedia's subject-matter expertise with Course Technology's innovative approach to educational publishing.

"Understanding the basics of web development and design is fast becoming an essential component of any well-rounded education, and this partnership is uniquely suited to meet this emerging need," said Joe Dougherty, president, Course Technology. "By combining Macromedia's web development and design expertise with Course Technology's unparalleled approach to computing education, educators at every level will finally have the tools they need to ensure that their students get the most from their courses."

"Educators are seeking ways to integrate technology across the curriculum and provide engaging, relevant projects for students that build valuable digital skills. Research shows that today's generation of children are comfortable using computers and multimedia as forms of communication," said Pat Brogan, vice president of education, Macromedia. "Partnering with Course Technology enables Macromedia to reach more teachers and provide them tools and support for integrating technology programs across educational systems."

The first two co-branded titles for Macromedia Education are "Macromedia Studio MX Step-by-Step," a new student textbook and "Multimedia Projects for Macromedia Flash MX and Dreamweaver MX," a teaching binder. These books will begin shipping this summer and be available directly from Course Technology and Macromedia. To ensure that educators provide their students with timely, relevant coursework, Course Technology and Macromedia aim to publish new titles in close coordination with Macromedia software releases. For more information, go to www.macromedia.com.