SearchMax

Verity Announces Definitive Agreement to be Acquired by Autonomy

The Combination Will Provide Customers with Broader, More Powerful Information Access Solutions

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Nov. 4, 2005 – Verity Inc. (NASDAQ: VRTY), a leading provider of business search and process management software today announced it has signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by Autonomy Corporation plc (LSE: AU. or AU.L), a global leader in infrastructure software, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $500 million.

The combination of Verity and Autonomy will provide customers with a broader and more powerful set of solutions that address the increasingly demanding requirements of information access. Verity and Autonomy bring together complementary product capabilities and distribution channels to better meet customer needs on a global basis. Existing investments in Verity solutions will be protected through product compatibility with Autonomy’s architecture as well as access to Autonomy’s advanced voice and video applications.

“By Verity uniting with Autonomy, our combined 16,000 customers will benefit from the blend of technology leadership and customer-facing strengths in sales, support and professional services, all under one corporate banner,” said Anthony J. Bettencourt, Verity’s chief executive officer. “The combination will make available to each company’s customers next-generation technology and a more advanced suite of functionality while protecting investments in Verity’s products.”