PORTLAND, OR – March 4, 2002
Inspiration Software^®, Inc., the leading publisher of visual thinking and learning tools for the K-12 education market, has been selected by Oregon Business Magazine as one of Oregon's "100 Best Companies to Work For." Inspiration Software ranked 4th for employee attraction and retention, and 26th overall in the small company category. In addition, Inspiration Software scored well in the decision making/supervision and working environment categories.

"Our company's success is due to our great products and service, which are a direct result of the knowledge, skill, and dedication of our employees," says Donald Helfgott, Inspiration Software CEO and cofounder. "Recognizing this, we make it a priority to treat our employees well and to create a great working environment. We are continually looking for ways to improve upon ourselves."

One of Inspiration Software's favorite employee benefits is their twice-weekly onsite yoga class. In addition, the company offers flexible schedules, excellent health benefits for employees and their families, a computer purchase plan, tuition reimbursement, health club membership assistance, generous employer matching for 401(k) contributions, and generous profit sharing bonuses. Inspiration Software also prides itself on being a fun, creative, and casual place to work where their staff can make a difference in people's lives.

The "100 Best Companies to Work For" is an annual competition conducted by Oregon Business Magazine to identify and honor the business leaders in the state who provide the best workplaces. Every company in the state is eligible for participation. To be evaluated for the 2002 competition, participating companies responded to a two-part survey – one for employees and one for management. An independent panel of judges reviewed the responses and determined the final rankings. Winners were selected based on their excellence in nine criteria: attraction and retention, organizational communication, working environment, decision making and supervision, performance management, rewards and recognition, employee benefits, career development and learning, and leadership and organization effectiveness. The complete listing of winners and their rankings can be found in the March 2002 issue of Oregon Business Magazine.

Inspiration Software, Inc. is a privately held corporation that develops, publishes, and distributes premier visual thinking and learning tools for the K-12 education market. Founded in 1982 by Donald Helfgott and Mona Westhaver, the company's mission is to support improvements in education and make a positive difference in students' lives by providing software tools that help students learn to think. Inspiration Software's award-winning, flagship product, Inspiration^®, is in use by over one million students worldwide. Released in January 2001, Kidspiration™ was designed specifically to help K-5 students build strong thinking skills with visual learning. For additional information, please call 503/297-3004.