COMPUTONE SIGNS AGREEMENT TO ACQUIRE MULTI-USER SOLUTIONS,
                 LEADING LINUX/UNIX SERVICE AND SUPPORT COMPANY
                                    -------

            ATLANTA AREA FIRMS MERGE TO SERVE RAPIDLY-GROWING MARKET

ATLANTA,  April 17, 2000 -- Computone Corporation (OTC BB: CMPT) said today that
it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Multi-User  Solutions,  Ltd., of
Norcross,  a third  party  provider  of  service  and  support  specializing  in
Linux(R),  SCO(R)  UNIX(R),  Windows(R)  NT, and other Open Systems.  Subject to
certain conditions precedent, the acquisition is expected to close by the end of
April.

Perry  Pickerign,  president and CEO of Computone,  a pioneer in IT connectivity
and remote access  communications,  said the merger of the companies  will be "a
major step in broadening the size, reach and offerings" of Computone.  Pickerign
said the agreement  called for an aggregate  consideration of $4 million in cash
and  800,000  shares  of  Computone  stock.  In  addition,  Pickerign  said  the
consideration  is subject to an increase of up to $1.5 million  dependent on the
satisfaction of specified performance objectives.

Both Atlanta  area  companies  have emerged as leaders  serving the needs of the
rapidly-growing  marketplace of small and medium-size  companies using SCO UNIX,
Linux,  Windows NT and other Open Systems solutions.  Multi-User  Solutions will
operate as a subsidiary  of Computone,  with Darrin  Sherrill,  its  co-founder,
serving as COO and reporting to Pickerign.

MEETING THE NEED FOR A FULL-SERVICE PROVIDER

"The growing marketplace had been hungry for a nationwide  full-service provider
who could both supply and support users," said Computone's Pickerign.  "Now, the
new combined  Computone and  Multi-User  organization  will more than meet those
requirements.  We believe it will be catalytic model for the service and support
industry as well as Computone."

Founded in 1991 and  privately-held,  Multi-User  Solutions  (www.multiuser.com)
provides operating system support, systems integration, and logistics management
to  customers  of turnkey  software  vendors in North  America.  It supports and
provides  services to major  software  vendors and customers in more than 10,000
locations,  focusing on Linux, SCO UNIX,  Microsoft(R) Windows NT and Novell(R).
The company has a long relationship with Santa Cruz Operations (SCO),  which has
some 70 percent of the UNIX  marketplace  on Intel(R)  platforms,  and was SCO's
first  Authorized  Support Center (ASC) in North America.  Multi-User  completed
fiscal 1999 with more than $9 million in revenues.

In 1999, Caldera(R) Systems, a leading distributor of Linux, named Multi-User as
its first ASC,  with the company also  serving as its  internal  Help Desk on an
interim basis, as well as providing  telemarketing  sales for support contracts.
Multi-User has third-party  agreements  with IBM(R),  NCR(R),  Data  General(R),
USNET(R) and other major  organizations to provide same-day and next-day service
solutions, including overnight replacement and on-site service.

'ANOTHER IMPORTANT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION' FOR COMPUTONE

Pickerign  called the  pending  acquisition  of  Multi-User  Solutions  "another
important  step in the right  direction for  Computone,  dramatically  improving
efficiencies and profitability.

"Growing sales, increasing the profit picture, moving ahead and putting problems
of the past behind are all  important  in making and keeping  Computone a viable
and exciting company in step with today's markets and times," Pickerign said.

SIGNIFICANT REVENUE STREAM AND PROFITABILITY

Pickerign called  Multi-User  revenue stream  "significant,"  noting that it was
"many times greater than  competitors  such as  Linuxcare(TM) -- plus having the
added distinction of profitability." He said Multi-User's support contracts with
SCO,  Caldera  and  TurboLinux  "show  the  company  has  earned  its wings in a
highly-competitive   marketplace.   Multi-User   has   been   able  to   achieve
profitability  in its market niche,  demonstrating  the value of its proprietary
tools,  strength of its  management  team,  and a sound  execution of its strong
business plan."

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'PERFECT FIT' WITH COMPUTONE

"Computone and Multi-User are perfect fit -- a great marriage,"said Multi-User's
Sherrill.  "We will have the same  culture,  the same  strong  work and  service
ethic,  share a market focus and,  more and more often,  the same  customers and
strategic  partnerships.  Being  part of  Computone  will  give  Multi-User  the
exposure and resources  necessary to  capitalize on current and emerging  market
opportunities."  Pickerign  agreed,  noting  that  "the  acquisition  will  give
Computone  a distinct  competitive  advantage  as we gain the ability to provide
unparalleled  service  and  support -- 24 hours a day,  seven days a week -- and
enable our resellers to  differentiate  themselves  by providing  7x24 next day,
on-site support to their customers as well.

"Together,"  he said,  "the new  Computone  organization  we will have a service
reach in Linux,  Unix, NT and beyond that greatly exceeds our  competition,  and
while provides a platform for us to become a dominant player in this space."

A  pioneer  and  leader in the  worldwide  IT  industry  since  1984,  Computone
Corporation

(OTC  BB:  CMPT,   www.computone.com)   designs,   manufactures  and  markets  a
comprehensive line of remote access communications servers for Internet, LAN/WAN
and  Windows  NT/SCO  UNIX/Linux  and other Open  Systems.  Computone  is also a
leading  producer of high-speed  multiport I/O boards,  serving vertical markets
including    healthcare,    retail/point-of-sale,    banking   and    financial,
telecommunications,   Internet   service   providers   (ISPs),   transportation,
hospitality and education. Based in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta,  Computone
sells through a worldwide network of authorized and certified distributors.  For
the first nine months of fiscal 2000 ended December 31, 1999, Computone reported
an increase of 29 percent in net sales over the same period in fiscal 1999.

Multi-User Solutions,  a subsidiary of Computone,  provides service and software
for both hardware and software.  Software support includes:  Microsoft, SCO Open
Server/Desktop,  SCO Xenix(TM) System V, SCO UNIXWARE(TM),  Merge(TM), WABI(TM),
MPX/SMP(TM),  Virtual  Disk  Manager and LAN Manager  for  SCO(TM),  ArcServ for
SCO(TM),  SCO  Doctor(TM),   Advanced  File  and  Print  Server(TM),   FastStart
Products(TM), X Vision Products(TM),  Caldera, Linux and TurboLinux. It supports
leading  hardware  vendors  including:  3COM(R),  Compaq(R),  Computone,  DEC(R)
(Compaq),  Dell(R),  Fujitsu(R),  Gateway(R),  Hewlett-Packard(R),  IBM,  Intel,
Lexmark(R),   Magnavox(R),   NEC(R),   Okidata(R),   Panasonic(R),   Samsung(R),
Seagate(R), Sony(R), Texas Instruments(R) (HP), Toshiba(R), and U.S. Robotics(R)
(3COM).

This  press  release  contains  certain  forward-looking  statements  within the
meaning of section  27A of the  Securities  Act of 1933 and  Section  21E of the
Securities  Exchange Act of 1934.  With the exception of historical  information
contained  herein,  the matters discussed in this press release involve risk and
uncertainties.

Actual   results   could  differ   materially   from  those   expressed  in  any
forward-looking statement.

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