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                                                                   Exhibit 10.27

                                  VERITY, INC.

                       1996 NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION PLAN

                       (AS AMENDED THROUGH JUNE 15, 2000)

        1.      ESTABLISHMENT, PURPOSE AND TERM OF PLAN.

               1.1 ESTABLISHMENT. The Verity, Inc. 1996 Nonstatutory Stock
Option Plan (the "PLAN") is hereby established effective as of February 6, 1996
(the "EFFECTIVE DATE").

               1.2 PURPOSE. The purpose of the Plan is to advance the interests
of the Participating Company Group and its stockholders by providing an
incentive to attract, retain and reward persons performing services for the
Participating Company Group and by motivating such persons to contribute to the
growth and profitability of the Participating Company Group.

               1.3 TERM OF PLAN. The Plan shall continue in effect until the
earlier of its termination by the Board or the date on which all of the shares
of Stock available for issuance under the Plan have been issued and all
restrictions on such shares under the terms of the Plan and the agreements
evidencing Options granted under the Plan have lapsed.

        2.      DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION.

               2.1 DEFINITIONS. Whenever used herein, the following terms shall
have their respective meanings set forth below:

                      (a) "BOARD" means the Board of Directors of the Company.
If one or more Committees have been appointed by the Board to administer the
Plan, "Board" also means such Committee(s).

                      (b) "CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, and any applicable regulations promulgated thereunder.

                      (c) "COMMITTEE" means the Compensation Committee or other
committee of the Board duly appointed to administer the Plan and having such
powers as shall be specified by the Board. Unless the powers of the Committee
have been specifically limited, the Committee shall have all of the powers of
the Board granted herein, including, without limitation, the power to amend or
terminate the Plan at any time, subject to the terms of the Plan and any
applicable limitations imposed by law.

                      (d) "COMPANY" means Verity, Inc., a Delaware corporation,
or any successor corporation thereto.

                      (e) "CONSULTANT" means any person, including an advisor,
engaged by a Participating Company to render services other than as an Employee
or a Director.

                      (f) "DIRECTOR" means a member of the Board or of the board
of directors of any other Participating Company.


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                      (g) "EMPLOYEE" means any person treated as an employee
(including an officer or a Director who is also treated as an employee) in the
records of a Participating Company; provided, however, that neither service as a
Director nor payment of a director's fee shall be sufficient to constitute
employment for purposes of the Plan.

                      (h) "EXCHANGE ACT" means the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended.

                      (i) "FAIR MARKET VALUE" means, as of any date, the value
of a share of stock or other property as determined by the Board, in its sole
discretion, or by the Company, in its sole discretion, if such determination is
expressly allocated to the Company herein.

                      (j) "INSIDER" means an officer or a Director of the
Company or any other person whose transactions in Stock are subject to Section
16 of the Exchange Act.

                      (k) "OPTION" means a right to purchase Stock (subject to
adjustment as provided in Section 4.2) pursuant to the terms and conditions of
the Plan. Options are intended to be nonstatutory stock options and shall not be
treated as incentive stock options within the meaning of Section 422(b) of the
Code.

                      (l) "OPTION AGREEMENT" means a written agreement between
the Company and an Optionee setting forth the terms, conditions and restrictions
of the Option granted to the Optionee and any shares acquired upon the exercise
thereof.

                      (m) "OPTIONEE" means a person who has been granted one or
more Options.

                      (n) "PARENT CORPORATION" means any present or future
"parent corporation" of the Company, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.

                      (o) "PARTICIPATING COMPANY" means the Company or any
Parent Corporation or Subsidiary Corporation.

                      (p) "PARTICIPATING COMPANY GROUP" means, at any point in
time, all corporations collectively which are then Participating Companies.

                      (q) "STOCK" means the common stock, $0.001 par value, of
the Company, as adjusted from time to time in accordance with Section 4.2.

                      (r) "SUBSIDIARY CORPORATION" means any present or future
"subsidiary corporation" of the Company, as defined in Section 424(f) of the
Code.

               2.2 CONSTRUCTION. Captions and titles contained herein are for
convenience only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of any
provision of the Plan. Except when otherwise indicated by the context, the
singular shall include the plural, the plural shall include the singular, and
the term "or" shall include the conjunctive as well as the disjunctive.


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        3.      ADMINISTRATION.

               3.1 ADMINISTRATION BY THE BOARD. The Plan shall be administered
by the Board, including any duly appointed Committee of the Board. All questions
of interpretation of the Plan or of any Option shall be determined by the Board,
and such determinations shall be final and binding upon all persons having an
interest in the Plan or such Option. Any officer of a Participating Company
shall have the authority to act on behalf of the Company with respect to any
matter, right, obligation, determination or election which is the responsibility
of or which is allocated to the Company herein, provided the officer has
apparent authority with respect to such matter, right, obligation, determination
or election.

               3.2 POWERS OF THE BOARD. In addition to any other powers set
forth in the Plan and subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board shall
have the full and final power and authority, in its sole discretion:

                      (a) to determine the persons to whom, and the time or
times at which, Options shall be granted and the number of shares of Stock to be
subject to each Option;

                      (b) to determine the Fair Market Value of shares of Stock
or other property;

                      (c) to determine the terms, conditions and restrictions
applicable to each Option (which need not be identical) and any shares acquired
upon the exercise thereof, including, without limitation, (i) the exercise price
of the Option, (ii) the method of payment for shares purchased upon the exercise
of the Option, (iii) the method for satisfaction of any tax withholding
obligation arising in connection with the Option or such shares, including by
the withholding or delivery of shares of stock, (iv) the timing, terms and
conditions of the exercisability of the Option or the vesting of any shares
acquired upon the exercise thereof, (v) the time of the expiration of the
Option, (vi) the effect of the Optionee's termination of employment or service
with the Participating Company Group on any of the foregoing, and (vii) all
other terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to the Option or such shares
not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan;

                      (d) to approve one or more forms of Option Agreement;

                      (e) to amend, modify, extend, or renew, or grant a new
Option in substitution for, any Option or to waive any restrictions or
conditions applicable to any Option or any shares acquired upon the exercise
thereof;

                      (f) to accelerate, continue, extend or defer the
exercisability of any Option or the vesting of any shares acquired upon the
exercise thereof, including with respect to the period following an Optionee's
termination of employment or service with the Participating Company Group;

                      (g) to prescribe, amend or rescind rules, guidelines and
policies relating to the Plan, or to adopt supplements to, or alternative
versions of, the Plan, including, without limitation, as the Board deems
necessary or desirable to comply with the laws of, or to


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accommodate the tax policy or custom of, foreign jurisdictions whose citizens
may be granted Options; and

                      (h) to correct any defect, supply any omission or
reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or any Option Agreement and to make all
other determinations and take such other actions with respect to the Plan or any
Option as the Board may deem advisable to the extent consistent with the Plan
and applicable law.

        4.      SHARES SUBJECT TO PLAN.

               4.1 MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SHARES ISSUABLE. Subject to adjustment as
provided in Section 4.2, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Stock that
may be issued under the Plan shall be ten million four hundred twenty thousand
(10,420,000) (after giving effect to the Company's 2:1 stock split of December
3, 1999) and shall consist of authorized but unissued or reacquired shares of
Stock or any combination thereof. If an outstanding Option for any reason
expires or is terminated or canceled or shares of Stock acquired, subject to
repurchase, upon the exercise of an Option are repurchased by the Company, the
shares of Stock allocable to the unexercised portion of such Option, or such
repurchased shares of Stock, shall again be available for issuance under the
Plan.

               4.2 ADJUSTMENTS FOR CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE. In the event of
any stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, recapitalization,
combination, reclassification or similar change in the capital structure of the
Company, appropriate adjustments shall be made in the number and class of shares
subject to the Plan and to any outstanding Options, and in the exercise price
per share of any outstanding Options. If a majority of the shares which are of
the same class as the shares that are subject to outstanding Options are
exchanged for, converted into, or otherwise become (whether or not pursuant to
an Ownership Change Event, as defined in Section 8.1) shares of another
corporation (the "New Shares"), the Board may unilaterally amend the outstanding
Options to provide that such Options are exercisable for New Shares. In the
event of any such amendment, the number of shares subject to, and the exercise
price per share of, the outstanding Options shall be adjusted in a fair and
equitable manner as determined by the Board, in its sole discretion.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, any fractional share resulting from an adjustment
pursuant to this Section 4.2 shall be rounded up or down to the nearest whole
number, as determined by the Board, and in no event may the exercise price of
any Option be decreased to an amount less than the par value, if any, of the
stock subject to the Option. The adjustments determined by the Board pursuant to
this Section 4.2 shall be final, binding and conclusive.

        5. ELIGIBILITY. Options may be granted only to Employees and
Consultants; provided, however, that no Insider may be granted an Option
pursuant to the Plan. For purposes of the foregoing sentence: (A) "Employees"
shall include prospective Employees to whom Options are granted in connection
with written offers of employment with the Participating Company Group; (B)
"Consultants" shall include prospective Consultants to whom Options are granted
in connection with written offers of engagement with the Participating Company
Group; and (C) an Employee or prospective Employee shall not be considered an
"Insider" with respect to an Option granted as an essential inducement for such
person to become an Employee. Eligible persons may, be granted more than one (1)
Option.


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        6. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPTIONS. Options shall be evidenced by Option
Agreements specifying the number of shares of Stock covered thereby, in such
form as the Board shall from time to time establish. Option Agreements may
incorporate all or any of the terms of the Plan by reference and shall comply
with and be subject to the following terms and conditions:

               6.1 EXERCISE PRICE. The exercise price for each Option shall be
established in the sole discretion of the Board; provided, however, that the
exercise price per share for an Option shall be not less than eighty-five
percent (85%) of the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock on the effective date
of grant of the Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option may be granted
with an exercise price lower than the minimum exercise price set forth above if
such Option is granted pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another
option in a manner qualifying under the provisions of Section 424(a) of the
Code.

               6.2 EXERCISE PERIOD. Options shall be exercisable at such time or
times, or upon such event or events, and subject to such terms, conditions,
performance criteria, and restrictions as shall be determined by the Board and
set forth in the Option Agreement evidencing such Option; provided, however,
that no Option granted to a prospective Employee or prospective Consultant may
become exercisable prior to the date on which such person commences service with
a Participating Company.

               6.3 PAYMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE.

                      (a) FORMS OF CONSIDERATION AUTHORIZED. Except as otherwise
provided below, payment of the exercise price for the number of shares of Stock
being purchased pursuant to any Option shall be made (i) in cash, by check, or
cash equivalent, (ii) by tender to the Company of shares of Stock owned by the
Optionee having a Fair Market Value (as determined by the Company without regard
to any restrictions on transferability applicable to such stock by reason of
federal or state securities laws or agreements with an underwriter for the
Company) not less than the exercise price, (iii) by the assignment of the
proceeds of a sale or loan with respect to some or all of the shares being
acquired upon the exercise of the Option (including, without limitation, through
an exercise complying with the provisions of Regulation T as promulgated from
time to time by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) (a
"CASHLESS EXERCISE"), (iv) by the Optionee's promissory note in a form approved
by the Company, (v) by such other consideration as may be approved by the Board
from time to time to the extent permitted by applicable law, or (vi) by any
combination thereof. The Board may at any time or from time to time, by adoption
of or by amendment to the standard form of Option Agreement described in Section
7, or by other means, grant Options which do not permit all of the foregoing
forms of consideration to be used in payment of the exercise price or which
otherwise restrict one or more forms of consideration.

                      (b) TENDER OF STOCK. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an
Option may not be exercised by tender to the Company of shares of Stock to the
extent such tender of Stock would constitute a violation of the provisions of
any law, regulation or agreement restricting the redemption of the Company's
stock. Unless otherwise provided by the Board, an Option may not be exercised by
tender to the Company of shares of Stock unless such shares either have been


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owned by the Optionee for more than six (6) months or were not acquired,
directly or indirectly, from the Company.

                      (c) CASHLESS EXERCISE. The Company reserves, at any and
all times, the right, in the Company's sole and absolute discretion, to
establish, decline to approve or terminate any program or procedures for the
exercise of Options by means of a Cashless Exercise.

                      (d) PAYMENT BY PROMISSORY NOTE. No promissory note shall
be permitted if the exercise of an Option using a promissory note would be a
violation of any law. Any permitted promissory note shall be on such terms as
the Board shall determine at the time the Option is granted. The Board shall
have the authority to permit or require the Optionee to secure any promissory
note used to exercise an Option with the shares of Stock acquired upon the
exercise of the Option or with other collateral acceptable to the Company.
Unless otherwise provided by the Board, if the Company at any time is subject to
the regulations promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System or any other governmental entity affecting the extension of credit in
connection with the Company's securities, any promissory note shall comply with
such applicable regulations, and the Optionee shall pay the unpaid principal and
accrued interest, if any, to the extent necessary to comply with such applicable
regulations.

               6.4 TAX WITHHOLDING. The Company shall have the right, but not
the obligation, to deduct from the shares of Stock issuable upon the exercise of
an Option, or to accept from the Optionee the tender of, a number of whole
shares of Stock having a Fair Market Value, as determined by the Company, equal
to all or any part of the federal, state, local and foreign taxes, if any,
required by law to be withheld by the Participating Company Group with respect
to such Option or the shares acquired upon the exercise thereof. Alternatively
or in addition, in its sole discretion, the Company shall have the right to
require the Optionee, through payroll with-holding, cash payment or otherwise,
including by means of a Cashless Exercise, to make adequate provision for any
such tax withholding obligations of the Participating Company Group arising in
connection with the Option or the shares acquired upon the exercise thereof. The
Company shall have no obligation to deliver shares of Stock or to release shares
of Stock from an escrow established pursuant to the Option Agreement until the
Participating Company Group's tax withholding obligations have been satisfied by
the Optionee.

               6.5 REPURCHASE RIGHTS. Shares issued under the Plan may be
subject to a right of first refusal, one or more repurchase options, or other
conditions and restrictions as determined by the Board in its sole discretion at
the time the Option is granted. The Company shall have the right to assign at
any time any repurchase right it may have, whether or not such right is then
exercisable, to one or more persons as may be selected by the Company. Upon
request by the Company, each Optionee shall execute any agreement evidencing
such transfer restrictions prior to the receipt of shares of Stock hereunder and
shall promptly present to the Company any and all certificates representing
shares of Stock acquired hereunder for the placement on such certificates of
appropriate legends evidencing any such transfer restrictions.



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        7.      STANDARD FORM OF OPTION AGREEMENT.

               7.1 GENERAL. Unless otherwise provided by the Board at the time
the Option is granted, an Option shall comply with and be subject to the terms
and conditions set forth in the form of Immediately Exercisable Nonstatutory
Stock Option Agreement adopted by the Board concurrently with its adoption of
the Plan and as amended from time to time.

               7.2 STANDARD TERM OF OPTIONS. Except as otherwise provided by the
Board in the grant of an Option, any Option granted hereunder shall have a term
of ten (10) years from the effective date of grant of the Option.

               7.3 AUTHORITY TO VARY TERMS. The Board shall have the authority
from time to time to vary the terms of the standard form of Option Agreement
described in this Section 7 either in connection with the grant or amendment of
an individual Option or in connection with the authorization of a new standard
form or forms; provided, however, that the terms and conditions of any such new,
revised or amended standard form or forms of Option Agreement shall be in
accordance with the terms of the Plan. Such authority shall include, but not by
way of limitation, the authority to grant Options which are not immediately
exercisable.

        8.      TRANSFER OF CONTROL.

               8.1 DEFINITIONS.

                      (a) An "OWNERSHIP CHANGE EVENT" shall be deemed to have
occurred if any of the following occurs with respect to the Company:

                             (i) the direct or indirect sale or exchange in a
single or series of related transactions by the stockholders of the Company of
more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting stock of the Company;

                             (ii) a merger or consolidation in which the Company
is a party;

                             (iii) the sale, exchange, or transfer of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company; or

                             (iv) a liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

                      (b) A "TRANSFER OF CONTROL" shall mean an Ownership Change
Event or a series of related Ownership Change Events (collectively, the
"TRANSACTION") wherein the stockholders of the Company immediately before the
Transaction do not retain immediately after the Transaction, in substantially
the same proportions as their ownership of shares of the Company's voting stock
immediately before the Transaction, direct or indirect beneficial ownership of
more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the
outstanding voting stock of the Company or the corporation or corporations to
which the assets of the Company were transferred (the "TRANSFEREE
CORPORATION(s)"), as the case may be. For purposes of the preceding sentence,
indirect beneficial ownership shall include, without limitation, an interest
resulting from ownership of the voting stock of one or more corporations which,
as a result of the Transaction, own the Company or the Transferee
Corporation(s), as the


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case may be, either directly or through one or more subsidiary corporations. The
Board shall have the right to determine whether multiple sales or exchanges of
the voting stock of the Company or multiple Ownership Change Events are related,
and its determination shall be final, binding and conclusive.

               8.2 EFFECT OF TRANSFER OF CONTROL ON OPTIONS. In the event of a
Transfer of Control, the surviving, continuing, successor, or purchasing
corporation or parent corporation thereof, as the case may be (the "ACQUIRING
CORPORATION"), may either assume the Company's rights and obligations under
outstanding Options or substitute for outstanding Options substantially
equivalent options for the Acquiring Corporation's stock. Any Options which are
neither assumed or substituted for by the Acquiring Corporation in connection
with the Transfer of Control nor exercised as of the date of the Transfer of
Control shall terminate and cease to be outstanding effective as of the date of
the Transfer of Control. Notwithstanding the foregoing, shares acquired upon
exercise of an Option prior to the Transfer of Control and any consideration
received pursuant to the Transfer of Control with respect to such shares shall
continue to be subject to all applicable provisions of the Option Agreement
evidencing such Option except as otherwise provided in such Option Agreement.
Furthermore, notwithstanding the foregoing, if the corporation the stock of
which is subject to the outstanding Options immediately prior to an Ownership
Change Event described in Section 8.1(a)(i) constituting a Transfer of Control
is the surviving or continuing corporation and immediately after such Ownership
Change Event less than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of
its voting stock is held by another corporation or by other corporations that
are members of an affiliated group within the meaning of Section 1504(a) of the
Code without regard to the provisions of Section 1504(b) of the Code, the
outstanding Options shall not terminate unless the Board otherwise provides in
its sole discretion.

        9. PROVISION OF INFORMATION. Each Optionee shall be given access to
information concerning the Company equivalent to that information generally made
available to the Company's common stockholders.

        10. NONTRANSFERABILITY OF OPTIONS. During the lifetime of the Optionee,
an Option shall be exercisable only by the Optionee or the Optionee's guardian
or legal representative. No Option shall be assignable or transferable by the
Optionee, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.

        11. INDEMNIFICATION. In addition to such other rights of indemnification
as they may have as members of the Board or officers or employees of the
Participating Company Group, members of the Board and any officers or employees
of the Participating Company Group to whom authority to act for the Board is
delegated shall be indemnified by the Company against all reasonable expenses,
including attorneys' fees, actually and necessarily incurred in connection with
the defense of any action, suit or proceeding, or in connection with any appeal
therein, to which they or any of them may be a party by reason of any action
taken or failure to act under or in connection with the Plan, or any right
granted hereunder, and against all amounts paid by them in settlement thereof
(provided such settlement is approved by independent legal counsel selected by
the Company) or paid by them in satisfaction of a judgment in any such action,
suit or proceeding, except in relation to matters as to which it shall be
adjudged in such action, suit or proceeding that such person is liable for gross
negligence, bad faith or intentional misconduct in


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duties; provided, however, that within sixty (60) days after the institution of
such action, suit or proceeding, such person shall offer to the Company, in
writing, the opportunity at its own expense to handle and defend the same.

        12. TERMINATION OR AMENDMENT OF PLAN. The Board may terminate or amend
the Plan at any time. However, no termination or amendment of the Plan may
adversely affect any then outstanding Option or any unexercised portion thereof,
without the consent of the Optionee, unless such termination or amendment is
necessary to comply with any applicable law or government regulation.

        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned Secretary of the Company certifies
that the foregoing Verity, Inc. 1996 Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan was duly
adopted by the Board on February 6, 1996 and last amended by the Board on June
15, 2000.



                                              /s/
                                             -----------------------------------




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                                  PLAN HISTORY

02/06/96       Board adopts Plan, with an initial reserve of 300,000 shares.

04/24/97       Board increases share reserve to 600,000 shares.

10/31/97       Board increases share reserve to 1,060,000 shares.

03/02/98       Board increases share reserve to 1,860,000 shares

05/25/99       Board increases share reserve to 2,860,00 shares.

10/15/99       Board increases share reserve to 4,210,000 shares.

12/3/99        2:1 stock split increases share reserve to 8,420,000 shares

6/15/2000      Board increases share reserve to 10,420,000 shares.




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