Ahead Software responds to the success of the Nero brand as a symbol of industry excellence and digital media technology leadership; making the brand and product name the new corporate name. Ahead Software AG, leaders in digital media technology, headquartered in Karlsbad, Germany and its subsidiaries Ahead Software Inc. in Glendale, California and Ahead Software K.K. in Yokohama, Japan has announced that it will adopt the name of its world-renowned brand as its new corporate name, and will be known as Nero effective January 1, 2005.

?We have decided to change our name to Nero because it's the name that our users and partners trust," says CEO Richard Lesser. "We want to reinforce Nero's tremendous achievements and brand name value to create an even stronger view of our products and goals."

"With the enormous popularity and success of the Nero product in the Americas, it?s a logical evolution to adopt the highly recognized product name as our new corporate name" says Udo Eberlein, President of Ahead Inc.

"For the Asian markets, Nero is the symbol of industry excellence and leadership in digital media technology" says Charly Lippoth, President of Ahead KK. "The name change will strengthen this position even further."

Nero?s award-winning and innovative products have received critical acclaim throughout the World. Nero's digital media software occupies a unique leadership role in the industry, having entered into key strategic partnerships over the years with world-leading CD and DVD drive manufacturers, and PC OEMs, who all demand the best in digital media. With Nero Digital, the consumers are offered technical solutions to accelerate the coalescence between the IT and the CE market.

Under the new corporate name, Nero will continue to provide the industry and its loyal users with innovative state-of-the-art products and technologies.