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SPSS Inc. Ranked 22nd Most Profitable Nasdaq Company

Equities Magazine Singles Out Data Mining Vendor for Long-term Return on Investment

CHICAGO, 10/13/99 —

Demonstrating leadership on yet another well-respected list, leading data mining vendor SPSS Inc. (Nasdaq: SPSS) has been selected for Equities magazine's list of most profitable Nasdaq companies. With a five-year average return on equity (ROE) of 36 percent and zero debt, SPSS was listed higher than others in the high-tech industry, including Oracle (25th), Microsoft (40th) and PeopleSoft (106th). In addition, SPSS is the only business intelligence vendor ranked on Equities' list.

"This ranking is significant for SPSS," said SPSS Inc. President and CEO Jack Noonan. "It proves what we've known all along: that a company like SPSS can be profitable in the analytic software market. In an era where investors seem to overlook the value of long-term return on equity, It's particularly refreshing to be recognized for continually delivering value to our shareholders."

Equities magazine has presented this listing for the past 13 years with assistance from William O'Neil and Co., the publishers of Investors Business Daily. O'Neil and Co. initially screens the most profitable U.S. companies on the Nasdaq Stock Market, the New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange and then presents this data to the editors at Equities. In addition to average five-year ROE, the magazine's listing was determined, in part, by the following criteria: ROE for the latest fiscal year, debt-to-equity ratio and 12-month earnings.

Equities listed SPSS' financial statistics as follows: 36 percent five-year average ROE; 34 percent return on capital and 39 percent ROE for the latest fiscal year; zero percent debt-to-equity; $125.4 million in revenues; $15 million in net income; $1.57 earnings per share (EPS); and 28 percent EPS growth for the 12-month period ending March 31, 1999.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended: Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements. Such statements can be identified by phrases such as "plan to release," "will provide," "will enable" and "expects to release." Such statements also involve known and unknown risks, including market conditions and competition, which may cause the company's actual results, performance, achievements or industry results to be materially different than any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in or by such forward-looking statements. By way of example and not limitation, known risks and uncertainties include changes in: market conditions, especially in Asia; changes and/or product demand and acceptance; the competitive environment; product release schedules; and currency fluctuations. In light of these and other risks and uncertainties, the inclusion of a forward-looking statement in this release should not be regarded as a representation by the company that any future results, performance or achievements will be attained. The company assumes no obligation to update the information contained in this press release. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those in the forward-looking statements is contained in SPSS' periodic reports (copies of which are available from SPSS upon request).

Company Information

SPSS Inc., a multinational software and services company, is a leader in business intelligence, especially data mining and customer relationship management. The company also leads in three vertical markets: survey/market research, quality improvement and scientific research. With products running on all major computer platforms and translated in several languages, SPSS helps organizations leverage information to increase revenues and improve processes.

Founded in 1968, SPSS has been a leader in data analysis for more than three decades. SPSS has won the following awards: named No. 28 in DM Review's Data Warehouse Top 100; placed No. 23 on the 1999 Softletter 100, a ranking of the top 100 personal computer software companies in the United States; and No. 87 in the 1998 Software 500, a ranking of the world's largest software vendors by Software magazine. Headquartered in Chicago, SPSS has offices and distributors around the world.