[Kurtis]

We're very excited to announce that the LightWave v9 Open Beta program will be coming to a close shortly. The end of Open Beta is the signal that we're very close to shipping LightWave v9!

We have just delivered the twelfth and final build in the "Open Beta" series designation to our Open Beta Group, and the next build they receive will be in the Release Candidate series. LightWave v9 is feature complete and optimizations and final fixes are in progress.

In conjunction with this milestone, we are also pleased to announce that concurrent with OB 12 and for the RC builds, our Open Beta Participants are now free to publicly discuss LightWave v9 (please note the Open Beta sections will still be private, as we still need to work with the Open Beta group for testing there, and will be reserving the sections for future use, as Open Beta programs will now be standard practice). We feel that the new features of LightWave v9 make this one of the biggest advancements in LightWave ever, and that with the commencement of the RC series, now is the time to share the excitement with the community at large.

If you've been holding off on your purchasing decision until you're able to get feedback from someone who has first-hand experience with the software, now is your chance. While we're on the subject, we'd also like to remind you that the special bundle offers for LightWave will only be available for five more days.

The last day to take advantage of these special offers is Wednesday May 31, 2006. From now until the end of May 31, you can get e-on software's Vue 5 Infinite (a $599 retail value) bundled with commercial LightWave purchases at no additional charge, as well as a FREE W-Tools' LWCAD v1.5 download (a $199 retail value) and a free upgrade to LightWave v9 (with PDF documentation) when it is released.

A commercial full license of LightWave 3D [8] (with PDF documentation) bundled with Vue 5 Infinite, a FREE LWCAD v1.5 download and a FREE upgrade to LightWave v9 when it is released is now available for $795US ($895US with printed documentation). Starting June 01, 2006, the price will remain the same, but you will no longer receive Vue 5 Infinite or LWCAD.

A commercial upgrade license of LightWave 3D [8] (with PDF documentation) bundled with Vue 5 Infinite, a FREE LWCAD v1.5 download and a FREE upgrade to LightWave v9 is now available for $395US ($495US with printed documentation). Starting June 01, 2006, the price will remain the same, but you will no longer receive Vue 5 Infinite or LWCAD.

For more information or to purchase, visit http://shop.newtek.com or call NewTek Sales at 1-800-368-5441 or 1-210-370-8000. To locate a NewTek Authorized Reseller near you, visit http://www.newtek.com/dealers.