Essential.com Appoints On-Line Content Innovator toBoard of Directors; Michael Kolowich to Serve...

Business/Technology Editors

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 2000

Essential.com(TM) (http://www.essential.com ), the Web's first Energy and Communications Superstore, appointed Michael Kolowich to the company's Board of Directors. Mr. Kolowich brings his extensive

Essential.com's President and CEO, Akhil Garland commented, &uot;Michael has founded many high-profile Internet businesses, and his experience will be an invaluable asset to Essential.com.&uot;

Michael Kolowich noted, &uot;The excitement and consumer experience Essential.com has created resonating throughout the business community has made me want to participate on the Board. I have been involved with the Internet since its inception in the 1970's, and the Essential.com business model is a brilliant concept that is being executed with equal brilliance.&uot;

Mr. Kolowich has played a major role in the success of some the industry's leading/dominant companies. As Founder of Ziff-Davis Interactive, now known as ZDNet (NYSE: ZDZ), he built one of the Internet's most active and lucrative sites. He was Chairman, President and CEO of Individual, Inc., the personalized Internet news pioneer, and is currently Vice Chairman of NewsEdge Corporation (NASDAQ: NEWZ) and a director of SmarterKids.com (NASDAQ: SKDS). Mr. Kolowich also founded and was President of AT& (NYSE: T) New Media Services and served as Corporate Vice President of Marketing and Business Development of Lotus Development Corporation.

Essential.com, Inc. is the Web's first Energy and Communications Superstore. The company offers one-stop shopping for all the Essential Services needed to run a home or business. Essential.com's on-line Superstore offers a wide selection of branded Essential Services including Electricity, Internet Access, Local, Long Distance, and Wireless. Essential.com is a privately held, venture-backed e-commerce company based in Burlington, Massachusetts and is on the Internet at http://www.essential.com.