Tradeum Selected by TownsendTarnell.com To PowerDigital Marketplace For Plastics Industry;...

Business/Technology Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2000

Tradeum, a leading innovator in building digital marketplaces, today announced that TownsendTarnell.com Inc. (TTI), one of the world's leading information sources for the global plastics and chemicals

"As experts in the global plastics industry, TTI has a very clear vision of how it can leverage a B2B marketplace to address market needs," said Chris Friedemann, president of energy and natural resource markets at Tradeum. "They have one of the broadest and deepest content libraries we have seen in any industry, and combining it with Tradeum's transaction capabilities will give TTI one of the most compelling and robust B2B commerce sites on the Internet."

With its recently announced TownsendTarnell.com initiative, TTI aspires to create the world's most comprehensive online source for plastics information and commerce. The goal of TownsendTarnell.com is to provide online, real-time access to TownsendTarnell's global information base, to provide polymer manufacturers and other market sector specialists seller-favorable digital marketplaces and to enhance the sales experience for these sellers through integrated, industry-specific customer relationship management solutions.

"Plastic resins are not transacted like simple commodities," said Phil Townsend, president of TownsendTarnell.com Inc. "Each transaction is defined by a wide range of variables including volume, grade, points of shipment and delivery, third-party distribution, and commercial terms. We found the Tradeum solution to be the most powerful and flexible in allowing us to deliver the type of marketplace we wanted in the shortest time possible."

Tradeum's commerce platform, which supports exchanges, auctions or catalogs, will provide TTI with the flexible, scaleable solution it needs to achieve its goal. Tradeum's technology will allow multiple buyers, sellers and transaction enablers within the plastic resins market to be matched real-time on a simultaneous parameter-by-parameter basis. Tradeum was selected to power TTI's digital marketplace only after TTI thoroughly reviewed the technology and commercial capabilities of several enabling software providers.

About Tradeum

Building Digital Markets. Delivering the Networked Economy.

Tradeum, a wholly-owned subsidiary of VerticalNet, Inc. is a leading innovator in building digital marketplaces. Tradeum provides flexible and scalable B2B commerce platforms supporting on-line catalogs, auctions, and exchanges. Tradeum's Transaction Discovery(TM) model enables customers to more quickly and easily discover and complete their optimal transactions. For Global 2000 companies and net market makers, Tradeum's XML-based solution, industry templates and hosting capabilities enable faster and more reliable time to market with higher transaction volumes. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Tradeum can be reached at www.tradeum.com or 415/995-2080.

About TownsendTarnell.com Inc.

TownsendTarnell.com Inc. is the largest global provider of market, credit and business intelligence information to the plastics and chemicals industries. TTI was created in 1999 through the merger of Phillip Townsend Associates, Inc. (founded in 1972) and the Tarnell Company (founded in 1947), and has been supplying (1) resin buyer profiles, (2) credit reports on plastics buyers and (3) plastics market pricing services to the industry for 53 years. With offices strategically located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Africa, TTI provides high value products and services to support our clients' business success worldwide. Headquartered in Houston, TX, TownsendTarnell.com Inc. can be reached at www.townsendtarnell.com or 281/873-8733.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements relating to the expected benefits and performance capabilities of Tradeum's commerce platform as well as statements that are preceded by, followed by or include the words "believes," "will," "plans," "intends," "expects," "anticipates," or similar expressions. For such statements, VerticalNet claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements include issues relating to the integration and performance of the technology , as well as, those factors set forth in VerticalNet's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 1999, which has been filed with the SEC. VerticalNet undertakes no responsibility to publicly update or revise any of the forward-looking statements that may be in this release.