BCE Emergis - Employee Relocation Council Rolls OutE-Commerce System for the U.S. Relocation...

MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 14, 1999--

BCE Emergis today announced that the Employee Relocation Council (ERC) has launched eRelay(TM), the first electronic-commerce network for the U.S. relocation industry. eRelay(TM) links members of the ERC - a professional association of organizations

ERC members number some 1,200 representatives from major U.S. corporations, government and military agencies, which relocate a half-million people a year in the U.S. and around the world. ERC members also number almost 11,000 relocation-related service providers - ranging from real estate appraisers and brokers, area and personal counseling services, consulting services and home inspection companies, to household goods movers, mortgage services and national home purchase firms.

BCE Emergis created and manages the network and technology for ERC, which provides a highly secure Internet-based business-to-business Community of Interest.

ERC President Steve Rogers said: "We have taken a giant step for the relocation industry, both in the enhancement of our processes and in the technology we employ. By partnering with industry leader BCE Emergis, we have positioned ourselves for exceptional e-business performance for years to come."

eRelay(TM) users can electronically request, transmit, and receive service orders, status updates and business reports (including home appraisals, home inspections and market-analysis reports). To simplify tracking, the system generates a single electronic record consolidating all communications with other corporations and service providers, for each relocation. The system's open architecture lets eRelay(TM) users communicate with one another via a Web browser, and seamlessly import data into their systems. More than 1,000 service providers have already registered to use the system, while 40 major U.S. employers and management companies have signed on as charter "hubs." As the ERC's training program rolls out, thousands more are expected to join the network.

"This major project with the ERC is the wave of the future," said Robert Habert, Vice-President and General Manager, Mortgage Services, BCE Emergis. "We see Communities of Interest Networks, like eRelay(TM), as single-entry portals, where we can integrate other value-added solutions from our portfolio, such as secure bill presentment and on-line payment, even marketing programs. Our vision is to give Community of Interest Network users access to a host of leading-edge services from a secure platform, which they normally couldn't afford to set up on their own, while we exponentially expand our customer base and transaction revenue."

Since 1996, BCE Emergis has been actively pursuing its goal to be the leading e-commerce provider to the North American mortgage industry. Through strategic partnerships and alliances with Polaroid Digital Solutions, Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. (Freddie Mac) and other major U.S. mortgage organizations, BCE Emergis has become a key player in the electronic delivery of business-to-business transactions to the U.S. mortgage industry. Online Mortgage Explorer (OME), launched earlier this year with developer and strategic partner e-Net (Canada) Financial Services Ltd., gives U.S. consumers Internet access to a broad range of lenders, products and loan conditions. At the same time, OME lets lenders reach millions of consumers while cutting costs and maximizing the number of mortgage closings.

BCE Emergis is also becoming the dominant e-commerce supplier to the Canadian mortgage industry. The 2-Minute Mortgage(TM), launched with e-Net, lets Canadian mortgage lenders complete the paperwork for uncomplicated mortgages on-line in a matter of minutes. Through its partnership with Stewart Title and Guaranty Company, one of the largest U.S. title insurers, BCE Emergis is also introducing title insurance to the Canadian market. Using BCE Emergis' full suite of back-office e-commerce services, the National Bank of Canada has automated all business process for title searches and the registration of loan securities and guarantees required for certain types of commercial and personal loans in the province of Quebec. This Internet-based solution prints loan-guarantee contracts and other forms, and sends documents to appraisers, lawyers and notaries.

The Employee Relocation Council, based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit professional membership organization committed to the effective relocation of employees worldwide. More information about the ERC and eRelay( is available at www.erc.org or by calling (202) 857-0857.

BCE Emergis delivers network-centric e-commerce services that improve customer processes through the exchange of secure transactions. Combining e-commerce services, network connectivity, security and e-payments solutions through industry verticals, BCE Emergis offers a full suite of core technologies that are the essential building blocks for electronic commerce. BCE Emergis is among the top electronic-commerce providers in North America and is listed on the TSE 300 Composite Index. For more information, please refer to www.emergis.com.

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of BCE Emergis with respect to its performance, business and future events. Such statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results and events may vary significantly.