News November 8, 09:51 Eastern Time
VerticalNet Taps United Messaging to Provide Email Capabilities to Communities; e-Mailboxes to be Customized Across Vertical Communities
HORSHAM and MALVERN, PA, Nov 8, 1999 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Today
VerticalNet, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERT), the Internet leader and first mover
in business-to-business vertical communities of commerce, announced an
agreement with United Messaging, Inc. (UMI), providing free e-mail to
nearly a quarter-million members of VerticalNet's 53 communities,
including Water Online (www.wateronline.com), AutoCentral.com
(www.autocentral.com), and Chemical Online (www.chemicalonline.com).
Under the terms of the agreement, United Messaging will provide and
co-manage 250,000 customized e-mail addresses to VerticalNet(R), made
available free of charge to members of VerticalNet's various
communities. These mailboxes will be "branded" to specific VerticalNet
business community addresses. For example, users of VerticalNet's
ChemicalOnline communities would have e-mail branded as
USERNAME@chemicalonline.com.
"Arranging for United Messaging to manage e-mail for our B2B community
members enables us to continue focusing on what we do best - providing
the means for doing business in the new economy," said Mark Walsh,
president and chief executive officer of VerticalNet. "United
Messaging's fast, reliable information/mail delivery on demand is key
to a satisfying e-mail experience."
"E-mail is an integral part of any e-commerce community," said Steve
Layne, president and chief executive officer of United Messaging, Inc.
"Orders, confirmation, affinity programs, even payments for goods and
services are, increasingly, being handled via e-mail. Since the mode of
communication is so integral to successful e-commerce, then the means
to provide that communication should be as leading edge as the form of
e-commerce itself."
United Messaging is recognized as a leader in delivering high
performance electronic messaging services for organizations with
mission-critical e-mail networks. Today's announcement underscores the
importance of quality business electronic messaging systems in support
of all marketing activities.
Beyond provisioning the mailbox addresses, United Messaging will
provide VerticalNet 24/365 monitoring of electronic messaging traffic;
multi-level technical support, and a fault-tolerant network backed up
by leading names in messaging and message storage.
The service goes into effect this month.
About VerticalNet, Inc.
VerticalNet, Inc. (www.verticalnet.com), owns and operates 53
industry-specific Web sites designed as online business-to-business
communities, known as vertical trade communities. These vertical trade
communities provide users with comprehensive sources of information,
interaction and e-commerce.
They are grouped into 10 sectors: ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES: Aerospace
Online, Auto Central.com, ComputerOEM Online, Embedded Technology.com,
Medical Design Online, Plant Automation.com, Test and Measurement.com;
COMMUNICATIONS: Digital Broadcasting.com, EC Online, Fiber Optics
Online, Photonics Online, Premises Networks.com, RF Globalnet, Wireless
Design Online, Wireless Networks Online; ENVIRONMENTAL: ElectricNet,
Pollution Online, Power Online, PublicWorks Online, Pulp and Paper
Online, Safety Online, Solid Waste Online, Water Online; FOOD AND
PACKAGING: Bakery Online, Beverage Online, Dairy Network.com, Food
Ingredients Online, Food Online, Meat and Poultry Online, Packaging
Network.com; FOODSERVICE/ HOSPITALITY: E-hospitality.com, Foodservice
Central.com; HEALTHCARE: E-Dental.com, Home Health Provider.com,
Hospital Network.com, Long Term Care Provider.com, Nurses.com;
MANUFACTURING AND METALS: Machine Tools Online, Metrology World.com,
Surface Finishing.com, Tooling Online; PROCESS: Adhesives and
Sealants.com, Chemical Online, Hydrocarbon Online, Paint and
Coatings.com, Pharmaceutical Online, Semiconductor Online, Oil and Gas
Online; SCIENCE: Bioresearch Online, Drug Discovery Online, Laboratory
Network.com; SERVICE: HR Hub.com, Property
About United Messaging, Inc.
Headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, United Messaging is a leader
in delivering high performance messaging network, consulting, and
MailgrationSM services. United Messaging is a part of the Internet
Capital Group's (Nasdaq: ICGE) portfolio of hot Internet companies.
The United Messaging team has proven experience in designing, building,
and operating complex messaging networks for large public and private
companies and government agencies worldwide. This expertise, combined
with leading technologies and selected strategic partnerships, enables
United Messaging to deliver the most comprehensive set of solutions for
high performance electronic messaging networks. United Messaging
services are designed to increase customer satisfaction by improving
performance - reliability - scalability - security - in addition to
reducing operational expense. Additional information may be found at
www.unitedmessaging.com or call (888) 993-5088.
This announcement contains forward looking statements that involve
risks and uncertainties, including information contained in this
document referring to future products or where statements are preceded
by, followed by or include the words "believes," "plans," "intends,"
"expects," "anticipates" or similar expressions. For such statements,
the Company 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 those set forth in the Company's
Annual Report on form 10-K for the period ending December 31, 1998 and
the company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
September 30, 1999, both of which have been filed with the SEC.
VerticalNet is the registered trademark of VerticalNet, Inc. All other
names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective
owners. United Messaging and the United Messaging logo are registered
trademarks of United Messaging, Inc. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
|
