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Gold/Mining/Energy : BCE Emergis - global e-commerce -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: sPD who wrote (174)	8/31/1998 10:36:00 PM
From: sPD	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1341

Bell Emergis deal closed today. MPACT IMMEDIA SHAREHOLDERS OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVE DEAL TO ACQUIRE ELECTRONIC BUSINESS SOLUTIONS UNIT OF BELL EMERGIS 8/31/98 Bell Canada assumes 65% of merged company MPACT Immedia, a leading global provider of electronic commerce solutions, announced today that its merger with the Electronic Business Solutions (EBS) unit of Bell Emergis has been completed. MPACT Immedia shareholders approved the transaction this morning with an overwhelming majority. Bell Canada now assumes a 65% controlling interest in MPACT Immedia in exchange for Bell Emergis' EBS unit and a cash investment of $54 million. "This is a quantum leap for MPACT Immedia," stated President and CEO Brian Edwards. "With the support of Bell Canada, we are well equipped to pursue growth opportunities which will allow us to become one of the top electronic commerce companies in North America and the world. This new entity possesses huge market reach, broad product capability and strong financial resources." The Company offers network-centric electronic business solutions that improve and, in fact, become an integral part of customer processes, thereby enabling those organizations to better compete in the global marketplace. The building blocks for these processes include network expertise, security capabilities and e-commerce technologies. MPACT Immedia will continue its strategy of reaching the marketplace through strategic alliances and will offer, with application providers, total solutions in such key vertical channels as banking, mortgage services, healthcare, automotive, government and Internet-based merchant enabling. "Industry experts believe that the volume of business done electronically will double every year for the next few years, which places MPACT Immedia in the right place at the right time," said Jim Tobin, Executive Vice-President of Bell Canada and President of Bell Emergis, who will be the Chairman of MPACT Immedia. "This new Company unlocks the value-creation potential in Bell Emergis' EBS unit, while combining Bell Canada's resources with MPACT Immedia's recognized marketing skills and delivery performance." Bell Canada, the largest Canadian telecommunications operating company, markets a full range of state-of-the-art products and services to more than seven million business and residential customers in Ontario and Quebec. Bell is a member of Stentor - the alliance of Canada's major telecommunications companies. Bell Canada's Web site is located at: bell.ca. Bell Emergis is a division of Bell Canada. Its mission is to create leading-edge communications and network applications, next-generation multimedia and internetworking platforms as well as information applications and solutions. Bell Emergis' Web site is located at emergis.com. MPACT Immedia Corporation, a worldwide leader in Electronic Commerce, offers EDI Commerce, payment solutions and Internet Commerce products and services. Its advanced electronic commerce solutions enable organizations to better compete in the global marketplace. MPACT Immedia's Web site is located at mpactimmedia.com. For further information on this press release, please contact: MPACT Immedia Barry V. Engel Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs (514) 397-9747 (ext. 202) John Davidson Director of Communications (514) 397-9747 (210) BCE Inc. and Bell Canada Jean-Charles Robillard Associate Director, Communications Tel. (514) 786-3908 Email: jeancharles.robillard@bell.ca