ADC Kentrox Launches E-Commerce Site; Partners and Customers Benefit from Increased Access to Information, Resources.

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 27, 1998--The virtual "open" sign is out at the new electronic commerce store from ADC Kentrox, the Network Access Company(TM).

The company has launched its interactive electronic commerce website to better meet the needs of both enterprise customers and channel partners.

And, business looks good. The site was launched on Friday, Oct. 16; the first orders placed through the site were received on Monday, Oct. 19.

The ADC Kentrox store can be visited at http://store.kentrox.com. Kentrox partners access their Kentrox web site through a secure address. The electronic store is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and supports both domestic and international sales.

"ADC Kentrox has made the commitment to keep pace, if not lead, the move toward e-commerce. This is where we need to be, and where we will be," said Greg Iverson, Vice President of Marketing. "Our interactive e-commerce site offers both enterprise users and our channel partners the information and access they need to be successful."

Enterprise users can browse through the store, learn about ADC Kentrox products and contact a Kentrox distributor for a purchase. Channel partners, in turn, obtain complete sales opportunities, as well as product updates, training information and technical support from ADC Kentrox. "ADC Kentrox has always believed in providing customers and partners with as much information as they need to make doing business as easy as possible," adds Iverson.

"I'm proud to see ADC Kentrox be one of the first datacom suppliers to step forward with this e-commerce site," said Rob Sterrenberg, Senior Data Product Manager, GTE. "Customers can look up everything they want or need to know about a product. Then they have the ability to access the partner of their choice for the actual purchase. ADC Kentrox has done a particularly good job tying in with partners, giving all partners an equal opportunity to include their own marketing messages."

Easy Access for Customers and Partners

By linking enterprise users with channel partners, ADC Kentrox makes the marketing process extremely efficient and productive. Customers can review product specifications and list prices; questions can be answered through ADC Kentrox's technical support department; orders and requests for bids can be placed through selected channel distributors. Or, if the visitor is a Kentrox partner, they get a custom catalog and can order direct.

"This site takes a huge step forward from a simple on-line catalogue; instead, it provides true interactive commerce capabilities," said Cathy Mershon, ADC Kentrox E-Commerce project manager. "It is designed to give our customers and partners the forum to establish a dialogue and sales relationship about our products."

ADC Kentrox's channel partners gain access to proprietary information, including training and new releases, promotions and special offers through secure EasyAccess websites. "These sites give us a chance to work in a whole new way with our partners," said Iverson. "We believe that electronic marketing and electronic commerce are important to our future. This launch is part of a strategy that we will build on, to ensure that ADC Kentrox and our channel partners are major competitors in the electronic marketplace."

For more information about ADC Kentrox, visit their website at www.kentrox.com, to browse through the ADC Kentrox store, visit http://store.kentrox.com or call 800/733-5511.