ADVISORY/In New York, IBM, Microsoft, Arthur Andersen and Avaya Join buy.com Founder and Internet Pioneer, Scott Blum, in the Launch of a Major New Venture Today.

News/Assignment Editors

ADVISORY ... for Tuesday (Sept. 19)

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 2000

WHEN (see interview and press conference participation details below)
      Tuesday, September 19, 2000
      11:00 am - 11:45 am ET

      The following strategic partners will be in attendance and
available for a Q&A immediately following the press conference and for
one-on-one interviews:

      Skip Wyatt, Vice President, Worldwide Server Sales, IBM Server
        Group
      Peter Boit, Vice President, E-Commerce Solutions, Microsoft
      John Cooper, Senior Director, Corporate Development, Microsoft
      Paul Keglevic, Pacific Region Managing Partner, Arthur Andersen

      Steve Ballmer, President and CEO of Microsoft; Bill Zeitler,
Senior Vice President and Group Executive, IBM Server Group; and Steve
Samek, Head of US Operations for Arthur Andersen will open the press
conference via video with remarks about this new venture.

New York Location:
W Hotel - Forest II Room
541 Lexington Avenue (between 49th and 50th Streets)

Outside of New York (Via AT&T Conferencing):
     Domestic Call-In Number: 1-888-273-9890
     International Call-In Number: 1-651-224-7497
     Call in time window: September 19 -- 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EDT.
     You will be able to ask questions.
     Upon calling in, please reference "ThinkTank Announcement."

Digital Replay:  September 19 at 4:15 EDT
     Domestic:  800-475-6701
     International:  320-365-3844
     Access # 537813

Photo / B-Roll Available:
     Photo:  To follow via BusinessWire today after 1:00 p.m. EST
     Satellite B-Roll Feed:  Three times from 11:30 a.m. to
     12:00 p.m. EDT/8:30 - 9:00 a.m. PDT
     Coordinates:  Telstar 5, Transponder 16
     B-Roll Tape Also Available