Ajunto Attracts Top Technology Leaders to Senior Management Team; Key Executives from Baan, Mediq PRN, SAP America and US Interactive to Lead First Market Maker for the IT Industry.

Business/Technology Editors

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 26, 2000

Ajunto(TM), the first Net solutions market maker dedicated to the information technology industry, announced today several additions to its senior management team. These executives will serve as vice presidents of operations, worldwide sales, finance and research, while bringing Ajunto more than 50 years of combined management experience in the IT industry. In addition, the team boasts other management members from Ernst and Young, Andersen Consulting, Unisys, SEI and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.

Led by Mike Carter, Ajunto's founder and chief executive officer, the executive management team is positioned to leverage their proven leadership abilities to help digitally reconstruct the IT value chain through the Ajunto BusinessWeb (TM) suite of services. This subscription-based offering encompasses marketplace, community and decision acceleration, and seeks to connect the Global 2000 and emerging companies with leading application, technology and service providers.

"Today's marketplace for IT services, software applications, technology and talent is exploding -- increasing the need for a unique service like the Ajunto BusinessWeb that simplifies and supports the IT decision-making and procurement processes," said Carter.

Carter added, "We are extremely proud of our talented senior management team as well as the entire team we have attracted. The combined experience of this solid team represents a cross section of software, services and Internet infrastructure companies, and will provide a solid foundation for the company to realize its vision of becoming the engine behind the IT industry."

The Ajunto Senior Management Team Includes:

Founder and CEO, Mike Carter

Prior to founding Ajunto, Carter was senior vice president and chief marketing officer of US Interactive, (NASDAQ: USIT) a leading Internet professional services firm, where he was responsible for the strategic direction of the firm's corporate positioning and service packaging. In addition, he directed the development and management of all strategic alliances, marketing communications, external market research and demand generation activities. Carter is credited with establishing the "e-Roadmap" Internet delivery platform, the industry's first deliverables-based service offering. Prior to working for US Interactive, Carter was worldwide marketing manager for the Network Services Business Unit at Cambridge Technology Partners. He serves on the advisory boards of Investors Broadcast Network, Embark.com and the former SoftPlus, Inc.

Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Kenneth Detato

Detato has spent more than 20 years in sales management and business development of technology companies in both domestic and international markets. He spent more than nine years at SAP America (NYSE:SAP), where he is credited with launching SAP's R3 System in North America, and opening and expanding new SAP subsidiaries in Australia and South America. In addition, Detato directed SAP's Worldwide VAR Program, and was instrumental in building SAP's Alliance Partner Initiative. Most recently, he was Vice President of Worldwide Sales for MERANT (NNM:MRNT), a leading e-business software company, where he was responsible for sales and marketing for the DataDirect Business Unit.

Vice President of Finance, Rene Welvaert

Welvaert is a seasoned financial executive with more than 10 years of experience in the IT industry. Having spent more than seven years working for SAP, he served in a variety of financial positions in their International, North America and Latin America divisions. As the Director of Finance of SAP Latin America, he directed the initial formation of the financial operation and had bottom-line responsibility for all financial related issues. Additionally, Welvaert served as Controller of SAP International, where he was responsible for the budgeting and financial reporting systems for all western European subsidiaries.

Additionally, Welvaert was Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance for BAAN Americas where he was instrumental in overseeing the implementation of BAAN's first online Management Information System and developing national financial standards and procedures. Most recently, he served as Worldwide Vice President of Finance for MERANT, a leading e-business software company, where he significantly contributed to the creation of the corporate financial and accounting systems and completely rebuilt the worldwide finance organization.

Vice President of Operations, Gary Bachrach

Bachrach joins Ajunto with more than 16 years of progressive general management experience in a high-demand service industry, with strong experience in sales, marketing, operations and acquisitions. Most recently at Mediq PRN, the nation's largest movable medical equipment rental company, Bachrach was responsible for 54 branch offices, two major repair facilities, $100 million in revenue and more than 500 employees. He worked closely with the IT department to develop and implement systems using the Internet to link the branches for billing, inventory management and other key information. In addition, he was responsible for opening 14 offices in the last three years and was instrumental in the consolidation and implementation of six acquisitions.

About Ajunto

Headquartered in suburban Philadelphia, Ajunto is the first Net solutions market maker dedicated to the technology industry. By integrating community, marketplace and expert decision support, Ajunto matches IT decision makers at G2000 and emerging companies with leading solution providers to automate and accelerate the sourcing of software applications, services and technology through its proprietary eConfiguration Engine(TM). Ajunto's Business Web(TM) offering includes the AjuntoMarketplace(TM), the BuyerWeb(TM) and ProviderWeb(TM) communities, and SourceiT(TM) research and support services. Ajunto's investors include Pennsylvania Early Stage Partners (a Safeguard Scientifics-affiliated fund), The Eastern Technology Fund and Unwired Ventures. For more information, employment opportunities and membership information, visit www.ajunto.com. Ajunto - The Engine Behind the IT Industry(TM).