Apogee Names John L. Laun Executive Vice President; Eric P. Watson Director Product Development.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 2002

The energy industry's leading provider of Internet-based load management services and e-learning courseware, Apogee Interactive, announced today that John L. Laun has joined the company as executive vice president and chief development officer.

"Apogee's business model centers on delivering Internet applications and content to serve utility and energy company needs," said Joel Gilbert, chief executive officer of Apogee Interactive Inc. "John's years of experience in regulated and unregulated energy companies coupled with his accomplishments in IT provide an added dimension to our executive team. His expertise will be a guiding force in the development of new solutions for our client companies and also in the development of critical strategic alliances to broaden our market reach." Gilbert also noted that Laun's California location is key to Apogee's client services as the West coast is an active region for the company's Demand Exchange(R) load aggregation platform.

Laun joins Apogee after serving as senior vice president of network operations and business services development for Cayenta Inc., the commercial information technology services division of Titan Corp. In this position, he led the development and launch of a new business model, a network operations center, and growth of the company's applications hosting and business process services divisions. Prior to Cayenta, Laun was vice president for utility services at SAIC, a $5.5 billion IT provider. There he was responsible for the strategic acquisition of Southern Company's EnerLink business and other utility and energy company business development.

For 13 years prior to his move into information technology, Laun worked directly in the utility and energy services industry, most recently holding senior management positions within Sempra Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric Company. His roles at SDG&E included vice president of marketing and customer service, division manager, and director. He also served as senior vice president at Sempra Energy Solutions. Laun headed the start-up of a demand-side energy services company in Chicago and served as director of implementation services for Xenergy, now wholly owned by KEMA consulting. Laun started his career in the electric industry working for Westinghouse Electric Corp. for 16 years.

In other personnel news, Apogee also has named Eric P. Watson to the post of product development director. Watson joins Apogee from ABB Energy Interactive where he managed the company's Internet-based interval meter presentment and analysis applications. Graduating with a master's degree in economics from the University of Maine in 1995, Watson first worked in the utility industry for Unitil and then moved to Sempra Energy Solutions in 1997. There, in his role as an energy analysis supervisor, he provided the primary support for the company's Encharge(TM) bill payment and bill auditing application. He also was instrumental in the development of new Web-based products such as PowerRates Clearinghouse, an online tariff and rate analysis application. Watson is located at Apogee's headquarters in Atlanta.

Apogee Interactive (www.apogee.net) is a full-service provider of Internet solutions, demand response platforms and online training specific to the energy industry. The company pioneered one of the first Web-based, voluntary load management trading programs in the US and now operates the largest demand response aggregation platform in the country (The Demand Exchange[R]). In addition, its e-learning division (www.study-center.com) offers one of the largest portals to competency based, energy-related training for utility employees and customers. Other company services include website content and design and strategic demand response and marketing consulting.