AppNet Develops ProcureZone.com -- B2B eMarketplace for Construction Industry; XML-based eMarketplace to Revolutionize Procurement in $600 Billion Industry.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

BETHESDA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 26, 2000

AppNet, Inc. (Nasdaq: APNT), a premier provider of end-to-end e-business solutions, today announced the launch of ProcureZone.com, an Internet-based business-to-business (B2B) eMarketplace focused on the purchase and sale of engineered equipment, construction commodities, operation and maintenance supplies, and professional services.

As the latest in a string of B2B eMarketplaces AppNet is currently building, ProcureZone.com's fundamental business goal is to replace the manual procurement process for engineered products and commodities with an automated, convenient, and accurate Web-based system to expedite and standardize the Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

ProcureZone.com's core capability targets the most costly form of procurement, highly complex engineered products, where the process typically involves a large number of engineers, and a rigorous and time-consuming negotiation and approval process. ProcureZone.com has been designed to streamline and standardize the procurement process, dramatically reducing costs.

During beta testing of ProcureZone.com, Sargent & Lundy, a Chicago, Illinois-based firm, has used the site for procuring equipment for the construction of a Texas power plant. The site is expected to handle millions of dollars in volume on an annual basis when it is fully commercial.

"The construction industry will be revolutionized by ProcureZone.com," said Chuck Miller, chairman and CEO of ProcureZone.com. "In cost savings alone, we expect customers to save at least 10% of the cost of engineered equipment and commodities."

A unique feature of ProcureZone.com is a library of standard procurement specifications suitable for the procurement of heavy industrial products such as heat exchangers, cooling condensers, pumps, valves and blowers, and engineered construction commodities such as fabricated pipe, structural steel, concrete, fasteners, and the like.

ProcureZone.com's procurement library will contain more than 250 procurement specifications covering the industrial, commercial, infrastructure, and residential sectors of the design engineering and heavy construction industry. These specifications were created in collaboration with Sargent & Lundy, a global leader in professional services for the electrical power industry.

Other features of ProcureZone.com include:

-- A bid preparation tool to assist suppliers in cost estimation

and proposal preparation;

-- Lists of registered suppliers with known quality and

performance;

-- Side-by-side comparison of proposal data and pricing

information from multiple suppliers to aid buyers in the

selection process;

-- Bid evaluation module that allows the buyer to record seller

pricing adjustments and adjustment rationale;

-- Reverse auction capability that allows the buyer to obtain the

best value for the price, through competition;

-- Contract award, implementation, monitoring, changes, and

expedition features;

-- Payment invoice preparation and management; and

-- Authorized payment capability through a third-party financial

institution.

"In working with ProcureZone.com, AppNet continues to build on its momentum as a leader in developing and implementing complex, high value-added B2B eMarketplaces," said John McBeth, group president of AppNet. "We have created an eMarketplace that uses the latest technologies to create a flexible, repeatable process for procurement by combining libraries of engineering specifications with a system capable of handling those specifications. And, we packaged it in a flexible user interface designed for buyers and sellers to easily understand."

AppNet developed the architecture, applications and the front-end for ProcureZone.com, and is handling the systems integration with buyers' and suppliers' systems. The core functionality of this eMarketplace is the development of procurement specifications on behalf of a buyer and the exchange of these specifications with qualified suppliers.

The suppliers in return provide proposals containing technical pricing and delivery information.

AppNet built the underlying architecture of ProcureZone.com on a commercial XML repository and document publishing engine capable of handling a variety of document types. The architecture is built on industry standard Enterprise Java components.

About ProcureZone.com

ProcureZone.com is a leading provider of e-procurement solutions for the design engineering and construction industry. The Boston-area company synchronizes the business processes of engineering and construction buyers and suppliers - thus reducing costs and increasing efficiency for both.

Principals of the company include Chairman and CEO Charles Q. Miller, a former executive vice president of Raytheon Company, and Founder Junaid Yasin, a former vice president of Intercontinental Energy Corporation. Together they have more than 50 years of experience in engineering, construction, and operations and maintenance industries.

For more information or to register, visit www.procurezone.com.

About AppNet

AppNet (Nasdaq: APNT) is a premier provider to end-to-end e-business solutions, from interactive marketing to back-office integration. For companies transforming themselves for the new Internet economy, the firm offers a unique mix of Internet strategy, marketing, and technology services.

AppNet is the fourth largest interactive marketing agency according to Ad Age and one of the 50 largest pure Internet companies, according to Internet World. AppNet works with Fortune 1000 and dot.com companies. Customers include Sprint, UCCnet, Baxter Healthcare, Dial, Ford, Hyundai, bet.com, UNICEF, KB Toys, NEC, and Unilever.

For more information about how AppNet can bring the power of e-business to your business, visit www.appnet.com.

This press release may include "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements herein, other than those of historical fact, including statements regarding future contractual arrangements or performance, competitive strengths, and business strategy, are forward-looking.

Actual results or events may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Information regarding the factors that could cause such differences is contained in AppNet's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.