Arzoon's Software Solutions Create 'Networked Supply Chain'; Announcing the General Availability of Version 3.0.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 1, 2001

Arzoon, the developer of enterprise-class supply chain software, today announces an extended suite of Web-native solutions that bring control, collaboration, and visibility to the flow of goods worldwide. The new software enables the transformation of a company's ecosystem of suppliers, customers and service providers into a collaborative Supply Web, bringing efficiencies to the purchasing, customer service and transportation processes.

"Logistics and transportation are essential strategic weapons for the Global 2000," said Farid Dibachi, founder and chief executive officer of Arzoon. "The Internet, as a communication platform, has presented us with an opportunity to design elegant solutions that can serve the tactical needs of the purchasing, customer service and transportation specialists and at the same time, provide the strategic tools required by the executive management team to better understand the opportunities for operational and administrative cost savings."

Supply chain professionals are now empowered to use a single platform to procure, execute, monitor, and reconcile freight services. Arzoon's solution fuses multiple transportation modes, information systems, and enterprises into a cohesive Supply Web.

The Web-native design, as opposed to the "Web-enabled, client-server" approach, is one of the key differentiators of the Arzoon solution. The Web-native approach preserves security, real-time speed and data integrity while allowing for cross-enterprise scalability. Arzoon's Web-native software resolves many of logistics' most enduring and perplexing problems, such as visibility of inbound freight, tracking across different modes of transportation, compliance with business rules and routing guides, and synchronizing the flow of data with product movement. Arzoon's customers expect to gain operational and administrative efficiencies that equate to 5 to 15% of their annual transportation expenditure.

Arzoon's clients, with operating units, customers and suppliers spread around the world, require the seamless integration of International Trade Logistics (ITL) functionality. Arzoon's workflow integrates end-to-end ITL functionality. Steven Kott, director of customs operations and regulatory compliance for Thomson Consumer Electronics, said, "I've looked at many software products utilizing the Internet. It's clear that Arzoon has the broadest, deepest and most practical functionality in the market, whether you're moving freight across town or half-way around the world." Kott, who is also co-chairman of agency requirements for the American Association of Exporters and Importers, added: "Arzoon has designed a unique way to leverage the Internet with Web-native software that helps shippers and carriers do a better job of moving freight."

Adrian Gonzalez, senior analyst of e-business and supply chain for the ARC Advisory Group, said, "Last year at this time, it seemed like a new transportation exchange was being announced almost every day. By year's end, however, many of these ventures had either gone out of business, been acquired, or had expanded the scope of their business model beyond the spot market. Fortunately, Arzoon never fell victim to this notion. Realizing that the problems are complex and that business processes and relationships are not transformed overnight, the company has remained true to its original vision of automating and simplifying the logistics life cycle that exists between shippers, carriers, and other partners."

Jack Maynard, research director for The Aberdeen Consulting Group, said, "Arzoon has combined real-world knowledge with advanced Internet technology to create a grand vision and practical solution for logistics professionals worldwide. The Arzoon system adds value for a manufacturer by harnessing the connectivity of the Internet to provide the backbone of an optimal logistics environment. Moreover, Aberdeen research shows that solutions such as Arzoon's are playing an ever-increasing role of strategic and tactical importance to the area of the market Aberdeen calls Collaborative Product Commerce (CPC)."

Arzoon.com, Inc. (www.arzoon.com), headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., enables the transformation of the worldwide logistics market into a "networked community." Through its Web-native Transportation Management Trading Network(TM) (TMTN) system, Arzoon's standardized processes and XML-based messaging create a language of commerce that connects all trading partners involved in the movement of product, across all modes, systems and borders. Arzoon's version 3.0 is available as a service hosted by Arzoon's Network Operating Center (NOC), and is being offered as a stand-alone version installed on the client's hardware system. The TMTN consists of the following modules:

-- Arzoon Administration

-- Arzoon Catalog Tools

-- Arzoon Inbound & Purchasing

-- Arzoon ITL (International Trade Logistics)

-- Arzoon Freight Payment

-- Arzoon Order Entry & Execution

-- Arzoon RFP and Spot Quotes

-- Arzoon Tracking & Alerts

-- Arzoon Reports

Note to Editors: Arzoon, the Arzoon logo and Transportation Management Trading Network are trademarks, and in some jurisdictions may be registered trademarks, of Arzoon.