Assured Enrollment from PureEdge Offers Financial Services Industry 100 Percent Online Enrollment Solution for Acquiring Customers.

Business Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 6, 2000

Online Broker, Web Street Securities, First to Offer

Assured Enrollment; Has Consumers Trading in Minutes

PureEdge Solutions has launched Assured Enrollment(TM), the first 100 percent digital customer acquisition solution.

The first broker to offer Assured Enrollment will be Web Street Securities, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Web Street, Inc., (NASDAQ:WEBS) a leading online financial services firm.

Assured Enrollment eliminates frustrating paper-based enrollment processes for the consumer and increases customer conversion rates and top-line revenue growth for the financial services industry. The new service enables online brokerages and financial institutions to enroll new customers online, in minutes instead of weeks.

With Assured Enrollment, customers never have to sign a piece of paper or mail in an application form. The service offers real-time credit checks, electronic funds transfer, and an intuitive user interface. Assured Enrollment also simplifies and speeds the enrollment process, enabling brokerage firms to build trusted digital relationships with high net-worth clients.

"Analyst research indicates that 85 percent of potential prospects abandon paper-based account enrollment processes," said PureEdge CEO Eric Jordan. "We have now solved the customer acquisition problem by offering Assured Enrollment, the solution for immediately converting potential customers into clients. Assured Enrollment is the silver bullet for online brokerage firms like Web Street. We expect it to dramatically increase top-line revenue, and eliminate what has traditionally been a painful process for investors who demand a simple, secure application process that provides immediate access to their new accounts."

Assured Enrollment is easily adapted to the specific needs of online brokerages and financial institutions. In the case of Web Street, PureEdge worked closely with the online broker to tailor Assured Enrollment's workflow and document components to its specific business requirements. As a result, Assured Enrollment allows Web Street to offer immediate online enrollment for its customers in a secure and seamless application -- a service now available to any financial institution.

"By providing Assured Enrollment, Web Street continues to demonstrate its commitment to offering industry-leading technology," said Joseph Fox, Co-CEO of Web Street. "With Assured Enrollment, Web Street has the ability to enroll larger numbers of self-directed investment customers, grow the customer asset base and offer additional value to existing and potential partners. Without question, being the first to offer Assured Enrollment will provide Web Street with a distinct competitive advantage in the online financial services market."

Assured Enrollment is the first application to take advantage of the E-Sign Act, addressing privacy and security concerns of online consumers by incorporating digital signature technology from VeriSign, and a SEC-compliant electronic record archive. Assured Enrollment is the only digital enrollment solution that exceeds E-Sign's requirements for electronic signatures and archived records.

"With the new Assured Enrollment application, VeriSign and PureEdge can now provide the financial services industry with a secure and effective customer acquisition solution," said Mary Anderson, Vice President of VeriSign's Enterprise Services Group. "We are pleased to work with PureEdge to deliver legally-binding Internet solutions and help financial institutions eliminate frustrating paper-based enrollment processes."

About Web Street

Founded in 1996, Deerfield, Illinois-based Web Street, Inc. has quickly evolved into one of the world's best online trading and investing firms -- as recognized by leading publications such as Barron's, SmartMoney, Time Digital, Forbes, and Money. In August 2000, Crain's Chicago Business recognized Web Street as the fastest growing public company in Chicago. Through its subsidiary, Web Street Securities, Inc., Web Street serves the needs of individual investors in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America by delivering streaming, real-time quotes, quick trade confirmations and real-time portfolio updates, along with superior 24-hour customer service. In addition, Web Street offers its partners a turn-key strategic brokerage solution. It combines outstanding technology, a proprietary trading platform, self-clearing capabilities and highly acclaimed customer service to deliver an end-to-end online solution, co-branded or private-labeled, to meet its partners' specific needs. For more information on the Company's products and services, visit www.webstreet.com or call 1-800-WEBTRADE (1-800-932-8723).

About PureEdge

Named a Top Ten E-Commerce Company by InternetWeek and a Company to Watch by Wall Street and Technology, PureEdge is the recognized leader in creating legally binding e-commerce transactions and in developing secure e-commerce standards. PureEdge products include the award-winning InternetForms Commerce System(TM) and Assured Enrollment, the world's first 100% digital customer acquisition solution for the financial services industry. PureEdge customers are Global 2000 and public sector organizations including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Chase Bank, Arvest Bank, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Allina Health System, Ameritech, and American Legal Net. PureEdge actively promotes interoperable e-commerce through its participation in a wide a range of industry associations and standards bodies such as the W3C, the American Bar Association, NACHA, and CommerceNet. For more information, visit http://www.PureEdge.com or call 1-888-517-2675 or 250-479-8334. Contact PureEdge Solutions for pricing details, technical product information, and demonstrations.