Austin Hosts First-Ever Technology Forum for Texas Minority Business Sector; Forum Sponsored by Dell Ventures, Brobeck Phleger & Harrison and E-Team Communications Inc.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2001

Ten leading minority-owned technology companies from Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio today will present business plans to venture capital experts and participate in a day-long discussion regarding resources needed to succeed in today's economy.

"The goal of the Technology Forum Series is to discover, fund and assist in the growth of minority-owned technology businesses," said John L. Barnes, president and CEO of BLG Ventures. "Our hope is that minority entrepreneurs will leave the forum with the knowledge and resources to enable them to take their businesses to the next level."

The state's first BLG Ventures' Technology Forum Series (TFS) is sponsored by Dell Ventures, a subsidiary of Dell (Nasdaq:DELL), Brobeck Phleger & Harrison LLP and E-Team Communications. The forum is also being sponsored by Office Depot, Ernst & Young, Enron Investment Partners, Techxas Ventures and Grant Thornton.

"Participation of Dell, Brobeck and others as corporate sponsors contributes to the growth and development of minority-owned technology businesses throughout the United States," said Julian A. Barnes, chief operating officer, BLG Ventures.

The panel of venture capital experts includes Jarvis Hollingsworth, Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison; Manish Mehta, Dell Ventures; Bruce Ezell, Techxas; and Barbara Paige, Enron Investment Partners. The forum also features panel discussions with prominent attorneys, accountants, bankers and other professionals who explain how their services can assist entrepreneurs in the development of their businesses. More than 100 minority entrepreneurs, professionals, community leaders, Chamber of Commerce members and executives and sponsors from around the state are participating in the forum.

"This was an easy one for us," said Jarvis Hollingsworth, a litigator in Brobeck-Austin's Complex Commercial Group who worked closely with BLG in planning the forum. "Brobeck has played a significant role in the development of the Austin technology sector, and we want to see that same growth realized in all segments of the Austin community by doing what we can to ensure that women and minority-owned technology companies have equal access to information and resources."

"The growth of Dell and the Austin economy has been propelled by the creative forces of people, ideas and capital," said Tom Meredith, co-managing director of Dell Ventures. "We are proud to sponsor BLG's Austin forum to bring those forces together to unleash the creativity and vision that diversity inspires."

TFS-Austin is the third of 12 forums in The Technology Forum Series-2001 being held in technology corridors across the country including Silicon Valley, Calif., Research Triangle, N.C., and Ann Arbor, Mich. For a complete list of forum dates and locations or additional information, visit www.blgventures.com.

About Dell Ventures

Dell Ventures is the business group at Dell responsible for strategic investment activity. Dell Ventures makes equity investments that support Dell's business initiatives, often opening the door to new technologies, services or customer markets. Dell has a long heritage of partnering with best-in-class companies for technologies and services that complement its core business. Dell Ventures builds on that heritage by working with companies whose products, services or ideas can enhance and expand Dell's own offerings. Investments in leading-edge companies ensure Dell -- and its customers -- will have preferential access to the latest innovations. Strategic equity investments also allow Dell to capitalize on the ideas of emerging companies to take its business model and customer experience to the next level and to extend its offerings to new markets.

About Brobeck Phleger & Harrison

Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is a national leader in the representation of technology and New Economy companies, with over 950 attorneys in 13 offices, including Austin, Dallas, Denver, Irvine, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., as well as joint venture Brobeck Hale and Dorr offices in London and Oxford, England, and in Munich, Germany. The firm's principal service areas -- Business & Technology; Securities Litigation; Intellectual Property Litigation; Labor & Employment; Complex Business Litigation; Commerce & Finance; Real Estate; Insurance Coverage; International, Federal & State Tax; Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits -- provide clients with a full range of legal services.

About E-Team Communications

E-Team Communications is a labor relations-human resources consulting firm that recognizes the hybrid dynamics of the old and new economies and helps clients align employee and management goals for the greater good of all stake holders. It provides services in five areas: labor relations, diversity, organizational assessment, training and development, and human resources consulting. E-Team assists clients in evaluating the effectiveness of their leadership, processes and practices; conducting human resource audits; managing organizational drives and certification elections; developing collective bargaining strategy and communications support; providing management/employee training.

About BLG Ventures

BLG Ventures, located in New York City, is a virtual incubator for minority-owned technology businesses located throughout the United States. Its mission is to identify, fund and assist in the growth of sustainable minority-owned technology businesses that possess sizeable market opportunities. BLG Ventures and its partners provide capital, products and professional services to accelerate the development of minority-owned technology businesses. Partners include venture capitalists, Fortune 500 corporations, technology companies and professional service providers. The collection of partners results in a Marketplace where minority entrepreneurs can purchase products or services at preferred prices, designed to reduce the companies' operating costs.