Aveo and Webhelp Team Up To Unveil New PC Tech Support Experience; Live Chat Capability Brings Consumers Multiple Support Options in One Place.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 2000

Aveo(TM) Inc. (www.aveo.com), creator of the world's largest PC Help Network, today announced a joint distribution and marketing agreement with Webhelp Inc., the developer of an infrastructure that enables companies to offer Internet-based, person-to-person communication.

The partnership will expand Aveo's flagship Attune(R) Service -- which provides consumers with pre-emptive technical support -- to include real-time, chat-based online support capabilities for a more complete customer support experience. This combination of pre-emptive notification and one-to-one chat technology forms a multi-layered consumer technical support solution for quicker, easier and simpler resolution of common PC support problems.

"The very best kind of support is to avoid the problem completely, and our Attune Service with its easy to follow Intelligram messages is designed to do just that for most major PC problems end-users face in the real world," said Paul Hurley, founder and CEO of Aveo. "However, sometimes people have questions beyond the immediate PC problem, and the best way to address this need is to communicate with a real person in real time. Our agreement with Webhelp will offer solutions to help people find answers to those questions through Webhelp's online communication enabling technology platform and trained online support staff."

Aveo and Webhelp will deliver the combined benefits of their services via Aveo's Intelligram(TM) messages. These messages will continue to identify technical issues and provide PC support and now, through the partnership and Webhelp's proprietary technology, the Intelligrams will offer customers access to live, human-assisted online support.

"By integrating human-assisted and automated delivery methods, Webhelp and Aveo have created a powerful, personalized and responsive tech support offering," said Kerry Adler, president and CEO of Webhelp. "Attune Service users will not only continue to enjoy the benefits of receiving automated, pre-emptive technical support, but now, through the integration of Webhelp's technology infrastructure, they will be able to communicate with live online Technical Support Expert to help them resolve their issue without ever having to leave their computer."

As part of the agreement, visitors to Webhelp's portal (www.webhelp.com), which features a human-assisted Web search service that runs on the same platform, will find the Attune Service available for download on the site. In addition, Aveo's Attune Service will be listed on the registration page for every chat session on Webhelp.com. The new exposure to customers is expected to strengthen and grow the existing Attune Network.

About Webhelp Inc.

Webhelp Inc. provides the infrastructure that enables companies to offer Internet-based person-to-person communication. Its technology platform offers real-time, person-to-person interaction capabilities as well as a broad set of customer communication and management applications. The platform supports the Webhelp(TM) Direct suite of licensed or outsourced online customer service solutions, the Webhelp(TM) consumer portal (www.webhelp.com) featuring a real-time, human-assisted Internet search service, and Homework Help, a person-to-person web-based tutoring service. Webhelp is privately held with executive offices in Toronto, Canada, and sales offices in Minneapolis, Atlanta, Omaha, Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago, Research Triangle, North Carolina, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Houston, Austin, Denver, Miami, Boston and New York, New York. For more information about Webhelp's services, visit www.webhelp.com/direct.

About the Attune Service

Aveo's Attune Service is a help network that enables Aveo and its partners to instantly send customers messages that are helpful, timely and relevant. Called Intelligrams, these messages help people upgrade products, download fixes and perform other critical computing functions to enhance the computing experience.

Attune maintains the privacy of the end user by incorporating breakthrough double-filtering technology, which prevents Aveo or any other party from determining the user's identity or obtaining information about the user's system without the user's explicit permission. For more information, visit the website at www.aveo.com.

About Aveo Inc.

Aveo Inc. is dedicated to making the computing experience easier and more productive by combining the strengths of the PC and the Internet, while maintaining complete end-user privacy. Aveo's Attune Service is the fastest growing PC Help Network enabling Aveo and its partners to send messages that are helpful, timely and relevant. Aveo's partners represent leading PC, peripheral and software providers, including 3COM (COMS), Dell (DELL), Logitech (LOGIY), Canon Software Publishing (CAJ), and Hewlett-Packard (HWP), among many more. The Attune Service is available as a free download at www.aveo.com.

Note to Editors: Aveo, Attune Service, and Attune Network are trademarks of Aveo Inc. The Aveo logo, Attune and Intelligrams are registered trademarks of Aveo Inc. t-commerce is a service mark of Aveo Inc. Webhelp, Webhelp Direct and Web Wizard are trademarks of Webhelp Inc. Other names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.