Beyond.com and Planet Gov Receive Full $15M Contract Renewal Commitment From IRS; Renewal Ensures Delivery of Microsoft Products for Year 2001.

Business Editors, High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 10, 2001

E-commerce services provider Beyond.com(TM) (Nasdaq:BYND) and Planet Gov, Inc. of Fairfax, VA. have been awarded a $15 million renewal of their contract with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for electronic delivery and maintenance of Microsoft software to approximately 130,000 desktop computers within the IRS.

The renewal, based on the 65-month, $120-million contract originally established in June 1999, will help strengthen the relationship Beyond.com and Planet Gov established with the Department of Treasury.

"Beyond.com continues to assist us in reducing the total cost of ownership when deploying the latest technology such as Windows 2000," said IRS departmental systems branch chief Dan McLaughlin. "We are extremely pleased with the resulting efficiencies of the relationship so far, and we are committed to saving taxpayer dollars while we meet our objectives and improving processes and service."

The contract allows the IRS to utilize Beyond.com's Automated Tracking of Licenses and Software (ATLAS) technology to distribute, manage and support products across the Internet to their various sites. ATLAS is a proprietary service developed by Beyond.com to ease software deployment, management and maintenance throughout government agencies and large enterprises. The agreement covers licenses for Microsoft's Windows 2000 family of products including Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Office 2000 Professional, Project, Exchange Server and other BackOffice software. Under the contract, the IRS will use Beyond.com's Web-based store for the electronic purchase of additional Microsoft products.

"We continue to enjoy a valued relationship with both Planet Gov and the IRS," said Don Beery, vice president and general manager of the Government Systems Group for Beyond.com. "The IRS' use of Beyond.com's ATLAS technology and enterprise management capabilities are a testament to the mutual benefits. We are pleased to continue facilitating the government's progress toward standardized, digital delivery of all software. This is essential in helping reduce the total cost of software ownership for the government."

Beyond.com and Planet Gov have other agreements throughout the Department of Treasury with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Office of Thrift Supervision, the Fleet Law Enforcement Training Center and the U.S. Mint. Together these agreements total more than $10M dollars and span three to five years. Beyond.com also provides software electronically to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) -- a division of the Department of Commerce. In addition, the IRS, DLA, NIMA, PTO and DOD have successfully implemented Beyond.com's Advanced Tracking of Licenses and Software (ATLAS) technology, which manages software downloads to the network, issues licenses to authorized users, records usage of licenses and manages desktop deployment for users at all levels.

"The renewal emphasizes the Department of Treasury's focus on receiving software products electronically, using Beyond.com's industry leading electronic download technology," explained Planet Gov's Chief Executive Officer Steve Baldwin. "It is Planet Gov's goal to partner with industry leaders in the software enterprise arena, and the renewal confirms that our commitment and customer dedication is truly making a difference in how the government procures software."

About Beyond.com

Beyond.com is an e-commerce services provider that builds and manages Web stores for businesses and sells software and computer related products to the government, corporate and consumer markets. The company's eStore division allows software publishers, hardware manufacturers and systems OEMs to launch a full-featured e-commerce store in a few weeks. Businesses can choose from an array of offerings, including website design and construction, transaction processing, physical and electronic order fulfillment, customer support, marketing, and merchandising support and reporting. Customers include CADopia.com, Compaq Computer, Executive Software Inc., HP Shopping Village (a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard), Intelligolf, McAfee.com Inc., Palm Computing, Systran Software Inc., Telex and Trend Micro. Beyond.com's government division provides digitally downloadable software and related services to a growing list of government agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) and Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), a division of the Department of Commerce. Beyond.com also operates its own online store (http://www.beyond.com/>, where customers can find an expansive selection of software and computer related products. Beyond.com Corporation trades on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol ("BYND"). More information on the company can be found in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

About Planet Gov

Founded in 1983, Planet Gov is at the forefront of government e-commerce applications and provides Enterprise Technology services and products to organizations throughout the government. Planet Gov was recently selected as one of two contractors to prime the three-year, $300-million U.S. Army Personal Computer - 3 (PC-3) contract. Planet Gov has experienced exceptional growth since President and CEO Steve Baldwin and his management team joined the company last year.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. This includes statements relating to the strengthening of the relationship with the Department of Treasury and expectations about government trends in using electronic software download and Beyond.com's agreement with the Internal Revenue Service for electronic delivery, maintenance and technical support of Microsoft software products. The Government is obligated only to the extent of authorized purchases actually made under the contract. Such statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including the risk that the contract is terminated prematurely and that the government ceases to procure software through electronic delivery. Beyond.com's business is subject to risks including reductions in or cancellations of customer orders, changes in relationships with software suppliers, changes in relationships with strategic partners, changes in the product mix sold by the company, competition from other online software resellers or publishers, inability to raise sufficient capital on satisfactory terms, or at all, and other factors described in the company's filings with the SEC.