BookNet Selects Pubnet to Serve Canadian Book Industry; Deal Represents the Expansion of Pubnet into the Global Marketplace.

Business Editors

NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2004

BookNet, Canada's Book Industry Organization, has selected Pubnet to be the Canadian industry's exclusive electronic data interchange (EDI) vendor. Pubnet will supply the Canadian book industry with a centralized EDI trading network and assist in efforts to advance the nation's supply chain efficiency.

"Pubnet was selected over a wide field of candidates because of the strength of its technology, its depth of book industry experience, and intense focus on customer support," said Michael Tamblyn, President and CEO of BookNet Canada. "We were looking not just for a service provider, but also a partner committed to driving EDI adoption and best practices. Pubnet combines that commitment with a compelling EDI service for trading partners large and small alike, at a very low cost."

Michael Cairns, President of Bowker, the parent company of Pubnet, adds, "The agreement will thrust the Canadian book industry into the forefront of intelligent supply chain models. Taking this step to implement next generation EDI technology will both encourage free trade in North America and serve as a working model for intelligent supply chain systems throughout the world."

The selection of Pubnet as BookNet Canada's EDI vendor of record comes after a yearlong selection process. Trailblazing EDI standards in U.S. trade and education markets since 1987, Pubnet has been serving and supporting the world's largest point-of-sale vendors, publishers and retailers trading in U.S. markets, many of whom also serve the Canadian market.

"It's a major building block," said Gary Aiello, Executive VP of GM Retail and Operations at Bowker. "Combined with Bowker's established bibliographic database offering, the extension of Pubnet services into Canada is a natural fit. Our dedication in the U.S. book industry has led us to further expand our service offerings. Now, North American book traders have the ability to communicate transaction information on one Pubnet system; symbolizing unprecedented unification in North American book trade."

Charles Halpin, General Manager of Pubnet, further comments, "This is an acknowledgement of the substantial progress Bowker's supply chain business has made in 2003. With major system upgrades including web-based document and shipment tracking, plus unrivaled customer support -- we (Bowker) are truly committed to improving the global English-speaking book industry from end-to-end."

Pubnet is already working closely with BookNet Canada and the book industry to begin the process of implementing its next generation EDI technology and standards across POS vendors, publishers and retailers throughout Canada.

Publishers and retailers throughout the industry have reacted positively to the recent selection.

"We are very excited about the Pubnet announcement for EDI Services to Canada. The ability to offer new ways of doing business with Scholastic Canada and the Canadian Book Industry ... and the commitment to standards secures our investment and provides the leverage to grow our business," said Dave Clarke, Director of Information Technology for Scholastic Canada.

New features encompassing this next generation service offering include:

-- Web-based publisher and retailer EDI with use-friendly forms

-- Web-based document tracking and compliance checking

-- Dedicated customer support (toll-free phone and email)

-- Competitive pricing models

-- The industry's fastest FTP and Dial-up connection speeds

To learn more about this announcement or receive information on Pubnet's premier EDI technology and services, email [e-mail] or call 1-800-PUBNET-1 (1-800-782-6381).

About EDI Technology

EDI (Electronic Document Interchange) allows buyers and sellers to exchange electronic purchase orders, order responses, ship notices, invoices, and other business documents. EDI documents cost less to handle and process than traditional mail, fax, or phone transactions, lowering costs for both publishers and booksellers.

About Pubnet(R)

Pubnet is a leading publishing industry e-commerce exchange, allowing more than 3,000 distributors, bookstores and other retailers to place electronic orders (POs), and receive back order acknowledgements (POAs), invoices, and advance shipping notices (ASNs) through standardized electronic methods. Streamlining the labor-intensive ordering process, Pubnet integrates seamlessly with a bookseller's POS system and offers advanced web-based solutions to industry participants. More than 100 publishers/vendors represent over 3,000 publisher imprints on the Pubnet system. Additionally, users on the system have access to the one million-plus bibliographic database, which may be used to place orders and conduct title searches for more information.

PubEasy and Pubnet are the supply chain companies of R.R. Bowker, a worldwide book industry infrastructure company. Bowker is the publisher of Books In Print(R) and Global Books In Print(TM), the definitive English-language book databases and home to the U.S. ISBN and SAN agencies; located in New Providence, N.J., with additional offices in West Sussex, England and Melbourne, Australia.

About BookNet Canada

BookNet Canada is the not-for-profit agency created by the Canadian book industry and the Department of Canadian Heritage to facilitate improvements in the book industry supply chain. It provides services and develops standards and certification in areas including electronic commerce via EDI (Electronic Document Interchange), bibliographic data, and analysis of point-of-sales and other supply chain data. BookNet acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for this project.