Books24x7.com Expands Reseller Network With Software Spectrum, GTSI.

Business/Technology Editors

NORWOOD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2000

-- Web's Leading Professional Reference Products Now

More Accessible to Fortune 1000 and Government Agencies --

Books24x7.com, the premier online reference source for IT professionals, today announced it has signed agreements with Government Technology Services, Inc. (Nasdaq:GTSI), one of the largest dedicated business to government (B2G) marketers of IT solutions, and noted commercial reseller Software Spectrum, Inc. (NASDAQ:SSPE). These new relationships will help further accelerate the expansion of Books24x7.com's corporate subscriber base. With over 20,000 subscribers since the company's launch in September, 1999, Books24x7.com is among the fastest growing subscription-based professional information services in the history of the Web.

Software Spectrum, a global supplier of software and technology services to Fortune 1000 companies with clients such as GTE, Alliance Systems and Ericsson Communications, chose to partner with Books24x7.com to provide its corporate clients with an entirely new class of productivity enhancing information tools.

"As an online information service, Books24x7.com addresses what has become a hot topic for customers," Software Spectrum vice president of marketing Melissa Womack said. "A major concern of corporations today is finding ways to increase individual productivity. Books24x7.com is a prime solution for what our clients need. Professionals access high-value book content online, and receive timely answers to the mission-critical questions they frequently face."

For GTSI, one of the largest marketers of IT solutions to government customers worldwide, Books24x7.com's consistently up-to-date material and easily accessible answers will provide information tools to its customers around the world, many of whom must support complex heterogeneous technology environments.

GTSI vice president of vendor relations and product marketing Mark Zelinger said, "Books24x7.com's Web-enabled, platform-neutral approach to information will definitely add value to GTSI's broad array of government and agency customers who need to stay current with the fast moving pace of today's technology. The fact that everything is online means quality information is available anytime, anywhere."

Books24x7.com's industry leading subscription-based online reference products currently include the ITPro Collection and OfficePro 2000. The ITPro Collection, the company's flagship offering, provides corporate professionals with immediate access to trusted, technical information on over 100 topics from the best technical books from leading publishers like Macmillan Computer Publishing (Que and Sams), MIT Press, and McGraw-Hill and ZD Journals. OfficePro 2000, Books24x7.com newest collection, is specifically designed to provide information to corporate knowledge workers on business productivity applications. Subscribers to Books24x7.com's services gain online access to the full content of each book, including diagrams, without lengthy download times or annoying banner ads. The service's patent-pending, relevancy ranked full-text search technology locates answers at the most granular level to save research time and increase productivity. Additionally, the services include personalization, bookmarking and collaboration features. Books24x7.com is used at hundreds of top companies worldwide, including industry-leaders Hewlett-Packard, Intuit and Lockheed Martin.

"Books24x7.com is committed to providing technical professionals everywhere with the answers they need, when they need them," said Books24x7.com president and CEO David Parkinson. "Our partnerships with such accomplished resellers in the corporate and government markets serve to both expand our customer reach while adding substantial value to Software Spectrum's and GTSI's existing offerings."

About Books24x7.com

Books24x7.com, based in Norwood, MA, is a pioneer in the creation and delivery of digital reference content via the Web. The Company offers a variety of subscription offerings including the flagship ITPro Collection for corporate technical professionals and the OfficePro Collection designed for corporate knowledge workers. Subscribers have full access to best-of-class reference materials from leading publishers such as Macmillan Computer Publishing (Que and Sams), McGraw-Hill, MIT Press, O'Reilly & Associates, Sybex, and ZD Journals. Books24x7.com's patent-pending relevancy ranked searching technology instantly pinpoints relevant information at the most granular level. Hundreds of top corporations, including 3Com (NASDAQ: COMS), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HWP), Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU), and Razorfish (NASDAQ: RAZF) now rely on Books24x7.com's services as timesaving tools to raise productivity levels and cut research costs. Books24x7.com's investors include venture capitalists Sigma Partners, Commonwealth Capital Ventures, Whitman Capital, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). For more information, visit www.books24x7.com.

About Software Spectrum

Software Spectrum is a global business-to-business software and services provider with sales locations, operations and technical support centers and consulting offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia/Pacific. Specializing in comprehensive information technology solutions, the company provides application development, enterprise software management, technical support, software licensing and infrastructure design services that help organizations increase business value from information technology. For more information, visit Software Spectrum 's Web site at http://www.softwarespectrum.com.

About GTSI

GTSI is one of the largest dedicated business to government (B2G) marketers of information technology solutions to Federal, state and local government customers worldwide. Headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, GTSI offers access to over 150,000 products from more than 2,100 manufacturers. GTSI also offers multiple integration services and partners with globally recognized service providers to bring customers a wide selection of more complex integration options. Further information about GTSI is available at http://www.gtsi.com.

GTSI is a registered service mark of Government Technology Services, Inc. All other trademarks and services marks are proprietary to their respective owners.