ChipCenter Gains Momentum Two Months After Launch, Signs 35th Sponsor; Receives Further Round of Funding From Existing Partner Pool.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 1999--

ChipCenter LLC (www.chipcenter.com), the leading information and e-commerce site for the Electronics Industry, today announced that it has further strengthened its position by signing its 35th sponsor within two months of its launch.

In addition, ChipCenter has received another round of funding from its investor pool, which includes CMP Media, Aspect Development, Arrow Electronics, and Avnet, Inc.

"We are delighted by how fast the industry has embraced the ChipCenter model," said Girish Mhatre, CEO of ChipCenter. "Not only have we been flooded with traffic and registrations, we have found that the demographics of this traffic is exactly what our advertisers seek."

Industry giants such as Intel, IBM, and Hewlett-Packard have sponsored Knowledge Centers on ChipCenter. Knowledge Centers are areas on ChipCenter's site that provides users with in-depth information on specific topics of interest to engineers and purchasing agents from the EOEM industry. Created by editor(s) assigned to specific topics covered in the Knowledge Center (current topics include networking, analog, DSP), each Center includes original content, aggregated content, and sponsored content. As a focal point of ChipCenter, these Centers are designed to have both depth and breadth of content. Some of the topics covered are networking, graphics, wireless and more. Each Center includes online tools, seminars, product information, and has links to ChipCenter's online product catalog.

A complete list of ChipCenter's clients include: Accel, Agilent, AMCC, AMD, Applied Microsystem, Atmel, Avnet, Burr-Brown, California Eastern Labs, Cherry, emWare, Hitachi, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, IDT, IKOS, Intel, Jameco, Keithley, Lucent, Mentor Graphics, Micrel, Microchip, Micron, MIPS, Model Technology, Motorola, PMC-Sierra, Quickturn, Sager, Samsung, Siemens, Smart Modular, Toshiba, TSMC, Veribest, and Vitesse.

"These Knowledge Centers are more than a repository for up-to-date information and online tools," continued Mhatre. "The sponsors of these Centers are providing active, online workspaces for engineers and purchasers."

ChipCenter's "learn-find-buy" approach couples content with e-commerce, which significantly reduces the purchasing and design cycle. Engineers and purchasing managers can study technology updates, news, product information, application notes and other professional information, engage in discussions with other users, select appropriate products and buy them online.

About ChipCenter, LLC.

ChipCenter LLC is a joint venture between Arrow Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:ARW), Aspect Development, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASDV), Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT) and CMP Media Inc. It is the first comprehensive online service for electronic-component information and sourcing. ChipCenter is a new kind of marketing channel that consolidates demand creation, interest fulfillment and e-commerce transactions in one seamless service, allowing engineers and purchasing agents to learn, find and buy at one convenient location. For more information, visit http://www.chipcenter.com.

About Arrow Electronics, Inc.

Arrow Electronics (NYSE:ARW) is the world's largest distributor of electronic components and computer products, with 1998 sales of $8.3 billion. Headquartered in Melville, New York, Arrow serves as a supply channel partner for more than 600 suppliers and 175,000 original equipment manufacturers and commercial customers through more than 200 sales facilities and 26 distribution centers in 35 countries. Detailed information about Arrow's operations can be found at www.arrow.com.

About Aspect Development, Inc.

Aspect Development, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASDV) is the global leader in e-Business solutions for Inbound Supply Chain Management. Aspect's solutions reduce product cost and operations expense and speed new product introduction by providing strategic decision support for product development, procurement, and operations to companies in all industries. Aspect's Web-centric solutions combine its enterprise software, content products and rapid deployment services, to deliver a large value proposition quickly, at low risk. Aspect's eCSM solutions optimize product-related design and procurement by automating best practices such as preferred component and supplier management, design reuse, lifecycle management and strategic sourcing. Aspect's eProcurement solutions optimize operations and procurement for indirect/MRO materials and supplies. Aspect's eMarket solutions provide the content-driven infrastructure for B-B eCommerce portals and marketplaces.

About Avnet, Inc.

Avnet Inc. is a global Fortune 500 company, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, with annual sales exceeding $8 billion. Avnet serves customers in 58 countries by marketing, inventorying and adding value to the products of the foremost electronic-components and computer-equipment manufacturers. For more information regarding any of Avnet's products and services, please contact: http://www.avnet.com

About CMP Media, Inc.

CMP Media Inc. is a leading high-tech media company that provides essential information and marketing services to the entire technology spectrum -- the builders, sellers and users of technology worldwide. With its portfolio of newspapers, magazines, custom publishing, Internet products, research, consulting and conferences, CMP is uniquely positioned to offer marketers comprehensive, integrated solutions tailored to meet their individual needs. Online editions of the company's print publications, along with products and services created exclusively for the Internet, can be found on CMPnet at http://www.CMPnet.com NSTL, the company's independent testing lab and consulting organization, serves government, corporate and technology vendor clients around the world.