Company Intranets Become Destination Portals; Corporate Portals Offering More Services, Capabilities for Employees.

Business Editors

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 8, 2000

Corporate portals are shedding their image as a pit stop on the Information Superhighway instead becoming an important destination for employees separated by work schedules, travel demands and office locations, according to RewardsPlus ( www.rewardsplus.com ), the Web-based benefits company.

No longer relegated to the role of an email tool, companies are investing more time and money in designing corporate portals to facilitate internal communications, outsource human resources functions and foster a sense of community among employees.

"We work with companies that want their portals to have the same types of features as a commercial portal," said Ken Barksdale, President and CEO of RewardsPlus, a company that helps develop, build, and customize corporate portals to perform benefits communication and e-commerce abilities. "A portal should not only strive to integrate corporate operations, it should help employees balance their work/life schedules. Employers should also keep in mind that, as the worksite becomes more virtual, the corporate portal will be the closest thing many workers will have to a community of peers."

Interest in corporate portals has taken off in the past two years, according to research firm Delphi Group. A survey by Delphi of 300 big companies found 55% were working on portals and 25% more were planning ones within the next two years.

According to RewardsPlus, the most common reasons senior management gives for customizing their portals are:

--   To provide a virtual working environment

--   Reduce administrative costs associated with employee benefits and
     communication

--   Real-time communication and one-to-many communication

--   Bolster a sense of community among employees

A survey conducted by employment consultant Watson Wyatt Worldwide, Bethesda, Md., showed that fully 79% of 295 companies polled use their intranet as the chief method of delivering human resource services to employees, up from 50% two years ago.

Barksdale noted that companies are only tapping the surface of the potential of their portals. According to research conducted by RewardsPlus, employees are interested in a life-event focus design to their Web site -- focusing on specific events in an employee's life and the subsequent action steps to follow. Some initiatives employers are reviewing as enhancements to corporate portals include the following:

--   E-commerce capabilities and employee-driven volume purchasing

--   Employee self-service (managing benefits, 401K)

--   Ability to pay personal bills

--   Instant messaging and bulletin boards

--   Weather updates for traveling employees

--   Company-wide scheduling/calendar access

--   Ability to buy and order lunch from the corporate cafeteria or a
     nearby restaurant

--   Local news updates

--   Company Directory

--   Form Submittal (Vacations, Personal Days, Sick Leave, Expense
     Reimbursement)

--   Links to Vendors (Travel Agents, Childcare, Real Estate Brokers)

--   Stock Information

--   Online shopping access

"The beauty of the corporate portal is that the possibilities are limitless," summed up Barksdale. "For employers it's an efficient way to communicate with employees and boost morale; for employees, it's the best way to solve the issues of every day work -- and life."

About RewardsPlus

RewardsPlus, based in Baltimore, Md., is a Web-based benefits delivery platform creating a benefits marketplace for the distribution of insurance, financial and personal services. RewardsPlus offers the RealLife Benefits Program, which delivers group discounts on name-brand auto, home and life insurance, pet care services, legal services, investment programs and many more services. Employees save up to 25% on their purchases, which can be deducted in installments from their paychecks. Employers, who pay no fee to offer the RealLife Benefits Program, gain better benefit programs without additional cost or administration.

The delivery platform consolidates benefit administration, communication, enrollment and vendor management for employers of all sizes. RewardsPlus uses the Internet to leverage powerful brands of industry leaders such as First USA, Travelers, Allmerica, AIG, UNUM, ADT, Fortis, Zurich and with automated payroll deduction and multiple distribution partnerships. One of these partnerships with Ceridian Corporation offers the RewardsPlus benefits to clients with a combined total of 10 million employees.

For further information, please visit the RewardsPlus Web site at www.rewardsplus.com or call 1-800-218-1464.