DataCert Executives Judge Sixth Annual Business Plan Competition at Rice University; Thirty-six Teams From Top MBA Programs Worldwide Compete for More Than $260,000 in Prizes.

HOUSTON -- DataCert's President and CEO Eric M. Elfman and COO Babur Ozden, both Rice University alumni, will participate as judges in the sixth annual Rice University Business Plan Competition (RBPC), March 30 -- April 1. The RBPC, one of the world's largest entrepreneurial gatherings, is a three-day business plan competition hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University.

Last year's competition was the largest university-run intercollegiate business plan competition in the world, based on the number of teams competing, the number of judges, and the total amount of prize money awarded. This year 36 teams from top MBA programs worldwide will compete for more than $260,000 in prizes, including an investment opportunity of $100,000 for the grand prize winner, $70,000 in cash to be distributed among 20 different teams, and the opportunity to advance to the international finals of the MOOT CORP(R) competition. Over $30,000 of in-kind prizes will also be awarded to the seven finalist teams.

Elfman and Ozden were selected as judges due to their expertise in investing and entrepreneurship and their interest in supporting early stage entrepreneurs. All judges from the competition are hand-picked by the Rice Alliance and participate by invitation only. Last year more than 110 judges participated in the competition -- the most of any business plan competition -- and 58% of the judges considered investing in a team that presented at the 2004 RBPC or referred a team to a third-party investor.

The judges function as venture capital investors deciding on which business venture they would most likely fund. The quality of the idea, the strength of the management team, and the clarity and persuasiveness of the written plan and oral presentation all influence the judges' decisions.

"I founded DataCert in 1998 armed with my Rice University MBA and an entrepreneurial spirit. Babur and I are excited to be yet again involved in acknowledging outstanding entrepreneurial endeavors among MBA students worldwide. It is a privilege to participate as a judge in this competition," said Elfman.

RBPC winners will be announced on Saturday, April 1, at the awards banquet. Michael Holthouse, a serial entrepreneur and founder and president of Paranet, Inc., will speak after welcoming remarks from Mark White, former governor of Texas. The grand prize winner will walk away with a $100,000 equity investment, $20,000 in cash, roundtrip tickets on Continental Airlines and one year of office space.

About The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is Rice University's flagship initiative devoted to the support of technology entrepreneurship. The mission of the Rice Alliance is to support the creation of technology-based companies and the commercialization of new technologies in the Houston community and the Gulf Coast region.

The Rice Alliance's vision is simple, but grand -- to help establish Houston as a leading technology and entrepreneurship center in the United States. Since its inception in late 1999, the Rice Alliance has assisted in the launch of more than 170 new technology companies. Rice Alliance companies have raised more than $300 million in early stage funding. In excess of 300 early-stage technology companies have benefited from participation in Rice Alliance programs as either a presenter or technology showcase company.

The Rice Alliance provides a collaborative network and forum for support, education and exchange of ideas. It provides entrepreneurs access to the human and financial capital needed for success. During the past five years, the Rice Alliance has conducted more than 70 programs attended by nearly 15,000 individuals.

For more information about the Rice Alliance, visit www.alliance.rice.edu.

The Jesse H. Jones Graduate School

The Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management is one of seven academic units of Rice University. Named in honor of the late Jesse Holman Jones, a prominent Houston business and civic leader, the school received its initial funding in 1974 through a major gift from the Houston Endowment Inc., a philanthropic foundation established by Jones and his wife, Mary Gibbs Jones. Rice offers the MBA, MBA for Executives, and MBA for Professionals degrees as well as the following joint degrees: MBA/ME with the George R. Brown School of Engineering and MD/MBA with Baylor College of Medicine. The Jones School also offers a full schedule of non-credit executive education and customized courses for business and industry.

About DataCert, Inc.

DataCert, Inc. is the largest and fastest-growing supplier of electronic invoicing and corporate legal spend management solutions. DataCert's products and services provide a substantial return on investment to corporations looking to reduce outside legal spend. Headquartered in Houston, DataCert has over 6,300 customers, 56 of which are Fortune(R) 500 companies. On an annualized basis, DataCert processes in excess of $6 billion of e-invoicing data. Visit DataCert at www.datacert.com for more information.