Intershop Communications and TopSoft to Provide One-Stop E-Commerce Solution for Hong Kong Merchants Utilizing First Ecom.com's Payment Processing Gateway.

HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--August 19, 1999--

Intershop Communications (Neuer Market: ISH), a leading global provider of sell-side electronic commerce software with over 20,000 deployed live stores, and TopSoft, a Hong Kong-based e-commerce systems integrator, today announced it will utilize First Ecom.com's (NASD: BB FECC) Internet payment processing gateway to deliver one-stop e-commerce services for the Hong Kong market.

Intershop has already developed a ready-to-install payment cartridge built to interoperate with First Ecom's e-commerce payment back-end. The same payment cartridge has been successfully deployed by major e-commerce service providers such as Swisscom, Bell Canada and Telecom New Zealand.

Processing online transactions through First Ecom.com's payment processing gateway will allow Hong Kong Internet businesses to quickly deploy a complete e-commerce solution and bring their cyber business to market in a timely manner. Intershop Hosting, ePages and Merchant products feature a powerful but easy-to-use storefront and back-office. Internet merchants can now access First Ecom.com's real-time electronic payment services using Intershop's software and ready-to-install payment cartridge. Businesses can turn to TopSoft to implement their Intershop/First Ecom.com solution.

"Intershop has been pioneering the acceptance of electronic commerce worldwide," said Petra Vorsteher, vice president of strategic alliance and business development for Intershop. "We are happy to be chosen as the e-commerce solution provider at Bosch and LinkAGE Online in Hong Kong. It is a natural step to integrate our services and products with local partners to provide a complete E-commerce solution that would maximize Internet merchants' return on investment."

"First Ecom.com is excited to be providing an Internet payment gateway that will make it possible for Intershop to provide Hong Kong merchants with a turnkey e-commerce solution," said Gregory Pek, president and CEO of First Ecom.com.

"Talking to merchants in Hong Kong, we realized that real time credit card payment over the Internet is always one of their top concerns," said Joseph Lee, senior manager of e-commerce for Topsoft. "At TopSoft, we are very happy that our Intershop based e-commerce solution is helping merchants to bring their business online in a short period of time. With this new partnership with First Ecom, we can offer a one-stop end-to-end e-commerce solution to merchants in Hong Kong."

About Intershop Communications, Inc.

Intershop Communications, Inc. is one of the world's leading providers of electronic commerce software for complete business-to-business and business-to-consumer solutions. Intershop customers include many of the world's largest telecommunications companies and commerce service providers such as Linkage Online, Chunghwa Telecom, National Computer Systems Pte, ERANet, Times of India, PSINet, BCE Emergis, Bell South, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, Swisscom and Telecom New Zealand. Major corporations have chosen Intershop as their enterprise e-commerce platform including Bosch, Electronic Arts, Hewlett-Packard, Mercedes, Nat West and Silicon Graphics. To date, Intershop is the global leader in Internet commerce with more than 20,000 live stores deployed.

Founded in 1992, Intershop is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in the U.S., Germany, France, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Sweden and the United Kingdom. For more information, call Intershop at 1-800-736-5197 or send e-mail to [e-mail] or visit http://www.intershop.com

About TopSoft Limited

Formed in May 1997, TopSoft Limited, an independent subsidiary of Technology Venture (Software) Holdings Limited (TVSHL) is a company focusing on providing IT solutions. TopSoft specializes in providing services and software products. TopSoft ranges of services include: Project Management, Application Development, Product Implementation, Technical Support, Training, Standards Development, Consulting, Internet Related Service, Technology Skill Transfer and Outsourcing for major corporations in various industries, such as Banking, Health Care, Manufacturing and Public Utilities. It has extensive experience in managing large scale application development and implementation projects for the banking and financial industries. TopSoft is also an expert in providing the latest technology-related consultancy services to various leading corporations in Hong Kong. It also resells and distributes a full range of development software from various software vendors.

TopSoft is headquartered in Hong Kong with offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. For more information, call TopSoft Ltd. at (852) 2802 3882 or send e-mail to [e-mail] or visit http://www.topsoft.com.hk

About First Ecom.com

First Ecom.com is a leading provider of online payment processing services for merchants outside of North America. Through a series of strategic alliances, First Ecom.com approves merchants and processes transactions in a tax-neutral jurisdiction without the need for using U.S. banking institutions or U.S.-based ISPs.

FECC offers online credit card processing solutions for merchants in their preferred currency. For more information, contact First Ecom.com at 888-305-8233, by e-mail at [e-mail] or at www.firstecom.com.

Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking" statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Reform Act of 1995). Because such statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.