NerveWire and TRADEX Join Forces to Build a Business-to-Business Digital Market for the Retail Automotive Industry.

Business/Technology Editors

NEEDHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 24, 2000

...LexbancAG Chooses NerveWire and Other B2B Technology Leaders to

Reinvent The Way Automotive Dealers Buy, Sell and Trade Cars...

NerveWire, Inc., a business-to-business (B2B) Internet professional services firm that rapidly builds digital markets to help Global 2000 organizations and Internet startups win in the third wave of the Internet, today announced that LexbancAG has chosen NerveWire and other B2B technology leaders to build e401.com, a B2B automotive digital market. NerveWire also announces that it has established a formal partnership with TRADEX, provider of the leading platform for creating digital marketplaces. The two companies will collaborate on the e401.com project.

e401.com(TM) -- the &uot;Retail Auto Exchange(TM)&uot; -- will enable the 22,000 U.S. retail auto dealers to directly search for, and ultimately buy, sell and trade inventory via the Internet. In addition, dealers will be able to order parts and equipment, conduct banking and credit transactions, and manage sales and service leads online.

&uot;e401.com is committed to reinventing the retail auto industry's market and to working with dealers as they change the way they do business in the Digital Age,&uot; said John Burkey, president of e401.com and formerly with Ford Motor Company. &uot;By working with NerveWire, we will receive the thought leadership and experience in building B2B digital markets to successfully streamline the auction, front-end and back-end processes at dealerships. NerveWire's ability to integrate industry specific knowledge, e-business strategy and technology to deliver immediate and iterative solutions will become a Digital Age standard.&uot;

Prior to e401.com, the 22,000 new car dealers in the U.S. had no choice but to physically attend or be part of a &uot;brick and mortar&uot; auction to buy or sell vehicle inventories. This process alone costs the dealer several hundred dollars extra in fees per automobile. Using the e401.com marketplace can reduce that figure by as much as 50 percent, adding substantial residual value to the dealers' bottom line. e401.com also takes a highly unique approach to adding value for marketplace participants by providing all 22,000 auto dealers with free Internet access, free interactive Web sites, free email for the entire dealership and access to free consumer sales leads.

&uot;We're extremely excited to be working with e401.com because they are leading the business-to-business side of the auto industry and it's inevitable movement to interacting through digital markets. e401 will be a centralized place on the Internet where auto dealers and auto financial partners can interact and collaborate with each other online in real-time,&uot; said Sanjiv Gossain, chief business innovation officer of NerveWire. &uot;Our goal is to work with e401.com to go beyond the simple e-commerce transactions of the second wave of the Internet, and to help them pave the way in the third wave of the Internet by automating all of their business and industry processes.&uot;

The first live marketplace transactions are targeted for the second quarter of this year. Phase two of the Retail Automotive Exchange is expected to bring up to an additional 50,000 used car dealers online in the marketplace.

&uot;NerveWire and TRADEX share a common focus and depth of expertise in developing and delivering B2B digital markets,&uot; said Tony Arona, Vice President at TRADEX. &uot;This synergy has enabled us to 'hit the ground running' in building e401.com's new marketplace, and it will be the key to strengthening our relationship as we collaborate on new marketplaces in the future. We look forward to working closely with NerveWire's experienced and well-respected organization.&uot;

In addition to NerveWire and TRADEX, LexbancAG has selected other top-tier B2B technology partners to form the Retail Automotive Exchange, including GTE, which will provide the marketplace hosting services.

About NerveWire, Inc.

NerveWire, Inc. is a business-to-business (B2B) Internet professional services firm that rapidly deploys iterative digital strategy and e-business technology solutions to help Global 2000 organizations and Internet startups win in the third wave of the Internet. Through its Impact Pricing(TM) Model, NerveWire will share the long-term business risk with the B2B e-commerce leaders in the high tech, financial services and pharmaceutical / chemical industries.

Currently based in Needham, MA, NerveWire (www.nervewire.com) is venture capital backed by Thoma Cressey Equity Partners (TC|EP), a leading private equity investment firm. TC|EP (www.tc.nu) has committed $60 million to fund the company's growth strategy.

About LexbancAG Inc.

Based in Philadelphia, PA, LexbancAG is a holding company focused on the automotive distribution channel. It is the parent company of e401.com, autobuyback.com and certifiedcarcenter.com. Additional information can be found at e401.com.

About TRADEX Technologies, Inc.

TRADEX Technologies provides the platform that powers the world's leading digital marketplaces. Specifically designed to enable multiple buyers and suppliers to exchange goods, services and information in online trading communities, the TRADEX Commerce Center(TM) platform serves as the foundation for premier digital marketplaces created by customers including American Express, EDS, NTT, J.D. Edwards, Chemdex, MetalSite, HOTS, DACOM Corporation, Raytheon and others. Founded in 1996, TRADEX is a privately held, venture-backed company whose top-tier investors include the Internet Capital Group (NASDAQ: ICGE). On December 16, 1999, TRADEX announced a definitive agreement to merge with Ariba Inc. (NASDAQ: ARBA). Pending required regulatory approvals, the planned merger is expected to close by late first quarter 2000. TRADEX is headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with offices throughout the US and overseas. For additional information, visit the company's Web site at www.tradex.com.

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