Vertical Alliance Enables a New Generation of CRM-based eWholesale Marketplace and Distribution Solutions for Sea Gull Lighting With Vertical Tracker.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 2000

Vertical Alliance(TM), Inc. an emerging provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and eCommerce software products recently launched the first phase of its project for Sea Gull Lighting, Inc., a leading manufacturer of architectural, commercial and residential lighting products, ceiling fans and home decor accessories.

Vertical Alliance partnered with The Technology Marketing (TM) Group, Inc. (Conshohocken, PA), a charter member of the company's Vertical Solutions Partner program, to build the Sea Gull Lighting solution http://www.SeaGullLighting.com.

"Vertical Tracker's(TM) speed to market and Vertical Alliance's ability to understand and accommodate our complex distribution network were the reasons why we chose Vertical Alliance for this project," said Ace Rosenstein, director of sales and marketing for Sea Gull Lighting. "We started putting the site together using another software solution, got halfway into the project, and found Vertical Alliance.

"The current web site is phase one of our project," Rosenstein said. "The next phase will be the creation of individual storefronts for the 4,000 dealers who sell Sea Gull Lighting products.

"Each of our authorized dealers will have the opportunity to set up a storefront on our site, with a unique link to their site, but with all the functionality, catalog and other data of our site on their storefront. It will ultimately be linked to our dealer locator, and enables us to retain our special relationship built over 80 years with the dealers who sell our products."

"Vertical Tracker enables Sea Gull Lighting to provide its dealer network with multiple cross-selling and up-selling opportunities within a specific product line," said Peter Klinges, Vertical Alliance's vice president for sales.

"Sea Gull Lighting's dealers can now see enhanced product detail and expanded profiles regarding each product. This flexibility allows dealers to specifically describe the types of product features they want by choosing from a detailed list of available options. By knowing this information, Sea Gull Lighting is better able to tailor its promotional efforts to the individual needs of each dealer".

"We are very excited at the opportunity to demonstrate Vertical Tracker's CRM-based eWholesale distribution technology with a best-in-class manufacturer like Sea Gull Lighting," said Jeffrey DiFrancesco, chief executive officer of Vertical Alliance.

"By continuing our work with Sea Gull Lighting, they will be able to use Vertical Tracker to meet the ultimate goal of developing complex multi-dealership storefronts for each of their dealers which will then be integrated into a single wholesale distribution and commerce solution. This accomplishment is critical to optimizing Seal Gull Lighting's wholesale distribution network by allowing their dealers to easily customize pricing and product features to suit their specific market needs," said DiFrancesco.

About Vertical Alliance, Inc.

Vertical Alliance(TM) (http://www.verticalalliance.com), founded in 1999, is an emerging provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software products. Vertical Alliance goes beyond current CRM offerings to incorporate best of breed e-commerce, content management and user profiling into the core functionality.

Vertical Alliance's solution-based software tools are designed to augment the industry's current transaction focus and enable eCIs to rapidly and cost-effectively construct best-in-class business sites to optimize profitability, revenue and customer satisfaction for their business clients.

The Vertical Alliance software tools allow traditional brick-and-mortar as well as newer businesses to enable and manage Internet and other business channels through customer data integration. Through their product, Vertical Tracker(TM), an eCommerce Integrator can integrate a solution for their client that will result in a single comprehensive view of that client's individual customers.

Businesses can link information captured in real time from multiple touch points with legacy customer data stores. Analyzing this data enables a business to create a panoramic view of each customer in order to better align loyalty, marketing and frequent buyer programs with the one-to-one needs of the individual consumer or business customer.

Leading eCommerce Integrators including Hydrogen Media, TM Group, e-Verticals, and Standing Stone Group have implemented Vertical Tracker for B2B and B2C clients. Vertical Alliance's investors include RAF NetVentures and CMS Companies. The company is based in Plymouth Meeting, PA.

The names Vertical Alliance and Vertical Tracker, as well as their respective logos and Web site are trademarked by Vertical Alliance, Inc. All other company names and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.