Kelly Hindley, Martha Felt Group for USWeb Corporation, 801-328-1113 or
[email protected]
USWeb Launches Electronic Services Initiative to Expand the Effectiveness of Corporate IT
Leading Industry Players Show Support for Externally Managed IT Offering
SANTA CLARA, Calif - October 14, 1998 - At a press conference held this morning in New York City, USWeb Corporation (Nasdaq: USWB) outlined its vision for USWeb Electronic Services, an initiative that aims to extend the reach and capabilities of corporate IT. USWeb Electronic Services are a set of custom and packaged applications that can be fully integrated with a company's internal IT infrastructure. Through this intiative, USWeb aims to expand the notion of the virtual private network by building an "extended" IT infrastructure, called the USWeb Electronic Services Architecture (ESA), that includes not only baseline data communication, but management, applications, scalability, services, support, and security-integrated together in a combined offering.
"Today's business organizations need a way to expand IT services without necessarily replacing their IT infrastructure," said Sheldon Laube, chief technology officer, USWeb Corporation. "The USWeb Electronic Services offering will integrate externally managed applications with those systems that clients choose to run internally. As a result, clients have the flexibility to combine the external and internal applications that best meet their requirements and best leverage their internal IT infrastructures. And, as users log in and switch between network applications-whether they're accessing a parts ordering system or an employee benefits registration application-the location of those applications is completely transparent."
Much like a company would expand their network reach by leveraging public networking, corporations can integrate externally managed USWeb Electronic Services applications with their own network infrastructure to extend not only the reach but also the capabilities of their internal IT. To enable this, USWeb has outlined a development methodology combined with a comprehensive architecture based on a set of widely accepted industry standards such as the Microsoft Windows NT Server operating system version 5.0, which includes the Microsoft Active Directory, and Cisco IOS to serve as the underlying foundation. Internet applications optimized to these industry standards will be designed to have the flexibility to run either within the four walls of a company or on the USWeb Electronic Services Architecture. This model offers companies the flexibility to seamlessly and cost-effectively run both custom and packaged applications wherever it makes the most sense from a management and scalability perspective.
"We are pleased that USWeb has chosen to standardize its Electronic Services Architecture on Windows NT 5.0 and BackOffice," said Steve Ballmer, president of Microsoft Corp. "Customers will benefit from this advanced IT infrastructure which supports mission-critical applications and e-commerce."
"USWeb Electronic Services represents a flexible, efficient and simplified approach towards empowering the enterprise to gain market competitiveness through the adoption of Internet business applications," said Gary Daichendt, senior vice president of worldwide operations, Cisco Systems. "Using a Cisco based network as the foundation for the USWeb Electronic Services Architecture provides the reliability and performance required to support today's business critical Internet applications."
The USWeb Electronic Services Offering
In addition to providing a wide-range of custom applications, USWeb is partnering with industry-leading packaged IT application providers, including Broadvision, Vantive and others, to develop a rich service offering that employs best-of-breed solutions in all areas of IT. Because USWeb realizes that the effective deployment of Internet-based business applications can be done only by combining Electronic Services with a professional services offering, USWeb has chartered its existing Professional Services Division to work hand-in-hand with the new Electronic Services Division to help clients define the IT requirements that best meet the needs of their business. Through the combined offerings of the USWeb Electronic Services and Professional Services divisions, USWeb will provide full service to its clients, including:
� End-to-end strategy, marketing, networking, applications, and systems development and integration services;
� Horizontal Electronics Services common to most enterprises, such as e-mail, e-commerce transaction fulfillment, human resources operations and sales force automation;
� Vertical, industry-specific Electronic Services, such as warranty claims management for manufacturing enterprises and record management for healthcare providers;
� Custom-developed Electronic Services that implement business functions leveraging the high security, scalability, reliability and performance of the USWeb Electronic Services Architecture
To provide this offering, USWeb operates two redundant Internet data centers, one in the Silicon Valley (Calif.) and one in Herndon, Virginia. These data centers provide the 24-hour-per-day, 7 days-a-week, mission critical infrastructure, redundancy and staffing required for clients' business process applications. USWeb plans to build two additional Internet data centers, in Europe and in Asia, to serve the needs of its international clients.
"BroadVision endorses USWeb's visionary Electronic Services IT Architecture," said Sandra Vaughan, vice president of Marketing for BroadVision. "We are pleased to contribute our industry-leading BroadVision One-To-One Commerce, Financial and Knowledge Internet applications to this endeavor to enable USWeb customers to expand their relationship management efforts across the extended enterprise."
"A key part of Vantive's strategy is to extend robust front-office functionality to all parts of the market; with USWeb's Electronic Services offering, companies of any size can realize the benefits of a complete front-office solution from Vantive," said Phillip Dunkelberger, executive vice president of Product, Technology and Marketing at Vantive. "USWeb is meeting a growing demand for reliable and cost-effective outsourcing options that enable organizations to extend their IT capabilities, running applications within their four walls or on USWeb's Electronic Services Architecture."
Stan Lepeak, vice president, Advanced Information Management Strategies, Meta Group, adds, "The notions of virtual private networking and 'leased applications' are being extended. Firms like USWeb are articulating models that combine networking with integrated custom and packaged applications, management, security and support. The concept of a 'stacked' offering that can be integrated with internal IT systems can potentially provide corporate IT with the flexibility to leverage technology in new ways and provide competitive advantage for their business."
Company Background
USWeb Corporation (Nasdaq: USWB) is a leading strategic Internet services firm helping clients achieve revenue, profit, market share, and customer loyalty objectives through Internet strategies and systems. USWeb partners with a diverse and prominent portfolio of clients, from medium-size organizations to Fortune 100 corporations. The Company, headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., recently announced that it intends to merge with CKS Group, Inc. pending regulatory and stockholder approval. Additional information about USWeb Corporation is available by calling 408-987-3200.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" (as defined under securities law) regarding the implementation of E-Services, completion and inmplementation of four Internet data centers, strategic business relationships, ability to move business operations into an Internet-based environment and potential advantages of planned activities. USWeb's actual results, including those in achieving or implementing any of the planned objectives, may differ materially and adversely from those discussed in this press release. Factors that may cause such a difference include, without limitation, risks associated with implementation of a new service offering, risks regarding market acceptance, technical challenges, costs associated with formation of Internet data centers and diversion of management and employee time and energy from other aspects of the Company's business. For additional information about factors that could affect the Company's business, see the documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.