For Immediate Release:
 

SpaceWorks Re-Defines B2B Electronic Commerce -- Leading EC Sell-side Vendor Unveils Product Vision for Fully Integrated Marketing, Selling and Service Capabilities over the Web

Vision Announced at Gartner Group IT Symposium, Booth #8024

ORLANDO, FL  -- October 12, 1999 -- SpaceWorks, Inc., the leading business-to-business Web commerce software company, today unveiled its visionary plan for its award- winning product, OrderManager, through a strategic partnership and product development strategy that will deliver three new product releases over the next twelve months.

Each release will expand on SpaceWorks current core competencies in the areas of Web- based order management – by adding functionality to address channel marketing requirements as well as key customer service aspects of the business relationship, including post-sale service and support.

Beginning immediately, companies seeking a comprehensive business-to- business Web commerce solution can look first to Spaceworks who will make it easy and affordable to enable an integrated marketing, selling and customer service environment for their customers over the Web.

SpaceWorks will achieve this expanded solution footprint through a comprehensive partnership and product development strategy.

Partnerships will include technology relationships with best- of-breed vendors in such key areas as Internet customer service, product configuration, personalization and targeted online marketing.

In addition, SpaceWorks will continue to build on its OrderManager product with additional functionality in other key areas including fulfillment, interactive guided selling and Internet-based collaborative planning.

SpaceWorks OrderManager 4.1 SpaceWorks OrderManager software gives trading partners a comprehensive self-service electronic commerce experience on the Web – all in "real-time" – with the ability to display product specs; check inventory availability; retrieve the latest pricing and catalog information; configure products, compare products and place orders; ship products and check order and shipping status; and manage credit limits and accounts.

In addition, as of version 4.1, traveling trading partners and a company’s own sales reps have the unique ability to conduct offline commerce, so order queries, catalog inquiries, and placement of orders can be conducted without an Internet connection and processed later when connected to the Web. SpaceWorks clients can also utilize OrderManager to personalize and promote products and increase revenue through targeted up selling and cross selling.

Features in Upcoming Releases

Web Customer Service: SpaceWorks will partner with leading vendors of Internet customer service solutions to provide customer service related capabilities including e-mail, online text chat and voice over the Internet. Such third party applications will be integrated into the SpaceWorks solution – significantly enhancing existing functionality. Through these improved customer service capabilities, trading partners can gain valuable assistance by talking directly to a customer service representative with the click of a button -- when searching for products, placing orders, checking on the status of orders and managing their accounts.

Interactive, Guided Selling: SpaceWorks OrderManager will soon provide an interactive, guided selling experience that will lead the buyer from the initial needs assessment stage through to product identification and validation and finally to placement of the order. This capability will act as a "virtual salesperson" on the Web, assisting the buyer in every step of the buying process.

Complex Configuration: Through partnerships with leading configurator vendors, SpaceWorks will add to the current OrderManager configuration capabilities to empower buyers with a best-of-breed configuration product, giving them the ability to configure the most complex products, and solve multiple configuration problems including complex product pricing rules.

Post-Sales Service: SpaceWorks OrderManager will also include an enhanced online service and support environment. These enhanced features will give business customers the ability to conduct online returns and replacements, process warranty claims and receive notifications of routine product maintenance alerts. The new features also include the ability to create extensive customer communities via chat rooms, bulletin boards and interactive discussion groups.

Online Fulfillment: SpaceWorks will expand on its current fulfillment capabilities that allow buyers to select from multiple shipping and delivery methods, including drop shipments, as well as link to carriers’ tracking systems. New functionality will allow buyers to conduct carrier price and service level comparisons, and receive electronic email notification of changes in the status of an order or shipment.

Personalization: New functionality in the SpaceWorks solution will further enable SpaceWorks clients to market their products to their customers in a personalized, targeted manner. The solution will empower SpaceWorks clients with the opportunity to automatically recommend product upgrades and complementary products and services; target on-screen promotions and offers; and allow the selling organization to capture, analyze and leverage buying information to drive future promotions and events. Buyer system navigation, previous buying patterns, non-intrusive customer surveys and contractual constraints will all drive this personalized customer experience.

Internet-Based Collaborative Planning: The SpaceWorks solution will be at the forefront of enabling Web- centric business processes by offering clients the ability to collaborate via the Internet with their customers, suppliers and field-based representatives on new product design and development, sales plans and forecasts, replenishment plans and schedules as well as any other information that can enhance supply chain performance.

"OrderManager…automates the entire ordering process, from marketing and selling to supporting a community of selling partners," according to Geoffrey Bock, Senior Analyst, E-Business Strategies and Solutions, at the Patricia Seybold Group – a strategic IT research and consulting firm out of Boston. "SpaceWorks has all the right stuff for many mainstream customers - those companies that are looking for an industrial strength solution and that are attracted to a turnkey application."

"We are excited about the vision for SpaceWorks business-to-business electronic commerce solution," according to SpaceWorks President and CEO, Dave MacSwain. "We offer our customers the ability to truly differentiate themselves from their competition through a solution that gives them an unparalleled Internet- based business presence."

About SpaceWorks
SpaceWorks, Inc.® drives billions in B2B revenue today for Global 2000 manufacturers, distributors and supplier-driven marketplaces. SpaceWorks industrial-strength application, the Web BusinessManager Suite, automates all the mission-critical activities involved in B2B selling, including ordering, marketing, billing and more. The solution integrates with back-end systems, e-Marketplaces and customer procurement networks to enable real-time, revenue-generating transactions. SpaceWorks clients include Avaya, BF Goodrich, GE Aircraft Engines, and Maytag Corporation, among others. Alliance partners include PricewaterhouseCoopers, webMethods, Commerce One and more. Additional information is available at www.spaceworks.com.

Note to Editors: OrderManager and SpaceWorks are registered trademarks of SpaceWorks, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective holders.

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