For Immediate Release:
 

Another - Build vs. Buy - Debate Is Settled In The Electonic Commerce Market By SpaceWorks, Inc.

MR&S Win Is Latest Coup For SpaceWorks In The PC Distribution Channel- Announcement Made at Fourth Annual Internet & Electronic Commerce Show

NEW YORK, NY - Jacob Javits Convention Center -  -- April 27, 1998 -- SpaceWorks, Inc., a fast-emerging leader in the business-to-business Extranet Commerce arena, today announced that MR&S (Manalapan, NJ), a $100 million integrator of custom computer products, has selected the Company's award- winning OrderManager software to create Web-based, real-time electronic ordering with its top customers which include blue-chip clients such as AT&T, Lucent Technologies and General Motors. The announcement of SpaceWorks newest customer was made at the iEC/Gartner Group show in New York-the world's largest conference and exhibition on electronic commerce.

According to Mark Vicini, president of MR&S, once the integrator made the strategic decision to offer electronic ordering to its current accounts, the next critical step was to decide whether to build its own solution, or look to the product sets offered by the EC market's leaders. MR&S pegged an in-house build at nine months and three quarters of a million dollars, conservatively, according to Vicini. "OrderManager will allow MR&S to achieve technical efficiencies in the Extranet Commerce arena within one third of that time- frame, at a significantly lower cost, which will be a tremendous boon to our business," said Vicini.

"Once we had settled the 'build vs. buy' debate, MR&S began an extensive evaluation of top-drawer EC solutions-a process which quickly led us to SpaceWorks," Vicini said. "Despite the many alternatives in the market today, SpaceWorks impressed us with their understanding of our industry and the powerful capabilities of the OrderManager product. OrderManager is quickly becoming the new EC standard in the computer distribution channel." Vicini noted that he expects to attract new accounts to the MR&S roster as a result of the OrderManager solution-soon to be private-labeled as a unique MR&S offering.

World-Class Desktop Integrator Chooses SpaceWorks

"In determining whether to build or buy an Electronic Commerce solution, companies need to decide whether or not software development is their core mission; they should be focused on their primary lines of business, rather than on developing 'version X.0' of an in-house program," said Dave MacSwain, president and CEO of SpaceWorks. "With proven, out-of-the-box EC software applications, companies can focus on strategic issues like cutting their operating costs and creating new business models that drive new revenue streams."

OrderManager connections to the MR&S back-end systems will provide its FORTUNE 50 clients with the ability to view real-time product catalog items, inventory levels, pricing lists and account status-while also electronically tracking their thousands of product orders.

MR&S plans to launch the OrderManager application via extranet links from its existing back-end system-Dataflo from DataWorks, Inc.-to corporate customers such as AT&T and Lucent in May 1998. Additional MR&S clientele will join MR&S's Extranet Commerce network throughout the year.

"SpaceWorks ability to quickly link OrderManager's functionality to our unique back-end system was another key reason for our selection," Vicini added. "Online ordering today provides companies such as MR&S a critical competitive advantage."

"This marks the latest big win for SpaceWorks in the PC distribution market, affirming once again that we are becoming the chief player in this ultra- competitive, thin-margin marketspace," concluded Liz Sara, SpaceWorks vice president of marketing. "Our PC channel customers quickly realize the benefits that our application-and our unique expertise-bring to the table."

Headquartered in Maryland's "Technology Corridor," SpaceWorks develops markets and supports a suite of business-to-business electronic commerce software applications for use on the Internet, through private corporate intranets and over extranets. The OrderManager software enables corporations to reinvent the way they operate with their trading partners, suppliers, and business clients in the information economy.

Based in Manalapan, NJ, MR&S offers world-class technology integration services to some of the largest corporations in the country. With over 12 years' experience in the industry, MR&S has established a strong reputation for quality and customer satisfaction. Its technology services organization has become a premier provider of systems integration and desktop support services.

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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