Mercantec Press Release Contacts: Rachna Luthra Mercantec, Inc media@mercantec.com 630.305.3200, ext. 2111 Kurth Rahn EarthLink kurtrahn@corp.earthlink.net 626.296.5737 Mercantec's SoftCart Used by EarthLink to Sell Business Internet Services Online Leading Internet Service Provider uses SoftCart for TotalCommerce CHICAGO - Thursday, February 3, 2000 - Mercantec Inc.®, leading provider of Internet commerce software products and services, today announced that leading ISP EarthLink (NASDAQ: ELNK) officially launched an online ordering Web site for its business services using Mercantec's award-winning SoftCart® e-commerce solution. EarthLink's online ordering site uses the same Mercantec SoftCart technology that powers EarthLink's TotalCommerce Developer Packs. "We are excited that EarthLink has chosen SoftCart as its own e-commerce solution, as well as selling it to its business members. By leveraging our superior e-commerce storefront capabilities, EarthLink has made it much easier and convenient for its business members to order what they need to make the Internet an important business tool," stated Al Turnauer, vice president of sales for Mercantec. EarthLink's TotalCommerce offerings are the only integrated, end-to-end e-commerce packages that include everything merchants need to create an online store. These packages have features that include Website creation tools, product catalog and shopping cart creation and maintenance capabilities, secure credit card capture and online merchant account setups. Other online services send their clients to third party vendors for credit card capture and merchant account services. EarthLink TotalCommerce includes these features for a complete, integrated solution. To meet the budgets and needs of different sized businesses, EarthLink offers two distinct types of e-commerce offerings: entry-level Entrepreneur Packages for smaller, "do-it-yourself" merchants and high-end Developer Packages for advanced users and professional Web site developers. "It says a lot that we'd rely on the same technology we offer our members to do the critical job of taking online orders for our Web hosting and e-commerce services. Our online ordering site uses the same Mercantec SoftCart technology that powers our Developer Packs," said Barry Friedman, director of business product development. Mercantec SoftCart is the leading virtual storefront software delivered through ISPs and Web hosting providers. Now, SoftCart makes it even easier for ISPs to deliver and support the electronic commerce demands of their customers. SoftCart's integrated store creation tools and templates give merchants easy-to-use tools that simplify the process of building an electronic commerce site. Mercantec is the leading provider of e-commerce software solutions. Its flagship product, SoftCart, offers merchants the ultimate tool for building and maintaining their online store, with unmatched levels of ease, functionality and security. In early 1999, SoftCart won NewMedia magazine's 1999 Hyper Award in the Out-Of-The-Box Store category. About Mercantec Inc. Established in 1995, Mercantec, Inc. is a leading provider of software products and services that enable Internet commerce. Mercantec distributes complete e-commerce solutions through leveraged channels to small- to medium-sized businesses. Among those channels are service providers, financial organizations, and Internet content providers. Mercantec's service provider channel is more than 135 strong and includes some of the industry's leaders, such as Earthlink, MindSpring, and Verio/HiWay. Among those in the financial channel are American Express and DataPro Software. For additional company or product information, visit the Mercantec Website, www.mercantec.com, or call 630-305-3200.