Mercantec Press Release Contacts: Rachna Luthra Mercantec, Inc media@mercantec.com 630.305.3200, ext. 2111 Kristen Fundator Buzz divine 312-923-2060, ext. 37664 kristen.fundator@divineinterventures.com Seminar to Help Chicago Retailers Capitalize on the Internet Internet Leaders to help Chicago businesses quickly and easily generate revenue over the Web CHICAGO - March 13, 2000 - Chicago-area retailers wanting to expand their sales and marketing channels to include the Internet can receive advice and tips on getting started from industry experts. An e-commerce seminar will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and again from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 12 at the Oakbrook Hyatt in Oakbrook, Ill. There is no charge for this seminar. Mark Brohan, editor-in-chief of EC Software News, a monthly magazine that covers electronic commerce trends, will keynote a session providing a general understanding of e-commerce and an overview of how the business-to-consumer market continues to benefit from Internet retailing. Additional presentations will be given by experts from Mercantec (www.mercantec.com), a leading worldwide provider of Internet commerce products and services, and leading application service provider (ASP) Interliant. The seminar will offer vital information about services and demonstrated processes that local small-to-medium-sized merchants can use to capitalize on the business potential of the Internet, a market expected to triple in size from $600 million in 2000 to $1.8 billion in the next three years.* "To survive in today's marketplace, it is essential that businesses are able to sell their products and services via the Web. E-commerce provides small-to-medium sized business a means to reach a global audience, level the playing field, and increase revenue," Brohan said. "Both big and small merchants need to think about more than just merchandising and graphics. They need to think through their systems integration, order fulfillment and customer service strategies. Firms like Mercantec and Interliant offer solutions to meet these needs. The e-commerce revolution is here, and businesses that don't join it will be left behind." The Mercantec/Interliant presentations will provide practical advice for Chicago area retailers seeking to market and sell over the World Wide Web. They will share information about their products and services that assist merchants in establishing their Internet presence quickly, reliably and cost-effectively. Mercantec's Internet commerce solutions are used by more than 14,000 merchants worldwide through more than 180 Internet service providers. Through their sales and support of Mercantec solutions, Interliant, host to over 100,000 Web sites worldwide, offers industry-leading e-commerce capabilities for small-to-medium sized businesses. Combined with their services to create, host and market a small business Web site, Interliant offers merchants a single source for innovative solutions that enable them to capitalize on the potential of the Internet. The Mercantec/Interliant e-commerce seminar will be held at the Hyatt Hotel in Oakbrook, Ill. at 1909 Spring Road. For more information or to register for the Mercantec/Interliant e-commerce seminar, please call 630-305-3200 or visit www.mercantec.com/e-commerceseminar. About Mercantec 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 180 strong and includes some of the industry's leaders, such as Verio/Hiway, EarthLink, MindSpring, Sprint, Interliant and Telephonica. Among those in the financial channel are American Express and DataPro Software. For additional company or product information, visit the Mercantec Web site, www.mercantec.com, or call 630-305-3200. ### * December, 1999, Forrester Research Interliant is a registered trademark of Interliant, Inc. Mercantec is a registered trademark of Mercantec. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective companies.