Pandesic™ LLC Introduces Industry's First Comprehensive Turnkey Electronic Commerce Platform

New Solution Offers Real-Time, Internet-Based Order Processing and Management; Dramatically Reduces Time-to-Market and Start-Up Costs for Web-Based Businesses

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Aug. 5, 1997 – Pandesic™ LLC, the newly formed electronic commerce solutions company jointly owned by Intel Corporation and SAP America Inc., today announced the Pandesic Internet business solution, the industry's first integrated business system that allows merchants to quickly and easily add end-to-end capabilities for selling goods and services over the Internet.

The Pandesic Web commerce solution is the only platform that allows merchants to manage their electronic-commerce businesses in real time using integrated business processes. A fully end-to-end system, it seamlessly handles all marketing, order processing and fulfillment, inventory pricing, materials management, tax handling, payment processing, shipping and handling logistics, financial reporting and vendor-payment processes associated with electronic commerce transactions.

In addition, the Pandesic Web commerce solution is broadly supported by key companies in a variety of industries, including service providers, Web developers, software and hardware vendors, financial institutions, payment processors, and logistics carriers. These companies include Citibank, Compaq Computer Corp., CyberCash Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., Inacom Corp., TAXWARE International Inc., Telxon Corp., United Parcel Service and USWeb Corp.

Combining software, hardware and installation service and support into the industry's first real-time "order to cash" electronic commerce solution, the Pandesic online commerce solution can be fully installed and productive in as few as two weeks. Using the Pandesic online commerce solution, merchants can reduce their time-to-market and start-up costs dramatically while receiving the benefits of best-of-breed business processes, system scalability for large transaction volumes, and functionality that maximizes the efficiency of Web-based businesses.

"Many current electronic commerce products require customers to have significant expertise and make a considerable investment to integrate the products with existing non-scaleable legacy systems, test them, and bring them into production," said Denise Byron, research manager, vertical applications at International Data Corp.. "By packaging a highly scalable, integrated solution of hardware and software, Pandesic is taking a unique, solutions-based approach to helping customers gain a foothold in the rapidly growing electronic commerce market. And with the credibility and expertise of Intel and SAP behind it, the Pandesic Web commerce solution is built on a solid foundation of business process and logistics knowledge developed and honed over many years."

Firms Support Pandesic as Integrated Electronic Business Solution
Pandesic LLC also announced support for its new platform from a number of companies that provide expertise in specific functional areas essential to making the platform a complete, end-to-end solution.

"Our solution challenges the traditional definition of electronic commerce by radically expanding the scope of business processes that are integrated when the system is initially installed and running," said Harold E. Hughes Jr., chairman of Pandesic LLC. "With the business process integration, cost-effectiveness, scalability and manageability of the Pandesic Internet commerce solution, companies can literally run a large, Web-based business operation with only a handful of dedicated employees. This is a significant advantage over attempting to do business on the Internet using other or legacy systems."

The following are key areas for industry support for Pandesic LLC and its solution:

Hardware vendors that are working with Pandesic LLC to provide Intel architecture-based servers on which the Pandesic Internet business solution is preloaded and run. These enterprise servers offer industry-leading price/performance and cost-effectiveness for electronic commerce applications.
Payment processors that are working with Pandesic to support secure electronic transactions and credit card processing for merchants purchasing the Pandesic Internet business solution
Financial institutions, such as Citibank, that plan to offer global banking services in conjunction with Pandesic
Channel service providers that provide efficient and cost-effective installation service, Web site development, and ongoing service and support for installed customer sites. USWeb Corp. is Pandesic's initial national service partner for designing, installing and supporting the Pandesic-commerce solution at customer sites around the country.
Software ISVs that offer value-added solutions and software extensions, including Web-based catalog systems, tax-calculation software and payment capabilities that augment the core functionality found in the Pandesic electronic commerce solution
Logistics service providers, including UPS, that offer efficient, timely and economical transportation services for delivering orders to end-user customers worldwide

Solution Reduces Time-to-Market While Increasing Competitiveness, Flexibility
Pandesic LLC created its online business solution with an innovative, transaction-based cost model that is similar to a traditional credit card system. This exclusive "pay as you go" business model minimizes up-front investment by merchants and offers a number of advantages:

Low start-up, operating and maintenance costs because merchants pay a small percentage of the transaction price for each transaction performed, rather than purchasing the entire hardware and software system. This eliminates the need for merchants to spend large sums purchasing and supporting additional computing platforms.
State-of-the-art hardware and software is included with the Pandesic Internet business solution. As a merchant's Internet business grows or more powerful hardware and software become available, they can upgrade or update its systems with minimal or no impact on the merchant.
Increased competitiveness and customer reach through additional channels. Companies using the Pandesic online business solution can have a greatly expanded business reach for their goods and services using the global Internet.
Automated, real-time access to business information through the Pandesic Web commerce solution's proven, integrated business processes. Online customers and vendors alike will be able to check order status, review inventory levels, requisition balance-sheet information, check "available to promise" information, and automatically manage financial transactions using the Pandesic platform's streamlined business processes in the Pandesic Internet business solution.
"Evergreen" service and support - a new concept designed to keep customers' Pandesic electronic business solutions current as the underlying hardware and software evolve. This approach ensures that the Pandesic solution will evolve and grow with the needs of customers.

Pandesic Internet Business Solution Product Architecture
The Pandesic Internet commerce solution is built on industry-standard hardware and software. Initial configurations will be shipped pre-configured and pre-loaded on Intel-based Hewlett-Packard NetServer and Compaq ProLiant servers. Extensive use is made of Microsoft's industry-standard software components such as Windows NT Server 4.0, SQL Server, Internet Information Server, and Active Page Server in an effort to ensure compatibility and interoperability with the large base of installed systems and applications.

Pricing and Availability
The Pandesic Internet business solution Release 1.0 is scheduled to be available during the third quarter of 1997, initially through Inacom and USWeb. Pricing for the solution will vary depending on the hardware and software configuration purchased, transaction volumes, and applications used. The pricing model for the Pandesic Internet commerce solution is specifically designed to allow easy entry for customers through low upfront and ongoing costs.

About Pandesic LLC
Pandesic LLC intends to develop innovative, end-to-end electronic business solutions that make companies more competitive by providing real-time access to business information, leveraging proven best business practices and using highly integrated systems. Pandesic will be formed in 1997, and will be a limited-liability corporation founded jointly by Intel Corp. and SAP America with headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif.

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