B2B Technologies and Thrive Technologies Partnership Delivers First Supply Chain Web Service

Industrial Strength Forecasting Quickly Integrates with Existing Systems

Atlanta, GA, January 29, 2002 - Thrive Technologies, a leading provider of supply chain planning solutions to mid-market manufacturers and distributors, and B2B Technologies, a leading provider of collaborative Internet applications today announced the release of Firstcast™, the first industrial strength demand planning Web service in the market. The joint venture between Thrive Technologies, Inc. and B2B Technologies, LLC, established in October, 2001, kicked off the new year by releasing the first in a series of supply chain planning Web services that can be quickly integrated for use with any ERP or supply chain solution. As a Web service, Firstcast can be accessed remotely over the Web by a company’s on-site applications in a manner that is transparent to the user. Additionally, Firstcast is designed to be an OEM solution for software providers who would like to offer more robust forecasting functionality in conjunction with their existing products.

Firstcast is built upon Thrive’s ClearDay™ Forecast product, which has been used since 1983 by many Fortune 500 companies such as Whirlpool, Mead, and The Coca-Cola Company. It has been converted to a Web service by B2B Technologies. The joint venture plans to create Web services for ClearDay Replenish as the next step in making the full ClearDay forecasting and replenishment suite available through Web services.

Web service technology provides "loosely coupled" integration, which can be put in place quickly and revised as existing applications get upgraded or replaced. Firstcast can also facilitate collaborative inventory planning between companies where the planning functionality is hosted, and accessed as needed by each company’s unique applications, regardless of platform or vendor. As a Web service, Firstcast is designed to take on the “look and feel” of the customer’s existing user interface as a seamless extension of existing software applications.

"Using Microsoft’s .NET platform tools allows B2B’s developers to deploy Web services that conform to the SOAP and WSDL standards, without being hampered by the intricacies of the protocols," says Don Wolf, Chief Technology Officer for B2B Technologies. "Visual Studio.NET does all of the 'plumbing' work, allowing our staff to concentrate on building business solutions. In addition, the Firstcast Web service can be discovered via UDDI, the Internet business directory, which allows developers to find and implement Web services."

Firstcast pricing is based on either a license or monthly subscription model, depending on whether the software is installed on-site or hosted. Pricing is based on the number of SKU’s and number of users. ClearDay forecasting and replenishment products are also available on a licensed basis from Thrive Technologies.

About Thrive Technologies
Thrive Technologies, Inc. is a leading innovator in the mid-market inventory forecasting and replenishment software space. By combining integration technologies with proven established supply chain planning software, Thrive provides a comprehensive yet approachable solution to midsized and large companies who need to better control their inventory costs. With a history of products ranging back to 1983, Thrive provides their clients with an extremely quick ROI from greatly improved inventory efficiencies as well as the ability to provide better service to their own customers. For more information, visit Thrive on the Web at www.thrivetech.com.

About B2B Technologies
B2B Technologies is a privately held Internet consulting and development company specializing in business-to-business e-commerce and supply chain integration solutions. Its mission is to help companies improve their market position, revenues and profitability through the innovative application of Internet technologies.

B2B Tech’s customer base includes mid-market companies in the financial services, manufacturing, distribution, computer software and non-profit verticals. B2B Tech has a broad range of experience in e-commerce, information architecture, database management systems, ERP and Supply Chain Management, Knowledge Management, digital marketplaces, and systems integration. With these skills, B2B Tech can provide its customers with everything from strategic consulting through development and deployment.