Verticalnet Announces Release of XE 5.4 - Enabling the Next Wave of Value through Supply Management

Verticalnet, Inc. (Nasdaq:VERT), a leading provider of On Demand supply management solutions, today announced the launch of Version 5.4 of the Verticalnet® XE Supply Management Suite, delivering new features to its "Software as a Service” (SaaS) customer base through the upgrade of the On Demand version of the Verticalnet® XE Supply Management Suite. In response to pressure to improve upon prior savings results, strengthen procurement processes and improve sources of supply, today’s leading sourcing organizations focus on driving sustainable value realization throughout the supply network. By offering solutions that provide both rapid ROI and an infrastructure for process oversight, team collaboration and supplier improvement, Verticalnet On Demand allows customers to tailor a solution to meet their exact sourcing challenge. Verticalnet XE 5.4 strengthens core negotiation capability, enhances visibility into the supply base and provides a mechanism for continued training of sourcing professionals to provide a solution designed to meet today’s ever changing sourcing landscape. Verticalnet XE 5.4's enhancements were developed in conjunction with customer feedback on best practice and ongoing market research and focuses on emerging trends within the field of supply management. Enhanced functionality in Verticalnet XE 5.4 specifically addresses the following emerging customer priorities: Improving the skills of key sourcing professionals Driving supplier performance visibility into value Increasing competitiveness and visibility during online negotiations While Verticalnet XE 5.4 contains many new features, three major enhancements address the above mentioned trends and provide significant value for sourcing organizations focused on improving their sourcing processes, increasing visibility, and leveraging best-in-class tools for supply management: Integrated Learning Management System - Verticalnet XE Program Manager provides a centralized location to store and manage the sourcing processes, resulting in shortened cycle times through the immediate access of best-practice process guides, reduced risk due to the capture of all accumulated knowledge about categories and suppliers, and improved operational performance through the sharing of project conclusions across the enterprise. Verticalnet XE 5.4 improves upon these significant knowledge management capabilities by integrating a comprehensive learning management system with the Verticalnet XE supply management suite. Verticalnet XE 5.4 introduces a set of on-demand training services focused on helping users to build and maintain the functional and sourcing skills needed to extract maximum value from the Verticalnet® Supply Management Software Suite. By integrating the Verticalnet Learning Management System (VLMS) with Verticalnet XE 5.4, customers now have access to Education, Certification and Community products online including: Differences training: For each release of the Verticalnet(R) Supply Management Software Suite users learn about new features and functions. Sourcing Training: Eight eLearning Modules cover the 8 steps of the Strategic Sourcing Process. From Opportunity Assessment through Supplier Qualification and eNegotiation users will learn about leveraging industry best practices into their own sourcing events. Certification: Online certification programs allow users to assess their skills and maintain their edge with the Verticalnet(R) Supply Management Software Suite. Online Supplier Training: Using online learning we eliminate the need for buyers to teach suppliers how to access and use the Verticalnet(R) Supply Management Software Suite to respond to document. Verticalnet Training Services offers online and traditional training products that drive user adoption and increase ROI with Verticalnet solutions. Our Lifetime Sourcing Excellence Programs let us maintain our focus on using education to drive ROI throughout the customer’s lifecycle. Negotiating for Total Value – Verticalnet XE Negotiation Manager provides the tools necessary for an effective On Demand strategic sourcing program by empowering the sourcing team with integrated sourcing tools, delivering strong RFx and Auction tools for online supplier negotiation, and enabling self-service bid optimization and supplier bid analysis. Verticalnet XE 5.4 adds to these deep capabilities by improving real-time visibility to ongoing negotiation and auction event results while streamlining the event setup and execution process. Improved buyer control of the negotiation process within this release includes the ability to control quantity-based bid calculations, to utilize powerful worksheets for large auction events, and to more effectively manage specific supplier bidding. Supplier Performance Improvement– Verticalnet XE Performance Manager enables companies to more effectively track and manage supplier performance, compliance, and areas of risk through enterprise-wide supplier development tools such as supplier strategy development, score-carding, web-surveys, automated data collection, actionable alerts, and corrective action project execution. Verticalnet XE 5.4 improves on these capabilities by delivering a powerful new cockpit for measuring supplier performance. This enhancement provides comprehensive insight into overall supplier scores, historical trending, category-level metric assessments, performance color coding, and drill down support into individual metrics and assessments. "Our customers are challenged to provide continuous improvement in savings realization and process efficiency. By working closely with them, we are able to identify solutions to meet their individual needs”, stated Jim Wetekamp, Vice President of Solution Strategy for Verticalnet. "As the Verticalnet XE 5.4 release demonstrates, this collaboration provides Verticalnet’s customers with a solution that addresses emerging sourcing trends and meets their key needs for deeper supplier performance visibility, advanced negotiation capability and continued investment in sourcing professional training.” Rick Odell, Global Commodity Manager, Invensys Systems, Inc. stated that "Initial and ongoing user training are key elements of success in sourcing programs. Verticalnet's Online Training Services offer a flexible and fresh departure from traditional training classes." Availability There is no additional cost to existing customers for the new features of Verticalnet XE 5.4. It has been provided to customers as part of the upgrade process of the XE On Demand solution that has included four version releases through 2006. The Verticalnet XE Supply Management suite is available On Demand and includes: Verticalnet® Program Manager-- lowers the total cost of ownership and improves productivity through sound and re-usable program and process management Verticalnet® Spend Manager-- a fast, intelligent, and repeatable solution for identifying, evaluating, and quantifying enterprise-wide sourcing opportunities while measuring compliance Verticalnet® Negotiation Manager-- accelerates and improves negotiated savings through online auctions and eRFX events Verticalnet® Procurement Manager-– simplifies and improves control over the procurement process to help companies realize the maximum cost savings identified through supplier sourcing and negotiation Verticalnet® Contract Manager–- provides real-time insights into contract obligations, exposures, expirations, changes and renewals delivering greater control, reducing costly oversights and minimizing supplier risk Verticalnet® Performance Manager-- enables companies to effectively track and manage supplier performance, contract compliance and identify potential areas of supplier risk About Verticalnet Verticalnet is a leading provider of supply management solutions that enable companies to identify and realize sustained value across the supply management lifecycle. Going beyond traditional spend management and sourcing approaches, Verticalnet’s solutions provide the visibility, insight and process control required to maximize the sustained value realization from supply management. Large enough to help customers attain supply management success worldwide, yet nimble enough to provide individual attention and remain focused on customer priorities, Verticalnet is helping leading Global 2000 companies and mid-market enterprises move their supply management efforts to the next level through an optimal blend of software, comprehensive services, and deep category knowledge and domain expertise. To learn more, please visit us at www.verticalnet.com