IPNet, Inovis Combine to Offer Strategic B2B Enablement Solution for Retail and Healthcare Organizations

NEWPORT BEACH, CA – Sept. 23, 2002: IPNet Solutions® Inc., a leader in flexible supply chain connectivity, announced today it has partnered with Inovis (formerly Harbinger and Extricity), a software provider focused on the rapid enablement of private trading networks and B2B communities, to offer more comprehensive solutions for the B2B marketplace. With a specific focus on the healthcare and retail industries, these leading B2B e-commerce providers will offer solutions aimed at simplifying the task of implementing private B2B communities.

“Inovis’ strong foot-hold and reputation in the marketplace is what attracted IPNet to this partnership. Inovis has been providing comprehensive e-business solutions to the marketplace for 18 years and is committed to easing the burden of becoming HIPAA compliant in all areas,” said Geoff Joynt, vice president of strategic programs for IPNet. “With this partnership, Inovis customers will have access to IPNet’s BizManager solutions that rapidly accelerate trading partner connectivity, a powerful advantage in the competitive retail and healthcare industries.”

IPNet brings both retail and healthcare expertise to the partnership. With leading customers such as Lowe’s, Meijer, Kohl’s and Dollar General, IPNet’s strong presence in the retail industry is unmatched. An innovator in solutions for healthcare, IPNet’s support for HL7 (Health Level 7) and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) combine with its comprehensive feature set to offer a premiere solution for secure data transfer.

To address the healthcare market, Inovis and IPNet will combine their respective solutions to offer a premier data transformation software solution for rapid HIPAA integration. Designed for the healthcare industry, Inovis’ TrustedLink for Healthcare dramatically reduces the time, cost and effort to become HIPAA-compliant.

TrustedLink for Healthcare enables enormous savings by increasing accuracy of claim data, reducing days revenue outstanding by reducing claim rejections, and reduces administrative expense of claim rework. It provides healthcare organizations with a competitive advantage by ensuring all claims are completely valid for all seven WEDI/SNIP types. Most importantly, this deep data content validation is available during all production business operations, not just at mapping or testing time. In addition, TrustedLink for Healthcare allows organizations to send binary data such as spreadsheets or x-rays, within EDI documents.

Passed to improve healthcare delivery in the US, HIPAA aims to increase security protocols for the transport of patient-identifiable information and reduce administrative costs by implementing electronic data interchange. The deadline for health care organizations to comply with the HIPAA transaction requirements is October 2003.

“IPNet’s market-leading BizManager products expand the depth of the Inovis offering, enabling us to provide a more strategic solution for our customers, all from a single vendor,” said Steve Gaylor, vice president of marketing. “Since IPNet’s products are complimentary to the Inovis solutions, our customers will enjoy the most comprehensive solution available – all with a goal of simplifying the task of trading partner integration with EDI-INT.”

BizManager allows Global 2000 companies to securely exchange business transactions, including EDI (electronic data interchange), XML (extensible markup language), HL7 (Health Level Seven), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), binary and flat files, with their trading partners.

Included in the BizManager product line are vertical-specific transaction management solutions for hub companies in the retail and manufacturing industries, as well as utilities and healthcare. The BizManager set of tiered solutions satisfies the connectivity and transport needs for enterprises ranging from large Global 2000 companies to small and medium sized (SMEs) suppliers. And to address the needs of smaller partners with limited technology and resources, the BizManager line includes three easy-to-implement transaction-processing alternatives, BizConnect™, BizMail™ and BizWeb™.

About Inovis
Inovis™, Inc. helps companies rapidly and cost-efficiently build, grow and manage B2B communities. With over 18 years of experience and 20,000 customers, the company provides businesses large and small with award-winning software, connectivity, business process management and managed services to participate in collaborative partner relationships. Inovis solutions leverage the Get2ConnectSM global trading network, which processes over 1.4 million e-commerce transactions each business day. For more information, go to www.Inovis.com or call 1-800-607-4334.

About IPNet Solutions
IPNet Solutions Inc. provides software that connects Global 2000 companies and their business partners enabling secure data exchange. Its flexible and secure solutions support leading Internet standards, XML and legacy EDI systems. IPNet allows business partners of any size to participate in B2B initiatives by offering server, PC, Java-client and browser options. Its patented technology helps companies migrate risk-free from legacy systems to the Internet.
Industry recognition includes Computerworld’s “Top 100 Emerging Companies to Watch in 2001,” Managing Automation’s “25 Emerging Companies to Watch,” American Electronics Association’s “Best Software Application,” iSource’s “Top 100 Premier E-Procurement Providers” and RIS News’ “Top 10 Emerging Leaders.” More information about the company can be found atwww.ipnetsolutions.com or 866-476-3848 (866-IPNET4U).