Verticalnet Announces On-Demand Components of its XE Supply Management Suite Selected by The Sourcing Authority Selected for Online Supplier Negotiation

Verticalnet, Inc. (Nasdaq:VERT), a leading provider of on-demandsupply management solutions, announced today that it has established anew partner relationship with The Sourcing Authority. The SourcingAuthority is an emerging e-sourcing services company focused onstreamlining the negotiations process for customers of all sizes andindustries.

The Sourcing Authority's years of experience negotiating billionsof dollars on behalf of Fortune 50 companies has helped them todevelop the tools, techniques and strategies required to optimallymanage and reduce supplier costs. The Sourcing Authority's experiencedprofessionals combine procurement best practices with Verticalnet'sintuitive XE Supply Management Suite to maximize their customer'ssavings, while ensuring that they receive the greatest value for theirinvestment.

At the technological core of The Sourcing Authority's valueproposition are the on-demand components of the Verticalnet XE SupplyManagement Solution Suite. The Sourcing Authority will leverageVerticalnet Negotiation Manager which is designed to accelerate andimprove negotiated savings through online auctions and eRFX events. Inaddition, the Verticalnet Program Manager will be used to helpcustomers lower the total cost of ownership and improve sourcingproductivity through sound and re-usable program and processmanagement.

"We are pleased to have industry leading on-demand sourcingapplications from Verticalnet as the enabling technology to supportour value proposition," says Brad Keighley, Co-Founder in charge ofTechnology Operations for The Sourcing Authority. "We performed acomprehensive analysis and performance benchmark on Verticalnet andtheir major competitors, including some products with which we've hadseveral years working experience. Ultimately, we decided onVerticalnet because of its ease of use, superior functionality, andthe overall industry expertise they have to offer." Keighleyconcludes, "Our success is tied to the combination of our provenexperience and the applications that support our offerings. WithVerticalnet we're confident that we'll be able to deliver on ourfounding principle - "State-of-the-Art Sourcing. Simplified."

"Verticalnet is very pleased that The Sourcing Authority hasplaced its confidence in our company and our on-demand XE SupplyManagement solutions," said Brent Habig, Executive Vice PresidentProfessional Services and Channels for Verticalnet. "With a name likeThe Sourcing Authority, our new partner has set the bar high forcustomer expectations and delivery of results." Habig concludes, "WithVerticalnet software and The Sourcing Authority's industry expertise,we believe our combined solution will exceed customer expectations."

About The Sourcing Authority

The Sourcing Authority offers cutting edge purchasing solutionswhich allow companies of all sizes to leverage today's technologywithout the substantial up-front investment. Their unique strategyachieves unparalleled cost reductions while simplifying thenegotiations process from several weeks down to a few hours. They liketo call it "State-of-the-Art Sourcing. Simplified." For moreinformation about The Sourcing Authority, visit them on the Web at:www.thesourcingauthority.com

About Verticalnet

Verticalnet is a leading provider of on-demand supply managementsolutions that enable companies to identify and realize sustainedvalue across the supply management lifecycle. Going beyond traditionalspend management and sourcing approaches, Verticalnet's solutionsprovide the visibility, insight and process control required tomaximize the sustained value realization from supply management. Largeenough to help customers attain supply management success worldwide,yet nimble enough to provide individual attention and remain focusedon customer priorities, Verticalnet is helping leading Global 2000companies and mid-market enterprises move their supply managementefforts to the next level through an optimal blend of software,comprehensive services, and deep category knowledge and domainexpertise.

The Verticalnet XE Supply Management suite is available on-demandand includes:

-- Verticalnet(R) Program Manager -- lowers the total cost of ownership and improves productivity through sound and re-usable program and process management

-- Verticalnet(R) Spend Manager -- a fast, intelligent, and repeatable solution for identifying, evaluating, and quantifying enterprise-wide sourcing opportunities while measuring compliance

-- Verticalnet(R) Negotiation Manager -- accelerates and improves negotiated savings through online auctions and eRFX events

-- Verticalnet(R) 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(R) 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(R) Performance Manager -- enables companies to effectively track and manage supplier performance, contract compliance and identify potential areas of supplier risk

To learn more, please visit us at www.verticalnet.com.

Verticalnet is a registered trademark or a trademark in the UnitedStates and other countries of Vert Tech LLC