HotSamba Partners with RightNow Technologies to Add On-Line Customer Support to its Hosted ASP E-Commerce Service

Business Wire, April 5, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Spring Internet World 2000

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 2000

Manufacturers and Distributors Using Rapid Commerce(TM) Can Now Offer

Their Own Customers Instantaneous Online Support

HotSamba(TM), a leading global provider of business-to-business, e-commerce solutions for the durable goods manufacturing and distribution supply chain, today announced a partnership with RightNow Technologies, a leading provider of Web customer service systems. Under the partnership agreement, HotSamba will integrate the RightNow Web customer service suite to provide a new add-on service to HotSamba Rapid Commerce, the first sell-side hosted e-commerce ASP (Application Service Provider) for mid-market manufacturers and distributors. HotSamba's customer base of manufacturers and distributors who are using Rapid Commerce can now offer their own customers improved customer satisfaction, response times, and service levels.

"The first e-commerce step for our customers is establishing a 'buy button' for their products on the Web," said Robert Onesto, president and CEO of HotSamba. "The next critical step is to better support and understand their Web site customers, and RightNow Technologies customer support suite is the foundation for providing key, value added services that help increase the usability of their Web site and improve customer service levels while reducing support and Web maintenance costs."

"We're pleased that HotSamba has chosen RightNow Web as the customer service engine for its business-to-business electronic commerce solutions," said Greg Gianforte, founder and CEO of RightNow Technologies. "The combination of RightNow Web with HotSamba Rapid Commerce provides manufacturers and distributors with streamlined customer support that was not possible with traditional paper-based catalogs."

HotSamba Rapid Commerce is a managed e-commerce service that provides customers with a professionally created Web site and electronic catalog with several intuitive navigation options, online ordering and workflow management, for a low initial set-up fee and monthly subscription fee. The service includes site hosting and site/catalog maintenance.

About RightNow Technologies

Founded in 1997, RightNow Technologies automates customer service and technical support operations for Internet-connected organizations. RightNow Technologies' customers include Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream, Nortel, PictureTel, Sprint, TDK, Vivitar, Xerox and over 500 other organizations. RightNow Technologies is located at 601 Haggerty Drive, Bozeman, MT 59715, and can be reached by phone at 888-322-3566, by fax at 406-522-4227, by e-mail at info@rightnowtech.com or on the Web at http://www.rightnowtech.com.

About HotSamba

HotSamba is the leading global provider of business-to-business e-commerce solutions for the durable goods manufacturing and distribution supply chain. The company develops vertically focused, Web-based software and services that help manufacturers and distributors more efficiently and cost effectively conduct business with trading partners, while making it faster and easier for their customers to purchase vital operating resources. HotSamba is located in Schaumburg, Illinois and can be contacted by phone at 1-800-847-5564, or through its web site at www.hotsamba.com.

Note to Editors: HotSamba, netMarketsource, and Rapid Commerce are trademarks of HotSamba, as established under the HotSamba and InterWare, Inc. names. Other product and company names mentioned or referenced in this and other HotSamba documents may be trademarks of their respective owners.