Ironmax and PRIMEDIA Forge Strategic Alliance

Business Wire, July 27, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

MENLO PARK, Calif. & LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 27, 2000

Ironmax, the online marketplace for the construction equipment industry and a portfolio company of CMGI @Ventures, the venture capital affiliate of CMGI, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMGI), has entered a strategic alliance with PRIMEDIA Inc., a targeted media company.

Through the terms of the alliance, PRIMEDIA has taken a significant equity stake in Ironmax, making PRIMEDIA the largest Ironmax shareholder. PRIMEDIA will contribute content, promotional services and cash. The alliance calls for PRIMEDIA to provide construction equipment information online exclusively to Ironmax customers.

"We believe that this alliance is a big step in building the premier online service for construction equipment procurement and fleet management. We did a comprehensive review of prospective partners and no one touches Ironmax's capabilities," said Charles McCurdy, president of PRIMEDIA. "The construction industry seeks out our company's information products. We think Ironmax is the clear industry leader and the obvious choice to deliver this information to our customers who need it and use it every day."

Together, Ironmax and PRIMEDIA will offer customers access to construction equipment information and analysis online from PRIMEDIA's proprietary Machinery Information Division (MID) database. This valuable content is currently marketed offline through publications such as the Green Guide market value books, the Rental Rate Blue Book, Last Bid Construction Equipment auction values, the Cost Reference Guide (which details ownership and operating costs), the Serial Number Guide for Used Construction Equipment, and a host of other equipment pricing and specification titles.

Ironmax will develop applications to deliver the MID content online, both as a searchable reference resource, as well as an integrated enhancement to the Request for Quote (RFQ) equipment buying and renting functions currently in use on the Ironmax site.

"The Primedia products clearly differentiate our positioning and more importantly create a great benefit for our customers," said Steven Paradis, president and CEO of Ironmax. "This addition of world-class decision-making content is a significant step in the realization of our long-term strategy."

The two companies will cross-promote their products both offline and online. Ironmax will benefit from advertisements in such PRIMEDIA industry trade publications as Rental Equipment Register, RER Reports, Concrete Products, Rock Products, and Coal Age.

Both companies have relationships with CMGI Inc. Ironmax received $10 million in funding led by CMGI @Ventures in March, 2000. In May, 2000, CMGI Inc. acquired a five percent stake in PRIMEDIA in exchange for CMGI stock.

About PRIMEDIA Inc.

PRIMEDIA Inc. is a targeted media company, reaching consumer and business-to-business audiences through print, Internet, live events, video and radio. Some key consumer brands include Seventeen, New York, Chicago, Fly Fisherman, and American Baby. Key business-to-business brands include IntelliChoice, Telephony, Ward's, and American Demographics. Its more than 300 Internet sites include Seventeen.com, Mediacentral.com, Apartmentguide.com and Modernbride.com.

About Ironmax.com

Ironmax.com, based in Louisville, Ky., is an Internet-based business-to-business marketplace for the construction equipment industry. The company's buyer-initiated Request for Quote (RFQ) transaction model provides buyers and suppliers with an efficient online method for buying, selling and renting construction equipment.

About CMGI and CMGI @Ventures

With more than 70 companies, CMGI, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMGI) represents the largest, most diverse network of Internet companies in the world, including both CMGI operating companies and synergistic investments made through its venture capital affiliate, CMGI @Ventures. CMGI leverages the technologies, content and market reach of its extended family of companies to foster rapid growth and industry leadership across its network and the larger Internet Economy. Compaq, Intel, Microsoft, Pacific Century CyberWorks and Sumitomo hold minority positions in CMGI.

CMGI's majority-owned operating companies include Engage (Nasdaq: ENGA), NaviSite (Nasdaq: NAVI), 1stUp.com, Activate, AdForce, AltaVista, CMGion, CMGI Solutions, Equilibrium, ExchangePath, iCAST, MyWay.com, NaviPath, SalesLink, Tribal Voice, uBid.com, and yesmail.com. CMGI @Ventures has ownership interests in 57 companies, including Lycos, Inc. (Nasdaq: LCOS), Critical Path (Nasdaq: CPTH), MotherNature.com (Nasdaq: MTHR), Ventro (Nasdaq: VNTR) and Vicinity (Nasdaq: VCNT).

CMGI's corporate headquarters is at 100 Brickstone Square, Andover, MA 01810. CMGI @Ventures has offices there as well as at 3000 Alpine Road, Menlo Park, CA 94028. For additional information, see http://www.cmgi.com and http://www.ventures.com.