Third Coast Media Awards Data Return Managed Hosting For Gulf States Toyota Web Applications

Business Wire, Jan 26, 2001

Business/Technology Editors

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 2001

Application Service Provider (ASP) Chooses Data Return to

Manage Web Applications for 135 Toyota Dealers in Gulf States Region

Data Return Corporation (Nasdaq: DRTN) today announced that Third Coast Media, an application service provider for the automotive industry representing hundreds of dealerships, has increased its contract for managed hosting services. Under the terms of the agreement, Data Return will provide support for 135 dealer Web sites on behalf of Third Coast Media for Gulf States Toyota, a regional distributor of Toyota automobiles.

"Third Coast Media strictly adheres to the Microsoft .NET/DNA development and hosting strategy for our automotive industry Web applications. As a result, Data Return is the only logical managed hosting solution for our company," said Stuart Lloyd, CEO, Third Coast Media. "We selected Data Return as our managed hosting partner for this project because the company has a multi-year history of successfully managing each of our complex Web applications in a highly-stable and scalable environment."

In conjunction with Gulf States Toyota, Third Coast Media has created the automotive industry's most advanced data-driven Web site e-commerce program, featuring real-time dynamic content management for each of the 135 Toyota dealers in the Gulf States region.

"Gulf States Toyota is committed to providing its dealership base and customer base with Internet resources that efficiently bring together buyers and sellers," said Lloyd. "The Gulf States Toyota project requires a unique combination of consumer-facing Web sites, legacy system data aggregation and back-end tools that allow for real-time management of Web content and customer prospects."

Third Coast Media developed the Gulf States Toyota Web application using a proprietary CASE tool that applies the best practices of the Microsoft .NET/DNA development strategy.

"CodeMakerX is our proprietary internal development toolset and methodological framework for automating the production of Microsoft .NET/DNA Enterprise Server applications," quoted Ray Myers, CTO, Third Coast Media. "CodeMakerX rapidly automates all core code creation for translating a data architecture designed in Microsoft SQL 7.0 or Microsoft SQL 2000 into a well-designed scalable n-tier architecture in seven languages."

"Third Coast Media has become the automotive industry's leading innovator of thin-client Web applications including wireless-enabled CRM products and data-driven Web sites," said Sunny C. Vanderbeck, chairman and CEO, Data Return. "Third Coast has been a client of ours since 1997, and we are excited that they have decided to expand their relationship with us once again."

About Third Coast Media

Third Coast Media is a privately held company located in Richardson, Texas. TCM is one of the nation's largest automotive industry application service providers with a focus on the development of custom wireless CRM Web applications, Web sites, Web hosting and Internet marketing strategies for automotive clients. TCM currently represents hundreds of dealerships nationwide and has created a suite of products for the automotive industry including Web-based lead management tools such as CarClient.com. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.thirdcoastmedia.com.

About Gulf States Toyota

Gulf States Toyota based in Houston, is the independent Toyota distributor serving 140 dealers in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. GST introduced the first Toyotas into the region in 1969.

About Data Return

Recognized by Microsoft as the Windows 2000 Global Hosting Partner of the Year, Data Return specializes in providing high-availability managed hosting services for companies whose applications are based on Microsoft technologies. These services are utilized by many leading enterprises including Microsoft, Compaq Computer Corporation, RadioShack.com, Texas Instruments, Pier 1 Imports, and World Bank. Data Return also provides managed infrastructure services for the rapidly growing market of Application Service Providers (ASPs). Data Return strategic investors and Global Alliance Partners include Microsoft, Compaq Computer Corporation, and Level 3 Communications. For more information, visit www.datareturn.com.

This press release contains forward-looking information. Statements made in this press release that state Data Return's or management's intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations or predictions of "future events" are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of risks, including changes in external competitive market factors, changes in or an inability to execute Data Return's business strategy, unanticipated changes in the hosting industry, the economy in general and changes in the use of the Internet. Data Return cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties summarized under the heading "Factors Affecting Operating Results" in Data Return's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2000 and are updated from time to time through the filing of reports and registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgment of Data Return as of the date of this release, and Data Return disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in Data Return's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which such statements are based.