Interpath Adds ChainDrugStore.net to Client Roster

Business Wire, Jan 9, 2001

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2001

Interpath will Provide an eBusiness Solution for New for-Profit

Subsidiary of the National Association

of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

Interpath, a leading enterprise Application Service Provider (ASP), today announced that it will provide the managed hosting solution for the retail pharmacy industry's new online information hub, ChainDrugStore.net, planned to go live in January 2001.

ChainDrugStore.net, a wholly owned, for-profit subsidiary of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), will implement Interpath's Vignette V/Series eBusiness software solution to manage its Information Exchange, a source of unbiased, aggregated data for the chain drug store industry. ChainDrugStore.net is an online information and communications hub for the $400 billion retail pharmacy industry that gives retailers and their suppliers new ways to build, sustain and enhance their trading relationships while increasing efficiencies and reducing costs.

"ChainDrugStore.net is positioned to be the retail pharmacy industry's preferred channel for communications and information exchange between trading partners," said Brad Mitchell, President and CEO of ChainDrugStore.net. "We require our ASP not only to provide flawless application service, but world-class customer service as well. Interpath offers the perfect fit."

"Interpath's comprehensive portfolio of managed software applications and services offer an unparalleled solution to the drug and pharmacy business sector," said Joel Schleicher, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Interpath. "Interpath's application and management of Vignette's software products will greatly enhance ChainDrugStore.net's communication capabilities, facilitating critical information exchange between chain pharmacy retailers and suppliers."

About ChainDrugStore.net

ChainDrugStore.net, based in Alexandria, Virginia, is the new online information and communications hub for the $400 billion retail pharmacy industry. It will go live in late January 2001 providing a powerful eBusiness productivity tool that gives retailers and their suppliers new ways to build, sustain and enhance their trading relationships. ChainDrugStore.net is a wholly-owned, for-profit subsidiary of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. Founded in 1933, NACDS' membership consists of nearly 170 retail chain community pharmacy companies. This membership base operates over 33,000 retail community pharmacies, with annual sales totaling over $400 billion.

About Interpath

Interpath is a full-service enterprise Application Service Provider (ASP) offering a broad range of managed hosted applications and consulting services. Interpath partners with customers to offer application development, integration and hosting solutions and services. Interpath's applications expertise, combined with its state-of-the-art data and operations centers, offers customers a single, high-quality source for application development, management and hosting. The company is based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and recently launched Interpath Australia Ltd. in August 2000, after the acquisition of Alta, one of Australia's leading ASPs.

In June 2000, Interpath announced that Bain Capital, Inc., a Boston-based US $7 billion private equity fund, gained majority ownership of the corporation with Progress Energy, Inc. maintaining a minority ownership. For more information about Interpath, visit the company's Web site at http://www.interpath.net.