Interflora's Communication Blooms With Interliant; UK Florist Network Selects INIT Managed Messaging Solution to Improve Order Handling

Business Wire, Nov 20, 2001

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 20, 2001

Interliant Inc. (Nasdaq:INIT), a leading global application service provider (ASP), today announced a 25-month contract with Interflora (FTDA) British Unit Ltd., a member of one of the world's largest delivery networks for flowers and related gifts, to implement a managed Lotus Notes solution to improve the reliability of communications between Interflora and its Member florists. The managed Lotus Notes agreement will provide the messaging application to more than 2,000 UK florist shops that will use the application to send and view orders to and from Interflora.

Interflora utilizes the Messenger II system, a messaging service provided to all of its Member florists, to log and fill orders. Orders originate from telesales, the Internet, and from Member florists who access the system and log in their orders, which are fulfilled by the florist closest to the delivery address. When availability and flexibility issues surfaced with its messaging application, Interflora made the decision to upgrade to Lotus Notes R5 to solve the problems. Since Interflora's original service provider did not have plans to upgrade to R5 from 4.6, the company sought a new service provider.

"We were looking for a provider that would give us a more reliable, faster service with proactive support, preferably hosted in the UK, and who had in-depth knowledge of Lotus Notes. Something of a tall order," commented Brian Soffe, Head of Technology Service, Interflora. "Interliant is one of the only ASP vendors really focusing on Europe, and their ability to host our application in their UK data center really was key to our choice. Our Lotus Notes application is the primary communication tool for us and our Member florists, so it is essential that it be completely reliable, and Interliant was able to demonstrate strong experience in this domain. I'm very pleased with our choice."

Interliant will provide 24-hour technical support to Interflora's administrators and 24x7 monitoring, maintenance and administration for the seven dedicated servers. Interliant also carries out a regular full data backup to ensure that valuable data is safe and secure.

"Quality of service was at the core of Interflora's requirements," said Neil Turner, Managing Director, Interliant UK. "They needed a very responsive provider that could offer a high level of technical support, regardless of the time of day, which had been a problem for them in the past. Interliant, through its INIT Managed Messaging solution, offers not only this complete service package but can provide a unique level of knowledge and professionalism in dealing with hosted Lotus Notes systems."

About Interflora

More information can be obtained from the Interflora Communications Department at (Tel.) 44 1529 304141 or (Fax) 44 1529 304895 or via e-mail to phil.carey@interflora.co.uk. Interflora is an association with 2000 Member florists in UK & Ireland and 60,000 Members worldwide. Interflora offers customers a range of ways of placing orders for flowers: (1) At a local Interflora florist shop; (2) Using the UK freephone service 0500 434343; (3) By Internet - www.interflora.co.uk; and (4) Via interactive TV.

About Interliant

Interliant, Inc. (Nasdaq:INIT) is a leading global application service provider (ASP) and pioneer in the ASP market. Interliant's INIT Solutions Suite includes managed messaging, managed hosting, security, Web hosting (branded solutions/OEM/private label), and professional services. Interliant, headquartered in Purchase, NY, has forged strategic alliances with the world's leading software, networking and hardware manufacturers including Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT), Dell Computer Corporation (Nasdaq:DELL), Oracle Corporation (Nasdaq:ORCL), Verisign/Network Solutions (Nasdaq:VRSN), IBM (NYSE:IBM), Sun Microsystems Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW), and Lotus Development Corp. For more information about Interliant, visit www.interliant.com.

Interliant, INIT Managed Messaging, and INIT Solutions Suite are trademarks of Interliant, Inc., in the United States, other countries, or both. Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "will," "plan," "forecast" and similar words and expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance, achievements and the timing of certain events to differ significantly from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Important factors to consider in evaluating such forward-looking statements include uncertainty that demand for our services will increase and other competitive market factors, changes in Interliant's business strategy or an inability to execute Interliant's strategy due to unanticipated changes in its business, its industry or the economy in general, unforeseen difficulties in integrating acquisitions and other factors set forth more fully in Interliant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2000, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is not possible to foresee or identify all factors affecting Interliant's forward-looking statements and investors therefore should not consider any list of factors affecting Interliant's forward-looking statements to be an exhaustive statement of risks, uncertainties or potentially inaccurate assumptions. Interliant does not have a policy of updating or revising forward-looking statements, and thus it should not be assumed that Interliant's silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements.