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Danzas AEI named top logistics e-business company by InternetWeek magazine

Darien, CT (June 15, 2000) -- Danzas AEI said today it has been named by InternetWeek magazine as the transportation logistics industry's premier e-business provider in the publication's first-ever survey of top 100 U.S. e-business companies.

According to the "InternetWeek 100" survey, Danzas AEI e-business services were superior to those offered by FedEx Corp., UPS and the U.S. Postal Service, among others. The survey selected the top 10 U.S. e-business providers in each of 10 industries.

According to InternetWeek, Danzas AEI's e-business success is based on "giving customers what they demand: the latest and most detailed information on materials being transported or (on) inventory being managed."

Danzas AEI's "Web and legacy applications offer customers everything from simple access to the status of a shipment to end-to-end supply chain management," the magazine said.

"We are honored to receive this award from such a respected publication," said John L. Luludis, Danzas AEI vice president and chief information officer. "We believe it validates the soundness of our e-business strategy, which is to offer a robust fulfillment platform that facilitates the international movement of goods purchased online."

"The core challenge facing global e-business companies today is providing customers with the "landed cost" of an international transaction," said Eric S. Vargas, Danzas AEI, vice president, logistics applications. The "landed cost" is the total cost of an international transaction after shipping; customs and other charges are factored in.

"International shipping is a complex process that requires a knowledge of global transportation and distribution patterns, an array of tax and customs regulations, and trade-related issues unique to each country," said Vargas. "E-businesses and their customers need to be aware of the rules that govern their transactions They also must know the transaction's 'landed' cost, which involves more than just shipping charges."

Vargas cited a survey by leading Web consultant Forrester Research that 46 percent of total orders placed on the sites of 50 companies were rejected because the orders came from foreign consumers. The survey findings were reported in a separate story in InternetWeek.

"We believe the success of our e-business model stems from our vast experience serving global markets and our powerful IT applications that allow e-businesses and their customers to quickly obtain the information needed to make an intelligent and cost-effective business decision."

"Our e-business model was not based on a 'build-it-and-they-will-come' approach," said Luludis. "We started by surveying our customers, asking them about their e-business plans, and the needs and expectations of their customers. We then built our system around those responses. It is truly a customer-centric e-business strategy. That is why it works."

Danzas AEI's e-business model operates as "AEI Interactive," a robust online applications suite that mirrors the global transaction process from the initial purchase order to final delivery of the finished goods. "AEI Interactive" includes LOGIS-GLOS® an order management system; ShipAEI® a tool for customers to book and trace shipments; a web-enabled warehouse management system to monitor inventories across Danzas AEI's global network, and an online U.S. customs brokerage tool to manage the processing and release of imported goods at ports-of-entry.

"AEI Interactive" is designed to link with customers' back-office systems to support the seamless processing of critical shipping and trade data. Danzas AEI also offers a comprehensive online "Global Resource Guide" that provides users with critical trade data in an easy-to-understand format.

Danzas AEI recently unveiled LOGIS-XM® an exception management that tracks each shipment, alerts the customer to those shipments that fail to meet in-transit benchmarks or "exceptions" and prompts the user to take immediate corrective action. This tool also consolidates historical data so that it can be analyzed to improve distribution flow.

Logistics. Worldwide. With a strong presence on every continent, the Danzas Group is one of the world's leading providers of logistics solutions. Its 38,000 employees worldwide generate annual net sales of CHF 11.5 billion (EUR 7.2 billion, USD 7.6 billion). Danzas is based in Basel, Switzerland, and belongs to the Deutsche Post World Net.

For further information please contact:
Candace Bouchard
Manager Corporate Communications, Americas
Fax: (203) 655-5895