PRESS RELEASES

Media Contact: Danielle Dietz
(704) 383-5392

Analyst Contact: Chip Wittmann
(804) 782-3314

September 28, 2000
First Union Securities Launches Coverage of Four Leading Companies in Evolving Collaborative Commerce Arena

BALTIMORE -First Union Securities' Senior B2B/Enterprise Software analyst Charles Wittmann today initiated coverage of four leading industry players in the developing Collaborative Commerce arena.

The following companies were included in today's rollout:

Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCL)
.i2 technologies (NASDAQ: ITWO)
Agile Software (NASDAQ: AGIL)
Aspen Technology (NASDAQ: AZPN)

Mr. Wittmann initiated coverage of Aspen Technologies with a strong buy rating while the remaining three stocks were assigned buy ratings.

"Each of these companies builds the infrastructure that enables companies of all sizes to leverage the power of the Internet to interact more efficiently with their trading partners beyond four walls of the enterprise," noted Wittmann. "Our analysis demonstrates that by shortening time to market inventory with information, corporations gain significant returns on their investment."

Other companies currently under coverage by Mr. Wittmann include: Commerce One (NASDAQ: CMRC), Ariba (NASDAQ: ARBA), and VerticalNet (NASDAQ: VERT).

First Union Securities Equity Research division currently has nearly 50 senior analysts covering approximately 500 companies in nine main sectors: Communications & Technology, Real Estate, Healthcare, Industrial, Energy, Consumer, Furnishings & Textiles, Financial Services, Business Services.

Important Notice: First Union Securities is the trade name under which First Union Corporation conducts its investment banking, merger and acquisition, asset management and mutual fund, brokerage and insurance businesses.

First Union Securities includes: (1) First Union Securities, Inc. ("FUSI"), a registered broker-dealer and member NYSE/NASD and SIPC providing investment banking, merger and acquisition advisory and brokerage services to corporations, individuals and other institutions throughout the United States;

(2) First Union Brokerage Services, Inc. ("FUBS"), a separately registered broker-dealer and member NASD and SIPC providing primarily retail brokerage services; (3) First Clearing Corporation ("FCC"), a separately registered broker-dealer and member NYSE/NASD and SIPC, providing securities clearance and settlement services; (4) the Capital Markets and Capital Management Groups within First Union National Bank ("FUNB"), a national banking association, and its subsidiaries, providing asset management, lending, structured finance risk management, derivatives, and fiduciary services to institutions and individuals; (5) various subsidiaries within First Union Corporation providing investment advisory, administrative and other services to the Evergreen and Mentor families of mutual funds; and (6) various wholly-owned state insurance agencies.

Stocks, bonds, mutual funds or other securities offered or sold through First Union Corporation or any of its bank or non-bank subsidiaries are not deposits of any bank and are not insured, guaranteed or otherwise protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency; are not endorsed or guaranteed by First Union Corporation, FUNB or any bank; and involve investment risk, including possible loss of principal.

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