LOS ANGELES, May 16, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE)
CEO of iNetPurchasing.Com(iNPi) - a leading online procurement application service provider (ASP) for state and local government
Vertical Computer Systems, Inc., (OTCBB:VCSY), a leading multi-lingual portal provider, software developer and e-commerce solutions company, announced today it selected Basil S. Nikas, CEO of iNetPurchasing.Com, as an advisor.
iNetPurchasing.com is the established leader in e-catalog, e-procurement services (ASP) for the state and local government arena - a market that includes 89,000 units of government with purchasing transactions in the billions of dollars annually.
Mr. Nikas also serves as Chairman of the ITAA (Information Technology Association of America, http://www.itaa.org) State and Local Enterprise Solutions Electronic Commerce Committee, is the ITAA Board Member on the NECCC (National Electronic Coordinating Council - http://ec3.org - an alliance of NASIRE, NASPO, NASACT, NASS and NACHA), Chairman of the NECCC Internet Privacy Committee and is a Board Member of the National Federation of The Blind Community Partnership Board.
Mr. Nikas is a nationally recognized speaker on the 21st Century paradigm in public sector purchasing and on privacy issues facing the Internet.
"Building successful Internet solutions requires drawing upon a multiplicity of backgrounds in technology, business and public affairs," said VCSY President Richard Wade. "Pooling expertise is of the essence for the 21st century business model. Advisors, such as Basil Nikas bring a wealth of experience and network of contacts that strengthen our core company and help accelerate market penetration and expansion."
On May 12, 2000 VCSY announced that it had entered into two joint venture agreements with iNPi, and VCSY also made a cash investment in iNPi. The amount was not disclosed.
Terms of the first agreement call for iNPi to market VCSY's existing and developmental product lines to state and local governments as part of its comprehensive e-solutions bundle. Among those products is the Markup Language Executive Framework (MLE), referred to as Emily(TM).
Proprietary to VCSY, Emily(TM) is a programming language that allows web page builders to design websites that intercommunicate via XML and HTTP. XML is the industry-endorsed format for business-to-business communication and is anticipated to be accepted for government-to-business applications as well.
The second agreement calls for VCSY to market iNPi's online procurement services internationally, targeting foreign governments in conjunction with WorldBank, ExImBank and USAID requirements that recipient nations must implement modern procurement procedures before release of funds. VCSY will target private companies internationally as well.
iNetPurchasing.Com, based in Bethesda, MD., develops Internet-based procurement services designed specifically for the unique nature of public sector purchasing in the state and local government arena.
Vertical Computer Systems Inc., is a leading multi-lingual portal provider, software developer and e-commerce solutions company based in the US. The company provides a full range of Internet services that include building e-commerce solutions nationally and internationally, distributing content via multi-lingual portal networks (www.thebrazilbridge.com) (www.thechinabridge.com), and Internet services (www.thepostmaster.net). Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Externet World, Inc., the Company provides online shopping services (http://www.shoppinginternet.com). The company is also a leading developer of proprietary software for the Internet, including the Emily(TM) (MLE) Framework, a programming language that enables the creation of websites that intercommunicate via XML and HTTP, and online gaming software (http://www.ccpsoftware.com). For more information, visit the company's website at www.vcsy.com.