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ORBIS ONLINE AWARDED STATEWIDE CONTRACT FOR REVERSE AUCTION SERVICES BY UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM

San Antonio, Texas - October 7, 2002 - The University of Texas System (UTS) has awarded exclusive contract number 2002C00132 for reverse auction services to Orbis Online. The contract can be used not only by the University System, but also by any institution of higher learning or agency in the state of Texas that buys goods and services for the state. The contract was granted on September 13, 2002, and runs for five years, with two optional extensions of two years each.

"Texas is a leader in technology, and the state recently pioneered laws that enable all state agencies and institutions of higher learning in Texas to use and benefit from reverse auctions," says Dr. James Strader, Chief Executive Officer of Orbis Online. "If state agencies and institutions of higher learning use the auctions regularly, we expect to save the state of Texas more than one billion dollars over a five-to-seven-year period of time, based on historical savings achieved through the Orbis Online reverse auction platform," adds Dr. Strader.

The State of Texas is committed to using the process of online reverse auctioning as a powerful catalyst for saving money on the goods and services that it purchases every day. In a recommendation posted on the e-Texas website, www.e-Texas.org, Texas Comptroller, Carole Keeton Rylander states, "Web-based procurement systems, like reverse auctions, can produce significant savings for organizations in two ways. The first is by lowering transaction costs. The second way is by reducing the actual sale price of goods by creating more competition between buyers or sellers through electronic auctions." Additionally, the Comptroller has recommended that the Texas Building and Procurement Commission be permitted to use reverse auctions and to be able to delegate that authority to other state agencies.

Key to winning the contract was the ability of Orbis Online to provide both self-service and full-service auctions. In a full-service auction, Orbis Online conducts the auction for the buyer. Customers can conduct self-service auctions on a desktop computer, with Orbis Online providing technology and support services.

Another important factor to the contract award was proprietary technology from Orbis Online that allows for easy and seamless integration of the Orbis Online technology platform into any website in a manner of minutes, with no integration costs. This technology brands the reverse auction platform with the "look and feel" of the customer's website. When potential vendors come to the website to participate in a reverse auction, they arrive and stay at the buying organization's site, not the site of Orbis Online. The data storage and calculations, however, are still housed on Orbis' servers. This technology is exclusive to Orbis Online, which has applied for a patent.

Reverse Auctions Offer Efficiency and Savings
The benefits of reverse auctions are not exclusive to the buyer in a dynamic pricing event. Vendors can also benefit, because they spend less time preparing extensive paper documents for a static one-chance bid. Vendors that participate in reverse auctions benefit by seeing their competitors' bids and having the opportunity to submit counter offers to better compete in a transparent market environment, significantly improving their chances to secure the business.

About Orbis Online, Inc.
Orbis Online, Inc., headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, offers patent-pending dynamic competitive pricing tools that significantly reduce the cost of products and services versus historical procurement methods. Orbis transforms the traditional competitive bidding process into more powerful events that are live, online and worldwide. Orbis' value proposition is unique. The superior functionality of the solution includes all the benefits customers can normally experience only by purchasing or developing custom systems and requires no up-front costs or software installation.

Orbis Online is a Qualified Information Services Vendor (QISV) for the state of Texas. Vendors that achieve QISV status are pre-approved for use by any state agency or other qualified state entity.

For more information about Orbis Online, Inc., please visit our website at www.OrbisOnline.com, or call (855) 787-6451 Ext 701. Demonstrations of Orbis Online's unique auction platforms are available at the website: www.wsdemo.com or can be facilitated by contacting Orbis Online directly.

About QISV
The Qualified Information Services Vendor (QISV) Purchasing Program of the state of Texas allows state agencies and political subdivisions to purchase automated information systems products and/or services in an efficient, cost effective, and competitive manner. The program provides comprehensive lists of pre-approved vendors to qualified state procurement entities, which can immediately purchase the products and/or services of listed vendors.

Reader Contact Information:
Orbis Online, Inc., 100 NE Loop 410, Suite 500, San Antonio, TX 78216,
Tel: 210-576-7600, Fax: 210-576-0760, www.orbisonline.com, marketing@orbisonline.com.

PR Agency Contact
Michael C. Matthey
michaelm@weinkrantz.com
210-820-3070 ext. 106

Company Contact
Leonard Buchanan
info@orbisonline.com
(855) 787-6451 Ext 701

 


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