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e-Manufacturing Networks Inc. and Advanced Technology Services Inc. Announce Alliance

7 July 2000

e-Manufacturing Networks Inc. and Advanced Technology Services Inc. Announce InterNetworking Alliance

    BURLINGTON, Canada - e-Manufacturing Networks Inc. and Advanced Technology Services Inc. of Peoria, Ill., Friday announced a strategic alliance that enables ATS to offer new levels of service to its client partners through e-MFG's InterNetworking products and services.

    Under the alliance, e-MFG will provide ATS with its InterNetworking hardware and software for use with ATS client partners.

    ATS is North America's leading full-service factory maintenance company with more than 1,000 employees in three facilities and 90 site locations (www.advancedtech.com). ATS client partners include many Fortune 500 companies in the heavy equipment, automotive, consumer appliance, paper, aircraft, mining, shipbuilding and utilities industries. ATS offers its customers computer services, industrial parts services, manufacturing maintenance services, storeroom management services and machinery & equipment sales.

    e-MFG is responsible for all communication protocol development and improvements, which allow specific customer application of e-MFG's products. e-MFG is also responsible to provide ATS with technical training and support for installation of e-MFG product to ATS' end customers machinery and equipment.

    e-MFG and ATS will engage in a cooperative marketing and sales effort. ATS will invest at the outset of the relationship to promote e-MFG's products to its existing customer base and new customers which develop as a consequence of this alliance.

    ATS will provide e-MFG with installation and field services for its products across North America and will be designated a Certified e-MFG Service Provider. After initial training by e-MFG, ATS will take responsibility to staff and train additional field service technicians as required to support business volume.

    ATS designs and installs networks and will provide e-MFG customers with network designs, installations and ongoing network maintenance services. e-MFG will develop and provide secure InterNetworking services that permit ATS to offer its client partners real-time machine tool remote diagnostics, repair and maintenance services over the Internet.

    Working with e-MFG, ATS will provide technical expertise and dedicated manpower to assist e-MFG in the development of a neural network (Internet accessible predictive preventative maintenance software for machine tools). ATS will provide technical help desk services, and will develop a service organization with the charter to provide technical break/fix, preventative maintenance and predictive information for machine tools and equipment.

    Working with e-MFG, ATS will develop an online machine parts catalogue that promotes parts sales through e-MFG's e-commerce parts portal.

    Tom Gaasenbeek, president of e-MFG, remarked: "This alliance is significant because it represents a deep channel to market, and widespread adoption of InterNetworking factory floors by the Fortune 500 manufacturers that ATS services. This accelerates adoption of our open architecture standard of machine tool connectivity, which results in value added for both companies, our customers and for manufacturers seeking optimization of their operations locally, regionally, or globally."

    e-MFG is the first company to InterNetwork a CNC machine tool to the World Wide Web, and develops and provides InterNetworking hardware, software and services that connect machine tools -- the point of production -- to the supply chain, the demand chain and into management's information systems. The benefits of InterNetworking machine tools include cost savings through reduced inventory, new levels of supply chain integration, faster production through its optimization in real-time and more informed decisions by management -- linking-up factory floors located anywhere in the world into management's information system, securely, over the Internet.

    e-MFG is listed on the CDNX stock exchange, trading symbol MFG.