iSteelAsia.com Chooses Intel and Microsoft Technologies

HONG KONG, March 27, 2000 - iSteelAsia.com, Asia's first steel exchange vertical portal, has chosen Intel and Microsoft® Hong Kong in the development of its e-commerce architecture.

As a neutral online trading platform using secure e-commerce technology to facilitate its value-added online transactions and services, iSteelAsia requires a reliable and advanced superstructure of software and hardware systems to underpin its e-commerce business. To achieve this goal, Intel® Architecture-based products and Microsoft software configurations were selected for their ease of use, reliability, and scalability (a critical requirement as business expands).

Working as close partners, systems engineers and networking experts of the three companies strove to build "best of breed" e-commerce solutions for this online trading portal - iSteelAsia.com.

As a result, a robust server platform has been built based 100 per cent on Intel® Architecture. The engines for this e-commerce portal are high-performance Intel® Pentium® III Xeon™ dual processor-based servers.

Run on these high-power engines are Microsoft SQL Server™ 7.0, Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0, Transaction Server 2.0, and Windows NT ® 4.0.

Mr Andrew Yao, Founder, Chairman and CEO of iSteelAsia.com said: "iSteelAsia's success depends on the quality of the systems it can deploy to fulfil its business-to-business strategy. With Intel and Microsoft Hong Kong, we have chosen to partner with the world leaders, as our members and users should expect nothing less from iSteelAsia. Intel provides the solid hardware architecture needed to keep us up and running, while Microsoft provides the business software to support the transaction traffic on our site. We are proud to be working with them."

Mr Tom Burns, Director of Content Group, Intel Asia Pacific, said: "Intel recognizes that iSteelAsia is representative of the new breed of e-commerce clients relying on our e-Business building blocks. Intel Architecture-based servers ensures high system availability and reliability while providing outstanding scalability to support future expansion needs."

Mr Graham Brant, General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong, said: "our online transactions and server systems are providing the software underpinnings for the expanding revolution in global e-commerce. iSteelAsia typifies that revolution in Asia's primary commodity industry. Their choice of Microsoft software bears out our promise of scalable e-commerce architecture for global business online."

About iSteelAsia.com Limited
Launched in December 1999, iSteelAsia.com (iSteelAsia) was Asia's first online exchange for trading in steel and steel products. It is the first of its kind to be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's GEM board in April 2000. Focused on the Asian steel community, iSteelAsia aims to offer an open and neutral marketplace for steel trading. Trading competitiveness and efficiency are optimised on iSteelAsia as players can access a full spectrum of buyers and sellers and timely market knowledge. iSteelAsia serves as a single point of contact offering financing, insurance, surveying, shipping and logistics services, providing members with a one-stop end-to-end steel trading.

To date, iSteelAsia has over 2,600 registered members who regularly use its online trading services and access into its online Reuters and Asia Information Resources News.

Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Photo Caption (from left to right)

Mr Tom Burns, Director, Content Group, Intel Asia Pacific
Mr Graham Brant, General Manager, Microsoft Hong Kong
Mr Andrew Yao, Chairman and CEO, iSteelAsia.com
Ms Drina Yue, Chief Operating Officer, iSteelAsia.com