--- begin forwarded text From: <Somebody> To: "R. A. Hettinga" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: eCash Press Release Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2000 10:47:30 -0000 eCash Technologies Announces Full Commercial Availability of eCash to Online Merchants and Consumers London/Hanover Germany, March 1st, 2000 - Deutsche Bank 24 is the first bank to offer eCash(tm) to consumers and merchants throughout Germany. Deutsche Bank 24 has provided eCash to customers for several years and is pleased to partner with eCash Technologies to achieve widespread adoption of eCash online currency. eCash is the virtual equivalent of cash, which can be used for many kinds of electronic payments, including micro-payments, person-to-person payments, business-to-business payments and purchases at online merchants that accept eCash. A successful global eCash pilot program involving more than 300 online merchants and eight banks worldwide recorded millions of dollars in transactions across 30,000 accounts. The pilot program received a 100 percent success rate and reported no security breaches. With strong support from banks and merchants and strong interest among consumers, the pilot program proved there is a high demand for a simple, safe and secure way to pay for online goods and services that mirrors the reliability and global acceptance of hard currency. "Consumers, merchants, and financial institutions have long awaited an online payment method that is simple, secure, cost-effective and can be used in as many ways as hard currency," said Drew Hyatt, president and CEO of eCash Technologies. "eCash addresses the needs of the global online market and will undoubtedly help spread the adoption of e-commerce." eCash Technologies is in active discussions with leading financial institutions and merchants throughout Europe, the United States, Asia, Canada and Australia to establish eCash as the global online payment standard and bring its convenience and usability to the rest of the world. In addition, eCash Technologies is working with several leading global wireless companies to bring the convenience of online cash payments to wireless devices. eCash Technologies will address international currency and multi-bank exchange challenges through a multi-currency eCash software product scheduled for international release later this year. eCash Technologies expects to make announcements about strategic partnerships over the next few months. About eCash Technologies, Inc. Through a global community of partner banks and merchants, eCash Technologies will be the first company to offer a global electronic currency that allows financial institutions, online merchants, and consumers to make and receive cash payments for goods and services on the Internet. eCash is the first online payment system that offers new revenue streams to banks, reduced costs to merchants, and unmatched fraud protection and privacy to consumers. With eCash, merchants and financial institutions are able to preserve one-on-one customer relationships. Consumers are able to rely completely on their trusted financial institutions for eCash account management, while enjoying eCash's online convenience and ease of use. For more information on eCash Technologies, visit www.ecash.net. eCash is a registered trademark, and the eCash logo is a trademark, of eCash Technologies, Inc. For more information about eCash in Germany, access the eCash portal site at www.ecash.de. About Deutsche Bank24 - Multichannel Bank with Quality Deutsche Bank 24 Inc., a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank and domiciled in Frankfurt am Main, is a new type of bank. As the first integrated branch and direct bank in Germany, Deutsche Bank 24 started business operations on September 1, 1999. Its core message is "For People Who are Going Places". Roughly 7 million retail and small commercial customers have used the services of Germany's biggest dedicated retail bank, which can be reached through 6 channels. For customer convenience, Deutsche Bank 24 has 1,300 branches, 250 finance centres and 400 mobile financial consultants. Clients can transact their business with Deutsche Bank 24 around the clock, by telephone and through the Internet. In addition there are 1,800 customer terminals at the bank's branches and 6,000 automated teller machines of the Cash Group. Katherine James Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide 10 Cabot Square Canary Wharf London E14 4QB Phone: +44 (0) 20 7345 3482 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7345 6646 Internet: www.alexanderogilvy.com --- end forwarded text -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
