Alliance

ABB Ltd 14 June 2000 ABB Corporate Corporations, Zurich ABB Investor Relations, Zurich John Fox Manfred Ebling Tel: +41 1 317 7371 Tel: +41 1 317 7266 Fax: +41 1 317 7958 Fax: +41 1 311 9817 john.fox@ch.abb.com investor.relations@ch.abb.com ABB in alliance to develop new Web solutions for pulp and paper customers Zurich, Switzerland, June 14, 2000 - ABB, the global technology group, today announced an alliance with PaperLoop.com, the on-line paper industry marketplace, to jointly develop a new kind of Web portal for the pulp and paper industry. ABB said the alliance is part of its strategy to develop new eBusiness solutions for enhanced customer value. ABB said development with PaperLoop.com is aimed at creating a new category of Web portal that goes beyond conventional transaction-only or marketing-only sites to put technical information data bases online, offer consulting services via the Web, and provide industrial software that customers can download or use directly online. 'This is part of an aggressive strategy to rapidly develop our eBusiness capabilities, using eBusiness as a tool to deliver our technologies to our customers faster and more efficiently, while also creating new kinds of solutions and new channels to market,' said Jorgen Centerman, Executive Vice President and head of ABB's Automation Segment. ABB is the largest supplier of automation and electrical solutions to the pulp and paper industry. ABB is the fist major supplier to the pulp and paper industry to take a stake in a third-party online marketplace. PaperLoop.com is the world's leading provider of information to the pulp and paper industry. 'We are excited about combining our resources and expertise with ABB to deliver the pulp and paper industry solutions and content focused on the operational, technical and strategic aspects of their businesses,' said Tim Fazio, Chief Executive Officer of PaperLoop.com. 'Such an alliance will add substantial new revenue streams to an already robust and diverse business model that includes content monetization and transaction fees.' Across its full range of businesses, ABB plans to offer 30 percent of its standard products over the Internet by the end of this year, and all of its standard products by end of next year. PaperLoop.com is a 50-50 joint venture between United News Media and Pegasus Capital, a prominent venture capital firm in the pulp & paper industry. PaperLoop.com provides paper manufacturers, converters, printers, suppliers, logistics providers, end-users, and the financial community that make up the industry's 'paper-loop' with a faster and more efficient way of doing business. ABB Automation, the world's leading supplier of products and solutions for manufacturing and process industries, employs more than 54,000 people around the world in 80 manufacturing centers, 50 research and development labs and 40-plus countries. ABB Automation is part of the ABB Group, which also serves customers in power transmission and distribution; oil, gas, and petrochemicals; building technologies; and in financial services. ABB employs some 165,000 people in more than 100 countries. With novel IT applications, tailored software solutions, growing eBusiness and a fast-expanding knowledge and service base, ABB is building links to the new economy.

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