ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Sept. 9, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- BuyServices Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Buy.com, announced today that it will provide web services for The Campus Hub, the nation's only totally integrated e-commerce solution serving hundreds of college bookstores and millions of college students. BuyServices will extend The Campus Hub's product offering through a series of back-end web interfaces built upon Microsoft.NET Enterprise Servers and Microsoft VisualStudio.NET.
This is BuyServices' second major customer announcement this quarter. On July 22, 2003, the company announced that it would provide web services for BuyMusic.com, the world's largest legal music download store for PC users, also built strictly on the .NET framework as well as the Windows Media 9 Series software.
BuyServices will build, host and maintain an XML site for The Campus Hub using Microsoft.NET XML/XSL style sheet format to provide The Campus Hub with necessary information and image links. Under the terms of this agreement, BuyServices will provide web-based data encompassing fulfillment, inventory, management, customer service, financial information and traffic.
"The Campus Hub customers will now have access to more products than ever before, including CDs, computer hardware, software, videos, consumer electronics, and other collegiate necessities," said Sherman Atkinson, president of BuyServices. "The site will also offer better customer service due to the ability to now oversee order processing and order status, all based on Microsoft.NET."
The use of Microsoft.NET Enterprise Servers and VisualStudio.NET allows BuyServices to introduce new functionality very fast, cutting development time for new site capabilities in half. The solution offers a robust software infrastructure that provides rapid, cost-effective web site development and delivers maximum price and performance.
"We are amazed at how quickly BuyServices will be able to upgrade our site using the Microsoft.NET solution," said Kevin Wright, Director of Information Technology for The Campus Hub. "The new storefront will be more visually appealing, easier to use and less costly for us to operate. The BuyServices solution also allows us to provide a fuller catalog to our customers."
Since its spin-out from Buy.com in June 2002, BuyServices -- which offers e-commerce solutions as well as digital music solutions to companies providing Internet, wireless and interactive TV applications -- has built and powered online stores for Maxim, Stuff and Blender magazines, Fandango and UGO Networks.
BuyServices offers fully hosted e-commerce solutions for content providers, information portals, wireless service providers and niche e-tailers looking to extend their product offering. BuyServices' turnkey "commerce in a box" solution allows companies to leverage their brand and current customers via their own storefront, while at the same time taking advantage of immediate "plug-and-play" e-commerce capabilities that the engine offers.
In addition, BuyServices offers site development, hosting, transaction processing, content management, fulfillment, reconciliation, customer service and merchandising services through its complete managed services offering.
About TheCampusHub.com and Nebraska Book Company
TheCampusHub.com is a division of Nebraska Book Company, which provides campus bookstores an integrated and turnkey e-commerce solution and allows them to serve students as the primary buying source for textbooks, collegiate merchandise, and other goods and services. Based in Lincoln, Neb., TheCampusHub.com was formed by the Nebraska Book Company, Haas Wheat & Partners, and MSD Capital in May 2000. Haas Wheat & Partners is a private equity firm that invests in operating companies through friendly acquisitions in concert with company management. MSD Capital, the private investment firm of Michael Dell, is a private investment firm that engages in a broad range of activities, with a primary focus on investing in new, promising technology companies, traditional private equity activities and investing in publicly traded securities.
Based in Lincoln, Neb., Nebraska Book Company was founded in 1915 and is one of the nation's largest used textbook wholesalers. Nebraska Book currently sells more than 7.7 million books annually to approximately 2,000 college bookstores and owns or operates 109 bookstores. The company is also a leading provider of distance education materials to students in nontraditional courses, which include correspondence and corporate education courses. Nebraska Book Company also provides the college bookstore industry with a variety of services including in-store promotions, buying programs, marketing services and proprietary information systems. With origins dating to 1915, Nebraska Book Company has built a consistent reputation for excellence in customer service.
About BuyServices
BuyServices is privately held and funded by entrepreneur Scott Blum. BuyServices is a division of BuyNetwork, a family of companies that also includes Buy.com, BuyMusic.com and BuyMagazine. BuyServices also develops and operates a cross platform capable, fully hosted e-commerce solution for content providers, information portals and wireless service providers. With the combined talent of experienced e-commerce professionals, BuyServices' goal is to become the premier outsource e-commerce provider. For more information, please visit the company's web site at www.buyservices.com.