BravoSolution to Acquire the US Company Verticalnet

MILAN, Italy, October 29 /PRNewswire/ --

- Acquisition Will Create US$60 (EUR40) Million Supply Management 
Solutions Leader With a Strong Presence in US and Europe

BravoSolution, a leading European provider of supply management software 
and services, announced today the execution of a definitive agreement under 
which it will acquire Verticalnet, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERT), a leading US provider 
of on-demand supply management solutions for Global 2000 enterprises and 
mid-market companies, in a transaction valued at US$15.2 (EUR10.6) million 
including the assumption of Verticalnet outstanding debt. Verticalnet has 80 
employees, offices in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, New York in the USA, 
Paris in France and Guildford in UK and 2006 revenues of US$16.2 (EUR11.4) 
million.

The acquisition will allow BravoSolution to achieve several strategic
objectives:

- Expand its geographic presence in the North American market, the
largest market for technology-based eSourcing applications (after having
established a presence in Europe with offices in Italy, France, the United
Kingdom, Spain and in China with an office in Shanghai).

- Broaden its technology offering with one of the technologically most
advanced suite of products.

- Secure its position as one of the leading world providers of eSourcing
solutions.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, the transaction will be
consummated through a merger of BravoSolutions U.S.A., Inc., a newly-formed
acquisition vehicle, into Verticalnet. BravoSolution U.S.A., Inc. will
acquire all the outstanding shares of Verticalnet common stock at a price of
US$2.56 (EUR1.80) per share of common stock and following the merger,
Verticalnet will change its name to BravoSolution U.S.A., Inc. The proposed
transaction is subject to approval by Verticalnet's shareholders, and other
customary closing conditions.

Concurrent with the signing of the merger agreement, BravoSolution agreed
to purchase US$824,337.92 (EUR579,296) of newly issued Verticalnet Series C
Preferred Stock that will be convertible into common stock at US$2.56
(EUR1.80) per share. The closing of this financing will be completed on
October 31. 2007. Verticalnet intends to use the proceeds from the share
issuance for immediate working capital needs.

If the proposed transaction is completed, the acquisition of Verticalnet
by BravoSolution U.S.A., Inc. will create one of the leading worldwide supply
management solutions providers with a strong presence in the United States,
Europe and China, capable of providing outstanding sourcing services and
solutions to corporations and public sector entities worldwide.

Since the two companies address complementary geographic markets and
customers and offer products with complementary features, the combined entity
will continue to support and invest in all existing solution modules going
forward. Therefore, BravoSolution plans to continue and increase investment
in Verticalnet's XE Supply Management Suite and expand Verticalnet's sales
and service organisation in order to accelerate its growth while continuing
to offer all customers the highest quality of service and client
satisfaction.

Founded in 2000, BravoSolution is a major provider of supply management
solutions in Europe, with an expanding presence in Asia. A profitable company
with a debt free balance sheet and 2007 revenues expected to be approximately
US$46 (EUR33) million, BravoSolution supports over 300 customers, including
corporations and public sector entities, in 18 countries with their leading
combination of eSourcing and spend management software and services. As an
independently operated, majority owned subsidiary of Italcementi Group,
BravoSolution offers Verticalnet customers continuity of product and people
combined with a strong balance sheet and the commitment of resources
necessary to continue to grow.

"The combination with BravoSolution provides value to our shareholders,
continuity to our customers, will result in the repayment of all of our debt
outstanding and will provide for new and enhanced opportunities for our
employees" said Nathanael V. Lentz, Verticalnet President and CEO. "Our
organisations are already closely aligned in terms of commitment to customer
service and delivering leading solutions. While we operate in similar arenas,
our solution sets have been developed in response to different marketplaces.
Our products and services are complementary, and Verticalnet and
BravoSolution will move forward with a commitment to support new and existing
customers of Verticalnet's current software solutions."

"Verticalnet has emerged as a leading player in the supply management
solutions space as the result of a great team, market leading products and a
growing base of referenceable customers," said Federico Vitaletti, CEO of
BravoSolution. "While Verticalnet's team and solutions are leaders in the
supply management space, its position as a small public company has hindered
its ability to win new customers. We have every expectation that the combined
force of Verticalnet's leading solutions and BravoSolution's strong financial
backing will lead to increased success in the United States and a further
strengthening of BravoSolution's positioning in Europe."

Verticalnet and BravoSolution anticipate that the transaction will close
during the first quarter of 2008, subject to the approval by Verticalnet's
shareholders and other customary closing conditions.

About Verticalnet

Verticalnet (Nasdaq: VERT) is a leading provider of supply management
solutions that enable companies to identify and realize sustained value
across the supply management lifecycle. Going beyond traditional spend
management and sourcing approaches, Verticalnet's solutions provide the
visibility, insight and process control required to maximize the sustained
value realization from supply management. Verticalnet is helping leading
Global 2000 companies and mid-market enterprises move their supply management
efforts to the next level through an optimal blend of software, comprehensive
services, and deep category knowledge and domain expertise.

About BravoSolution

BravoSolution is a leading provider of eSourcing solutions in the
European market. Its mission is to assist its clients in the improvement of
procurement processes through innovative technologies and services. Founded
in June 2000 by the Italcementi Group, BravoSolution effectively combines
professional expertise and technological excellence in the area of sourcing
in order to deliver valuable results to its numerous customers worldwide. In
Europe BravoSolution has offices in Italy, France, Spain and in the UK, where
is the sole approved provider of eSourcing Services under the Framework
Agreement managed by an Executive Agency of the UK HMTreasury 
(OGC.buying.solutions). Since May 2007, BravoSolution has also been operating
in Asia with a new office in Shanghai. In July 2007, BravoSolution acquired
Mobile Workers, a leading provider of technical solutions and spend analysis
for procurement applications in France.

Note:

The purchase consideration is in US dollars. All Euro amounts in this
press release are for convenience purposes, are purely indicative and are
based on the exchange rate of US$1.423 to EUR1, the closing exchange rate
calculated by the European Central Bank on October 24th, 2007.

BravoSolution UK
    Investor Relations
    Jenny McNeill
    Tel: +44 (0)207-796-4170
    Email: j.mcneill@bravosolution.com