Mercari Adds Metastream 3D Visualization Technology

Mercari Technologies announced plans to add visualization capabilities to InitiaLink and their entire suite of merchandise technology applications. Engineered by Mercari and powered by the award winning Metastream technology, the visualization application is a first-of-its-kind and closes a longstanding gap that has existed with merchandise technology. Both applications are built on Mercari's NeoCtex engine that uniquely models the real-world constraints of retail space, inventory investment and other factors affecting the "show and flow" of merchandise.

InitiaLink enables retailers and manufacturers to collaborate in real-time to evaluate optimal assortment, space allocation, and replenishment of products. Metastream technology adds rich, 3D visuals to this and all of Mercari's applications. The Visualization product is a new application in the third generation of Mercari's products slated for release in Q1 2000. An early market release of the product will soon be in use with existing clients of Mercari.

"Every retailer and manufacturer that has seen or used our existing applications appreciates the uniqueness of the optimization and collaboration capabilities," says Paul C. Strzelec, vice president Marketing at Mercari Technologies. "Now we can offer our clients a complete platform for merchandising decisions. The solution combines consumer behavior modeling with a view into supply chain operations and the marketing, merchandising and sales decisions that affect the financials and service level of the retail store shelf."

Mercari, the pioneer of Collaborative Merchandise Optimization, is recognized for technology that models consumer reactions to out-of-stocks and for the first time, make the consumer part of an objective, everyday decision process in retail planning. With manufacturers increasing the use of factbased selling processes, the visualization capabilities and combined applications of the Mercari suite enable manufacturing teams to reflect on both the analytics and visual appeal of new product introductions and the overall assortment of the shelf -- all through an Internet browser that accesses a hosted application. Mercari's suite of applications utilizes the power of the NeoCtex engine, a common data model, and a single entry point and streamlined user interface to navigate to a decision.

"With Metastream's capacity to create complex, super-rich 3D models, online selling to consumers has never been easier" said Jim Brubaker, vice president of Marketing for Metastream "We are very excited that Mercari's use of our technology reinforces the overall end-user experience not only online, but also in a B2B planning environment."

About Metastream and MetaCreations Corporations

MetaCreations Corporation is focused exclusively on e-commerce visualization solutions for the World Wide Web, and the Company's Internet strategy is being executed through its operating subsidiary, Metastream Corporation. Combining its next generation, proprietary Metastream 3 (MTS 3) technology and content creation services, Metastream is an unprecedented Web force in branding, advertising, and commerce solutions. The Companies primary initiatives include licensing Metastream technologies for e-commerce initiatives and providing a full range of professional services for implementing enhanced 3D Web marketing solutions, both directly and through strategic alliances with leading interactive agencies, Web content providers, and graphic tools companies. The Companies are headquartered in New York City and can be reached on the World Wide Web at www.metacreations.com and www.metastream.com.

About Mercari Technologies Inc

Mercari Technologies, formerly known as BAV Software, is a merchandise application technology provider. Headquartered in Washington, DC with a Retail Center of Excellence in Fayetteville, AR, its merchandising solutions are the first to bring retailers and manufacturers closer to their customers by integrating consumer behavior data with merchandise planning, supply chain optimization, category management and financial analysis. With Mercari's solutions, businesses are empowered to reach breakthrough levels of efficiency and profitability by responding more directly to consumers' needs. For more information on Mercari Technologies, visit www.mercaritech.com.

Mercari Technologies is where companies and consumers converge.

Contact Stacey Dash of Mercari Technologies Inc, 202-244-0900 x387, sdash@mercaritech.com.