United Shipping & Technology, TanData to Build Internet Kiosk System

TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 1999-- United Shipping & Technology (NASDAQ:USHP - news), a leading supplier of automated shipping kiosks, and TanData, a developer of leading-edge shipping software, today announced a joint venture to design a new generation of multipurpose electronic kiosks.

The kiosks represent a new point of entry for consumers to access the Internet, allowing them to perform a wide variety of tasks, such as shipping packages, participating in Internet auctions, conducting banking online and even accessing other e-commerce sites.

The companies will work together to design an enhanced operating system for US&T's Intelligent Kiosks (ISKs). The new system will incorporate TanData's Progistics(TM) software into the existing ISK applications and use the Internet as the backbone for information transmission in support of electronic commerce.

``US&T sees a significant unmet opportunity with the Internet. While many companies have successfully capitalized on the `front end' of the Internet -- direct sale to consumers and informational Web sites -- limited effort has gone into the backend -- how to deliver those front-end Internet transactions and reporting the transaction status on the Internet,'' said Peter Lytle, chairman and CEO of US&T. ``This joint venture is the next step in US&T's strategy to become a major provider in the backend movement of goods purchased on the Internet. We want to make shipping a package, conducting online banking and ordering and receiving e-commerce goods as easy as walking into your neighborhood grocery store, convenience store or bank.''

US&T is excited to work with TanData for several reasons, Lytle added.

``TanData knows the shipping industry and has been writing software to manage the shipping process for years. Therefore, they have a full understanding of all the major carriers and their rules and regulations. Second, TanData is outstanding at writing software that can be integrated for such a complex use. Finally, TanData understands e-commerce and is the vanguard in developing the software that will enable e-commerce to emerge as a dominant force in the new electronic global economy,'' he said.

Peter Nicholls, president of TanData, said, ``This project is a major step forward for electronic commerce. A multipurpose kiosk that can serve as a collection point for shippers as well as an Internet portal will further allow e-commerce sites to grow at exponential rates.''

US&T's new Internet kiosk system will enable consumers to ship packages using the carrier of their choice, including US&T's own courier services. The company's network of couriers will pick up packages from the sites and distribute them to the appropriate carriers. The new systems, however, will do far more than just ship packages.

``We intend, with our kiosks, to allow users access to the largest information source in the world -- the Internet. We see great potential for our kiosk system in a variety of settings to perform a multiplicity of tasks,'' said Tim Becker, chief financial officer of US&T. ``As examples, we have been asked by large banks to place kiosks in their lobbies so they can offer their customers additional enhanced services, and by catalog companies to help them with handling their returns. The catalog return handling business is huge; these kiosks will be a new, more convenient and more cost-effective way for catalog shippers to manage this side of their business.''

United Shipping & Technology is the parent company of Advanced Courier Services (ACS) and the Intelligent Kiosk Company (IQK). Its mission is to bring a new dimension to interactive commerce and information retrieval. A leader in the shipping and information kiosk business, US&T focuses on integrating the kiosk technology with its courier business and developing an integrated communications and dispatch system along with other supporting technology. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.u-s-t.com.

TanData develops leading Internet-based shipping technology for e-commerce and supply chain management. Its component-based Progistics product provides shipping solutions for enterprise-wide applications or online stores, and is integrated into the logistics systems of top retailers around the world. Progistics provides total order visibility throughout the order pipeline, gives accurate rating and routing information and allows for multiple carriers. United Parcel Service, the world's largest express carrier and package delivery company, invested a minority stake in TanData last year. For more information, contact TanData at www.tandata.com or at 1-800-TANDATA.

Some of the information in this release is forward-looking and subject to certain risks as described in US&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1998.

     Peter Lytle
     United Shipping and Technology
     612/941-4080, ext. 113
         -OR-
     Amy Latham
     TanData
     918/295-1032

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