San Jose, CA—March 6, 2002—Metropolis New Media, Inc. announced today that it has joined ESRI's Business Partner Program as an authorized ESRI consultant and reseller. As an ESRI Business Partner Metropolis will provide managed Internet hosting services for ESRI ArcIMS, RouteMap IMS and ArcSDE.

"We are pleased to have partnered with ESRI, the unmistakable leader in the GIS software industry,” said David Hunsinger, CEO at Metropolis. “We view this relationship as key to providing the best possible support for customers looking to leverage the Internet and Web-based GIS using ESRI technology.”

Hunsinger, believing that many of Metropolis’ larger competitors were experiencing difficulties due to a lack of focus, made a decisive move to narrow the company’s focus and position Metropolis as a premier managed hosting provider for Web-enabled GIS. “With technology that’s constantly evolving in complexity, it’s impossible to deliver great service without focusing on a specific problem. Deploying enterprise-class GIS on the Internet not only requires a thorough understanding of GIS server software, but relational databases, Web and application servers, networking, security, storage and server administration. We saw that many GIS firms considered Internet GIS deployments as a stumbling block and relied on customers to build their own expertise and technology infrastructure. Our service enables organizations looking to deploy ESRI technology online to focus on strategic issues rather than Internet infrastructure and operations.”

About Metropolis

Based in San Jose, CA, Metropolis New Media, Inc. is a premier provider of managed hosting solutions for organizations looking to deploy ESRI server products online. Unlike ordinary hosting providers, Metropolis is focused solely on GIS and is an authorized ESRI business partner that is dedicated to providing customers with Internet infrastructure and operations support for sharing GIS data and applications on the Internet. More information about Metropolis and its services can be obtained on the Web at www.metropolisnewmedia.com

About ESRI

For more than 30 years, ESRI has been the leading developer of geographic information system (GIS) software with more than 220,000 clients worldwide. ESRI also provides consulting, implementation, and technical support services. In addition to its headquarters in California, ESRI has regional offices throughout the United States, international distributors in more than 90 countries, and more than 700 resellers and developers. ESRI's goal is to provide users with comprehensive tools to help them quickly and efficiently manage and use geographic information to make a real difference in the world around them. ESRI can be found on the Web at www.esri.com.

ESRI, the ESRI globe logo, GIS by ESRI, ArcMap, ArcView, www.esri.com, and @esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions. Other companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

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Press Information:
Matt Monahan, Metropolis
Phone: (408) 297-4600 x201
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