Press release

Artprice has integrated .NET ® Microsoft to launch its round-the-clock info facility Artprice screen ®

As announced on 29 April 2002, the Artprice group together with its parent company (Server group) has integrated its whole line of industrial services and processes including hosting, which had been subcontracted by an SSII (computer bureau) up until 23 April 2002.

This deployment of servers (server farm) is based on Microsoft's revolutionary .NET ® technology and enables Artprice to send out information continuously to several thousand subscribers at extremely low production (server, IP pass-band, human resources) and repeatable costs in real time to keep pace with rapid growth. The advantage for Artprice of .NET ® is that it provides the opportunity of progressing to applications services distributed via web services.

Since 23 April, Artprice has found that the capacity of its own industrial facility together with the complete overhaul of the ergonomics and unification of its data banks (results, schedules, statistics, biographies, etc.) has been able to handle 7 to 9 times more customer requests than with hosting subcontracted out to a third party, and at lower cost.

This industrial production capacity means that Artprice can speed up mass distribution through the annual leasing of access dedicated to its data banks.

In this ay Artprice, by virtue of its position of world leader of information supplier on the art market, can provide some 180,000 individuals and companies working in the arts round-the clock 7-days-a-week access at a leasing cost of less than 500 Euro a year (Artprice screen ®).

The effect of Artprice.com's econometric and financial data, which carry a high added value for professionals and collectors who have made a firm decision to purchase, sell or value a work of art, is to standardize the market (administration/property management/banking/insurance), which in turn helps to make it more transparent.

These developments will have an immediate impact on the 2002 turnover. Additionally, thanks to its unique position in the world market and from the outset of this year as a pioneer, Artprice will have an international Internet kiosk (reversions of 70 to 80% from the Telecom operator to the publisher) on the basis of rate of approximately 1 Euro per minute.