October 5, 2000

The National Grain and Feed Association has concluded an agreement with Data Transmission Network Corp. (DTN), Omaha, NE, to provide electronic data interchange (EDI) services to the grain, feed and processing industry. EDI involves the computer-to-computer exchange of business documents and other information between different companies. EDI-transmitted information is exchanged in a standard syntax and format that ensures the information is transmitted accurately and completely.

Under the agreement, DTN will assume management and marketing functions of the NGFA's EDI program, which was launched in 1997. In addition, DTN will provide communications and technical support to NGFA members and other companies utilizing this form of e-commerce.

The NGFA is the U.S.-based nonprofit trade association of about 1,000 grain, feed, processing and grain-related firms comprising 5,000 facilities that handle more than two-thirds of all U.S. grains and oilseeds. DTN, founded in 1984 and headquartered in Omaha, is a leading business-to-business electronic commerce and information services company with more than 1000 employees in eight U.S. locations and approximately 160,000 subscribers throughout the United States and Canada. It serves professional users in the agriculture, weather, energy and financial services industries.

DTN is providing a service to be known as "EDILINKŪ" and will provide a platform for companies buying and selling grain, feed and grain products to electronically transmit bills of lading for rail, trucks and barge movements of grain and grain products; inspection certificates attesting to the quality and weight of grain; invoices; settlements; and potentially other types of business-related documents.

"For an industry known as being competitive, efficient and cost-conscious, the cost savings and improved management efficiency made possible by this agreement will foster an environment in which companies will increasingly shift from paper documents toward electronic commerce," said NGFA President Kendell W. Keith. "We are confident that DTN's innovation and experience as a leading communications firm familiar with our industry will help ensure quality technology, service and support to meet our industry's needs at a very competitive price."

"The goal of EDILINK is to bring cost savings and efficiency to the industry for all its documents," said Darren Siekman, vice president of Ag E-Commerce for DTN, Omaha, Neb. "EDILINK will make E-commerce available to all trade participants, regardless of their size or technical expertise. To be able to provide such a service with an established, respected trade association as the NGFA is exciting and unique."

Also, the agreement provides for a new, secure Internet application to be developed by DTN. Rather than requiring the purchase of translation software by each user, the DTN-provided service will allow companies to eliminate a large volume of paper documentation without up-front investment. A small per-document fee will be charged to users, with substantial discounts available to members of the NGFA.

As part of the agreement, DTN will provide "any-to-any" capability to the service, which means that users may utilize the Internet, a traditional EDI network, or other communications medium to transmit and receive commonly used business documents. The system also will be flexible enough to accommodate incorporation of XML standards for the industry when they become available.