DALLAS - (Oct. 25, 2000) - Sprint today announced the addition of Sprint Instant Message^SM to the Sprint Internet Collaboration Center (SM), a Web-based multimedia conferencing service. With this enhancement, Sprint Internet Collaboration Center (ICC) breaks new ground as the first Web-based voice and data conferencing service to offer free, instant messaging services interoperable with nearly all other major instant messaging (IM) products.

To provide Sprint ICC customers with instant messaging technology, Sprint has chosen to trial the technology of Bantu, Inc., a provider of Web-based instant communication solutions to businesses, ISPs and Web sites.

By providing Sprint ICC customers with secure, compatible and easy-to-use instant messaging technology Sprint enables businesses of all sizes to increase collaborative efforts and improve productivity. According to industry analysts, more than 30 percent of Fortune 1000 companies utilize instant messaging and the number will grow to almost 50 percent by 2001.

"With Sprint's instant messaging technology, Sprint ICC users now have the freedom to hold real-time, Web-based conversations while collaborating on everything from remote training to presentation development," said Arthur Chaykin, vice president of strategic development for Sprint's Global Business Markets Group. "In addition, this instant messaging technology ensures Sprint users that instant messaging conversations with other Sprint IM users will be encrypted and secure."

This Business IM technology works outside of corporate intranets, uninhibited by firewalls and proxies, allowing easy connectivity amongst companies that require secure networks, yet want to freely interact with those outside the company in real-time. In addition, Sprint's easy-to-use instant messaging technology requires no software downloads - enabling ICC customers to easily contact individuals using any instant messaging system.

Users can access the service at www.sprint.com/icc. An easy Web-based pre-registration form requires only a name, e-mail address and a few general questions to be completed to establish a log-in account.

About Bantu \ban' too\ 1 : Swahili word for "The People;" 2 : A leading provider of Web-based instant communication solutions to businesses, ISPs and Web sites. Bantu's flagship product, Bantu Messenger, is the first hosted instant messaging application that enhances Web communities and improves business productivity. Based on patent-pending techniques, Bantu Messenger combines easy-to-use functionality with secure, interoperable technology. It is the only thin-client messenger that is easy to implement and customize, multilingual, and firewall friendly. By interoperating with other IM Networks, Bantu's network reaches 87 million users. Bantu, Inc., is based in Washington, D.C., and boasts an impressive customer list including Prospero, Canoe.com, Click2Asia, KiwiBox, Lycos Latin America, myEcamp.com, Texas Instruments, Webforia and Quepasa.com. To learn more, visit www.bantu.com.