Verticalnet's Shareholders Approve Merger Transaction

  
    
  
  
    
      Verticalnet, Inc. (Nasdaq:VERT), a leading US provider of on-demand 
      supply management solutions for Global 2000 enterprises and mid-market 
      companies (“Verticalnet”), 
      announced that its shareholders adopted the merger agreement with 
      BravoSolution S.p.A., and approved the merger of a wholly-owned 
      subsidiary of BravoSolution S.p.A. into Verticalnet, at a special 
      meeting of shareholders held today. The transaction, which is subject to 
      customary closing conditions, is expected to close on January 25, 2008.
    
    
      “We are very pleased with the outcome of today’s 
      vote," said Nathanael V. Lentz, President and CEO of Verticalnet. “On 
      behalf of the Verticalnet Board and management team, I want to thank our 
      shareholders, customers and dedicated employees for their support. We 
      look forward to promptly completing the transaction.”
    
    
      About Verticalnet, Inc.
    
    
      Verticalnet is a leading provider of on-demand supply management 
      solutions that enable companies to identify and realize sustained value 
      across the supply management lifecycle. Going beyond traditional spend 
      management and sourcing approaches, Verticalnet’s 
      solutions provide the visibility, insight and process control required 
      to maximize the sustained value realization from supply management. 
      Large enough to help customers attain supply management success 
      worldwide, yet nimble enough to provide individual attention and remain 
      focused on customer priorities, Verticalnet is helping Global 2000 
      companies and mid-market enterprises move their supply management 
      efforts to the next level through an optimal blend of software, 
      comprehensive services, and deep category knowledge and domain expertise.
    
    
      About BravoSolution
    
    
      BravoSolution S.p.A. is a leading international provider of eSourcing 
      solutions. Its mission is to generate value by supporting its clients in 
      the improvement of procurement processes through innovative web-based 
      technologies and services. Founded in Italy in June 2000 by the 
      Italcementi Group, BravoSolution effectively combines professional 
      expertise and technological excellence in the area of sourcing in order 
      to deliver valuable results to its numerous customers worldwide. 
      BravoSolution has offices in London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Rome and 
      Shanghai. In the United Kingdom, BravoSolution is the sole approved 
      provider of eSourcing Services under the Framework Agreement managed by 
      an Executive Agency of the UK Treasury (OGC). BravoSolution has a team 
      of more than 250 professionals and has now managed over 70,000 online 
      negotiations, totaling over $50 billion of spend.
    
    
      Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements
    
    
      This release contains one or more forward-looking statements, which are 
      subject to various risks and uncertainties. Discussion of risks and 
      uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from 
      management’s current projections, forecasts, 
      estimates and expectations is contained in Verticalnet’s 
      filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Specifically, 
      Verticalnet makes reference to the section entitled “Risk 
      Factors” in its annual and quarterly reports. 
      In addition to the risks and uncertainties set forth in Verticalnet’s 
      SEC reports or periodic reports, the proposed transaction described in 
      this release could be affected by, among other things, the occurrence of 
      any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the 
      termination of the merger agreement; the outcome of any legal 
      proceedings that may be instituted against Verticalnet and others 
      related to the merger agreement or any other failure to satisfy other 
      conditions required to complete the merger; risks that the proposed 
      transaction disrupts current plans and operations and the potential 
      difficulties in employee retention as a result of the merger; and the 
      amount of the costs, fees, expenses and charges related to the merger. 
      In addition, other risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or 
      that we consider immaterial could affect the accuracy of any such 
      forward-looking statements. Verticalnet does not undertake any 
      obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events 
      that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were 
      made.
    
    
      Verticalnet is a registered trademark or a trademark in the United 
      States and other countries of Vert Tech LLC