SAN DIEGO, CA and WEEHAWKEN, NJ, April 29, 1999 - Today, HNC Internet Solutions (formerly Aptex) and Hanover Direct announced a technology alliance to enhance consumer purchases in the area of direct marketing and e-commerce.

HNC Internet Solutions, a business unit of HNC Software Inc. (Nasdaq: HNCS), is a leading provider of Internet-based Predictive Marketing™ software for marketing and optimized customer interactions. Hanover Direct, Inc. (AMEX: HNV) is an e-commerce and catalog marketer of branded products to consumers and provides a comprehensive range of e-commerce and fulfillment related services to name-brand retailers and manufacturers.

HNC SelectCast technology will be used to execute new Hanover-pioneered, proprietary applications to create targeted marketing offers and personalized customer service programs across Hanover's portfolio of thirteen brands. These proprietary extensions will also be made available to third parties using Hanover's web services division to enhance their own call center performance and e-commerce efforts.

In addition, Hanover has licensed a wide range of data mining software solutions developed by HNC to provide a comprehensive program of attaining and retaining customers through automated behavior profiling on a customer-by-customer basis.

"Incorporating this technology within our web services division is part of our commitment to building a world-class knowledge, technology and fulfillment platform which, together with our previously completed data warehouse project, will enable us to provide an even wider range of services to our e-commerce brands and third party customers," stated Rakesh K. Kaul, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hanover Direct, Inc.

"Our alliance with Hanover Direct provides unique benefits for both companies," said John Gaffney, VP, Marketing and General Manager, Internet Products, HNC Internet Solutions. "HNC benefits from Hanover's huge data warehouse and extensive experience in direct marketing and fulfillment. Hanover benefits from HNC's SelectCast product and related technologies for real-time consumer behavior modeling and product recommendations."

Richard Hoffmann, SVP/Chief Marketing Officer of Hanover Direct, Inc. added, "After thorough testing, HNC's technology clearly demonstrated its ability and will be used to execute new, Hanover-pioneered, proprietary applications to create marketing programs leveraging product associations within our data warehouse. As the consumer shops online, these associations can be used to customize the merchandise offering which, we believe should impact Internet sales while also increasing web site 'stickiness'. We are implementing a series of products beginning this quarter that will use the unique ability of HNC's software in a wide variety of Internet and catalog proprietary applications."

Earlier this year Hanover announced an internal realignment helping to transform the company from one integrated catalog company into two internet-driven divisions, the brand marketing division and the web services division. The brand marketing division offers quality branded merchandise to consumers through the company's family of print catalogs, as well as through full-service, online sales. The web services division provides a comprehensive range of fulfillment, order management and web marketing services to other companies wanting to enter into e-commerce.

In 1998, Hanover circulated approximately 242 million catalogs, answered more than 9 million customer service/order calls, and processed and shipped over 7 million packages to customers in North America. Over 80,000 stock-keeping units are offered via catalog and e-commerce web sites. The company has engaged in Internet commerce since 1997.

About Hanover Direct, Inc.
Hanover Direct, Inc. (AMEX: HNV), and its business units, provide quality, branded merchandise through a portfolio of catalogs and e-commerce platforms to consumers, as well as a comprehensive range of Internet, e-commerce, and fulfillment services to businesses. The brand marketing division is comprised of the company's catalog and e-commerce web site portfolio of home fashions, apparel and gift brands, including Domestications, The Company Store, Colonial Garden Kitchens, Kitchen & Home, Improvements, The Safety Zone, Silhouettes, Tweeds, International Male, Austad's, Undergear, and Gump's By Mail. The company also owns Gump's, a retail store based in San Francisco. Each brand can be accessed on the Internet individually by name. The web services division is comprised of the company's Internet marketing services group, systems platform and fulfillment service vendor, Keystone Fulfillment Inc. (www.keystonefulfillment.com). Information on Hanover Direct, including each of its divisions, can be accessed on the Internet at www.hanoverdirect.com.

About HNC Internet Solutions
A business unit of HNC Software Inc., HNC Internet Solutions develops Predictive Software Solutions' to automate and optimize electronic customer interactions. Call Center Solutions and CTI Magazine recently named HNC Internet Solution's SelectResponse 3.0 as 1998 Product of the Year in the Service and Support Category.

Companies including Charles Schwab & Company, Inc., SURETRADE, First Data Corporation, Netscape Communications Corp., and InfoSeek have licensed HNC Internet Solutions products to help them realize significant savings and improvement in customer service. For more information, visit www.aptex.com or call 888/623-0554.

About HNC Software Inc.
Headquartered in San Diego, California, HNC Software Inc. (NASDAQ: HNCS) is the world's leading provider of Predictive Software Solutions for service industries, including financial, retail, Internet, insurance and telecommunications. HNC's suite of Predictive Software Solutions can provide real-time insight into customer relationships based on transaction-level data, helping business-to-consumer companies manage their relationships with individual customers. By accurately predicting customer behaviors, these companies can create initiatives to mitigate risk and attrition; improve customer service; develop marketing programs to enhance profitability; optimize store replenishment activities, and detect fraudulent customer transactions.

For more information, visit HNC's web site at http://www.hnc.com/ or contact Jane Leonard, HNC Software Inc., 5935 Cornerstone Court West, San Diego, CA 92121, (619) 799-3880. For the investor relations hotline, call (800) 396-8052.

Forward Looking Statement

The following may be deemed to be a forward looking statement: "We are implementing a series of products beginning this quarter that will use the unique ability of HNC's software in a wide variety of Internet and catalog proprietary applications."

Cautionary Statement
The following material identifies important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward looking statement identified above:
The ability of the Company's systems department to successfully integrate HNC's software into any of the Company's proposed applications in a timely manner.

CONTACT:
AGG International, Public Relations
Paula Zwerdling
Managing Director
(212) 869-8230

Back to Top