CAMBRIDGE, MA - August 5, 1998 - General Interactive, Inc., the leading provider of unified intelligent messaging and relationship marketing solutions, today announced that IBM is using EchoMail for Lead Management (LM) at all IBM trade shows.

EchoMail/LM is the first web-based, real time lead capture and management system built specifically to capture leads from trade shows. EchoMail-LM allows IBM to process leads straight from the trade show floor. Potential client information can be gathered from a magnetic card scanner, a business card reader, or through manual entry. IBM can then edit the information that's captured, post the data directly to the central database, and automatically export the data via the web and e-mail.

"No more misplacing business cards, or losing them in the chaos of the trade show floor. EchoMail allows us to process sales lead information directly from our exhibit. This virtually removes all possibility of losing leads," says, Randall McComas, vice president, Global Telecommunications, IBM.

Since the system is web-based, designated users can log on during the trade show to monitor progress of the sales leads that are generated. Industry leaders, business partners, or potential clients return to their monitors to find an instant response to their inquiry ---waiting for their reply.

"EchoMail-LM instantly enables you to improve customer satisfaction, strengthen your brand image and improve your productivity by compressing response times and improving the overall quality of response," says Bob Gibson, solutions executive, IBM.

IBM has selected EchoMail, from General Interactive, Inc., as their web site e-care and e-marketing application. EchoMail automatically reads, sorts, classifies, routes, responds, tracks, and measures in-bound e-mails at ISP Web sites. EchoMail for Lead Management is built upon this award winning, core e-mail solution technology, which is currently the e-mail/ sales lead management tool for many Fortune 500 companies.

For more information on IBM Global Telecommunications and Media Industries visit www.telmedia.ibm.com/telmedia

About General Interactive
General Interactive, Inc., fuses art and information technology to create award-winning intelligent messaging and relationship marketing solutions. GII president and founder, V.A. Shiva, known throughout the industry as Dr. E-Mail , pioneered the early development of e-mail technology and intelligent messaging solutions. GII's primary markets include customer-focused enterprises such as electronic commerce, high-technology, financial services, retail and the entertainment industry. Their professional services division is dedicated to creating state-of-the-art interactive designs and thematic concepts. Web-sites, multi-media e-mail campaigns, 2D and 3D animation, banner advertisements and educational programs are standard offerings.

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company has additional offices in Washington, D.C and Madras, India. For more information about General Interactive, visit the company's World Wide Web site at http://www.EchoMail.com or contact EchoMail, Inc., 66 Church Street, Cambridge, MA 02138; phone (617) 354-8585; email: Press@EchoMail.com.