Industry leaders help maximize efficiency and productivity of brokers with
XteamAMS/3 and trend-setting online stock trading package

(Hong Kong, February 20, 2001) Three market leaders in high performance Internet solutions, namely Diyixian.com Limited, IBM China/Hong Kong Limited and Xteam Software (Hong Kong) Ltd, launched their next generation of online stock trading services today. By partnering together for Hong Kong¡¦s changing investment needs, the three companies will be able to offer brokers versatile, inexpensive and fully enhanced online dealing services.

Central to the services is DYXNet/Xteam All-in-One Online Stock Trading Package, which combines the strength of Diyixian.com¡¦s robust Internet backbone and world-class Internet Centres throughout the Greater China region, with IBM¡¦s cutting-edge ultra thin servers and Xteam¡¦s simple, reliable and highly scalable online stock trading system. With unparalleled flexibility and productivity, the Package allows brokers to automate, with minimum manual effort, the process of trading request capture and order input.

¡§This trade automation solution may help brokers catch up with the boom in online trading as in other international markets,¡¨ remarked Mr. Lap Man, CEO of Diyixian.com Ltd. ¡§With the introduction of two new order types — Enhanced Limited Order and Special Limit Order — to the exchange¡¦s new stock trading system AMS/3 this week, online trading will become more sophisticated, demanding greater flexibility, scalability and functionality for the trading facilities of brokers. Our services mark a substantial move in these areas.¡¨

Online dealing has developed very rapidly ever since the launch of the third-generation Automatic Order Matching and Execution System (AMS/3) in October last year by the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEx). The volume of online stock trading in Hong Kong has since grown 13-fold, with 13% of stock trading done through the Internet.

¡§Brokers without Internet access would be hard-pressed to compete with online brokers,¡¨ commented Mr. Brian Uy, Manager, Servers, Personal Computing Division, IBM China/Hong Kong Limited. ¡§Consolidation among brokerage firms is inevitable. Experience in the US shows that competition is likely to drive down dealing costs as the online trading habit expands. A reliable, stable and scalable server, such as our eServer* xSeries, is essential for building a fast and secure infrastructure for online stock trading. The ultra-thin size of our servers with its innovative technology allow brokers to effectively reduce rental cost and offer a no-frills dealing service to clients.¡¨

¡§Along with the new online trading services, Xteam introduced today its groundbreaking trading software, XteamAMS/3. Its unique architecture offers easy-to-use interface, extraordinary fault tolerance and load balancing capability, sparing brokers the labour-intensive process of navigating complicated interfaces to interchange electronic data with the HKEx¡¦s AMS/3 trading host. Xteam¡¦s introduction of this enhanced trading platform demonstrates its ability to distinguish itself as an innovator in the demanding e-brokerage arena,¡¨ said Mr. Dickson Lau, Deputy General Manager of Xteam Software (Hong Kong) Ltd.

In addition to the press conference, market participants and other interested parties are also welcome to join our half-day seminar on the direction of next-generation online trading solutions. Here are details of the seminar:

Date: Feb 20, 2001 (Tue)
Time: 17:00 ¡V 19:30
Venue: Coral Room 1, 3/F, Furama Hotel Hong Kong, 1 Connaught Road, Central, H.K.

*The IBM eServer brand consists of the established IBM e-business logo with the descriptive term ¡§server¡¨ following it.