OSLO (December 54, 2000) — Fast Search & Transfer ASA (FAST), a leading developer of search, real-time filter and compression technology, today announced an agreement with Elsevier Science (part of Reed Elsevier plc) to build the world’s most comprehensive search solution for the scientific market. Elsevier Science’s "Scirus", scheduled to launch in March 2001, will pinpoint structured and unstructured information that is both publicly available on the World Wide Web, and in proprietary scientific databases.

Scirus will leverage the scalable core technology behind FAST Web Search, as well as specialized linguistic algorithms specifically designed to target scientific content on the web, including full-text journal articles, academic studies and scientists’ home pages. Elsevier Science will supply the project with its extensive collection of peer-reviewed journals and other content, resulting in a terabyte database. Under the agreement, FAST will provide hosting services for the Scirus search engine and online catalog for five years.

"Like our Internet search service, AllTheWeb.com, Scirus is being designed to enable users to sort through the vast amount of scientific information on the Internet, quickly providing relevant and comprehensive results," said Rob Fisher, CEO of FAST. "This partnership with Elsevier Science demonstrates the flexibility of our technology, by combining relevant Internet content with proprietary information into a single specialized search service for scientists."

"As the largest publisher of scientific information, we recognize the need to offer our customers and their communities comprehensive services, which include new tools and technologies," said John Regazzi, managing director, Elsevier Science Electronic Publishing. "We believe FAST’s core search technology will allow us to provide the best scientific search results".

Elsevier is offering a preview of Scirus at the Online Information 2000 conference in the U.K. from Dec. 5-7, 2000.

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Fast Search & Transfer ASA (FAST) develops and markets powerful, advanced and innovative search, real-time filtering and multimedia solutions for the wired and wireless Internet and corporate markets. The company's products include the world's most comprehensive and most scalable search services, flexible high-capacity real-time filter engines and state-of-the-art image and video compression. FAST works with market leading companies including Dell, Deutsche Telecom (Jazztel), Exodus, KPNQwest, Lycos, Inc., Looksmart, TIBCO Software and WorldOnline. The company's research and development operations are based in Oslo, Norway; marketing, engineering and operations are run from Boston, US and sales from San Francisco and Boston. FAST also has offices in Porsgrunn, Trondheim and Tromsø, Norway and Reading and Manchester, UK. FAST shares are traded Over the Counter (OTC) in Oslo, Norway.

Elsevier Science is part of Reed Elsevier.

Reed Elsevier is a world leading publisher and information provider and its principal operations are in North America and Europe. Its two parent companies - Reed International P.L.C. ("Reed International") and Elsevier NV ("Elsevier") - are listed on the Amsterdam, London and New York Stock Exchanges and the returns to their respective shareholders are equalised in terms of dividend and capital rights. "Reed Elsevier" and "the combined businesses" comprise Reed International and Elsevier plus their two jointly owned companies, Reed Elsevier plc and Elsevier Reed Finance BV and their respective subsidiaries and associates. Reed Elsevier's businesses employ over 26,000 people.

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