Whippany, NJ – December 5, 2005 – First Index today announced the release of GR7, the next generation technology platform powering the entire suite of First Index collaboration products, including FI Source^TM for RFx management and FI Supplier^TM.  GR7 harnesses the power of the .NET technology and improves every facet of product performance including functionality, response time and ease of use, effectively streamlining the RFQ collaborative process between buyers and suppliers.

“Over 13 years ago, First Index started with a powerful idea about how to help buyers and suppliers gain a competitive edge in the manufacturing industry. To this day, our innovative technologies, knowledgeable people and global community of companies have together delivered consistent and lasting value to thousands of customers,” said John Jung, First Index President and CEO.  “As a result, First Index enjoys the long-term commitment of a large base of customers globally (some 32,000 buyers and 29,000 suppliers, and growing) who as true partners, share ideas about future needs and challenges. The release of GR7, just one of many investments First Index is driving to bring new and greater sources of value, demonstrates our continued commitment to exceed the expectations of our customers today and in the future. This is indeed a very exciting time for First Index and its growing community of customers and partners.”

The new platform integrates all of First Index’s buyer and supplier products and services onto a unified platform, and expands the functionality available to users of its standard buyer and supplier services. New functionality available to users of First Index’s FI Source^TM and FI Supplier^TM products include:

• Improved document handling, including NDAs, and time-saving RFQ templates unique to custom manufactured parts/components
• Extensive quote analysis reporting and integration to MS office suite of applications
• New tools for buyers and suppliers to simplify the process of building and quoting multiple line-item RFQs
• Streamlined supplier profile and account information management, with access to over 200,000 suppliers in the database globally

A key feature of GR7 allows First Index customers to instantly select the most suitable level of services and functionality according to their specific needs. Suppliers can easily customize their FI Supplier^TM membership according to a number of new filters including geography, industry, material, certifications, quantities, or size of company posting RFQs.  Buyers can flexibly choose to supplement their standard FI Source^TM service with a range of value-added services, including access to First Index’s Global Supplier Network and Strategic Sourcing Advisory Services.

About First Index

First Index has been helping buyers and suppliers of custom-made parts and assemblies since 1992, and has steadily grown into the leading online sourcing service and marketplace of its kind world-wide. Thousands of buyers of manufactured parts around the world use the First Index sourcing platform to create and distribute thousands of RFQs annually and to find the right suppliers from First Index’s growing network of suppliers looking to establish new business relationships.  First Index continues to strengthen its position as the world leader in facilitating commerce in the manufacturing industry by providing an unmatched combination of technology, information and knowledgeable services to buyers and suppliers, enabling both to gain a sustainable competitive edge.   To find out more about First Index, please visit www.firstindex.com, email info@firstindex.com,  or call Gary Fedor at 800 498 7333 x604.