TestMart Introduces Revolutionary Tool
for Locating Test Equipment

Find like algorithms reveal alternative products

SAN BRUNO, Calif. - November 29, 1999 -
TestMartTM, the leading information and commerce marketplace for the test and measurement industry, today unveiled a powerful new service on its Web site (www.testmart.com) that promises to revolutionize the way buyers locate and compare test equipment. Similar Products is a proprietary search function that retrieves information on products whose key parameters are equal or close to those of a specified product. Buyers who need to replace an obsolete product, or find alternatives to a new one, simply enter the make and model number and can retrieve logical candidates from TestMart's extensive products specification database.

TestMart CEO Peter Ostrow, said "Similar Products represents the essence of our Community - empowering our users to locate, compare, and select the optimum product for their needs from virtually every source, quickly, simply and without bias. The user specifies the product and the search engine locates potential alternatives based on its parameters. It is the most effective way to navigate today's turbulent T&M industry and its rapidly changing technology to find the best possible alternatives."

"Our original Find Products and Detailed Search functions find exact matches of key product parameters such as bandwidth, number of channels and sensitivity," explained Nitin Shroff, Director of Product Management. " Similar Products algorithms apply tolerance bands to key parameters that automatically broaden the search to include products with slightly less or more performance. For example, a Similar Products search for a specific 2-channel, 100MHz oscilloscope locates likely candidates with up to 4 channels and 200MHz bandwidth, as well as the direct equivalents. Users who are replacing older technology will discover newer products with added features and performance that still meet the basic functions of the old model. The best match from the search results can be entered for another iteration to improve the focus and selections can be displayed, side by side, for detailed comparisons of all parameters."

"Since this is a first of its kind, we expect to learn and improve as we gain more user feedback," Shroff continued. "Our objective is to encompass as many logical alternatives as possible without extraneous results."

TestMart is the most comprehensive test equipment reference site and marketplace on the Internet. The site features massive databases of unbiased, proprietary and hard-to-find information and a safe secure Buy Online area where users can locate, compare, and select from an extensive offering of new and refurbished instruments. Databases contain detailed specifications on over 9,000 test and measurement products, contact and historical information on more than 500 manufacturers and a Reference Section with extensive product information including calibration intervals, life cycles, Y2K and CE status.

TestMart is a private company formed in 1998 to create community and to develop e-commerce applications for industrial technical equipment industries. Headquarters is located at 851 Traeger Avenue, San Bruno, California 94066; Telephone 650-624-0525, Fax 650-624-0535. For more information on TestMart, address e-mail to jharrington@testmart.com. The TestMart Web site can be found at https://www.testmart.com/.

EDITORIAL CONTACT:
Martin Wolf
650.794.3705
mwolf@testmart.com