HighWired.com Adds 1,000 High Schools to its Network in Just 50 Hours

Latest Surge of Exponential Growth Takes Network to over 8,000  worldwide

WATERTOWN, Mass. (Feb. 3, 2000) - HighWired.com, the world's largest community of online high schools, today announced record growth, signing up  1,000 high schools in just 50 hours, bringing the total network up to more than  8,000 high schools worldwide. Over the past year, HighWired.com's momentum has  grown at an exponential pace. It took HighWired.com just 11 months to sign up  the first 1,000 high schools. The second 1,000 high schools took four months.  HighWired.com's momentum kept climbing over the next months, culminating in the  most recent 1,000-school acquisition in just 50 hours! HighWired.com is the  largest online high school network in the world, with over 40 percent of the  nation's high schools.

"Over the coming year, 50 percent of the teachers in the United States will  retire, ushering in the next generation of teachers. Education is changing at  the speed of Internet time and HighWired.com's accelerating momentum in the high  school community is evidence that teachers are embracing the new technologies  that will change the way students learn," said Mark Johnson, senior vice  president, general manager and co-founder of HighWired.com. "By providing high  school faculty and students with an easy way to integrate and enhance high  school life with the power of the Internet, HighWired.com brings high schools  all over the world together to share knowledge and resources."

Today, more than 8,000 high schools in all 50 U.S. states and 57 countries  worldwide use HighWired.com's Web-based products to bring critical aspects of  high school life to the Web. With HighWired.com's easy-to-use Web publishing  tools, high schools in the network have access to free Web-publishing tools so  they can create customized Web sites in five key areas-classrooms, activities,  newspapers, guidance and sports. By leveraging its global network, HighWired.com  is dedicated to bringing high schools from across the world together in a community where teachers, students, coaches, advisers and guidance counselors can collaborate.

About HighWired.com

Founded in April 1998, venture-backed  HighWired.com provides free Web-publishing tools for the five major areas of  high school life: classrooms, activities, newspapers, guidance and sports.  HighWired.com provides high schools within its network with easy-to-use  interactive products that allow students, teachers, coaches, advisers and  guidance counselors to participate in a collaborative online learning  experience. HighWired.com partners with educational organizations to provide the  highest-quality products and services enabling the company to house the largest  online international network of high schools. To date, the network includes over  8,000 schools in all 50 U.S. states and 57 foreign countries. HighWired.com is  headquartered in Watertown, Mass. For more information about HighWired.com's  products and services, please e-mail info@highwired.com or visit the Web site at  www.highwired.com.