LYCOS INC
8-K, 1999-08-06
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549


                                    FORM 8-K


                Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                       The Securities Exchange Act of 1934


             Date of Report (Date of Event Reported): July 27, 1999


                                   LYCOS, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

<TABLE>

<CAPTION>

   <S>                              <C>                       <C>
   Delaware                           0-27830                 04-3277338
   (State or other jurisdiction of  (Commission File         (IRS Employer
    incorporation or                 Number)              Identification Number)
   organization)



   400-2 Totten Pond Road
   Waltham, MA                         02451
   (Address of principal              (Zip Code)
    executive offices)
</TABLE>


        Registrant's telephone number, including area code (781) 370-2700









<PAGE>

Item 2.  Acquisition or Disposition of Assets.

     On July 17, 1999,  Lycos,  Inc., a Delaware  corporation  (the  "Company"),
entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the  "Agreement") by and among the
Company,  DI  Acquisition  Corp.,  a  Delaware  corporation  and a  wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Company ("DI"), Internet Music Distribution,  Inc., a Delaware
corporation  ("IMDI"), and the stockholders of IMDI, providing for the merger of
DI with and into IMDI (the  "Merger").  On July 27, 1999, the Company  completed
the closing of the  Merger,  and IMDI became a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of the
Company.

          In the Merger,  all  outstanding  shares of Common  Stock of IMDI were
     converted into an aggregate of 1,092,237  shares of Common Stock, par value
     $.01 per share, of the Company (the "Company Stock"). The shares of Company
     Common Stock issued in the Merger are to be be registered on a Registration
     Statement filed with the Securities and Exchange  Commission by the Company
     on or prior to August 26, 1999.

     Under the terms of the Agreement and the related  Escrow  Agreement,  dated
July 27, 1999, an aggregate of  436,887 shares  of Company  Common Stock will be
held in escrow for the  purpose of  indemnifying  the  Company  against  certain
liabilities  of IMDI and its  stockholders.  The escrow will expire on the first
anniversary of the closing date of the Merger.

     The summary of the  Agreement  set forth above is qualified in its entirety
by reference to the  Agreement,  which  is filed as an  exhibit  hereto  and is
incorporated herein by reference.

Item 7.  Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits.

         (a)      Financial Statements of Business Acquired

                  Pursuant to the instructions to Item 7 of Form 8-K, the
                  financial information required by Item 7(a) will be filed by
                  Amendment within 60 days of the date of this filing.

         (b)      Pro Forma Financial Information

                  Pursuant to the instructions to Item 7 of Form 8-K, the
                  financial information required by Item 7(b) will be filed by
                  Amendment within 60 days of the date of this filing.

         (c)      Exhibits

                    2.1  Agreement and Plan of Merger,  dated as of July 17,
                    1999,  by and  among  Lycos,  Inc.,  DI  Acquisition  Corp.,
                    Internet Music  Distribution,  Inc., and the stockholders of
                    Internet Music Distribution, Inc..



<PAGE>



                                                SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
     the  Registrant  has duly  caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
     the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                            LYCOS, INC.


Dated:  August 6, 1999                    By:    /s/ Robert J. Davis
                                                  Robert J. Davis
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer









<PAGE>


                                                EXHIBIT 2.1

<PAGE>




           ___________________________________________________________

                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
                                  BY AND AMONG
                                   LYCOS, INC.
                              DI ACQUISITION CORP.
                       INTERNET MUSIC DISTRIBUTION, INC.,
                                       AND
              THE SHAREHOLDERS OF INTERNET MUSIC DISTRIBUTION, INC.
                                   DATED AS OF
                                  JULY 17, 1999
           ___________________________________________________________

<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>


                                TABLE OF CONTENTS


ARTICLE I

<S>                                                                        <C>
         THE MERGER........................................................- 1 -
         1.1      The Merger...............................................- 1 -
         1.2      Effective Time...........................................- 2 -
         1.3      Effect of the Merger.....................................- 2 -
         1.4      Certificate of Incorporation; By-Laws....................- 2 -
         1.5      Directors and Officers...................................- 2 -
         1.6      Additional Actions.......................................- 2 -

ARTICLE II

         CONSIDERATION; CONVERSION OF SHARES...............................- 3 -
         2.1      Merger Consideration.....................................- 3 -
         2.2      Conversion of Shares.....................................- 3 -
         2.3      Exchange of Certificates.................................- 6 -
         2.4      No Fractional Securities.................................- 7 -
         2.5      Stock Transfer Books.....................................- 7 -
         2.6      No Further Ownership Rights in Company Stock.............- 7 -
         2.7      Adjustment Events........................................- 7 -
         2.8      Escrow...................................................- 7 -
         2.9      Tax Consequences.........................................- 8 -
         2.10     Treatment of Shareholder Notes Payable and Notes Receivable 8-
         2.11     PC Transaction Fees......................................- 8 -

ARTICLE III

         REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE
         COMPANY AND THE SHAREHOLDERS
          .................................................................- 8 -
         3.1      Corporate Organization...................................- 8 -
         3.2      Authorization............................................- 9 -
         3.3      Consents and Approvals; No Violations....................- 9 -
         3.4      Capitalization..........................................- 10 -
         3.5      Financial Statements....................................- 11 -
         3.6      Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities......................- 11 -
         3.7      Absence of Certain Changes or Events....................- 11 -
         3.8      Legal Proceedings, etc..................................- 12 -
         3.9      Taxes...................................................- 12 -
         3.10     Title to Properties and Related Matters.................- 13 -

                                                        (i)

<PAGE>


         3.11     Intellectual Property; Proprietary Rights;
                  Employee Restrictions...................................- 14 -
         3.12     Contracts...............................................- 16 -
         3.13     Employees; Employee Benefits............................- 18 -
         3.14     Compliance with Applicable Law..........................- 19 -
         3.15     Ability to Conduct the Business.........................- 20 -
         3.16     Major Customers.........................................- 20 -
         3.17     Consultants, Sales Representatives and Other Agents.....- 20 -
         3.18     Accounts Receivable.....................................- 20 -
         3.19     Insurance...............................................- 21 -
         3.20     Bank Accounts; Powers of Attorney.......................- 21 -
         3.21     Minute Books, etc.......................................- 21 -
         3.22     Related Person Indebtedness and Contracts...............- 21 -
         3.23     Brokers; Payments; Expenses.............................- 21 -
         3.24     Disclosure..............................................- 22 -
         3.25     Year 2000 Compliance....................................- 22 -

ARTICLE IV
         REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
         OF THE SHAREHOLDERS..............................................- 22 -
         4.1      Authorization etc.......................................- 22 -
         4.2      Parent Common Stock.....................................- 23 -

ARTICLE V

         REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
         OF THE PARENT AND ACQUISITION....................................- 25 -
         5.1      Corporate Organization..................................- 25 -
         5.2      Authorization...........................................- 26 -
         5.3      Consents and Approvals; No Violations...................- 26 -
         5.4      Capitalization..........................................- 27 -
         5.5      SEC Reports and Financial Statements....................- 27 -
         5.6      Absence of Certain Changes..............................- 28 -
         5.7      Litigation..............................................- 28 -

ARTICLE VI

         CONDUCT OF BUSINESS OF THE COMPANY
         PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE TIME......................................- 28 -
         6.1      Conduct of Business of the Company......................- 28 -
         6.2      Other Negotiations......................................- 29 -


                                                       (ii)

<PAGE>


ARTICLE VII

         ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS............................................- 30 -
         7.1      Access to Properties and Records........................- 30 -
         7.2      Reasonable Efforts; etc.................................- 30 -
         7.3      Material Events.........................................- 30 -
         7.4      Registration Statement on Form S-8......................- 30 -
         7.5.     Fees and Expenses.......................................- 31 -
         7.6      Employees...............................................- 31 -
         7.7      Directors and Officers Indemnification..................- 31 -
         7.8      Non-competition.........................................- 31 -
         7.9      Post-Closing Payment....................................- 32 -

ARTICLE VIII

         CONDITIONS TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF
         THE PARENT AND ACQUISITION.......................................- 32 -
         8.1      Representations and Warranties True.....................- 32 -
         8.2      Performance.............................................- 32 -
         8.3      Absence of Litigation...................................- 32 -
         8.4      Consents................................................- 33 -
         8.5      Additional Agreements...................................- 33 -
         8.6      Opinion of Perkins Coie.................................- 33 -
         8.7      Delivery of Certificates for Cancellation...............- 33 -
         8.8      Appraisal Rights........................................- 34 -
         8.9      Termination of Shareholders' Agreement..................- 34 -
         8.10     Certificate of Merger...................................- 34 -

ARTICLE IX

         CONDITIONS TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE
         COMPANY AND THE SHAREHOLDERS.....................................- 34 -
         9.1      Representations and Warranties True.....................- 34 -
         9.2      Performance.............................................- 34 -
         9.3      Absence of Litigation...................................- 34 -
         9.4      Consents................................................- 35 -
         9.5      Additional Agreements...................................- 35 -
         9.6      Opinion of Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar..................- 35 -
         9.7      Certificate of Merger...................................- 35 -
         9.8      Shares of Parent Common Stock...........................- 35 -


                                                       (iii)

<PAGE>


ARTICLE X

         TERMINATION......................................................- 36 -
         10.1     Termination.............................................- 36 -
         10.2     Effect of Termination...................................- 36 -

ARTICLE XI

         INDEMNIFICATION; SURVIVAL OF
         REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES...................................- 37 -
         11.1     Indemnity Obligations of the Shareholders...............- 37 -
         11.2     Appointment of Representative...........................- 37 -
         11.3     Notification of Claims..................................- 38 -
         11.4     Duration................................................- 38 -
         11.5     Escrow..................................................- 39 -
         11.6     Limitation on Indemnification...........................- 39 -
         11.7     No Contribution.........................................- 40 -

ARTICLE XII

         REGISTRATION RIGHTS..............................................- 40 -
         12.1     Registration Rights.....................................- 40 -
         12.2     Indemnification.........................................- 42 -
         12.3     Current Public Information..............................- 43 -
         12.4     Termination of Registration Rights......................- 43 -
         12.5     Transferability of Registration Rights..................- 43 -

ARTICLE XIII

         MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.........................................- 43 -
         13.1     Amendment...............................................- 43 -
         13.2     Waiver of Compliance....................................- 44 -
         13.3     Notices.................................................- 44 -
         13.4     Assignment..............................................- 45 -
         13.5     No Third Party Beneficiaries............................- 45 -
         13.6     Public Announcements....................................- 45 -
         13.7     Counterparts............................................- 45 -
         13.8     Headings................................................- 45 -
         13.9     Entire Agreement........................................- 46 -
         13.10    Governing Law...........................................- 46 -


                                                       (iv)

<PAGE>



EXHIBITS

         Exhibit A         Certificate of Merger
         Exhibit B         Form of Letter of Transmittal
         Exhibit C         Indemnity and Escrow Agreement
         Exhibit D         Form of Employment and Non-Competition Agreement
         Exhibit E         Form of Consulting and Non-Competition Agreement
         Exhibit F         Form of Nondisclosure and Inventions Agreement
         Exhibit G         Opinion of Perkins Coie LLP
         Exhibit H         Opinion of Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar



                                                        (v)
</TABLE>


<PAGE>


                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

     AGREEMENT  AND PLAN OF MERGER dated as of July 17, 1999 by and among Lycos,
Inc.,  a  corporation  organized  under the laws of the State of  Delaware  (the
"Parent"),  DI Acquisition Corp., a corporation  organized under the laws of the
State of Delaware and a wholly- owned subsidiary of the Parent  ("Acquisition"),
Internet Music Distribution, Inc., a corporation organized under the laws of the
State of Delaware (the"Company"),  and each of the Shareholders of the Company,
each of whom is listed on the signature page hereto (each, a  "Shareholder"  and
collectively, the "Shareholders").

     WHEREAS, the respective Boards of Directors of the Parent,  Acquisition and
the Company have  approved the merger of  Acquisition  with and into the Company
(the "Merger"),  pursuant to which the Company will be the surviving corporation
and the Shareholders will be entitled to receive the consideration  provided for
in this  Agreement,  all upon the terms and subject to the  conditions set forth
herein; and

     WHEREAS,   it  is   intended   that  the  Merger   qualify  as  a  tax-free
reorganization within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended (the "Code").

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants,  representations,
warranties and  agreements  set forth herein,  and intending to be legally bound
hereby, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

                                    ARTICLE I

                                   THE MERGER

     1.1 The Merger.  (a) At the Effective Time (as defined in Section 1.2), and
subject to and upon the terms and  conditions of this Agreement and the Delaware
General Corporation Law (the "DGCL"),  Acquisition shall be merged with and into
the Company,  the separate  corporate  existence of Acquisition shall cease, and
the Company  shall  continue as the  surviving  corporation.  The Company as the
surviving  corporation after the Merger is hereinafter  sometimes referred to as
the "Surviving Corporation."

     (b)  Closing.  Unless this  Agreement  shall have been  terminated  and the
transactions herein contemplated shall have been abandoned pursuant to Article X
and  subject  to the  satisfaction  or  waiver  of the  conditions  set forth in
Articles VIII and IX, the  consummation  of the Merger (the "Closing") will take
place as promptly as  practicable  (and in any event within two  business  days)
after  satisfaction  or waiver of the  conditions set forth in Articles VIII and
IX, at the offices of Hutchins,  Wheeler & Dittmar, A Professional  Corporation,
101 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts, unless another date, time or place is
agreed to in writing by the Company and the Parent. The date on which the Merger
is consummated is referred to herein as the "Closing Date."


                                                       - 1 -


                                       3
<PAGE>


     1.2 Effective  Time. As promptly as practicable  after the  satisfaction or
waiver of the  conditions  set forth in Articles VIII and IX, the parties hereto
shall cause the Merger to be  consummated  by filing a certificate  of merger as
contemplated  by the DGCL in the form of Exhibit A hereto (the  "Certificate  of
Merger"), together with any required related certificates, with the Secretary of
State of the State of  Delaware,  in such form as required  by, and  executed in
accordance  with the relevant  provisions  of, the DGCL (the time of such filing
being the "Effective Time").

     1.3 Effect of the Merger.  At the Effective  Time, the effect of the Merger
shall be as  provided  in this  Agreement,  the  Certificate  of Merger  and the
applicable  provisions  of the DGCL.  Without  limiting  the  generality  of the
foregoing, and subject thereto, at the Effective Time all the property,  rights,
privileges,  powers and franchises of the Company and Acquisition  shall vest in
the Surviving Corporation,  and all debts, liabilities and duties of the Company
and Acquisition shall become the debts,  liabilities and duties of the Surviving
Corporation.

         1.4      Certificate of Incorporation; By-Laws.

     (a) Certificate of Incorporation. Unless otherwise determined by the Parent
prior to the Effective Time, the Certificate of Incorporation of Acquisition, as
in effect  immediately  prior to the Effective Time, shall be the Certificate of
Incorporation  of  the  Surviving   Corporation  until  thereafter   amended  in
accordance with the DGCL and such Certificate of Incorporation.

     (b)  By-Laws.  Unless  otherwise  determined  by the  Parent  prior  to the
Effective Time, the By-Laws of Acquisition,  as in effect  immediately  prior to
the  Effective  Time,  shall be the By-Laws of the Surviving  Corporation  until
thereafter amended in accordance with the DGCL, the Certificate of Incorporation
of the Surviving Corporation and such By-Laws.

     1.5 Directors and Officers. The directors of Acquisition  immediately prior
to  the  Effective  Time  shall  be  the  initial  directors  of  the  Surviving
Corporation,  each  to  hold  office  in  accordance  with  the  Certificate  of
Incorporation  and By-Laws of the  Surviving  Corporation,  and the  officers of
Acquisition  immediately  prior  to the  Effective  Time  shall  be the  initial
officers  of the  Surviving  Corporation,  in each case until  their  respective
successors are duly elected or appointed and qualified.

     1.6  Additional  Actions.  If, at any time after the  Effective  Time,  the
Surviving  Corporation  shall  consider or be advised  that any deeds,  bills of
sale,  assignments,  assurances  or any other  acts or things are  necessary  or
desirable to vest, perfect or confirm, of record or otherwise,  in the Surviving
Corporation, its right, title or interest in or to any of the rights, properties
or assets of Acquisition or the Company acquired or to be acquired by reason of,
or as a result of, the Merger,  or  otherwise  to carry out the purposes of this
Agreement, the Surviving Corporation and its proper officers and directors shall
be authorized to execute and deliver,  in the name and on behalf of  Acquisition
or the Company, all such deeds, bills of sale, assignments and



<PAGE>


assurances  and to do, in the name and on behalf of  Acquisition or the Company,
all such  other acts and  things  necessary  or  desirable  to vest,  perfect or
confirm  any and all  right,  title or  interest  in, to or under  such  rights,
properties or assets in the Surviving  Corporation or otherwise to carry out the
purposes of this Agreement.

                                   ARTICLE II

                       CONSIDERATION; CONVERSION OF SHARES

     2.1 Merger Consideration. Except as set forth in Section 2.2(e) hereof, the
consideration payable in the Merger to holders of shares of the Company's common
stock,  par value $.0001 per share ("Company Common Stock") shall consist solely
of shares of the common stock,  par value $.01 per share, of the Parent ("Parent
Common Stock"), such shares of Parent Common Stock to be issuable at the Closing
and from time to time thereafter  pursuant to Section 2.2 in accordance with the
terms of this  Agreement.  Such shares of Parent  Common  Stock  issuable at the
Closing as provided herein shall in the aggregate be referred to as the "Initial
Merger Consideration."

         2.2      Conversion of Shares.

     (a) Conversion of Shares. (i) Each share of Company Common Stock (including
Option Shares,  as defined in Section  2.2(c)) issued and  outstanding as of the
Effective  Time (other than shares owned by holders who have properly  exercised
their  rights  of  appraisal  within  the  meaning  of  Section  262 of the DGCL
("Dissenting  Shares")) shall, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on
the part of the holder thereof,  automatically  be converted into that number of
shares of Parent Common Stock as shall be obtained by dividing (A) the number of
shares obtained by dividing $55,050,000  (including the Parent's obligation with
respect to  attorneys'  fees),  less  accounts  receivable of the Company in the
amount of $20,000 and less the Closing  Date PC  Transaction  Fee (as defined in
Section 2.11 hereof),  by the  Applicable  Average  Closing Price (as defined in
Section 2.2(a)(iii)) by (B) the total number of Fully Diluted Shares (as defined
below),  with the  resulting  quotient  (carried  to two decimal  places)  being
referred to herein as the  "Exchange  Ratio."  "Fully  Diluted  Shares" shall be
equal to the  total  number  of  outstanding  shares of  Company  Common  Stock,
immediately  prior to the Closing  Date,  calculated on a fully  diluted,  fully
converted basis as though all convertible debt and equity securities and options
(whether  vested or unvested) and warrants had been converted or exercised.  The
aggregate  number of  shares of Parent  Common  Stock  issued  pursuant  to this
Section  2.2(a) shall be referred to in this  Agreement as the "Merger  Shares."
For purposes of this  Agreement,  the term "Average  Closing Market Price" shall
mean the average of the last quoted sale price per share of Parent  Common Stock
on the Nasdaq  National Market during the twenty (20)  consecutive  trading days
ending  on (and  including)  the  earlier  of (A) the  trading  day  immediately
preceding the Closing Date and (B) July 21, 1999.  Schedule 2.2 attached  hereto
sets forth,  with respect to the Initial Merger  Consideration,  (i) the Average
Closing Market Price,  (ii) the Exchange Ratio and (iii) the aggregate number of
Merger Shares.

                                                       -

<PAGE>


     (ii)  The  Initial  Merger  Consideration  will be  increased  based on the
average number of "Unique Users"  recorded by the Surviving  Corporation  during
the  eleventh  (11th) and  twelfth  (12th)  months  (the  "Measurement  Period")
following the first day of the first calendar  month  following the Closing (the
"Average Unique User Count").  For purposes  hereof,  "Unique User" shall mean a
user that, during the Measurement  Period, has accessed a downloaded player that
has been tagged with a specific  user ID since May 26,  1999. A player will only
be tagged with a specific  user ID after being  downloaded  following a referral
from a  Qualified  Site or after  typing in the URL  www.sonique.com  or URLs of
other  Sonique-branded  sites or after using a bookmark to www.sonique.com or to
other Sonique-branded  sites. A "Qualified Site" shall mean any Website NOT part
of the Lycos  Network  (which  shall  include any site owned,  operated,  or co-
branded  by the  Parent,  excluding  www.sonique.com  and other  Sonique-branded
sites).  Both the Parent  and the  Company  agree to use their  best  efforts to
implement   appropriate   tracking   technology  on  the   www.sonique.com   and
Sonique-branded  sites. From May 26, 1999 until the Effective Time, all existing
players  already  tagged with a user ID will be considered to be validly  tagged
for consideration as a Unique User. From the Effective Time until the earlier of
two weeks or the time as such  technology  is  implemented,  a maximum of 14,000
downloaded  players  per day will be tagged with a user ID.  Thereafter,  in the
event  that the Parent  and the  Company  cannot  reasonably  determine  that an
individual player download resulted via a Qualified Site, such individual player
will  not be  tagged  with a user ID for  consideration  as a Unique  User.  The
maximum possible Earn-Out shall be $15 million, and the actual Earn-Out shall be
an amount  equal to:  the  Average  Unique  User Count  divided  by  12,000,000,
multiplied by $15 million (such amount not to exceed $15 million  referred to as
the  "Earn-Out").  The  Shareholders  shall be  eligible  to  receive a pro rata
portion  of  the  actual  Earn-Out,  after  subtracting  the  Earn-Out  Date  PC
Transaction Fee (as defined in Section 2.11 hereof).  The Earn-Out shall be paid
within thirty (30) business days after expiration of the Measurement Period, and
may be paid, in the sole  discretion of the Parent,  in either cash or shares of
Parent  Common Stock;  provided  that the  aggregate  cash portion of the actual
Earn-Out payment shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the aggregate value of
the Initial Merger Consideration plus the aggregate Earn-Out.  In the event that
the Earn-Out is paid in shares of Parent Common Stock,  the aggregate  number of
such shares  issuable shall be determined by dividing the total dollar amount of
the  Earn-Out  by the  average of the last quoted sale price per share of Parent
Common Stock on the Nasdaq  National  Market for each of the twenty (20) trading
days immediately preceding the last day of the Measurement Period.

         (iii)    The "Applicable Average Closing Price" shall mean:

          (A) the Average  Closing  Market Price,  in the event that the Average
     Closing  Market Price equals an amount greater than or equal to the Minimum
     Collar  Amount (as herein  defined)  and less than or equal to the  Maximum
     Collar Amount (as herein defined);

          (B)  $110.18  (the  "Maximum  Collar  Amount"),  in the event that the
     Average Closing Market Price is greater than the Maximum Collar Amount; or


<PAGE>


          (C)  $73.45  (the  "Minimum  Collar  Amount"),  in the event  that the
     Average Closing Market Price is less than the Minimum Collar Amount.

     (b)  Treasury  Shares.  Each  share of  Company  Common  Stock  held in the
Company's  treasury as of the Effective  Time, if any,  shall,  by virtue of the
Merger, be canceled without payment of any consideration therefor.

     (c) Company  Common  Stock  Granted  Under 1999 Stock Plan.  All issued and
outstanding  shares of Company  Common  Stock that were issued upon  exercise of
options  under the  Company's  1999 Stock Plan (the  "Option  Shares")  shall be
converted as set forth in Section  2.2(a)(i);  provided  that (A) the  shares of
Parent Common Stock issuable in exchange for such Option Shares shall be subject
to the same  restrictions  and vesting periods  applicable to such Option Shares
under the  Company's  1999 Stock Option Plan and any  restricted  related  stock
award  agreement  or  restricted  share  grant  agreement  and (B)  certificates
evidencing such shares of Parent Common Stock will be issued at Closing and held
in Escrow by Parent until such times that such shares are vested.

     (d)  Acquisition  Shares.  Each share of common stock,  par value $0.01 per
share,  of Acquisition  issued and  outstanding at the Effective Time shall,  by
virtue of the Merger and without  any action on the part of the holder  thereof,
automatically be converted into one fully paid and nonassessable share of common
stock  of the  Surviving  Corporation,  as  such  shares  of  common  stock  are
constituted immediately following the Effective Time.

     (e) Dissenting  Shares.  Any Dissenting  Shares shall be converted into the
right to receive from the Surviving  Corporation  such  consideration  as may be
determined  to be due with  respect to each such  Dissenting  Share  pursuant to
Section 262 of the DGCL; provided,  however, that shares of Company Common Stock
that are Dissenting Shares at the Effective Time of the Merger and are held by a
holder who shall,  after the Effective  Time of the Merger,  withdraw his demand
for  appraisal  or lose his right of appraisal as provided in the Section 262 of
the DGCL,  shall be  deemed to be  converted,  as of the  Effective  Time of the
Merger,  into the right to receive  the  Merger  Shares in  accordance  with the
procedures  specified in Section  2.3. The Company  shall give Parent (i) prompt
notice  of any  written  demands  for  appraisal,  withdrawals  of  demands  for
appraisal and any other  instruments  served pursuant to Section 262 of the DGCL
received by the Company and (ii) the opportunity to direct all  negotiations and
proceedings with respect to demands for appraisal under Section 262 of the DGCL.
The Company  will not  voluntarily  make any payment with respect to any demands
for  appraisal and will not,  except with the prior  written  consent of Parent,
settle or offer to settle any such demands. It is understood and agreed that the
obligation  to  make  any  payment  under  Section  262 of  the  DGCL  shall  be
exclusively that of the Surviving  Corporation and that Parent shall be under no
obligation to perform and discharge any such  obligation or to reimburse or make
any  contribution  to the capital of the Surviving  Corporation  to enable it to
perform and discharge any such obligation.


<PAGE>


         2.3      Exchange of Certificates.

     (a) From and after  the  Effective  Time,  each  holder  of an  outstanding
certificate or certificates (the  "Certificates")  which  represented  shares of
Company  Common Stock  immediately  prior to the  Effective  Time shall have the
right to surrender each  Certificate to Parent,  and receive in exchange for all
Certificates held by such holder a certificate  representing the number of whole
shares of Parent  Common  Stock  (other  than the Escrow  Shares (as  defined in
Section 2.8)) into which the Company Common Stock evidenced by the  Certificates
so  surrendered  shall have been  converted  pursuant to Section  2.2(a) of this
Agreement.  The surrender of Certificates shall be accompanied by duly completed
and executed  Letters of Transmittal in the form of Exhibit B  attached  hereto.
Until  surrendered,  each outstanding  Certificate  which prior to the Effective
Time  represented  shares  of  Company  Common  Stock  shall be  deemed  for all
corporate purposes to evidence ownership of the number of whole shares of Parent
Common Stock into which the shares of Company  Common Stock have been  converted
but shall,  subject to  applicable  appraisal  rights under the DGCL and Section
2.2(e),  have no other  rights.  Subject to appraisal  rights under the DGCL and
Section  2.2(e),  from and after the  Effective  Time,  the holders of shares of
Company  Common  Stock  shall cease to have any rights in respect of such shares
and their  rights  shall be solely in respect of the  Parent  Common  Stock into
which such shares of Company Common Stock have been converted.

     (b) If any shares of Parent  Common Stock are to be issued in the name of a
person  other than the person in whose name the  Certificate(s)  surrendered  in
exchange therefor is registered, it shall be a condition to the issuance of such
shares that (i) the  Certificate(s)  so surrendered  shall be transferable,  and
shall be properly assigned, endorsed or accompanied by appropriate stock powers,
(ii) such  transfer  shall  otherwise be proper and (iii) the person  requesting
such transfer  shall pay Parent,  or its exchange  agent,  any transfer or other
taxes  payable by reason of the  foregoing or establish to the  satisfaction  of
Parent  that  such  taxes  have  been  paid  or are  not  required  to be  paid.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither Parent nor the Company shall be liable to
a holder of shares of Company  Common  Stock for shares of Parent or the Company
issuable to such holder  pursuant to the  provisions  of Section  2.2(a) of this
Agreement  that  are  delivered  to a public  official  pursuant  to  applicable
abandoned property, escheat or similar laws.

     (c) In the event any Certificate shall have been lost, stolen or destroyed,
upon the  making  of an  affidavit  of that  fact by the  person  claiming  such
Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed,  Parent shall issue in exchange for
such lost,  stolen or destroyed  Certificate  the shares of Parent  Common Stock
issuable in exchange therefor pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.2(a).  The
Board of Directors of Parent may, in its discretion and as a condition precedent
to the  issuance  thereof,  require the owner of such lost,  stolen or destroyed
Certificate to provide to Parent an indemnity  agreement  against any claim that
may be made against Parent with respect to the Certificate  alleged to have been
lost, stolen or destroyed.




<PAGE>


     2.4 No Fractional  Securities.  No fractional shares of Parent Common Stock
shall be issuable by the Parent upon the  conversion of shares of Company Common
Stock in the Merger  pursuant  to  Section  2.2(a)  hereof.  In lieu of any such
fractional shares,  each holder of Company Common Stock who would otherwise have
been  entitled to receive a fraction of a share of Parent  Common Stock shall be
entitled to receive instead an amount in cash equal to such fraction  multiplied
by the Applicable Average Closing Price.

     2.5 Stock Transfer  Books.  At the Effective Time, the stock transfer books
of the Company shall be closed,  and there shall be no further  registration  of
transfers of Company Common Stock thereafter on the records of the Company.

     2.6 No  Further  Ownership  Rights in  Company  Stock.  The  Merger  Shares
delivered  upon the surrender for exchange of shares of Company  Common Stock in
accordance  with the terms  hereof  shall be deemed to have been  issued in full
satisfaction  of all rights  pertaining  to such  shares,  and there shall be no
further registration of transfers on the records of the Surviving Corporation of
shares of Company Common Stock which were outstanding  immediately  prior to the
Effective Time. If, after the Effective Time,  certificates are presented to the
Surviving  Corporation  for any reason,  they shall be canceled and exchanged as
provided in this Article II.

     2.7 Adjustment  Events. If, between the date hereof and the Effective Time,
the  issued  and  outstanding  shares of Parent  Common  Stock  shall  have been
combined,  split,  reclassified or otherwise  changed into a different number of
shares or a different class of shares, an appropriate adjustment to the Exchange
Ratio shall be made to fully reflect such change in such manner as is reasonably
acceptable to the Parent and the Company.

     2.8 Escrow.  At the Effective Time, Parent will deposit in escrow, on a pro
rata basis,  certificates representing forty percent (40%) of the Merger Shares,
together  with stock powers duly  endorsed in blank  (collectively,  the "Escrow
Shares "). The Escrow  Shares shall be held as security for the  indemnification
obligations  under  Article XI pursuant to the  provisions  of an Indemnity  and
Escrow  Agreement  (the  "Escrow  Agreement") in the form of Exhibit C attached
hereto.  On the date which is 180 days after the Closing  Date, if there are any
Escrow Shares  representing  over 33.33% of the Merger  Shares  remaining in the
Escrow Fund (less any Escrow  Shares being held  subject to an  Indemnity  Claim
delivered by Parent in accordance  with the terms of the Escrow  Agreement on or
prior  to 180  days  after  the  Closing  Date),  such  excess  amount  shall be
distributed  by the  Escrow  Agent to the  Shareholders  pursuant  to the Escrow
Agreement.  With respect to those  Shareholders who hold Option Shares that will
be  converted  into Merger  Shares that are part vested and part  unvested,  the
unvested  Merger  Shares held by each such  Shareholder  will be used for Escrow
Shares  and,  if at the  Effective  Time,  less than  forty  percent  (40%) of a
Shareholder's  Merger Shares are unvested,  all of the unvested Merger Shares of
such  Shareholder  will be used for  Escrow  Shares and that  percentage  of the
vested Merger Shares of such Shareholder  necessary to bring such  Shareholder's
Escrow  Shares to the forty  percent (40%) level will be delivered to the Escrow
Agent by Parent. With respect to those Shareholders who are executing Employment
and Non-Competition Agreements or Consulting


                                       1
<PAGE>

and Non-Competition  Agreements and who hold shares of Company Common Stock that
will be converted  into Merger Shares that are partially  subject to forfeiture,
the Merger Shares subject to forfeiture  held by each such  Shareholder  will be
used for Escrow  Shares and, if at the Effective  Time,  less than forty percent
(40%) of a  Shareholder's  Merger Shares are subject to forfeiture,  all of such
Merger Shares that are subject to forfeiture  will be used for Escrow Shares and
that percentage of the Merger Shares of such Shareholder that are not subject to
forfeiture  necessary  to bring such  Shareholder's  Escrow  Shares to the forty
percent (40%) level will be delivered to the Escrow Agent by Parent.

     2.9 Tax Consequences.  For Federal income tax purposes, it is intended that
the Merger  constitute a reorganization  within the meaning of Section 368(a) of
the Code, and that this Agreement  constitute a "plan of reorganization" within
the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code.

     2.10  Treatment  of  Shareholder  Notes  Payable and Notes  Receivable.  At
Closing, the amount of notes receivable on the Company's books with respect to a
particular Shareholder shall be applied to reduce the amount of notes payable to
such  Shareholder on the Company's books, and the excess amount of notes payable
to such  Shareholder  shall  be paid,  on a dollar  for  dollar  basis,  to such
Shareholder by Parent in the form of shares of Parent Common Stock valued at the
closing price per share of Parent Common Stock on the Nasdaq  National Market on
the first trading day immediately preceding the Closing Date.

     2.11 PC Transaction Fees. Perkins Coie LLP shall be entitled to receive (a)
at the Effective Time,  that number of shares of Parent Common Stock  determined
by dividing  $440,000 (the "Closing Date PC Transaction  Fee") by the Applicable
Average Closing Price and (b) within thirty (30) business days after  expiration
of the Measurement Period, .8% of the aggregate Earn-Out, payable in the form of
shares of Parent Common Stock, with the number of shares being determined as set
forth in Section 2.2 (a)(ii) hereof (the  "Earn-Out  Date PC Transaction  Fee").
The  shares of Parent  Common  Stock  received  by  Perkins  Coie LLP under this
Section 2.11 shall be entitled to the  registration  rights set forth in Article
XII hereof.

                                   ARTICLE III

                      REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE
                          COMPANY AND THE SHAREHOLDERS

     The Company and each of the  Shareholders  jointly and severally  represent
and warrant to the Parent and Acquisition that:

     3.1  Corporate  Organization.   (a)  The  Company  is  a  corporation  duly
organized,  validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of
Delaware.  The Company has no Subsidiaries (as defined in Section  3.4(b)).  The
Company has all  requisite  corporate  power and  authority to own,  operate and
lease the properties and assets it now owns, operates and leases

                                       2
<PAGE>

and to carry  on its  business  as  presently  conducted.  The  Company  is duly
qualified to transact business as a foreign  corporation and in good standing in
the  jurisdictions  set forth in Schedule 3.1, which are the only  jurisdictions
where such  qualification  is required by reason of the nature of the properties
and assets  currently  owned,  operated or leased by the Company or the business
currently conducted by it, except for such jurisdictions where the failure to be
so  qualified  would not have a Company  Material  Adverse  Effect  (as  defined
below). The Company has previously  delivered to the Parent complete and correct
copies of its Certificate of Incorporation  (certified by the Secretary of State
of the State of Delaware as of a recent date) and its By-Laws  (certified by the
Secretary of the Company as of a recent  date).  Except as set forth in Schedule
3.1,  neither the  Certificate of  Incorporation  nor the By-Laws of the Company
have been amended since the respective dates of certification  thereof,  nor has
any  action  been taken for the  purpose  of  effecting  any  amendment  of such
instruments.  The term "Company Material Adverse Effect" means any change, event
or effect that is, or that would reasonably likely be, materially adverse to the
business,  operations,  assets,  liabilities,  financial condition or results of
operations of the Company.

     3.2  Authorization.  The Company has full corporate  power and authority to
enter  into this  Agreement  and to  consummate  the  transactions  contemplated
hereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the
transactions  contemplated  hereby  have  been  duly  approved  by the  Board of
Directors and the stockholders of the Company,  and no other corporate action on
the part of the Company is necessary to approve and  authorize the execution and
delivery  of this  Agreement  or (subject  to the filing of the  Certificate  of
Merger pursuant to the DGCL) the consummation of the  transactions  contemplated
hereby.  This  Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and
constitutes  the valid and binding  agreement  of the  Company,  enforceable  in
accordance  with its terms,  except to the  extent  that  enforceability  may be
limited by  applicable  bankruptcy,  reorganization,  insolvency,  moratorium or
other laws  affecting  the  enforcement  of creditors,  rights  generally and by
general  principles  of equity,  regardless  of whether such  enforceability  is
considered in a proceeding in law or in equity.

     3.3 Consents and  Approvals;  No  Violations.  Subject to the filing of the
Certificate  of Merger with the  Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and
compliance  with  applicable  federal and state  securities  laws, and except as
disclosed in Schedule 3.3, the execution and delivery of this  Agreement and the
consummation of the  transactions  contemplated  hereby will not: (i) violate or
conflict with any provision of the  Certificate of  Incorporation  or By-Laws of
the Company; (ii) breach, violate or constitute an event of default (or an event
which with the lapse of time or the giving of notice or both would constitute an
event of default) under,  give rise to any right of  termination,  cancellation,
modification or acceleration  under, or require any consent or the giving of any
notice under, any note, bond, indenture,  mortgage,  security agreement,  lease,
license, franchise, permit, agreement or other instrument or obligation to which
the  Company is a party,  or by which the  Company or any of its  properties  or
assets may be bound, or result in the creation of any lien, claim or encumbrance
or other right of any third party of any kind  whatsoever upon the properties or
assets  of  the  Company  pursuant  to  the  terms  of any  such  instrument  or
obligation,   other   than  any   breach,   violation,   default,   termination,
cancellation,  modification or acceleration which would not,  individually or in
the aggregate, have a Company Material Adverse Effect; (iii) violate or conflict
with any law, statute, ordinance, code, rule, regulation, judgment, order, writ,
injunction,  decree or other instrument of any Federal,  state, local or foreign
court or governmental or regulatory body, agency or authority  applicable to the
Company or by which any of its  properties  or assets  may be bound,  except for
such violations and conflicts which would not, individually or in the aggregate,
have a Company  Material Adverse Effect or result in a fine or penalty in excess
of $10,000 individually or in the aggregate; or (iv) require, on the part of the
Company,  any  filing or  registration  with,  or  permit,  license,  exemption,
consent,  authorization  or  approval  of, or the  giving of any  notice to, any
governmental  or regulatory  body,  agency or authority,  other than any filing,
registration,  permit, license, exemption, consent,  authorization,  approval or
notice which if not obtained or made would not have a Company  Material  Adverse
Effect or result in a fine or penalty in excess of  $10,000  individually  or in
the aggregate. Without limiting the generality of clause (ii) above, neither the
Company nor any of the Shareholders is a party to any agreement,  arrangement or
understanding  which  contemplates  the sale of the business of the Company,  in
whole or in part, whether by means of a sale of shares, sale of assets,  merger,
consolidation or otherwise.

         3.4      Capitalization.

     (a) The  authorized  capital  stock of the Company  consists  of  1,200,000
shares  of  Company  Common  Stock,  of which  990,013  shares  are  issued  and
outstanding.  Schedule  3.4(a)  sets forth a complete  and  correct  list of the
record  ownership of the issued and outstanding  shares of Company Common Stock.
All of the  issued and  outstanding  shares of  Company  Common  Stock were duly
authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, and were not
issued in  violation  of any  preemptive  rights or Federal or state  securities
laws. Except as disclosed in Schedule 3.4(a),  the Company has never repurchased
or redeemed  any shares of its capital  stock,  and there are no amounts owed or
which may be owed to any person by the Company as a result of any  repurchase or
redemption  of shares of its  capital  stock.  Except as  disclosed  in Schedule
3.4(a),  there are no agreements,  arrangements or  understandings  to which the
Company is a party or by which it is bound to redeem or repurchase any shares of
its  capital  stock.  Except  as set  forth in  Schedule  3.4(a),  there  are no
outstanding  options,  warrants or other rights to purchase,  or any  securities
convertible  into or  exchangeable  for,  shares  of the  capital  stock  of the
Company,  and there are no agreements,  arrangements or  understandings to which
the Company is a party or by which it is bound  pursuant to which the Company is
or may be required to issue additional shares of its capital stock.

     (b)  The  Company  does  not  own,  directly  or  indirectly,   any  equity
securities,  or options,  warrants or other rights to acquire equity securities,
or securities  convertible  into or exchangeable for equity  securities,  of any
other  corporation,  or any  partnership  interest  in any  general  or  limited
partnership or unincorporated joint venture (a "Subsidiary").





                                       4
<PAGE>


     3.5 Financial Statements. Attached hereto as Schedule 3.5 are the unaudited
balance sheet of the Company as of June 30, 1999 and the unaudited statements of
income and statements of cash flows of the Company for the period August 1, 1998
through June 30, 1999,  including  the notes thereto  (hereinafter  collectively
referred to as the "Financial  Statements").  The Financial  Statements (i) have
been prepared from the books and records of the Company, (ii) have been prepared
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied
(except as may be expressly indicated therein or on the face of the schedules or
notes to such Financial Statements) during the periods covered thereby and (iii)
present  fairly in all material  respects the  financial  condition,  results of
operations  and cash flows of the Company as at the dates,  and for the periods,
stated  therein,  except  that the  Financial  Statements  are subject to normal
year-end adjustments which will not be individually or in the aggregate material
in amount or effect and do not include footnotes.

     3.6 Absence of Undisclosed Liabilities. Except (i) as set forth or reserved
against in the balance sheet of the Company dated as of June 30, 1999,  included
in the Financial Statements (the "Balance Sheet"), (ii) for obligations incurred
since  June  30,  1999  in the  ordinary  course  of  business  which  are  not,
individually or in the aggregate,  material in amount, and (iii) as set forth in
Schedule 3.6,  the Company does not have any  liabilities  or obligations of any
nature,  whether  accrued,  absolute,  contingent or  otherwise.  Except for the
Closing  Date PC  Transaction  Fee and  Earn-Out  Date PC  Transaction  Fee, the
Company  does  not,  and will not at  Closing,  have any  obligation  to pay any
amounts to Perkins Coie LLP.

     3.7 Absence of Certain  Changes or Events.  Except as set forth in Schedule
3.7,  since June 30,  1999,  the  Company  has  carried on its  business  in the
ordinary  course  and  consistent  with  past  practice.  Except as set forth in
Schedule  3.7,  since June 30,  1999,  the Company  has not:  (i)  incurred  any
material  obligation  or liability  (whether  absolute,  accrued,  contingent or
otherwise)  except in the ordinary  course of business and consistent  with past
practice;  (ii) experienced any Company Material Adverse Effect;  (iii) made any
change in any accounting principle or practice or in its methods of applying any
such principle or practice;  (iv) suffered  any material damage,  destruction or
loss, whether or not covered by insurance,  affecting its properties,  assets or
business;  (v)  mortgaged,  pledged or  subjected  to any lien,  charge or other
encumbrance,  or granted  to third  parties  any  rights in, any of its  assets,
tangible or intangible;  (vi) sold or transferred  any of its assets,  except in
the ordinary course of business and consistent  with past practice,  or canceled
or  compromised  any debts or waived any claims or rights of a material  nature;
(vii) issued any  additional  shares of capital stock or any rights,  options or
warrants to purchase, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for, shares
of its  capital  stock;  (viii)  declared or paid any  dividends  on or made any
distributions (however characterized) in respect of shares of its capital stock;
(ix) repurchased  or redeemed any shares of its capital stock;  (x) granted  any
general or specific increase in the compensation payable or to become payable to
any of their Employees (as defined in  Section 3.13(a))  or any bonus or service
award or other like benefit, or instituted, increased, augmented or improved any
Benefit Plan (as defined in Section 3.13(c));  (xi) increased the term or tenure
of  employment  for any  Employee,  except in the  ordinary  course of  business
consistent with past practice, (xii) increased the




                                       5
<PAGE>


amounts  payable  to any of the  Employees  upon  the  termination  of any  such
person's  employment;  or  (xiii) entered  into any  agreement  to do any of the
foregoing.

     3.8 Legal Proceedings,  etc. Except as disclosed in Schedule 3.8, there are
no suits, actions, claims, proceedings (including, without limitation,  arbitral
or  administrative  proceedings)  or  investigations  pending  or,  to the  best
knowledge of the Company or any Shareholder,  threatened, against the Company or
its  properties,  assets or business or, to the best knowledge of the Company or
any Shareholder,  pending or threatened against any of the officers,  directors,
employees,  agents or consultants of the Company in connection with the business
of the  Company.  There  are no such  suits,  actions,  claims,  proceedings  or
investigations  pending,  or,  to  the  best  knowledge  of the  Company  or any
Shareholder,   threatened,   challenging   the  validity  or  propriety  of  the
transactions  contemplated  by this  Agreement.  There  is no  judgment,  order,
injunction,  decree or award  (whether  issued by a court,  an  arbitrator or an
administrative  agency)  to which  the  Company  is a party,  or  involving  the
Company's properties, assets or business, which is unsatisfied or which requires
continuing compliance therewith by the Company.

         3.9      Taxes.

     (a) Except as set forth in  Schedule 3.9,  the  Company has duly and timely
filed,  or will duly and in a timely  manner  file,  all Tax  returns  and other
filings in respect of Taxes (as  defined  below)  required  to be filed by it or
which are required to be filed by it on or prior to the Effective  Time, and has
in a timely manner paid (or will in a timely manner pay) all Taxes which are (or
will be) due,  whether or not shown on such  returns.  All such Tax returns have
been, or will be when filed,  accurately and completely prepared in all material
respects in compliance with all laws, rules and regulations.  The provisions for
Taxes payable reflected in the Financial Statements are adequate under generally
accepted accounting principles.

     (b)  Except  as  set  forth  in  Schedule  3.9,  there  are no  actions  or
proceedings  currently  pending  or,  to the  knowledge  of the  Company  or any
Shareholder,  threatened  against the Company by any governmental  authority for
the assessment or collection of Taxes, no claim for the assessment or collection
of Taxes has been asserted  against the Company,  and there are no matters under
discussion with any governmental  authority  regarding claims for the assessment
or collection of Taxes.  Any Taxes that have been claimed or imposed as a result
of any  examinations  of any  tax  return  of the  Company  by any  governmental
authority are being  contested in good faith and have been  disclosed in writing
to the Parent.  There are no  agreements or  applications  by the Company for an
extension of time for the  assessment  or payment of any Taxes nor any waiver of
the statute of limitations in respect of Taxes. There are no Tax liens on any of
the  assets of the  Company,  except  for liens for Taxes not yet due or payable
that are being contested in good faith in appropriate proceedings.

     (c) For purposes of this Agreement,  the terms "Tax" and "Taxes" shall mean
and include any and all United States,  state,  local,  foreign or other income,
sales, use,




                                       6
<PAGE>


withholding,  employment, payroll, social security, property taxes and all other
taxes of any kind, deficiencies,  fees or other governmental charges, including,
without limitation, any installment payment for taxes and contributions or other
amounts  determined  with respect to compensation  paid to directors,  officers,
employees or independent contractors from time to time imposed by or required to
be paid to any governmental  authority (including penalties and additions to tax
thereon,  penalties for failure to file a return or report,  and interest on any
of the foregoing).

     (d) The  Company  has not,  with  regard to any  assets or  property  held,
acquired or to be acquired by the Company, filed a consent to the application of
Section 341(f) of the Code.

     (e) Except as set forth in Schedule 3.9, no Shareholder is a foreign person
within  the  meaning of Section  1445 of the Code and the  Treasury  Regulations
promulgated thereunder.

     (f) There is no  agreement,  plan or  arrangement  covering any employee or
independent  contractor  or former  employee or  independent  contractor  of the
Company that, considered  individually or considered collectively with any other
such agreement,  plan or arrangement,  will, or could reasonably be expected to,
give rise  directly or indirectly to the payment of any amount that would not be
deductible  pursuant to Section  280G of the Code or that would be subject to an
excise tax under Section 4999 of the Code.

     (g) The  Company  is not and has never  been a party to or bound by any tax
indemnity agreement,  tax sharing agreement, tax allocation agreement or similar
agreement or arrangement and does not have any liability for Taxes of any person
(other than the  Company)  under  Treasury  Regulation  1.1502-6 (or any similar
provision of state, local or foreign law).

     (h) The Company has withheld  amounts from its  employees and other persons
required to be withheld under the tax, social  security,  unemployment and other
withholding provisions of all federal, state, local and foreign laws.

     3.10 Title to Properties  and Related  Matters.  (a) Except as set forth on
Schedule 3.10(a),  the Company has good and valid title to all material personal
property,  tangible or intangible,  which the Company purports to own, including
the properties reflected on the Balance Sheet or acquired after the date thereof
(other than properties and assets sold or otherwise  disposed of in the ordinary
course of business and consistent with past practice since June 30, 1999),  free
and clear of any claims, liens,  pledges,  security interests or encumbrances of
any kind whatsoever (other than (i) purchase money security interests and common
law  vendor's  liens,  in each case for goods  purchased  on open account in the
ordinary  course of business  and having a fair market value of less than $5,000
in each  individual  case),  (ii) liens for Taxes not yet due and  payable,  and
(iii)  such  imperfections  of  title  and  encumbrances,  if any,  that are not
material in character,  amount or extent and that do not materially detract from
the value, or materially interfere with the use of, the property subject thereto
or affected thereby.




                                       7
<PAGE>


     (b) The  Company  does not own any real  property  or any  interest in real
property.

     (c)  Schedule  3.10(c)  sets  forth  a  complete  and  correct  list of all
equipment, machinery, instruments, vehicles, furniture, fixtures and other items
of personal property currently owned,  leased or used by the Company with a book
value as of June 30,  1999,  in each case of $5,000 or more.  All such  personal
property is in good operating  condition  (ordinary and reasonable wear and tear
excepted),  is  physically  located in or about one of the  Company's  places of
business  and is owned by the Company or is leased by the  Company  under one of
the leases set forth in  Schedule  3.10(d).  None of such  personal  property is
subject to any agreement or commitment  for its use by any person other than the
Company.  The maintenance and operation of such personal property is appropriate
for personal property of such nature and is and has been in material conformance
with all applicable laws and regulations,  except as would not,  individually or
in the aggregate,  have a Company Material Adverse Effect or result in a fine or
penalty  in excess  of $5,000  individually  or in the  aggregate.  There are no
assets  leased by the Company or used in the  business  of the Company  that are
owned,  directly or  indirectly,  by any  Related  Person (as defined in Section
3.22).

     (d)  Schedule  3.10(d)  sets forth a complete  and correct list of all real
property  and  personal  property  leases to which the  Company is a party.  The
Company has  previously  delivered to the Parent  complete and correct copies of
each  lease (and any  amendments  or  supplements  thereto)  listed in  Schedule
3.10(d).  Except as set forth in Schedule 3.10(d),  (i) each such lease is valid
and binding and in full force and effect;  (ii)  neither the Company nor (to the
best knowledge of the Company or any  Shareholder) any other party is in default
under any such lease, and no event has occurred which  constitutes,  or with the
lapse of time or the giving of notice or both would constitute, a default by the
Company or (to the best  knowledge of the Company or any  Shareholder) a default
by any other party under such lease;  (iii) to the best knowledge of the Company
or any Shareholder,  there are no disputes or disagreements  between the Company
and any other party with respect to any such lease;  and  (iv) the  lessor under
each such  lease has  consented  or been given  notice (or prior to the  Closing
shall have consented or been given notice),  where such consent or the giving of
such notice is necessary,  sufficient that such lease shall remain in full force
and effect following the  consummation of the transactions  contemplated by this
Agreement  without  requiring  modification  in the rights or obligations of the
lessee under any such lease.

     3.11 Intellectual Property;  Proprietary Rights; Employee Restrictions. (a)
The  Company  has   disclosed  in  Schedule  3.11  all   copyrights,   copyright
registrations   and  copyright   applications,   trademark   registrations   and
applications  for  registration,  patents and patent  applications,  trademarks,
service  marks,  trade  names,  trade  secrets,  Internet  domain names or other
proprietary rights (collectively,  the "Disclosed  Intellectual Property Rights"
and together with any and all licenses,  databases,  computer programs and other
computer  software user  interfaces,  know-how,  trade secrets,  customer lists,
proprietary  technology,  processes  and  formulae,  source  code,  object code,
algorithms, architecture, structure, display screens, layouts,



                                       8
<PAGE>

development tools,  instructions,  templates,  marketing materials,  inventions,
trade  dress,  logos and  designs and all  documentation  and  electronic  media
constituting,  describing  or  relating  to  the  foregoing,  the  "Intellectual
Property  Rights")  used  in the  Company's  business  as  presently  conducted,
including all Intellectual  Property Rights used in connection with or contained
in all  versions  of the  Company's  World  Wide  Web  sites  and all  licenses,
assignments and releases of  Intellectual  Property Rights of others in material
works  embodied in its products.  Schedule 3.11  separately  lists the (i) owned
Intellectual Property Rights and (ii) licensed Intellectual Property Rights. All
Intellectual  Property  Rights  purported to be owned by the Company and held by
any employee,  officer or consultant have been validly  assigned to the Company.
The Intellectual  Property Rights are sufficient to carry on the business of the
Company as presently  conducted and as the Company  reasonably  anticipates  its
business to be conducted.  The Company has exclusive  ownership of or license to
use all Intellectual Property Rights identified in Schedule 3.11 or has obtained
any  licenses,  releases or  assignments  reasonably  necessary to use all third
parties'  Intellectual  Property  Rights in works embodied in its products.  The
past and present  business  activities or products of the Company did not and do
not infringe any  Intellectual  Property  Rights of others.  The Company has not
received  any notice or other  claim from any person  asserting  that any of the
Company's  activities infringe or may infringe any Intellectual  Property Rights
of such person.

     The  Company  has the  right to use,  free and clear of claims or rights of
others,  all  trade  secrets,  customer  lists,  hardware  designs,  programming
processes,  software  and other  information  required  for or  incident  to its
products or its business as presently conducted or contemplated. The Company has
taken  all  reasonable  measures  to  protect  and  preserve  the  security  and
confidentiality   of  its  Intellectual   Property  Rights.  All  employees  and
consultants  of the  Company  involved  in the  design,  review,  evaluation  or
development  of  products  or   Intellectual   Property   Rights  have  executed
nondisclosure and assignment of inventions  agreements sufficient to protect the
confidentiality of the Company' Intellectual Property Rights and to vest in the
Company  exclusive  ownership  of  such  Intellectual  Property  Rights.  To the
knowledge  of the  Company  and the  Shareholders,  all trade  secrets and other
confidential  information of the Company are presently valid and protectable and
are not part of the public  domain or  knowledge,  nor, to the  knowledge of the
Company and the Shareholders,  have they been used, divulged or appropriated for
the benefit of any person other than the Company or  otherwise to the  detriment
of the  Company.  To the  knowledge  of the  Company  and the  Shareholders,  no
employee  or  consultant  of the  Company  has used any trade  secrets  or other
confidential information of any other person in the course of their work for the
Company.

     The Company is the exclusive owner of all right,  title and interest in its
Intellectual  Property  Rights as  purported to be owned by the Company and such
Intellectual  Property  Rights  are  valid  and in full  force  and  effect.  No
university,  government agency (whether federal or state) or other  organization
has sponsored research and development conducted by the Company or has any claim
of right to or ownership of or other encumbrance upon the Intellectual  Property
Rights of the Company. The Company is not aware of any infringement by others of
its copyrights or other Intellectual Property Rights in any of its


                                       9
<PAGE>


products, technology or services, or any violation of the confidentiality of any
of  its  proprietary  information.   To  the  Company's  and  the  Shareholders'
knowledge,   the  Company  is  not  making  unlawful  use  of  any  confidential
information or trade secrets of any past or present employees of the Company.

     Neither  the  Company  nor,  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Company  and  the
Shareholders,   any  of  the  Company's   employees,   have  any  agreements  or
arrangements  with former  employers of such employees  relating to confidential
information  or trade secrets of such  employers or are bound by any  consulting
agreement  relating  to  confidential  information  or trade  secrets of another
entity that are being violated by such persons.  The activities of the Company's
employees on behalf of the Company do not violate any agreements or arrangements
known to the Company which any such employees have with former  employers or any
other entity to whom such employees may have rendered consulting services.

     (b) All officers and key employees,  including all developers  (contract or
otherwise) of or to the Company,  have executed and delivered to and in favor of
the  Company  an  agreement   regarding  the  protection  of  confidential   and
proprietary  information  and the assignment to the Company of all  Intellectual
Property  Rights  arising  from the services  performed  for the Company by such
persons. The Company has all franchises,  permits, licenses and other rights and
privileges  reasonably necessary to permit it to own its property and to conduct
its business as it is  presently  conducted  and  reasonably  anticipated  to be
conducted.

     3.12 Contracts. (a) Except as set forth in Schedule 3.12(a), the Company is
not a party to, or subject to:

          (i) any contract,  arrangement or understanding,  or series of related
     contracts,   arrangements   or   understandings,   which  involves   annual
     expenditures or receipts by the Company of more than $10,000;

          (ii)  any  note,  indenture,   credit  facility,   mortgage,  security
     agreement or other contract,  arrangement or  understanding  relating to or
     evidencing  indebtedness  for money  borrowed  or a  security  interest  or
     mortgage in the assets of the Company;

          (iii) any guaranty issued by the Company;

          (iv)  any  contract,  arrangement  or  understanding  relating  to the
     acquisition, issuance or transfer of any securities;

          (v)  any  contract,  arrangement  or  understanding  relating  to  the
     acquisition,transfer, distribution, use, development, sharing or license of
     any technology or Intellectual Property Rights;



                                       10
<PAGE>


          (vi) any contract, arrangement or understanding granting to any person
     the right to use any material  property or material  property  right of the
     Company;

          (vii) any  contract,  arrangement  or  understanding  restricting  the
     Company's right to (A) engage in any business  activity or compete with any
     business, or (B) develop or distribute any technology;

          (viii) any  contract,  arrangement  or  understanding  relating to the
     employment  of, or the  performance  of services  of, or the  compensation,
     bonus,  severance  or  other  payments  to,  any  employee,  consultant  or
     independent contractor;

          (ix) any contract,  arrangement or understanding with a Related Person
     (as defined in Section 3.22); or

          (x) any outstanding offer,  commitment or obligation to enter into any
     contract or arrangement of the nature  described in subsections (i) through
     (ix) of this subsection 3.12(a).

     (b) The Company has previously made available for inspection and copying to
the Parent  complete and correct  copies (or, in the case of oral  contracts,  a
complete  and correct  description)  of each  contract  (and any  amendments  or
supplements thereto) listed on Schedule 3.12(a). Except as set forth in Schedule
3.12(b),  (i) each  contract  listed in  Schedule  3.12(a)  is in full force and
effect;  (ii)  neither the Company nor (to the best  knowledge of the Company or
any Shareholder)  any other party is in default under any such contract,  and no
event has occurred which constitutes, or with the lapse of time or the giving of
notice or both  would  constitute,  a  default  by the  Company  or (to the best
knowledge of the Company or any  Shareholder) a default by any other party under
such contract;  (iii) to the best  knowledge of the Company or any  Shareholder,
there are no disputes or  disagreements  between the Company and any other party
with  respect  to any such  contract;  and (iv)  each  other  party to each such
contract has  consented or been given notice (or prior to the Closing shall have
consented or been given notice), where such consent or the giving of such notice
is  necessary,  sufficient  that such  contract  shall  remain in full force and
effect  following the  consummation  of the  transactions  contemplated  by this
Agreement  without  modification  in the rights or  obligations  of the  Company
thereunder.

     (c)  Except as set  forth in  Schedule  3.12(c),  all  indebtedness  of the
Company  for monies  borrowed by the  Company is  prepayable  at any time at the
option of the Company, without premium or penalty.

     (d) Except as set forth and described in Schedule 3.12(d),  the Company has
not issued any warranty or any agreement or commitment to indemnify any person.



                                       11
<PAGE>


         3.13     Employees; Employee Benefits.

     (a) Schedule  3.13(a) sets forth the names of all current  employees of the
Company  (the  "Employees")  and such  Employee's  job title,  the  location  of
employment of such Employee,  such Employee's  current salary, the amount of any
bonuses or other compensation ever paid to such Employee, the date of employment
of such Employee,  the accrued  vacation time of such Employee and a description
of the annual  total  compensation  arrangements  currently  applicable  to such
Employee.  Except as set forth on Schedule  3.13(a),  no employee is entitled to
any bonus  compensation.  The  Company  has accrued on its books and records all
obligations for salaries,  benefits and other  compensation  with respect to its
Employees and former employees ("Former  Employees"),  to the extent required by
generally  accepted  accounting  principles,  including,  but  not  limited  to,
vacation pay, severance,  bonuses, incentive and deferred compensation,  and all
commissions and other fees payable to  salespeople,  sales  representatives  and
other agents.  Schedule  3.13(a) sets forth a true and correct  statement of the
liability, if any, of the Company for accrued but unused sick pay. Except as set
forth on Schedule  3.13(a),  there are no outstanding  loans from the Company to
any officer,  director,  employee, agent or consultant of the Company, or to any
other Related Person.  Schedule 3.13(a) hereto sets forth a complete and correct
description  of all  severance  policies of the  Company.  Complete  and correct
copies of all written agreements with Employees and all employment policies, and
all amendments and supplements  thereto,  have previously been delivered or made
available to the Parent,  and a list of all such  agreements and policies is set
forth in Schedule  3.12(a).  None of the Employees  has, to the knowledge of the
Company  or  any  Shareholder,  indicated  a  desire  to  terminate  his  or her
employment,  or any intention to terminate his or her employment upon a sale of,
or  business  combination  relating  to, the Company or in  connection  with the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

     (b) The  Company  has  complied  with Title VII of the Civil  Rights Act of
1964, as amended, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended, the Fair
Labor Standards Act, as amended, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986,
and all applicable  laws,  rules and  regulations  governing  payment of minimum
wages  and  overtime   rates,   the   withholding  and  payment  of  taxes  from
compensation, discriminatory practices with respect to employment and discharge,
or otherwise  relating to the conduct of employers  with respect to Employees or
potential employees, except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, have
a Company  Material  Adverse  Effect or result in a fine or penalty in excess of
$5,000 individually or in the aggregate,  and there have been no claims made or,
to the  knowledge  of the  Company or any  Shareholder,  threatened,  thereunder
against the Company arising out of, relating to or alleging any violation of any
of the  foregoing.  Except  as  disclosed  in  Schedule  3.13(b),  there  are no
controversies, strikes, work stoppages, picketing or disputes pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company or any Shareholder, threatened, between the Company and
any of the  Employees or Former  Employees;  no labor union or other  collective
bargaining  unit  represents  or has  ever  represented  any  of the  Employees,
including any "leased  employees"  (within the meaning of Section  414(n) of the
Code);  no  organizational  effort  by  any  labor  union  or  other  collective
bargaining  unit  currently is under way or, to the  knowledge of the Company or
the Shareholders,


                                       12
<PAGE>


threatened,  with respect to any Employees; and the consent of no labor union or
other  collective  bargaining  unit is required to consummate  the  transactions
contemplated by this Agreement.

     (c) The Company has never  maintained  any of the following for the benefit
of any person:  defined benefit and defined  contribution  plan, stock ownership
plan, executive  compensation plan, bonus plan,  incentive  compensation plan or
arrangement,  deferred  compensation  agreement or  arrangement,  agreement with
respect to  temporary  employees  or "leased  employees"  (within the meaning of
Section 414(n) of the Code), vacation pay, sickness, disability or death benefit
plan  (whether  provided  through  insurance,  on a funded or unfunded  basis or
otherwise),  employee stock option,  stock appreciation rights or stock purchase
plan,  severance pay plan,  arrangement or practice,  employee relations policy,
practice  or  arrangement,  or any  other  employee  benefit  plan,  program  or
arrangement,  including,  without limitation, any "employee benefit plan" within
the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee  Retirement  Income  Security Act of
1974,  as amended  ("ERISA"),  which has been  maintained by the Company for the
benefit of or relating to any of the  Employees  or to any Former  Employees  or
their dependents,  survivors or  beneficiaries,  whether or not legally binding,
whether written or oral or whether express or implied.

     (d) Except as indicated on Schedule 3.13(e),  the Company has no obligation
to provide  medical or other benefits to Employees or Former  Employees or their
survivors,  dependents  and  beneficiaries,  except  as may be  required  by the
Consolidated  Omnibus  Budget  Reconciliation  Act of 1986 or  applicable  state
medical benefits  continuation law. Except as disclosed in Schedule 3.13(e), the
Company will not incur any  liability  under any severance  agreement,  deferred
compensation  agreement,  employment  or  similar  agreement  as a result of the
consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

     (e) There has been and will be no "excess parachute  payment" (as that term
is defined  in  Section  280G(b)(1)  of the Code) to any of the  Employees  as a
result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

     (f) Except as indicated in Schedule  3.13(f),  all employees,  consultants,
sales  representatives  and other agents  employed or engaged by the Company are
legally  able to be employed or engaged in the United  States to the full extent
necessary to perform their duties to the Company.

     3.14 Compliance with Applicable Law. The Company is not in violation of any
applicable safety, health, environmental or other law, statute, ordinance, code,
rule, regulation,  judgment,  order, injunction,  writ or decree of any Federal,
state,  local or foreign court or  governmental  or regulatory  body,  agency or
authority having, asserting or claiming jurisdiction over it or over any part of
its business,  operations,  properties or assets, except for any such violations
which  would  not,  individually  or in the  aggregate  have a Company  Material
Adverse  Effect or result in a fine or penalty in excess of $5,000  individually
or in the aggregate. The


                                       13
<PAGE>


Company has not received  any notice  alleging  any such  violation,  nor to the
knowledge of the Company or any Shareholder, is there any inquiry, investigation
or proceedings relating thereto.

     3.15 Ability to Conduct the Business. There is no agreement, arrangement or
understanding,  nor any judgment, order, writ, injunction or decree of any court
or  governmental  or  regulatory  body,  agency or authority  applicable  to the
Company  or to  which  the  Company  is a party  or by  which  it (or any of its
properties  or  assets) is bound,  that will  prevent  the use by the  Surviving
Corporation,  after the Effective  Time, of the  properties and assets owned by,
the business  conducted  by or the services  rendered by the Company on the date
hereof,  in each  case on  substantially  the same  basis as the same are  used,
owned, conducted or rendered on the date hereof. The Company has in force and is
in compliance with all governmental  permits,  licenses,  exemptions,  consents,
authorizations  and  approvals  used in or  required  for the  conduct  of their
business as presently  conducted,  all of which shall continue in full force and
effect,  without  requirement  of any  filing or the  giving of any  notice  and
without  modification  thereof,  following the  consummation of the transactions
contemplated  hereby.  The  Company has not  received  any notice of, and to the
knowledge of the Company or any Shareholder, there are no inquiries, proceedings
or  investigations  relating  to or which  could  result  in the  revocation  or
modification of any such permit, license, exemption,  consent,  authorization or
approval.

     3.16 Major Customers. Schedule 3.16 sets forth a complete and correct list,
for each month during the period of August 1, 1998 through June 30, 1999, of the
five largest customers of the Company in terms of revenue  recognized in respect
of such  customers,  showing  the  amount of  revenue  recognized  for each such
customer during such period. Except as set forth and described in Schedule 3.16,
to the knowledge of the Company or any Shareholder, the Company has not received
any notice or other  communication  (written or oral) from any of the  customers
listed in Schedule  3.16  terminating  or reducing in any material  respect,  or
setting  forth an intention  to terminate or reduce in the future,  or otherwise
reflecting a material adverse change in, the business  relationship between such
customer and the Company.

     3.17 Consultants,  Sales  Representatives  and Other Agents.  Schedule 3.17
sets  forth a  complete  and  correct  list of the names and  addresses  of each
consultant,  sales  representative  or other  agent  (other than any such person
performing  solely clerical  functions)  currently engaged by the Company who is
not  an  employee  of  the  Company  and  who  has  collectively  ever  received
compensation in excess of $10,000,  the commission  rates or other  compensation
applicable  with  respect to each such person and the amount of  commissions  or
other compensation ever earned by each such person.  Complete and correct copies
of all  current  agreements  between  the  Company  and  any  such  person  have
previously been delivered or made available by the Company to the Parent.

     3.18 Accounts Receivable.  All accounts receivable of the Company (i) arose
from bona fide  transactions  in the ordinary  course of business and consistent
with past  practice,  (ii) are owned by the Company free and clear of any claim,
security interest, lien or other encumbrance and (iii) are accurately and fairly
reflected on the Balance Sheet, or, with respect to accounts


                                       14
<PAGE>


receivable of the Company  created on or after June 30, 1999, are accurately and
fairly  reflected in the books and records of the Company.  The reserves for bad
debts  reflected  on the  Balance  Sheet are  adequate  and were  calculated  in
accordance with generally accepted  accounting  principles  consistent with past
practice.

     3.19 Insurance.  The Company carries no insurance  policies with respect to
its business.

     3.20 Bank Accounts; Powers of Attorney. Schedule 3.21 sets forth a complete
and correct list showing:

          (i) all bank accounts of the Company,  together with,  with respect to
     each such account, the account number, the names of all signatories thereof
     and the authorized powers of each such signatory; and

          (ii) the names of all  persons  holding  powers of  attorney  from the
     Company and a summary statement of the terms thereof.

     3.21 Minute Books,  etc. The stock certificate book and stock ledger of the
Company are  complete  and  correct.  The minute  books of the  Company  contain
accurate and complete  records of all meetings or written  consents to action of
the Board of Directors and  Shareholders  of the Company and accurately  reflect
all corporate actions of the Company which are required by law to be passed upon
by the Board of Directors or Shareholders of the Company.

     3.22 Related Person Indebtedness and Contracts.  Schedule 3.22 sets forth a
complete and correct  summary of all contracts,  commitments,  arrangements  and
understandings not described elsewhere in this Agreement between the Company and
any of the following  (collectively, "Related Persons"):  (i) the Shareholders;
(ii) the spouses and children of any of the  Shareholders  (collectively,  "near
relatives");  (iii) any trust for the benefit of any of the  Shareholders or any
of their respective near relatives; or (iv) any corporation,  partnership, joint
venture  or  other  entity  or  enterprise  owned  or  controlled  by any of the
Shareholders or by any of their respective near relatives.

     3.23 Brokers;  Payments;  Expenses. No broker, investment banker, financial
advisor  or other  person  is  entitled  to any  broker's,  finder's,  financial
advisor's or other similar fee or commission in connection with the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement based upon  arrangements  made by or on behalf of
the Company or any Shareholder. No valid claim exists against the Company or the
Surviving Corporation or, based on any action by the Company, against the Parent
for  payment  of any  "topping,  "break-up"  or  "bust-up"  fee or any  similar
compensation or payment arrangement as a result of the transactions contemplated
hereby.  There are no fees or expenses owed to  accountants  or bankers or other
persons in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby that will not be
paid prior to Closing,  other than the Closing Date PC  Transaction  Fee and the
Earn-Out Date PC Transaction Fee.


                                       15
<PAGE>


     3.24 Disclosure. No representation or warranty by the Company or any of the
Shareholders  contained in this  Agreement and no statement  contained in any of
the  Disclosure  Schedules,  certificates  or  other  documents  or  instruments
delivered  or to be delivered  pursuant to this  Agreement by the Company or its
representatives  or any of the Shareholders  contains or will contain any untrue
statement of a material  fact or omits or will omit to state any  material  fact
necessary to make the statements contained therein not misleading.

     3.25 Year 2000  Compliance.  The Company has  identified all of its systems
and  software  that are  subject  to Year 2000  Compliance  risk and all of such
systems  and  software  are Year 2000  Compliant.  As used  herein,  "Year  2000
Compliant" shall mean, with respect to software,  whether embedded or otherwise,
the ability to consistently and accurately  handle date information  before,  on
and after  January 1, 2000 without a loss of  functionality,  including  but not
limited to accepting date input, providing date output,  performing calculations
on dates or portions of dates and comparing,  sequencing, storing and displaying
dates (including all leap year considerations).

                                   ARTICLE IV
                         REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
                               OF THE SHAREHOLDERS

     4.1  Authorization  etc. Each of the Shareholders  represents and warrants,
severally, to the Parent and Acquisition as follows:

          (i)  that  such  Shareholder  is the  sole and  exclusive  record  and
     beneficial  owner of the  shares of the  Company's  Common  Stock and Stock
     Options set forth  opposite such  Shareholder's  name in Schedule 3.4, free
     and clear of any claims, liens, pledges,  options,  rights of first refusal
     or other  encumbrances or restrictions of any nature whatsoever (other than
     restrictions on transfer imposed under applicable  securities  laws),  and,
     there are no  agreements,  arrangements  or  understandings  to which  such
     Shareholder is a party (other than this Agreement)  involving the purchase,
     sale or  other  acquisition  or  disposition  of the  shares  owned by such
     Shareholder;

          (ii) that such  Shareholder  shall, at the Effective Time,  deliver to
     the Parent  certificates  representing all shares of Company Stock owned by
     such  Shareholder,  each such  certificate to be duly endorsed for transfer
     and free and clear of any claims, liens, pledges,  options, rights of first
     refusal or other  encumbrances  or  restrictions  of any nature  whatsoever
     (other than restrictions imposed under applicable securities laws);

          (iii) that such  Shareholder has all necessary legal capacity,  right,
     power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to consummate
     the  transactions  contemplated  hereby,  and this Agreement  constitutes a
     valid and binding obligation of such Shareholder  enforceable in accordance
     with its terms,  except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by
     applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium or other laws


                                       16
<PAGE>


affecting  the  enforcement  of  creditors,  rights  generally  and  by  general
principles of equity, regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in
a proceeding in law or in equity; and

          (iv) that  the  execution  and  delivery  of  this  Agreement  by such
     Shareholder and the  consummation of the transactions  contemplated  hereby
     will not (A)  violate or conflict  with any  provision  of any  partnership
     agreement or other constitutional documents of any such Shareholder that is
     constituted  as a general or limited  partnership,  (B) breach,  violate or
     constitute an event of default (or an event which with the lapse of time or
     the giving of notice or both would  constitute an event of default)  under,
     give  rise to any  right  of  termination,  cancellation,  modification  or
     acceleration  under or  require  any  consent  or the  giving of any notice
     under, any note, bond,  indenture,  mortgage,  security  agreement,  lease,
     license, franchise,  permit, agreement or other instrument or obligation to
     which such  Shareholder  is a party,  or by which such  Shareholder  or the
     shares of Company Stock held by such Shareholder may be bound, or result in
     the creation of any lien,  claim or encumbrance or other right of any third
     party  of any  kind  whatsoever  upon  the  properties  or  assets  of such
     Shareholder  pursuant to the terms of any such  instrument  or  obligation,
     which breach, violation or event of default would impair such Shareholder's
     ability to perform such Shareholder's obligations hereunder, or (C) violate
     or conflict  with any law,  statute,  ordinance,  code,  rule,  regulation,
     judgment, order, writ, injunction,  decree or other instrument of any court
     or governmental or regulatory body, agency or authority  applicable to such
     Shareholder  or by which such shares of Company  Common  Stock held by such
     Shareholder may be bound.

         4.2      Parent Common Stock.

     Each  Shareholder  severally  acknowledges,  represents and warrants to the
Parent and Acquisition as follows:

          (i) The Shareholder understands that the shares of Parent Common Stock
     to be issued to the Shareholder in the Merger will not have been registered
     under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or any
     state securities law by reason of specific  exemptions under the provisions
     thereof which depend in part upon the other  representations and warranties
     made by the Shareholder in this Agreement. The Shareholder understands that
     the Parent is relying upon the Shareholder's representations and warranties
     contained in this Section 4.2 for the purpose of  determining  whether this
     transaction  meets the requirements  for such  exemptions.  The information
     contained in the Investor  Questionnaire  executed by such  Shareholder and
     delivered to Parent in connection with this Agreement is accurate, complete
     and correct.

          (ii) The  Shareholder  has such  knowledge,  skill and  experience  in
     business,  financial  and  investment  matters so that the  Shareholder  is
     capable of  evaluating  the merits and risks of an investment in the Parent
     Common Stock pursuant to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or
     to the extent that the  Shareholder has deemed it appropriate to do so, the
     Shareholder has relied upon appropriate  professional  advice regarding the
     tax, legal


                                       17
<PAGE>


and financial  merits and  consequences  of an investment in Parent Common Stock
pursuant to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

          (iii) The  Shareholder  has made,  either  alone or together  with the
     Shareholder's advisors,  such independent  investigation of the Parent, its
     management  and  related  matters as the  Shareholder  deems to be, or such
     advisors have advised to be,  necessary or advisable in connection  with an
     investment in the Parent Common Stock through the transactions contemplated
     by this  Agreement;  and the  Shareholder  and advisors  have  received all
     information and data that the  Shareholder and such advisors  believe to be
     necessary in order to reach an informed  decision as to the advisability of
     an  investment  in the Parent  Common  Stock  pursuant to the  transactions
     contemplated by this Agreement.

          (iv)  The  Shareholder  has  reviewed  the   Shareholder's   financial
     condition  and  commitments,  alone  and  together  with the  Shareholder's
     advisors,  and, based on such review, the Shareholder is satisfied that (A)
     the  Shareholder  has  adequate  means of providing  for the  Shareholder's
     financial  needs and  possible  contingencies  and has assets or sources of
     income which,  taken  together,  are more than  sufficient so that he could
     bear the risk of loss of the Shareholder's  entire investment in the Parent
     Common Stock,  (B) the Shareholder  has no present or  contemplated  future
     need to dispose of all or any portion of the Parent Common Stock to satisfy
     any existing or contemplated undertaking, need or indebtedness, and (C) the
     Shareholder is capable of bearing the economic risk of an investment in the
     Parent  Common  Stock for the  indefinite  future.  The  Shareholder  shall
     furnish  any  additional   information  about  the  Shareholder  reasonably
     requested by the Parent to assure the compliance of this  transaction  with
     applicable federal and state securities laws.

          (v) The Shareholder  understands  that the shares of the Parent Common
     Stock to be received by the  Shareholder in the  transactions  contemplated
     hereby will be "restricted  securities" under applicable federal securities
     laws and that  the  Securities  Act and the  rules  of the  Securities  and
     Exchange  Commission  promulgated  thereunder provide in substance that the
     Shareholder  may  dispose of such  shares  only  pursuant  to an  effective
     registration  statement  under  the  Securities  Act or an  exemption  from
     registration if available. The Shareholder further understands that, except
     as provided in Article  XII, the Parent has no  obligation  or intention to
     register  the sale of any of the  shares of the Parent  Common  Stock to be
     received by the Shareholder in the  transactions  contemplated  hereby,  or
     take any other  action so as to permit sales  pursuant  to, the  Securities
     Act.  Accordingly,  except as  provided  in Article  XII,  the  Shareholder
     understands  that  the  Shareholder  may  dispose  of such  shares  only in
     transactions  which  are of a  type  exempt  from  registration  under  the
     Securities Act,  including (without  limitation) a "private  placement," in
     which  event  the  transferee  will  acquire  such  shares  as  "restricted
     securities"  and  subject  to the same  limitations  as in the hands of the
     Shareholder.  The Shareholder  further  understands  that applicable  state
     securities  laws  may  impose  additional  constraints  upon  the  sale  of
     securities.  As  a  consequence,   the  Shareholder  understands  that  the
     Shareholder  may have to bear the  economic  risk of an  investment  in the
     Parent  Common  Stock to be  received  by the  Shareholder  pursuant to the
     transactions contemplated hereby for an indefinite period of time.
<PAGE>

          (vi) The  Shareholder  is acquiring  shares of the Parent Common Stock
     pursuant to the  transactions  contemplated  hereby for investment only and
     not with a view to or  intention  of or in  connection  with any  resale or
     distribution of such shares or any interest therein.

          (vii) The  certificate(s)  evidencing  the shares of the Parent Common
     Stock to be issued pursuant to the transactions  contemplated  hereby shall
     bear the following legend:

               "The  shares  represented  by  this  certificate  have  not  been
          registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,  or any state
          securities  laws and may not be sold or  transferred in the absence of
          such  registration or an exemption  therefrom under the Securities Act
          of 1933, as amended, and applicable state securities laws."

                                    ARTICLE V

                         REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
                          OF THE PARENT AND ACQUISITION

     The Parent and Acquisition  jointly and severally  represent and warrant to
the Company and the Shareholders that:

     5.1  Corporate  Organization.  Each  of the  Parent  and  Acquisition  is a
corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws
of the State of Delaware.  Each of the Parent and  Acquisition has all requisite
corporate  power and  authority  to own,  operate and lease the  properties  and
assets it now owns,  operates  and  leases and to carry on its  business  as now
being conducted.  The Parent and Acquisition are each duly qualified to transact
business  as a  foreign  corporation  and  are  each  in  good  standing  in the
jurisdictions  where such  qualification  is required by reason of the nature of
the properties and assets currently  owned,  operated or leased by the Parent or
Acquisition  or the  business  currently  conducted  by  them,  except  for such
jurisdictions  where  the  failure  to be so  qualified  would  not have a Lycos
Material Adverse Effect (as defined below). The Parent has previously  delivered
to  the  Company   complete  and  correct  copies  of  (i)  its  Certificate  of
Incorporation  (certified  by the  Secretary of State of Delaware as of a recent
date) and its By-Laws  (certified  by the Secretary of the Parent as of a recent
date)  and  (ii)  the  Certificate  of  Incorporation  of  Acquisition  and  all
amendments  thereto to the date hereof  (certified  by the Secretary of State of
the State of  Delaware  as of a recent  date)  and the  By-Laws  of  Acquisition
(certified by the  secretary of  Acquisition  as of a recent date).  Neither the
Certificate of  Incorporation  nor the By-Laws of the Parent or Acquisition  has
been amended since the respective  dates of certification  thereof,  nor has any
action  been  taken  for  the  purpose  of  effecting   any  amendment  of  such
instruments. The term "Lycos Material Adverse Effect"


                                       18
<PAGE>


means any change,  event or effect that is, or would be,  materially  adverse to
the business, operation, assets, liabilities,  financial condition or results of
operations of the Parent and Acquisition, taken as a whole.

     5.2  Authorization.  Each of the Parent and  Acquisition has full corporate
power and authority to execute and deliver this  Agreement and to consummate the
transactions  contemplated  hereby. The execution and delivery of this Agreement
and the  consummation  of the  transactions  contemplated  hereby have been duly
approved by the Boards of  Directors  of the Parent and  Acquisition  and by the
Parent  as  the  sole  shareholder  of  Acquisition,   and  no  other  corporate
proceedings  on the part of the Parent or  Acquisition  are necessary to approve
and authorize the execution and delivery of this  Agreement or the  consummation
of the transactions  contemplated  hereby. This Agreement has been duly executed
and  delivered  by the  Parent and  Acquisition  and  constitutes  the valid and
binding agreement of the Parent and Acquisition,  enforceable in accordance with
its terms, except to the extent that enforceability may be limited by applicable
bankruptcy,  reorganization,  insolvency, moratorium or other laws affecting the
enforcement of creditors'  rights generally and by general  principles of equity
(regardless  of whether such  enforceability  is  considered  in a proceeding in
equity or in law).

     5.3  Consents  and  Approvals;  No  Violations.  Subject to the filing of a
Certificate  of Merger with the  Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and
compliance with applicable  federal and state securities laws, the execution and
delivery of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby will not: (i) violate or conflict with any provisions of the  Certificate
of Incorporation or By-Laws of the Parent or Acquisition;  (ii) breach,  violate
or  constitute  an event of default (or an event which with the lapse of time or
the giving of notice or both would  constitute an event of default) under,  give
rise to any right of  termination,  cancellation,  modification  or acceleration
under, or require any consent or the giving of any notice under, any note, bond,
indenture,  mortgage,  security agreement,  lease, license,  franchise,  permit,
agreement or other  instrument or obligation to which the Parent or  Acquisition
is a party,  or by which any of them or any of their  respective  properties  or
assets may be bound, or result in the creation of any lien, claim or encumbrance
of  any  kind  whatsoever  upon  the  properties  or  assets  of the  Parent  or
Acquisition  pursuant to the terms of any such  instrument or obligation,  other
than any breach, violation, default, termination, cancellation,  modification or
acceleration which would not have a Lycos Material Adverse Effect; (iii) violate
or conflict with any law, statute, ordinance, code, rule, regulation,  judgment,
order,  writ,  injunction or decree or other  instrument of any Federal,  state,
local or foreign court or governmental or regulatory  body,  agency or authority
applicable  to the  Parent or  Acquisition  or by which any of their  respective
properties or assets may be bound, except for such violations or conflicts which
would not have a Lycos Material Adverse Effect; or (iv) require,  on the part of
the Parent or Acquisition,  any filing or registration with, or permit, license,
exemption,  consent,  authorization  or approval of, or the giving of any notice
to, any  governmental  or regulatory  body,  agency or authority  other than any
filing,  registration,   permit,  license,  exemption,  consent,  authorization,
approval or notice which if not obtained or made would not have a Lycos Material
Adverse Effect.


                                       19
<PAGE>
     5.4 Capitalization. (a) The authorized capital stock of the Parent consists
of 300,000,000  shares of Parent Common Stock, of which  43,613,990  shares were
issued and outstanding on June 1,  1999 and 5,000,000 shares of Preferred Stock,
none of which are issued or  outstanding.  Except as set forth in Schedule  5.4,
all of the issued and  outstanding  shares of Parent  Common  Stock are (and all
shares of Parent Common Stock to be issued in connection  with the Merger,  when
issued in accordance with this  Agreement,  shall be) duly  authorized,  validly
issued,  fully paid and nonassessable,  and none of such shares has been or will
be issued in violation of any applicable preemptive rights. On May 18, 1999, the
Board of Directors of the Company  authorized a 2-for-1 stock split (in the form
of a stock  dividend)  which  stock  split  will be  paid  on July  26,  1999 to
Stockholders of record on July 16, 1999.

     (b) The authorized capital stock of Acquisition consists of 1,000 shares of
common  stock,  par value  $0.01 per  share,  of which 100 shares are issued and
outstanding,  all of which  shares are owned  beneficially  and of record by the
Parent.

     5.5 SEC  Reports  and  Financial  Statements.  The  Parent  has  heretofore
delivered or made  available to the Company  complete and correct  copies of all
reports  and other  filings  filed by the Parent  with the SEC  pursuant  to the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,  as  amended,  and the rules and  regulations
thereunder  (the  "Exchange  Act") since August 1, 1997 (such  reports and other
filings  collectively  referred to herein as the  "Exchange Act  Filings").  The
Exchange Act Filings constitute all of the documents required to be filed by the
Parent  under  the  Exchange  Act  with the SEC  since  such  date.  As of their
respective  dates, the Exchange Act Filings did not contain any untrue statement
of a  material  fact or omit to state a  material  fact  required  to be  stated
therein  or  necessary  to  make  the  statements   therein,  in  light  of  the
circumstances   under  which  they  were  made,  not  misleading.   The  audited
consolidated  financial  statements  of the Parent  included in the Exchange Act
Filings at the time of their filing  complied in all material  respects with the
published  rules  and  regulations  of the SEC with  respect  thereto,  and such
audited  consolidated  financial statements (i) were prepared from the books and
records of the Parent and its consolidated  subsidiaries,  (ii) were prepared in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applied on a consistent
basis (except as may be indicated therein or in the notes or schedules  thereto)
and  (iii)  present  fairly  the  financial  position  of  the  Parent  and  its
consolidated  subsidiaries  as at the dates  thereof  and the  results  of their
operations and cash flows (or changes in financial position, for the fiscal year
ended July 31, 1997 and earlier years) for the periods then ended. The unaudited
financial  statements  included in the Exchange Act Filings at the time of their
filing  complied  in  all  material   respects  with  the  published  rules  and
regulations  of the SEC  with  respect  thereto;  and such  unaudited  financial
statements  (i) were  prepared  from the books and records of the Parent and its
consolidated  subsidiaries,  (ii) were  prepared in  accordance  with  generally
accepted accounting principles, except as otherwise permitted under the Exchange
Act and the rules and regulations  thereunder,  on a consistent basis (except as
may be indicated therein or in the notes or schedules thereto) and (iii) present
fairly the financial position of the Parent and its consolidated subsidiaries as
at the dates  thereof  and the  results of their  operations  and cash flows (or
changes in financial condition) for the periods then ended,


                                       21
<PAGE>


subject to normal  year-end  adjustments  and any other  aIdjustments  described
therein or in the notes or schedules thereto.

     5.6 Absence of Certain  Changes.  Since June 30, 1999,  the business of the
Parent  has been  conducted  in the  ordinary  course and  consistent  with past
practice.  Except as set forth in Schedule  5.6 or in the  Exchange  Act Filings
filed  before  the date  hereof,  since June 30,  1999,  there has been no Lycos
Material Adverse Effect.

     5.7 Litigation. Except as set forth on Schedule 5.7, as of the date hereof,
there is no action,  suit,  proceeding,  claim or  arbitration  or, to  Parent's
knowledge,  investigation  pending,  that  would have a Lycos  Material  Adverse
Effect, nor, to the knowledge of the Parent, is there a threatened action, suit,
proceeding,  claim,  arbitration or  investigation  against Parent or any of its
subsidiaries  that would  have a Lycos  Material  Adverse  Effect or that in any
manner  challenges  or  seeks to  prevent,  enjoin,  alter  or delay  any of the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

                                   ARTICLE VI

                       CONDUCT OF BUSINESS OF THE COMPANY
                           PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE TIME

     6.1 Conduct of Business of the Company. During the period commencing on the
date  hereof  and  continuing  until the  Effective  Time,  except as  otherwise
expressly  contemplated by this Agreement or agreed to in writing by the Parent,
the Company and each of the Shareholders agree that the Company,:

          (a)  will  carry  on its  business  only in the  ordinary  course  and
     consistent with past practice;

          (b)  will  not  declare  or pay  any  dividend  on or make  any  other
     distribution  (however  characterized)  in respect of shares of its capital
     stock;

          (c) will not, directly or indirectly,  redeem or repurchase,  or agree
     to redeem or repurchase, any shares of its capital stock;

          (d) will not amend its Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws;

          (e) will not issue, or agree to issue, any shares of its capital stock
     (except  pursuant to the  exercise  of  currently  outstanding  warrants or
     options), or any options, warrants or other rights to acquire shares of its
     capital  stock,  or any securities  convertible  into or  exchangeable  for
     shares of its capital stock;

          (f) will not combine,  split or otherwise reclassify any shares of its
     capital stock;


                                       22
<PAGE>


          (g) will not form a Subsidiary;

          (h) will use its  commercially  reasonable  best  efforts to  preserve
     intact its present  business  organization,  keep available the services of
     its officers and key employees and preserve its relationships  with clients
     and others  having  business  dealings with it to the end that its goodwill
     and ongoing  business  shall not be  materially  impaired at the  Effective
     Time;

          (i) will not (i) make any capital expenditures  individually in excess
     of $5,000 or in the  aggregate  in excess of  $10,000,  (ii) enter into any
     license,  distribution,  OEM,  reseller,  joint  venture  or other  similar
     agreement, (iii) enter into or terminate any lease of, or purchase or sell,
     any  real  property,  (iv)  enter  into any  leases  of  personal  property
     involving  individually in excess of $5,000 annually or in the aggregate in
     excess  of  $10,000  annually,   (v)  incur  or  guarantee  any  additional
     indebtedness for borrowed money,  (vi) create or permit to become effective
     any security interest,  mortgage,  lien, charge or other encumbrance on its
     properties  or assets,  or (vii) enter into any  agreement to do any of the
     foregoing;

          (j)  will not  adopt or amend  any  Benefit  Plan for the  benefit  of
     Employees, or increase the salary or other compensation (including, without
     limitation, bonuses or severance compensation) payable or to become payable
     to its Employees (except pursuant to existing contractual obligations which
     have been  disclosed  to the  Parent)  or  accelerate,  amend or change the
     period of  exercisability  or the vesting schedule of options granted under
     any stock option plan or agreements except as specifically  required by the
     terms of such plans or agreements, or enter into any agreement to do any of
     the foregoing;

          (k) will promptly advise the Parent of the  commencement of, or threat
     of (to the extent that such threat comes to the knowledge of the Company or
     any  of  the  Shareholders)  any  claim,   action,   suit,   proceeding  or
     investigation  against,  relating to or involving the Company or any of its
     directors,  officers,  employees,  agents or consultants in connection with
     the Company's business or the transactions  contemplated hereby that could,
     individually or in the aggregate,  reasonably be expected to have a Company
     Material Adverse Effect;

          (l) will use its  commercially  reasonable best efforts to maintain in
     full force and effect all insurance  policies  maintained by the Company on
     the date hereof; and

          (m) will not enter into any agreement to dissolve,  merge, consolidate
     or, except in the ordinary course,  sell any material assets of the Company
     or acquire or agree to acquire  by  merging or  consolidating  with,  or by
     purchasing a substantial  equity interest in or substantial  portion of the
     assets  of,  or by any  other  manner,  any  business  or any  corporation,
     partnership  or other  business  organization  or  division,  or  otherwise
     acquire  or agree to  acquire  any  assets  in  excess  of  $10,000  in the
     aggregate.

     6.2 Other  Negotiations.  Neither the Company nor any Shareholder will (nor
will they permit any of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents,
partners and


                                       23
<PAGE>


affiliates  on their  behalf to) take any  action to  solicit,  initiate,  seek,
encourage  or  support  any  inquiry,   proposal  or  offer  from,  furnish  any
information  to, or  participate  in any  negotiations  with,  any  corporation,
partnership,  person or other entity or group (other than Parent)  regarding any
acquisition of the Company,  any merger or  consolidation  with or involving the
Company,  or any  acquisition of any material  portion of the stock or assets of
the  Company,  or any equity or debt  financing  of the Company or any  material
license of Intellectual  Property Rights (any of the foregoing being referred to
in this Agreement as an "Acquisition  Transaction")  or enter into an agreement
concerning  any  Acquisition  Transaction  with any party other than Parent.  If
between the date of this Agreement and the earlier of (a) the Effective Time and
(b)  termination of this Agreement  pursuant to Article X, the Company  receives
from a  third  party  any  offer  to  negotiate  or  consummate  an  Acquisition
Transaction,  the Company shall  immediately  (i) notify  Parent  (orally and in
writing) of such offer,  including  the  identity of such party and the terms of
any  proposal  therein,  and (ii)  notify  such  third  party in  writing of the
Company's obligations under this Agreement.

                                   ARTICLE VII

                              ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS

     7.1 Access to Properties  and Records.  Between the date of this  Agreement
and the Effective Time, the Company will provide the Parent and its accountants,
counsel and other authorized  advisors with reasonable  access,  to its premises
and  properties  and its  books  and  records  (including,  without  limitation,
contracts, leases, insurance policies, litigation files, minute books, accounts,
working  papers and tax  returns  filed and in  preparation)  and will cause its
officers  to furnish  to Parent  and its  authorized  advisors  such  additional
financial,  tax and  operating  data and  other  information  pertaining  to its
business as Parent shall from time to time reasonably request.

     7.2 Reasonable  Efforts;  etc.  Subject to the terms and conditions  herein
provided,  each of the parties  hereto agrees to use all  reasonable  efforts to
take,  or cause to be taken,  all actions,  and to do, or cause to be done,  all
things  necessary,  proper or advisable under applicable laws and regulations to
consummate and make effective the  transactions  contemplated by this Agreement,
including obtaining any consents, authorizations, exemptions and approvals from,
and making all filings with, any governmental or regulatory authority, agency or
body which are necessary in connection  with the  transactions  contemplated  by
this Agreement.

     7.3 Material  Events.  At all times prior to the Effective Time, each party
shall promptly notify the others in writing of the occurrence of any event which
will or may result in the failure to satisfy any of the conditions  specified in
Article VIII or Article IX hereof.

     7.4  Registration  Statement  on  Form  S-8.  As  promptly  as  practicable
following the Effective  Time, but in no event later than the tenth business day
following the Effective  Time,  the Parent shall cause to be filed with the SEC,
if necessary, one or more Registration Statements


                                       24
<PAGE>
on Form S-8 covering the shares of Parent Common Stock issuable  pursuant to the
arrangements described in Section 2.2(c) hereof.

     7.5. Fees and Expenses.  The parties hereto shall bear and pay all of their
own fees, costs and expenses  relating to the transactions  contemplated by this
Agreement,  including,  without  limitation,  the  fees  and  expenses  of their
respective counsel,  accountants,  brokers and financial advisors,  except that,
subject to Section 2.11 hereof the Shareholders shall be responsible for all the
fees,  costs and  expenses  incurred  by the  Company  in  connection  with this
Agreement (excluding the first $50,000) and the transactions contemplated hereby
and such  fees,  costs  and  expenses  shall be  deemed  to be  expenses  of the
Shareholders (excluding the first $50,000).

     7.6  Employees.  Parent shall have sole  discretion  as to whether to offer
employment to the employees of the Company at the Effective  Time and to require
each such employee to enter into an employment agreement with Parent.

     7.7   Directors   and  Officers   Indemnification.   The   Certificate   of
Incorporation  of  Acquisition  shall include  exculpatory  and  indemnification
provisions  substantially  identical to those now existing in the Certificate of
Incorporation  of the Company for the benefit of any  individual who served as a
director  or officer of the  Company  at any time prior to the  Effective  Time,
except  for any  changes  which may be  required  to  conform  with  changes  in
applicable  law and any  changes  which do not  affect the  application  of such
provisions to acts or omissions of such individuals  prior to the Effective Time
and except that the  Surviving  Corporation  shall not be required to indemnify,
defend or hold  harmless  any  director or officer of the  Company  prior to the
Effective  Time with respect to claims,  losses or  liabilities  arising from or
relating to the  Company's  execution  and  delivery of this  Agreement  and the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

     7.8  Non-competition.  Each of the  Shareholders  hereby  severally and not
jointly  agrees that for a period of two (2) years after the date hereof,  he or
she will not, directly or indirectly,  alone or as a partner, officer, director,
employee,  consultant,  agent,  independent  contractor  or  stockholder  of any
company or business organization, engage in, or have a financial interest in any
business  engaged in  (excepting  only the  ownership of not more than 5% of the
outstanding  securities  of any class of any  entity  listed on an  exchange  or
regularly traded in the over-the-counter  market),  the development,  promotion,
and/or  marketing of digital audio playing  software  applications  that contain
certain  functionalities,  including  but not  limited  to  search,  navigation,
downloading   functionality,   e-commerce   capabilities   and   burning/ripping
functionality,  that are substantially music focused  ("Competitive  Activity").
Such  Shareholder  further agrees that, for a period of two (2) years from after
the date hereof, he or she will not in any capacity, either separately,  jointly
or in association  with others,  directly or  indirectly,  solicit or contact in
connection  with,  or in  furtherance  of,  a  Competitive  Activity  any of the
Company's employees, consultants, agents, suppliers, customers or prospects that
were  such  with  respect  to the  Company  at any  time  during  the  one  year
immediately preceding the date hereof or that


                                       25
<PAGE>
become such with respect to the Company or Buyer or any of its affiliates at any
time  during  the  one  year  immediately   following  the  date  hereof.   Such
Shareholder's  obligations  under this Section 7.8 shall survive the termination
or cessation of his or her employment  with the Company and shall not be limited
by any other provision of this Agreement.

     7.9 Post-Closing Payment. Parent agrees to pay deferred compensation in the
amount of $223,250 to the employees owed such deferred  compensation in the form
of  shares of  Parent  Common  Stock  with the  number  of  shares  based on the
Applicable Average Closing Price.

                                  ARTICLE VIII

                        CONDITIONS TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF
                           THE PARENT AND ACQUISITION

     The obligation of the Parent and Acquisition to consummate the transactions
contemplated  hereby  shall be subject to the  satisfaction,  on or prior to the
Closing Date, of each of the following conditions (any of which may be waived in
writing by the Parent in its sole discretion):

     8.1 Representations and Warranties True. The representations and warranties
of the  Company  and of each of the  Shareholders  which are  contained  in this
Agreement,  or contained in any  Schedule,  certificate  or other  instrument or
document delivered or to be delivered pursuant to this Agreement,  shall be true
and correct at and as of the Closing  Date as though  such  representations  and
warranties  were made on and as of the  Closing  Date,  and at the  Closing  the
Company shall have delivered to the Parent and Acquisition a certificate (signed
on behalf of the Company by the  President and Treasurer of the Company) to that
effect  with  respect to all such  representations  and  warranties  made by the
Company,  and each  Shareholder  shall have executed and delivered to the Parent
and  Acquisition  a  certificate  to  that  effect  with  respect  to  all  such
representations and warranties made, jointly and severally or severally, by such
Shareholder.

     8.2  Performance.  The  Company  and each of the  Shareholders  shall  have
performed  and complied in all  material  respects  with all of the  obligations
under this Agreement which are required to be performed or complied with by them
on or prior to the Closing  Date,  and at the  Closing  the  Company  shall have
delivered to the Parent and  Acquisition a certificate  (duly executed on behalf
of the Company by the  President  and  Treasurer  of the Company) to that effect
with respect to all such obligations required to have been performed or complied
with by the Company on or before the Closing Date,  and each  Shareholder  shall
have executed and delivered to the Parent and  Acquisition a certificate to that
effect with respect to all such  obligations  required to have been performed or
complied with by such Shareholder on or before the Closing Date.

     8.3 Absence of Litigation.  No statute,  rule or regulation shall have been
enacted or promulgated, and no order, decree, writ or injunction shall have been
issued and shall remain in


                                       27
<PAGE>


effect,  by any court or  governmental or regulatory  body,  agency or authority
which  restrains,  enjoins  or  otherwise  prohibits  the  consummation  of  the
transactions  contemplated  hereby, and no action, suit or proceeding before any
court or  governmental or regulatory  body,  agency or authority shall have been
instituted by any person (or  instituted or  threatened by any  governmental  or
regulatory body, agency or authority),  and no investigation by any governmental
or regulatory  body,  agency or authority shall have been commenced with respect
to the  transactions  contemplated  hereby or with respect to the Company  which
would have a material adverse effect on the transactions  contemplated hereby or
on the business of the Company taken as a whole.

     8.4 Consents. All approvals,  consents, waivers and authorizations required
to be obtained by the Company or any  Shareholder in connection  with the Merger
and the  other  transactions  contemplated  by this  Agreement  shall  have been
obtained and shall be in full force and effect.

     8.5  Additional  Agreements.  Parent  shall  have  received  the  following
documents:

          (i)  the  Employment  and  Non-Competition  Agreement  in the  form of
     Exhibit D hereto, duly executed by the Company and Al-Riaz Adatia;

          (ii)  the  Consulting  and  Non-Competition  Agreement  in the form of
     Exhibit E hereto,  duly executed by the Company and each of Riaz Valani and
     Tabreez Verjee;

          (iii) the  Nondisclosure  and  Developments  Agreement  in the form of
     Exhibit F hereto,  duly executed by each employee of the Company who is not
     required to execute an Employment Agreement;

          (iv) the Indemnity and Escrow  Agreement  annexed as Exhibit C hereto,
     duly executed by Riaz Valani, as  Representative of the Shareholders  under
     such Escrow  Agreement,  together  with  counterparts  signed by the escrow
     agent  named  therein  and  blank  stock  powers  executed  by  each of the
     Shareholders  with  respect  to such  Shareholder's  portion  of the Escrow
     Shares; and

          (v) Resignations of all directors of the Company,  effective as of the
     Effective Time.

     8.6 Opinion of Perkins Coie. The Company shall have delivered to the Parent
an opinion of Perkins Coie LLP, counsel to the Company and the Shareholders,  in
the form attached as Exhibit G hereto.

     8.7  Delivery of  Certificates  for  Cancellation.  The share  certificates
representing at least 95% of the issued and outstanding shares of Company Common
Stock  as of  the  Closing  Date,  duly  endorsed  in  blank,  shall  have  been
surrendered for cancellation.


                                       28
<PAGE>


     8.8  Appraisal  Rights.  The  holders  of at least  95% of the  issued  and
outstanding shares of Company Stock shall have voted in favor of the approval of
the Merger and the transactions  contemplated hereby and holders of no more than
5% of the issued and  outstanding  shares of Company  Stock shall have  demanded
appraisal rights in respect of the Merger.

     8.9 Termination of Shareholders'  Agreement.  The  Shareholders'  Agreement
between the Company and certain of its Shareholders  shall have been terminated,
effective no later than the Effective Time.

     8.10  Certificate of Merger.  The Company shall have executed and delivered
to the Parent  counterparts  of the  Certificate  of Merger to be filed with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in connection with the Merger.

                                   ARTICLE IX

                      CONDITIONS TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE
                          COMPANY AND THE SHAREHOLDERS

     The  obligation  of the  Company and the  Shareholders  to  consummate  the
transactions   contemplated   by  this   Agreement   shall  be  subject  to  the
satisfaction,  on or  prior  to the  Closing  Date,  of  each  of the  following
conditions  (any of which  may be  waived  in  writing  by the  Company  and the
Shareholders in their sole discretion):

     9.1 Representations and Warranties True. The representations and warranties
of each of the Parent and Acquisition contained in this Agreement,  or contained
in any Schedule,  certificate or other instrument or document delivered or to be
delivered pursuant to this Agreement, shall be true and correct at and as of the
Closing Date as though such  representations  and warranties were made on and as
of the Closing Date, and at the Closing each of the Parent and Acquisition shall
have delivered to the Company and the Shareholders a certificate,  signed on its
behalf by its President  and its Chief  Financial  Officer,  to that effect with
respect to all such representations and warranties made by such entity.

     9.2  Performance.  Each of the Parent and Acquisition  shall have performed
and complied in all material  respects  with all of the  obligations  under this
Agreement  which are  required to be  performed  or complied  with by them on or
prior to the Closing Date, and at the Closing each of the Parent and Acquisition
shall have delivered to the Company and the  Shareholders a certificate,  signed
on its behalf by its President and its Chief Financial  Officer,  to that effect
with respect to all such obligations required to have been performed or complied
with by such entity on or before the Closing Date.

     9.3 Absence of Litigation.  No statute,  rule or regulation shall have been
enacted or promulgated, and no order, decree, writ or injunction shall have been
issued and shall remain in effect,  by any court or  governmental  or regulatory
body, agency or authority which restrains,


                                       29
<PAGE>


enjoins or otherwise prohibits the consummation of the transactions contemplated
hereby,  and no action,  suit or proceeding  before any court or governmental or
regulatory  body,  agency or authority  shall have been instituted by any person
(or instituted or threatened by any governmental or regulatory  body,  agency or
authority) and no investigation  by any governmental or regulatory body,  agency
or  authority  shall  have  been  commenced  with  respect  to the  transactions
contemplated  hereby or with respect to the Parent or its subsidiaries which, in
the  reasonable  judgment  of the  Company's  Board of  Directors,  would have a
material  adverse  effect  on the  transactions  contemplated  hereby  or on the
business of the Parent and its subsidiaries taken as a whole.

     9.4 Consents. All approvals,  consents, waivers and authorizations required
to be obtained by Parent or  Acquisition  in connection  with the Merger and the
other  transactions  contemplated by this Agreement shall have been obtained and
shall be in full force and effect.

     9.5  Additional  Agreements.  The Parent shall have  executed and delivered
(and shall have agreed to cause the Surviving Corporation to execute and deliver
immediately  following the Effective  Time, as applicable)  counterparts  of the
following agreements:

          (i)  the  Employment  and  Non-Competition  Agreement  referred  to in
     Section 8.5(i) hereof;

          (ii) the  Consulting  and  Non-Competition  Agreements  referred to in
     Section 8.5(ii) hereof;

          (iii) the  Nondisclosure  and Developments  Agreements  referred to in
     Section 8.5(iii) hereof; and

          (iv) the  Escrow  Agreement  referred  to in Section  8.5(iv)  hereof,
     together with counterparts signed by the escrow agent named therein.

     9.6 Opinion of Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar. The Parent shall have delivered
to the Company an opinion of Hutchins,  Wheeler & Dittmar in the form annexed as
Exhibit H hereto.

     9.7 Certificate of Merger.  The Parent and Acquisition  shall have executed
and delivered to the Company  counterparts  of the  Certificate  of Merger to be
filed with the  Secretary of State of the State of Delaware in  connection  with
the Merger.

     9.8 Shares of Parent Common Stock.  Subject to the delivery of certificates
referenced in Section 8.7,  deposit into escrow of shares of Parent Common Stock
contemplated  under  Sections  2.8 and 11.5 and pursuant to the  employment  and
consulting  agreements listed on Schedule 9.8, of the number of shares of Parent
Common  Stock set forth in such  agreements,  at the  Closing  the Parent  shall
deliver to the Shareholders of the Company the shares of Parent


                                       30
<PAGE>


Common Stock  issuable to the  Shareholders  of the Company  pursuant to Section
2.2(a) hereof (subject to Section 2.2(c) hereof).

                                    ARTICLE X

                                   TERMINATION

     10.1 Termination. This Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the
Effective Time:

          (a) by the mutual written consent of the Company and the Parent;

          (b) by either the Company or the Parent

               (i) if any court or governmental or regulatory agency,  authority
          or body shall have enacted,  promulgated or issued any statute,  rule,
          regulation,  ruling,  writ or  injunction,  or taken any other action,
          restraining,  enjoining  or  otherwise  prohibiting  the  transactions
          contemplated hereby and all appeals and means of appeal therefrom have
          been exhausted; or

               (ii) if the  Effective  Time shall not have occurred on or before
          July 26, 1999;  provided,  however,  that the right to terminate  this
          Agreement pursuant to this Section  10.1(b)(ii) shall not be available
          to  any  party   whose  (or   whose   affiliate(s)')   breach  of  any
          representation  or  warranty  or failure to perform or comply with any
          obligation under this Agreement has been the cause of, or resulted in,
          the failure of the Effective Time to occur on or before such date;

          (c) by the Company,  if any of the conditions  specified in Article IX
     have not been met or  waived  prior to such time as such  condition  can no
     longer be satisfied; or

          (d) by the Parent, if any of the conditions  specified in Article VIII
     shall not have been met or waived prior to such time as such  condition can
     no longer be satisfied.

     10.2 Effect of Termination.  In the event of termination of this Agreement,
this Agreement  shall  forthwith  become void and there shall be no liability on
the part of any of the parties hereto or (in the case of the Company, the Parent
and  Acquisition)  their respective  officers or directors,  except for Sections
7.6, 13.6 and 13.7 and the last  sentence of Section 7.1,  which shall remain in
full force and effect,  and except that nothing  herein shall  relieve any party
from liability for a breach of this Agreement prior to the termination hereof.



                                       31
<PAGE>


                                   ARTICLE XI

                          INDEMNIFICATION; SURVIVAL OF
                         REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

     11.1 Indemnity  Obligations of the  Shareholders.  Each of the Shareholders
hereby  jointly and severally,  to the extent of the Escrow Shares,  and several
but not joint beyond the Escrow Shares,  agrees to indemnify and hold the Parent
harmless  from,  and to reimburse the Parent for, any Indemnity  Claims (as that
term is  hereinafter  defined)  arising  under the terms and  conditions of this
Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, the term "Indemnity Claim" shall mean
any and all losses, damages, deficiencies,  liabilities,  obligations,  actions,
claims, suits, proceedings,  demands, assessments,  judgments, recoveries, fees,
costs and expenses (including,  without limitation,  all out-of-pocket expenses,
reasonable  investigation  expenses and  reasonable  fees and  disbursements  of
accountants  and  counsel)  of any nature  whatsoever  (collectively,  "Losses")
arising out of, based upon or resulting  from (i) any inaccuracy in or breach of
any  representation  and  warranty of the Company or the  Shareholders  which is
contained in this  Agreement or any Schedule or certificate  delivered  pursuant
hereto or thereto;  or (ii) any breach or  nonfulfillment  of, or any failure to
perform, any of the covenants,  agreements or undertakings of the Company (which
covenants,  agreements or undertakings  were to be performed or complied with on
or prior to the  consummation  of the  Merger)  or the  Shareholders  which  are
contained in or made  pursuant to the terms and  conditions  of this  Agreement.
Each of the  Shareholders  further  agrees that the Parent  shall be entitled to
make a claim against the Escrow Shares for  reimbursement in full of any and all
Losses  incurred  by Parent  or the  Company  as a result  of any claim  made by
Michael  Downing against Parent or the Company based on any matter arising under
or related to the Employment Agreement,  dated May 18, 1999, between the Company
and Michael  Downing,  or the Restricted  Stock Award  Agreement,  dated May 18,
1999, between the Company and Michael Downing and,  notwithstanding  anything in
this  Agreement to the contrary,  the  limitation  set forth in Section  11.6(a)
shall not apply to reimbursement for such Losses.

     11.2  Appointment  of  Representative.  Each  of  the  Shareholders  hereby
appoints  Riaz  Valani  as such  Shareholder's  exclusive  agent  to act on such
Shareholder's  behalf with respect to any and all Indemnity Claims arising under
this Agreement. In such representative capacity, or any person who shall succeed
in such  representative  capacity  pursuant to the terms of the Escrow Agreement
referred to in Sections  8.5 and 9.5 hereof,  is  sometimes  referred to in this
Agreement  as the  "Representative."  The  Representative  shall  take,  and the
Shareholders agree that the Representative shall take, any and all actions which
he believes are necessary or appropriate  under this Agreement for and on behalf
of the  Shareholders,  as fully as if the Shareholders  were acting on their own
behalf,   including,   without  limitation,   defending  all  Indemnity  Claims,
consenting  to,  compromising  or  settling  all  Indemnity  Claims,  conducting
negotiations  with the Parent and its  representatives  regarding  such  claims,
dealing with the Parent and the Escrow Agent under the Escrow Agreement referred
to in Sections 8.5 and 9.5 hereof with respect to all matters arising under such
Escrow Agreement, taking any and all other actions specified in or


                                       32
<PAGE>


contemplated  by this  Agreement  and  engaging  counsel,  accountants  or other
representatives  in connection with the foregoing  matters.  The Parent and such
Escrow  Agent shall have the right to rely upon all actions  taken or omitted to
be  taken  by the  Representative  pursuant  to this  Agreement  and the  Escrow
Agreement,  all of which actions or omissions shall be legally binding upon each
of the  Shareholders.  The  Shareholders  hereby  agree  to  indemnify  and hold
harmless  Riaz  Valani in his  capacity as  Representative  from and against any
loss, liability,  damage,  demand, claim, cost, suit, action or cause of action,
judgment, award, assessment,  interest,  penalty or expense (including,  without
limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees) suffered or incurred by, for, on account
of, arising from, or in connection with Mr. Valani's role as Representative.

     11.3  Notification  of Claims.  Subject to the  provisions  of Section 11.4
below,  in the event of the  occurrence  of an event  which the  Parent  asserts
constitutes  an Indemnity  Claim,  Parent shall provide the  Representative  (on
behalf of the indemnifying parties) with prompt written notice of such event and
shall  otherwise  promptly  make  available to the  Representative  all relevant
information which is material to the claim and which is in the possession of the
indemnified  party.  If such  event  involves  the claim of any  third  party (a
"Third-Party  Claim"),  the Representative on behalf of the indemnifying parties
shall have the right to elect to join in the defense, settlement,  adjustment or
compromise of any such  Third-Party  Claim,  and to employ counsel to assist the
indemnifying  parties in connection with the handling of such claim, at the sole
expense  of the  indemnifying  parties,  and no such  claim  shall  be  settled,
adjusted or compromised,  or the defense thereof  terminated,  without the prior
consent of the indemnifying  parties unless and until the  indemnifying  parties
shall have  failed,  after the lapse of a reasonable  period of time,  but in no
event more than 30 days after written notice to it of the Third-Party  Claim, to
join in the defense, settlement,  adjustment or compromise of the same. Parent's
failure to give timely notice or to promptly furnish the Representative with any
relevant data and documents in connection with any  Third-Party  Claim shall not
constitute a defense (in part or in whole) to any claim for  indemnification  by
the indemnifying parties,  except and only to the extent that such failure shall
result in any material prejudice to the indemnifying  parties.  If so desired by
any indemnifying parties, such parties may elect, at such parties' sole expense,
to assume  control of the defense,  settlement,  adjustment or compromise of any
Third-Party  Claim,  insofar  as such  claim  relates  to the  liability  of the
indemnifying  parties,  provided that such indemnifying parties shall obtain the
consent of Parent before entering into any settlement,  adjustment or compromise
of such claim,  or ceasing to defend against such claim.  In connection with any
Third-Party  Claim, the indemnified  party, or the indemnifying  parties if they
have assumed the defense of such claim pursuant to the preceding sentence, shall
diligently pursue the defense of such Third-Party Claim.

     11.4  Duration.  Except  as  otherwise  provided  in  this  Agreement,  all
representations,  warranties,  covenants and agreements of the parties contained
in or made  pursuant  to this  Agreement,  and the rights of the parties to seek
indemnification  with respect thereto,  shall survive the Closing but, except in
respect of any claims for  indemnification  as to which  notice  shall have been
duly  given  prior  to  the  relevant  expiration  date  set  forth  below,  the
representations and warranties of the Company and the Shareholders  contained in
this Agreement


                                       33

<PAGE>
shall expire on the first anniversary of the Closing Date. To be duly given, any
such notice shall set forth in reasonable  detail the nature of such claim,  the
provisions  under this Agreement  pursuant to which such claim is being asserted
and, to the extent feasible,  a reasonable estimate of the anticipated amount of
such claim.

         11.5     Escrow.

     (a) At the Effective  Time, the Escrow Shares shall be delivered,  on a pro
rata basis,  together with a stock power endorsed in blank from each Holder,  to
State Street Bank and Trust Company,  as escrow agent (the "Escrow Agent") to be
held for a period ending on the first  anniversary  of the Closing Date.  Parent
may  make  a  claim  for  any  Losses  indemnified  hereunder  until  the  first
anniversary  of the Closing Date.  The Escrow Shares shall be held and disbursed
by the Escrow Agent in accordance with an Escrow  Agreement in the form attached
hereto as Exhibit C.

     (b)  Except  with  respect to (i) claims  based on fraud  committed  by the
Company or any Shareholder  which are not limited and (ii) claims under Sections
3.4, 3.9, 3.11 and 3.13 with respect to which the  limitations  are set forth in
Section  11.6  hereof and for which  claims  must be brought  first  against the
Escrow Shares to the extent thereof,  if the Closing occurs,  Parent agrees that
(A)  Parent's  sole  and  exclusive  remedy  and  recourse  against  each of the
Shareholders  under this Agreement for Losses  attributable to any inaccuracy in
or breach of any  representations  or warranties or covenants  contained  herein
shall be against such  Shareholder's pro rata share of the Escrow Shares held in
escrow pursuant to the Escrow Agreement and (B) with respect to Indemnity Claims
related  to an  inaccuracy  in or  breach  of any  representation,  warranty  or
covenant  other than under  Section 3.4, 3.9,  3.11 or 3.13,  the  Shareholders'
maximum  indemnification  obligation  shall be ten  percent  (10%) of the Merger
Shares.

     11.6 Limitation on  Indemnification.  The  Shareholders'  obligations under
this Article XI are subject to the following limitation: (a) Parent shall not be
entitled to any  recovery for an  Indemnity  Claim under  Section 11.1 until the
total amount of all Indemnity  Claims under  Section 11.1  exceeds  Seventy-Five
Thousand  Dollars  ($75,000)  and then Parent shall only be entitled to recovery
for the excess of Indemnity Claims over Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000);
(b) the maximum  indemnification  obligation of the Shareholders with respect to
claims based on any inaccuracy in or breach of Section 3.4, 3.9 or 3.13 shall be
one hundred  percent (100%) of the sum of the Initial Merger  Consideration  and
the  Earn-Out  based on the value of the  Initial  Merger  Consideration  on the
Closing Date and the value of the Earn-Out as determined  under  Section  2.2(a)
hereof   (such  sum   hereinafter   referred   to  as  the   "Aggregate   Merger
Consideration");  (c)the maximum indemnification  obligation of the Shareholders
with respect to claims based on any  inaccuracy in or breach of Section 3.11, if
the Company or any Shareholder had actual knowledge,  prior to Closing, that any
representation  or warranty in Section 3.11 was  inaccurate or false or had been
breached,   shall  be  one  hundred  percent  (100%)  of  the  Aggregate  Merger
Consideration; and (d) the maximum indemnification obligation of the


                                       34
<PAGE>


Shareholders  with  respect  to claim  based on any  inaccuracy  in or breach of
Section 3.11 shall be forty percent (40%) of the Aggregate Merger  Consideration
if neither  the  Company  nor any  Shareholder  had actual  knowledge,  prior to
Closing,  that any  representation or warranty in Section 3.11 was inaccurate or
false or had been  breached.  Notwithstanding  anything in this Agreement to the
contrary,  nothing contained in this Section 11.6 or in Section 11.5 shall limit
a claim based on fraud committed by the Company or any Shareholder.

     11.7 No Contribution.  Each Shareholder hereby waives, and acknowledges and
agrees  that such  Holder  shall not have and shall not  exercise  or assert (or
attempt to exercise or assert), any right of contribution, right of indemnity or
other right or remedy  against the Parent or the Company in connection  with any
indemnification  obligation or any other  liability  which such  Shareholder may
become  subject  under  or in  connection  with  this  Agreement  or the  Escrow
Agreement.

                                   ARTICLE XII

                               REGISTRATION RIGHTS

     12.1 Registration Rights. (a) Parent shall file with the SEC a registration
statement on Form S-3 (or any  successor  form to Form S-3) for a public  resale
offering of the shares of Parent  Common Stock issued at the Closing  (including
the shares of Parent  Common  Stock  issued  pursuant to  Sections  2.11 and 7.9
hereof)  within  thirty  (30) days after the  Closing  Date  (provided  that the
Shareholders  have timely performed their  obligations  hereunder) and shall use
commercially  reasonable efforts to cause such registration  statement to become
and remain effective for the period ending on the first to occur of (x) the date
the distribution  described in the registration statement is complete or (y) the
first  anniversary of the Closing Date. If for any reason Parent is not eligible
to file such  registration  statement on Form S-3 (or any successor form to Form
S-3),  Parent shall effect such  registration  using such form as Parent is then
eligible to use.

     (b) In the case of any registration  pursuant to this Section 12.1,  Parent
shall keep each person  whose  securities  are to be  registered  thereunder  (a
"Selling  Stockholder")  advised  of  the  initiation  and  completion  of  such
registration.  At its expense,  except as provided in Section 12.1(b)(iv) below,
Parent will promptly:

          (i) Prepare and file with the SEC the registration statement described
     in Section 12.1(a) above and thereafter use commercially reasonable efforts
     to cause such registration statement to become effective;

          (ii) Prepare and file with the SEC such  amendments and supplements to
     such  registration  statement and the prospectuses  used in connection with
     such  registration  statement  as may  be  necessary  to  comply  with  the
     provisions of the  Securities  Act with respect to the  disposition  of all
     securities covered by such registration statement;


                                       35
<PAGE>

          (iii) Furnish to the Selling  Stockholders such numbers of copies of a
     prospectus,  including a preliminary  prospectus,  in  conformity  with the
     requirements  of the Securities  Act, and such other  documents as they may
     reasonably request in order to facilitate the disposition of the securities
     covered by such registration statement;

          (iv) Use commercially  reasonable  efforts to register and qualify the
     securities  covered  by  such  registration   statement  under  such  other
     securities  or Blue Sky laws of such  jurisdictions  as shall be reasonably
     requested by the Selling  Stockholders,  provided  that Parent shall not be
     required in connection therewith or as a condition thereto to qualify to do
     business  or to file a general  consent  to  service of process in any such
     states or jurisdictions;

          (v) Notify  each  Selling  Stockholder  covered  by such  registration
     statement at any time when a prospectus  relating thereto is required to be
     delivered  under  the  Securities  Act of the  happening  of any event as a
     result of which the prospectus included in such registration  statement, as
     then in effect, includes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to
     state a material  fact  required to be stated  therein or necessary to make
     the  statements  therein not  misleading in the light of the  circumstances
     then existing;

          (vi) Cause all such shares of Parent Common Stock to be listed on each
     securities  exchange or market system on which similar securities issued by
     the Parent are then listed; and

          (vii)  Provide a transfer  agent and  registrar for all such shares of
     Parent Common Stock not later than the effective dates of such registration
     statements.

     (c) Each Selling  Stockholder and the Company shall provide Parent with all
necessary  and  reasonable  assistance  in the  preparation  and  filing  of the
registration statement required to be prepared and filed by Parent and all other
obligations of Parent under this Section 12.1.  Parent's  obligations under this
Section 12.1 are  conditioned  in all respects on the provision of all necessary
and reasonable assistance to Parent by each Selling Stockholder.

     (d) Parent  shall pay the  expenses  incurred by it in  complying  with its
obligations under this Article XII,  including all registration and filing fees,
exchange  listing  fees,  fees and expenses of counsel for Parent,  and fees and
expenses of accountants for Parent.

     (e) Parent shall have the right,  upon the advice of the Board of Directors
of Parent (the "Board"),  upon giving written notice to each Selling Stockholder
of the exercise of such right,  to require such Selling  Stockholder not to sell
any shares  pursuant to the  registration  statement  filed  pursuant to Section
12.1(a) for a reasonable  period (as determined in good faith by the Board) from
the date on which such notice is given (a "black-out period"),  if (i)(A) Parent
or any of its subsidiaries is engaged in or proposes to engage in discussions or
negotiations  with  respect to, or has proposed or taken a  substantial  step to
commence, or there otherwise is pending, any merger, acquisition,  other form of
business combination, divestiture, tender offer,


                                       36
<PAGE>


financing or other transaction,  or there is an event or state of facts relating
to Parent or any of its  subsidiaries,  in each case which is material to Parent
(as reasonably  determined by the Board) (any such  negotiation,  step, event or
state of facts being herein called "Material  Activity"),  (B) in the reasonable
judgment  of the Board,  after  consultation  with and acting  upon the  written
advice  of  outside  counsel,  disclosure  of such  Material  Activity  would be
necessary or advisable under applicable  securities laws and (C) such disclosure
would,  in the reasonable  judgment of the Board, be adverse to the interests of
Parent,  or (ii) the Board,  in its reasonable  judgment,  deems it necessary to
file a post-effective  amendment to such registration  statement or to prepare a
supplement to, or otherwise  amend,  the form of prospectus  contained  therein.
During any such black-out period,  each Selling  Stockholder  agrees not to sell
any shares  under such  registration  statement  for such  period of time as the
Board,  acting  on the  advice  of  outside  counsel,  may in  good  faith  deem
advisable;  provided,  however,  that no single  black-out period will be longer
than thirty (30) calendar days and, in the aggregate,  all black-out  periods in
any twelve (12) month period  shall not include  more than ninety (90)  calendar
days. The period of effectiveness of any registration statement in effect at the
time of a black-out  period and the  termination  period under  Section  12.4(a)
shall be extended for a period equal to the black-out period.

     12.2 Indemnification.  (a) Parent agrees to indemnify and hold harmless, to
the extent  permitted  by law,  each holder of Parent  Common  Stock with rights
under this  Section  12,  against  all  damages  caused by any untrue or alleged
untrue  statement  of material  fact  contained in any  registration  statement,
prospectus or  preliminary  prospectus  or any  amendment  thereof or supplement
thereto or any omission or alleged  omission of a material  fact  required to be
stated  therein or  necessary  to make the  statements  therein not  misleading,
except  insofar  as the same  are  caused  by or  contained  in any  information
furnished  in writing to Parent by such holder  expressly  for use therein or by
such  holder's  failure  to  deliver  a copy of the  registration  statement  or
prospectus or any amendments or  supplements  thereto after Parent has furnished
such holder with a sufficient number of copies of the same.

     (b) In  connection  with any  registration  statement  in which a holder of
Parent  Common Stock with rights under this  Section 12 is  participating,  each
such holder will furnish to Parent in writing such information and affidavits as
Parent  reasonably  requests for use in  connection  with any such  registration
statement or prospectus and, to the extent  permitted by law, will indemnify and
hold  harmless  Parent,  its directors and officers and each Person who controls
Parent (within the meaning of the Securities Act) against all damages  resulting
from any untrue or alleged  untrue  statement of material fact  contained in the
registration  statement,  prospectus or preliminary  prospectus or any amendment
thereof or supplement  thereto or any omission or alleged omission of a material
fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the  statements  therein
not misleading, but only to the extent that such untrue statement or omission is
contained in any information or affidavit so furnished in writing by such holder
specifically  for  use  in  such  registration  statement;   provided  that  the
obligation  to  indemnify  will be several,  not joint and  several,  among such
holders  and the  liability  of each such holder  will be in  proportion  to and
limited to the net amount received by such holder from the sale of Parent Common
Stock  with  rights  under  this  Section  12,  pursuant  to  such  registration
statement.


                                       37
<PAGE>


     (c) Any Person entitled to indemnification under this Section 12.2 will (i)
give prompt written notice to the  indemnifying  party of any claim with respect
to which it seeks  indemnification  and (ii) unless in such indemnified  party's
reasonable  judgment  a  conflict  of  interest  between  such  indemnified  and
indemnifying  parties  may  exist  with  respect  to  such  claim,  permit  such
indemnifying  party to assume the defense of such claim with counsel  reasonably
satisfactory  to  the  indemnified  party.  If  such  defense  is  assumed,  the
indemnifying  party will not be subject to any  liability for any consent to the
entry of any judgment or any settlement  made by the  indemnified  party without
its  consent  (but  such  consent  will  not  be  unreasonably   withheld).   An
indemnifying  party who is not entitled to, or elects not to, assume the defense
of a claim will not be  obligated  to pay the fees and expenses of more than one
counsel for all parties  indemnified by such indemnifying  party with respect to
such  claim,  unless  in the  reasonable  judgment  of any  indemnified  party a
conflict of interest may exist between such  indemnified  party and any other of
such indemnified parties with respect to such claim.

     12.3  Current  Public   Information.   Until  the  earlier  of  the  second
anniversary  of the Closing  Date or the date all shares of Parent  Common Stock
subject to this  Section 12 have been sold,  Parent will timely file all reports
required to be filed by it under the Securities Act and the Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934,  as  amended,  and the rules  and  regulations  adopted  by the SEC
thereunder, and will take such further action as any holder or holders of Parent
Common Stock with rights under Section 12.1 may reasonably  request,  all to the
extent required to enable such holders to sell their shares pursuant to Rule 144
under the Securities Act and pursuant to Form S- 3 or similar  registration form
hereunder adopted by the SEC. Upon written request,  Parent will deliver to such
holders  a  written   statement  as  to  whether  it  has  complied   with  such
requirements.

     12.4  Termination of  Registration  Rights.  Notwithstanding  the foregoing
provisions of this Article XII, Parent's  obligations  pursuant to Sections 12.1
and 12.2 shall terminate upon (a) the first  anniversary of the Closing Date, or
(b)  if  earlier,  with  respect  to a  given  Shareholder,  at  the  time  such
Shareholder  may  sell  all of his or her  shares  of  Parent  Common  Stock  in
compliance with Rule 144 in a single 90 day period under the Securities Act.

     12.5  Transferability of Registration Rights. The rights under this Section
12 are not transferable  except (a) a transfer by will or intestacy,  (b) estate
planning transfers  consisting of gifts to the spouse or issue of the transferee
and  transfers  to  trusts  for  the  benefit  of the  spouse  or  issue  of the
transferee, or (c) with the written consent of Parent.

                                  ARTICLE XIII

                            MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

     13.1  Amendment.  This Agreement may be amended by written  agreement among
each of the parties hereto prior to the Effective Time.



                                       38
<PAGE>


     13.2 Waiver of Compliance.  Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement,
any  failure of any of the parties to comply  with any  obligation,  covenant or
agreement contained herein may be waived only by a written notice from the party
or parties entitled to the benefits  thereof.  No failure by any party hereto to
exercise,  and no delay in exercising,  any right hereunder,  shall operate as a
waiver thereof,  nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right hereunder
preclude any other or future exercise of that right by that party.

     13.3  Notices.  All notices  and other  communications  hereunder  shall be
deemed given if given in writing and  delivered  personally,  by  registered  or
certified  mail,  return receipt  requested,  postage  prepaid,  or by overnight
courier to the party to receive  the same at its  respective  address  set forth
below (or at such other  address as may from time to time be  designated by such
party to the others in accordance with this Section 13.3):

                  (a)      if to the Company, to:

                           Internet Music Distribution, Inc.
                           101 California Street, Suite 3050
                           San Francisco, CA  94111
                           Attention:  President

                           with a copy to:

                           Perkins Coie LLP
                           250 Montgomery Street, 16th Floor
                           San Francisco, CA  94104
                           Attention:  Mark Albert, Esq.

                  (b)      if to the Parent or Acquisition, to:

                           Lycos, Inc.
                           400-2 Totten Pond Road
                           Waltham, MA  02451
                           Attention:  Chief Financial Officer

                           with copies to:

                           Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar
                           101 Federal Street
                           Boston, MA  02110
                           Attention:  Francis J. Feeney, Esq.



                                       39
<PAGE>


                  (c)      If to the Shareholders or the Representative:

                           Riaz Valani
                           c/o Perkins Coie LLP
                           250 Montgomery Street, 16th Floor
                           San Francisco, CA  94104
                           Attention:  Mark Albert, Esq.

     All such notices and  communications  hereunder  shall be deemed given when
received,  as evidenced by the signed acknowledgment of receipt of the person to
whom such notice or  communication  shall have been  personally  delivered,  the
acknowledgment  of  receipt  returned  to the  sender by the  applicable  postal
authorities or the confirmation of delivery rendered by the applicable overnight
courier service.

     13.4 Assignment.  This Agreement and all of the provisions  hereof shall be
binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective
successors  (or,  in the  case  of the  Shareholders,  their  respective  heirs,
administrators,  executors and personal  representatives) and permitted assigns.
Neither this Agreement nor any rights,  duties or obligations hereunder shall be
assigned  by any party  hereto  without the prior  written  consent of the other
parties  hereto,  except  that vested  rights to receive  payment or to initiate
legal action with respect to causes of action that have accrued  hereunder shall
be assignable by devise, descent or operation of law.

     13.5 No Third Party Beneficiaries.  Neither this Agreement or any provision
hereof nor any Schedule,  certificate  or other  instrument  delivered  pursuant
hereto,  nor any agreement to be entered into  pursuant  hereto or any provision
hereof, is intended to create any right,  claim or remedy in favor of any person
or entity, other than the parties hereto and their respective successors (or, in
the case of the Shareholders, their respective heirs, administrators,  executors
and personal representatives) and permitted assigns.

     13.6 Public  Announcements.  Promptly  upon  execution and delivery of this
Agreement,  the Parent and the Company  shall issue a press release in such form
as they shall mutually agree.  Thereafter,  and prior to the consummation of the
Merger or the termination of this  Agreement,  none of the parties hereto shall,
except as  mutually  agreed by the Parent and the  Company,  or except as may be
required  by  law  or  applicable  regulatory  authority   (including,   without
limitation, the rules applicable to Nasdaq National Market companies), issue any
reports,  releases,  announcements or other statements to the public relating to
the transactions contemplated hereby.

     13.7  Counterparts.  This  Agreement  may  be  executed  in any  number  of
counterparts,  each of  which  shall be  deemed  an  original,  but all of which
together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

     13.8 Headings. The article and section headings contained in this Agreement
are solely for  convenience  of reference,  are not part of the agreement of the
parties and shall not be


                                       40
<PAGE>


used  in  construing  this  Agreement  or in  any  way  affect  the  meaning  or
interpretation of this Agreement.

     13.9 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, and the Schedules,  certificates and
other  instruments and documents  delivered  pursuant hereto,  together with the
other  agreements  referred to herein and to be entered  into  pursuant  hereto,
embody the entire  agreement of the parties  hereto in respect of, and there are
no other  agreements  or  understandings,  written  or oral,  among the  parties
relating to, the subject matter hereof, other than the Nondisclosure  Agreement.
This Agreement  supersedes all prior agreements and  understandings,  written or
oral,  between the parties with respect to such subject  matter,  other than the
Nondisclosure Agreement.

     13.10 Governing Law. The parties hereby agree that this Agreement,  and the
respective  rights,  duties and obligations of the parties  hereunder,  shall be
governed by and construed in  accordance  with the laws of The  Commonwealth  of
Massachusetts,   without  giving  effect  to  principles  of  conflicts  of  law
thereunder,  except for the  provisions  of Article I hereto  setting  forth the
provisions  for  consummating,  and the effects  of, the Merger,  which shall be
governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.

                                      * * *


                                       41
<PAGE>


                                   LYCOS, INC.
                           COUNTERPART SIGNATURE PAGE
                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER


     IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  Parent,   Acquisition,   the  Company  and  the
Shareholders  named below have caused this  Agreement  to be duly  executed  and
delivered as an instrument under seal as of the date first above written.


                                      LYCOS, INC.


                                      By:  /s/ Edward M. Philip________________
                                      Name:  Edward M. Philip
                                      Title:  COO/CFO

                                      DI ACQUISITION CORP.

                                      By:  /s/ Edward M. Philip
                                      Name:  Edward M. Philip
                                      Title:  President



                                                        S-1

                      42
<PAGE>


                                   LYCOS, INC.
                           COUNTERPART SIGNATURE PAGE
                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER


     IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  Parent,   Acquisition,   the  Company  and  the
Shareholders  named below have caused this  Agreement  to be duly  executed  and
delivered as an instrument under seal as of the date first above written.


                                               INTERNET MUSIC DISTRIBUTION, INC.


                                               By:  /s/ Riaz Valani
                                               Name:  Riaz Valani
                                               Title:  President


                                                        S-2


                                       43
<PAGE>


                                   LYCOS, INC.
                           COUNTERPART SIGNATURE PAGE
                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER


     IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  Parent,   Acquisition,   the  Company  and  the
Shareholders  named below have caused this  Agreement  to be duly  executed  and
delivered as an instrument under seal as of the date first above written.


                           SHAREHOLDERS:


                           /s/ Riaz Valani
                           Riaz Valani

                           /s/ Al-Riaz Adatia
                           Al-Riaz Adatia

                           /s/ Tabreez Verjee
                           Tabreez Verjee

                           GLOBAL ASSET CAPITAL, LLC


                           By:  /s/ Riaz Valani
                           Name:  Riaz Valani
                           Title:  Managing Director

                           /s/ Pol Llovett
                           Pol Llovett

                          /s/ Tina Sabich
                          Tina Sabich

                           /s/ Michael Downing
                           Michael Downing

                           /s/ Ian Lyman
                           Ian Lyman

                                                      S-3


                                       44
<PAGE>

                                   LYCOS, INC.
                           COUNTERPART SIGNATURE PAGE
                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER


     IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the  Parent,   Acquisition,   the  Company  and  the
Shareholders  named below have caused this  Agreement  to be duly  executed  and
delivered as an instrument under seal as of the date first above written.

                          SHAREHOLDERS:

                          MR2V, LLC


                          By:  /s/ David C. Touve
                          Name:  David C. Touve
                          Title:  CEO/Founder

                          /s/ Tony Million
                          Tony Million

                          /s/ David Touve
                          David Touve

                         /s/ Nicholas Viven
                         Nicholas Viven

                         /s/ Andrew McCann
                         Andrew McCann





                                                        S-4



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