RNS Number:8460I
Ambient PLC
18 March 2003

  AMBIENT ANNOUNCES A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ITS INTERNET SERVICES SUBSIDIARY
                           TOUCH (GoE) plc AND BT plc

London, 18th March 2003 - Ambient plc, the Aim-listed business and marketing
services group, announced today that its internet services subsidiary Touch has
signed a strategic and innovative agreement with BT plc for the distribution of
broadband and internet access solutions.

Since February 2003, Touch has also reduced its annual cost base by #750,000 and
is in the process of launching a number of other new products, which together
will make a significant contribution to its operational performance.

This agreement with BT enables Touch, via its telesales divisions in both
Burnley and Nottingham and its network of Touch partners, to distribute BT
broadband services via its unique UK-wide online community network.   These
services will be co-branded and Touch will be able to use the terms "working
with BT" and "BT e-business solutions provider" in its marketing material and
campaigns.

In a further initiative BT is currently promoting a range of Touch services that
complement its multi-million pound investment in online network infrastructure
and broadband promotion. In particular, BT is offering Touch portal products to
clients who need interactive online community facilities for their users which
themselves require broadband access.

Of the partnership initiative with Touch, Mike Stone Director BT Stepchange
(part of BT Government) said:

"Touch have developed an imaginative set of Broadband enabled electronic
community tools and applications, that will bring internet services into the
local communities. The Touch platform provides the community with a facility for
all local online services, products and activities. We believe that the features
and benefits of this software are unique. We are delighted to be able to support
this partnership which is complementary to our  'Broadband Britain' 
initiatives".

Of the partnership initiative with BT plc, Vincent Isaacs, Chairman of Ambient
said:

"The partnership with BT endorses the platform we have developed for online
communities in the UK. The broadband infrastructure, coupled with the Touch
portals, is a powerful combination for all users, and is available in a truly
cost effective manner. Broadband access is clearly an important and high growth
area for BT and it is good for Touch and Ambient to be a part of that growth."

Ends


For further information, please contact:

Ambient plc                                                       020 7452 5200
Vincent Isaacs, Chairman
Andrew Stimpson, Group Managing Director

BT                                                                0161 237 8753
Jeff Rose

Merlin Financial Communications                                   020 7606 1244
Paul Lockstone / David Simonson / Clare Maciocia


Background on Ambient plc (www.ambientplc.com)

Ambient plc ("Ambient") is a group of business and marketing service companies
which floated on the Alternative Investment Market in May 1998.  The principal
activities of the Ambient group are carried out through its 4 subsidiary
companies that comprise:

*         Moneybox (60.1% subsidiary) www.moneybox.co.uk - owner and operator of
          convenience cash machines (ATMs)
*         WMRC (100% subsidiary) www.wmrc.com - leading provider of business
          intelligence and business publishing
*         Touch (100% subsidiary) www.touchplc.com - provider of Internet
          services to small and medium sized businesses and operator of local 
          portals
*         EMP (100% subsidiary) www.emp.tv - provider of digital screen media
          services to Sainsburys, Marks & Spencer and other leading businesses

Background on Touch (www.touchplc.com)

Touch, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ambient plc, operates in the marketing and
web services sector through 2 main divisions.

  * Touch NW, the Telesales division, currently employs 60 sales personnel in
    its offices in Burnley and Nottingham selling domain names, web hosting and
    online advertising promotions principally to the SME market.  The proactive
    telesales personnel sell value-added bundled offerings giving the customer
    online promotion across multiple third party sites as well as promoting the
    local Touch community portals.  An increasing amount of revenue is derived
    from customer renewals and from the ability to upsell higher value products
    and services into the existing database of customers.  Touch NW currently
    has in excess of 8,000 accounts with whom they conduct on-going business.

  * The local Web Services Division has recently developed a more scalable
    method of growing its distribution strength whereby it has granted exclusive
    city territories to Managing e-Consultants ('MeC').  The MeC is responsible
    for the creation of a team of e-Consultants who will sell the Touch suite of
    integrated software products and services to end users within that
    territory.  These products range from a basic enhanced business listing on
    the local portal through to a self-publishing website which are ideally
    suited and priced for the SME market, up to a full portal offering which is
    relevant for larger companies and other organisations including clubs,
    societies and trade bodies who have large and often complicated communities
    to manage.  Each product sale comprises two elements - a set-up fee and a
    recurring monthly service provision fee - both of which are shared between
    the MeC, e-Consultant and Touch.

This division also operates local interactive community portals utilising
US-based software over which Touch has exclusive UK rights.  126 of these Touch
community portals have established for cities, councils and district territories
including touchnottingham.com, touchsouthampton.com and touchoxford.com.
Further local community portals will be established in the months ahead as Touch
take on more managing e-Consultants. Each community portal has a business
directory with full search functionality, news, chatrooms and self-publishing
capability allowing users to update their business listing or submit a
classified advert or event for publication.



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