VIA NET.WORKS Announces Acquisition of Amen S.A.S, Combined Businesses Now Serve More Than 200,000 Customers in Europe and the US

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- VIA NET.WORKS, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNWI; EASE), a leading provider of business communications solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), today announced the acquisition of the European web hosting company Amen, based in Paris, France. Amen (www.amenworld.com) is an industry leader in providing value-priced hosting solutions to the SME market in France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy.

Rhett Williams, VIA's Chief Executive Officer, in commenting on the acquisition, stated: "Amen significantly strengthens our VIA Express business unit's drive to provide flexible and innovative products to multi-sector SMEs through hassle-free on-line sales and customer support tools."

Mr. Williams continued: "In addition to positioning VIA as a leader in shared hosting, we see a number of direct benefits that Amen brings to VIA:

* Amen's fully-automated and scaleable end-to-end operating platform will allow us to achieve meaningful cost and operational synergies through the migration of our existing shared hosting customers onto Amen's more cost-efficient platform,
* The Amen platform further enhances our ability to enter new geographic markets with superior service offerings and low incremental investment,
* Existing management will continue in the business to further drive its success,
* Finally, Amen is immediately financially accretive to us and delivers a cash generating pre-paid business model."

Patrick Chassany, spokesman for Amen, commented, "The acquisition of Amen by VIA NET.WORKS is an excellent strategic fit for both companies. By leveraging Amen's scaleable and flexible platforms together with VIA's existing hosting customers and geographic presence, the combined business is well positioned to take advantage of the growth expected in hosting and related applications over the coming years."

VIA paid a total of Euros 6 million in cash and Euros 1 million in VIA common stock at closing. The selling shareholders will have the opportunity to receive further consideration (est. between Euros 1.0--2.5 million) in cash and VIA common stock, based on the 2004 operating performance of the Amen business. The Amen group is expected to contribute approximately Euros 7 million in revenue to the VIA group in 2004.

Mr. Williams further stated, "From a strategic perspective, Amen marks the first significant step for VIA's pro-active acquisition program as we build on the operational improvements made during 2003 and drive for sustainable profitability and free cash flow. This is the first proof-point of our commitment to pursue acquisitions that complement our business strategy and deliver immediate benefits to our customers and shareholders."

VIA NET.WORKS, Inc. (Nasdaq, Euronext: VNWI) is a leading provider of business communication solutions to small and medium-sized businesses in Europe and the United States. VIA's local operations offer a comprehensive portfolio of managed services including hosting, security, Internet access, DSL and lease line connectivity, VPNs, applications and voice. Through its bundled solutions and market-specific partner relationships, VIA is in a unique position to deliver long-term value-added services to its many customers. For further information, please visit our website: www.vianetworks.com.