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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1

                                                                    NEWS RELEASE

                        [CELERIS CORPORATION LETTERHEAD]


CONTACT: PAUL R. JOHNSON
         CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
         (615) 341-0223


                          CELERIS CORPORATION LAUNCHES
                       KNOWLEDGEPORT(TM) SECURE WEB PORTAL
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        CLIENT ACCESS TO CRITICAL INFORMATION ON AN ONGOING, SECURE BASIS
              HELPS TO ENSURE PROJECT SUCCESS AND PRODUCT APPROVAL

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (November 17, 2000) -- Celeris Corporation
(Nasdaq/NM:CRSC), a provider of specialty clinical research services to
pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies, today announced the
launch of the Company's KnowledgePort(TM) secure web portal, providing clients
with continuous access to their clinical study data. The availability of this
information helps ensure project success by providing clients with up-to-date
information necessary to evaluate projects and make better-informed decisions
during the course of the clinical research project.

         Barbara A. Cannon, president and chief executive officer of Celeris
Corporation, said, "KnowledgePort(TM) empowers our customers to continually
review their clinical data and evaluate our progress in conducting the clinical
research studies. We believe that providing this type of service will result in
better relationships with our clients and provide them with a significant
advantage in assessing the status of ongoing studies. In effect, our clients
will be able to look at data with us during the entire research process, which
we believe enhances the value of our quality service."

         KnowledgePort(TM) was designed to provide continuous access to study
conduct and management information using pull technology and provides for
virtual private network-type security without installing an operating system or
special software. Celeris' clients and employees will have unprecedented access
to study management information as well as access to safety and efficacy data.
KnowledgePort(TM) also acts as a repository for casebooks scanned into Portable
Document Format (PDF) as well as datasets ready for analysis. Through
KnowledgePort(TM), tools previously used by Celeris' employees for the efficient
conduct of the clinical research study are now extended to Celeris' clients.


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CRSC Launches KnowledgePort(TM)
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November 17, 2000


         Dr. Donald F. Fortin, vice president data management for Celeris,
added, "We are very excited to be leading the research services industry with
this application technology. KnowledgePort(TM) is the integration of a number of
best-of-breed hardware and software technologies from vendors such as Oracle,
SAS, Verisign, Adobe, Microsoft, Red Hat, and Sun Microsystems. For the first
time, our clients will have the ability to access cumulative clinical data -
summary reports and datasets. This will enable pharmaceutical, biotech, and
device clients to evaluate their clinical data for trend analysis, shorten R&D
timelines, and ultimately enhance their chances for product approval on a more
timely basis. The use of these tools has already resulted in a reduction of time
necessary for database closure as well as a reduction in time required to
resolve queries. These efficiencies result in products being approved in a more
timely manner."

         Celeris Corporation is a provider of specialty clinical research
services and information technology services that expedite and streamline the
clinical trial and regulatory submission process for pharmaceutical, medical
device and biotechnology manufacturers.

         This press release may contain "forward-looking" statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking
statements include statements of intent, belief or current expectations of
Celeris Corporation and its management. Such forward-looking statements are not
guarantees of future results and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause
actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the
forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that may cause such
differences include, but are not limited to the uncertainty of market acceptance
of the Company's new clinical research services; changes in the Company's
backlog including potential cancellation, delay or change in the scope of client
contracts for clinical research services; the Company's dependence on a single
client for a material portion of the Company's revenues; the timing of the
development of the Company's Internet capabilities, and the related market
acceptance thereof; and other risk factors detailed in the Company's Securities
and Exchange Commission filings, including the Company's Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 1999.

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