<PAGE>   1
                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.2


NEITHER THESE SECURITIES NOR THE SECURITIES INTO WHICH THESE SECURITIES ARE
EXERCISABLE HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR
THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM
REGISTRATION UNDER SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE "SECURITIES ACT"),
AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE
EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS THEREUNDER AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH
APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES OR BLUE SKY LAWS.


                            VERSO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

                                     WARRANT

Warrant No. ZZ-8

Dated:       January 30, 2001


         Verso Technologies, Inc., a Minnesota corporation (the "Company"),
hereby certifies that, for value received, STRONG RIVER INVESTMENTS, INC. or its
registered assigns ("Holder"), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth
below, to purchase from the Company up to a total of 472,689 shares of common
stock, $.01 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Company (each such
share, a "Warrant Share" and all such shares, the "Warrant Shares"). The initial
"Exercise Price" for Warrant Shares shall be $2.00 and shall be subject to
adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 7. The Holder may acquire
Warrant Shares under this Warrant at any time and from time to time from and
after the date hereof and through and including the fifth anniversary of the
date hereof (the "Expiration Date").

         This Warrant shall be subject to the following terms and conditions:

         1.       Registration of Warrant. The Company shall register this
Warrant, upon records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose (the
"Warrant Register"), in the name of the record Holder hereof from time to time.
The Company may deem and treat the registered Holder of this Warrant as the
absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution
to the Holder, and for all other purposes, and the Company shall not be affected
by notice to the contrary.

<PAGE>   2

         2.       Registration of Transfers and Exchanges.

                  (a)      The Company shall register the transfer of any
portion of this Warrant in the Warrant Register, upon surrender of this Warrant,
with the Form of Assignment attached hereto duly completed and signed, to the
Transfer Agent or to the Company at its address for notice set forth in Section
11. Upon any such registration or transfer, a new warrant to purchase Common
Stock, in substantially the form of this Warrant (any such new warrant, a "New
Warrant"), evidencing the portion of this Warrant so transferred shall be issued
to the transferee and a New Warrant evidencing the remaining portion of this
Warrant not so transferred, if any, shall be issued to the transferring Holder.
The acceptance of the New Warrant by the transferee thereof shall be deemed the
acceptance of such transferee of all of the rights and obligations of a holder
of a Warrant.

                  (b)      This Warrant is exchangeable, upon the surrender
hereof by the Holder to the office of the Company at its address for notice set
forth in Section 11 for one or more New Warrants, evidencing in the aggregate
the right to purchase the number of Warrant Shares which may then be purchased
hereunder. Any such New Warrant will be dated the date of such exchange.

                  (c)      This Warrant has been issued subject to certain
investment representations of the original Holder set forth in the Purchase
Agreement among the Company and the Holder dated as of January 18, 2001, as
amended (the "Purchase Agreement") and may only be transferred or exchanged in
compliance with the transfer restrictions contained therein.

         3.       Duration and Exercise of Warrants.

                  (a)      This Warrant shall be exercisable by the registered
Holder on any business day before 6:30 P.M., New York City time, at any time and
from time to time on or after the date hereof to and including the Expiration
Date. At 6:30 P.M., New York City time on the Expiration Date, the portion of
this Warrant not exercised prior thereto shall be and become void and of no
value. Prior to the Expiration Date, the Company may not call or otherwise
redeem this Warrant without the prior written consent of the Holder.

                  (b)      Upon surrender of this Warrant, with the Form of
Election to Purchase attached hereto duly completed and signed, to the Company
at its address for notice set forth in Section 12 and upon payment of the
Exercise Price multiplied by the number of Warrant Shares that the Holder
intends to purchase hereunder, in the manner provided hereunder, all as
specified by the Holder in the Form of Election to Purchase, the Company shall
promptly (but in no event later than three business days after the Date of
Exercise (as defined herein)) issue or cause to be issued and cause to be
delivered to or upon the written order of the Holder and in such name or names
as the Holder may designate, a certificate for the Warrant Shares issuable upon
such exercise, free of restrictive legends except (i) either in the event that a
registration statement covering the resale of the Warrant Shares and naming the
Holder as a selling stockholder thereunder is not then effective or the Warrant
Shares are not freely


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transferable without volume restrictions pursuant to Rule 144(k) promulgated
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or (ii) if
this Warrant shall have been issued pursuant to a written agreement between the
original Holder and the Company, as required by such agreement. Any person so
designated by the Holder to receive Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have
become holder of record of such Warrant Shares as of the Date of Exercise of
this Warrant. The Company shall, upon request of the Holder, if available, use
its best efforts to deliver Warrant Shares hereunder electronically through the
Depository Trust Corporation or another established clearing corporation
performing similar functions.

                  (c)      A "Date of Exercise" means the date on which the
Company shall have received (i) this Warrant (or any New Warrant, as
applicable), with the Form of Election to Purchase attached hereto (or attached
to such New Warrant) appropriately completed and duly signed, and (ii) payment
of the Exercise Price for the number of Warrant Shares so indicated by the
Holder hereof to be purchased.

                  (d)      This Warrant shall be exercisable, either in its
entirety or, from time to time, for a portion of the number of Warrant Shares,
representing not less than 10% of the original Warrant Shares or such lesser
amount as is then remaining available for exercise. If less than all of the
Warrant Shares which may be purchased under this Warrant are exercised at any
time, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued, at its expense, a New
Warrant evidencing the right to purchase the remaining number of Warrant Shares
for which no exercise has been evidenced by this Warrant.

         4.       Payment of Taxes. The Company will pay all documentary stamp
taxes attributable to the issuance of Warrant Shares upon the exercise of this
Warrant; provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to pay any
tax which may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the registration
of any certificates for Warrant Shares or Warrants in a name other than that of
the Holder. The Holder shall be responsible for all other tax liability that may
arise as a result of holding or transferring this Warrant or receiving Warrant
Shares upon exercise hereof.

         5.       Replacement of Warrant. If this Warrant is mutilated, lost,
stolen or destroyed, the Company shall issue or cause to be issued in exchange
and substitution for and upon cancellation hereof, or in lieu of and
substitution for this Warrant, a New Warrant, but only upon receipt of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to the Company of such loss, theft or destruction and
indemnity, if requested, satisfactory to it. Applicants for a New Warrant under
such circumstances shall also comply with such other reasonable regulations and
procedures and pay such other reasonable charges as the Company may prescribe.

         6.       Reservation of Warrant Shares. The Company covenants that it
will at all times reserve and keep available out of the aggregate of its
authorized but unissued Common Stock, solely for the purpose of enabling it to
issue Warrant Shares upon exercise of this Warrant as herein provided, the
number of Warrant Shares which are then issuable and deliverable upon the
exercise of this entire Warrant, free from preemptive rights or any other actual
contingent purchase rights of persons other than the Holder (taking into account
the adjustments and


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restrictions of Section 7). The Company covenants that all Warrant Shares that
shall be so issuable and deliverable shall, upon issuance and the payment of the
applicable Exercise Price in accordance with the terms hereof, be duly and
validly authorized, issued and fully paid and nonassessable.

         7.       Certain Adjustments. The Exercise Price and number of Warrant
Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant are subject to adjustment from
time to time as set forth in this Section 7. Upon each such adjustment of the
Exercise Price pursuant to this Section 7, the Holder shall thereafter prior to
the Expiration Date be entitled to purchase, at the Exercise Price resulting
from such adjustment, the number of Warrant Shares obtained by multiplying the
Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment by the number of
Warrant Shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant immediately prior to such
adjustment and dividing the product thereof by the Exercise Price resulting from
such adjustment.

                  (a)      If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is
outstanding, (i) shall pay a stock dividend (except scheduled dividends paid on
preferred stock which contain a stated dividend rate) or otherwise make a
distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or on any other
class of capital stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide
outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, or (iii)
combine outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, the
Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be
the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any)
outstanding before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number
of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding after
such event. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section shall become effective
immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled
to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately
after the effective date in the case of a subdivision or combination, and shall
apply to successive subdivisions and combinations.

                  (b)      In case of any reclassification of the Common Stock
or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is converted
into other securities, cash or property, then the Holder shall have the right
thereafter to exercise this Warrant only into the shares of stock and other
securities and property receivable upon or deemed to be held by holders of
Common Stock following such reclassification or share exchange, and the Holder
shall be entitled upon such event to receive such amount of securities or
property equal to the amount of Warrant Shares such Holder would have been
entitled to had such Holder exercised this Warrant immediately prior to such
reclassification or share exchange. The terms of any such reclassification or
share exchange shall include such terms so as to continue to give to the Holder
the right to receive the securities or property set forth in this Section 7(b)
upon any exercise following any such reclassification or share exchange.

                  (c)      If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is
outstanding, shall distribute to all holders of Common Stock (and not to holders
of this Warrant) evidences of its indebtedness or assets or rights or warrants
to subscribe for or purchase any security (excluding those referred to in
Sections 7(a), (b) and (d)), then in each such case the Exercise


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Price shall be determined by multiplying the Exercise Price in effect
immediately prior to the record date fixed for determination of stockholders
entitled to receive such distribution by a fraction of which the denominator
shall be the Exercise Price determined as of the record date mentioned above,
and of which the numerator shall be such Exercise Price on such record date less
the then fair market value at such record date of the portion of such assets or
evidence of indebtedness so distributed applicable to one outstanding share of
Common Stock as determined by the Company's independent certified public
accountants that regularly examines the financial statements of the Company (an
"Appraiser").

                  (d)      If the Company or any subsidiary thereof, as
applicable with respect to Common Stock Equivalents (as defined below), at any
time while this Warrant is outstanding, shall issue shares of Common Stock or
rights, warrants, options or other securities or debt that is convertible into
or exchangeable for shares of Common Stock ("Common Stock Equivalents"),
entitling any person to acquire shares of Common Stock at a price per share less
than the Exercise Price (if the holder of the Common Stock or Common Stock
Equivalent so issued shall at any time, whether by operation of purchase price
adjustments, reset provisions, floating conversion, exercise or exchange prices
or otherwise, or due to warrants, options or rights issued in connection with
such issuance, be entitled to receive shares of Common Stock at a price less
than the Exercise Price, such issuance shall be deemed to have occurred for less
than the Exercise Price), then the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a
fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to the issuance of such Common Stock or such
Common Stock Equivalents plus the number of shares of Common Stock which the
offering price for such shares of Common Stock or Common Stock Equivalents would
purchase at the Exercise Price, and the denominator of which shall be the sum of
the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to such
issuance plus the number of shares of Common Stock so issued or issuable,
provided, that for purposes hereof, all shares of Common Stock that are issuable
upon conversion, exercise or exchange of Common Stock Equivalents shall be
deemed outstanding immediately after the issuance of such Common Stock
Equivalents. Such adjustment shall be made whenever such Common Stock or Common
Stock Equivalents are issued. However, upon the expiration of any Common Stock
Equivalents the issuance of which resulted in an adjustment in the Exercise
Price pursuant to this Section, if any such Common Stock Equivalents shall
expire and shall not have been exercised, the Exercise Price shall immediately
upon such expiration be recomputed and effective immediately upon such
expiration be increased to the price which it would have been (but reflecting
any other adjustments in the Exercise Price made pursuant to the provisions of
this Section after the issuance of such Common Stock Equivalents) had the
adjustment of the Exercise Price made upon the issuance of such Common Stock
Equivalents been made on the basis of offering for subscription or purchase only
that number of shares of the Common Stock actually purchased upon the exercise
of such Common Stock Equivalents actually exercised. The foregoing shall not
apply to any (i) issuances of securities as consideration in a merger,
consolidation or acquisition of assets, or in connection with any strategic
partnership or joint venture (the primary purpose of which is not to raise
equity capital), or as consideration for the acquisition of a business, product
or license by the Company, (ii) the issuance of securities upon the exercise or
conversion of the Company's options, warrants or other convertible securities


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outstanding as of the date hereof, or (iii) the grant of options or warrants, or
the issuance of additional securities, under any duly authorized Company stock
option, restricted stock plan or stock purchase plan for the benefit of the
Company's employees.

                  (e)      In case of any (1) merger or consolidation of the
Company with or into another Person, or (2) sale by the Company of more than
one-half of the assets of the Company (based upon then fair market value) in one
or a series of related transactions, (A) the Holder shall have the right at all
times from and after the date of such merger, sale or consolidation, as the case
may be, to and including the Expiration Date, to exercise this Warrant for the
shares of stock and other securities, cash and property receivable upon or
deemed to be held by holders of Common Stock immediately following such merger,
consolidation or sale, and the Holder shall be entitled upon such event or
series of related events to receive such amount of securities, cash and property
as the Common Stock for which this Warrant could have been exercised immediately
prior to such merger, consolidation or sales would have been entitled, or (B)
the acquiring company or newly created company shall have the right to pay the
Holder the value of the Warrant determined on a Black-Scholes basis. (For
example, if (1) the Company merges with and into another Person ("Newco") and as
a result thereof each share of Common Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to
receive two shares of the common stock of Newco and $2.00 in cash, and (2) the
Exercise Price is at the effective time of such merger $6.00 per share, then at
all times thereafter this Warrant shall upon the payment of $6.00 times the
number of Warrant Shares represent the right to receive (A) that number of
shares of the Common Stock of Newco as is equal to two times the Warrant Shares,
and (B) that amount of cash as is equal to $2.00 times the number of Warrant
Shares.) The terms of any such merger, sale or consolidation shall include such
terms so as to continue to give the Holder the right to receive the securities,
cash and property set forth in this Section upon any conversion or redemption
following such event. This provision shall similarly apply to successive such
events.

                  (f)      For the purposes of this Section 7, the following
clauses shall also be applicable:

                           (i)      Record Date. In case the Company shall take
a record of the holders of its Common Stock for the purpose of entitling them
(A) to receive a dividend or other distribution payable in Common Stock or in
securities convertible or exchangeable into shares of Common Stock, or (B) to
subscribe for or purchase Common Stock or securities convertible or exchangeable
into shares of Common Stock, then such record date shall be deemed to be the
date of the issue or sale of the shares of Common Stock deemed to have been
issued or sold upon the declaration of such dividend or the making of such other
distribution or the date of the granting of such right of subscription or
purchase, as the case may be.

                           (ii)     Treasury Shares. The number of shares of
Common Stock outstanding at any given time shall not include shares owned or
held by or for the account of the Company, and the disposition of any such
shares shall be considered an issue or sale of Common Stock.


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<PAGE>   7

                  (g)      All calculations under this Section 7 shall be made
to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be.

                  (h)      Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to
Section 7(c) above, the Holder, after receipt of the determination by the
Appraiser, shall have the right to select an additional appraiser (which shall
be a nationally recognized accounting firm), in which case the adjustment shall
be equal to the average of the adjustments recommended by each of the Appraiser
and such appraiser. The Holder shall promptly mail or cause to be mailed to the
Company, a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and
setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment. Such
adjustment shall become effective immediately after the record date mentioned
above.

                  (i)      If:

                                    (i)      the Company shall declare a
                                             dividend (or any other
                                             distribution) on its Common Stock;
                                             or

                                    (ii)     the Company shall declare a special
                                             nonrecurring cash dividend on or a
                                             redemption of its Common Stock; or

                                    (iii)    the Company shall authorize the
                                             granting to all holders of the
                                             Common Stock rights or warrants to
                                             subscribe for or purchase any
                                             shares of capital stock of any
                                             class or of any rights; or

                                    (iv)     the approval of any stockholders of
                                             the Company shall be required in
                                             connection with any
                                             reclassification of the Common
                                             Stock, any consolidation or merger
                                             to which the Company is a party,
                                             any sale or transfer of all or
                                             substantially all of the assets of
                                             the Company, or any compulsory
                                             share exchange whereby the Common
                                             Stock is converted into other
                                             securities, cash or property; or

                                    (v)      the Company shall authorize the
                                             voluntary dissolution, liquidation
                                             or winding up of the affairs of the
                                             Company,

then the Company shall cause to be mailed to each Holder at their last addresses
as they shall appear upon the Warrant Register, at least twenty calendar days
prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice
stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such
dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to
be taken, the date as of which the holders of Common Stock of record to be
entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to
be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation,
merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or
close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of Common Stock of
record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock for
securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification,


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consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, share exchange, dissolution, liquidation
or winding up; provided, however, that the failure to mail such notice or any
defect therein or in the mailing thereof shall not affect the validity of the
corporate action required to be specified in such notice.

         8.       Payment of Exercise Price. The Holder shall pay the Exercise
Price in one of the following manners:

                  (a)      Cash Exercise. The Holder may deliver immediately
available funds; or

                  (b)      Cashless Exercise. In the event, but only in such
event, that on or after the Effective Date (as defined in the Warrant Reg Rights
Agreement referred to in the Purchase Agreement) a Registration Statement
covering the resale of the Warrant Shares has not been declared effective, then
the Holder may surrender this Warrant to the Company together with a notice of
cashless exercise, in which event the Company shall issue to the Holder the
number of Warrant Shares determined as follows:

                                    X = Y [(A-B)/A]

         where:

                                    X = the number of Warrant Shares to be
                                    issued to the Holder.

                                    Y = the number of Warrant Shares with
                                    respect to which this Warrant is being
                                    exercised.

                                    A = the average of the closing sale prices
                                    of the Common Stock for the five (5) trading
                                    days immediately prior to (but not
                                    including) the Date of Exercise.

                                    B = the Exercise Price.

For purposes of Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, it is intended,
understood and acknowledged that the Warrant Shares issued in a cashless
exercise transaction shall be deemed to have been acquired by the Holder, and
the holding period for the Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have been
commenced, on the issue date.



         8A.      Redemption of Warrants

         (a)      This Warrant may be redeemed at the option of the Company, in
whole or in part on a pro-rata basis, at any time if, at the time notice of such
redemption is given by the Company as provided in Section 8A(b) the Daily Price
has exceeded $4.00 for the fifteen


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consecutive trading days immediately preceding the date of such notice, at a
price equal to $.05 per Warrant (the "Redemption Price"). For the purpose of the
foregoing sentence, the term "Daily Price" shall mean, for any relevant day, the
closing bid price on that day as reported by the principal exchange or quotation
system on which prices for the Common Stock are reported. On the redemption date
the holders of record of redeemed Warrants shall be entitled to payment of the
Redemption Price upon surrender of such redeemed Warrants to the Company.

                  (b)      Notice of redemption of Warrants shall be given at
least 45 days prior to the redemption date by mailing, by registered or
certified mail, return receipt requested, a copy of such notice to the holders
of record of Warrants at their respective addresses appearing on the books or
transfer records of the Company.

                  (c)      If at any time during the 45 day period referred to
in Section 8A(b) a registration statement with respect to the sale of the shares
of Common Stock underlying the Warrants shall not be in effect the notice of
redemption shall be deemed to be null and void ab initio.

         9.       Certain Exercise Restrictions.

                  (a)      A Holder may not exercise this Warrant to the extent
such exercise would result in the Holder, together with any affiliate thereof,
beneficially owning (as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") and the rules
promulgated thereunder) in excess of 4.999% of the then issued and outstanding
shares of Common Stock, including shares issuable upon such exercise and held by
such Holder after application of this Section. Since the Holder will not be
obligated to report to the Company the number of shares of Common Stock it may
hold at the time of an exercise hereunder, unless the exercise at issue would
result in the issuance of shares of Common Stock in excess of 4.999% of the then
outstanding shares of Common Stock without regard to any other shares which may
be beneficially owned by the Holder or an affiliate thereof, the Holder shall
have the authority and obligation to determine whether the restriction contained
in this Section will limit any particular exercise hereunder and to the extent
that the Holder determines that the limitation contained in this Section
applies, the determination of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall
be the responsibility and obligation of the Holder. If the Holder has delivered
a Form of Election to Purchase for a number of Warrant Shares that, without
regard to any other shares that the Holder or its affiliates may beneficially
own, would result in the issuance in excess of the permitted amount hereunder,
the Company shall notify the Holder of this fact and shall honor the exercise
for the maximum portion of this Warrant permitted to be exercised on such Date
of Exercise in accordance with the periods described herein and, at the option
of the Holder, either keep the portion of the Warrant tendered for exercise in
excess of the permitted amount hereunder for future exercises or return such
excess portion of the Warrant to the Holder. The provisions of this Section may
be waived by a Holder (but only as to itself and not to any other Holder) upon
not less than sixty-one days prior notice to the Company. Other Holders shall be
unaffected by any such waiver.


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<PAGE>   10

                  (b)      A Holder may not exercise this Warrant to the extent
such exercise would result in the Holder, together with any affiliate thereof,
beneficially owning (as determined in accordance with Section 13(d) of the
Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder) in excess of 9.999% of the
then issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock, including shares issuable
upon such exercise and held by such Holder after application of this Section.
Since the Holder will not be obligated to report to the Company the number of
shares of Common Stock it may hold at the time of an exercise hereunder, unless
the exercise at issue would result in the issuance of shares of Common Stock in
excess of 9.999% of the then outstanding shares of Common Stock without regard
to any other shares which may be beneficially owned by the Holder or an
affiliate thereof, the Holder shall have the authority and obligation to
determine whether the restriction contained in this Section will limit any
particular exercise hereunder and to the extent that the Holder determines that
the limitation contained in this Section applies, the determination of which
portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be the responsibility and
obligation of the Holder. If the Holder has delivered a Form of Election to
Purchase for a number of Warrant Shares that, without regard to any other shares
that the Holder or its affiliates may beneficially own, would result in the
issuance in excess of the permitted amount hereunder, the Company shall notify
the Holder of this fact and shall honor the exercise for the maximum portion of
this Warrant permitted to be exercised on such Date of Exercise in accordance
with the periods described herein and, at the option of the Holder, either keep
the portion of the Warrant tendered for exercise in excess of the permitted
amount hereunder for future exercises or return such excess portion of the
Warrant to the Holder. The provisions of this Section may be waived by a Holder
(but only as to itself and not to any other Holder) upon not less than sixty-one
days prior notice to the Company. Other Holders shall be unaffected by any such
waiver.

         10.      Fractional Shares. The Company shall not be required to issue
or cause to be issued fractional Warrant Shares on the exercise of this Warrant.
The number of full Warrant Shares which shall be issuable upon the exercise of
this Warrant shall be computed on the basis of the aggregate number of Warrant
Shares purchasable on exercise of this Warrant so presented. If any fraction of
a Warrant Share would, except for the provisions of this Section, be issuable on
the exercise of this Warrant, the Company shall pay an amount in cash equal to
the Exercise Price multiplied by such fraction.

         11.      Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or
deliveries hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective
on the earliest of (i) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication
is delivered via facsimile at the facsimile telephone number specified in this
Section prior to 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on a business day, (ii) the
business day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is
delivered via facsimile at the facsimile telephone number specified in this
Section later than 6:30 p.m. (New York City time) on any date and earlier than
11:59 p.m. (New York City time) on such date, (iii) the business day following
the date of mailing, if sent by nationally recognized overnight courier service,
or (iv) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be
given. The addresses for such communications shall be:


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<PAGE>   11

         If to the Company:         Verso Technologies, Inc.
                                    400 Galleria Parkway, Suite 300
                                    Atlanta, GA 30339
                                    Facsimile No.: (678) 589-3750
                                    Attn: Chief Financial Officer

         With copies to:            Rogers & Hardin LLP
                                    2700 International Tower
                                    229 Peachtree Street, N.E.
                                    Atlanta, GA 30303
                                    Facsimile No.: (404) 525-2224
                                    Attn: Steven E. Fox, Esq.

         If to a Purchaser:         To the address set forth under such
                                    Purchaser's name on the signature pages to
                                    the Purchase Agreement.

         12.      Warrant Agent. The Company shall serve as warrant agent under
this Warrant. Upon thirty days' notice to the Holder, the Company may appoint a
new warrant agent. Any corporation into which the Company or any new warrant
agent may be merged or any corporation resulting from any consolidation to which
the Company or any new warrant agent shall be a party or any corporation to
which the Company or any new warrant agent transfers substantially all of its
corporate trust or shareholders services business shall be a successor warrant
agent under this Warrant without any further act. Any such successor warrant
agent shall promptly cause notice of its succession as warrant agent to be
mailed (by first class mail, postage prepaid) to the Holder at the Holder's last
address as shown on the Warrant Register.

         13.      Miscellaneous.

                  (a)      This Warrant shall be binding on and inure to the
benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. This
Warrant may be amended only in writing signed by the Company and the Holder and
their successors and assigns.

                  (b)      Subject to Section 13(a), above, nothing in this
Warrant shall be construed to give to any person or corporation other than the
Company and the Holder any legal or equitable right, remedy or cause under this
Warrant. This Warrant shall inure to the sole and exclusive benefit of the
Company and the Holder.

                  (c)      The corporate laws of the State of Minnesota shall
govern all issues concerning the relative rights of the Company and its
stockholders. All other questions concerning the construction, validity,
enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be governed by and
construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New
York, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. The Company
and the Holder hereby irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the
state and federal courts sitting in the City of New York, borough of Manhattan,
for the adjudication of any dispute


                                       11
<PAGE>   12

hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby
or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in
any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to
the jurisdiction of any such court, or that such suit, action or proceeding is
improper. Each of the Company and the Holder hereby irrevocably waives personal
service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action
or proceeding by receiving a copy thereof sent to the Company at the address in
effect for notices to it under this instrument and agrees that such service
shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof.
Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve
process in any manner permitted by law.

                  (d)      The headings herein are for convenience only, do not
constitute a part of this Warrant and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any
of the provisions hereof.

                  (e)      In case any one or more of the provisions of this
Warrant shall be invalid or unenforceable in any respect, the validity and
enforceability of the remaining terms and provisions of this Warrant shall not
in any way be affected or impaired thereby and the parties will attempt in good
faith to agree upon a valid and enforceable provision which shall be a
commercially

                  (f)      reasonable substitute therefor, and upon so agreeing,
shall incorporate such substitute provision in this Warrant.

                  [REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK,
                             SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]


                                       12
<PAGE>   13



         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be duly
executed by its authorized officer as of the date first indicated above.

                                    VERSO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.


                                    By:    /s/ Juliet M. Reising
                                         --------------------------------------
                                         Name:  Juliet M. Reising
                                         Title: Executive Vice President and
                                                Chief Financial Officer



                                    By:    /s/ Steven A. Odom
                                         --------------------------------------
                                         Name:  Steven A. Odom
                                         Title: Chairman and Chief Executive
                                                Officer





<PAGE>   14




                          FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE

(To be executed by the Holder to exercise the right to purchase shares of Common
Stock under the foregoing Warrant)

To Verso Technologies, Inc.:

         The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to purchase _____________
shares of common stock, $.01 par value per share, of Verso Technologies, Inc.
(the "Common Stock") and, if such Holder is not utilizing the cashless exercise
provisions set forth in this Warrant, encloses herewith $________ in cash,
certified or official bank check or checks, which sum represents the aggregate
Exercise Price (as defined in the Warrant) for the number of shares of Common
Stock to which this Form of Election to Purchase relates, together with any
applicable taxes payable by the undersigned pursuant to the Warrant.

         The Exercise Price applicable to the purchase hereunder equals
$_________.

         The Holder hereby represents and warrants to the Company that it is an
accredited investor under Rule 501(a) promulgated under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended.

         The undersigned requests that certificates for the shares of Common
Stock issuable upon this exercise be issued in the name of

                                             PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY
                                             OR TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

                                             ----------------------------------
--------------------------
(Please print name and address)

         The undersigned hereby covenants and agrees that the undersigned (i)
will not sell or otherwise dispose of the shares of Common Stock to be delivered
pursuant to this Exercise Notice (the "Shares") except pursuant to an effective
registration statement (the "Registration Statement") under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), (ii) will sell the Shares only in accordance
with the Plan of Distribution set forth in the prospectus forming a part of the
Registration Statement (the ("Prospectus"), (iii) will comply with the
requirements of the Act when selling or otherwise disposing of the Shares,
including, but not limited to, the prospectus delivery requirements of the Act,
(iv) will not sell or otherwise dispose of, and will return immediately to the
Company for the purpose of placing a restrictive legend thereon, the Shares (and
any certificates representing the Shares, if applicable) upon notice from the
Company that the Prospectus may not be used for the sale of the Shares, and (v)
will indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors, officers, agents
and employees, each person who controls the Company (within the meaning of
Section 15 of the Act and Section 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended), and the directors, officers, agents or employees of such controlling
persons, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, from


<PAGE>   15

and against all Losses (as defined in the Registration Rights Agreement dated
January 30, 2001 by and between the Company and the investors signatory thereto)
arising out of or based upon any breach by the undersigned of any of the
covenants contained herein.

         If the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon this exercise
shall not be all of the shares of Common Stock which the undersigned is entitled
to purchase in accordance with the enclosed Warrant, the undersigned requests
that a New Warrant (as defined in the Warrant) evidencing the right to purchase
the shares of Common Stock not issuable pursuant to the exercise evidenced
hereby be issued in the name of and delivered to:

----------------------------------
(Please print name and address)

----------------------------------

----------------------------------

Dated:
      ----------------------------
                                      Name of Holder:

                                      (Print)
                                             ----------------------------------
                                      (By:)
                                             ----------------------------------
                                      (Name:)
                                             ----------------------------------
                                      (Title:)
                                              ---------------------------------
                                      (Signature must conform in all respects to
                                      name of holder as specified on the face of
                                      the Warrant)


<PAGE>   16


                               FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

[To be completed and signed only upon transfer of Warrant]

         FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers
unto ________________________________ the right represented by the within
Warrant to purchase ____________ shares of Common Stock of Verso Technologies,
Inc. to which the within Warrant relates and appoints ________________ attorney
to transfer said right on the books of Verso Technologies, Inc. with full power
of substitution in the premises.

Dated:                 ,
         --------------  ------

                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    (Signature must conform in all respects to
                                    name of holder as specified on the face of
                                    the Warrant)


                                    --------------------------------------------
                                    Address of Transferee

                                    --------------------------------------------

                                    --------------------------------------------



In the presence of:


--------------------------