<PAGE>   1
 
   
   AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON DECEMBER 16, 1998
    
 
                                                      REGISTRATION NO. 333-67715
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                             ---------------------
 
   
                                Amendment No. 2
    
                                       To
                                    FORM S-4
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                        UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                             ---------------------
 
                                   VERIO INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
                             ---------------------
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                      <C>                                      <C>
                DELAWARE                                   7375                                  84-1339720
      (State or other jurisdiction             (Primary Standard Industrial           (I.R.S. Employer Identification
   of incorporation or organization)           Classification Code Number)                        Number)
</TABLE>
 
                                ---------------
 
                                   VERIO INC.
                      8005 SOUTH CHESTER STREET, SUITE 200
                           ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 80112
                                 (303) 645-1900
    (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code
                  of Registrant's principal executive offices)
 
                               JUSTIN L. JASCHKE
                            CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                                   VERIO INC.
                      8005 SOUTH CHESTER STREET, SUITE 200
                           ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 80112
                                 (303) 645-1900
 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
                             of agent for service)
 
                             ---------------------
 
                                   Copies to:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                      <C>                                      <C>
         GAVIN B. GROVER, ESQ.                     CARLA HAMRE DONELSON                  JACQUELINE A. DAUNT, ESQ.
        MORRISON & FOERSTER LLP                      GENERAL COUNSEL                         FENWICK & WEST LLP
           425 MARKET STREET                            VERIO INC.                          TWO PALO ALTO SQUARE
    SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94105        8005 SOUTH CHESTER STREET, SUITE 200         PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA 94306
             (415) 268-7000                     ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO 80112                      (650) 494-0600
                                                      (303) 645-1900
</TABLE>
 
    APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE OF THE SECURITIES TO THE
PUBLIC: At the effective time of the merger (the "Merger") of a wholly-owned
subsidiary of the Registrant with Best Internet Communications, Inc., a
California corporation ("Best"), pursuant to the Amended and Restated Merger
Agreement dated as of November 17, 1998, which shall occur as soon as
practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement and the
satisfaction of all other conditions to the closing of the Merger.
 
    If the securities being registered on this form are being offered in
connection with the formation of a holding company and there is compliance with
General Instruction G, check the following box:  [ ]
 
    If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and
list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective
registration statement for the same offering:  [ ] ____________________
 
    If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d)
under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier registration statement for the same
offering:  [ ] ____________________
 
    THE REGISTRANT HEREBY AMENDS THIS REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON SUCH DATE OR
DATES AS MAY BE NECESSARY TO DELAY ITS EFFECTIVE DATE UNTIL THE REGISTRANT SHALL
FILE A FURTHER AMENDMENT WHICH SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS REGISTRATION
STATEMENT SHALL THEREAFTER BECOME EFFECTIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 8(a) OF
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR UNTIL THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT SHALL BECOME
EFFECTIVE ON SUCH DATE AS THE COMMISSION, ACTING PURSUANT TO SAID SECTION 8(a),
MAY DETERMINE.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>   2
 
                             [BEST LOGO/LETTERHEAD]
 
   
                                                               December 16, 1998
    
 
To the Shareholders of Best Internet Communications, Inc.:
 
   
     You are cordially invited to attend a Special Meeting of Shareholders (the
"Special Meeting") of Best Internet Communications, Inc., a California
corporation ("Best"), on December 29, 1998, at 11 A.M., Pacific Time, which will
be held at the corporate offices of Best, located at 401 Third Street, San
Francisco, California 94107.
    
 
     The purpose of the Special Meeting is for you to consider and vote upon a
proposal to approve and adopt an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of
Merger dated as of November 17, 1998 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among
Verio Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Verio"), Purple Acquisition, Inc., a
California corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verio ("Merger Sub"),
and Best. Best recently merged with Hiway Technologies, Inc., a Florida
corporation, and the resulting entity is referred to herein as "Hiway." Pursuant
to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will be merged with and into Hiway, with
Hiway as the surviving company (the "Merger").
 
     At the effective time of the Merger (the "Effective Time"), each
outstanding share of common stock, no par value per share, of Hiway ("Hiway
Common Stock") will be converted into cash and a fraction of a share of the
common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of Verio ("Verio Common Stock"), as
follows:
 
     - The total consideration to be paid or issued with respect to each share
       of Hiway Common Stock in connection with the Merger (the "Per Share
       Price") will be equal to the quotient of (i) approximately $254.72
       million, adjusted as described below (the "Total Consideration Value"),
       divided by (ii) the number of shares of Hiway Common Stock outstanding on
       the date the Merger is closed (the "Closing Date"), on a fully diluted
       basis.
 
     - The amount of cash payable with respect to each share of Hiway Common
       Stock (the "Per Share Cash Amount") will be equal to the quotient of (i)
       $176.0 million, divided by (ii) the total number of shares of Hiway
       Common Stock outstanding on the Closing Date.
 
     - The fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock issuable with respect to
       each share of Hiway Common Stock (the "Common Stock Exchange Ratio") will
       be equal to the quotient of (i) the amount by which the Per Share Price
       exceeds the Per Share Cash Amount, divided by (ii) $16.00.
 
     The Total Consideration Value will be finally determined pursuant to the
Merger Agreement at the Effective Time, taking into account, among other things,
the amount, if any, of certain excess expenses and payments that may be incurred
or made by Hiway related to the Merger and Hiway's previously proposed initial
public offering ("Excess Expenses") and the proceeds that would be receivable by
Hiway upon the exercise of certain options and warrants to purchase Hiway Common
Stock. In addition, the actual value of the shares of Verio Common Stock to be
issued in connection with the Merger will depend upon, among other things, the
actual value of Verio Common Stock at the Closing Date, which may vary both
before and after the Closing Date. See "Risk Factors -- Potential Fluctuation of
Value of Consideration Received" and "The Merger Agreement -- Merger
Consideration" at page 15 and page 50, respectively, of the accompanying Proxy
Statement/Prospectus for a more detailed discussion of the consideration to be
received in the Merger. Cash will be paid in lieu of fractional shares.
 
     Each Hiway option or warrant will be assumed by Verio and become an option
or warrant to purchase, at the same aggregate exercise price and on
substantially the same terms and conditions as the Hiway option or warrant, that
number of shares of Verio Common Stock which the holder thereof would have been
entitled to receive had such option or warrant been exercised prior to the
Effective Time and had the Total Consideration Value been paid entirely in
shares of Verio Common Stock. The aggregate number of shares of Verio Common
Stock subject to the resulting options and warrants (the "Option
Consideration"), divided by the aggregate number of shares of Hiway Common Stock
subject to the Hiway options and warrants at the Effective Time, is referred to
herein as the "Option Exchange Ratio."
<PAGE>   3
 
     The exact amount of cash and shares of Verio Common Stock payable with
respect to the Hiway Common Stock and the aggregate potential Option
Consideration cannot be determined until the Effective Time. However, based upon
Hiway's capitalization as of November 13, 1998, and assuming that there are no
Excess Expenses, (i) the Per Share Cash Amount will be approximately $4.90 and
the Common Stock Exchange Ratio will be approximately 0.0875, and (ii) the
Option Exchange Ratio will be approximately 0.3940. Thus, of the approximately
4.92 million shares of Verio Common Stock potentially issuable in connection
with the Merger (based on such assumptions), approximately 3.14 million will be
issued in connection with the conversion of outstanding shares of Hiway Common
Stock and approximately 1.78 million will be reserved for issuance upon the
exercise of options or warrants to purchase Hiway Common Stock assumed by Verio.
 
     Additional examples of how the actual amount of cash and exchange ratios
will be determined are included in the accompanying Proxy Statement/Prospectus,
which you are urged to read carefully.
 
   
     The Board of Directors of Hiway has retained BT Alex. Brown Incorporated,
an investment banking firm, to act as its financial advisor in connection with
the Merger. BT Alex. Brown Incorporated has delivered to the Board of Directors
of Hiway its written opinion, dated November 20, 1998, to the effect that, as of
November 19, 1998, the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Per Share Cash
Amount, taken together, were fair, from a financial point of view, to the
holders of Hiway Common Stock.
    
 
     The Merger is subject to the approval of the shareholders of Hiway and a
number of other conditions. Attached to the accompanying Proxy
Statement/Prospectus is a form of proxy relating to a proposal (the "Hiway
Merger Proposal") to authorize and approve the Merger and the Merger Agreement.
 
     AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION, YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED THE MERGER AGREEMENT AND THE HIWAY MERGER PROPOSAL. YOUR BOARD OF
DIRECTORS BELIEVES THAT THE TERMS OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT ARE FAIR TO, AND IN
THE BEST INTERESTS OF, HIWAY AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS, AND UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS
THAT YOU VOTE "FOR" APPROVAL OF THE HIWAY MERGER PROPOSAL.
 
     The accompanying Proxy Statement/Prospectus provides detailed information
concerning the proposed Merger and additional information concerning Verio and
Hiway, which you are urged to read carefully. The complete text of the Merger
Agreement is attached as Appendix A to the Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
 
     As a holder of Hiway Common Stock, you may have certain dissenters' rights
with respect to the proposed Merger. In order to exercise such rights, you must
abstain from voting or vote against approval of the Hiway Merger Proposal. Your
dissenters' rights are governed by specific legal provisions contained in
Chapter 13 of the California General Corporation Law (the "CGCL"). A summary of
certain provisions of Chapter 13 of the CGCL pertaining to the rights of
dissenting shareholders in connection with the Merger is included in the
enclosed Proxy Statement/Prospectus in the section entitled "Dissenters' Rights
of Hiway Shareholders." The complete text of Chapter 13 of the CGCL is set forth
as Appendix D to the accompanying Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
<PAGE>   4
 
     It is important that your shares of Hiway Common Stock be represented at
the Special Meeting regardless of the number of shares you hold. The required
vote of Hiway shareholders to approve the Hiway Merger Proposal is based upon
the number of outstanding shares of Hiway Common Stock and not the number of
shares which are actually voted. Accordingly, the failure to submit a proxy card
or to vote in person at the Special Meeting, and the abstention from voting by a
shareholder, will each have the same effect as a vote "AGAINST" approval of the
Hiway Merger Proposal. THEREFORE, PLEASE COMPLETE, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN YOUR
PROXY CARD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE SPECIAL
MEETING. You may revoke your proxy at any time prior to its exercise by filing a
written notice of such revocation with the Secretary of Hiway or by signing and
delivering to such Secretary a proxy bearing a later date. In addition, you may
attend the Special Meeting and vote your shares in person if you wish, even
though you have previously returned your proxy.
 
                                            Sincerely yours,
 
                                            ------------------------------------
 
                                            ------------------------------------
<PAGE>   5
 
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
                           345 EAST MIDDLEFIELD ROAD
                        MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA 94043
 
                   NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
 
To the Shareholders of Best Internet Communications, Inc.:
 
   
     NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Meeting of Shareholders of Best
Internet Communications, Inc., a California corporation ("Best"), will be held
at Best's corporate offices, located at 401 Third Street, San Francisco,
California 94107, on December 29, 1998, at 11 A.M., Pacific Time, for the
following purposes:
    
 
     1.To approve and adopt an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger
       dated as of November 17, 1998 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and among
       Verio Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Verio"), Purple Acquisition, Inc., a
       California corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verio ("Merger
       Sub"), and Best. Best recently merged with Hiway Technologies, Inc., a
       Florida corporation, and the resulting entity is referred to herein as
       "Hiway." Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will be merged with
       and into Hiway, with Hiway as the surviving company (the "Merger").
 
       At the effective time of the Merger (the "Effective Time"), each
       outstanding share of common stock, no par value per share, of Hiway
       ("Hiway Common Stock") will be converted into cash and a fraction of a
       share of the common stock, $0.001 par value per share, of Verio ("Verio
       Common Stock"), as follows:
 
       - The total consideration to be paid or issued with respect to each share
         of Hiway Common Stock in connection with the Merger (the "Per Share
         Price") will be equal to the quotient of (i) approximately $254.72
         million, adjusted as described below (the "Total Consideration Value"),
         divided by (ii) the number of shares of Hiway Common Stock outstanding
         on the date the Merger is closed (the "Closing Date"), on a fully
         diluted basis.
 
       - The amount of cash payable with respect to each share of Hiway Common
         Stock (the "Per Share Cash Amount") will be equal to the quotient of
         (i) $176.0 million, divided by (ii) the total number of shares of Hiway
         Common Stock outstanding on the Closing Date.
 
       - The fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock issuable with respect to
         each share of Hiway Common Stock (the "Common Stock Exchange Ratio")
         will be equal to the quotient of (i) the amount by which the Per Share
         Price exceeds the Per Share Cash Amount, divided by (ii) $16.00.
 
       The Total Consideration Value will be finally determined pursuant to the
       Merger Agreement at the Effective Time, taking into account, among other
       things, the amount, if any, of certain excess expenses and payments that
       may be incurred or made by Hiway related to the Merger and Hiway's
       previously proposed initial public offering ("Excess Expenses") and the
       proceeds that would be receivable by Hiway upon the exercise of certain
       options and warrants to purchase Hiway Common Stock. In addition, the
       actual value of the shares of Verio Common Stock to be issued in
       connection with the Merger will depend upon, among other things, the
       actual value of Verio Common Stock at the Closing Date, which may vary
       both before and after the Closing Date. The accompanying Proxy Statement/
       Prospectus describes these and other risks that you should consider. Cash
       will be paid in lieu of fractional shares.
 
   
       Each Hiway option or warrant will be assumed by Verio and become an
       option or warrant to purchase, at the same aggregate exercise price and
       on substantially the same terms and conditions as the Hiway option or
       warrant, that number of shares of Verio Common Stock which the holder
       thereof would have been entitled to receive had such option or warrant
       been exercised prior to the Effective Time and had the Total
       Consideration Value been paid entirely in shares of Verio Common Stock.
       The aggregate number of shares of Verio Common Stock subject to the
       resulting options and warrants (the "Option
    
<PAGE>   6
 
       Consideration"), divided by the aggregate number of shares of Hiway
       Common Stock subject to the Hiway options and warrants at the Effective
       Time, is referred to herein as the "Option Exchange Ratio."
 
       The exact amount of cash and shares of Verio Common Stock payable with
       respect to the Hiway Common Stock and the aggregate potential Option
       Consideration cannot be determined until the Effective Time. However,
       based upon Hiway's capitalization as of November 13, 1998, and assuming
       that there are no Excess Expenses, (i) the Per Share Cash Amount will be
       approximately $4.90 and the Common Stock Exchange Ratio will be
       approximately 0.0875, and (ii) the Option Exchange Ratio will be
       approximately 0.3940.
 
       The Merger is described more completely in the accompanying Proxy
       Statement/Prospectus, and a copy of the Merger Agreement is attached as
       Appendix A thereto. The Proxy Statement/Prospectus also contains
       additional examples of the determination of the actual amounts of cash
       and shares of Verio Common Stock to be issued in the Merger; and
 
     2.To transact any other business which may properly come before the meeting
       and any adjournments or postponements thereof.
 
   
     The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on December 3, 1998
as the record date for the determination of the holders of Hiway Common Stock
entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Special Meeting. The required vote of
the Hiway shareholders to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement is based upon
the number of outstanding shares of Hiway Common Stock and not the number of
shares which are actually voted. Accordingly, the failure to submit a proxy card
or to vote in person at the Special Meeting and the abstention from voting by a
shareholder will each have the same effect as a vote "AGAINST" approval of the
Hiway Merger Proposal. The Merger Agreement and other matters related thereto
are more fully described in the accompanying Proxy Statement/Prospectus and the
appendices thereto, which form a part of this Notice.
    
 
     All shareholders are cordially invited and encouraged to attend the Special
Meeting. In any event, to ensure your representation at the Special Meeting,
please carefully read the accompanying Proxy Statement/ Prospectus and complete,
sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card in the reply envelope provided.
Should you receive more than one proxy because your shares are registered in
different names and addresses, each proxy should be returned to ensure that all
your shares will be voted. If you attend the Special Meeting and vote by ballot,
your proxy will be revoked automatically and only your vote at the Special
Meeting will be counted. The prompt return of your proxy card will assist us in
preparing for the Special Meeting.
 
                                            BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
 
   
                                            David S. Buzby
    
   
                                            Executive Vice President and Chief
                                            Financial Officer
    
 
Mountain View, California
   
December 16, 1998
    
<PAGE>   7
 
                                   VERIO INC.
                                   PROSPECTUS
                                      AND
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
                                PROXY STATEMENT
 
   
     This Proxy Statement/Prospectus ("Proxy Statement/Prospectus") is being
furnished to holders of common stock, no par value per share ("Hiway Common
Stock"), of Best Internet Communications, Inc., a California corporation
("Best"), in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of
Directors of Best for use at a Special Meeting of Shareholders of Best to be
held on December 29, 1998, at 11 A.M., Pacific Time, at the corporate offices of
Best located at 401 Third Street, San Francisco, California 94107 (the "Hiway
Special Meeting"). This Proxy Statement/Prospectus also is being furnished to
holders of options and warrants to purchase shares of Hiway Common Stock. Best
recently merged with Hiway Technologies, Inc., a Florida corporation, and the
resulting entity is referred to herein as "Hiway."
    
 
     This Proxy Statement/Prospectus relates to the Amended and Restated
Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of November 17, 1998 (as the same may be
amended, supplemented or modified, the "Merger Agreement"), by and among Verio
Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Verio"), Purple Acquisition, Inc., a California
corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verio ("Merger Sub"), and Hiway.
The Merger Agreement amends and restates in its entirety an Agreement and Plan
of Merger, dated as of July 28, 1998, by and among Verio, Merger Sub and Hiway
(the "Initial Merger Agreement"). Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub
will be merged with and into Hiway, with Hiway as the surviving company, which
will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verio (the "Merger"). A copy of the Merger
Agreement is attached as Appendix A to this Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
 
     At the effective time of the Merger (the "Effective Time"), each
outstanding share of Hiway Common Stock will be converted into cash and a
fraction of a share of the common stock, $0.001 par value per share ("Verio
Common Stock"), of Verio, as follows:
 
     - The total consideration to be paid or issued with respect to each share
       of Hiway Common Stock in connection with the Merger (the "Per Share
       Price") will be equal to the quotient of (i) approximately $254.72
       million, adjusted as described herein (the "Total Consideration Value"),
       divided by (ii) the number of shares of Hiway Common Stock outstanding on
       the date the Merger is closed (the "Closing Date"), on a fully diluted
       basis.
 
     - The amount of cash payable with respect to each share of Hiway Common
       Stock (the "Per Share Cash Amount") will be equal to the quotient of (i)
       $176.0 million, divided by (ii) the total number of shares of Hiway
       Common Stock outstanding on the Closing Date.
 
     - The fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock issuable with respect to
       each share of Hiway Common Stock (the "Common Stock Exchange Ratio") will
       be equal to the quotient of (i) the amount by which the Per Share Price
       exceeds the Per Share Cash Amount, divided by (ii) $16.00.
 
     The Total Consideration Value will be finally determined pursuant to the
Merger Agreement at the Effective Time, taking into account, among other things,
the amount, if any, of certain excess expenses and
 
                                                   (Continued on following page)
 
SEE "RISK FACTORS" AT PAGE 14 FOR CERTAIN INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED
BY HIWAY SHAREHOLDERS.
 
  THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SECURITIES AND
        EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION, NOR HAS
   THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION
               PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROXY
     STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL
                                    OFFENSE.
 
   
       THE DATE OF THIS PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IS DECEMBER 16, 1998.
    
<PAGE>   8
 
payments that may be incurred or made by Hiway related to the Merger and Hiway's
previously proposed initial public offering ("Excess Expenses") and the proceeds
that would be receivable by Hiway upon the exercise of certain options and
warrants to purchase Hiway Common Stock. The actual value of the shares of Verio
Common Stock to be issued with respect to each share of Hiway Common Stock (and
thus the actual value of the Total Consideration Value at the Effective Date)
will depend upon, among other things, the actual value of Verio Common Stock at
the Closing Date, which may vary both before and after the Closing Date. See
"Risk Factors -- Potential Fluctuation of Value of Consideration Received" and
"The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration" for a more detailed discussion of
the consideration to be received in the Merger. Cash will be paid in lieu of
fractional shares.
 
     Each Hiway option or warrant will be assumed by Verio and become an option
or warrant to purchase, at the same aggregate exercise price and on
substantially the same terms and conditions as the Hiway option or warrant, that
number of shares of Verio Common Stock which the holder thereof would have been
entitled to receive had such option or warrant been exercised prior to the
Effective Time and had the Total Consideration Value been paid entirely in
shares of Verio Common Stock. The aggregate number of shares of Verio Common
Stock subject to the resulting options and warrants (the "Option
Consideration"), divided by the aggregate number of shares of Hiway Common Stock
subject to the Hiway options and warrants at the Effective Time, is referred to
herein as the "Option Exchange Ratio."
 
     The exact amount of cash and shares of Verio Common Stock payable with
respect to the Hiway Common Stock and the aggregate potential Option
Consideration cannot be determined until the Effective Time. However, based upon
Hiway's capitalization as of November 13, 1998, and assuming that there are no
Excess Expenses, (i) the Per Share Cash Amount will be approximately $4.90 and
the Common Stock Exchange Ratio will be approximately 0.0875, and (ii) the
Option Exchange Ratio will be approximately 0.3940.
 
     Additional examples of how the actual amount of cash and exchange ratios
will be determined are included in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus under the
heading "The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration," starting at page 50,
which you are urged to read carefully.
 
     Verio has filed a Registration Statement on Form S-4 under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") covering the shares of Verio Common Stock to be issued in
connection with the Merger. This Proxy Statement/Prospectus also constitutes the
prospectus of Verio with respect to such shares and has been filed as part of
such Registration Statement. Consummation of the Merger is subject to various
conditions, including adoption of the Merger Agreement at the Hiway Special
Meeting by the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Hiway Common
Stock entitled to vote thereon.
 
   
     Verio Common Stock is listed and traded on the Nasdaq National Market
("Nasdaq") under the symbol "VRIO." On December 14, 1998, the closing sale price
for Verio Common Stock as reported on Nasdaq was $20.25 per share.
    
 
   
     All information contained in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus with respect
to Verio has been provided by Verio. All information contained in this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus with respect to Hiway has been provided by Hiway. This
Proxy Statement/Prospectus is first being mailed to shareholders of Hiway on or
about December 16, 1998. Any shareholder of Hiway who has given a proxy may
revoke it at any time prior to its exercise. See "The Hiway Special
Meeting -- Record Date; Voting Rights; Proxies."
    
<PAGE>   9
 
                             AVAILABLE INFORMATION
 
     Under the rules and regulations of the Commission, the solicitation of
proxies from the shareholders of Hiway to approve the Merger Agreement and the
consummation of the Merger constitute an offering of the Verio Common Stock to
be issued in connection with the Merger. Accordingly, Verio has filed with the
Commission a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (including all amendments,
exhibits, annexes and schedules thereto, the "Registration Statement"), pursuant
to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), with respect
to such offering. This Proxy Statement/Prospectus constitutes the prospectus of
Verio that is filed as part of the Registration Statement. Other parts of the
Registration Statement are omitted from this Proxy Statement/Prospectus in
accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission. For further
information, reference is hereby made to the Registration Statement. Statements
made in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus as to the contents of any contract,
agreement or other document are not necessarily complete, and, in each instance,
reference is made to the copy of the document filed as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement for a more complete description of the matters involved,
and each such statement shall be deemed qualified in its entirety by such
reference. The Registration Statement, including exhibits filed as a part
thereof, is available at the Commission for inspection and copying as set forth
below.
 
     Verio is subject to the informational requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and in accordance
therewith files reports, proxy statements and other information with the
Commission. Such reports, proxy statements and other information filed may be
inspected and copied at the public reference facilities of the Commission
located at Room 1024, Judiciary Plaza, 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington D.C.
20549, and at the Commission's Regional Offices at Seven World Trade Center,
Suite 1300, New York, New York 10048, and Citicorp Center, 500 West Madison
Street, Suite 1400, Chicago, Illinois 60661. Copies of such materials also can
be obtained from the Public Reference Section of the Commission at 450 Fifth
Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20549 at prescribed rates. The Commission maintains
a Web site at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information
statements and other information regarding Verio. Verio Common Stock is quoted
on Nasdaq.
 
                                        i
<PAGE>   10
 
NO PERSON IS AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS
WITH RESPECT TO THE MATTERS DESCRIBED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT/ PROSPECTUS OTHER
THAN THOSE CONTAINED HEREIN. ANY INFORMATION OR REPRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO
SUCH MATTERS NOT CONTAINED HEREIN MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN
AUTHORIZED BY VERIO OR HIWAY. THIS PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS DOES NOT
CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL, OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, SECURITIES,
OR THE SOLICITATION OF A PROXY, IN ANY JURISDICTION TO OR FROM ANY PERSON TO OR
FROM WHOM IT IS UNLAWFUL TO MAKE SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER OR
SOLICITATION OF A PROXY IN SUCH JURISDICTION. NEITHER THE DELIVERY OF THIS PROXY
STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS NOR ANY SALE MADE HEREUNDER SHALL, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES,
CREATE ANY IMPLICATION THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO CHANGE IN THE AFFAIRS OF VERIO OR
HIWAY SINCE THE DATE HEREOF OR THAT THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROXY
STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IS CORRECT AS OF ANY TIME SUBSEQUENT TO THE DATE HEREOF.
 
                                       ii
<PAGE>   11
 
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
   
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AVAILABLE INFORMATION.......................................     i
 
SUMMARY.....................................................     1
  The Companies.............................................     1
     Verio..................................................     1
     Hiway..................................................     2
     Merger Sub.............................................     2
  Hiway Special Meeting.....................................     3
     Time, Place and Date...................................     3
     Purpose................................................     3
     Votes Required; Record Date............................     3
  The Merger................................................     3
     General................................................     3
     Conversion of Shares; Exchange Ratios..................     3
     Conditions to the Merger...............................     5
     Termination............................................     6
     Accounting Treatment...................................     6
  Dissenters' Rights........................................     6
  Surrender of Stock Certificates...........................     6
  Recommendation of the Hiway Board of Directors............     6
  Risk Factors..............................................     7
  Opinion of Hiway Financial Advisor........................     7
  Interests of Certain Persons in the Merger................     7
  Material Federal Income Tax Consequences..................     7
  Comparison of Rights of Verio Stockholders and Hiway
     Shareholders...........................................     8
  Summary Historical and Pro Forma Financial Data of
     Verio..................................................     8
  Selected Historical Financial Data of Hiway...............    10
  Selected Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial
     Data...................................................    11
  Comparative Per Share Data................................    12
  Comparative Per Share Prices and Dividend Policies........    12
 
RISK FACTORS................................................    14
  Uncertainties Associated with the Integration of Hiway....    14
  Potential Fluctuation of Value of Consideration
     Received...............................................    15
  Limitations of Fairness Opinion...........................    15
  Financial Information Concerning Acquisitions; Integration
     Expenses...............................................    16
  Dependence Upon Channel Partners..........................    16
  Management of Growth; Integration of Acquisitions and
     Investments............................................    17
  Risks Associated with International Operations and
     Expansion..............................................    18
  Changes in the Rights of Hiway Shareholders...............    18
  Interests of Certain Persons in the Merger................    19
  Shares Eligible for Future Sale...........................    19
  History of Losses; No Assurance of Profitability..........    20
  Substantial Indebtedness; Effect of Financial Leverage....    20
  Risks Associated with Financing Arrangements..............    21
  Requirements for Additional Capital.......................    21
  Competition; Pricing Fluctuation..........................    21
  Dependence Upon Implementation of Network Infrastructure;
     Establishment and Maintenance of Peering
     Relationships..........................................    23
  Challenges of Growth by Acquisitions......................    23
  Fluctuations in Operating Results.........................    23
  Dependence on Key Personnel...............................    24
</TABLE>
    
 
                                       iii
<PAGE>   12
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
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  Risk of System Failure....................................    24
  Security Risks............................................    24
  Potential Liability for Information Disseminated Over
     Network; Regulatory Matters............................    25
  Dependence on the Internet; Risks of Technology Trends and
     Evolving Industry Standards............................    26
  Dependence Upon Suppliers; Limited Sources of Supply......    26
  Year 2000 Compliance......................................    27
  Effect of Antitakeover Provisions.........................    28
  Forward-Looking Statements................................    28
 
THE HIWAY SPECIAL MEETING...................................    29
  Date, Time, Place and Purpose.............................    29
  Record Date; Voting Rights; Proxies.......................    29
  Solicitation of Proxies...................................    30
  Quorum....................................................    30
  Required Vote.............................................    30
 
THE MERGER..................................................    32
  General...................................................    32
  Effective Time............................................    33
  Conversion of Shares; Procedures for Exchange of Stock
     Certificates...........................................    33
  Background of the Merger..................................    34
  Recommendation of the Hiway Board; Reasons for the
     Merger.................................................    37
  Opinion of Hiway Financial Advisor........................    42
  Interests of Certain Persons in the Merger................    46
  Material Federal Income Tax Consequences..................    47
  Accounting Treatment......................................    47
  Stock Ownership Following the Merger......................    47
  Regulatory Approvals......................................    48
  Resale Restrictions.......................................    48
 
THE MERGER AGREEMENT........................................    50
  The Merger................................................    50
  Effective Time of the Merger..............................    50
  Merger Consideration......................................    50
  Stock Options and Warrants................................    52
  Representations and Warranties............................    53
  Certain Covenants.........................................    53
  Conditions................................................    55
  Termination...............................................    55
  Amendment; Waiver.........................................    56
  Expenses..................................................    56
 
VOTING AGREEMENTS...........................................    56
 
DISSENTERS' RIGHTS OF HIWAY SHAREHOLDERS....................    57
 
COMPARATIVE PER SHARE PRICES AND DIVIDEND POLICIES..........    58
 
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK................................    59
  Verio Capital Stock.......................................    59
  Verio Warrants............................................    60
  Verio Registration Rights.................................    60
  Hiway Capital Stock.......................................    62
 
COMPARISON OF RIGHTS OF VERIO STOCKHOLDERS AND HIWAY
  SHAREHOLDERS..............................................    62
  General...................................................    62
  Amendment of Charter Documents............................    62
</TABLE>
    
 
                                       iv
<PAGE>   13
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               PAGE
                                                               ----
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  Election and Number of Directors; Filling Vacancies;
     Removal................................................    63
  Stockholders Meetings and Written Consents................    64
  Preferred Stock...........................................    64
  Business Combinations.....................................    65
  Limitation of Liability of Directors......................    65
  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.................    66
  Dissenters' Rights........................................    67
  Dividends.................................................    67
  Stockholder Voting........................................    68
  Inspection of Stockholder List............................    68
  Loans to Officers and Employees...........................    68
  Interested Director Transactions..........................    68
  Stockholder Derivative Suit...............................    69
  Dissolution...............................................    69
 
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
  OF VERIO..................................................    70
 
BUSINESS OF VERIO...........................................    84
  Overview..................................................    84
  Industry Background.......................................    84
  The Verio Solution........................................    86
  The Verio Strategy........................................    86
  The Verio Organization....................................    88
  Products and Services.....................................    88
  Marketing.................................................    91
  Sales and Distribution....................................    92
  Technology and Network Operations.........................    93
  National Support Services.................................    96
  NTT Strategic Relationship................................    97
  Subsidiary Ownership Structure............................    97
  Competition...............................................    98
  Properties................................................    99
  Employees.................................................    99
  Trademarks and Trade Names................................    99
  Legal Proceedings.........................................   100
 
CAPITALIZATION OF VERIO.....................................   101
 
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED HISTORICAL AND PRO FORMA FINANCIAL
  DATA OF VERIO.............................................   102
 
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
  AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF VERIO........................   104
  Overview..................................................   104
  Results of Operations.....................................   106
  Quarterly Results of Operations...........................   110
  Liquidity and Capital Resources...........................   111
  New Accounting Standards..................................   113
  Forward-Looking Statements................................   114
 
CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS OF VERIO...............................   115
  Transactions with Directors and Executive Officers........   115
  Other Transactions........................................   115
 
PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS OF VERIO.............................   117
</TABLE>
 
                                        v
<PAGE>   14
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               PAGE
                                                               ----
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MANAGEMENT OF VERIO AFTER THE MERGER........................   120
  Directors and Executive Officers of Verio.................   120
  Committees of the Verio Board.............................   125
  Directors and Executive Officers of Merger Sub............   125
 
COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS AND CERTAIN EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF
  VERIO.....................................................   125
  Compensation of Verio Directors...........................   125
  Executive Compensation of Verio...........................   126
  Employment Agreements.....................................   127
  Compensation Protection Agreements........................   128
  Stock Option and Incentive Plans..........................   129
     1996 Stock Option Plan.................................   129
     1997 California Stock Option Plan......................   130
     1998 Stock Incentive Plan..............................   131
     1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan......................   132
     1998 Non-Employee Director Stock Incentive Plan........   133
  401(k) Plan...............................................   134
  Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider
     Participation..........................................   135
  Limitation on Liability and Indemnification Matters.......   135
 
BUSINESS OF HIWAY...........................................   136
 
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA OF HIWAY...............   137
 
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
  AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF HIWAY........................   138
  Overview..................................................   138
  Quarterly Results of Operations...........................   140
  Years Ended December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and Nine
     Months Ended September 30, 1997 and 1998...............   143
  Liquidity and Capital Resources...........................   144
  Factors Affecting Results of Operations and Financial
     Condition..............................................   145
  Recent Accounting Pronouncements..........................   146
  Year 2000 Issues..........................................   147
 
PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS OF HIWAY.............................   148
 
OTHER MATTERS...............................................   149
 
LEGAL MATTERS...............................................   149
 
EXPERTS.....................................................   149
 
GLOSSARY OF TERMS...........................................   151
 
INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS...............................   F-1
</TABLE>
    
 
                                   APPENDICES
 
APPENDIX A -- Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger
 
APPENDIX B -- Form of Proxy of Hiway
 
APPENDIX C -- Opinion of BT Alex. Brown Incorporated
 
APPENDIX D -- Chapter 13 of the California General Corporation Law
 
                                       vi
<PAGE>   15
 
                                    SUMMARY
 
     The following is a summary of certain information contained elsewhere in
this Proxy Statement/ Prospectus and the Appendices hereto. This summary does
not purport to contain a complete statement of all material information relating
to the Merger Agreement, the Merger and the other matters discussed herein, and
is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by, the more detailed
information and financial statements contained in or attached to this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus. Shareholders of Hiway should carefully read this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus in its entirety. Capitalized terms used in this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus, which are not otherwise defined herein, have the
respective meanings ascribed to them in "Glossary of Terms."
 
     This Proxy Statement/Prospectus contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform
Act"), including statements regarding Verio's and Hiway's expectations, beliefs,
intentions or strategies regarding the future. The safe harbor provisions
provided in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange
Act apply only to forward-looking statements made by Verio and not Hiway. All
forward-looking statements included in this Proxy Statement/ Prospectus with
respect to Verio are based on information available to Verio as of the date
hereof, and all forward-looking statements included in this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus with respect to Hiway are based on information available to
Hiway as of the date hereof. Neither Verio nor Hiway assumes any obligation to
update any such forward-looking statements. It is important to note that Verio's
and Hiway's actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in
the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that could cause actual
results to differ materially are the factors detailed in "Risk Factors" below.
 
THE COMPANIES
 
     Verio. Verio is a leading provider of comprehensive business Internet
services -- including broadband connectivity, Web hosting solutions, virtual
private networks ("VPNs"), e-commerce and other enhanced Internet
services -- with an emphasis on serving the small and medium sized business
market. Verio believes that small and medium sized businesses represent an
attractive target market for the provision of Internet services due to this
market's low current penetration levels and customer churn rates, and the
expanding Internet needs of these businesses. Because of their limited internal
technical resources and operating scale, small and medium sized businesses are
increasingly looking to outsource Internet and Information Technology ("IT")
functions at a reasonable cost. These businesses also typically require hands-on
local support to help analyze their needs, configure solutions and provide
ongoing technical support. Verio believes that these businesses currently are
underserved by both the local and other national Internet service providers
("ISPs"). While the other national ISPs typically lack the local presence to
provide customized hands-on support, the local ISPs often lack the requisite
scale and resources to provide a full range of services at acceptable quality
and pricing levels. Verio further believes it has a unique competitive advantage
in serving small and medium sized business customers through the combination of
the technical expertise and hands-on support provided through its local sales
and engineering personnel with the quality and economic efficiency of Verio's
national network, operational infrastructure and financial strength.
 
     Since its inception in March 1996, Verio has rapidly established critical
mass and a global presence through the acquisition, integration and growth of
over 45 ISPs that provide a comprehensive range of business Internet services.
Verio integrates the operations it acquires into regional operating units with
centralized regional management, connecting their regional networks to Verio's
high bandwidth, "tier one" national backbone, and providing them with Verio's
national support services, in order to capture economies of scale and
operational efficiencies while improving reliability, quality and scalability.
Verio currently provides locally based sales and engineering support for its
connectivity, Web hosting and other enhanced services in 39 of the top 50
metropolitan statistical areas ("MSAs") in the U.S., and provides Web hosting
services to customers in over 100 countries.
 
     In addition to basic Internet connectivity, businesses are increasingly
capitalizing on the power of the Internet by establishing domain-based Web sites
(such as www.yourcompany.com) and adopting additional enhanced Internet services
to expand their markets, increase productivity and reduce costs. With its recent
acquisition (the "TABNet Acquisition") of NTX, Inc., d/b/a TABNet ("TABNet") and
its proposed
 
                                        1
<PAGE>   16
 
acquisition of Hiway in the Merger, Verio significantly accelerates and expands
its ability to provide Web hosting and other value-added services to its target
market. Together with its acquisition of Internet Servers, Inc. ("iServer") at
the end of 1997, these acquisitions establish Verio as the largest Web hosting
company in the world based on the number of domain names hosted, and
significantly increase Verio's customer base. As of October 31, 1998, including
all acquisitions completed as of that date, Verio served over 160,000 customer
accounts, including over 80,000 hosted Web sites, with combined pro forma
revenues of approximately $35.7 million for the three months ended September 30,
1998. The completion of the Merger would bring Verio's total customer accounts
to over 250,000, the number of Web sites hosted to over 180,000 and its pro
forma combined revenues for the three months ended September 30, 1998 to
approximately $46.2 million. The consummation of the proposed Merger, together
with the completed acquisitions of iServer and TABNet, would accomplish Verio's
goal of deriving at least half of its total revenue from enhanced services.
These acquisitions would also create in Verio a powerful sales engine, driven by
preferential marketing agreements with leading Internet portal companies,
private label relationships with major telecommunications companies, an
established telemarketing operations, direct sales through over 200 sales
professionals, and a worldwide indirect distribution channel of over 4,000
resellers in the U.S. and over 100 other countries. In addition, Verio has
acquired, through the iServer and TABNet acquisitions, and expects to acquire,
through the proposed Merger, key proprietary technologies that significantly
differentiate Verio's Web hosting platform from other providers. See "Business
of Verio."
 
     As used herein, the term "Verio" refers to Verio Inc., a Delaware
corporation (formerly known as World-Net Access, Inc.), and its subsidiaries.
Verio(TM) and the Verio logo are trademarks of Verio. This Proxy
Statement/Prospectus may contain trademarks, trade names and service marks of
other parties.
 
     Verio's executive offices are located at 8005 South Chester Street, Suite
200, Englewood, Colorado 80112, and its telephone number at that address is
(303) 645-1900.
 
     Hiway. Hiway is a leading global provider of Web hosting and related
enhanced Internet services to small and medium sized businesses. Hiway focuses
on delivering high-quality, reliable and flexible services that are backed by
24X7 customer support and can be scaled to host millions of Web sites. Hiway's
services enable its customers to deploy, expand and update Web sites more
rapidly and cost-effectively than internally developed solutions. Hiway offers
its solutions directly and through value-added resellers (third-party dealers
that resell and support the services of another company) ("VARs") and original
equipment manufacturers (large companies that offer the services of another
company to their established customer bases under their own brand names)
(commonly referred to as "OEMs"). Hiway's OEMs include three of the five
regional Bell operating companies ("RBOCs").
 
     Hiway was formed in May 1998 through the merger (the "Best/Hiway Merger")
of Best Internet Communications, Inc., a California corporation ("Best"), which
was incorporated in September 1994, and Hiway Technologies, Inc., a Florida
corporation ("Hiway Florida"), which was incorporated in April 1995. As used
herein, "Hiway" refers to the entity resulting from the Best/Hiway Merger. Prior
to the Best/Hiway Merger, Hiway Florida was a leading provider of shared server
Web hosting domestically and, through its established network of VARs,
internationally. Hiway Florida also had begun to expand its distribution
channels by entering into relationships with RBOCs and other OEMs. Best was a
leading provider of shared server Web hosting bundled with dial-up Internet
access in the California market prior to the Best/Hiway Merger, and also offered
stand-alone high-speed Internet connectivity and co-location Web hosting
services. See "Business of Hiway."
 
     Hiway Technologies(R) and Best Internet Communications(R) are registered
trademarks of Hiway. Hiway(TM), HWAY(TM), A Home For Your Page(TM) and
RapidSite(TM) are trademarks of Hiway.
 
   
     Hiway's executive offices are located at (i) 5050 Blue Lake Drive, Suite
100, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, and its telephone number at that address is
(561) 989-8574, and (ii) 345 East Middlefield Road, Mountain View, California
94043, and its telephone number at that address is (650) 964-2378.
    
 
     Merger Sub. Merger Sub is a California corporation organized by Verio for
the purpose of effecting the Merger. It has no material assets and has not
engaged in any activities except in connection with the Merger.
 
                                        2
<PAGE>   17
 
Merger Sub's executive offices are located at 8005 South Chester Street, Suite
200, Englewood, Colorado 80112.
 
HIWAY SPECIAL MEETING
 
   
     Time, Place and Date. A special meeting of shareholders of Hiway will be
held at Best's corporate offices located at 401 Third Street, San Francisco,
California 94107 on December 29, 1998 at 11 A.M., Pacific Time (including any
and all adjournments or postponements thereof, the "Hiway Special Meeting").
    
 
     Purpose. At the Hiway Special Meeting, holders of common stock, no par
value per share, of Hiway ("Hiway Common Stock") will vote to approve a proposal
(the "Hiway Merger Proposal") to approve and adopt the Merger Agreement and the
Merger. Shareholders of Hiway may also vote upon any other matters that may
properly come before the meeting.
 
     All shares of Hiway Common Stock represented by properly executed proxies
will be voted at the Hiway Special Meeting in accordance with the directions on
the proxies. If no direction is indicated, the shares will be voted "FOR" the
Hiway Merger Proposal. Any Hiway shareholder giving a proxy may revoke his or
her proxy at any time before its exercise at the Hiway Special Meeting by (i)
filing written notice of such revocation with the Secretary of Hiway or (ii)
signing and delivering to such Secretary a proxy bearing a later date. However,
the mere presence at the Hiway Special Meeting of a Hiway shareholder who has
delivered a valid proxy will not of itself revoke that proxy. See "The Hiway
Special Meeting -- Record Date; Voting Rights; Proxies."
 
   
     Votes Required; Record Date. Approval of the Hiway Merger Proposal requires
the approval of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Hiway
Common Stock entitled to vote thereon. Only holders of Hiway Common Stock at the
close of business on December 3, 1998 (the "Hiway Record Date") are entitled to
notice of and to vote at the Hiway Special Meeting. As of the Hiway Record Date,
directors and executive officers of Hiway and their affiliates were beneficial
owners of an aggregate of 22,615,638 shares of Hiway Common Stock (exclusive of
any shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options or warrants remaining
unexercised as of such date), or approximately 63.0% of the 35,887,913 shares of
Hiway Common Stock that were issued and outstanding as of such date. Certain
shareholders of Hiway, holding in the aggregate approximately 63.0% of the
shares of Hiway Common Stock outstanding as of the Hiway Record Date, have each
entered into a Voting Agreement and Irrevocable Proxy with Verio pursuant to
which each such shareholder has agreed to vote, and has executed an irrevocable
proxy in favor of Verio to vote, all shares of Hiway Common Stock over which
such shareholder has voting power for approval of the Hiway Merger Proposal. See
"The Hiway Special Meeting -- Required Vote" and "Voting Agreements."
    
 
THE MERGER
 
     General. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and subject to the terms and
conditions thereof, at the Effective Time, Merger Sub will be merged with and
into Hiway, with Hiway as the surviving company.
 
   
     Conversion of Shares; Exchange Ratios. At the effective time of the Merger
(the "Effective Time"), (i) each outstanding share of Hiway Common Stock will be
converted into cash and a fraction of a share of the common stock, $0.001 par
value per share, of Verio ("Verio Common Stock"), and (ii) each outstanding
option or warrant to purchase Hiway Common Stock will be assumed by Verio and
become an option or warrant to purchase Verio Common Stock on substantially the
same terms and conditions as the Hiway option or warrant. See "The
Merger -- General."
    
 
     At the Effective Time, each outstanding share of Hiway Common Stock will be
converted into cash and a fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock, as follows:
 
     - The total consideration to be paid or issued with respect to each share
       of Hiway Common Stock in connection with the Merger (the "Per Share
       Price") will be equal to the quotient of (i) approximately $254.72
       million, adjusted as described herein (the "Total Consideration Value"),
       divided by (ii) the number of shares of Hiway Common Stock outstanding on
       the date the Merger is closed (the "Closing Date"), on a fully diluted
       basis.
                                        3
<PAGE>   18
 
     - The amount of cash payable with respect to each share of Hiway Common
       Stock (the "Per Share Cash Amount") will be equal to the quotient of (i)
       $176.0 million, divided by (ii) the total number of shares of Hiway
       Common Stock outstanding on the Closing Date.
 
     - The fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock issuable with respect to
       each share of Hiway Common Stock (the "Common Stock Exchange Ratio") will
       be equal to the quotient of (i) the amount by which the Per Share Price
       exceeds the Per Share Cash Amount, divided by (ii) $16.00.
 
     The Total Consideration Value will be finally determined pursuant to the
Merger Agreement at the Effective Time, taking into account, among other things,
the amount, if any, of certain excess expenses and payments that may be incurred
or made by Hiway related to the Merger and Hiway's previously proposed initial
public offering ("Excess Expenses") and the proceeds that would be receivable by
Hiway upon the exercise of certain options and warrants to purchase Hiway Common
Stock. The actual value of the shares of Verio Common Stock to be issued in
connection with the Merger (and thus the actual value of the Total Consideration
Value at the Effective Date) will depend upon, among other things, the actual
value of Verio Common Stock at the Closing Date, which may vary both before and
after the Closing Date. See "Risk Factors -- Potential Fluctuation of Value of
Consideration Received" and "The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration" for a
more detailed discussion of the consideration to be received in the Merger. Cash
will be paid in lieu of fractional shares.
 
     Each Hiway option or warrant will be assumed by Verio and become an option
or warrant to purchase, at the same aggregate exercise price and on
substantially the same terms and conditions as the Hiway option or warrant, that
number of shares of Verio Common Stock which the holder thereof would have been
entitled to receive had such option or warrant been exercised prior to the
Effective Time and had the Total Consideration Value been paid entirely in
shares of Verio Common Stock. The aggregate number of shares of Verio Common
Stock subject to the resulting options and warrants (the "Option
Consideration"), divided by the aggregate number of shares of Hiway Common Stock
subject to the Hiway options and warrants at the Effective Time, is referred to
herein as the "Option Exchange Ratio."
 
     The exact amount of cash and shares of Verio Common Stock payable with
respect to the Hiway Common Stock and the aggregate potential Option
Consideration (the "Merger Consideration") cannot be determined until the
Effective Time. Pursuant to the formula for determining the Total Consideration
Value, as described above, the Total Consideration Value, as well as the Per
Share Cash Amount, the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Option Exchange
Ratio, will be affected by several factors that will not be known until the
Closing Date or the Effective Time. First, the Total Consideration Value will be
decreased by the amount of any Excess Expenses, which will result in a decrease
in the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Option Exchange Ratio. Second, the
Total Consideration Value, and the Per Share Cash Amount, the Common Stock
Exchange Ratio and the Option Exchange Ratio, will be affected by changes in the
capitalization of Hiway prior to the Closing Date. Pursuant to the Merger
Agreement, Hiway generally has agreed not to issue or sell any capital stock or
other securities prior to the Effective Time. However, Hiway may issue options
to purchase shares of Hiway Common Stock to its employees in the ordinary course
of its business, provided, that Hiway may not issue options to purchase in
excess of 150,000 shares of Hiway Common Stock in the aggregate. Additionally,
Hiway may issue shares of Hiway Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of option
grants previously made to its employees in the ordinary course of its business
that were outstanding when the Merger Agreement first was signed, as well as
pursuant to the exercise of warrants that were outstanding at that time. If, for
example, Hiway issues additional shares of Hiway Common Stock pursuant to the
exercise of outstanding options or warrants, or grants additional options to
purchase shares of Hiway Common Stock, then the Total Consideration Value will
be increased to reflect the increased proceeds receivable from the exercise of
such options or warrants (assuming such options or warrants remain outstanding
at, or are exercised prior to, the Closing Date), and the Common Stock Exchange
Ratio and the Option Exchange Ratio will be decreased to reflect the change in
the Total Consideration Value and the increase in the number of shares on a
fully diluted basis (provided that the average exercise price per share for such
options and warrants does not exceed a certain amount). If Hiway issues
additional shares of Hiway Common Stock, then the Per Share Cash Amount, the
Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Option Exchange Ratio will be decreased.
                                        4
<PAGE>   19
 
     The following are examples of the determination of the Common Stock
Exchange Ratio, the Per Share Cash Amount and the Option Exchange Ratio, based
on certain specified assumptions:
 
        - Assuming that the capitalization of Hiway as of November 13, 1998,
          remains unchanged at the Closing Date, and that there are no Excess
          Expenses, (i) the Per Share Cash Amount will be approximately $4.90,
          and the Common Stock Exchange Ratio will be approximately 0.0875, and
          (ii) the Option Exchange Ratio will be approximately 0.3940.
 
        - Assuming that the capitalization of Hiway as of November 13, 1998
          remains unchanged at the Closing Date, but that there are $2.0 million
          in Excess Expenses, (i) the Per Share Cash Amount would be
          approximately $4.90, and the Common Stock Exchange Ratio would be
          approximately 0.0844, and (ii) the Option Exchange Ratio would be
          approximately 0.3909.
 
        - Assuming that there are no Excess Expenses, but that Hiway issues an
          additional 100,000 options with an average exercise price of $6.00 per
          share prior to the Closing Date, but that otherwise the capitalization
          of Hiway as of November 13, 1998, remains unchanged as at the Closing
          Date, (i) the Per Share Cash Amount would be approximately $4.90, and
          the Common Stock Exchange Ratio would be approximately 0.0875, and
          (ii) the Option Exchange Ratio would be approximately 0.3940.
 
        - Assuming that there are no Excess Expenses, but that options or
          warrants to purchase 200,000 shares of Hiway Common Stock are
          exercised prior to the Closing Date, at an average exercise price of
          $3.05 per share, but that otherwise the capitalization of Hiway as of
          November 13, 1998, remains unchanged as at the Closing Date, (i) the
          Per Share Cash Amount would be approximately $4.88, and the Common
          Stock Exchange Ratio would be approximately 0.0892, and (ii) the
          Option Exchange Ratio would be approximately 0.3940.
 
     The numbers in the examples in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus have been
rounded for purposes of clarity of description only. The actual Common Stock
Exchange Ratio, Per Share Cash Amount and Option Exchange Ratio will be
calculated in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement.
 
     For additional information regarding the determination of the Merger
Consideration and the Per Share Cash Amount, the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and
the Option Exchange Ratio, see "The Merger -- General" and "The Merger
Agreement -- Merger Consideration."
 
     Of the approximately 4.92 million shares of Verio Common Stock potentially
issuable in connection with the Merger (based on such assumptions),
approximately 3.14 million will be issued in connection with the conversion of
outstanding shares of Hiway Common Stock and approximately 1.78 million will be
reserved for issuance upon the exercise of options or warrants to purchase Hiway
Common Stock assumed by Verio, assuming the capitalization of Hiway as of
November 13, 1998 remains unchanged as of the Closing Date. See "The
Merger -- General" and "-- Stock Ownership Following the Merger" and "The Merger
Agreement -- Merger Consideration."
 
     Conditions to the Merger. The obligations of Verio and Hiway to effect the
Merger are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions,
including, among others: (i) the effectiveness of the Registration Statement at
the Effective Time; and (ii) approval of the Hiway Merger Proposal by Hiway's
shareholders.
 
     The obligation of each of Verio and Merger Sub to effect the Merger is
subject to the satisfaction or waiver of additional conditions specified in the
Merger Agreement, including, among other things: (i) certain members of Hiway's
management having executed lockup agreements; (ii) certain employees of Hiway
having executed Noncompete Agreements (as defined below); (iii) there not having
been any material adverse change in Hiway's business, condition, assets,
liabilities, operations or financial performance since the date of the Merger
Agreement; (iv) the holders of no more than 10% of the outstanding shares of
Hiway Common Stock having demanded or being eligible to demand dissenters'
rights; (v) the termination of the employment agreements between Hiway and
certain officers of Hiway; and (vi) the receipt of various other consents from
third parties. The obligation of Hiway to effect the Merger is subject to the
satisfaction of additional conditions specified in the Merger Agreement,
including, among other things, there not having been
                                        5
<PAGE>   20
 
any material adverse change in Verio's business, condition, assets, liabilities,
operations or financial performance since the date of the Merger Agreement
(provided that a decrease in the trading price of Verio Common Stock shall not
of itself be considered a material adverse change). The parties' obligations to
close the Merger are independent of any fluctuations (including any material
decline) in the amount of the Merger Consideration as a result of fluctuations
in the value of the portion of the Merger Consideration payable in Verio Common
Stock, and no re-solicitation of the approval of the holders of Hiway Common
Stock would occur if any such fluctuation occurred following the initial
solicitation and receipt of the requisite approval of the Merger. See "Risk
Factors -- Potential Fluctuation of Value of Consideration Received" and "The
Merger Agreement -- Conditions."
 
   
     Termination. The Merger Agreement may be terminated and the Merger
abandoned at any time prior to the Effective Time, whether before or after
approval by the shareholders of Hiway, (i) by mutual consent of Verio and Hiway,
(ii) by either Verio or Hiway, if there has been any material breach of a
covenant or obligation of Hiway or a shareholder of Hiway, on the one hand, or
by Verio, on the other hand, (iii) by either Verio or Hiway, if the Merger has
not been consummated by February 28, 1999, or (iv) by Verio, if approval of the
shareholders of Hiway required for the consummation of the Merger has not been
obtained at a duly held meeting of shareholders or at any adjournment thereof.
    
 
   
     In the event the Merger Agreement is terminated, all further obligations of
Verio, Hiway and Merger Sub under the Merger Agreement shall terminate,
provided, however, that each party shall remain subject to specified provisions
in the Merger Agreement relating to, among other things, the payment of fees and
expenses and the confidential treatment of certain information, and each party
shall continue to be bound by the terms of the Nondisclosure Agreement between
Verio and Hiway dated as of July 15, 1998. See "The Merger
Agreement -- Termination."
    
 
     Accounting Treatment. The Merger is expected to be accounted for under the
purchase method of accounting, in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles. See "The Merger -- Accounting Treatment."
 
DISSENTERS' RIGHTS
 
     Holders of Hiway Common Stock who abstain from voting to approve or adopt
the Merger Agreement or vote against approval and adoption of the Merger
Agreement and who comply with all other applicable requirements of Chapter 13 of
the California General Corporation Law (the "CGCL") will have the right to
receive payment in cash of the "fair market value" of their shares of Hiway
Common Stock. The procedure for perfecting dissenters' rights is summarized
under the caption "Dissenters' Rights of Hiway Shareholders," and the pertinent
provisions of Chapter 13 of the CGCL are included as Appendix D to this Proxy
Statement/ Prospectus.
 
SURRENDER OF STOCK CERTIFICATES
 
     Verio has authorized Norwest Shareowner Services to act as exchange agent
(the "Exchange Agent") under the Merger Agreement. As soon as reasonably
practical after the Effective Time, the Exchange Agent will send a letter of
transmittal to each Hiway shareholder. The letter of transmittal will contain
instructions with respect to the surrender of certificates representing Hiway
Common Stock to be exchanged for Verio Common Stock. See "The
Merger -- Conversion of Shares; Procedures for Exchange of Stock Certificates."
 
     HIWAY SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD NOT FORWARD CERTIFICATES OF HIWAY COMMON STOCK TO
THE EXCHANGE AGENT UNTIL THEY HAVE RECEIVED TRANSMITTAL LETTERS. HIWAY
SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD NOT RETURN SHARE CERTIFICATES WITH THE ENCLOSED PROXY.
 
RECOMMENDATION OF THE HIWAY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
 
     THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF HIWAY (THE "HIWAY BOARD") HAS UNANIMOUSLY
APPROVED THE HIWAY MERGER PROPOSAL. THE HIWAY BOARD BELIEVES THAT THE TERMS OF
THE MERGER AGREEMENT ARE FAIR TO, AND IN THE BEST
 
                                        6
<PAGE>   21
 
INTERESTS OF, HIWAY AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS, AND UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT
HOLDERS OF HIWAY COMMON STOCK VOTE "FOR" APPROVAL OF THE HIWAY MERGER PROPOSAL.
See "The Merger -- Background of the Merger" and "-- Recommendation of the Hiway
Board; Reasons for the Merger."
 
RISK FACTORS
 
   
     The Merger and the business of Verio and Hiway after the Merger will be
subject to a number of risks, including: uncertainties associated with the
integration of Hiway into Verio; the potential fluctuation of value of
consideration received; limitations of fairness opinion; financial information
concerning acquisitions and integration expenses; dependence upon channel
partners; management of growth and integration of acquisitions and investments;
risks associated with international operations and expansion; changes in the
rights of Hiway shareholders; interests of certain persons in the Merger; the
number of shares of Verio Common Stock eligible for future sale; Verio's history
of losses, with no assurance of profitability; substantial indebtedness and
effect of financial leverage; risks associated with financial arrangements;
requirements for additional capital; competition and price fluctuation;
dependence upon implementation of network infrastructure and establishment and
maintenance of peering relationships; challenges of growth by acquisitions;
fluctuations in operating results; dependence on key personnel; risk of system
failure; security risks; potential liability for information disseminated over
network and regulatory matters; dependence on the Internet and risks of
technology trends and evolving industry standards; dependence upon suppliers and
limited sources of supply; year 2000 compliance; and the effect of anti-takeover
provisions. In considering whether to approve the Hiway Merger Proposal, Hiway
shareholders should carefully review and consider the information contained in
"Risk Factors."
    
 
OPINION OF HIWAY FINANCIAL ADVISOR
 
   
     BT Alex. Brown Incorporated ("BT Alex. Brown"), one of the investment
banking firms retained by the Hiway Board to act as its financial advisor in
connection with the Merger, has rendered its written opinion dated November 20,
1998 to the Hiway Board to the effect that as of November 19, 1998, the Common
Stock Exchange Ratio and the Per Share Cash Amount, taken together, were fair,
from a financial point of view, to the holders of Hiway Common Stock. The full
text of the opinion of BT Alex. Brown (the "BT Alex. Brown Opinion"), which sets
forth the assumptions made and matters considered, is attached as Appendix C to
this Proxy Statement/Prospectus. Holders of Hiway Common Stock are urged to, and
should, read such opinion in its entirety. See "The Merger -- Opinion of Hiway
Financial Advisor."
    
 
INTERESTS OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN THE MERGER
 
     In considering the recommendations of the Hiway Board with respect to the
Hiway Merger Proposal, shareholders of Hiway should be aware that certain
members of the management of Hiway have interests in the Merger that are in
addition to the interests of shareholders of Hiway generally. These interests
arise from, among things, (i) payments that Hiway will make in connection with
the termination of existing employment contracts and in connection with the
execution of the Noncompete Agreements, (ii) the appointment of Arthur L.
Cahoon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hiway, as a director of Verio,
and (iii) indemnification and insurance arrangements. Since payments to these
executives, which are anticipated to total approximately $4.4 million, will be
accounted for in calculating whether there are any Excess Expenses that reduce
the Merger Consideration, it is possible that these payments could contribute to
a reduction in the Merger Consideration. See "The Merger -- Interests of Certain
Persons in the Merger" and "The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration."
 
MATERIAL FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
 
     For federal income tax purposes, the merger of Merger Sub into Hiway will
be treated as a sale of Hiway Common Stock by Hiway shareholders to Verio in
exchange for the Merger Consideration. Hiway shareholders will recognize gain or
loss equal to the difference between their tax basis in the Hiway Common Stock
surrendered and the amount of cash and the fair market value (as of the
effective date of the Merger) of the Verio Common Stock received. See "The
Merger -- Material Federal Income Tax Consequences."
 
                                        7
<PAGE>   22
 
COMPARISON OF RIGHTS OF VERIO STOCKHOLDERS AND HIWAY SHAREHOLDERS
 
     The rights of Hiway shareholders are currently governed by the CGCL and
Hiway's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. Upon consummation of the Merger,
Hiway shareholders will become stockholders of Verio, which is a Delaware
corporation, and their rights as Verio stockholders will be governed by the
Delaware General Corporate Law (the "DGCL") and Verio's Restated Certificate of
Incorporation and Bylaws. For a discussion of the various differences between
the rights of shareholders of Hiway and stockholders of Verio, see "Comparison
of Rights of Verio Stockholders and Hiway Shareholders."
 
SUMMARY HISTORICAL AND PRO FORMA FINANCIAL DATA OF VERIO
 
     The summary historical consolidated financial data of Verio as of December
31, 1997, and for the period from inception (March 1, 1996) to December 31,
1996, and the year ended December 31, 1997 have been derived from the audited
Consolidated Financial Statements of Verio included elsewhere in this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus. The summary historical consolidated financial data as of
September 30, 1998 and for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 1997 and
1998 have been derived from unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements of
Verio, also included herein.
 
     The information set forth below should be read in conjunction with the
Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements and the historical
Consolidated Financial Statements of Verio and the notes thereto included
elsewhere in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus. Results of operations for the
period from inception to December 31, 1996, the year ended December 31, 1997 and
the nine-month periods ended September 30, 1997 and 1998 are not necessarily
indicative of results of operations for future periods. Verio's development and
expansion activities, including acquisitions, during the periods shown below may
significantly affect the comparability of this data from one period to another.
See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations of Verio."
 
                  SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA OF VERIO
                 (Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share Data)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                     NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                             YEAR ENDED           --------------------------------------
                              PERIOD FROM INCEPTION       DECEMBER 31, 1997              HISTORICAL
                               (MARCH 1, 1996) TO     -------------------------   ------------------------    PRO FORMA
                                DECEMBER 31, 1996     HISTORICAL   PRO FORMA(1)      1997         1998         1998(1)
                              ---------------------   ----------   ------------   ----------   -----------   -----------
<S>                           <C>                     <C>          <C>            <C>          <C>           <C>
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
  DATA:
Total revenue...............        $  2,365          $   35,692    $   99,098    $   22,287   $    83,543   $   101,127
Total costs and expenses....           8,645              75,981       161,569        47,474       148,727       174,236
                                    --------          ----------    ----------    ----------   -----------   -----------
Loss from operations........        $ (6,280)         $  (40,289)   $  (62,471)   $  (25,187)  $   (65,184)  $   (73,109)
                                    ========          ==========    ==========    ==========   ===========   ===========
Interest expense............        $   (115)         $  (11,826)   $  (58,543)   $   (5,899)  $   (22,860)  $   (57,531)
                                    ========          ==========    ==========    ==========   ===========   ===========
Loss before extraordinary
  item......................        $ (5,122)         $  (46,069)   $ (114,858)   $  (27,022)  $   (78,118)  $  (121,036)
                                    ========          ==========    ==========    ==========   ===========   ===========
Net loss attributable to
  common stockholders.......        $ (5,145)         $  (46,329)                 $  (27,201)  $   (88,306)
                                    ========          ==========                  ==========   ===========
Loss per common
  share -- basic and
  diluted:
  Loss per common share
    before extraordinary
    item....................        $  (5.29)         $   (40.47)   $  (100.34)   $   (24.11)  $     (4.49)  $     (6.93)
                                    ========          ==========    ==========    ==========   ===========   ===========
Loss per common share.......        $  (5.29)         $   (40.47)   $  (100.34)   $   (24.11)  $     (5.06)
                                    ========          ==========    ==========    ==========   ===========
Weighted average common
  shares outstanding --basic
  and diluted...............         971,748           1,144,685     1,144,685     1,128,004    17,462,447    17,462,447
OTHER DATA:
EBITDA(2)...................        $ (5,611)         $  (29,665)   $  (30,779)   $  (18,450)  $   (38,366)  $   (40,594)
Capital expenditures (3)....           3,430              14,547                      11,002        15,327
CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
Net cash used by operating
  activities................          (2,326)            (35,323)                    (20,462)      (36,257)
Net cash used by investing
  activities................          (9,123)           (120,330)                    (89,375)     (119,312)
Net cash provided by
  financing activities......          77,916             161,772                     163,002       328,895
</TABLE>
 
                                        8
<PAGE>   23
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                      THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  MARCH 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPTEMBER 30,   DECEMBER 31,   MARCH 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPTEMBER 30,
                                    1997        1997         1997            1997         1998        1998         1998
                                  ---------   --------   -------------   ------------   ---------   --------   -------------
<S>                               <C>         <C>        <C>             <C>            <C>         <C>        <C>
QUARTERLY STATEMENT OF
  OPERATIONS DATA:
Total revenue...................   $ 4,414    $ 8,249      $  9,624        $ 13,405     $ 21,198    $ 28,541     $ 33,804
Total costs and expenses........    10,006     17,103        20,365          28,507       35,916      49,868       62,944
                                   -------    -------      --------        --------     --------    --------     --------
Loss from operations............   $(5,592)   $(8,854)     $(10,741)       $(15,102)    $(14,718)   $(21,327)    $(29,140)
                                   =======    =======      ========        ========     ========    ========     ========
Net loss attributable to common
  stockholders..................   $(4,677)   $(9,274)     $(13,250)       $(19,128)    $(28,383)   $(26,316)    $(33,606)
                                   =======    =======      ========        ========     ========    ========     ========
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                    AS OF
                                                                             SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                                                                 AS OF       -------------------
                                                              DECEMBER 31,                PRO
                                                                  1997        ACTUAL    FORMA(1)
                                                              ------------   --------   --------
<S>                                                           <C>            <C>        <C>
BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Cash and cash equivalents...................................    $ 72,586     $245,912   $627,356
Restricted cash and securities..............................      40,554       21,397     21,397
Goodwill, net...............................................      83,216      210,047    217,000
Total assets................................................     246,471      562,329    962,787
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of
  discount..................................................     142,321      274,452    674,452
Redeemable preferred stock..................................      97,249           --         --
Stockholders' equity (deficit)..............................     (27,001)     234,607    234,607
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) Pro forma for the September 30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions (as defined in
    the Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements of Verio),
    and the acquisition of WWW-Service Online-Dienstleistungen AG ("WWW") (the
    "WWW Acquisition") as if they had occurred on September 30, 1998 for balance
    sheet purposes and on January 1, 1997 for statement of operations data
    purposes. The pro forma information also includes the effects of the
    issuance of $400 million principal amount of 11 1/4% Senior Notes due 2008
    (the "November 1998 Notes") but does not include the effects of the Merger.
    See "Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements of Verio"
    and the notes thereto.
 
(2) EBITDA represents earnings (loss) from operations before interest, taxes,
    depreciation, amortization and provision for loss on write-offs of
    investments in ISPs and fixed assets and includes non-cash stock option
    compensation and severance costs of $3.0 million and $6.7 million on a
    historical and pro forma basis, respectively, for the nine months ended
    September 30, 1998. The primary measure of operating performance is net
    earnings (loss). Although EBITDA is a measure commonly used in Verio's
    industry, it should not be construed as an alternative to net earnings
    (loss), determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting
    principles ("GAAP"), as an indicator of operating performance or as an
    alternative to cash flows from operating activities, determined in
    accordance with GAAP. In addition, the measure of EBITDA presented herein by
    Verio may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures of other
    companies.
 
(3) Excludes equipment and leasehold improvements acquired in business
    acquisitions.
 
                                        9
<PAGE>   24
 
SELECTED HISTORICAL FINANCIAL DATA OF HIWAY
 
     The summary historical consolidated financial data of Hiway as of September
30, 1998, and for the years ended December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997, and the
nine-month periods ended September 30, 1997 and 1998 have been derived from the
Consolidated Financial Statements of Hiway included elsewhere in this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus.
 
     The information set forth below should be read in conjunction with such
financial statements and the notes thereto. Results of operations for the year
ended December 31, 1997 and the nine months ended September 30, 1998 are not
necessarily indicative of results of operations for future periods. Hiway's
development and expansion activities, including acquisitions, during the periods
shown below may significantly affect the comparability of this data from one
period to another. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations of Hiway."
 
        SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL AND OTHER OPERATING DATA OF HIWAY
       (Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share and Other Operating Data)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                             NINE MONTHS ENDED
                                                 YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,       SEPTEMBER 30,
                                               ---------------------------   -----------------
                                                1995      1996      1997      1997      1998
                                               -------   -------   -------   -------   -------
<S>                                            <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Revenues.....................................  $ 2,011   $12,217   $26,185   $18,453   $29,073
Income (loss) from operations................  $  (539)  $   783   $ 4,871   $ 3,990   $ 2,597
Historical net income (loss).................  $  (551)  $   592   $ 4,435   $ 3,674   $ 2,473
Historical diluted net income (loss) per
  share(2)...................................  $ (0.03)  $  0.02   $  0.13   $  0.11   $  0.07
Pro forma net income (loss)(1)...............  $  (551)  $   560   $ 2,871   $ 2,379   $ 1,729
Pro forma diluted net income (loss) per
  share(2)...................................  $ (0.03)  $  0.02   $  0.08   $  0.07   $  0.05
Shares used in computing diluted net income
  (loss) per share(2)........................   16,871    28,509    34,877
OTHER OPERATING DATA:
Web hosting accounts at end of period........      N/A    35,000    68,000
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                                                               ------------------
                                                                     ACTUAL
                                                               ------------------
<S>                                                            <C>
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Cash and cash equivalents...................................        $ 3,569
Working capital.............................................            (90)
Total assets................................................         26,677
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, less current
  portion...................................................          5,136
Total stockholders' equity..................................         12,056
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) See Note 18 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of Hiway for an
    explanation of the determination of pro forma net income (loss), which
    reflects a provision for income taxes as if Hiway Florida was a corporation
    subject to income taxes.
 
(2) See Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of Hiway for an
    explanation of the determination of the number of shares used in computing
    pro forma diluted net income (loss) per share.
 
                                       10
<PAGE>   25
 
SELECTED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL DATA
 
   
     The following selected unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial
data are derived from the Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial
Statements of Verio and notes thereto appearing elsewhere herein, which give
effect to the Merger as a purchase, and should be read in conjunction with such
Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements and notes thereto
and the separate historical Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes
thereto of Verio and Hiway, respectively, included in or attached to this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus. See "Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial
Statements of Verio." For purposes of the unaudited pro forma operating data,
Verio's consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31,
1997, and for the nine month period ended September 30, 1998, have been combined
with Hiway's consolidated financial statements for the same periods. The pro
forma information also includes the effects of the issuance of the November 1998
Notes.
    
 
     The unaudited pro forma information is presented for comparative purposes
only and does not purport to be indicative of the operating results or financial
position that would have occurred if the Merger had been consummated at the
beginning of the periods presented, nor is such information necessarily
indicative of the future operating results or financial position of Verio and
Hiway.
 
         SELECTED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL DATA
                 (Amounts in Thousands, Except Per Share Data)
                                  (Unaudited)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                     PRO FORMA AS ADJUSTED(1)
                                                              --------------------------------------
                                                                                     NINE MONTHS
                                                                 YEAR ENDED             ENDED
                                                              DECEMBER 31, 1997   SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                                                              -----------------   ------------------
<S>                                                           <C>                 <C>
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Total revenue...............................................     $   125,283          $  130,200
Total costs and expenses....................................         207,154             218,916
                                                                 -----------          ----------
Loss from operations........................................     $   (81,871)         $  (88,716)
                                                                 ===========          ==========
Interest expense............................................     $   (58,685)         $  (57,556)
                                                                 ===========          ==========
Loss before extraordinary item..............................     $  (134,333)         $ (136,668)
                                                                 ===========          ==========
Loss per common share before extraordinary item -- basic and
  diluted...................................................     $    (22.15)         $    (6.11)
                                                                 ===========          ==========
Weighted average common shares outstanding -- basic and
  diluted...................................................       6,064,685          22,382,447
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                                                               ------------------------
                                                                     PRO FORMA AS
                                                                     ADJUSTED(1)
                                                               ------------------------
<S>                                                            <C>
BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Cash and cash equivalents...................................          $  450,925
Restricted cash and securities..............................              21,397
Goodwill, net...............................................             459,664
Total assets................................................           1,052,128
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of current
  portions..................................................             680,506
Stockholders' equity........................................             309,327
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) As adjusted to give effect to the Merger and the issuance of the November
    1998 Notes as if the Merger and the issuance of the November 1998 Notes had
    occurred on September 30, 1998 for balance sheet purposes and as if the
    Merger and the issuance of the November 1998 Notes had occurred on January
    1, 1997 for statement of operations data purposes. Assumes the issuance of
    4.92 million shares of Verio Common Stock on a fully-diluted basis in the
    Merger. See "Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements of
    Verio" and the notes thereto.
 
                                       11
<PAGE>   26
 
COMPARATIVE PER SHARE DATA
 
     The following table presents unaudited pro forma combined and unaudited pro
forma equivalent per share data of Verio and Hiway after giving effect to the
September 30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions, the WWW Acquisition and the Merger
using the purchase method of accounting, assuming the acquisitions and the
Merger had been effective during all periods presented. The pro forma equivalent
data for Hiway have been calculated by multiplying the Verio pro forma combined
amounts by an assumed Common Stock Exchange Ratio of 0.0875. The consideration
to be paid by Verio in the Merger is subject to adjustment based on the amount
of Excess Expenses and changes in Hiway's capitalization prior to completion of
the Merger. See "The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration" and "Risk
Factors -- Potential Fluctuation of Value of Consideration Received." The pro
forma data do not purport to be indicative of the results of future operations
or the results that would have occurred had the Merger been consummated at the
beginning of the periods presented. The information set forth below should be
read in conjunction with the historical financial statements and notes thereto
of Verio and Hiway incorporated by reference in this Proxy Statement/
Prospectus, and the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements
included elsewhere in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                             AS OF OR FOR
                                                        AS OF OR FOR       THE NINE MONTHS
                                                       THE YEAR ENDED           ENDED
                                                      DECEMBER 31, 1997   SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                                                      -----------------   ------------------
<S>                                                   <C>                 <C>
HISTORICAL -- VERIO COMMON STOCK
Net income (loss) per share -- basic and diluted....       $(40.47)             $(5.06)
Book value per share(1).............................       $  3.43              $ 7.15
HISTORICAL -- HIWAY COMMON STOCK
Net income per share:
  Historical:
     Basic..........................................       $  0.15              $ 0.07
     Diluted........................................       $  0.13              $ 0.07
  Pro Forma:
     Basic..........................................       $  0.10              $ 0.05
     Diluted........................................       $  0.08              $ 0.05
Book value per share(1).............................       $  0.26              $ 0.34
PRO FORMA COMBINED NET LOSS PER SHARE
Per Verio share.....................................       $(22.15)             $(6.11)
Equivalent Hiway share(2)...........................       $ (1.94)             $(0.53)
PRO FORMA COMBINED BOOK VALUE PER SHARE(3)
Per Verio share.....................................       $  6.37              $ 8.20
Equivalent Hiway share(2)...........................       $  0.56              $ 0.72
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) The historical book value per share is computed by dividing stockholders'
    equity by the number of shares of common stock and preferred stock, on an as
    if converted basis, outstanding at the end of the period.
 
(2) The Hiway equivalent pro forma combined per share amounts are calculated by
    multiplying the combined pro forma per share amounts of Verio by the assumed
    Common Stock Exchange Ratio of 0.0875.
 
(3) The pro forma combined book value per share is computed by dividing pro
    forma stockholders' equity by the pro forma number of shares of common stock
    outstanding at the end of each period.
 
COMPARATIVE PER SHARE PRICES AND DIVIDEND POLICIES
 
     Verio Common Stock is listed and traded on Nasdaq under the symbol "VRIO."
Verio Common Stock has traded under that symbol since May 12, 1998, the date of
its initial public offering. Prior to that time, there was no public market for
Verio Common Stock.
 
                                       12
<PAGE>   27
 
     The following table sets forth the high and low sale prices per share of
Verio Common Stock for the periods indicated, as reported by Nasdaq. There is no
public market for Hiway Common Stock.
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               VERIO COMMON STOCK
                                                              --------------------
                                                               HIGH          LOW
                                                              -------      -------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
Calendar 1998:
  Second Quarter............................................  $30.00        $16.50
  Third Quarter.............................................   31.875        18.00
  Fourth Quarter (through December 14)......................   24.25         13.00
</TABLE>
    
 
   
     The following table sets forth the closing sale price of Verio Common Stock
on November 16, 1998, the last trading day prior to the public announcement of
the Merger Agreement, and December 14, 1998, the latest practicable date
preceding the mailing of this Proxy Statement/Prospectus. The "equivalent per
share price" of Hiway Common Stock as of such dates equals the sum of (i) the
closing sale price of Verio Common Stock on such dates multiplied by an assumed
Common Stock Exchange Ratio of 0.0875 plus (ii) an assumed Per Share Cash Amount
of $4.90. See "The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration."
    
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                             VERIO       HIWAY EQUIVALENT
                                                          COMMON STOCK   PER SHARE VALUE
                                                          ------------   ----------------
<S>                                                       <C>            <C>
November 16, 1998.......................................      $16.00           $6.30
December 14, 1998.......................................       20.25            6.68
</TABLE>
    
 
     Because the Common Stock Exchange Ratio is determined with respect to a
fixed number of shares of Verio Common Stock (subject to adjustment for certain
matters, as described herein, not related to the market price of Verio Common
Stock), and because the market price of Verio Common Stock is subject to
fluctuation, the market value of the shares of Verio Common Stock that holders
of Hiway Common Stock will receive in the Merger may increase or decrease prior
to and following the Merger. HOLDERS OF HIWAY COMMON STOCK ARE URGED TO OBTAIN
CURRENT MARKET QUOTATIONS OF VERIO COMMON STOCK. NO ASSURANCE CAN BE GIVEN AS TO
THE FUTURE PRICES OR MARKETS FOR VERIO COMMON STOCK. More recent market quotes
may be obtained on the World Wide Web at http://www.nasdaq.com.
 
   
     Hiway Florida paid cash dividends on its shares of common stock in the
amount of $125,000 in 1996 and $3.0 million in 1997. However, Hiway does not
anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Furthermore,
Hiway's banking arrangement with Silicon Valley Bank, Hiway is not permitted to
declare or pay any dividends without the bank's prior consent. Verio has never
declared or paid cash dividends on shares of Verio Common Stock. Verio's ability
to pay dividends is limited by covenants imposed under the indenture, dated June
24, 1997 (the "1997 Indenture"), under which the $100.0 million principal amount
of 13 1/2% Senior Notes due 2004 (the "1997 Notes") were issued, the indenture,
dated March 25, 1998 (the "March 1998 Indenture"), under which the $175.0
million principal amount of 10 3/8% Senior Notes due 2005 (the "March 1998
Notes") were issued, the indenture, dated November 25, 1998 (the "November 1998
Indenture"), under which the November 1998 Notes were issued, and the Bank
Facility (as defined below). Neither Hiway nor Verio currently anticipates
paying any dividends on their common stock in the foreseeable future. See
"Comparative Per Share Prices and Dividend Policies."
    
 
                                       13
<PAGE>   28
 
                                  RISK FACTORS
 
     The following risk factors, as well as the other information in this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus, should be considered carefully in evaluating the Hiway
Merger Proposal and the acquisition of the Verio Common Stock offered hereby.
This Proxy Statement/Prospectus contains statements which constitute
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Reform Act. The safe harbor
provisions provided in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the
Exchange Act apply only to forward-looking statements made by Verio and not
Hiway. These statements appear in a number of places and include statements
regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Verio and Hiway and
their respective directors and officers primarily with respect to the future
operating performance of Verio and Hiway, respectively. Such forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and
uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those in the
forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. The accompanying
information contained in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus, including the
information set forth below, identifies important factors that could cause such
differences. See "-- Forward-Looking Statements" below.
 
     For periods following the Merger, references to the services, business,
financial results or financial condition of Verio, and references to the
"combined company," should be considered to refer to Verio and its subsidiaries,
including Hiway, unless the context otherwise requires.
 
UNCERTAINTIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE INTEGRATION OF HIWAY
 
     The acquisition of Hiway by Verio involves a number of risks, including:
assimilation of new operations and personnel into Verio; the diversion of
resources from Verio's existing business to facilitate the integration;
integration of Verio's and Hiway's respective equipment, service offerings,
networks and technologies, financial and information systems and brand names;
coordination of geographically separated facilities and work forces; management
challenges associated with the integration of Verio and Hiway; coordination of
their respective sales, marketing and service development efforts; assimilation
of new management personnel; and maintenance of standards, controls, procedures
and policies. The process of integrating Hiway's operations, including its
personnel, could cause interruption of, or loss in momentum in the activities of
Verio's business and operations, including those of the business acquired.
Further, employees of Verio and Hiway who may be key to the integration effort
or Verio's ongoing operations may choose not to continue to work for Verio or
Hiway following the closing of the Merger.
 
     In connection with the Merger, Verio expects to incur significant expenses
associated with the integration of the acquired business with its own, including
costs relating to the elimination of duplicate systems and facilities, possible
severance and employee relocation, and other integration costs. The aggregate
amount of these expenses is not yet determinable, but could be significant.
Factors that could increase such costs include delays in the completion of the
Merger, any unexpected employee turnover, unforeseen delays in addressing
duplicate facilities once the acquisition has been completed and the associated
costs of hiring temporary employees, and any additional fees and charges to
obtain consents, regulatory approvals or permits. There can be no assurance that
Verio will realize the benefits and strategic objectives sought through the
Merger. Additionally, Verio expects to record charges to operations for
in-process research and development relating to the Merger, and these charges,
which will be recorded in the period of the acquisition, also may be
significant. The amounts of these charges are not presently determinable. Costs
associated with the Merger, or liabilities and expenses associated with the
operations of Hiway, that exceed the expectations of Verio, could have a
material adverse effect on Verio's business, financial condition and results of
operations. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations of Verio -- Liquidity and Capital Resources."
 
     In addition, Hiway itself was formed in May 1998 through the Best/Hiway
Merger. Hiway is still in the early stages of integrating the operations of Best
and Hiway Florida, two companies that prior to the Best/ Hiway Merger had
operated independently. It is likely that this integration effort will continue
after consummation of the Merger. In the course of that integration effort, it
is possible that facts or circumstances may be discovered by Verio that were not
known or apparent prior to the time that Verio executed the Merger Agreement or
during its due diligence review of Hiway. There can be no assurance that
difficulties will not be
 
                                       14
<PAGE>   29
 
encountered in integrating the operations of Hiway, or that the specific
benefits expected from the integration of Hiway Florida and Best in the
Best/Hiway Merger will be achieved or that any anticipated cost savings will be
realized by Verio.
 
POTENTIAL FLUCTUATION OF VALUE OF CONSIDERATION RECEIVED
 
     The Merger Consideration to be received in respect of each share of Hiway
Common Stock will be comprised of both cash, in an amount equal to the Per Share
Cash Amount, and a fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock, equal to the
Common Stock Exchange Ratio. The actual Common Stock Exchange Ratio will be
determined at the Effective Time by reference to a fixed aggregate number of
shares of Verio Common Stock to be delivered to all Hiway shareholders in
exchange for their shares of Hiway Common Stock (with such aggregate number of
shares of Verio Common Stock subject to adjustment only in limited circumstances
not related to the value of Verio Common Stock). See "The Merger
Agreement -- Merger Consideration." As a result, the value of such consideration
depends largely upon the value of Verio Common Stock, which may change
significantly between the date of this Proxy Statement/Prospectus and the
Closing Date (and in subsequent periods). There is no minimum trading price as a
condition to Hiway's obligation to consummate the Merger. The parties'
obligations to close are independent of any fluctuations (including any material
decline) in the amount of the Merger Consideration as a result of fluctuations
in the value of the portion of the Merger Consideration payable in Verio Common
Stock, and no re-solicitation of the approval of the holders of Hiway Common
Stock would occur if any such fluctuation occurred following the initial
solicitation and receipt of the requisite approval of the Merger.
 
     The market price of Verio Common Stock has fluctuated significantly in the
past, and the market price of Verio Common Stock is likely to continue to be
highly volatile. For example, the highest and lowest closing sale prices of
Verio Common Stock for the 90 days preceding November 30, 1998 were $25.00 and
$13.00, respectively. To date, the trading volume in Verio's stock has been
relatively low. Significant price fluctuations can occur as a result of a small
number of shares being traded and, therefore, if the low trading volumes
experienced to date continue, such fluctuations could occur in the future. There
can be no assurance that the sales price of Verio Common Stock will not
fluctuate or decline significantly in the future. In addition, the U.S. equity
markets have from time to time experienced significant price and volume
fluctuations that have particularly affected the market prices for the stocks of
technology companies. These broad market fluctuations may materially adversely
affect the market price of Verio Common Stock in future periods, including prior
or subsequent to the consummation of the Merger. Such fluctuations and
variations in the price of Verio Common Stock and the broader market may be the
result of many factors, including changes in the business, operations or
prospects of Verio, announcements of technological innovations and new products
by competitors, new contractual relationships with strategic partners by Verio
or its competitors, proposed acquisitions by Verio or its competitors, financial
results that fail to meet public market analyst expectations of performance,
market assessments of the likelihood that the Merger will be consummated and the
timing thereof, regulatory considerations and general market and economic
conditions in the U.S. and throughout the world. Shareholders of Hiway are urged
to obtain current market quotations for Verio Common Stock. No assurance can be
given as to the market prices of Verio Common Stock at any time before or after
the Effective Time.
 
     In addition, the actual Per Share Cash Amount and Common Stock Exchange
Ratio will depend upon the actual capitalization of Hiway at the Effective Time.
Thus, the actual Per Share Cash Amount and Common Stock Exchange Ratio cannot be
determined at this time, and may vary from the assumed numbers used herein. See
"The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration."
 
LIMITATIONS OF FAIRNESS OPINION
 
     The BT Alex. Brown Opinion was prepared for the use of the Hiway Board and
does not constitute a recommendation to holders of Hiway Common Stock as to how
they should vote in connection with the Merger. The BT Alex. Brown Opinion does
not address the relative merits of the Merger and any other transactions or
business strategies discussed by the Hiway Board as alternatives to the Merger
Agreement or the underlying business decision of the Hiway Board to proceed with
and effect the Merger. In addition, the
                                       15
<PAGE>   30
 
BT Alex. Brown Opinion is subject to a number of additional conditions,
limitations and assumptions. See "The Merger -- Opinion of Hiway Financial
Advisor."
 
FINANCIAL INFORMATION CONCERNING ACQUISITIONS; INTEGRATION EXPENSES
 
     The ISPs targeted by Verio for acquisition typically do not have audited
financial statements and have varying degrees of internal controls and detailed
financial information. Accordingly, the pro forma and other financial
information in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus includes financial information
concerning certain recently completed acquisitions for which audited financial
statements may not be available. In particular, this is the case with respect to
the recent WWW Acquisition. There can be no assurance that a subsequent audit by
Verio will not reveal matters of significance, including with respect to
revenues, expenses and liabilities, contingent or otherwise, of these companies.
Verio's business strategy involves the continued and potentially rapid
acquisition of additional ISPs. Verio expects that, from time to time in the
future, it will enter into additional acquisition agreements, the pro forma
effect of which is not known and cannot be predicted. Verio's completion of
additional acquisitions may have a material impact on the financial information
set forth herein. To date all of Verio's business acquisitions have been
accounted for under the purchase method. On a pro forma basis, after giving
effect to the Merger and the WWW Acquisition, Verio has recorded gross goodwill
relating to acquisitions totaling approximately $475.3 million, which generally
will be amortized over a ten-year period from the date of the acquisitions.
There can be no assurance as to the number, timing or size of future
acquisitions, including the amount of additional goodwill that will be recorded,
if any, or the effect any such acquisitions would have on Verio's operating or
financial results.
 
     Verio is in the process of completing valuations of the assets acquired and
liabilities assumed in connection with certain of Verio's acquisitions
(including TABNet), including the evaluation of in-process research and
development programs. Verio expects that additional such evaluations will be
undertaken with respect to in-process research and development programs that are
underway at Hiway, after the Merger is consummated. These valuations will be
used in determining the final purchase accounting adjustments for these
acquisitions. Accordingly, the purchase accounting adjustments for these
acquisitions reflected in the pro forma financial statements included in this
Proxy Statement/Prospectus are likely to be revised and such adjustments may be
significant. Verio expects to record a charge to operations for in-process
research and development relating to certain of its recently completed
acquisitions, including TABNet, as well as Hiway. The amounts of such charges
are not presently determinable, but could be material. Verio is aware that the
Commission is reviewing the assumptions and methodologies heretofore commonly
used by companies in calculating such charges. In Verio's valuation of the
assets acquired and liabilities assumed and, in particular, in the valuation of
in-process research and development, Verio intends to follow recent guidance
published by the Commission.
 
     Since the completion of substantially all of the Buyouts during the first
six months of 1998, Verio has focused considerable effort on, and incurred
significant expense in connection with, the consolidation of the ownership and
management and integration of the operations of the ISPs it has acquired to
date. During the three months ended September 30, 1998, Verio recorded one-time
expenses totaling approximately $3.4 million primarily in connection with
Verio's network and operational consolidation and integration strategy,
including approximately $1.9 million primarily related to the elimination of
approximately 250 positions which are no longer necessary due to the integration
of these functions into Verio's national services, and other costs associated
with personnel relocation and the cancellation of Internet access contracts and
the closure of redundant POP facilities of acquired ISPs. Verio continues to
incur costs for system upgrades and integration of TABNet's operations onto
Verio's network, customer care, billing and financial systems, and expects to
incur similar expenses associated with the integration of additional ISP and Web
hosting operations it acquires (including Hiway). Verio anticipates that these
expenses could be significant.
 
DEPENDENCE UPON CHANNEL PARTNERS
 
     Verio uses multiple distribution channels to market its products and
services, and has three partner programs that permit its regional operations to
adapt a formal indirect distribution strategy to their respective markets. These
partner programs include, among others, computer and telecommunications
resellers, VARs,
                                       16
<PAGE>   31
 
OEMs, systems integrators, Web designers and advertising agencies (collectively,
the "Channel Partners"). Verio has over 2,500 formal and informal Channel
Partner relationships, and consummation of the Merger would increase Verio's
worldwide indirect distribution channel to over 4,000 Channel Partners in the
U.S. and over 100 other countries. Hiway has sought to develop its reseller
channel through RapidSite, which manages Hiway's network of domestic and
international VARs, and through the establishment and development of its OEM
relationships. Verio intends to continue the development of RapidSite after the
Merger and to pursue OEM relationships as an indirect sales channel.
 
     In markets where Verio does not focus its direct sales force, it is
dependent on third parties to stimulate demand for its products and services.
Although Verio attempts to provide incentives to its Channel Partners, the
failure of Verio's services to be commercially accepted in certain markets,
particularly the international markets, whether as a result of a Channel
Partner's performance or otherwise, could cause Verio's current Channel Partners
to discontinue their relationships with Verio, and Verio may not be successful
in establishing additional Channel Partner relationships in the future. The loss
of Channel Partners, the failure of such parties to perform under agreements
with Verio, or the inability to attract other Channel Partners with the
expertise and industry experience required to market Verio's products and
services could have a material adverse effect on Verio's business, financial
condition and results of operations. Conflicts may develop between Verio's
direct sales force efforts and those of its Channel Partners as well as among
different Channel Partners. Such conflicts could affect Verio's relationship
with various Channel Partners. Furthermore, to the extent that Verio realizes
increased sales through Channel Partners, such sales would usually be at
discounted rates, and the resulting revenues and gross margin realized by Verio
will be less than if Verio had sold the same services directly. See "Business of
Verio -- Sales and Distribution."
 
MANAGEMENT OF GROWTH; INTEGRATION OF ACQUISITIONS AND INVESTMENTS
 
     Verio is currently experiencing a period of rapid expansion with the
acquisition and integration of its regional operations and additional ISPs. The
rapid growth of Verio's business and its product and service offerings has
placed, and is likely to continue to place, a significant strain on Verio's
managerial, operating, financial and other resources. Verio's future performance
will depend, in part, upon its ability to manage its growth effectively, which
will require that Verio implement additional management information systems
capabilities, further develop its operating, administrative and financial and
accounting systems and controls, improve coordination between engineering,
accounting, finance, marketing and operations, and hire and train additional
personnel. Failure by Verio to develop adequate operational and control systems
or to attract and retain highly qualified management, financial, technical,
sales and marketing and customer care personnel could materially adversely
affect Verio's ability to generate internal growth within its regional
operations or integrate the ISPs it acquires. In conjunction with its efforts to
integrate the operations of the ISPs it has acquired, Verio has effected the
Buyout (as defined below) of all but one of the ISPs in which it did not
initially acquire a 100% ownership interest (other than V-I-A Internet, Inc.
("VIANet"), in which Verio holds a minority interest and has no right to Buyout
the remaining equity and no present plan of integrating with its other
operations). While Verio anticipates that it will recognize various economies
and efficiencies of scale as a result of the integration of the operations of
the ISPs it has acquired, the process of consolidating the businesses and
implementing the strategic integration of Verio and its regional operations may
take a significant period of time, will place a significant strain on Verio's
resources, and could subject Verio to additional expenses during the integration
process. The timing and amount of expenditures related to Verio's cost-savings
initiatives and integration of the operations of Verio's ISPs may be difficult
to predict. Verio may increase near-term expenditures in order to accelerate the
integration and consolidation of acquired operations with the goal of achieving
longer-term cost savings and improved profitability. There can be no assurance
that these projected long-term cost savings and improvements in profitability
can or will be realized. As a result, there can be no assurance that Verio will
be able to integrate the ISPs it has acquired successfully or in a timely manner
in accordance with its strategic objectives. Failure to integrate its ISPs or to
manage effectively the growth of Verio would have a material adverse effect on
Verio's business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
                                       17
<PAGE>   32
 
     Furthermore, Verio's performance will depend on the internal growth
generated through ISP operations. The timing and sustainability of any such
internal growth from Verio's ISP operations is difficult to predict and may
depend upon a variety of factors including Verio's development of necessary
operating, administrative, financial and accounting systems and controls and
Verio's ability to attract and retain highly qualified management, financial,
technical, sales and marketing, and customer care personnel. Failure by Verio to
manage effectively these and other factors affecting internally generated growth
in its ISP operations could have a material adverse effect on Verio's business,
financial condition and results of operation.
 
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND EXPANSION
 
     With Verio's recent Web hosting acquisitions, Verio now provides Web
hosting services to customers in over 100 countries, and one of Verio's goals is
to expand its international presence. There can be no assurance that acceptance
of the Internet or demand for Internet connectivity, Web hosting and other
enhanced Internet services will increase significantly in any international
markets. Verio however believes that, in light of substantial anticipated
competition, it will be necessary to move quickly into international markets in
order to effectively obtain market share, and there can be no assurance that
Verio will be able to do so. Verio may experience difficulty in managing
international operations as a result of difficulties in locating effective
foreign partners, competition, technical problems, distance and language and
cultural differences, and there can be no assurance that Verio or its
international partners, if any, will be able to successfully market and operate
Verio's services in foreign markets. If revenue from international operations is
not adequate to cover the investments in such activities, Verio's business,
results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely
affected.
 
     There are certain risks inherent in doing business on an international
level, such as changes in regulatory requirements, export restrictions,
imposition of tariffs, trade barriers, difficulties in staffing and managing
foreign operations, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, differing
technology standards, longer payment cycles, problems in collecting accounts
receivable, difficulty in enforcing contracts, political and economic
instability, seasonal reductions in business activity in certain other parts of
the world, potentially adverse tax consequences and general economic conditions,
including inflation. In addition, 11 of the 15 member countries of the European
Union are scheduled to establish fixed conversion rates between their existing
sovereign currencies and the euro, and to adopt the euro as their common legal
currency (the "Euro Conversion"), effective January 1, 1999. As Verio is only in
the initial stages of entering the European markets, Verio has not commenced any
assessment of the effects of the Euro Conversion, and is unsure of the potential
impact that the Euro Conversion may have on Verio's business, financial
condition or results of operations. Furthermore, certain foreign governments,
such as Germany, have enforced laws and regulations related to content
distributed over the Internet that are more strict than those currently in place
in the U.S. (see "-- Potential Liability for Information Disseminated Over
Network; Regulatory Matters"). There can be no assurance that one or more of
such factors will not have a material adverse effect on Verio's international
operations and, consequently, on Verio's business, results of operations and
financial condition.
 
CHANGES IN THE RIGHTS OF HIWAY SHAREHOLDERS
 
     Hiway is incorporated in the State of California, and the rights of
shareholders of Hiway are currently governed by the CGCL, the Articles of
Incorporation of Hiway and the Bylaws of Hiway. Upon consummation of the Merger,
holders of shares of Hiway Common Stock will become holders of Verio Common
Stock, and their rights as stockholders of Verio will be governed by the DGCL,
the Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Verio and the Bylaws of Verio.
Verio and Hiway are both currently subject to the U.S. securities laws, and
Verio is subject to the rules and regulations of Nasdaq.
 
     Certain differences between the rights of the shareholders of Hiway and the
stockholders of Verio arise from differences between the CGCL and the DGCL, as
well as from the differences between the corporate governing instruments of the
two companies and the rules and regulations of the regulatory bodies governing
the two companies. These differences may have a material effect on the rights of
shareholders of Hiway to nominate, vote for and remove directors, approve
certain corporate actions, receive dividends, and inspect corporate records,
among other things. See "Comparison of Rights of Verio Stockholders and Hiway
Shareholders."
 
                                       18
<PAGE>   33
 
INTERESTS OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN THE MERGER
 
   
     Shareholders of Hiway should be aware that certain members of the
management of Hiway, including members of the Hiway Board, have interests in the
Merger that are in addition to the interests of shareholders of Hiway generally.
In particular, the Hiway Executive Officers are entitled to receive certain
payments in connection with the termination of the Hiway Employment Agreements
(which provide for certain rights and payments upon any "Change of Control" of
Hiway), and in consideration of their obligations under the Noncompete
Agreements, as each of those terms is defined, and as more fully described,
under "The Merger -- Interests of Certain Persons in the Merger." These
payments, which are anticipated to total approximately $4.4 million, will be
included in the determination of Excess Expenses, and so may result in a
decrease in the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Option Exchange Ratio. See
"The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration."
    
 
SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE
 
     Upon completion of Verio's initial public offering in May 1998 (the "Verio
IPO"), Verio, its directors and officers, and certain stockholders agreed not to
offer, sell or contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, directly or
indirectly, or announce an offering of, any shares of Verio Common Stock or any
securities convertible into, or exchangeable, for shares of Verio Common Stock
for a period of six months from May 11, 1998, the date of the prospectus
relating to the Verio IPO (the "Prospectus Date"), without the prior written
consent of Smith Barney Inc., the lead underwriter in the Verio IPO. As a
result, on November 12, 1998, approximately 15.6 million shares of Verio Common
Stock became freely tradable without further restriction or registration under
the Securities Act, subject to the limitations of Rule 144 ("Rule 144") under
the Securities Act.
 
     In addition, in connection with the NTT Investment (as defined below),
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation ("NTT") agreed not to offer, sell or
contract to sell, or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, or announce
an offering of, any of the 4,493,877 shares of Verio Common Stock purchased by
NTT pursuant to the NTT Investment (the "NTT Shares") for a period of six months
from the Prospectus Date, without the prior written consent of Smith Barney Inc.
The NTT Shares are "restricted shares" and NTT will not be entitled to sell such
shares in the public securities market without registration except pursuant to
Rule 144 (or Rule 145, as applicable) or any other applicable exemption under
the Securities Act.
 
   
     In connection with the Buyouts and acquisitions that involved the issuance
of shares of Verio Series D-1 Preferred Stock (which converted automatically
into Verio Common Stock upon consummation of the Verio IPO), Verio entered into
market standoff agreements with holders of the Series D-1 Preferred Stock that
was issued, which restrictions expire in one-third increments on the six,
twelve, and eighteen month anniversaries of the Prospectus Date. Following the
six-month, twelve-month and eighteen-month lockup periods, approximately
738,171, 738,171 and 738,171 additional shares of Verio Common Stock,
respectively, have or will become immediately saleable, subject to the
limitations imposed by Rule 144 which could be applicable to certain holders of
such Verio Common Stock.
    
 
     Verio has filed registration statements on Form S-8 to register shares of
Verio Common Stock reserved for issuance under its equity incentive plans. As of
September 30, 1998, options to purchase approximately 4,633,084 shares of Verio
Common Stock were outstanding under Verio's stock option plans.
 
     Sales of substantial amounts of Verio Common Stock in the public market
after consummation of the Merger could materially adversely affect prevailing
market prices for Verio Common Stock. Verio has outstanding 32,941,678 shares of
Verio Common Stock as of October 31, 1998. Although the exact number of shares
of Verio Common Stock issuable in the Merger cannot be determined until the
Effective Time, based on Hiway's capitalization as of November 13, 1998, and
assuming no Excess Expenses, Verio will issue 3,141,249 additional shares of
Verio Common Stock in the Merger. See "The Merger Agreement -- Merger
Consideration." The shares of Verio Common Stock issued in the Merger will be
eligible for immediate sale in the public market, subject to the limitations of
Rule 145 applicable to affiliates and the Lockup Agreements to be entered into
by the Hiway Executive Officers (as defined below) which prohibit such persons
from
 
                                       19
<PAGE>   34
 
disposing of Verio Common Stock for a period of six months following the Closing
Date. See "The Merger -- Resale Restrictions."
 
HISTORY OF LOSSES; NO ASSURANCE OF PROFITABILITY
 
     Verio was formed in March 1996. Verio has incurred net losses since its
inception, and management expects to incur significant additional losses as
Verio continues its investment and acquisition program as well as the building
of its national network operations. For the period from inception to December
31, 1996 (the "1996 Period"), the year ended December 31, 1997, and the
nine-month period ended September 30, 1998, Verio reported net losses of $5.1
million, $46.3 million, and $88.3 million, respectively. From inception through
September 30, 1998, Verio reported cumulative cash used by operating activities
of $73.9 million. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations of Verio." Verio expects to generate
negative operating cash flow for at least the next several years while it
continues to acquire, invest in and integrate the operations of ISPs. The extent
to which Verio experiences negative cash flow will depend upon a number of
factors, including the number and size of its acquisitions and investments, the
expenses and time required to effectively integrate acquired operations and
capture operating efficiency, the ability to generate increasing revenues and
cash flow, the amount of expenditures incurred at the corporate and national
level, and any potential adverse regulatory developments. Verio will be
dependent on various financing sources to fund its growth as well as continued
losses from operations. There can be no assurance that Verio will achieve or
sustain positive operating cash flow or generate net income in the future. To
achieve profitability, Verio must, among other things, develop and market
products and services which are accepted on a broad commercial basis. Given
Verio's limited operating history, there can be no assurance that Verio will
ever achieve broad commercial acceptance or profitability. See "-- Competition;
Pricing Fluctuation" and "-- Dependence on the Internet; Risks of Technology
Trends and Evolving Industry Standards" and "Management's Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of Verio -- Liquidity
and Capital Resources." Verio's profitability also will be affected as a result
of Verio's recording of compensation expense in an aggregate amount of
approximately $10.6 million in connection with the granting of options
subsequent to February 28, 1998, which compensation expense will be recorded
over the forty-eight month vesting period of those options. See "Management's
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of
Verio -- Results of Operations -- Stock-Based Compensation."
 
SUBSTANTIAL INDEBTEDNESS; EFFECT OF FINANCIAL LEVERAGE
 
     Verio has indebtedness that is substantial in relation to its stockholders'
equity and cash flow. As of September 30, 1998, Verio had an aggregate of
approximately $274.5 million of long-term indebtedness outstanding, representing
54% of total capitalization, and would have had approximately $280.5 million of
long-term indebtedness outstanding after giving pro forma effect to the WWW
Acquisition and the Merger, representing 48% of total pro forma capitalization.
After giving effect to Verio's issuance of the November 1998 Notes, and assuming
consummation of the Merger, long-term indebtedness will be approximately $680.5
million, representing approximately 69% of total pro forma capitalization. In
addition, Verio has executed a credit agreement providing for $70.0 million of
revolving credit facility (the "Bank Facility"), none of which has been drawn as
of October 31, 1998. See "-- Requirements for Additional Capital." On a
historical basis, Verio's earnings have been insufficient to cover its fixed
charges, and, as a result of Verio's substantial indebtedness, Verio's fixed
charges are expected to exceed its earnings for the foreseeable future.
Substantial leverage poses the risk that Verio may not be able to generate
sufficient cash flow to service its indebtedness, or to adequately fund its
operations. Verio has experienced a substantial decrease in EBITDA, from $(5.6)
million in the 1996 Period to $(29.7) million in 1997. EBITDA as a percentage of
revenue improved from (237%) to (83%) from the 1996 Period to the year ended
December 31, 1997. However, there can be no assurance that this trend will
continue, or that Verio will be able to increase its revenue and leverage the
investments it has made in national services and systems, the national network,
and operating overhead, to achieve sufficient cash flow to meet its debt service
obligations. In particular, there can be no assurance that Verio's operating
cash flow will be sufficient to pay (i) the $13.5 million in annual interest
(beginning in June 2000 following the termination of the interest escrow
arrangement for the 1997 Notes) on the $100.0 million principal amount of 1997
Notes that remain outstanding after the repurchase of $50.0 million principal
amount of the 1997 Notes held by Brooks Fiber Properties, Inc. ("Brooks") (the
"Refinancing"),
                                       20
<PAGE>   35
 
(ii) the $18.2 million in annual interest on the March 1998 Notes, or (iii) the
$45.0 million in annual interest on the November 1998 Notes, or to meet its debt
service obligations under the Bank Facility, if drawn upon. The leveraged nature
of Verio also could limit the ability of Verio to effect future financings or
may otherwise restrict Verio's operations and growth.
 
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS
 
     Verio's Bank Facility is secured by the capital stock of Verio's operating
subsidiaries. The Bank Facility requires that Verio satisfy certain financial
covenants and currently prohibits the payment of dividends and the repurchase of
capital stock of Verio without the lenders' consent. Verio's secured lenders
would be entitled to foreclose upon those assets in the event of a default under
the Bank Facility and to be repaid from the proceeds of the liquidation of those
assets before the assets would be available for distribution to the holders of
Verio's capital stock in the event that Verio is liquidated. In addition, the
collateral security arrangements under Verio's Bank Facility may adversely
affect Verio's ability to obtain additional borrowings.
 
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL CAPITAL
 
     Verio's operations have required and will continue to require substantial
capital for investments in regional operations, including the acquisition of or
investments in additional ISPs, the deployment of Verio's national network and
infrastructure and the funding of capital expenditures for expansion of services
and operating losses. Verio may need additional amounts to fund its operating
losses and those of its subsidiaries, which amounts cannot be determined. Over
the longer term, it is likely that Verio will require substantial additional
funds to continue to fund Verio's investment and acquisition program as well as
product development, marketing, sales and customer support capabilities. See
"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations of Verio -- Liquidity and Capital Resources."
 
     Verio expects to meet its additional capital needs with the proceeds from
sales or issuance of equity securities, credit facilities and other borrowings,
lease financings and sales of additional debt securities. The failure to raise
and generate sufficient funds may require Verio to delay or abandon some of its
planned future expansion or expenditures, which could have a material adverse
effect on Verio's growth and its ability to compete in the Internet industry. No
assurance can be given that Verio will have sufficient cash flow available to
maintain its current or future growth plans or operations.
 
COMPETITION; PRICING FLUCTUATION
 
     The market for Internet connectivity and related services is extremely
competitive. Verio anticipates that competition will continue to intensify as
the use of the Internet grows. The tremendous growth and potential market size
of the Internet access market has attracted many new start-ups as well as
existing businesses from different industries. Current and prospective
competitors include, in addition to other national, regional and local ISPs,
long distance and local exchange telecommunications companies, cable television
companies, direct broadcast satellite and wireless communications providers, and
on-line service providers. Verio believes that a reliable national network,
knowledgeable salespeople and the quality of technical support currently are the
primary competitive factors in Verio's targeted market, and that price is
usually secondary to these factors.
 
     Verio's current primary competitors include other ISPs with a significant
national presence which focus on business customers, such as UUNet, GTE
Internetworking (formerly BBN), PSINet, Concentric Network and Intermedia/DIGEX.
While Verio believes that its level of local service and support and target
market focus distinguish it from these competitors, some of these competitors
have a significantly greater market presence, brand recognition, and financial,
technical and personnel resources than Verio, and have extensive coast-to-coast
Internet backbones. Verio also competes with unaffiliated regional and local
ISPs in its targeted geographic regions.
 
     All of the major long distance companies (also known as interexchange
carriers or IXCs), including AT&T, MCI/WorldCom, Cable & Wireless/InternetMCI,
and Sprint, offer Internet access services and compete with Verio. The recent
sweeping reforms in the federal regulation of the telecommunications industry
have created greater opportunities for local exchange carriers ("LECs"),
including the Regional Bell
                                       21
<PAGE>   36
 
Operating Companies ("RBOCs"), to enter the Internet connectivity market. In
order to address the Internet connectivity requirements of the current business
customers of long distance and local carriers, Verio believes that there is a
move toward horizontal integration through acquisitions of, joint ventures with,
and the wholesale purchase of connectivity from, ISPs. The
MCI/WorldCom/MFS/UUNet consolidation, Cable & Wireless' acquisition of
InternetMCI, the Intermedia/DIGEX merger and GTE's acquisition of BBN are
indicative of this trend. Accordingly, Verio expects that it will experience
increased competition from the traditional telecommunications carriers. Many of
these telecommunications carriers, in addition to their substantially greater
network coverage, market presence, and financial, technical and personnel
resources, also have large existing commercial customer bases. Furthermore,
telecommunications providers may have the ability to bundle Internet access with
basic local and long distance telecommunications services. Such bundling of
services may have an adverse effect on Verio's ability to compete effectively
with the telecommunications providers and may result in pricing pressure on
Verio that would have an adverse effect on Verio's business, financial condition
and results of operations.
 
     Many of the major cable companies have announced that they are exploring
the possibility of offering Internet connectivity, relying on the viability of
cable modems and economical upgrades to their networks. MediaOne Group and TCI
have recently announced trials to provide Internet cable service to their
residential customers in select areas. Several announcements also have recently
been made by other alternative service companies approaching the Internet
connectivity market with various wireless terrestrial and satellite-based
service technologies. These include Hughes Network System's DirecPC that
provides high-speed data through direct broadcast satellite technology; CAI
Wireless System's announcement of an MMDS wireless cable operator launching data
services via 2.5 to 2.7 GHz and high-speed wireless modem technology;
Cellularvision's announcement that it is offering Internet access via high-speed
wireless LMDS technology; and Winstar, which currently offers high-speed
Internet access to business customers over the 38 GHz spectrum.
 
     The predominant on-line service providers, including America Online,
CompuServe, Microsoft Network and Prodigy, have all entered the Internet access
business by engineering their current proprietary networks to include Internet
access capabilities. Verio competes to a lesser extent with these on-line
service providers.
 
     Recently, there have been several announcements regarding the deployment
and planned deployment of broadband services for high speed Internet access by
cable and telephone companies through new technologies such as cable modems and
various Digital Subscriber Line ("DSL") technologies. While these providers
initially targeted the residential consumer, recently a number of DSL providers
have also announced their intent to offer DSL services to Verio's target market
of small and medium sized businesses, which may significantly affect the pricing
of Verio's service offerings. Further, a number of DSL providers have recently
launched their services in conjunction with ISPs (including Verio), allowing
ISPs to offer Internet connectivity over DSL circuits. These DSL circuits, which
provide higher speed and lower latency Internet connections than a standard
dial-up phone connection, may compete with Verio's dedicated connectivity
offerings.
 
     As a result of an increase in the number of competitors, and vertical and
horizontal integration in the industry, Verio currently encounters and expects
to encounter significant pricing pressure and other competition in the future.
Advances in technology, as well as changes in the marketplace and the regulatory
environment, are constantly occurring, and Verio cannot predict the effect that
ongoing or future developments may have on Verio or the pricing of its products
and services. See "-- Fluctuations in Operating Results," "-- Potential
Liability for Information Disseminated Over Network; Regulatory Matters" and
"-- Dependence on the Internet; Risk of Technology Trends and Evolving Industry
Standards."
 
     In connection with the OSP Agreement (as defined in "Business of
Verio -- NTT Strategic Relationship") between Verio and NTT, further details of
which have been agreed to by Verio and NTT in a subsequent Strategic Partner
Services Agreement, NTT is entitled to "most favored customer" status and
pricing concessions in connection with the service provided by Verio under those
agreements. NTT and Verio are continuing to negotiate the specific terms of
these arrangements. See "Business of Verio -- NTT Strategic Relationship" and
"Certain Transactions of Verio -- Other Transactions."
 
                                       22
<PAGE>   37
 
DEPENDENCE UPON IMPLEMENTATION OF NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE; ESTABLISHMENT AND
MAINTENANCE OF PEERING RELATIONSHIPS
 
     Verio's success will depend upon its ability to complete the implementation
of and to continue to expand its national network infrastructure and support
services in order to supply sufficient geographic reach, capacity, reliability
and security at an acceptable cost. The continued development and expansion of
Verio's national network will require that it enter into additional agreements,
on acceptable terms and conditions, with the various providers of infrastructure
capacity and equipment and support services. No assurance can be given that any
or all of the requisite agreements can be obtained on satisfactory terms and
conditions. See "Business of Verio -- Technology and Network
Operations -- Peering Relationships."
 
     In addition, the establishment and maintenance of peering relationships
with other ISPs is necessary in order to exchange traffic with other ISPs
without having to pay transit costs. The basis on which the large national ISPs
make peering available or impose settlement charges is evolving as the provision
of Internet access and related services has expanded and the dominance of a
small group of national ISPs has driven industry peering practice. Recently,
companies that have previously offered peering have cut back or eliminated
peering relationships and are establishing new, more restrictive criteria for
peering. Furthermore, if increasing requirements associated with maintaining
peering with the major national ISPs develop, Verio may have to comply with
those additional requirements in order to continue to maintain its peering
relationships. Verio also anticipates that future expansions and adaptations of
its network infrastructure may be necessary in order to respond to growth in the
number of customers served, increased demands to transmit larger amounts of data
and changes to its customers' product and service requirements. The expansion
and adaptation of Verio's network infrastructure will require substantial
financial, operational and managerial resources. There can be no assurance that
Verio will be able to expand or adapt its network infrastructure to meet the
industry's evolving standards or its customers' growing demands and changing
requirements on a timely basis, at a commercially reasonable cost, or at all, or
that Verio will be able to deploy successfully any expanded and adapted network
infrastructure. Failure to maintain peering relationships or establish new ones,
if necessary, would cause Verio to incur additional operating expenditures which
would have a material adverse effect on Verio's business, financial condition
and results of operations.
 
CHALLENGES OF GROWTH BY ACQUISITIONS
 
     Verio's business strategy is dependent, in part, upon its ability to
continue to successfully identify and acquire ISPs that meet Verio's acquisition
criteria. Verio is continuing to seek and evaluate business-focused ISPs in
order to deepen and broaden its market presence, to expand its strength in its
Internet connectivity and Web hosting core service platforms, and to add
additional enhanced service capabilities. Although Verio's acquisitions
initially were primarily smaller local and regional independent ISPs, Verio more
recently has also targeted the acquisition of larger businesses such as its
acquisition of TABNet and the proposed Merger. Verio expects that competition
for appropriate acquisition candidates may be significant. Verio may compete
with other communications companies with similar acquisition strategies, many of
which may be larger and have greater financial and other resources than Verio.
Competition for independent ISPs is based on a number of factors, including
price, terms and conditions, size and access to capital, ability to offer cash,
stock, or other forms of consideration and other matters. No assurance can be
given that Verio will be able to identify suitable ISPs successfully or, once
identified, will be able to consummate an acquisition of or an investment in
those targeted ISPs on terms and conditions acceptable to Verio. See
"-- Competition; Pricing Fluctuation" and "Business of Verio -- The Verio
Strategy." Further, Verio's ability to consummate transactions with ISPs that it
identifies will require significant financial resources. Failure to raise and
generate sufficient funds may require Verio to delay or abandon some of its
planned future expansion or expenditures, which could have a material adverse
effect on Verio's growth. See "-- Requirements for Additional Capital."
 
FLUCTUATIONS IN OPERATING RESULTS
 
     Verio's operating results have fluctuated in the past and may in the future
fluctuate significantly depending upon a variety of factors, including the
incurrence of capital costs and the introduction of value-added enhanced
services and new services by Verio. Additional factors that may contribute to
the variability of Verio's operating results include: the pricing and mix of
services offered by Verio; Verio's customer retention
                                       23
<PAGE>   38
 
rate; changes in pricing policies and product offerings by Verio's competitors;
growth in demand for network and Internet access services; the incurrence of
one-time costs associated with regional consolidation; and general
telecommunications services' performance and availability. Verio has also
experienced seasonal variation in Internet use and, therefore, revenue streams
may fluctuate accordingly. In response to competitive pressures, Verio may take
certain pricing or marketing actions that could have a material adverse effect
on Verio's business, financial condition and results of operations. See
"-- Competition; Pricing Fluctuation." As a result, variations in the timing and
amounts of revenues could have a material adverse effect on Verio's quarterly
operating results. Due to the foregoing factors, Verio believes that
period-to-period comparisons of its operating results are not necessarily
meaningful and that such comparisons cannot be relied upon as indicators of
future performance. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations of Verio -- Results of Operations."
 
DEPENDENCE ON KEY PERSONNEL
 
     Verio is highly dependent upon the efforts of its senior management team,
the loss of any of whom could impede the achievement of product development and
marketing objectives and could have a material adverse effect on Verio. Verio
believes that its future success will depend in large part on its ability to
attract and retain qualified technical and marketing personnel for whom there is
intense competition in the areas of Verio's activities. There can be no
assurance that Verio will be able to attract and retain the personnel necessary
for the development and integration of its business. Delays in hiring such
personnel could delay the achievement of development and marketing objectives.
The loss of the services of key personnel or the failure to attract additional
personnel as required could have a material adverse effect on Verio's business,
financial condition and results of operations.
 
RISK OF SYSTEM FAILURE
 
     Verio's operations are dependent upon its ability to protect its network
infrastructure against damage from fire, earthquakes, floods, power loss,
telecommunications failures and similar events or to construct networks that are
not vulnerable to the effects of such events. Significant portions of Verio's
computer equipment, including components critical to the operation of its
Internet backbone, are located at Verio's facility in Englewood, Colorado and
the Network Operation Center ("NOC") of Verio located in Dallas, Texas and at
the NOCs of acquired companies, including Hiway. Despite precautions taken by
and planned by Verio, the occurrence of a natural disaster or other
unanticipated problem at Verio's NOC or at a number of Verio's national nodes
could cause interruptions in the services provided by Verio. The failure of a
local point of presence ("POP") would result in interruption of service to the
customers served by such POP until necessary repairs were effected or
replacement equipment were installed. Additionally, failure of Verio's
telecommunications providers to provide the data communications capacity
required by Verio as a result of natural disaster, operational disruption or for
any other reason could cause interruptions in the services provided by Verio.
Any damage or failure that causes interruptions in Verio's operations could have
a material adverse effect on Verio's business, financial condition and results
of operations.
 
     Hiway currently offers to all its customers a 99.9% service level warranty,
under which Hiway guarantees that each customer's Web site would be available at
least 99.9% of the time in each calendar month for as long as the customer is
using Hiway's Web hosting services. If uptime falls below this level in any
month, Hiway would provide Web hosting services free of charge for that month.
Verio does not currently have a policy of providing a similar service warranty
to its customers. There can be no assurance, however, that Verio will not adopt
a service warranty policy in the future. To the extent that Verio provides such
a service warranty policy in the future, it could experience a material decline
in its revenues in connection with any system downtime experienced by its
customers or other material charges associated with such warranty coverage.
 
SECURITY RISKS
 
     Despite the implementation of security measures by Verio, networks are
vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses and other disruptive
problems. ISPs have in the past experienced, and may in the future experience,
interruptions in service as a result of the accidental or intentional actions of
Internet users,
                                       24
<PAGE>   39
 
current and former employees or others. Unauthorized access could also
potentially jeopardize the security of confidential information stored in the
computer systems of Verio and its customers, which may result in liability of
Verio to its customers and also may deter potential subscribers. Although Verio
intends generally to continue to implement industry-standard security measures,
such measures have been circumvented in the past, and there can be no assurance
that measures implemented by Verio will not be circumvented in the future.
Eliminating computer viruses and alleviating other security problems may require
interruptions, delays or cessation of service to Verio's customers which could
have a material adverse effect on Verio's business, financial condition and
results of operations.
 
POTENTIAL LIABILITY FOR INFORMATION DISSEMINATED OVER NETWORK; REGULATORY
MATTERS
 
     The law relating to liability of on-line service providers and ISPs for
information carried on or disseminated through their networks is currently
unsettled. A number of lawsuits have sought to impose such liability for
defamatory speech and infringement of copyrighted materials. Although some
courts have ruled that the 1996 Telecommunications Act immunizes ISPs from
liability for defamatory material carried on their facilities, there can be no
assurance that other courts will take a similar approach. In one case, a state
court held that an on-line service provider could be found liable for defamatory
materials provided through its service, on the ground that the service provider
exercised active editorial control over postings to its service. Other courts
have held that on-line service providers and ISPs may, under certain
circumstances, be subject to damages for copying or distributing copyrighted
materials. In October 1998, new federal legislation was enacted that requires
ISPs to remove or disable access to allegedly infringing material when certain
notice requirements are met. This legislation provides certain liability
protections to ISPs that comply with its requirements, so long as the ISP takes
certain actions prescribed in the statute. Although the Supreme Court has
declared the Communications Decency Act, enacted in conjunction with the 1996
Telecommunications Act, to be unconstitutional as it applies to the transmission
of indecent on-line communications to minors, state and federal statutes
continue to prohibit the on-line distribution of obscene materials. Further
federal legislation was enacted in October 1998 that requires limitations be
imposed on access to pornography and other material deemed "harmful to minors."
Although this legislation has been challenged in court as a violation of the
First Amendment, it is not possible to predict the outcome of this case. The
imposition upon ISPs or Web server hosts of potential liability for materials
carried on or disseminated through their systems could require Verio to
implement measures to reduce its exposure to such liability. Such measures may
require the expenditure of substantial resources or the discontinuation of
certain product or service offerings, any of which could have a material adverse
effect on Verio's business, operating results and financial condition. Laws
relating to the regulation and liability of Internet access providers for
information carried or disseminated on their networks also are being considered
and implemented in other countries. Decisions, laws, regulations, and other
activities regarding regulation and content liabilities in other countries may
significantly impact the development and profitability of Verio's international
operations.
 
     Although Verio is not currently subject to direct regulation by the Federal
Communications Commission (the "FCC") or any other federal or state agency
(other than regulations applicable to businesses generally), changes in the
regulatory environment relating to the Internet connectivity market, including
regulatory changes which directly or indirectly affect telecommunications costs
or increase the likelihood or scope of competition from the RBOCs or other
telecommunications companies, could affect the prices at which Verio may sell
its services. For example, proposed regulations at the FCC would require
discounted Internet connectivity rates for schools and libraries. Also, the FCC
is considering whether ISPs should be required to pay access charges to local
telephone companies for each minute that dial up users spend connected to ISPs
through telephone company switches, and some telephone companies have requested
similar relief from state regulatory commissions. The imposition of access
charges would affect Verio's costs of serving dial up customers and could have a
material adverse effect on Verio's business, operating results and financial
condition.
 
                                       25
<PAGE>   40
 
DEPENDENCE ON THE INTERNET; RISKS OF TECHNOLOGY TRENDS AND EVOLVING INDUSTRY
STANDARDS
 
     Verio's products and services are targeted toward users of the Internet,
which has experienced rapid growth. The market for Internet access and related
services is relatively new and characterized by rapidly changing technology,
evolving industry standards, changes in customer needs and frequent new product
and service introductions. Verio's future success will depend, in part, on its
ability to effectively use leading technologies, to continue to develop its
technical expertise, to enhance its current services, to develop new products
and services that meet changing customer needs, and to influence and respond to
emerging industry standards and other technological changes on a timely and
cost-effective basis. There can be no assurance that Verio will be successful in
effectively using new technologies, developing new services or enhancing its
existing services on a timely basis or that such new technologies or
enhancements will achieve market acceptance. Verio believes that its ability to
compete successfully is also dependent upon the continued compatibility and
interoperability of its services with products and architectures offered by
various vendors. There can be no assurance that Verio will be able to
effectively address the compatibility and interoperability issues raised by
technological changes or new industry standards. In addition, there can be no
assurance that services or technologies developed by others will not render
Verio's services or technology uncompetitive or obsolete. For example, Verio's
services rely on the continued widespread commercial use of Transmission Control
Protocol/ Internet Protocol ("TCP/IP"). Alternative open and proprietary
protocol standards that compete with TCP/IP, including proprietary protocols
developed by IBM and Novell, Inc., have been or are being developed. If the
market for Internet access services fails to develop, develops more slowly than
expected, or becomes saturated with competitors, or if the Internet access and
services offered by Verio and its ISPs are not broadly accepted, Verio's
business, operating results and financial condition will be materially adversely
affected.
 
     In addition, critical issues concerning the commercial use of the Internet
remain unresolved and may impact the growth of Internet use, especially in the
business market targeted by Verio. Despite growing interest in the many
commercial uses of the Internet, many businesses have been deterred from
purchasing Internet access services for a number of reasons, including, among
others, inconsistent quality of service, lack of availability of cost-effective,
high-speed options, a limited number of local access points for corporate users,
inability to integrate business applications on the Internet, the need to deal
with multiple and frequently incompatible vendors, inadequate protection of the
confidentiality of stored data and information moving across the Internet, and a
lack of tools to simplify Internet access and use. In particular, numerous
published reports have indicated that a perceived lack of security of commercial
data, such as credit card numbers, has significantly impeded commercial
exploitation of the Internet to date, and there can be no assurance that
encryption or other technologies will be developed that satisfactorily address
these security concerns. Published reports have also indicated that capacity
constraints caused by growth in the use of the Internet may, unless resolved,
impede further development of the Internet to the extent that users experience
delays, transmission errors and other difficulties. Further, the adoption of the
Internet for commerce and communications, particularly by those individuals and
enterprises which have historically relied upon alternative means of commerce
and communication, generally requires the understanding and acceptance of a new
way of conducting business and exchanging information. In particular,
enterprises that have already invested substantial resources in other means of
conducting commerce and exchanging information may be particularly reluctant or
slow to adopt a new strategy that may make their existing personnel and
infrastructure obsolete. The failure of the market for business-related Internet
solutions to continue to develop would adversely impact Verio's business,
financial condition and results of operations.
 
DEPENDENCE UPON SUPPLIERS; LIMITED SOURCES OF SUPPLY
 
     Verio relies on other companies to supply certain key components of its
network infrastructure, including telecommunications services and networking
equipment which, in the quantities and quality demanded by Verio, are available
only from limited sources. For example, Verio currently relies on Cisco Systems
to supply routers critical to Verio's network, and Verio could be adversely
affected if routers from Cisco were to become unavailable on commercially
reasonable terms. Qwest, Sprint, MCI and MFS, which are competitors of Verio,
are Verio's primary providers of data communications facilities and network
capacity. Verio also is dependent
 
                                       26
<PAGE>   41
 
upon LECs, which often are competitors of Verio, to provide telecommunications
services and lease physical space to Verio for routers, modems and other
equipment. Verio has from time to time experienced delays in the provisioning of
telecommunications services, which can lead to the loss of customers or
prospective customers. There can be no assurance that, on an ongoing basis,
Verio will be able to obtain such services on the scale and within the time
frames required by Verio at a commercially reasonable cost, or at all. Failure
to obtain or to continue to make use of such services would have a material
adverse effect on Verio's business, operating results and financial condition.
 
YEAR 2000 COMPLIANCE
 
     Verio and Hiway are aware of the issues associated with the programming
code in existing computer systems as the year 2000 approaches. The "Year 2000"
problem is concerned with whether computer systems will properly recognize date
sensitive information when the year changes to 2000. Systems that do not
properly recognize such information could generate erroneous data or fail. The
Year 2000 problem is pervasive and complex, as virtually every company's
computer operations will be affected in some way.
 
     Verio is currently engaged in a two-phase process to evaluate its internal
status with respect to the Year 2000 issue. In the first phase, which Verio
expects to complete in the fourth quarter of 1998, Verio is conducting an
assessment of its national systems in Denver, Colorado, Dallas, Texas and its
east operating region, including both IT systems and non-IT systems such as
hardware containing embedded technology, for Year 2000 compliance. Verio has
hired outside consultants and utilizes certain employees in its phase one
evaluation. To date, the costs and expenses of such outside consultants and
employees of Verio have not been material. While the remaining phase one costs
are difficult to estimate, Verio does not currently anticipate that such costs
will be material. To date, Verio has not discovered Year 2000 issues in the
course of its assessment that would have a material adverse effect on the
business, results of operations or financial condition of Verio. However, there
can be no assurance that Verio will not discover Year 2000 issues upon
completion of phase one.
 
     Phase two of the process, which is expected to be completed during the
second quarter of 1999, will involve taking any needed corrective action to
bring systems into compliance and to develop a contingency plan in the event any
non-compliant critical systems remain by January 1, 2000. As part of this phase,
Verio will attempt to quantify the impact, if any, of the failure to complete
any necessary corrective action. Although Verio cannot currently estimate the
magnitude of such impact, if systems material to Verio's operations have not
been made Year 2000 compliant upon completion of this phase, the Year 2000 issue
could have a material adverse effect on Verio's business, results of operations
and financial condition. To date, the costs incurred by Verio with respect to
phase two have not been material. Future costs will remain difficult to estimate
until the completion of phase one. However, Verio does not currently anticipate
that such costs will be material.
 
     Hiway has recently worked with an independent consultant to evaluate
Hiway's applications, services, operating systems, software, servers, networking
equipment and other hardware for Year 2000 compliance. This evaluation focused
on whether Hiway's operations or assets, including the provision of Web hosting
and Internet connectivity, accounting and customer billing, and other
infrastructure would encounter any problems as a result of the occurrence of the
Year 2000. The cost of this review was approximately $100,000. Hiway's total
Year 2000 project cost, including the correction of any problems that are found,
is expected to be less than $500,000.
 
     Hiway's Year 2000 project is divided into three phases -- Assessment,
Remediation Planning and Remediation and Testing with progress tracked by phase
and function.
 
     As testing for Year 2000 functionality of Verio's and Hiway's systems must
occur in a simulated environment, Verio and Hiway will not be able to test fully
all Year 2000 interfaces and capabilities prior to Year 2000. Failure of their
central database or proprietary billing software to be Year 2000 compliant may
have a material adverse impact on Verio's and Hiway's ability to provide
services and collect fees, which could result in a material adverse impact on
their respective business, financial condition and results of operations as
early as January 1999. In the event that Hiway faces Year 2000 problems as a
result of the failure of its internal systems, Hiway believes material exposure
would exist with respect to its provisioning and billing
                                       27
<PAGE>   42
 
systems. In such an event, Hiway's contingency plan is to resort to manual
provisioning and billing systems estimated to cost $75,000 up-front plus $35,000
per month.
 
     Hiway and Verio are in the process of evaluating the Year 2000 preparedness
of their respective telecommunications providers, on which they are critically
reliant for the connectivity to the Internet crucial to their Web hosting and
Internet connectivity services. If these telecommunications providers have Year
2000 problems that interfere with their ability to provide telecommunications
services, this could have a material adverse impact on Verio's and Hiway's
ability to provide their services. In the event of such a interruption in
service, Verio and Hiway would seek alternative sources of telecommunications
services. However, such services may not be available, in which case there could
be a material adverse impact on Verio's and Hiway's ability to provide their
services, resulting in a material adverse impact on their respective business,
financial condition and results of operations.
 
     Similarly, Verio and Hiway are in the process of evaluating the Year 2000
preparedness of their utilities service providers. Failure of these electrical
utilities to provide service to Verio or Hiway also would have a significant
impact on their ability to provide services. In the event that electrical
service is interrupted, Verio and Hiway would rely on backup electrical
generation equipment maintained at their data centers. However, long term
reliance on such backup equipment could have a significant impact on Verio's and
Hiway's cost of providing services, resulting in a material adverse impact on
their business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
     Finally, Verio and Hiway are in the process of evaluating the Year 2000
preparedness of their other significant vendors, VARs and OEMs. Failure of such
vendors, VARs or OEMs, or their telecommunications services or utilities
providers, to be Year 2000 compliant could have a material impact on their
ability to provide services to their customers, resulting in a material adverse
impact on Verio's and Hiway's business, financial condition and results of
operations.
 
     Based on the steps being taken to address this issue and the progress to
date, Verio believes that the Year 2000 compliance expenses will not have a
material adverse effect on Verio's earnings. However, there can be no assurance
that Year 2000 problems will not occur with respect to Verio's or Hiway's
computer systems. Furthermore, the Year 2000 problem may impact other entities
with which Verio and Hiway transact business, and Verio and Hiway cannot predict
the effect of the Year 2000 problem on such entities or the resulting effect on
Verio and Hiway. As a result, if preventative and/or corrective actions by Verio
and Hiway or those with whom Verio and Hiway do business are not made in a
timely manner, the Year 2000 issue could have a material adverse effect on
Verio's or Hiway's business, financial condition and results of operations.
 
EFFECT OF ANTITAKEOVER PROVISIONS
 
     Certain provisions of Verio's Restated Certificate of Incorporation and
Bylaws could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or
prevent a change in control of Verio. Such provisions could diminish the
opportunities for a stockholder to participate in tender offers, including
tender offers at a price above the then current market value of Verio Common
Stock. Such provisions may also inhibit fluctuations in the market price of
Verio Common Stock that could result from takeover attempts. In addition, the
Verio Board, without further stockholder approval, may issue Verio's
Undesignated Preferred Stock, with such terms as the Verio Board may determine,
that could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of
Verio. The issuance of Verio's Undesignated Preferred Stock could also adversely
affect the voting power of the holders of Verio Common Stock, including the loss
of voting control to others. Verio also is afforded the protections of Section
203 of the DGCL, which could delay or prevent a change in control of Verio or
could impede a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination
involving Verio or discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or
otherwise attempting to obtain control of Verio. See "Description of Capital
Stock" and "Comparison of Rights of Verio Stockholders and Hiway Shareholders."
 
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
 
     The statements contained in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus that are not
historical fact are "forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in the
Reform Act). The safe harbor provisions provided in
                                       28
<PAGE>   43
 
Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act apply to
forward-looking statements made only by Verio and not Hiway. These statements
can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes,"
"expects," "may," "will," "should," or "anticipates" or the negative thereof or
other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of
strategy that involve risks and uncertainties. Verio and Hiway wish to caution
the reader that these forward-looking statements addressing the timing, costs
and scope of Verio's acquisition of, or investments in, existing ISPs, the
revenue and profitability levels of the ISPs in which Verio invests, the
anticipated reduction in operating costs resulting from the integration and
optimization of those ISPs and other matters contained above and elsewhere in
this Proxy Statement/Prospectus regarding matters that are not historical facts,
are only predictions. No assurance can be given that the future results
indicated, whether expressed or implied, will be achieved. While sometimes
presented with numerical specificity, these projections and other
forward-looking statements are based upon a variety of assumptions relating to
the business of Verio or Hiway, as the case may be, which, although considered
reasonable by Verio or Hiway, as the case may be, may not be realized. Because
of the number and range of the assumptions underlying Verio's projections and
forward-looking statements, many of which are subject to significant
uncertainties and contingencies that are beyond the reasonable control of Verio
or Hiway, some of the assumptions inevitably will not materialize and
unanticipated events and circumstances may occur subsequent to the date of this
Proxy Statement/Prospectus. These forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations, and neither Verio nor Hiway assumes any obligation to
update this information. Therefore, the actual experience of Verio and Hiway and
results achieved during the period covered by any particular projections or
forward-looking statements may differ substantially from those projected.
Consequently, the inclusion of projections and other forward-looking statements
should not be regarded as a representation by Verio, Hiway or any other person
that these estimates and projections will be realized, and actual results may
vary materially. There can be no assurance that any of these expectations will
be realized or that any of the forward-looking statements contained herein will
prove to be accurate.
 
                           THE HIWAY SPECIAL MEETING
 
DATE, TIME, PLACE AND PURPOSE
 
   
     The Hiway Special Meeting will be held on December 29, 1998, at 11 A.M.,
Pacific Time, at the corporate offices of Best, located at 401 Third Street, San
Francisco, California 94107.
    
 
     At the Hiway Special Meeting, holders of Hiway Common Stock will consider
and vote upon the Hiway Merger Proposal and consequently to approve and adopt
the Merger Agreement and the Merger. Shareholders of Hiway will also consider
and vote on any other matter that may properly come before the meeting.
 
     THE HIWAY BOARD HAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE MERGER AGREEMENT AND THE HIWAY
MERGER PROPOSAL, BELIEVES THAT THE TERMS OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT ARE FAIR TO,
AND IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF, HIWAY AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS, AND UNANIMOUSLY
RECOMMENDS THAT HOLDERS OF SHARES OF HIWAY COMMON STOCK VOTE "FOR" APPROVAL OF
THE HIWAY MERGER PROPOSAL.
 
RECORD DATE; VOTING RIGHTS; PROXIES
 
   
     Only holders of Hiway Common Stock at the close of business on December 3,
1998 (the "Hiway Record Date") are entitled to notice of and to vote at the
Hiway Special Meeting. As of the Hiway Record Date, there were approximately 176
holders of record of Hiway Common Stock, and 35,887,913 shares of Hiway Common
Stock issued and outstanding, each of which entitled the holder thereof to one
vote.
    
 
     All shares of Hiway Common Stock represented by properly executed proxies
will, unless such proxies have been previously revoked, be voted in accordance
with the instructions indicated in such proxies. IF NO INSTRUCTIONS ARE
INDICATED, SUCH SHARES OF HIWAY COMMON STOCK WILL BE VOTED "FOR" APPROVAL OF THE
HIWAY MERGER PROPOSAL. Hiway does not know of any matters other than as
described in the Notice of Special Meeting that are to come before the Hiway
Special Meeting. If any other matter or matters are properly presented for
action at the Hiway Special Meeting, the persons named in the enclosed form of
proxy and
                                       29
<PAGE>   44
 
acting thereunder will have the discretion to vote on such matters in accordance
with their best judgment. A shareholder who has given a proxy may revoke it at
any time prior to its exercise by giving written notice thereof to the Secretary
of Hiway, by signing and returning a later dated proxy or by voting in person at
the Hiway Special Meeting. However, mere attendance at the Hiway Special Meeting
will not in and of itself have the effect of revoking the proxy. Votes cast by
proxy or in person at the Hiway Special Meeting will be tabulated by the
inspector of election appointed for the meeting.
 
SOLICITATION OF PROXIES
 
     Proxies are being solicited by and on behalf of the Hiway Board. Hiway will
bear all expenses in connection with such solicitation. In addition to
solicitation by use of the mails, proxies may be solicited by directors,
officers and employees of Hiway in person or by telephone, telegram or other
means of communication. Such directors, officers and employees will not be
additionally compensated for, but may be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses
incurred in connection with, such solicitation. Arrangements have also been made
with brokerage firms, banks, custodians, nominees and fiduciaries for the
forwarding of proxy and solicitation materials to owners of Hiway Common Stock
held of record by such persons, and in connection therewith such firms will be
reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in forwarding such materials.
 
QUORUM
 
     The presence in person or by properly executed proxy of holders of a
majority of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Hiway Common Stock
entitled to vote is necessary to constitute a quorum at the Hiway Special
Meeting. For purposes of determining whether a quorum is present, the inspector
of election will include abstentions and broker non-votes.
 
REQUIRED VOTE
 
     Approval of the Hiway Merger Proposal requires the affirmative vote of a
majority of the outstanding shares of Hiway entitled to vote thereon. For
purposes of determining whether the Hiway Merger Proposal has been approved, the
inspector of elections will exclude abstentions and broker non-votes from the
number of shares deemed to have been voted on such matter at the Hiway Special
Meeting. Accordingly, the failure to submit a proxy card or to vote in person at
the Special Meeting, and the abstention from voting by a shareholder, will each
have the same effect as a vote "AGAINST" approval of the Hiway Merger Proposal.
 
   
     As of the Hiway Record Date, directors and executive officers of Hiway and
their affiliates were beneficial owners of an aggregate of 22,615,638 shares of
Hiway Common Stock (exclusive of any shares issuable upon the exercise of stock
options or warrants remaining unexercised as of such date), or approximately
63.0% of the 35,887,913 shares of Hiway Common Stock that were issued and
outstanding as of such date.
    
 
   
     Certain shareholders of Hiway (including each of the Hiway Executive
Officers (as defined below) and one additional individual), holding in the
aggregate approximately 63.0% of the Hiway Common Stock outstanding as of the
Hiway Record Date, have each entered into a Voting Agreement and Irrevocable
Proxy with Verio pursuant to which each has agreed to vote, and has executed an
irrevocable proxy in favor of Verio to vote, all shares of Hiway Common Stock
owned by such shareholder for approval of the Hiway Merger Proposal.
Accordingly, approval of the Hiway Merger Proposal is virtually certain,
assuming that all of the shares of Hiway Common Stock subject to such Voting
Agreements and Irrevocable Proxies are voted pursuant thereto. Execution of the
Voting Agreements and Irrevocable Proxies was required to induce Verio to enter
into the Merger Agreement. See "Voting Agreements."
    
 
     HIWAY SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ AND CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE INFORMATION
PRESENTED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND TO COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND
PROMPTLY RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY IN THE ENCLOSED POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE.
FAILURE TO RETURN THE PROXY WILL HAVE THE PRACTICAL EFFECT OF VOTING AGAINST THE
HIWAY MERGER PROPOSAL.
 
                                       30
<PAGE>   45
 
     Even if the Hiway Merger Proposal is approved by Hiway shareholders, it is
a condition to Verio's obligation to close the Merger that the holders of no
more than 10% of the outstanding shares of Hiway Common Stock shall have
demanded or be eligible to demand dissenters' rights. See "The Merger
Agreement -- Conditions" and "Dissenters' Rights of Hiway Shareholders." It thus
is important that you complete, date, sign and return the enclosed proxy
regardless of whether the Hiway Merger Proposal has been approved, since by
doing so you will no longer be eligible to exercise dissenters' rights.
 
                                       31
<PAGE>   46
 
                                   THE MERGER
 
     This section of this Proxy Statement/Prospectus describes certain aspects
of the proposed Merger. To the extent that it relates to the Merger Agreement
and the terms of the Merger, the following description does not purport to be
complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Merger Agreement,
which is attached as Appendix A to this Proxy Statement/Prospectus and is
incorporated herein by reference. All shareholders of Hiway are urged to read
the Merger Agreement.
 
GENERAL
 
     The Merger Agreement provides that the Merger will be consummated if the
approval of Hiway shareholders required therefor is obtained and all other
conditions to the Merger are satisfied or waived as provided in the Merger
Agreement. Upon consummation of the Merger, Merger Sub will be merged with and
into Hiway, with Hiway being the surviving company.
 
     At the Effective Time, each outstanding share of Hiway Common Stock will be
converted into cash and a fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock, as follows:
 
     - The Per Share Price with respect to each share of Hiway Common Stock in
       connection with the Merger will be equal to the quotient of (i)
       approximately $254.72 million, adjusted as described herein (the "Total
       Consideration Value"), divided by (ii) the number of shares of Hiway
       Common Stock outstanding on the Closing Date, on a fully diluted basis.
 
     - The Per Share Cash Amount payable with respect to each share of Hiway
       Common Stock will be equal to the quotient of (i) $176.0 million, divided
       by (ii) the total number of shares of Hiway Common Stock outstanding on
       the Closing Date.
 
     - The Common Stock Exchange Ratio with respect to each share of Hiway
       Common Stock will be equal to the quotient of (i) the amount by which the
       Per Share Price exceeds the Per Share Cash Amount, divided by (ii)
       $16.00.
 
     The Total Consideration Value will be finally determined pursuant to the
Merger Agreement at the Effective Time, taking into account, among other things,
the amount, if any, of Excess Expenses and the proceeds that would be receivable
by Hiway upon the exercise of certain options and warrants to purchase Hiway
Common Stock. In addition, the actual value of the shares of Verio Common Stock
to be issued in connection with respect to each share of Hiway Common Stock (and
thus the actual value of the Total Consideration Value at the Effective Date)
will depend upon, among other things, the actual value of Verio Common Stock at
the Closing Date, which may vary both before and after the Closing Date. See
"Risk Factors -- Potential Fluctuation of Value of Consideration Received" and
"The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration" for a more detailed discussion of
the consideration to be received in the Merger. Cash will be paid in lieu of
fractional shares.
 
   
     Each Hiway option or warrant will be assumed by Verio and become an option
or warrant to purchase, at the same aggregate exercise price and on
substantially the same terms and conditions as the Hiway option or warrant, that
number of shares of Verio Common Stock which the holder thereof would have been
entitled to receive had such option or warrant been exercised prior to the
Effective Time and had the Total Consideration Value been paid entirely in
shares of Verio Common Stock.
    
 
     The exact amount of cash and shares of Verio Common Stock comprising the
Merger Consideration cannot be determined until immediately prior to the
Effective Time. However, based upon Hiway's capitalization as of November 13,
1998, and assuming that there are no Excess Expenses, (i) the Per Share Cash
Amount will be approximately $4.90 and the Common Stock Exchange Ratio will be
approximately 0.0875, and (ii) the Option Exchange Ratio will be approximately
0.3940. Additional examples of how the actual amount of cash and exchange ratios
will be determined are included below in this Proxy Statement/ Prospectus. See
"The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration."
 
                                       32
<PAGE>   47
 
     No fractional shares of Verio Common Stock will be issued pursuant to the
Merger. In lieu thereof, cash adjustments will be paid in an amount equal to the
product of (i) the fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock that would
otherwise be issuable multiplied by (ii) $16.00.
 
     Notwithstanding the foregoing, all shares of Hiway Common Stock held in the
treasury of Hiway, by any subsidiary of Hiway, by Verio or by any subsidiary of
Verio will be cancelled and retired, without any consideration to be paid by
Verio.
 
EFFECTIVE TIME
 
     The Effective Time will occur upon the filing of an agreement of merger
(the "Agreement of Merger") with the Secretary of State of the State of
California or at such later time as is specified in the Agreement of Merger. The
filing of the Agreement of Merger will occur upon satisfaction or waiver of the
conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. The Merger Agreement may be
terminated by either party if the Merger has not been consummated on or before
February 28, 1999 and under certain other conditions. See "The Merger
Agreement -- Conditions" and "-- Termination."
 
CONVERSION OF SHARES; PROCEDURES FOR EXCHANGE OF STOCK CERTIFICATES
 
     The conversion of shares of Hiway Common Stock (other than Dissenting
Shares, as defined below) into the right to receive the Merger Consideration
will occur automatically at the Effective Time.
 
   
     As soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective Time, the Exchange
Agent will mail to each holder of record of Hiway Common Stock (i) a letter of
transmittal and (ii) instructions for use in effecting the surrender of the
certificates representing shares of Hiway Common Stock ("Hiway Stock
Certificates") in exchange for cash and certificates representing shares of
Verio Common Stock. Upon surrender of a Hiway Stock Certificate to the Exchange
Agent together with such letter of transmittal, duly executed, the holder of
such Hiway Stock Certificate will be entitled to receive in exchange therefor
(i) a certificate representing that number of whole shares of Verio Common Stock
and (ii) a check representing the amount of cash, including that amount of cash
in lieu of fractional shares, if any, which such holder has the right to receive
in respect of the Hiway Stock Certificate so surrendered.
    
 
     If any issuance or payment of the Merger Consideration in exchange for
shares of Hiway Common Stock is to be made to a person other than the Hiway
shareholder in whose name the Hiway Stock Certificate is registered at the
Effective Time, it will be a condition of such exchange that the Hiway Stock
Certificate so surrendered be properly endorsed or otherwise be in proper form
for transfer and that the Hiway shareholder requesting such issuance either pay
any transfer or other tax required or establish to the satisfaction of the
Exchange Agent that such tax has been paid or is not payable.
 
     After the Effective Time, there will be no further transfers of Hiway
Common Stock on the stock transfer books of Hiway. If a Hiway Stock Certificate
is presented for transfer, it will be cancelled and the Merger Consideration
with respect to the shares of Hiway Common Stock represented by such Certificate
will be delivered in exchange therefor.
 
     After the Effective Time and until surrendered, shares of Hiway Common
Stock (other than Dissenting Shares) will be deemed for all corporate purposes,
other than the payment of dividends and distributions, to evidence ownership of
the Merger Consideration with respect to such shares. No dividends or other
distributions, if any, payable to holders of Verio Common Stock will be paid to
the holders of any Hiway Stock Certificates until such Certificates are
surrendered. Upon surrender of such Certificates, all such declared dividends
and distributions which shall have become payable with respect to such Verio
Common Stock in respect of a record date after the Effective Time (if any) will
be paid to the holder of record of the full shares of Verio Common Stock
represented by the certificate issued in exchange therefor, without interest.
 
     Neither the Exchange Agent nor any party to the Merger Agreement is liable
to a holder of shares of Hiway Common Stock for any cash or shares of Verio
Common Stock, or dividends thereon, or the cash payment for fractional interests
delivered to a public official pursuant to applicable escheat laws.
 
                                       33
<PAGE>   48
 
     In the event that any Hiway Stock Certificate has been lost, stolen or
destroyed, upon (i) the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person
claiming such Hiway Stock Certificate to be lost, stolen or destroyed, and (ii)
if required by Verio and/or the Exchange Agent, in its discretion, the posting
by such person of a bond in such sum as Verio and/or the Exchange Agent may
direct as indemnity, or such other form of indemnity as Verio and/or the
Exchange Agent may reasonably direct, against any claim that may be made against
Verio and/or the Exchange Agent with respect to such Hiway Stock Certificate,
the Exchange Agent will deliver in exchange for such Hiway Stock Certificate the
Merger Consideration with respect to the shares of Hiway Common Stock
represented by such Hiway Stock Certificate.
 
     If a Hiway shareholder dissents from the Merger and demands appraisal of
any Hiway Common Stock in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 13 of the
CGCL, any Dissenting Shares of such shareholder will not be converted, but will
from and after the Effective Time represent only the right to receive such
consideration as may be determined to be due to the Hiway shareholder pursuant
to the CGCL; provided, however, that each share of Hiway Common Stock held by a
Hiway shareholder who, after the Effective Time, withdraws his demand for
appraisal or loses his rights of appraisal with respect to such shares of Hiway
Common Stock, in either case pursuant to the CGCL, will not be deemed to be
Dissenting Shares but will be deemed to be converted, as of the Effective Time,
into the right to receive the Merger Consideration. See "Dissenters' Rights of
Hiway Shareholders."
 
     HIWAY SHAREHOLDERS SHOULD NOT FORWARD HIWAY STOCK CERTIFICATES TO THE
EXCHANGE AGENT UNTIL THEY HAVE RECEIVED TRANSMITTAL LETTERS. HIWAY SHAREHOLDERS
SHOULD NOT RETURN HIWAY STOCK CERTIFICATES WITH THE ENCLOSED HIWAY PROXY.
 
BACKGROUND OF THE MERGER
 
     During the summer of 1997 and prior to the Best/Hiway Merger, there were
informal meetings between Arthur L. Cahoon, Scott H. Adams, Steven J. Umberger
and William G. Nesbitt, respectively the Chairman, President, Chief Marketing
Officer and Secretary of Hiway Florida, and Justin L. Jaschke and Chris J.
DeMarche, respectively the Chief Executive Officer and Vice President and Chief
Technical Officer of Verio, regarding Verio's general consolidation strategy and
its strategy as related to Internet Web hosting services. Other than very
general discussions concerning valuation parameters, no specific discussions
took place at that time regarding the terms of a possible transaction.
 
     In September, 1997, Best initiated discussions with prospective
underwriters concerning the possibility of an initial public offering.
 
     In November, 1997, Hiway Florida initiated discussions with prospective
underwriters concerning the possibility of an initial public offering.
 
     Commencing in October, 1997, representatives of Best and Hiway Florida
commenced discussions concerning a possible merger. These discussions culminated
in the signing of a merger agreement on April 15, 1998. The closing of the
Best/Hiway Merger occurred on May 27, 1998.
 
     On June 10, 1998, Hiway caused a registration statement to be filed with
the Commission by Hiway Technologies, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Hiway
Delaware"), with respect to a proposed initial public offering. On July 20,
1998, Hiway caused an amendment to such registration statement to be filed (such
registration statement and amendment, collectively, the "Hiway Registration
Statement"). Hiway Delaware is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hiway, into which
Hiway intended to merge prior to any such initial public offering.
 
     On June 5, 1998, Hiway engaged Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. ("Bear Stearns") to
advise it in evaluating and negotiating strategic relationships in conjunction
with or as potential alternatives to an initial public offering.
 
     On July 7, 1998, Ken Leonard, President of TABNet (which had recently been
acquired by Verio), called David S. Buzby, Chief Financial Officer of Hiway, and
encouraged him to contact Mr. Jaschke
 
                                       34
<PAGE>   49
 
regarding a possible transaction. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Jaschke called Mr.
Cahoon and Mr. Buzby. Mr. Cahoon returned Mr. Jaschke's call and, during the
conversation, Mr. Jaschke and Mr. Cahoon discussed the potential strategic
benefits and synergies of combining Hiway and Verio, particularly considering
Verio's recent acquisition of TABNet. Additionally, Mr. Cahoon described the
status of Hiway's efforts to complete their proposed initial public offering,
including plans for Hiway's imminent "road show," and expressed his desire to
negotiate and complete any potential combination transaction with Verio prior to
the "road show."
 
     During early July, Verio was engaged in discussions with third-party
financial advisors, including Lazard Freres, regarding possible strategic
acquisitions. On July 10, 1998, Verio retained Lazard Freres as its exclusive
financial advisor with respect to the possible acquisition of Hiway.
 
     Mr. Jaschke and Sean Brophy, Vice President of Corporate Development of
Verio, representing Verio, and Mr. Cahoon and Mr. Buzby, representing Hiway, met
on July 14, 1998, to discuss a possible transaction between the two companies,
including an acquisition, and the possible benefits that might result from such
a transaction. During the meeting, Mr. Cahoon reiterated the progress of Hiway's
proposed initial public offering and the need for any potential acquisition of
Hiway by Verio to be completed quickly. Additionally, the parties discussed a
variety of terms concerning the possible acquisition of Hiway by Verio including
price, form of consideration and other material terms. No agreements were
reached other than to commence a due diligence review and to continue
discussions regarding possible transaction terms.
 
     On July 15, 1998, Hiway and Verio executed a mutual non-disclosure
agreement. Representatives of Morrison & Foerster LLP, counsel to Verio,
commenced legal due diligence at the offices of Fenwick & West LLP, counsel to
Hiway. At the same time, representatives of Verio and Hiway and their respective
financial and other advisors met to conduct financial, technical and other due
diligence. Due diligence investigations continued through July 28, 1998, during
which time the parties negotiated the terms and conditions of the Merger
Agreement.
 
     On July 20, 1998, representatives of Verio, including Mr. Jaschke and Mr.
Brophy, traveled to Florida to conduct operational due diligence at Hiway's
executive offices, including review of Hiway's back office systems, key
operational relationships and management and key technical personnel.
 
     On July 22, 1998, James Zarley, Chief Operating Officer of Hiway, and Mr.
Adams met with Herbert Hribar, President and Chief Operating Officer of Verio,
and other Verio personnel in Verio's Dallas facility to evaluate Verio's back
office systems, network operation center and customer care center and to further
discuss operational aspects of the proposed merger of the companies.
 
     On July 23, 1998, Mr. Cahoon visited Verio's Dallas facility and conducted
due diligence discussions with management of Verio.
 
     On July 24, 1998, Verio's legal advisors circulated a preliminary draft of
the Initial Merger Agreement. Representatives of Verio and Hiway and their
legal, financial and other advisors met at the offices of Verio's legal advisors
on July 25, 1998, and continued over the next several days to conduct their due
diligence investigations, to discuss the possible terms of a combination of
their companies and to finalize the Initial Merger Agreement. Throughout this
period representatives of Hiway and Verio had informal discussions with the
members of their respective Boards of Directors.
 
     On July 26, 1998, the Hiway Board met and discussed the results of Hiway's
due diligence investigation, the current proposed terms of the acquisition and
the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed acquisition by Verio and the
possible alternative of an initial public offering.
 
     On July 27, 1998, Hiway retained BT Alex. Brown to provide advisory and
investment banking services with respect to the Merger.
 
     On July 28, 1998 the Verio Board met to discuss and consider the Merger.
The Verio Board reviewed the then-current draft of the Initial Merger Agreement,
which had been circulated prior to the meeting. At the meeting, Lazard Freres
discussed with the Verio Board its financial analysis of Hiway and the
consideration to be paid by Verio in the Merger. After further discussion, the
Verio Board approved the Merger and the issuance of shares of Verio Common Stock
pursuant to the Initial Merger Agreement.
                                       35
<PAGE>   50
 
     On July 28, 1998 the Hiway Board met to discuss and consider the Merger.
The Hiway Board reviewed the then-current draft of the Initial Merger Agreement,
which had been circulated prior to the meeting. At the meeting, BT Alex. Brown
made a presentation regarding Verio and the consideration to be received by
Hiway shareholders in the Merger pursuant to the Initial Merger Agreement and
delivered its opinion to the Hiway Board to the effect that, as of such date,
the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Per Share Cash Amount, taken together,
were fair to the Hiway shareholders, from a financial point of view. After
further discussion, the Hiway Board approved the Initial Merger Agreement and
the Merger.
 
     The Initial Merger Agreement and the Hiway Shareholder Voting Agreements
(as defined below) were executed late in the evening on July 28, 1998.
 
     On July 29, 1998, Verio and Hiway issued a joint press release announcing
the execution of the Initial Merger Agreement and the proposed Merger.
 
     On October 21, 1998, representatives of Hiway met with Hiway's legal
advisors to discuss the timing of the Merger and the decline in the value of the
consideration to be received by Hiway shareholders in the Merger under the terms
of the Initial Merger Agreement.
 
     On October 29, 1998, the Hiway Board met to consider the value of the
consideration to be received by Hiway shareholders in the Merger in light of the
decline in the price of Verio Common Stock and to discuss Verio's reported
operating results and the progress on integration plans for the combined
companies. The Hiway Board directed Mr. Cahoon and Mr. Buzby to call Mr. Jaschke
in order to explore the possibility of mutually acceptable changes to the
Initial Merger Agreement.
 
     Between October 30, 1998 and November 5, 1998, representatives of Hiway and
Verio discussed the consideration to be received by Hiway shareholders in the
Merger and the potential for amending the Initial Merger Agreement. These
discussions primarily addressed the value and mixture of cash and stock
consideration to be received by Hiway shareholders as a result of the Merger.
 
     On November 5 and 6, 1998, the Hiway Board met to continue its discussion
of the mixture of cash and stock consideration to be received by Hiway
shareholders in the Merger.
 
     On November 10 and 11, 1998, representatives of Verio, including Mr.
Jaschke and Mr. Brophy and Verio's legal and investment banking advisors, met in
Florida with representatives of Hiway, including each of the Hiway Board members
with the exception of Mr. Barry, Bear Stearns and Hiway's legal counsel, to
discuss possible amendments to the Initial Merger Agreement.
 
     From November 13, 1998 to November 17, 1998, representatives of Verio and
Hiway, including Verio's legal and investment banking advisors and Hiway's legal
counsel and Bear Stearns, continued to discuss potential amendments to the
Initial Merger Agreement. Throughout this period, the aforementioned
representatives of Hiway and Verio had informal discussions with the members of
their respective Boards of Directors.
 
     On November 15 and 16, 1998, the Hiway Board met to discuss the ongoing
negotiations with Verio regarding the Initial Merger Agreement.
 
     On November 16, 1998, Hiway retained BT Alex. Brown to provide advisory and
investment banking services with respect to proposed amendments to the Initial
Merger Agreement.
 
     On November 16, 1998, the Verio Board met to discuss and consider the
amendments to the Initial Merger Agrement proposed by management and reflected
in a draft of the revised Merger Agreement. Modifying the allocation of cash and
shares of Verio Common Stock to be paid as consideration in the Merger. At the
meeting, the Verio Board reviewed with its legal and financial advisors the
terms of the revised Merger Agreement, and approved the terms of the revised
Merger Agreement and the consideration to be paid by Verio in the Merger.
 
     On November 17, 1998, the Hiway Board met to discuss and consider the terms
of the revised Merger Agreement. The Hiway Board reviewed the then-current draft
of the revised Merger Agreement, with its legal
 
                                       36
<PAGE>   51
 
counsel and Bear Stearns and approved the revised Merger Agreement and the
Merger and determined that it was in the best interests of the Hiway
shareholders.
 
     The revised Merger Agreement and the amended Hiway Shareholder Voting
Agreements were executed on November 17, 1998 and announced on November 18,
1998.
 
RECOMMENDATION OF THE HIWAY BOARD; REASONS FOR THE MERGER
 
     THE HIWAY BOARD HAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE MERGER AGREEMENT AND THE HIWAY
MERGER PROPOSAL, BELIEVES THAT THE TERMS OF THE MERGER AGREEMENT ARE FAIR TO,
AND IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF, HIWAY AND ITS SHAREHOLDERS, AND UNANIMOUSLY
RECOMMENDS THAT HOLDERS OF SHARES OF HIWAY COMMON STOCK VOTE "FOR" APPROVAL OF
THE HIWAY MERGER PROPOSAL.
 
     The Hiway Board's decision to approve the Initial Merger Agreement was
based in significant part upon its assessment of the trends developing in the
Internet access and enhanced Internet services market, and the changes that may
come about in such market as a result of increasing competition, consolidation
and customer demands. The Hiway Board compared the benefits and associated risks
of the Initial Merger Agreement with those of continuing with Hiway's proposed
initial public offering. The Hiway Board observed that the highly fragmented
market for Internet access, Web hosting and other enhanced Internet services,
including Hiway's core Web hosting market, appeared to be consolidating. Verio
was viewed by the Hiway Board as having many of the significant resources and
expertise required to be a leader in this consolidation.
 
     In determining whether to approve the Initial Merger Agreement and the
Merger, Hiway considered several strategic alternatives, including continuing
with its initial public offering or selling the company to another bidder. The
Hiway Board decided to suspend Hiway's initial public offering and approve the
Initial Merger Agreement after evaluating Hiway's value based upon each
transaction. Hiway considered the following five factors in weighing the value
of each transaction, deciding to suspend Hiway's initial public offering in
favor of the Merger and determining that the consideration to be received by
shareholders was fair:
 
     - A comparison of the filing range for Hiway's initial public offering and
       the per share value of the original Merger at the time of the Hiway
       Board's original decision to approve the Merger;
 
     - The signs of weakness in the market for initial public offerings,
       particularly for Internet companies, in late July 1998;
 
     - The benefits of the Merger that Hiway would not realize as an independent
       company;
 
     - The fact that Hiway, if it remained independent, would be required to
       compete with Verio, a company with greater financial resources and
       management experience than Hiway; and
 
     - The fairness opinion delivered by BT Alex. Brown in connection with the
       Initial Merger Agreement.
 
     In evaluating the potential to sell Hiway to a bidder other than Verio, the
Hiway Board considered the following factors. Although several potential
acquirors from the Internet and telecommunications industries had approached
Hiway prior to and during the registration process for Hiway's initial public
offering, no entity other than Verio had made a formal written offer to acquire
Hiway. In addition, the values for Hiway suggested by other potential bidders in
their preliminary discussions with Hiway were below the value of Verio's offer
in the original Merger and resulted in less liquidity for Hiway's shareholders.
 
     A potential merger with Verio was also considered to be complementary with
Hiway's long-term objectives and to provide an opportunity to attain the
following potential strategic benefits:
 
     - The combination of Hiway's experience and customer base in the Web
       hosting business with Verio's Internet access experience and nascent but
       rapidly growing Web hosting business represented a strategic fit that
       could allow the combined company to provide small and medium sized
       businesses with a broader array of Internet access and enhanced Internet
       services at lower costs, which could be
 
                                       37
<PAGE>   52
 
achieved with economies of scale and a more efficient cost structure, thereby
strengthening the combined company's relationships with its customers.
 
     - The combined entity could streamline overhead and eliminate duplicative
       functions.
 
     - The combined entity could benefit from the strength and experience of
       Hiway's and Verio's respective management teams and the systems and
       personnel that the combined entity could bring to bear in executing on
       the strategy of acquiring and integrating companies in the combined
       entity's markets and in realizing the benefits of such acquisitions.
 
     - The combination of Hiway and Verio would create a combined company with
       significantly greater resources and greater sales and marketing
       capabilities than those of Hiway alone, and might enable Hiway to compete
       more effectively with competitors in the consolidating and rapidly
       changing market for Internet access and Web hosting.
 
     - Verio's market presence, large customer base and broad sales and
       distribution network offer expanded sales and marketing opportunities for
       Hiway's products.
 
     - Verio's nationwide Internet backbone and relationships with data
       transport companies would enable Hiway to lower its data transport costs
       and optimize data transfer.
 
     - The combined entity could leverage Hiway's technological and Web hosting
       expertise and international distribution network to market and sell a
       broader array of products and services.
 
     - The increased customer base of the combined entity could provide it with
       better negotiating positions with respect to data technology and
       transport suppliers, including MCI, Sprint, UUNet and Cisco, with respect
       to the combined entity's Internet backbone and equipment.
 
     The Hiway Board further evaluated the merits of an investment in Verio
Common Stock and concluded that Verio Common Stock has appreciation potential in
the long term. Further, since Verio is a larger company that is followed by a
greater number of stock analysts, it should represent a more immediately liquid
investment than would be the case for Hiway Common Stock if it pursued its own
public offering.
 
     In the course of its deliberations, the Hiway Board reviewed with Hiway's
management a number of other factors relevant to the Initial Merger Agreement.
In particular, the Hiway Board considered, among other things:
 
     - The proposed terms of the Merger.
 
     - The likelihood of realizing superior benefits through alternative
       business strategies, including continuation of Hiway's proposed initial
       public offering.
 
     - Information concerning Hiway's and Verio's respective businesses,
       historical financial performances, operations and products, including the
       following Commission filings made by, and analysts' reports regarding,
       Verio: Amendment No. 4 to Form S-4 Registration Statement filed by Verio
       with the Commission on July 14, 1998; Credit Suisse First Boston
       Corporation, report dated July 8, 1998; Salomon Smith Barney, report
       dated June 19, 1998; Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, report dated July 15,
       1998.
 
     - Management's oral due diligence reports regarding their visit to Verio's
       Dallas facility, including the operations and systems related to the help
       desk, provisioning, accounts receivable, billing and collection
       functions.
 
     - Discussions with Verio management regarding future strategy, products,
       markets, and management and integration issues, for example, the
       potential economies of scale and potential expansion to provision of
       Hiway services nationwide using Verio's communications backbone.
 
     - The stock price of Verio and the proposed range of values that Hiway
       would use to begin the marketing process of its initial public offering.
 
                                       38
<PAGE>   53
 
     - Volatility and trading volume of Verio Common Stock and the lack of a
       current public market for Hiway Common Stock.
 
     - An analysis of the relative value that Hiway might contribute to the
       future business and prospects of the combined organization.
 
     - The compatibility of the management and businesses of Hiway and Verio and
       the benefits described earlier that management hopes to attain through
       the Merger.
 
     - In connection with the Initial Merger Agreement, the detailed financial
       analysis presented by BT Alex. Brown, including the opinion of BT Alex.
       Brown dated July 28, 1998 that the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the
       Per Share Cash Amount, taken together, to be received by the holders of
       Hiway Common Stock was fair, from a financial point of view, to the
       holders of Hiway Common Stock, as of the date of such opinion.
 
   
     Hiway's Board valued Hiway based upon using comparable public company
multiples of estimated 1998 revenues and estimated 1998 earnings, estimated 1999
revenues and estimated 1999 earnings. These comparables created a range of
values, based upon multiples of revenue and EBITDA. Revenue multiples ranged
from 2.6x to 12.5x, averaging 5.5x, based upon 1998 revenues, and 1.9x to 5.3x
averaging 3x, based upon 1999 revenues. EBITDA multiples ranged from 17.8x to
31.6x, averaging 24.7x, based upon 1998 EBITDA, and 9.7x to 23.9x, averaging
17x, based upon 1999 EBITDA. The higher valuations were created from multiples
of 1998 revenue performance and the lower valuations were generated from 1999
estimated revenue and earnings performance. When evaluating the range of
valuations, the Hiway Board took into consideration that Hiway's projected
revenue and earnings growth was slower than some of the estimates from the
comparable public companies. At the time of signing the Initial Merger
Agreement, the consideration payable under the Initial Merger Agreement
represented multiples of 9.1 times Hiway's then estimated 1998 revenues (or 52.5
times Hiway's then estimated 1998 EBITDA level) and 5.7 times Hiway's then
estimated 1999 revenues (or 30.8 times Hiway's then estimated 1999 EBITDA
level). At the time of signing the revised Merger Agreement, the consideration
payable under the revised terms represented multiples of 6.3 times Hiway's then
estimated 1998 revenues (or 36.7 times Hiway's then estimated 1998 EBITDA level)
and 4.0 times Hiway's then estimated 1999 revenues (or 21.5 times Hiway's then
estimated 1999 EBITDA level). In evaluating the Initial Merger Agreement, the
Hiway Board also considered a number of other factors including the amount and
timing of liquidity available from the Verio offer compared to a public offering
or other alternatives. In agreeing to the terms of the revised Merger Agreement,
the Hiway Board also considered additional factors including the proportion of
cash and stock to be received by Hiway's shareholders as a result of the
negotiations with Verio regarding the revised transaction terms.
    
 
     The Hiway Board also considered certain risks potentially arising in
connection with the Initial Merger Agreement, and the revised Merger Agreement,
including:
 
     - The integration, management, financial and other risks associated with
       Verio's acquisition strategy, since Verio has recently acquired
       approximately 40 companies and expects to acquire additional companies in
       the near future, and Verio has not yet proven that it can realize the
       operational efficiencies and cost savings expected from these
       acquisitions.
 
     - Information concerning Hiway's and Verio's respective businesses,
       historical financial performances, operations and products available
       after the execution of the Initial Merger Agreement, including, but not
       limited to, the following Commission filings made by, and analysts'
       reports regarding, Verio: Form 10-Q filed by Verio with the Commission on
       November 16, 1998; Deutsche Bank Securities, reports dated August 18,
       1998 and October 27, 1998; Salomon Smith Barney, report dated July 29,
       1998; Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, reports dated July 29, 1998 and
       October 28, 1998; Wasserstein Perella Securities, reports dated October
       19, October 28 and October 30, 1998.
 
     - The specific integration risks related to Verio's acquisition of Hiway,
       which presents certain unique integration challenges to Verio, including
       as a result of Hiway's international operations and the early stage of
       Hiway's integration efforts with respect to its own recent acquisition of
       Best.
 
     - The potential that expected operational synergies and expected cost
       reductions will not result from the Merger.
 
                                       39
<PAGE>   54
 
     - Verio's high degree of financial leverage and significant debt burden.
 
     - Verio's history of losses and negative cash flows from operations.
 
     - Verio's focus on acquisitions as a means for acquiring new products.
 
     - Hiway's lack of autonomy with respect to management decisions following
       the Merger.
 
     - The potential disruption of Hiway's business that might result from
       employee, distributor and customer uncertainty and lack of focus
       following announcement of the Merger in connection with integrating the
       operations of Hiway and Verio.
 
     - The possibility that the Merger might not be consummated.
 
     - The effects of the public announcement of the Merger on Hiway's sales and
       operating results and its ability to attract and retain key management,
       marketing and technical personnel.
 
     - The risk that the announcement of the Merger could result in decisions by
       customers to defer purchases of products or services of Hiway or Verio.
 
     - Given the significant volatility that the price of Verio Common Stock had
       experienced to date and the immaturity of the public market for Verio
       Common Stock due to the limited amount of time that had passed since the
       Verio IPO on May 12, 1998, the risk that the price of Verio Common Stock
       might decline prior to the Closing Date, thus reducing the value per
       share to be received by Hiway's shareholders.
 
     - The risk that the combined companies would not successfully integrate
       their products and operations.
 
     - The risk that the other benefits sought to be achieved by the Merger
       would not be achieved.
 
     - The limited trading volume of Verio Common Stock and its potential lack
       of liquidity.
 
     - The other risks set forth in Hiway's and Verio's independent filings with
       the Commission.
 
     In determining whether to approve the revised Merger Agreement and the
Merger, the Hiway Board considered the following factors:
 
     - The volatility of the stock market in general and the price of Verio
       Common Stock in particular.
 
     - The alternatives available to Hiway in view of the existing terms and
       conditions of the Initial Merger Agreement.
 
     - The increased certainty of the value of the consideration to be received
       by Hiway shareholders based upon the terms of the revised Merger
       Agreement particularly in light of the increased cash component of the
       Merger Consideration.
 
     - The benefits of the Merger outlined in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
 
     During its deliberations on whether to approve the Initial Merger Agreement
and the revised Merger Agreement, the Hiway Board considered the input of its
financial advisors, Bear Stearns, with respect to both agreements, and BT Alex.
Brown, with respect solely to the Initial Merger Agreement, Verio's historical
financial and operational results, expected pro forma financial and operational
results that might be achieved by the combined company following the Merger, and
publicly available reports from several investment banking analysts with respect
to the value of Verio Common Stock. In determining the value of Hiway in
connection with the Initial Merger Agreement, the Hiway Board relied upon the
expertise of its financial advisors and Hiway's management, who valued Hiway
using multiples, derived from the trading multiples of public companies in
similar industries, of estimated revenues and net income and projected revenue
and earnings growth rates.
 
     When considering whether to approve the Initial Merger Agreement, the Hiway
Board assessed the price fluctuations in the price of Verio Common Stock since
Verio's IPO and concluded that the stock price would continue to be subject to
significant volatility. Nevertheless, based upon, in part, the fairness opinion
of BT
 
                                       40
<PAGE>   55
 
Alex. Brown, due diligence investigations by Hiway's management, Verio's
long-term strategic plan, a review of the strategic benefits of the Merger and
analyst reports with respect to the long term value of Verio Common Stock, the
Hiway Board determined that the consideration to be received in the Merger was
fair to its shareholders. This fairness assessment was made on July 28, 1998 in
connection with the Hiway Board's approval of the Merger. In making its fairness
determination, the Hiway Board considered the risk of potential declines in the
price of Verio Common Stock between signing the Initial Merger Agreement and
closing the Merger. The Hiway Board concluded that retaining the upside
potential in the price of Verio Common Stock justified the potential downside
risk, based upon the totality of information available to the Hiway Board.
 
     When considering whether to approve the revised Merger Agreement, the Hiway
Board evaluated the continuing volatility of the price of Verio Common Stock,
current analyst estimates for the future stock price performance of Verio Common
Stock and the results of continuing discussions with Verio management concerning
Verio's progress in implementing its business plan. The Hiway Board reviewed the
potential for further declines in the price of Verio Common Stock and concluded
that it was preferable to increase the cash and decrease the stock consideration
to be paid in the Merger. The amended Merger Agreement fixes a larger portion of
the purchase price to be paid in cash (an additional $75 million), thus
insulating the Hiway shareholders from further volatility in the Verio Common
Stock prior to closing, while retaining the upside potential represented by the
remaining Verio Common Stock to be issued in the Merger (approximately 4.92
million shares).
 
     In evaluating the Initial Merger Agreement and amended Merger Agreement,
the Hiway Board considered the treatment of options and warrants to purchase
Hiway Common Stock in the Merger. Because the vesting period and aggregate
strike price for the options and warrants would not change as a result of the
Merger, the Hiway Board focused on the relative risk of Hiway Common Stock
versus Verio Common Stock. The Hiway Board determined that, under the structure
for the Initial Merger Agreement and amended Merger Agreement, option and
warrant holders faced a similar amount of relative risk with respect to either
stock given: the unproven nature of each company's business model; Verio's
potential for continued growth, especially taking into account the effects of
the Merger; Hiway's potential for growth and its historical profitability;
Verio's current level of operating losses and plans for achieving profitability;
Verio's position as a public company compared to Hiway's position as a company
that had not yet completed its initial public offering; and Verio's considerably
larger cash resources.
 
     The Hiway Employment Agreements (as defined below) provide that in
connection with a termination of the officer in connection with a change of
control of Hiway, Hiway is required to pay salary and bonus compensation and
other benefits through the remaining term of the agreement. Verio required, as a
condition to the Merger, that these employment agreements be terminated and that
each officer enter into a non-competition agreement with Verio. The Hiway Board
did not consider the amounts paid under these employment termination and
non-competition arrangements to the officers of Hiway to be relevant to the
fairness of the Merger under the Initial Merger Agreement and amended Merger
Agreement. Specifically, the potential for payments in connection with the Hiway
Employment Agreements would be applicable in any change of control transaction,
and allowance for these payments was included in the threshold for Excess
Expenses after the value of Hiway had been negotiated. In addition, the Hiway
Board did not view the non-competition arrangements as impacting the fairness of
the Merger to the shareholders of Hiway as a group.
 
     The foregoing discussion of the information and factors considered by the
Hiway Board is not intended to be exhaustive but is believed to include all
material factors considered by the Hiway Board. In view of the wide variety of
factors, both positive and negative, considered by the Hiway Board, the Hiway
Board did not find it practical to, and did not, quantify or otherwise assign
relative weights to the specific factors considered. After taking into
consideration all of the factors set forth above, the Hiway Board believes that
the Merger under the revised Merger Agreement is in the best interests of Hiway
and its shareholders and recommends approval of the Hiway Merger Proposal.
 
                                       41
<PAGE>   56
 
OPINION OF HIWAY FINANCIAL ADVISOR
 
     Opinion of BT Alex. Brown. BT Alex. Brown has acted as one of the financial
advisors to Hiway in connection with the Merger. On November 20, 1998, BT Alex.
Brown delivered its opinion in writing that as of November 19, 1998, based upon
and subject to the assumptions made, matters considered and limitations set
forth in such opinion and summarized below, the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and
the Per Share Cash Amount, taken together, were fair, from a financial point of
view, to the holders of Hiway Common Stock. No limitations were imposed by the
Hiway Board upon BT Alex. Brown with respect to the investigations made or
procedures followed by it in rendering its opinion. The Common Stock Exchange
Ratio and the Per Share Cash Amount were determined through negotiations between
Hiway management and Verio management. BT Alex. Brown did not recommend to Hiway
that any specific consideration constituted the appropriate consideration for
the Merger.
 
     THE FULL TEXT OF BT ALEX. BROWN'S WRITTEN OPINION, DATED NOVEMBER 20, 1998
(THE "BT ALEX. BROWN OPINION"), WHICH SETS FORTH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE
ASSUMPTIONS MADE, MATTERS CONSIDERED AND LIMITATIONS ON THE REVIEW UNDERTAKEN BY
BT ALEX. BROWN IN CONNECTION WITH THE OPINION, IS ATTACHED AS APPENDIX C TO THIS
PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND IS INCORPORATED HEREIN BY REFERENCE. HIWAY
SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE BT ALEX. BROWN OPINION IN ITS ENTIRETY. THE
BT ALEX. BROWN OPINION WAS PREPARED FOR THE BENEFIT AND USE OF THE HIWAY BOARD
IN ITS CONSIDERATION OF THE MERGER AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A RECOMMENDATION TO
HOLDERS OF HIWAY COMMON STOCK AS TO HOW THEY SHOULD VOTE IN CONNECTION WITH THE
MERGER. THE BT ALEX. BROWN OPINION DOES NOT ADDRESS THE RELATIVE MERITS OF THE
MERGER AND ANY OTHER TRANSACTIONS OR BUSINESS STRATEGIES DISCUSSED BY THE HIWAY
BOARD AS ALTERNATIVES TO THE MERGER AGREEMENT OR THE UNDERLYING BUSINESS
DECISION OF THE HIWAY BOARD TO PROCEED WITH AND EFFECT THE MERGER. THE SUMMARY
OF THE BT ALEX. BROWN OPINION SET FORTH IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS IS
QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO THE FULL TEXT OF THE BT ALEX. BROWN
OPINION.
 
     In connection with BT Alex. Brown's role as financial advisor to Hiway, and
in arriving at its opinion, BT Alex. Brown has, among other things, reviewed
certain publicly available financial information and other information
concerning Hiway and Verio, and certain internal analyses and other information
furnished to it by Hiway. BT Alex. Brown also held discussions with the members
of the senior management of Hiway regarding the business and prospects of Hiway.
In addition, BT Alex. Brown (i) compared certain financial information for Hiway
with similar information for companies whose securities are publicly traded,
(ii) reviewed the financial terms of certain recent business combinations, (iii)
reviewed the terms of a draft of the Merger Agreement and certain related
documents, and (iv) performed such other studies and analyses and considered
such other factors as it deemed appropriate.
 
     Although BT Alex. Brown had been acting as lead managing underwriter in
Hiway's pending initial public offering, in preparing its opinion, BT Alex.
Brown did not assume responsibility for the independent verification of, and did
not independently verify, any information, whether publicly available or
furnished to it, concerning Hiway or Verio, including, without limitation, any
financial information, forecasts or projections, considered in connection with
the rendering of its opinion. Accordingly, in preparing of its opinion, BT Alex.
Brown assumed and relied upon the accuracy, completeness and fairness of all
such information. With respect to the information relating to the prospects of
Hiway, BT Alex. Brown assumed that such information reflects the best currently
available judgments and estimates of the management of Hiway as to the likely
future financial performance of Hiway. In addition, BT Alex. Brown neither
conducted, nor was BT Alex. Brown provided with, an independent evaluation or
appraisal of the assets of Hiway, nor was it furnished with any such evaluations
or appraisals. BT Alex. Brown assumed, with the consent of Hiway, for purposes
of BT Alex. Brown's analysis that the value of the Verio Common Stock to be
received in the Merger is equal to the closing trading price of the Verio Common
Stock as of November 19, 1998, and BT Alex. Brown expresses no opinion or view
on the value of the Verio Common Stock. The BT Alex. Brown Opinion was
necessarily based upon economic, market and other conditions as in effect on,
and the information made available to BT Alex. Brown as of, the date of such
opinion. BT Alex. Brown expresses no opinion as to the price at which the shares
of Verio Common Stock that are to be issued pursuant to the Merger will be
traded in the future. In addition, BT Alex. Brown expresses no opinion as to the
fair market value of Hiway Common Stock as of any date.
 
                                       42
<PAGE>   57
 
Although subsequent developments may affect the BT Alex. Brown Opinion, BT Alex.
Brown assumes no obligation to update, revise or reaffirm such opinion.
 
     For purposes of rendering its opinion, BT Alex. Brown has assumed that, in
all respects material to its analysis, the representations and warranties of
Hiway and Verio contained in the Merger Agreement are true and correct, that
Hiway and Verio will each perform all of the covenants and agreements to be
performed by it under the Merger Agreement and all conditions to the obligations
of each of Hiway and Verio to consummate the Merger will be satisfied without
any waiver of any material terms or conditions by any party thereto. BT Alex.
Brown also has assumed that all material governmental, regulatory or other
approvals and consents required in connection with the consummation of the
transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement will be obtained and that, in
connection with obtaining any necessary governmental, regulatory or other
approvals and consents, or any amendments, modifications or waivers to any
agreements, instruments or orders to which either Hiway or Verio is a party or
subject or by which it is bound, no limitations, restrictions or conditions will
be imposed or amendments, modifications or waivers made that would have a
material adverse effect on Hiway or Verio or materially reduce the contemplated
benefits of the Merger to Hiway.
 
     In connection with BT Alex. Brown's role as financial advisor to Hiway and
in arriving at its opinion, BT Alex. Brown was not authorized to solicit, and
did not solicit, interest from any other person with respect to the acquisition
of Hiway or any of its assets.
 
     Set forth below is a brief summary of certain financial analyses performed
by BT Alex. Brown in connection with its opinion.
 
     Analysis of Selected Publicly Traded Companies. BT Alex. Brown compared
certain financial information and commonly used valuation measurements for Hiway
to corresponding information and measurements for a group of six publicly traded
enhanced Internet services companies (consisting of Concentric Network
Corporation, EarthLink Network, Inc., Exodus Communications, Inc., Mindspring
Enterprises, Inc., OzEmail Limited, PSINet Inc. and Verio (collectively, the
"Selected Companies")). Such financial information and valuation measurements
included, among other things, (i) common equity market valuation; (ii) operating
performance; (iii) ratios of common equity market value as adjusted for debt and
cash ("Enterprise Value") and, with respect to Hiway, the Implied Enterprise
Value as derived from the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Per Share Cash
Amount (the "Implied Enterprise Value") to revenues and EBITDA; and (iv) ratios
of common equity market prices per share ("Equity Value") to earnings per share
("EPS") and earnings, respectively. To calculate the trading multiples for the
Selected Companies and the Equity Value for Hiway, BT Alex. Brown used publicly
available information concerning historical and projected financial performance
for the Selected Companies, and earnings estimates provided by the management of
Hiway for its baseline projected performance (the "Baseline Estimates") and its
alternate projected performance (the "Alternate Estimates"). The Alternate
Estimates, according to the management of Hiway, assume for calendar year 1999 a
lower rate of acquisition of new customers, higher customer acquisition costs,
higher connectivity and related telecommunications expenses and higher general
and administrative expense, all as compared to correlative assumptions used for
the Baseline Estimates. Unless specified otherwise, the Baseline Estimates were
used in the analyses that follow. BT Alex. Brown calculated that, on a trailing
twelve month basis, the multiple of Implied Enterprise Value to revenue was 7.0x
for Hiway, compared to a range of 3.8x to 22.8x, with a mean of 10.7x, for the
Selected Companies; the multiple of Implied Enterprise Value to calendar year
1998 revenue was 6.4x for Hiway, compared to a range of 3.4x to 16.5x, with a
mean of 8.6x, for the Selected Companies; the multiple of Implied Enterprise
Value to calendar year 1999 revenue was 4.1x for Hiway based on the Baseline
Estimates ("Hiway Baseline") and 4.9x for Hiway based on the Alternate Estimates
("Hiway Alternate"), compared to a range of 2.5x to 6.9x, with a mean of 4.4x,
for the Selected Companies; and the multiple of Implied Enterprise Value to
calendar year 1999 EBITDA was 21.7x for Hiway Baseline and 26.7x for Hiway
Alternate, compared to a range of 16.1x to 73.1x, with a mean of 24.1x, for the
Selected Companies. Based on the foregoing ranges of multiples, BT Alex. Brown
computed a range of valuations for Hiway of approximately $132 million to $864
million.
 
     None of the Selected Companies utilized as a comparison is identical to
Hiway. Accordingly, BT Alex. Brown believes an analysis of publicly traded
comparable companies is not simply mathematical. Rather, it
 
                                       43
<PAGE>   58
 
involves complex considerations and qualitative judgments, reflected in the BT
Alex. Brown Opinion, concerning differences in financial and operating
characteristics of the comparable companies and other factors that could affect
the public trading value of the Selected Companies.
 
   
     Analysis of Selected Precedent Transactions. BT Alex. Brown reviewed the
financial terms, to the extent publicly available, of eight proposed, pending or
completed mergers and acquisition transactions since February 7, 1995 involving
companies in the Internet service provider industry (the "Selected
Transactions"). The transactions reviewed were: iServer/Verio Inc. (announced on
December 31, 1997), Internex Information Services, Inc./Concentric Networks
(announced on February 2, 1998), TABNet/Verio Inc. (announced on July 8, 1998),
Global Center/Frontier (announced on March 2, 1998), NETCOM On-Line
Communications Services, Inc./ICG Communications (announced on October 13,
1997), CompuServe Corporation/ WorldCom Incorporated (announced on September 8,
1997), DIGEX, Incorporated/Intermedia Communications Inc. (announced on June 5,
1997), BBN Corporation/GTE Corporation (announced on May 6, 1997), CERFnet
Services, Inc./Teleport Communications Group, Inc. (announced on January 13,
1997), UUNET Technologies/MFS Communications Co., Inc. (announced on April 30,
1996), and The Pipeline Network Inc./Performance Systems International (PSINet)
(announced on February 7, 1995). BT Alex. Brown calculated various financial
multiples and premiums over market value based on certain publicly available
information for each of the Selected Transactions and compared them to
corresponding financial multiples for the Merger, based on the Common Stock
Exchange Ratio and the Per Share Cash Amount. BT Alex. Brown calculated that, on
a trailing twelve month basis, the multiple of Implied Enterprise Value to
revenue was 7.0x for Hiway, compared to a range of 1.3x to 16.8x, with a mean of
5.6x, for the Selected Transactions; the multiple of Implied Enterprise Value to
calendar year 1998 revenue was 6.4x for Hiway, compared to a range of 1.2x to
5.8x, with a mean of 2.6x, for a comparable period for the Selected
Transactions; the multiple of Implied Enterprise Value to calendar year 1999
revenue was 4.1x for Hiway Baseline and 4.9x for Hiway Alternate, compared to a
range of 1.1x to 3.9x, with a mean of 1.7x, for a comparable period for the
Selected Transactions; and the multiple of Implied Enterprise Value to calendar
year 1999 EBITDA was 21.7x for Hiway Baseline and 26.7x for Hiway Alternate,
compared to a range of 9.2x to 17.5x, with a mean of 12.1x, for a comparable
period for the Selected Transactions. Based on the foregoing ranges of
multiples, BT Alex. Brown computed a range of valuations for Hiway of
approximately $44 million to $615 million. All multiples for the Selected
Transactions were based on public information without taking into account
differing market and other conditions during the three-year period during which
the Selected Transactions occurred.
    
 
     Because the reasons for, and circumstances surrounding, each of the
Selected Transactions were so diverse, and due to the inherent differences
between the operations and financial conditions of Hiway and the companies
involved in the Selected Transactions, BT Alex. Brown believes that a comparable
transaction analysis is not simply mathematical. Rather, it involves complex
considerations and qualitative judgments, reflected in the BT Alex. Brown
Opinion, concerning differences between the characteristics of these
transactions and the Merger that could affect the value of the subject companies
and their businesses and Hiway.
 
     Pro Forma Contribution Analysis. BT Alex. Brown analyzed the relative
contribution of Hiway and Verio to the pro forma income statement of the
combined company, based on Hiway's management projections, in order to derive an
implied enterprise value for Hiway. This analysis showed that on a pro forma
combined basis (excluding (i) the effect of any synergies that may be realized
as a result of the Merger, and (ii) non-recurring expenses relating to the
Merger), based on the calendar year ending December 31, 1999 for Hiway and
Verio, Hiway and Verio would account for approximately 22.2% and 77.8%,
respectively, assuming Hiway Baseline and 19.2% and 80.8%, respectively,
assuming Hiway Alternate, of the combined company's pro forma calendar year 1998
revenue, resulting in a range of valuations for Hiway of approximately $220
million to $263 million.
 
     Historical Financial Position. BT Alex. Brown reviewed and analyzed the
historical and current financial condition of Hiway and Verio, which included
(i) an assessment of each of Hiway's and Verio's recent financial statements;
(ii) an analysis of each of Hiway's and Verio's revenue, growth and operating
performance trends; and (iii) an assessment of each of Hiway's and Verio's
margin changes and leverage.
                                       44
<PAGE>   59
 
     Pro Forma Merger Analysis. BT Alex. Brown analyzed certain pro forma
effects resulting from the Merger, including, among other things, the impact of
the Merger on the projected EPS of Verio for calendar year 1999, based on
internal estimates of the management of Hiway. The results of the pro forma
merger analysis, which was performed using a variety of assumed levels of
write-off relating to acquired in-process research and development, suggested
that the Merger would be generally dilutive to the fully diluted EPS of Verio in
calendar year 1999, not taking into account any potential synergies which may
result from the Merger. The actual results achieved by the combined company may
vary from projected results and the variations may be material.
 
     The foregoing summary describes all analyses and factors that BT Alex.
Brown deemed material in preparing the BT Alex. Brown Opinion, but is not a
comprehensive description of all analyses performed and factors considered by BT
Alex. Brown in connection with preparing the BT Alex. Brown Opinion. The
preparation of a fairness opinion is a complex process involving the application
of subjective business judgment in determining the most appropriate and relevant
methods of financial analysis and the application of those methods to the
particular circumstances and, therefore, is not readily susceptible to summary
description. BT Alex. Brown believes that its analyses must be considered as a
whole and that considering any portion of such analyses and of the factors
considered without considering all analyses and factors could create a
misleading view of the process underlying the BT Alex. Brown Opinion. In
arriving at its fairness determination, BT Alex. Brown did not assign specific
weights to any particular analyses.
 
     In conducting its analyses and arriving at its opinions, BT Alex. Brown
utilized a variety of generally accepted valuation methods. The analyses were
prepared solely for the purpose of enabling BT Alex. Brown to provide its
opinion to the Hiway Board as to the fairness to the holders of Hiway Common
Stock of the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Per Share Cash Amount and do
not purport to be appraisals or necessarily reflect the prices at which
businesses or securities actually may be sold, which are inherently subject to
uncertainty. In connection with its analyses, BT Alex. Brown made, and was
provided by Hiway management with, numerous assumptions with respect to industry
performance, general business and economic conditions and other matters, many of
which are beyond Hiway's or Verio's control. Analyses based on estimates or
forecasts of future results are not necessarily indicative of actual past or
future values or results, which may be significantly more or less favorable than
suggested by such analyses. Because such analyses are inherently subject to
uncertainty, being based upon numerous factors or events beyond the control of
Hiway, Verio or their advisors, none of Hiway, BT Alex. Brown or any other
person assumes responsibility if future results or actual values are materially
different from these forecasts or assumptions.
 
     Hiway selected BT Alex. Brown as financial advisor in connection with the
Merger based on BT Alex. Brown having served as the lead managing underwriter in
Hiway's proposed IPO which constituted an alternative to the Merger, and based
upon BT Alex. Brown's qualifications, expertise, reputation and experience in
mergers and acquisitions. Hiway retained BT Alex. Brown in connection with the
Initial Merger Agreement. In connection with the revised Merger Agreement, Hiway
retained BT Alex. Brown pursuant to a letter agreement dated November 16, 1998
which supersedes the terms of the prior engagement. As compensation for BT Alex.
Brown's services in connection with the Merger, Hiway has agreed under the
revised engagement terms to pay BT Alex. Brown a fairness opinion fee of
$550,000 after delivery of the November 20, 1998 fairness opinion, has agreed to
reimburse BT Alex. Brown in connection with Hiway's initial public offering
effort, and has agreed to pay an additional cash fee of $1,000,000 if the Merger
is consummated. Hiway has also agreed to indemnify BT Alex. Brown and certain
related persons to the full extent lawful against certain liabilities, including
certain liabilities under the federal securities laws arising out of its
engagement or the Merger.
 
     BT Alex. Brown is an internationally recognized investment banking firm
experienced in providing advice in connection with mergers and acquisitions and
related transactions. BT Alex. Brown regularly publishes research reports
regarding the Internet service provider industry, and the businesses and
securities of publicly-owned companies in the Internet service provider
industry. In the ordinary course of business, BT Alex. Brown and its affiliates
may actively trade securities of Verio for their own account or the account of
their customers and, accordingly, may from time to time hold a long or short
position in such securities.
 
                                       45
<PAGE>   60
 
INTERESTS OF CERTAIN PERSONS IN THE MERGER
 
     In considering the recommendation of the Hiway Board with respect to the
Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, shareholders of
Hiway should be aware that certain members of the management of Hiway, including
members of the Hiway Board, have interests in the Merger that are in addition to
the interests of shareholders of Hiway generally.
 
     Termination of Employment Agreements. In July 1998, Hiway entered into
employment agreements (the "Hiway Employment Agreements") with each of Arthur L.
Cahoon, the Chief Executive Officer of Hiway, David S. Buzby, the Chief
Financial Officer of Hiway, Scott H. Adams, the President of Hiway, William G.
Nesbitt, the Chief Technical Officer of Hiway, Steven J. Umberger, the Chief
Marketing Officer of Hiway, and James R. Zarley, the Chief Operating Officer of
Hiway (the "Hiway Executive Officers"). Pursuant to the Hiway Employment
Agreements, among other things, each executive officer was to receive an annual
salary in the initial amount of $160,000 and an annual bonus equal to five
percent of Hiway's EBITDA (calculated before such bonuses), up to a maximum
bonus of $140,000. The Hiway Employment Agreements were to be in effect for
three years, terminating December 31, 2000. The Hiway Employment Agreements
provided that each executive officer may terminate his employment with Hiway
following a "change in control" of Hiway (defined therein in a manner that would
include the Merger), and that in the event of any such termination Hiway would
continue to pay to the executive officer the salary and bonus provided in the
Hiway Employment Agreement throughout the remaining term of the Hiway Employment
Agreement, as well as other benefits.
 
     Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Hiway agreed to cause the termination of
each of the Hiway Employment Agreements. See "The Merger Agreement -- Certain
Covenants." In connection with terminating these Hiway Employment Agreements,
Hiway will be required to make payments to the Hiway Executive Officers in an
aggregate amount of approximately $2.1 million in consideration of their
agreements to terminate their respective Hiway Employment Agreements. All
amounts paid or payable or expenses otherwise incurred by Hiway in consideration
of such termination will be deemed to be expenses of Hiway in connection with
the Merger and will be included in the determination of Excess Expenses, and so
may result in a decrease in the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Option
Exchange Ratio. See "The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration."
 
     Noncompetition and Nonsolicitation. It is a condition to Verio's obligation
to close the Merger that each Hiway Executive Officer enter into a
Noncompetition, Nonsolicitation and Proprietary Information and Inventions
Agreement (each, a "Noncompete Agreement") with Verio. See "The Merger
Agreement -- Conditions." Pursuant to the Noncompete Agreements each Hiway
Executive Officer will agree, among other things, not to engage or participate
in any business that is in competition with the business of Verio or Hiway at
the time the Noncompete Agreement is signed or such other related businesses or
industries as are specifically set forth in each Noncompete Agreement (subject
to certain limitations), during any period of employment by Hiway or for a
period of three years following the Effective Time, whichever is longer. Hiway
will be required to make certain payments to the Hiway Executive Officers in an
aggregate amount of approximately $2.3 million in consideration of their
execution of the Noncompete Agreements. Any amounts paid or payable by Hiway in
connection with the Noncompete Agreements will be deemed to be expenses of Hiway
in connection with the Merger and will be included in the determination of
Excess Expenses, and so may result in a decrease in the Common Stock Exchange
Ratio and the Option Exchange Ratio. See "The Merger Agreement -- Merger
Consideration."
 
     Liability Insurance. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Verio will maintain
for a period of three years after the Effective Time, with respect to claims
arising from facts or events which occurred before the Effective Time, officers'
and directors' liability insurance covering the directors and officers of Hiway
who were covered (in their capacities as officers and directors of Hiway or any
of its subsidiaries) as of the date of the Merger Agreement by Hiway's existing
officers' and directors' liability insurance policies, on terms substantially no
less advantageous to such officers and directors than such existing insurance,
subject to certain limitations. See "The Merger Agreement -- Certain Covenants."
 
                                       46
<PAGE>   61
 
     Verio Board. Verio has agreed to take all action necessary to cause Arthur
L. Cahoon, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hiway, to be appointed as
a member of the Verio Board as of the Effective Time. See "The Merger
Agreement -- Certain Covenants."
 
MATERIAL FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
 
     For federal income tax purposes, the merger of Merger Sub into Hiway will
be treated as a sale of Hiway Common Stock by Hiway shareholders to Verio in
exchange for the Merger Consideration. Hiway shareholders will recognize gain or
loss equal to the difference between their tax basis in the Hiway Common Stock
surrendered and the amount of cash and the fair market value (as of the
effective date of the Merger) of the Verio Common Stock received. Such gain or
loss will be a capital gain or loss provided the Hiway shareholder held the
Hiway shares as a capital asset on the effective date of the Merger, and will be
a long-term capital gain or loss if the Hiway shares were held for more than one
year on that date. Verio Common Stock received by a Hiway shareholder as part of
the Merger Consideration will have a tax basis equal to its fair market value on
the Effective Date, and the holding period for the Verio Common Stock in the
hands of the Hiway shareholder will commence as of the day following the
effective date of the Merger.
 
     None of Verio, Merger Sub, or Hiway will recognize gain or loss as a result
of the Merger.
 
     The foregoing discussion is intended only as a summary of the material
federal income tax consequences of the Merger and does not purport to be a
complete analysis or description of all potential tax effects of the Merger. In
addition, the discussion does not address all of the tax considerations that may
be relevant to particular Hiway shareholders in light of their particular
circumstances, such as shareholders who are dealers in securities; shareholders
who are subject to the alternative minimum tax provisions of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"); shareholders who are foreign
persons; shareholders who acquired their shares in connection with stock option
or stock purchase plans or in other compensatory transactions; and shareholders
who otherwise hold convertible securities, warrants or options. Furthermore, no
foreign, state or local tax considerations are addressed in this discussion.
 
     The foregoing discussion is based on the Code, applicable U.S. Treasury
Regulations, judicial authority, and administrative rulings and practice, all as
of the date of this Proxy Statement/Prospectus. The Internal Revenue Service
(the "IRS") is not precluded from adopting a contrary position. In addition,
there can be no assurance that future legislative, judicial, or administrative
changes or interpretations will not adversely affect the accuracy of the
statements and conclusions set forth in this discussion. Any such changes or
interpretations could be applied retroactively and could affect the tax
consequences of the Merger to Verio, Hiway and the Hiway shareholders. The
parties have not requested and will not request a ruling from the IRS as to the
tax consequences of the Merger.
 
     Hiway shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors as to the
specific tax considerations of the Merger, including the applicable federal,
state, local and foreign tax consequences to them of the Merger.
 
ACCOUNTING TREATMENT
 
     The Merger is expected to be accounted for under the purchase method of
accounting, in accordance with GAAP. Under the purchase method of accounting,
the purchase price of Hiway will be allocated to the net assets acquired based
upon their estimated relative fair values and in-process research and
development technology received at the Effective Time, with the excess of the
purchase price over the fair value of the net identifiable assets and in-process
research and development technology received allocated to goodwill, if any.
 
STOCK OWNERSHIP FOLLOWING THE MERGER
 
     Based on the capitalization of Hiway as of November 13, 1998 and of Verio
as of October 31, 1998, and assuming there are no Excess Expenses, an aggregate
of approximately 3.14 million shares of Verio Common Stock will be issued to
Hiway shareholders in the Merger. Accordingly (and based on the foregoing
capitalization), the former holders of Hiway Common Stock will hold
approximately 8.71% of the shares of Verio Common Stock issued and outstanding
immediately after the Merger. In addition, an aggregate of approximately 1.78
million shares of Verio Common Stock will be issuable upon the exercise of Hiway
Stock
                                       47
<PAGE>   62
 
Options or Hiway Warrants (each as defined below) assumed by Verio in the
Merger. See "The Merger -- General" and "The Merger Agreement -- Merger
Consideration."
 
REGULATORY APPROVALS
 
     Under the HSR Act and the rules promulgated thereunder by the Federal Trade
Commission (the "FTC"), the Merger may not be consummated until notifications
have been given and certain information has been furnished to the FTC and the
Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (the "Antitrust Division") and
the specified waiting period requirements have been satisfied. Verio, Hiway and
certain shareholders of Hiway who may be deemed acquirers of Verio by virtue of
their ownership of Hiway Common Stock filed notification and report forms under
the HSR Act with the FTC and the Antitrust Division. The first of these filings
was made on September 8, 1998 and the second made on September 18, 1998.
Accordingly, the waiting period under the HSR Act with respect to such filings
expired at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on October 8, 1998 and October 10,
1998, respectively.
 
     The FTC and the Antitrust Division frequently scrutinize the legality under
the antitrust laws of transactions such as the Merger. At any time before or
after the consummation of the Merger, the Antitrust Division or the FTC could
take such action under the antitrust laws as it deems necessary or desirable in
the public interest, including seeking to enjoin the consummation of the Merger
or seeking divestiture of substantial assets of Verio and Hiway. At any time
before or after the consummation of the Merger, and notwithstanding that the HSR
Act waiting period may have expired, any state could take such action under the
antitrust laws as it deems necessary or desirable in the public interest. Such
action could include seeking to enjoin the consummation of the Merger or seeking
divestiture of Hiway or businesses of Verio. Private parties may also seek to
take legal action under the antitrust laws under certain circumstances.
 
     Verio and Hiway believe that the Merger can be effected in compliance with
federal and state antitrust laws. However, there can be no assurance that a
challenge to the consummation of the Merger on antitrust grounds will not be
made or that, if such a challenge were made, Verio and Hiway would prevail or
would not be required to accept certain conditions, possibly including certain
divestitures, in order to consummate the Merger.
 
     The obligations of Verio and Hiway to consummate the Merger are subject to
the conditions that there be no preliminary or permanent injunction or other
order by any federal, state or foreign court of competent jurisdiction that
prohibits consummation of the Merger, and that there be no statute, rule,
regulation, executive order, stay, decree or judgment enacted, entered, issued
or promulgated by any court or governmental authority that prohibits or
restricts the consummation of the Merger. See "The Merger
Agreement -- Conditions." Either Verio or Hiway may terminate the Merger
Agreement if any court of competent jurisdiction in the United States or other
United States governmental body shall have issued an order, decree or ruling or
taken any other action restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the
Merger and such order, decree, ruling or any other action shall have become
final and non-appealable, provided that the party seeking to terminate the
Merger Agreement for such reason shall have used all reasonable efforts to
remove such order, decree or ruling. See "The Merger Agreement -- Termination."
 
RESALE RESTRICTIONS
 
     Subject to the restrictions imposed by the Lockup Agreements (as defined
below), all shares of Verio Common Stock received by Hiway shareholders in the
Merger will be freely transferable, except that shares of Verio Common Stock
received by persons who are deemed to be "affiliates" (as such term is defined
under the Securities Act) of Hiway may be resold by them only in transactions
permitted by the resale provisions of Rule 145 promulgated under the Securities
Act (or Rule 144 in the case of such persons who become affiliates of Verio) or
as otherwise permitted under the Securities Act. Persons who may be deemed to be
affiliates of Hiway or Verio generally include individuals or entities that
control, are controlled by, or are under common control with, such party and may
include certain officers and directors of such party as well as principal
stockholders of such party. Hiway has indicated to Verio that its affiliates for
purposes of the Securities Act are Messrs. Cahoon, Adams, Buzby, Zarley,
Nesbitt, Umberger and Barry (the "Hiway Affiliates").
 
                                       48
<PAGE>   63
 
   
     Lockup Agreements. It is a condition to Verio's obligation to close the
Merger that Verio receive an executed lockup agreement (each, a "Lockup
Agreement") from each Hiway Executive Officer. See "The Merger
Agreement -- Conditions." Pursuant to the Lockup Agreements, each Hiway
Executive Officer has agreed that, for a period of six months from the Closing
Date, he shall not, without the prior written consent of Verio, directly or
indirectly, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or
contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option,
right or warrant to purchase, or otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of
Verio Common Stock (whether outstanding on the date thereof or thereafter
acquired) or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for
shares of Verio Common Stock, whether owned on the date thereof or thereafter
acquired or with respect to which the shareholder acquires the power of
disposition, or (ii) enter into any swap or any other agreement or any
transaction that transfers, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, the
economic consequences of ownership of shares of Verio Common Stock, whether any
such swap transaction is to be settled by delivery of shares of Verio Common
Stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise. The Hiway Executive Officers
collectively hold legal title to approximately 50.6% of the outstanding shares
of Hiway Common Stock as of the Hiway Record Date.
    
 
     Affiliate Agreements and Registration Rights. The Merger Agreement requires
Hiway to use its best efforts to cause each of the Hiway Affiliates to execute a
written agreement (an "Affiliate Agreement") acknowledging such person's status
as an affiliate and agreeing not to dispose of any shares of Verio Common Stock
except as permitted by Rule 145 promulgated under the Securities Act. It is a
condition to Verio's obligation to consummate the Merger that each Hiway
Affiliate deliver such an agreement. See "The Merger Agreement -- Conditions."
 
     It is a condition to Hiway's obligation to close the Merger that Verio
enter into a Registration Rights Agreement (the "Hiway Registration Rights
Agreement") with the Hiway Specified Shareholders (as defined below). See "The
Merger Agreement -- Conditions." Pursuant to the Hiway Registration Rights
Agreement, the Hiway Specified Shareholders will be entitled to certain
piggyback registration rights with respect to registration of certain
Registrable Securities (as defined in the Hiway Registration Rights Agreement)
under the Securities Act, subject to certain conditions and limitations,
including the Verio Board's right to defer such registration for a period of up
to 90 days. See "Description of Capital Stock -- Verio Registration Rights."
 
     Verio is entitled to place appropriate legends, describing the restrictions
on transfer, on the certificates evidencing shares of Verio Common Stock subject
to the Lockup Agreements or any agreement with persons deemed to be "affiliates"
of Hiway, and to issue appropriate stop transfer instructions to Norwest Bank
Minnesota, National Association, the transfer agent and registrar for Verio
Common Stock.
 
                                       49
<PAGE>   64
 
                              THE MERGER AGREEMENT
 
     The following is a brief summary of certain provisions of the Merger
Agreement, a copy of which is attached as Appendix A to this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus and is incorporated herein by reference. This summary is
qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Merger Agreement.
 
THE MERGER
 
     Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, and subject to the terms and conditions
thereof, at the Effective Time Merger Sub will be merged with and into Hiway,
with Hiway as the surviving company (the "Surviving Company"). The Merger will
have the effects specified in Section 1107 of the CGCL.
 
     Hiway's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws will be the Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation, except that, effective as
of the Effective Time, Hiway's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws will be
amended in their entirety to conform to the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws
of Merger Sub (other than with respect to the name of the Surviving
Corporation), and shall continue thereafter as the Articles of Incorporation and
Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation until duly amended in accordance with the
terms thereof and the CGCL. Merger Sub's officers and directors will be the
initial officers and directors of the Surviving Company.
 
EFFECTIVE TIME OF THE MERGER
 
     The Closing Date will be the later of (i) January 1, 1999, or as soon
thereafter as is reasonably practical, or (ii) the first business day following
the date on which the Hiway shareholders have given any requisite approvals in
connection with the Merger Agreement and the Merger, and on which all of the
other conditions to the Merger are satisfied or waived, or at such other date as
Verio and Hiway shall agree. See "-- Conditions."
 
     As soon as practicable after the closing of the Merger, the Agreement of
Merger will be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of California in
accordance with Section 1108 of the CGCL. The Effective Time will be the time at
which the Agreement of Merger is so filed (or such later time as may be
specified in the Agreement of Merger).
 
MERGER CONSIDERATION
 
     As a result of the Merger and without any action on the part of the holders
thereof, each share of Hiway Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately
prior to the Effective Time (other than Dissenting Shares) will be converted
into the right to receive (i) a fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock equal
to the Common Stock Exchange Ratio, and (ii) the Per Share Cash Amount
determined pursuant to the formula set forth in the Merger Agreement, as
described below.
 
          A. The Total Consideration Value will be equal to the sum of (i)
     $241.54 million plus (ii) the proceeds that would be receivable by Hiway
     upon exercise of any options and warrants to purchase Hiway Common Stock
     which were outstanding at July 28, 1998 (the date of the Initial Merger
     Agreement) or were issued subsequent to such date and prior to the Closing
     Date, and in any such case which remain outstanding on, or are exercised
     prior to, the Closing Date, less (iii) any Excess Expenses.
 
          Excess Expenses, for purposes of the above formula and all other
     purposes under the Merger Agreement, will be equal to the amount in excess
     of $9.338 million of all expenses that are incurred or paid by Hiway, or
     which Hiway may be legally obligated to pay or reimburse, in connection
     with or related to the Merger and the related transactions (including,
     without limitation, the transactions contemplated by the Noncompete
     Agreements, the Hiway Shareholder Voting Agreements, the Affiliate
     Agreements, the Hiway Registration Rights Agreement, the Lockup Agreements
     and any Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement between Hiway and
     its employees or consultants) or Hiway's proposed initial public offering,
     in each case whether before or after the closing of the Merger (other than
     amounts actually paid prior to June 30, 1998), including, without
     limitation, (i) all legal, printing, investment banking and accounting
     fees, (ii) all payments that may be made in respect of noncompeti-
                                       50
<PAGE>   65
 
     tion covenants or agreements (including without limitation the Noncompete
     Agreements) (other than performance bonuses earned prior to the date of the
     Merger Agreement), and (iii) all payments that may be made in respect of
     the termination of the Hiway Employment Agreements or that would constitute
     "parachute payments" within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code made to
     the Hiway Executive Officers.
 
          B. The Per Share Price will be equal to the quotient of (i) the Total
     Consideration Value, divided by (ii) the number of shares of Hiway Common
     Stock outstanding on the Closing Date, on a fully diluted basis.
 
          C. The Per Share Cash Amount will be equal to (i) $176.0 million,
     divided by (ii) the total number of shares of Hiway Common Stock
     outstanding on the Closing Date.
 
          D. The Common Stock Exchange Ratio will be equal to the quotient of
     (i) the amount by which the Per Share Price exceeds the Per Share Cash
     Amount, divided by (ii) $16.00.
 
     The Total Consideration Value, Common Stock Exchange Ratio, the Per Share
Cash Amount and the Option Exchange Ratio cannot be determined until the
Effective Time, given the factors considered in their determination. Pursuant to
the formula for determining the Total Consideration Value, as described above,
the Total Consideration Value, as well as the Per Share Cash Amount, the Common
Stock Exchange Ratio and the Option Exchange Ratio, will be affected by several
factors that will not be known until the Closing Date or the Effective Time.
First, the Total Consideration Value will be decreased by the amount of any
Excess Expenses, which will result in a decrease in the Common Stock Exchange
Ratio and the Option Exchange Ratio. Second, the Total Consideration Value, and
the Per Share Cash Amount, the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Option
Exchange Ratio, will be affected by changes in the capitalization of Hiway prior
to the Closing Date. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Hiway generally has
agreed not to issue or sell any capital stock or other securities prior to the
Effective Time. However, Hiway may issue options to purchase shares of Hiway
Common Stock to its employees in the ordinary course of its business, provided,
that Hiway may not issue options to purchase in excess of 150,000 shares of
Hiway Common Stock in the aggregate. Additionally, Hiway may issue shares of
Hiway Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of option grants previously made to
its employees in the ordinary course of its business that were outstanding when
the Merger Agreement first was signed, as well as pursuant to the exercise of
warrants that were outstanding at that time. If, for example, Hiway issues
additional shares of Hiway Common Stock pursuant to the exercise of outstanding
options or warrants, or grants additional options to purchase shares of Hiway
Common Stock, then the Total Consideration Value will be increased to reflect
the increased proceeds receivable from the exercise of such options or warrants
(assuming such options or warrants remain outstanding at, or are exercised prior
to, the Closing Date), and the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and the Option
Exchange Ratio will be decreased to reflect the change in the Total
Consideration Value and the increase in the number of shares on a fully diluted
basis (provided that the average exercise price per share for such options and
warrants does not exceed a certain amount). If Hiway issues additional shares of
Hiway Common Stock (including upon the exercise of options or warrants to
purchase Hiway Common Stock), then the Total Consideration Value will be
decreased to reflect the decrease in proceeds receivable from the exercise of
options and warrants, if applicable, and the Per Share Cash Amount, the Common
Stock Exchange Ratio and the Option Exchange Ratio will be decreased.
 
     The following are examples of the determination of the Common Stock
Exchange Ratio, the Per Share Cash Amount and the Option Exchange Ratio based on
certain specified assumptions:
 
     - Based on the capitalization of Hiway as of November 13, 1998 (including
       the amount of proceeds receivable by Hiway upon exercise of outstanding
       options and warrants), and assuming that there are no Excess Expenses,
       (i) the Per Share Cash Amount will be approximately $4.90, and the Common
       Stock Exchange Ratio will be approximately 0.0875, and (ii) the Option
       Exchange Ratio will be approximately 0.3940.
 
     - Assuming that the capitalization of Hiway as of November 13, 1998 remains
       unchanged at the Closing Date, but that there are $2.0 million in Excess
       Expenses, (i) the Per Share Cash Amount would be
                                       51
<PAGE>   66
 
unchanged (i.e., approximately $4.90), and the Common Stock Exchange Ratio would
be approximately 0.0844, and (ii) the Option Exchange Ratio would be
approximately 0.3909.
 
     - Assuming that there are no Excess Expenses, but that Hiway issues an
       additional 100,000 options with an average exercise price of $6.00 per
       share prior to the Closing Date, but that the capitalization of Hiway as
       of November 13, 1998 otherwise remains unchanged at the Closing Date, (i)
       the Per Share Cash Amount would be unchanged (i.e., approximately $4.90),
       and the Common Stock Exchange Ratio would be approximately 0.0875, and
       (ii) the Option Exchange Ratio would be approximately 0.3940.
 
     - Assuming that there are no Excess Expenses, but that options or warrants
       to purchase 200,000 shares of Hiway Common Stock are exercised prior to
       the Closing Date, at an average exercise price of $3.05 per share, but
       that the capitalization of Hiway as of November 13, 1998 otherwise
       remains unchanged as at the Closing Date, (i) the Per Share Cash Amount
       would be approximately $4.88, and the Common Stock Exchange Ratio would
       be approximately 0.0892, and (ii) the Option Exchange Ratio would be
       approximately 0.3940.
 
     The numbers in the examples in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus have been
rounded for purposes of clarity of description only. The actual Common Stock
Exchange Ratio, Per Share Cash Amount and Option Exchange Ratio will be
calculated in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement.
 
     Each holder of a Hiway Stock Certificate, other than such a Certificate
representing Dissenting Shares, will, upon consummation of the Merger, cease to
have any rights with respect to such Hiway Common Stock, except the right to
receive, without interest, the Merger Consideration in respect of the shares of
Hiway Common Stock represented by such Certificate upon the surrender of such
Certificate (see "The Merger -- Conversion of Shares; Procedures for Exchange of
Stock Certificates"). If, prior to the Effective Time, Verio should split or
combine the shares of Verio Common Stock, or pay a stock dividend or other stock
distribution in, or in exchange of, shares of Verio Common Stock, or engage in
any similar transaction, then the Common Stock Exchange Ratio will be
appropriately adjusted to reflect such split, combination, dividend, exchange or
other distribution or similar transaction.
 
     Hiway currently expects that there will be Excess Expenses of approximately
$250,000, although there can be no assurance that additional Excess Expenses
will not be incurred prior to the Effective Time.
 
     Fluctuations in the value of Verio Common Stock will not affect the
determination of the Common Stock Exchange Ratio or the Option Exchange Ratio,
except to the extent that such fluctuations cause an increase in the aggregate
value of the consideration to be paid in the Merger, which in turn would
increase the aggregate fees payable by Hiway to its financial advisors and would
be included in the determination of Excess Expenses. In general, the value of
the fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock to be delivered as part of the
Merger Consideration for each share of Hiway Common Stock may change between the
date hereof and the Closing Date. There can be no assurance as to the market
price of Verio Common Stock at any time before or after the Effective Time. See
"Risk Factors -- Potential Fluctuation of Value of Consideration Received."
 
   
     As of December 14, 1998, the closing sale price for Verio Common Stock as
reported on Nasdaq was $20.25 per share.
    
 
STOCK OPTIONS AND WARRANTS
 
     Each of the options and warrants to acquire Hiway Common Stock (each, a
"Hiway Stock Option" or "Hiway Warrant") outstanding and not expired as of the
Effective Time will be assumed by Verio and converted into an option or warrant
to purchase such number of shares of Verio Common Stock as the holder would have
received in the Merger had such option or warrant been exercised prior to the
Effective Time (and had the entire Per Share Price for the Hiway Common Stock
resulting from such exercise been paid in the form of Verio Common Stock based
upon a Verio Common Stock Price of $16.00), at an aggregate purchase price equal
to the aggregate purchase price applicable prior to such exercise; provided that
in the case of any Hiway Stock Option to which Section 421 of the Code applies
by reason of its qualification under Section 422
 
                                       52
<PAGE>   67
 
of the Code, the conversion formula shall be adjusted, if necessary, to comply
with Section 424(a) of the Code. For examples of the determination of the Option
Exchange Ratio, see "-- Merger Consideration." Except as provided above, the
converted or substituted Hiway Stock Options or Warrants will be subject to
substantially the same terms and conditions (including expiration date and
vesting) as were applicable to Hiway Stock Options or Warrants immediately prior
to the Effective Time.
 
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
 
     The Merger Agreement contains certain representations and warranties by
Hiway relating to, among other things: (i) due organization and good standing of
Hiway; (ii) authorization, execution, delivery and enforceability of the Merger
Agreement and related agreements; (iii) Hiway's Articles of Incorporation and
Bylaws; (iv) capitalization of and ownership of stock by Hiway and the solvency
of Hiway; (v) the accuracy and completeness of financial statements delivered by
Hiway; (vi) absence of certain changes since the date of the Unaudited Balance
Sheet (as defined in the Merger Agreement); (vii) title to assets, real
property, leases and inventory; (viii) accounts receivable and accounts payable;
(ix) major customers and major suppliers; (x) the identity of Hiway's
proprietary assets; (xi) certain contracts and agreements; (xii) compliance with
applicable legal requirements; (xiii) necessary governmental authorizations;
(iv) tax matters; (xv) employment and labor matters; (xvi) employee benefit
plans; (xvii) compliance with environmental laws; (xviii) liability arising from
sales of products or performance of services; (xix) adequacy and enforceability
of insurance; (xx) pending or threatened proceedings or orders; (xxi)
non-contravention of the Merger Agreement and related agreements; (xxii)
required consents; (xxiii) brokers fees; (xxiv) full disclosure; (xxv) powers of
attorney; (xxvi) compliance with federal and state securities laws; (xxvii)
takeover statutes; (xxviii) outstanding voting arrangements relating to the
capital stock of Hiway; (xxix) financial projections by Hiway; and (xxx)
ownership of Verio Common Stock.
 
     The Merger Agreement also contains certain representations and warranties
by Verio and Merger Sub relating to, among other things: (i) due organization
and good standing of Verio and Merger Sub; (ii) authorization, execution,
delivery and enforceability of the Merger Agreement and related agreements;
(iii) pending or threatened proceedings or orders; (iv) non-contravention of the
Merger Agreement and related agreements; (v) required consents; (vi) brokers
fees; (vii) financial capacity (subject to certain conditions); (viii) full
disclosure; and (ix) required Commission reports.
 
CERTAIN COVENANTS
 
     General. Hiway agreed that, prior to the Effective Time, it will, among
other things: (i) provide Verio with access to Hiway's assets and premises at
reasonable times and upon reasonable notice, and confer regularly with Verio
concerning Hiway's operations and financial performance; (ii) conduct its
business only in the ordinary and usual course, consistent with past practices;
(iii) use its best efforts to preserve intact its business organization, to
retain its present officers and key employees, and to preserve the goodwill of
those having business relationships with it and its subsidiaries; (iv) not
declare, accrue, set aside or pay any dividend or other distribution, except as
provided in the Merger Agreement; (v) not issue or sell (or grant any warrants,
options or other rights to purchase) any stock or any other securities (except
issuance of Hiway Common Stock pursuant to option grants to employees made in
the ordinary course of business); (vi) except as provided in the Merger
Agreement, not form any subsidiary or acquire an equity interest in any other
entity; (vii) not adopt any employee benefit plan and not pay any bonus or
similar payment or increase any compensation payable to any of its directors,
officers or employees, except pursuant to existing agreements; (viii) not change
its methods of accounting or make any tax election; (ix) not enter into or amend
any agreements pursuant to which any other party is granted exclusive
distribution, marketing or other exclusive rights with respect to its services,
products or technology; (x) not pay, discharge or satisfy in an amount in excess
of $100,000 in any one case or $250,000 in the aggregate, any claim, liability
or obligation arising other than in the ordinary course of business, other than
those reserved against in its financial statements or to which Verio has
consented in writing; (xi) not hire any new director level or officer level
employee; (xii) give any notices or information required to be given to
employees of Hiway and any other government entity under the National Labor
Relations Act, the Code, the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act or other
applicable
 
                                       53
<PAGE>   68
 
law; (xiii) cause all indebtedness and other liabilities of any related party to
Hiway to be discharged and paid in full prior to closing of the Merger; (xiv)
enter into a Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement, in one of the
forms attached to the Merger Agreement, with all of its employees and
consultants, other than those already party to such an agreement in a form
reasonably satisfactory to Verio; and (xv) use its best efforts to cause to be
delivered to Verio a letter from its independent auditors in connection with the
Registration Statement.
 
     Verio and Hiway agreed that, among other things: (i) each will promptly
notify the other of the discovery of any event or circumstance that occurred or
existed prior to or arises after the date of the Merger Agreement that
constitutes (a) a breach by such party of any representation, warranty, covenant
or obligation in the Merger Agreement or (b) any condition that may make
satisfaction of any condition in the Merger Agreement impossible or unlikely;
and (ii) each will use its commercially reasonable best efforts to cause the
timely satisfaction of the conditions to closing the Merger as provided in the
Merger Agreement, so that the closing can take place on January 1, 1999 or as
soon thereafter as is reasonably practical.
 
     Termination of Employment Agreements. Hiway agreed that, prior to the
Effective Time, it would cause the termination of each of the Hiway Employment
Agreements, in each case in such a manner that Hiway will not be required to
make any payments or bear any liability, prior to and after consummation of the
Merger, with respect to "excess parachute payments" within the meaning of
Section 280G of the Code. See "The Merger -- Interests of Certain Persons in the
Merger."
 
     Securities Matters. Verio agreed to use reasonable efforts to take any
action required by state securities or blue sky laws in connection with the
issuance of the shares of Verio Common Stock pursuant to the Merger Agreement.
Hiway agreed to furnish Verio with all information concerning Hiway and the
holders of its capital stock and take such other action as Verio may reasonably
request in connection with the Registration Statement and such issuance of
shares of Verio Common Stock.
 
     Hiway Shareholder Approval. Hiway agreed to recommend approval and adoption
of the Merger Agreement by its shareholders and to use its best efforts to
obtain such approval and that, if requested by Verio, it will seek the approval
and adoption of the Hiway Merger Proposal by written consent promptly following
the effectiveness of the Registration Statement.
 
     Nasdaq. Verio has agreed to notify Nasdaq of the listing of the shares of
Verio Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Merger.
 
     No Solicitation. Until the termination of the Merger Agreement, Hiway may
not, and will ensure that its representatives do not, solicit, encourage or
engage or participate in negotiations concerning any acquisition, tender offer,
merger, consolidation, business combination or similar transaction, other than
the Merger (such proposals being referred to as "Acquisition Proposals"). Hiway
has agreed to notify Verio in writing of any such Acquisition Proposals. The
Hiway Specified Shareholders each agreed to similar restrictions in their Hiway
Shareholder Voting Agreements. See "Voting Agreements."
 
     Director and Officer Indemnification. Verio agreed, for a period of three
years after the Effective Time, to maintain, with respect to claims arising from
facts or events which occurred before the Effective Time, officers' and
directors' liability insurance covering the officers and directors of Hiway who
were covered as of the date of the Merger Agreement by Hiway's then existing
officers' and directors' liability insurance policies, on terms substantially no
less advantageous to such officers and directors than such existing insurance.
See "The Merger -- Interests of Certain Persons in the Merger."
 
     Verio Board. Verio agreed to take such action necessary to cause a designee
of Hiway to serve on the Verio Board. See "The Merger -- Interests of Certain
Persons in the Merger."
 
     Integration Issues. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Verio and Hiway have
agreed to cooperate in good faith to identify and, to the extent practicable,
resolve matters regarding the orderly integration of their respective
operations, and the retention of other employees of Hiway who will remain after
the Closing Date.
 
                                       54
<PAGE>   69
 
CONDITIONS
 
     The obligations of Verio and Hiway to effect the Merger are subject to the
satisfaction of certain conditions, including, among others: (i) the
Registration Statement shall have become effective in accordance with the
provisions of the Securities Act and shall be effective at the Effective Time;
(ii) all necessary approvals under federal and state securities laws and other
authorizations relating to the issuance or trading of Verio Common Stock to be
issued in the Merger shall have been obtained; (iii) the Verio Common Stock to
be issued in the Merger shall have been approved for listing on Nasdaq; (iv) the
Hiway Merger Proposal shall have been approved by Hiway's shareholders; (v) the
absence of any injunction prohibiting consummation of the Merger; and (vi) the
absence of any action by any federal or state governmental entity that imposes
any condition upon Verio or Hiway that would so impact the Merger as to render
the Merger inadvisable.
 
     The obligation of each of Verio and Merger Sub to effect the Merger is
subject to the satisfaction of additional conditions, including, among other
things: (i) all of the representations and warranties made by Hiway and each
shareholder of Hiway in the Merger Agreement and related agreements are accurate
in all material respects as of the Effective Time; (ii) each Hiway Executive
Officer shall have executed a Lockup Agreement; (iii) each Hiway Executive
Officer shall have executed a Noncompete Agreement; (iv) Hiway and shareholders
of Hiway shall have satisfied all covenants and obligations that each is
required to comply with or perform in the Merger Agreement and any related
agreement; (v) Hiway shall have obtained all required consents; (vi) there not
having been any material adverse change in Hiway's business, condition, assets,
liabilities, operations or financial performance since the date of the Merger
Agreement; (vii) receipt of an opinion of Hiway's counsel; (viii) there shall
not have been commenced or threatened against Verio any proceeding challenging
or seeking damages in connection with the Merger, or which may interfere with
the Merger or have a material adverse effect on Hiway; (ix) no person shall have
made or threatened any claim relating to his or her right to acquire securities
or capital stock of Hiway or be entitled to any portion of the consideration to
be issued in the Merger; (x) the holders of no more than 10% of the outstanding
shares of Hiway Common Stock shall have demanded or shall be eligible to demand
dissenters' rights; (xi) each of Hiway's employees and consultants have entered
into a Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement, in one of the forms
attached to the Merger Agreement or in another form approved by Verio; (xii)
each of the Hiway Employment Agreements shall have been terminated and Verio
shall be satisfied that there are no arrangements that would, in connection with
the Merger, constitute "excess parachute payments" within the meaning of Section
280G of the Code; and (xiii) receipt of various other consents from third
parties.
 
     The obligation of Hiway to effect the Merger is subject to the satisfaction
of additional conditions, including, among other things: (i) all of the
representations and warranties made by Verio and Merger Sub in the Merger
Agreement are accurate in all material respects as of the Effective Time; (ii)
Verio and Merger Sub shall have satisfied all covenants and obligations that
each is required to comply with or perform in the Merger Agreement; (iii) Verio
shall have executed and delivered a Hiway Registration Rights Agreement to each
of the Hiway Specified Shareholders; (iv) there not having been any material
adverse change in Verio's business, condition, assets, liabilities, operations
or financial performance since the date of the Merger Agreement (provided that a
decrease in the trading price of Verio Common Stock shall not of itself be
considered a material adverse change); and (v) the person designated by Hiway as
a member of the Verio Board shall have been appointed to the Verio Board
effective at the Effective Time. The parties' obligations to close the Merger
are independent of any fluctuations (including any material decline) in the
amount of the Merger Consideration as a result of fluctuations in the value of
the portion of the Merger Consideration payable in Verio Common Stock, and no
re-solicitation of the approval of the holders of Hiway Common Stock would occur
if any such fluctuation occurred following the initial solicitation and receipt
of the requisite approval of the Merger.
 
TERMINATION
 
     The Merger Agreement may be terminated and the Merger abandoned at any time
prior to the Effective Time, whether before or after approval by the
shareholders of Hiway: (i) by mutual consent of Verio and Hiway; (ii) by Verio,
if there has been any material breach of a covenant or obligation of Hiway or a
shareholder of Hiway or if Verio reasonably determines that timely satisfaction
of a condition to closing the
                                       55
<PAGE>   70
 
Merger is impossible or impracticable (other than as a result of any failure on
the part of Verio to comply with or perform its covenants and obligations);
(iii) by Hiway, if there has been any material breach of a covenant or
obligation by Verio or Merger Sub or if Hiway reasonably determines that timely
satisfaction of a condition to closing the Merger is impossible or impracticable
(other than as a result of any failure on the part of Hiway or any shareholder
of Hiway to comply with or perform its covenants and obligations); (iv) by
Verio, if the Merger has not been consummated on or before February 28, 1999
(other than as a result of any failure on the part of Verio or Merger Sub to
comply with or perform its covenants or obligations under the Merger Agreement);
(v) by Hiway, if the Merger has not been consummated on or before February 28,
1999 (other than as a result of any failure on the part of Hiway or any
shareholder to comply with or perform its covenants or obligations under the
Merger Agreement or any related agreement); (vi) by either Verio or Hiway, if
any court of competent jurisdiction in the United States or other United States
governmental body has issued an order, decree or ruling or taken any other
action restraining, enjoining or otherwise prohibiting the Merger and such
order, decree, ruling or any other action has become final and non-appealable;
or (vii) by Verio, if approval of the shareholders of Hiway required for the
consummation of the Merger submitted for approval has not been obtained at a
duly held meeting of shareholders or at any adjournment thereof.
 
     In the event the Merger Agreement is terminated, all further obligations of
Verio, Hiway and Merger Sub under the Merger Agreement shall terminate;
provided, however, that the parties shall remain subject to specified provisions
in the Merger Agreement relating to, among other things, the payment of fees and
expenses and the confidential treatment of certain information, and to the terms
of the Nondisclosure Agreement between Verio and Hiway dated as of July 15,
1998.
 
AMENDMENT; WAIVER
 
     The Merger Agreement may not be amended, modified, altered or supplemented
other than by means of a written instrument duly executed and delivered on
behalf of Verio and Hiway.
 
     No failure on the part of Verio, Hiway or Merger Sub to exercise any power,
right, privilege or remedy ("Rights") under the Merger Agreement (and no such
delay in any such exercise) shall operate as a waiver of such Right and no
single or partial waiver of any such Right shall preclude any further exercise
thereof or of any other Right. A waiver of any claim or Right must be in writing
duly executed and delivered on behalf of such person seeking such waiver.
 
EXPENSES
 
     In general, all costs and expenses incurred by Hiway in connection with the
Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby will be paid by
Hiway, and all costs and expenses incurred by Verio or Merger Sub in connection
with the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby will be paid
by Verio. However, in the event Hiway incurs any Excess Expenses, the Common
Stock Exchange Ratio and the Option Exchange Ratio will be reduced. See
" -- Merger Consideration" and "The Merger -- General."
 
                               VOTING AGREEMENTS
 
     As a condition to the willingness of Verio to enter into the Merger
Agreement, the Hiway Executive Officers and Thomas C. Barry, a member of the
Hiway Board, and certain entities holding of record shares of Hiway Common Stock
owned beneficially by such Hiway Executive Officers and director (the "Hiway
Specified Shareholders"), representing approximately 63.0% of the capital stock
of Hiway outstanding as of November 13, 1998, each entered into a Voting
Agreement and Irrevocable Proxy (the "Hiway Shareholder Voting Agreements") with
Verio dated as of November 17, 1998.
 
     Pursuant to the Hiway Shareholder Voting Agreements, each Hiway Specified
Shareholder has agreed to vote, and irrevocably granted to Verio and appointed
Verio such shareholder's proxy to vote, all shares of Hiway Common Stock then
owned or thereafter acquired by such shareholder in favor of the Merger,
approval of the Merger Agreement and any matters contemplated by the Merger
Agreement or incidental to the Merger, at any meeting of Hiway's shareholders
(or in any written consent in lieu thereof). In addition, each
 
                                       56
<PAGE>   71
 
   
Hiway Specified Shareholder has (i) waived all rights of first refusal and other
rights to acquire securities issued or sold by Hiway and all rights of co-sale
that may arise from the Merger Agreement, (ii) agreed not to sell or otherwise
dispose of any shares of Hiway Common Stock, and (iii) agreed not to initiate,
solicit, encourage or engage or participate in negotiations concerning any
Acquisition Proposals. The Hiway Shareholder Voting Agreements will terminate
upon the earlier of the Effective Time or the termination of the Merger
Agreement.
    
 
                    DISSENTERS' RIGHTS OF HIWAY SHAREHOLDERS
 
     The rights of Hiway shareholders who dissent in connection with the Merger
are governed by specific legal provisions contained in Chapter 13 of the CGCL
("Chapter 13"). The following summary of the provisions of Chapter 13 is not
intended to be a complete statement of such provisions and is qualified in its
entirety by reference to the full text of Chapter 13, a copy of which is
attached to this Proxy Statement/ Prospectus as Appendix D and is incorporated
herein by reference. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE STEPS REQUIRED BY CHAPTER 13 FOR
PERFECTING DISSENTERS' RIGHTS MAY RESULT IN THE LOSS OF SUCH RIGHTS.
 
     Under Chapter 13, if the Merger is completed, any shares of Hiway Common
Stock as to which dissenters' rights are properly exercised ("Dissenting
Shares") will not be converted by virtue of the Merger into the right to receive
the Merger Consideration pursuant to the Merger Agreement, but instead will be
converted into the right to receive in cash the "fair market value" of such
shares, determined as of the day before the first announcement of the terms of
the Merger, and excluding any appreciation or depreciation in consequence of the
Merger. For shares of Hiway Common Stock to qualify as Dissenting Shares, (i)
the holders of such shares must not have voted in favor of approval of the Hiway
Merger Proposal and (ii) the holder of such shares must submit stock
certificates for endorsement (as described below).
 
     If the Merger is approved at the Hiway Special Meeting, Hiway will, within
ten days after such approval, mail to any shareholder who may have a right to
require Hiway to purchase his, her or its shares for cash as a result of making
a demand (as described below), a notice that the required shareholder approval
of the Hiway Merger Proposal was obtained (the "Notice of Approval"),
accompanied by a copy of Chapter 13. The Notice of Approval will set forth the
price determined by Hiway to represent the "fair market value" of any Dissenting
Shares (which shall constitute an offer by Hiway to purchase such Dissenting
Shares at such stated price) and will set forth a brief description of the
procedures to be followed by such shareholders who wish to exercise their
dissenters' rights.
 
   
     Within 30 days after the date on which the Notice of Approval was mailed,
(i) Hiway must receive the demand of the dissenting shareholder, which is
required by law to contain a statement concerning the number and class of shares
of Hiway Common Stock held of record by such dissenting shareholder and what the
shareholder claims to be the fair market value of the Dissenting Shares as of
the close of business on the day immediately prior to the announcement of the
Merger (the statement of fair market value in such demand by the dissenting
shareholder constitutes an offer by the dissenting shareholder to sell the
Dissenting Shares at such price), and (ii) the dissenting shareholder must
submit Hiway Stock Certificate(s) representing the Dissenting Shares to Hiway at
Hiway's principal office. The Hiway Stock Certificate(s) will be stamped or
endorsed with a statement that the shares are Dissenting Shares or will be
exchanged for Hiway Stock Certificates of appropriate denomination so stamped or
endorsed. If the price contained in the Notice of Approval is acceptable to the
dissenting shareholder, the dissenting shareholder may demand the same price.
This would constitute an acceptance of the offer by Hiway to purchase the
dissenting shareholder's stock at the price stated in the Notice of Approval.
    
 
     If Hiway and a dissenting shareholder agree upon the price to be paid for
the Dissenting Shares, upon the dissenting shareholder's surrender of the Hiway
Stock Certificates representing the Dissenting Shares, such price (together with
interest thereon at the legal rate on judgments from the date of the agreement
between Hiway and the dissenting shareholder) is required by law to be paid to
the dissenting shareholder within 30 days after such agreement or within 30 days
after any statutory or contractual conditions to the Merger are satisfied,
whichever is later, subject to the surrender of the Hiway Stock Certificates
therefor.
                                       57
<PAGE>   72
 
     If Hiway and a dissenting shareholder disagree as to the price for such
Dissenting Shares or disagree as to whether such Dissenting Shares are entitled
to be classified as Dissenting Shares, such holder may, within six months after
the Notice of Approval is mailed, file a complaint in the Superior Court of the
proper county requesting the court to make such determinations or,
alternatively, may intervene in any pending action brought by another dissenting
shareholder. Costs of such an action (including compensation of appraisers) are
required to be assessed as the court considers equitable, but must be assessed
against Hiway if the appraised value determined by the court exceeds the price
offered by Hiway.
 
     The court action to determine the fair market value of the shares will be
suspended if litigation is instituted to test the sufficiency or regularity of
the votes of the shareholders in authorizing the Merger. Furthermore, no
shareholder who is entitled to assert dissenters' rights under Chapter 13 shall
have any right to attack the validity of the Merger or to have the Merger set
aside or rescinded, except in an action to test whether the number of shares
required to authorize or approve the Merger has been legally voted in favor of
the Merger.
 
   
     Dissenting Shares may lose their status as such and the right to demand
payment will terminate, among other reasons, if (i) the Merger is abandoned,
(ii) the shares are transferred before being submitted for endorsement or are
surrendered for conversion into shares of another class, (iii) the dissenting
shareholder and Hiway do not agree upon the status of the shares as Dissenting
Shares or upon the price of such shares and the dissenting shareholders fails to
file suit against Hiway or intervene in a pending action within six months
following the date on which the Notice of Approval was mailed to the
shareholder, or (iv) the dissenting shareholder withdraws his or her demand for
the purchase of the Dissenting Shares with the consent of Hiway.
    
 
     It is a condition precedent to Verio's obligation to close the Merger that
less than 10% of the outstanding shares of Hiway Common Stock be, or be eligible
to be, Dissenting Shares. See "The Merger Agreement -- Conditions."
 
               COMPARATIVE PER SHARE PRICES AND DIVIDEND POLICIES
 
     Verio Common Stock is listed and traded on Nasdaq under the symbol "VRIO."
Verio Common Stock has traded under that symbol since May 12, 1998, the date of
the Verio IPO. Prior to that time, there was no public market for Verio Common
Stock.
 
     The following table sets forth the high and low sale prices per share of
Verio Common Stock for the periods indicated, as reported by Nasdaq. There is no
public market for Hiway Common Stock.
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                          VERIO COMMON STOCK
                                                          -------------------
                                                           HIGH         LOW
                                                          -------      ------
<S>                                                       <C>          <C>
Calendar 1998:
  Second Quarter........................................  $30.00       $16.50
  Third Quarter.........................................   31.875       18.00
  Fourth Quarter (through December 14)..................   24.25        13.00
</TABLE>
    
 
   
     The following table sets forth the closing sale price of Verio Common Stock
on November 16, 1998, the last trading day prior to the public announcement of
the Merger Agreement, and December 14, 1998, the latest practicable date
preceding the mailing of this Proxy Statement/Prospectus. The "equivalent per
share price" of Hiway Common Stock as of such dates equals the sum of (i) the
closing sale price of Verio Common Stock on such dates multiplied by the assumed
Common Stock Exchange Ratio of 0.0875 plus (ii) the assumed Per Share Cash
Amount of $4.90. See "The Merger Agreement -- Merger Consideration."
    
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                     VERIO       HIWAY EQUIVALENT
                                                  COMMON STOCK   PER SHARE VALUE
                                                  ------------   ----------------
<S>                                               <C>            <C>
November 16, 1998...............................    $ 16.00           $6.30
December 14, 1998...............................      20.25            6.68
</TABLE>
    
 
                                       58
<PAGE>   73
 
     Because the Common Stock Exchange Ratio is determined with respect to a
fixed number of shares of Verio Common Stock (subject to adjustment for certain
matters, as described herein, not related to the market price of Verio Common
Stock), and because the market price of Verio Common Stock is subject to
fluctuation, the market value of the shares of Verio Common Stock that holders
of Hiway Common Stock will receive in the Merger may increase or decrease prior
to and following the Merger. HOLDERS OF VERIO COMMON STOCK AND HOLDERS OF HIWAY
COMMON STOCK ARE URGED TO OBTAIN CURRENT MARKET QUOTATIONS FOR VERIO COMMON
STOCK. NO ASSURANCE CAN BE GIVEN AS TO THE FUTURE PRICES OR MARKETS FOR VERIO
COMMON STOCK. See "Risk Factors -- Potential Fluctuation of Value of
Consideration Received." More recent market quotes may be obtained on the World
Wide Web at http://www.nasdaq.com.
 
   
     Verio has never declared or paid any dividends on shares of Verio Common
Stock and does not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future. Verio's
current policy is to retain all of its earnings to finance future growth and
acquisitions. Furthermore, the terms of the 1997 Indenture, the March 1998
Indenture, the November 1998 Indenture and the Bank Facility place limitations
on Verio's ability to pay dividends. Future dividends, if any, will be at the
discretion of the Verio Board and will depend upon, among other things, Verio's
operations, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition,
contractual restrictions and such other factors as the Verio Board may deem
relevant. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations of Verio." Hiway Florida paid cash dividends on its shares
of common stock in the amount of $125,000 in 1996 and $3.0 million in 1997.
However, Hiway does not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable
future. Furthermore, under Hiway's banking arrangements with Silicon Valley
Bank, Hiway is not permitted to declare or pay any dividends without the bank's
prior written consent.
    
 
                          DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
 
VERIO CAPITAL STOCK
 
   
     The authorized capital stock of Verio consists of 137,500,000 shares,
consisting of 125,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share,
and 12,500,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share (the "Verio
Undesignated Preferred Stock"). As of October 31, 1998, there were 32,941,678
shares of Verio Common Stock outstanding and no shares of Verio Undesignated
Preferred Stock outstanding.
    
 
   
     Holders of Verio Common Stock are entitled to one vote for each share held
of record on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders. Subject to
preferences that may be applicable to any then outstanding Verio Preferred
Stock, holders of Verio Common Stock are entitled to receive ratably such
dividends as may be declared by the Verio Board out of funds legally available
therefor. In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Verio,
holders of Verio Common Stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets
remaining after payment of liabilities and the liquidation of preferences of any
outstanding shares of Verio Preferred Stock, if any. Holders of Verio Common
Stock have no preemptive rights or rights to convert their Verio Common Stock
into any other securities. There are no redemption or sinking fund provisions
applicable to the Verio Common Stock. All outstanding shares of Verio Common
Stock are fully paid and nonassessable. The rights of holders of Verio Common
Stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of any series
of preferred stock which Verio may issue in the future.
    
 
     The Verio Board has the authority to issue from time to time up to
12,500,000 shares of Undesignated Preferred Stock in one or more series and to
fix the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional
or other rights thereof, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting
rights, redemption terms, liquidation preferences (any or all of which may be
greater than the rights of the Verio Common Stock) and the number of shares
constituting each such series, without any further vote or action by Verio's
stockholders.
 
     Certain features of Verio's capital stock may have the effect of delaying
or preventing a change in control of Verio. See "Risk Factors -- Effect of
Anti-Takeover Provisions" and "Comparison of Rights of Verio Stockholders and
Hiway Shareholders -- Election and Number of Directors; Filling Vacancies;
Removal," "-- Stockholders Meetings and Written Consents," "-- Preferred Stock"
and "-- Business Combinations."
                                       59
<PAGE>   74
 
VERIO WARRANTS
 
     As of October 31, 1998, Verio had warrants outstanding to purchase an
aggregate of 1,547,032 shares of Verio Common Stock at an exercise price per
share of $0.01 (the "Verio Warrants"). The Verio Warrants were issued in
connection with the issuance of the 1997 Notes and are currently exercisable by
the holders of the Verio Warrants. Holders of the Verio Warrants also are
entitled to certain registration rights. See " -- Verio Registration Rights."
 
VERIO REGISTRATION RIGHTS
 
     Pursuant to a Stockholders Agreement (the "Stockholders Agreement") between
Verio and certain of its initial investors (the "Investors"), the Investors are
entitled to certain demand and piggyback registration rights with respect to the
registration of certain Registrable Securities (as defined in the Stockholders
Agreement) under the Securities Act. Investors owning 25% or more of the
Registrable Securities may require Verio to effect registration under the
Securities Act of their Registrable Securities, subject to the right of the
Verio Board to defer such registration for a period of up to 180 days. In
addition, if Verio proposes to register securities under the Securities Act
(other than a registration statement on Form S-8 or S-4), whether or not for its
own account, then any of the Investors has a right (subject to quantity
limitations determined by underwriters if the offering involves an underwriting)
to request that Verio register such Investor's Registrable Securities. All
registration expenses incurred in connection with up to two long-form and all
short-form and piggyback registrations will be borne by Verio. Each Investor
will pay for its own Selling Expenses (as defined in the Stockholders Agreement)
on a pro rata basis. These registration rights are subject to certain conditions
and limitations, among them the right of the underwriters of an offering to
limit the number of shares included in such registration.
 
     In connection with the Buyouts and the acquisitions of certain ISPs, Verio
entered into certain investment agreements (the "Investment Agreements") with
the recipients of shares of its Series D-1 Preferred Stock (which were
automatically converted into shares of Verio Common Stock upon the closing of
the Verio IPO) (the "Holders"). Pursuant to the Investment Agreements, some of
the Holders are entitled to certain piggyback registration rights with respect
to the registration of certain Registrable Securities (as defined in the
Investment Agreements) under the Securities Act. At any time after a Lock-Up
Termination Date (as defined in the Investment Agreements), if Verio proposes to
register any of its securities under the Securities Act (other than a
registration statement on Form S-8 or S-4), whether or not for its own account,
such Holders are entitled to notice of such registration and are entitled to
include such Holder's Registrable Securities therein. All such rights granted
under the Investment Agreements shall terminate with respect to the Registrable
Securities of a Holder upon the earliest to occur of (i) the second anniversary
of the Verio IPO, (ii) such time as all such Registrable Securities may be
immediately sold pursuant to Rule 144 within any 90-day period, or (iii) upon
any sale of such Registrable Securities pursuant to a registration statement or
Rule 144. Verio is required to bear all registration expenses (other than
underwriting discounts and commissions) incurred in connection with any such
registrations. Verio is not responsible for any expenses of any counsel retained
to act on behalf of any Holder participating in such registration. All of these
registration rights are subject to certain conditions and limitations,
including, in particular, that if the underwriters of an offering seek to limit
the number of shares included in such offering, all holders of demand and
piggyback registration rights (other than the piggyback registration rights held
by the Holders) shall include their shares in such offering in priority to the
Holders.
 
   
     In connection with the issuance of the 1997 Notes, the holders of a number
of the Warrants, Warrant Shares and Registrable Securities (as defined in a
registration rights agreement (the "Common Stock Registration Rights Agreement")
entered into in connection with the issuance of the 1997 Notes) (the "Subject
Equity") equivalent to a majority of the Warrant Shares subject to the
originally issued Warrants, will be entitled to require Verio to effect one
registration under the Securities Act of the Subject Equity, subject to certain
limitations. Holders of such Registrable Securities also will have the right to
include such Registrable Securities in any registration statement under the
Securities Act filed by Verio (other than (i) a registration statement on Form
S-8 or S-4, (ii) a registration statement filed in connection with an offer of
securities solely to existing security holders, or (iii) a Demand Registration
(as defined therein)), whether or
    
                                       60
<PAGE>   75
 
not for its own account. These registration rights are subject to certain
conditions and limitations, among them the right of the underwriters of an
offering to limit the number of shares included in such registration.
 
   
     Pursuant to the NTT Investment Agreement (as defined below), after the
first anniversary of the consummation of the Verio IPO, NTT and any transferee
of NTT's rights may require, on up to three occasions, that Verio effect a
registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to (i) at least 25%
of the NTT Shares (including any securities issued or issuable by way of a
distribution, stock split or the like, the "NTT Registrable Securities"), or
(ii) NTT Registrable Securities with an anticipated aggregate net offering price
of at least $25.0 million, unless Verio is eligible at such time to effect a
registration statement on Form S-3, in which case the aggregate net offering
price must be at least $15.0 million. Verio must effect any such registration as
promptly as practicable, subject, in certain circumstances, to Verio's right to
defer such demand for registration for specified periods. In addition, if Verio
proposes to register its securities under the Securities Act, or another holder
of Verio Common Stock exercises its demand registration rights, then NTT has a
right (subject to certain cutbacks determined by the underwriters in the event
of an underwritten offering) to include the NTT Registrable Securities in any
such offering. All registration expenses will be borne by Verio, subject to
certain exceptions, other than selling expenses which must be paid by NTT. In
the event that any NTT Shares are included in a registration statement, Verio
has agreed to indemnify NTT against certain losses for which NTT may become
liable under the Securities Act.
    
 
   
     It is a condition to Hiway's obligation to close the Merger that Verio
enter the Hiway Registration Rights Agreement with the Hiway Specified
Shareholders. See "The Merger Agreement -- Conditions." Pursuant to the Hiway
Registration Rights Agreement, the Hiway Specified Shareholders are entitled to
certain piggyback registration rights with respect to the registration of
certain Registrable Securities (as defined in the Hiway Registration Rights
Agreement) under the Securities Act. If at any time Verio proposes to register
any Verio Common Stock under the Securities Act (other than a registration
statement on Form S-8 or S-4, or any other form for a limited purpose, or any
registration statement covering only securities proposed to be issued in
exchange for securities or assets of another entity) in connection with an
offering of Verio Common Stock, then each Hiway Specified Shareholder has the
right (subject to customary terms and limitations, including the specific
limitations addressed below) to request that Verio register such Hiway Specified
Shareholder's Registrable Securities. Subject to certain limitations, Verio may
delay the filing or effectiveness of, or suspend, the applicable registration
statement, and require that all Hiway Specified Shareholders immediately cease
sale of Verio Common Stock pursuant to the registration statement, in any period
during which Verio is engaged in any activity or transaction required to be
disclosed by Verio pursuant to the Securities Act. All these piggyback
registration rights terminate with respect to any Registrable Securities upon
the earlier to occur of (i) such time as all such Registrable Securities may be
immediately sold pursuant to Rule 144 and/or Rule 145 under the Securities Act
within any 90-day period, or (ii) upon any sale of such Registrable Securities
pursuant to a registration statement or Rule 144 and/or Rule 145 under the
Securities Act. Verio will bear all registration expenses (other than
underwriting discounts and commissions) incurred in connection with any such
registrations, except for any expenses of any counsel retained by any Hiway
Specified Shareholder in connection with such registration. These registration
rights are subject to certain limitations and conditions, including, in
particular, that if the underwriters of an offering seek to limit the number of
shares included in such offering, then the underwriters will apportion the
shares sought to be registered as follows: (i) first, Verio and any holders of
demand registration rights shall be entitled to register all securities that
Verio or such holders propose to sell for their own account; (ii) second, any
holders of piggyback registration rights as and to the extent that such
registration rights have priority over the registration rights granted to the
Hiway Specified Shareholders; and (iii) lastly, any Hiway Specified Shareholder,
together with any holders of other piggyback registration rights as and to the
extent that such piggyback registration rights rank pari passu with the
piggyback registration rights granted to the Hiway Specified Shareholders, shall
be entitled to register, on a pro rata basis (subject to any conflicting
cut-back priority provided pursuant to the Common Stock Registration Rights
Agreement dated June 17, 1997 and based on the number of shares of Verio Common
Stock owned by each Hiway Specified Shareholder), up to that number of
Registrable Securities and other shares of Verio Common Stock that is equal to
the remaining shares of Verio Common Stock that the lead managing underwriter
will permit to be registered after giving effect to the apportionment set forth
in clauses (i) and (ii) above, in connection with such offering.
    
                                       61
<PAGE>   76
 
HIWAY CAPITAL STOCK
 
   
     The authorized capital stock of Hiway consists of 60,000,000 shares of
Hiway Common Stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock. As of November 13,
1998, there were outstanding 35,887,913 shares of Hiway Common Stock, warrants
to purchase 3,115,123 shares of Hiway Common Stock and options to purchase
1,399,205 shares of Hiway Common Stock. Of the 10,000,000 authorized shares of
preferred stock, 500,000 shares are designated Series A Preferred Stock,
4,000,000 shares are designated Series B Preferred Stock and the remaining
shares of preferred stock may be issued from time to time in one or more series,
as determined by the Hiway Board (all such preferred stock shall hereinafter be
designated, collectively, the "Hiway Preferred Stock"). Currently, no shares of
Hiway Preferred Stock are issued and outstanding and Hiway has no current plan
to issue any shares of Hiway Preferred Stock.
    
 
     As of November 13, 1998, Hiway had outstanding options to purchase
1,399,205 shares of Hiway Common Stock at a weighted average per share exercise
price of $3.433, and outstanding warrants to purchase 3,115,123 shares of Hiway
Common Stock at a weighted average per share exercise price of $2.689. These
warrants expire in 2001 and 2002.
 
       COMPARISON OF RIGHTS OF VERIO STOCKHOLDERS AND HIWAY SHAREHOLDERS
 
GENERAL
 
     As a result of the Merger, holders of Hiway Common Stock will become
stockholders of Verio and the rights of all such former Hiway shareholders will
thereafter be governed by Verio's Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the
"Verio Certificate"), Verio's Bylaws (the "Verio Bylaws") and the DGCL. The
rights of the holders of Hiway Common Stock are currently governed by Hiway's
Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the "Hiway Articles"), Hiway's
Bylaws (the "Hiway Bylaws") and the CGCL. The following summary, which does not
purport to be a complete statement of the general differences between the rights
of the stockholders of Verio and the shareholders of Hiway, sets forth certain
differences between the Verio Certificate, the Verio Bylaws and the DGCL, and
the Hiway Articles, the Hiway Bylaws and the CGCL. Accordingly, Hiway's
shareholders should carefully review the following summary, which Verio and
Hiway believe addresses all material differences in the rights of Hiway
shareholders upon consummation of the Merger, to understand how certain of their
rights as shareholders will be affected upon completion of the Merger. This
summary is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of each of
such documents, the DGCL and the CGCL.
 
     In addition, upon completion of the Merger, the percentage ownership of
Verio by each former Hiway shareholder will be substantially lower than his, her
or its current percentage ownership of Hiway. See "The Merger -- Stock Ownership
Following the Merger." Accordingly, former Hiway shareholders will have a
significantly smaller voting influence over the affairs of Verio than they
currently have over the affairs of Hiway.
 
AMENDMENT OF CHARTER DOCUMENTS
 
     The DGCL provides that approval of a majority of the outstanding shares
entitled to vote thereon is required to amend a certificate of incorporation.
The Verio Certificate provides that an amendment of certain provisions
(described below) must be approved by the affirmative vote, at a stockholders'
meeting, of at least 80% of the then-outstanding stock entitled to vote thereon.
Under the CGCL, a corporation's articles of incorporation may be amended by the
approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of each class. The Hiway
Articles make no provision to the contrary.
 
     Under the DGCL, bylaws may be amended by stockholders; however, a
corporation may confer, in its certificate of incorporation, the power to amend
bylaws upon the directors. The fact that such power has been so conferred upon
the directors does not divest the stockholders of their power to amend the
bylaws. The Verio Certificate expressly provides that the Verio Board may make,
alter or repeal the Verio Bylaws, and the Verio Bylaws state that they may be
amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the stock entitled to vote at
any meeting of the stockholders, unless a larger vote is required by the Verio
Certificate or Bylaws (described
 
                                       62
<PAGE>   77
 
more fully below). Under the CGCL and the Hiway Bylaws, amendments may be made
only by approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote,
except as described below.
 
ELECTION AND NUMBER OF DIRECTORS; FILLING VACANCIES; REMOVAL
 
     Under the DGCL, cumulative voting in the election of directors is not
available unless specifically provided for in the certificate of incorporation.
The Verio Certificate and Bylaws do not provide for cumulative voting rights in
elections of directors. The Hiway Articles and Bylaws provide for cumulative
voting rights in elections for directors, subject to specified procedural
requirements.
 
     The Verio Bylaws state that the number of directors is to be no less than
five and no more than 11, with the exact number being fixed within such limits
by an amendment to the Verio Bylaws duly adopted by the stockholders or the
Verio Board. Subject to revision within the foregoing limits, the Verio Board
set the number of directors at 11.
 
     The Hiway Bylaws state that the number of directors is to be no less than
five and no more than nine, with the exact number being fixed within such limits
by an amendment to the Bylaws duly adopted by the shareholders or the Hiway
Board of Directors. An amendment reducing the fixed number of directors to less
than five cannot be adopted if the votes cast against such an amendment exceed
16 2/3% of the outstanding shares. Subject to revision within the foregoing
limits, the Hiway Bylaws, as currently in effect, set the number of directors at
seven.
 
     Under the DGCL, a corporation may have a classified board of directors,
divided into as many as three classes. The Verio Certificate and Bylaws provide
for the division of Verio directors into three classes, serving staggered
three-year terms. Any amendment to the Verio Certificate or Bylaws which would
have the effect of circumventing or modifying such provisions relating to the
staggered board of directors requires the favorable vote of at least 80% of the
then-outstanding shares of stock of Verio entitled to vote.
 
   
     The CGCL generally requires that directors be elected annually but does
permit a "classified" board of directors if the corporation is "listed." A
listed corporation is defined under the CGCL as one which (i) is listed on the
New York Stock Exchange or American Stock Exchange, or (ii) with a class of
securities designated as a national market systems security on Nasdaq (or any
successor national market system) if the corporation has at least 800 holders of
its equity securities. If eligible for the classes, the CGCL permits
corporations to provide for a board of directors divided into as many as three
classes by adopting an amendment to their articles of incorporation or bylaws,
which amendment must be approved by the stockholders. The Hiway Bylaws do not
provide for a classified board.
    
 
     The Verio Certificate and Bylaws provide that any vacancies (including
newly created directorships) may be filled by a majority of the remaining
directors, though less than a quorum. The Hiway Bylaws contain a comparable
provision, except that a vacancy created by the removal of a director by the
vote or written consent of the shareholders or by court order may be filled only
by the vote of the majority of the shares entitled to vote represented at a duly
held meeting at which a quorum is present, or by the written consent of holders
of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote.
 
     Under the DGCL, unless otherwise provided in a corporation's certificate of
incorporation, directors of a corporation with a classified board may be removed
only for cause. The Verio Certificate does not so otherwise provide.
 
     Under the CGCL, the holders of at least 10% of the number of outstanding
shares of any class of stock may initiate a court action to remove any director
for cause. In addition, any or all of the directors of a California corporation
may be removed with or without cause by the affirmative vote of a majority of
the outstanding shares entitled to vote. However, no director may be removed
(unless the entire board is removed) when the votes cast against removal would
be sufficient to elect the director if voted cumulatively at an election at
which the same total number of votes were cast and the entire number of the
directors authorized at the time of the director's most recent election were
then being elected.
 
                                       63
<PAGE>   78
 
STOCKHOLDERS MEETINGS AND WRITTEN CONSENTS
 
     The Verio Bylaws provide that special meetings of Verio stockholders may be
called only by Verio's President or, at the direction of the Verio Board, the
Secretary of Verio; special meetings of stockholders may not be called by any
other person or persons. Any amendment, change or repeal of this provision
requires the favorable vote at a stockholders' meeting of the holders of at
least 80% of the then-outstanding shares of stock of Verio entitled to vote.
 
     Under the CGCL and the Hiway Bylaws, special meetings of Hiway shareholders
may be called by the Chairman of the Hiway Board, the Hiway Board or the
President, or by one or more shareholders holding not less than 10% of the
shares entitled to vote at the meeting. The Hiway Bylaws provide certain
procedures regarding special meetings called by any person other than the Hiway
Board, including, among other things, the requirement that the meeting be held
not less than 35 nor more than 60 days after receipt of the request for the
special meeting.
 
     The Verio Bylaws provide a procedure for nominating persons to be elected
to the Verio Board including, among other things, the requirement of not less
than 30 nor more than 60 days' notice prior to the scheduled meeting and the
provision of certain information about the nominee and the stockholder. The
Hiway Bylaws do not provide a procedure for nominating directors.
 
     The Verio Certificate and Bylaws provide that any action required by the
provisions of the DGCL to be taken by the stockholders of Verio must be taken at
a stockholders' meeting and not by written consent or consents without a
meeting. Any amendment of this provision of the Verio Certificate and Bylaws
requires the favorable vote, at a stockholders' meeting, of the holders of at
least 80% of the then-outstanding shares of stock of Verio entitled to vote.
 
     Under the CGCL (unless otherwise provided in a corporation's articles of
incorporation), any action which may be taken at an annual or special meeting of
shareholders may also be taken by the written consent of the holders of
outstanding shares having not less than the minimum number of votes that would
be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares
entitled to vote thereon were present and voted. The Hiway Articles contain a
similar provision, except that, in the case of election of directors, such
consent shall be effective only if signed by the holders of all outstanding
shares entitled to vote for the election of directors, provided, however, that a
director may be elected at any time to fill a vacancy not filled by the
directors by the written consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding
stock entitled to vote for the election of directors.
 
PREFERRED STOCK
 
     Pursuant to the Verio Certificate, the Verio Board is authorized, subject
to the limitations prescribed by law and the Verio Certificate, to provide for
the issuance of shares of Verio Undesignated Preferred Stock in one or more
series. Similarly, the Hiway Articles provide that the Hiway Board is
authorized, subject to the limitations prescribed by the Hiway Articles and the
CGCL, to provide for the issuance of shares of Hiway Preferred Stock in one or
more series, including several pre-defined series.
 
     Verio believes that the ability of the Verio Board to issue one or more
series of Undesignated Preferred Stock provides Verio with flexibility in
structuring possible future financings and acquisitions and in meeting other
corporate needs that might arise. The authorized shares of Verio Undesignated
Preferred Stock are available for issuance without further action by Verio
stockholders, unless such action is required by applicable law or the rules of
any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which Verio securities may
be listed or traded.
 
     Although the Verio Board has no intention at the present time of doing so,
it could issue a series of Verio Undesignated Preferred Stock that could,
depending on the terms of such series, delay or prevent the completion of a
merger, tender offer or other takeover attempt. The Verio Board will make any
determination to issue such shares based on its judgment as to the best
interests of Verio and its stockholders. The Verio Board, in so acting, could
issue Verio Undesignated Preferred Stock having terms that discourage an
acquisition attempt through which an acquirer may be able to change the
composition of the Verio Board,
                                       64
<PAGE>   79
 
including a tender offer or other transaction that some, or a majority, of
Verio's stockholders might believe to be in their best interests or in which
stockholders might receive a premium for their stock over the then current
market price of such stock.
 
BUSINESS COMBINATIONS
 
   
     Section 203 of the DGCL provides that, subject to certain exceptions, a
corporation may not engage in any business combination with any "interested
stockholder" for a three year period following the date that such stockholder
becomes an interested stockholder, unless (i) prior to such date, the board of
directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the
transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested
stockholder, (ii) upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the
stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned
at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the
transaction commenced (excluding shares held by directors who are also officers
and employee stock purchase plans in which employee participants do not have the
right to determine confidentially whether plan shares will be tendered in a
tender or exchange offer), or (iii) on or subsequent to such date, the business
combination is approved by the board of directors of the corporation and by the
affirmative vote at an annual or special meeting, and not by written consent, of
at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the
interested stockholder. Except as specified in Section 203 of the DGCL, an
interested stockholder is defined to include (a) any person that is the owner of
15% or more of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation or is an
affiliate or associate of the corporation and was the owner of 15% or more of
the outstanding voting stock of the corporation, at any time within three years
immediately prior to the relevant date, and (b) the affiliates and associates of
any such person.
    
 
     Under certain circumstances, Section 203 of the DGCL may make it more
difficult for a person who would be an "interested stockholder" to effect
various business combinations with a corporation for a three year period. It is
anticipated that the provisions of Section 203 of the DGCL may encourage
companies interested in acquiring Verio to negotiate in advance with the Verio
Board, since the stockholder approval requirement would be avoided if a majority
of the directors then in office approve either the business combination or the
transaction which results in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder.
 
     There is no provision in the CGCL equivalent to Section 203 of the DGCL.
However, under the CGCL, if a party that makes a tender offer or proposes to
acquire a corporation by a reorganization or certain sales of assets is
controlled by such corporation or is or is controlled by an officer or director
of such corporation, or if a director or executive officer of such corporation
has a material financial interest in such party (each an "Interested Party
Proposal"), (i) an affirmative opinion in writing as to the fairness of the
consideration to the shareholders of such corporation must be delivered to
shareholders of such corporation, and (ii) such shareholders must be (x)
informed of certain later tender offers or written proposals for a
reorganization or sale of assets made by other persons, and (y) afforded a
reasonable opportunity to withdraw any vote, consent or proxy previously given
or shares previously tendered in connection with the Interested Party Proposal.
The CGCL also provides generally that if a corporation that is party to a
merger, or its parent, owns more than 50% but less than 90% of the voting power
of the other corporation that is party to such merger, the nonredeemable shares
of common stock of the controlled corporation may be converted only into
nonredeemable shares of the surviving corporation or a parent party unless all
of the shareholders of each class consents.
 
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS
 
   
     Both the DGCL and the CGCL permit a corporation to include a provision in
its charter or articles of incorporation eliminating or limiting the personal
liability of a director to the corporation or its stockholders or its
shareholders for damages for a breach of the director's fiduciary duty, subject
to certain limitations. Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL provides that a
corporation may include in its certificate of incorporation a provision
eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation
or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a
director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the director's duty of
loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not
in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of
law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL, which concerns unlawful payments of
dividends, stock purchases or redemptions, or (iv) for any transaction
    
                                       65
<PAGE>   80
 
from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. The Verio
Certificate includes such a provision, eliminating liability to the maximum
extent permitted by the DGCL.
 
     The CGCL does not permit the elimination of monetary liability of a
director where such liability is based on: (i) intentional misconduct or knowing
and culpable violation of law; (ii) acts or omissions that a director believes
to be contrary to the best interests of the corporation or its shareholders, or
that involve the absence of good faith on the part of the director; (iii)
receipt of any improper personal benefit; (iv) acts or omissions that show
reckless disregard for the director's duty to the corporation or its
shareholders, where the director in the ordinary course of performing a
director's duties should have been aware of a risk of serious injury to the
corporation or its shareholders; (v) acts or omissions that constitute an
unexcused pattern of inattention that amounts to an abdication of the director's
duty to the corporation and its shareholders; (vi) interested transactions
between the corporation and a director, in which a director has a material
financial interest; or (vii) improper distributions, loans or guarantees. The
Hiway Articles provide for the elimination of directors' liability for monetary
damages to the fullest extent permissible under California law.
 
INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
 
     The DGCL permits a corporation to indemnify officers, directors, employees
and agents for actions taken in good faith and in a manner they reasonably
believe to be in, or not opposed to, the best interest of the corporation, and,
with respect to any criminal action, which they had no reasonable cause to
believe was unlawful, as determined by a majority vote of the disinterested
directors, by a committee of such directors designated by majority vote of the
disinterested directors, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion (if
there are no independent directors or such independent directors so direct) or
by the stockholders. The DGCL provides that a corporation may advance expenses
of defense (upon receipt of a written undertaking to reimburse the corporation
if indemnification is not appropriate) and must reimburse a successful defendant
for expenses, and permits a corporation to purchase and maintain liability
insurance for its directors and officers. The DGCL provides that indemnification
may not be made for any claim, issue or matter as to which a person has been
adjudged to be liable to the corporation, unless and only to the extent a court
determines that the person is entitled to indemnity for such expenses as the
court deems proper.
 
     The CGCL permits indemnification of expenses in a derivative or third party
action, except that with respect to derivative actions (i) no indemnification
may be made when a person is adjudged liable to the corporation in the
performance of that person's duty to the corporation and its shareholders,
unless and only to the extent that a court determines that the person is fairly
and reasonably entitled to indemnity for expenses, and (ii) no indemnification
may be made in respect of amounts paid or expenses incurred in settling or
otherwise disposing of a threatened or pending action without court approval or
expenses incurred in an action settled or disposed of without court approval.
Indemnification is permitted by the CGCL only for acts taken in good faith and
reasonably believed to be in the best interests of the corporation and its
shareholders, as determined by a majority vote of a disinterested quorum of the
directors, independent legal counsel (if a quorum of independent directors is
not obtainable), a majority vote of a quorum of the shareholders (excluding
shares owned by the indemnified party), or the court handling the action and, in
the case of a criminal proceeding, indemnification is permitted if the
indemnified party had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was
unlawful. The CGCL requires indemnification when the individual being
indemnified has successfully defended the action on the merits, and provides
that a corporation may advance expenses of defense upon receipt of a written
undertaking to reimburse the corporation if indemnification is not appropriate.
 
     The Verio Certificate and Bylaws provide that Verio shall indemnify its
directors and officers, and may indemnify its employees and agents, to the
fullest extent permitted by the DGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be
amended or interpreted, but, in the case of alleged occurrences of actions or
omissions preceding any such amendment or interpretation, only to the extent
that such amendment permits Verio to provide broader indemnification rights then
permitted prior to such amendment. The Verio Bylaws further provide that Verio
shall advance, in the case of an officer or director, and may advance, in the
case of employees or other agents, expenses incurred in defense of any
proceedings, provided, however, that, in the case of a director or officer, such
expenses shall be advanced only upon delivery to Verio of an undertaking by or
on behalf of
                                       66
<PAGE>   81
 
such director or officer to repay such amount if it shall ultimately be
determined that the director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by
Verio.
 
     The indemnification and advancement rights conferred by the Verio Bylaws
are not exclusive of any other right to which persons seeking indemnification
may be entitled under any statute, provision of the Verio Certificate or Bylaws,
agreement, or vote of the stockholders or disinterested directors. In addition,
the Verio Bylaws state specifically that the indemnification right is a contract
right. Finally, the Verio Bylaws authorize Verio, upon approval of the Verio
Board, to purchase insurance on behalf of any person required or permitted to be
indemnified pursuant to such Bylaws.
 
     The Hiway Articles and Bylaws provide that Hiway will indemnify any officer
or director to the fullest extent permitted by the provisions of the CGCL. The
Hiway Bylaws additionally provide that expenses incurred by any officer or
director in defending any proceeding may be advanced to the maximum extent
permitted by law. Finally, the Hiway Bylaws provide that the Hiway Board may in
its discretion provide by resolution for such indemnification of, or advance of
expenses to, other agents of Hiway under the provisions of the CGCL. The
indemnification and advancement rights conferred by the Hiway Articles and
Bylaws are not exclusive of any other right to which persons seeking
indemnification may be entitled under any bylaw, agreement, or vote of the
stockholders or disinterested directors.
 
DISSENTERS' RIGHTS
 
     Under the DGCL, appraisal rights are generally available for the shares of
any class or series of stock of a corporation in a merger or consolidation,
provided, however, that no appraisal rights are available for the shares of any
class or series of stock which, at the record date for the meeting held to
approve such transaction, were either (i) listed on a national securities
exchange or Nasdaq, or (ii) held of record by more than 2,000 holders, and
further provided that no appraisal rights are available to stockholders of the
surviving corporation if the merger did not require their approval. Appraisal
rights are, however, available for such class or series if the holders thereof
receive in the merger or consolidation anything except: (i) shares of stock of
the corporation surviving or resulting from such merger or consolidation or
depository receipts in respect thereof; (ii) shares of stock of any other
corporation or depository receipts in respect thereof which at the effective
date of the merger or consolidation is either listed on a national securities
exchange or Nasdaq or held of record by more than 2,000 stockholders; (iii) cash
in lieu of fractional shares or fractional depository receipts; or (iv) any
combination of the foregoing.
 
     Under the CGCL, in connection with the merger of a corporation for which
the approval of outstanding shares is required, dissenting shareholders of such
corporation who follow prescribed statutory procedures are entitled to receive
payment of the fair market value of their shares. No such rights are available,
however, if the shares are listed on a national securities exchange certified by
the California Commissioner of Corporations or appear on the Federal Reserve
Board list of over-the-counter margin stocks unless (i) such shares are subject
to certain restrictions on transfer, or (ii) the holders of at least five
percent of such shares elect dissenter's rights. In connection with the Merger,
holders of Hiway Common Stock may, by complying with required procedures, be
entitled to dissenters' rights under the CGCL. See "Dissenters' Rights of Hiway
Shareholders."
 
DIVIDENDS
 
     Generally, under the CGCL a California corporation may pay dividends out of
retained earnings or if, after giving effect thereto, (i) the assets (excluding
goodwill and certain other assets) of the corporation are at least equal to 1.25
times its liabilities (excluding certain deferred credits), and (ii) the current
assets of such corporation are at least equal to (x) its current liabilities or
(y) if the average of the earnings of such corporation before taxes and interest
expense for the two preceding fiscal years was less than the average of the
interest expense of such corporation for such fiscal years, 1.25 times its
current liabilities. In addition, the ability of a California corporation to pay
dividends is restricted by certain limitations for the benefit of certain
preference shares.
 
                                       67
<PAGE>   82
 
     The Hiway Articles provide that dividends shall be paid only when, as and
if declared by the Hiway Board out of any assets legally available therefor,
provided, however, that holders of any Hiway Preferred Stock shall be given
certain preferences, as set forth in the Hiway Articles, over holders of Hiway
Common Stock in the payment of any dividends.
 
     Under the DGCL, a corporation may pay dividends out of surplus or out of
its net profits for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared or its net
profits for the preceding fiscal year, subject to certain limitations for the
benefit of certain preference shares. The Verio Bylaws provide that the Verio
Board may declare dividends pursuant to law.
 
STOCKHOLDER VOTING
 
     With certain exceptions, the CGCL requires that a merger, sale of assets or
similar transaction be approved by a majority vote of each class of shares
outstanding. The DGCL does not require such class voting.
 
INSPECTION OF STOCKHOLDER LIST
 
     The CGCL provides for an absolute right of inspection of the shareholder
list for persons holding five percent or more of a corporation's voting shares
or persons holding one percent or more of such shares who have filed a Schedule
14A with the Commission relating to the election of directors. Both the CGCL and
the DGCL allow any stockholder or shareholder to inspect the stockholder list
for a purpose reasonably related to such person's interest as a stockholder or
shareholder. However, the DGCL contains no provision comparable to the absolute
right of inspection provided by the CGCL to certain shareholders.
 
LOANS TO OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES
 
     Under the DGCL, a corporation may make loans to or guarantee the
obligations of its officers or other employees and those of its subsidiaries
when such action, in the judgment of the directors, may reasonably be expected
to benefit the corporation. Under the CGCL, such loans or guaranties, including
pursuant to employee benefit plans, may be made only with shareholder approval,
provided, however, that, if the company has 100 or more shareholders and a bylaw
permitting such loans or guarantees to be approved by the board of directors,
the board of directors alone may approve such loans to or guarantees on behalf
of an officer (whether or not such officer is a director) or adopt an employee
benefit plan authorizing such loans or guaranties by a vote sufficient, without
counting the vote of any interested director or directors, if the board of
directors determines that any such loans, guarantees or plans may reasonably be
expected to benefit the corporation.
 
INTERESTED DIRECTOR TRANSACTIONS
 
     Under the laws of both California and Delaware, contracts or transactions
between a corporation and one or more of its directors, or between a corporation
and any other entity in which one or more of its directors are directors or have
a financial interest, are not void or voidable because of such interest or
because such director is present at a meeting of the board which authorizes or
approves the contract or transaction, provided that certain conditions, such as
obtaining the required approval and fulfilling the requirements of good faith
and full disclosure, are met. With certain exceptions, the conditions are
similar under the CGCL and the DGCL. Under the CGCL and the DGCL, either (i) the
stockholders or shareholders or the board of directors must approve any such
contract or transaction in good faith after full disclosure of the material
facts (and, in the case of board approval other than for a common directorship,
the CGCL requires that the contract or transaction must also be "just and
reasonable" to the corporation), or (ii) the contract or transaction must have
been "fair" (in Delaware) or, in the case of a common directorship (in
California), "just and reasonable" as to the corporation at the time it was
approved. The CGCL explicitly places the burden of proof of the just and
reasonable nature of the contract or transaction on the interested director.
 
     Under the DGCL, if board approval is sought, the contract or transaction
must be approved by a majority of the disinterested directors (even though less
than a majority of a quorum). Under the CGCL, if shareholder approval is sought,
the interested director is not entitled to vote his or her shares at a
shareholder
                                       68
<PAGE>   83
 
meeting with respect to any action regarding such contract or transaction. If
board approval is sought, the contract or transaction must be approved by a
majority vote of a quorum of the directors, without counting the vote of any
interested directors (except that interested directors may be counted for
purposes of establishing a quorum).
 
STOCKHOLDER DERIVATIVE SUIT
 
     Under the DGCL, a person may only bring a derivative action on behalf of
the corporation if the person was a stockholder of the corporation at the time
of the transaction in question or his or her stock thereafter devolved upon him
or her by operation of law. The CGCL provides that a shareholder bringing a
derivative action on behalf of a corporation need not have been a shareholder at
the time of the transaction in question, provided that certain criteria are met.
The CGCL also provides that the corporation or the defendant in a derivative
suit may, under certain circumstances, make a motion to the court for an order
requiring the plaintiff shareholder to furnish a security bond. The DGCL does
not have a similar bonding requirement.
 
DISSOLUTION
 
     Under the CGCL, shareholders holding 50% or more of the total voting power
may authorize a corporation's dissolution and this right may not be modified by
the articles of incorporation. Under the DGCL, if the dissolution is initiated
by the board of directors, it may be approved by the holders of a majority of
the corporation's stock. If the board of directors does not approve the proposal
to dissolve, it must be consented to in writing by all stockholders entitled to
vote thereon.
 
                                       69
<PAGE>   84
 
      UNAUDITED PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF VERIO
 
     During the period from August 1, 1996 through September 30, 1998, Verio
completed numerous business combinations, whereby Verio acquired newly
authorized redeemable, convertible preferred stock, shares of common stock, or
certain net assets of entities operating in the Internet industry (ISPs), and
completed the Buyout of the remaining equity interests of certain ISPs in which
it initially acquired a less-than-100% equity position (collectively, the
"September 30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions"). Business combinations, which are
acquisitions of a 100% ownership interest in the target business or of a
majority ownership interest (upon conversion of the preferred shares to common
stock) on a fully diluted basis, are accounted for using the purchase method of
accounting. Acquisitions of minority interests represented by preferred stock
are accounted for using the equity method of accounting, as described in Note 1
to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The September 30, 1998 Completed
Acquisitions are described in Note A to the accompanying pro forma condensed
combined financial statements. Verio also has completed the acquisitions of
PacketWorks, Inc., TerraNet, Inc. and Smart.Connect (a division of
FiberServices, Inc.) which were not considered to be significant and,
accordingly, have not been included in the accompanying pro forma financial
statements.
 
     In addition, subsequent to September 30, 1998, Verio completed the
acquisition of an approximate 80% interest in the outstanding common stock of
WWW, and entered into the Merger Agreement relating to the potential acquisition
of Hiway. These acquisitions have been, or will be, accounted for using the
purchase method of accounting. The WWW Acquisition and the Merger are also
described in Note A to the pro forma condensed combined financial statements.
 
     While Verio now seeks to acquire 100% of new ISPs, Verio's early
acquisition strategy was to rapidly build mass and scale by acquiring less than
100% of its ISPs. In each case where Verio acquired less than 100% of an ISP
initially, it obtained the right to Buyout the remaining equity in the future at
a price based on either agreed upon revenue multiples or the fair market value
of the ISP. As part of its integration strategy, Verio has effected the Buyouts
of all but one ISP in which it did not initially acquire a 100% interest,
through the use of cash on hand and the issuance of equity. During the six
months ended June 30, 1998, Verio consummated the Buyout of the following
fifteen ISPs; On-Ramp Technologies, Inc.; NorthWestNet, Inc.; National Knowledge
Networks, Inc.; Access One, Inc.; Signet Partners, Inc.; Surf Network, Inc.;
Pacific Rim Network, Inc.; Internet Engineering Associates, Inc.; AimNet
Corporation; West Coast Online, Inc.; ServiceTech, Inc., Clark Internet
Services, Inc., Compute Intensive Inc., Structured Network Systems, Inc. and
Internet Online, Inc. With respect to the Buyout that has not yet been
completed, Verio has contractual rights to effect this Buyout and expects to
complete the Buyout during 1998. However, there can be no assurance that Verio
will be able to complete this Buyout at the time, or in accordance with the
terms and conditions, that it currently contemplates. This acquisition will also
be accounted for using the purchase method of accounting.
 
   
     The unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet assumes that the
WWW Acquisition and the Merger occurred on September 30, 1998 and includes the
September 30, 1998 historical consolidated balance sheets of Verio, WWW and
Hiway adjusted for the pro forma effects of these acquisitions. The assets and
liabilities of the September 30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions, adjusted for the
application of the purchase method of accounting, are included in the September
30, 1998 historical Verio consolidated balance sheet. The pro forma balance
sheet information also includes the effects of the November 1998 Notes. The
unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations for the year
ended December 31, 1997 and the nine months ended September 30, 1998 assume that
the September 30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions, the WWW Acquisition and the
Merger had occurred on January 1, 1997 and include the historical consolidated
statements of operations of Verio and the acquired businesses for the year ended
December 31, 1997 and the nine months ended September 30, 1998, adjusted for the
pro forma effects of the WWW Acquisition and the Merger. The pro forma
statements of operations also includes the effects of the November 1998 Notes.
    
 
     The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of operations are not
necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would actually have
occurred if the transactions had been consummated as of January 1, 1997 and are
not intended to indicate the expected results for any future period. These
statements
 
                                       70
<PAGE>   85
 
should be read in conjunction with the historical consolidated financial
statements and related notes thereto of Verio, and certain acquired businesses,
included herein.
 
   
     Verio is in the process of completing valuations of the assets acquired and
liabilities assumed in connection with certain of Verio's more significant
acquisitions. These valuations will be utilized in determining the final
purchase accounting adjustments for these acquisitions. Accordingly, the
purchase accounting adjustments reflected in the accompanying pro forma balance
sheet will be revised and such revisions may be significant. Specifically, Verio
expects to record charges to operations for in-process research and development
relating to its acquisition of TABNet, and these charges, which will be recorded
as an immediate charge to operations in the period of the acquisitions. The
projects under development at TABNet at the time of acquisition included credit
card processing software, web site development tools, the Star Page product, as
well as various application and database management tools which make the TABNet
domain name registration product faster to use, optimize search routines for
customers seeking a domain name, and enable TABNet to more effectively master
and capture the "on-hold" database of domain names, so that they can be sold to
new customers as soon as they are released. Management of Verio has identified
the foregoing technology projects as potential candidates for allocation of a
portion of the purchase price it paid in the TABNet acquisition to in-process
research and development. However, management is not yet able to determine or
estimate the remaining efforts that may be necessary to complete the development
of the acquired technology, nor determine whether the development of such
technology will be completed. These determinations and estimates depend, in
part, on assessments of certain technologies being developed or already
developed at Hiway, the acquisition of which has not yet closed. Nonetheless,
management of Verio does not anticipate that the amount of the purchase price of
TABNet which may be allocated to in-process research and development would be
significant. There are a number of projects under development at Hiway (i) to
address scalability of Hiway's Web hosting technology platform in order to serve
increasing numbers of customers, and (ii) to develop new product offerings and
to support advanced Web-enabled products and services. A number of these
projects may be potential candidates for allocation of a portion of the purchase
price to be paid in the Hiway acquisition to in-process research and
development.
    
 
     Verio is aware that the Commission is reviewing the assumptions and
methodologies heretofore commonly used by companies in calculating such charges.
Verio intends to follow recent guidance published by the Commission in its
valuation of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed and, in particular, in
the valuation of in-process research and development.
 
                                       71
<PAGE>   86
 
                                   VERIO INC.
 
                   PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED BALANCE SHEET
                         SEPTEMBER 30, 1998 (UNAUDITED)
                              AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                      PRO FORMA
                                     HISTORICAL        PRO FORMA     COMBINED --                 PRO FORMA     PRO FORMA
                                 ------------------   ADJUSTMENTS     VERIO AND    HISTORICAL   ADJUSTMENTS     COMBINED
                                   VERIO      WWW      (NOTE C)          WWW         HIWAY       (NOTE C)        VERIO
                                 ---------   ------   -----------    -----------   ----------   -----------    ----------
<S>                              <C>         <C>      <C>            <C>           <C>          <C>            <C>
Current assets:
  Cash and cash equivalents....  $ 245,912   $ 884     $ (8,440)(1)   $627,356      $ 3,569      $(180,000)(2) $  450,925
                                                        389,000(9)
  Restricted cash and
    securities.................     14,159      --           --         14,159           --             --         14,159
  Receivables, net.............     13,687     403           --         14,090        3,669             --         17,759
  Prepaid expenses and other...      6,590     392           --          6,982        1,239             --          8,221
                                 ---------   ------    --------       --------      -------      ---------     ----------
        Total current assets...    280,348   1,679      380,560        662,587        8,477       (180,000)       491,064
Investments in affiliates......      8,298      --           --          8,298          464             --          8,762
Restricted cash and
  securities...................      7,238      --           --          7,238           --             --          7,238
Equipment and leasehold
  improvements, net............     43,213       4           --         43,217       15,351             --         58,568
Other assets:
  Goodwill, net................    210,047      --        6,953(1)     217,000           --        242,664(2)     459,664
  Other, net...................     13,185     262       11,000(9)      24,447        2,385             --         26,832
                                 ---------   ------    --------       --------      -------      ---------     ----------
        Total assets...........  $ 562,329   $1,945    $398,513       $962,787      $26,677      $  62,664     $1,052,128
                                 =========   ======    ========       ========      =======      =========     ==========
 
                                     LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
 
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable and accrued
    expenses...................  $  37,774   $ 263     $     --       $ 38,037      $ 3,980      $      --     $   42,017
  Lines of credit, notes
    payable and current portion
    of long-term debt and
    capital lease
    obligations................      4,726     195           --          4,921          382             --          5,303
  Deferred revenue.............     10,770      --           --         10,770        4,205             --         14,975
                                 ---------   ------    --------       --------      -------      ---------     ----------
        Total current
          liabilities..........     53,270     458           --         53,728        8,567             --         62,295
Long-term debt and capital
  lease obligations, less
  current portion..............    274,452      --      400,000(9)     674,452        6,054             --        680,506
                                 ---------   ------    --------       --------      -------      ---------     ----------
        Total liabilities......    327,722     458      400,000        728,180       14,621             --        742,801
Stockholders' deficit:
  Common stock and additional
    paid-in capital............    361,712     604         (604)(3)    361,712        8,206         (8,206)(3)    436,432
                                                                                                    74,720(2)
  Warrants.....................     12,675      --           --         12,675           --             --         12,675
  Retained earnings
    (deficit)..................   (139,780)    883         (883)(3)   (139,780)       3,850         (3,850)(3)   (139,780)
                                 ---------   ------    --------       --------      -------      ---------     ----------
                                   234,607   1,487       (1,487)       234,607       12,056         62,664        309,327
                                 ---------   ------    --------       --------      -------      ---------     ----------
        Total liabilities and
          stockholders' equity
          (deficit)............  $ 562,329   $1,945    $398,513       $962,787      $26,677      $  62,664     $1,052,128
                                 =========   ======    ========       ========      =======      =========     ==========
</TABLE>
 
                                       72
<PAGE>   87
 
                                   VERIO INC.
 
              PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
                NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1998 (UNAUDITED)
             AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AND PER SHARE DATA
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                              PRO FORMA
                             COMBINED --
                              VERIO AND
                            SEPTEMBER 30,                                PRO FORMA
                                1998                      PRO FORMA     COMBINED --                 PRO FORMA       PRO FORMA
                              COMPLETED     HISTORICAL   ADJUSTMENTS     VERIO AND    HISTORICAL   ADJUSTMENTS      COMBINED
                            ACQUISITIONS       WWW        (NOTE C)          WWW         HIWAY       (NOTE C)          VERIO
                            -------------   ----------   -----------    -----------   ----------   -----------     -----------
<S>                         <C>             <C>          <C>            <C>           <C>          <C>             <C>
Revenue:
  Internet connectivity...   $    59,267     $    --      $     --      $   59,267     $ 5,203     $       --      $    64,470
  Enhanced services and
    other.................        37,235       4,625            --          41,860      23,870             --           65,730
                             -----------     -------      --------      -----------    -------     ----------      -----------
        Total revenue.....        96,502       4,625            --         101,127      29,073             --          130,200
                             -----------     -------      --------      -----------    -------     ----------      -----------
Costs and expenses:
  Internet services
    operating costs.......        40,683       1,423            --          42,106       7,088             --           49,194
  Selling, general and
    administrative and
    other.................        90,871       2,064            --          92,935      18,365             --          111,300
  Stock option related
    compensation and
    severance costs.......         6,680          --            --           6,680          --             --            6,680
  Depreciation and
    amortization..........        31,930          64           521(6)       32,515       1,023         18,204(6)        51,742
                             -----------     -------      --------      -----------    -------     ----------      -----------
        Total costs and
          expenses........       170,164       3,551           521         174,236      26,476         18,204          218,916
                             -----------     -------      --------      -----------    -------     ----------      -----------
    Earnings (loss) from
      operations..........       (73,662)      1,074          (521)        (73,109)      2,597        (18,204)         (88,716)
Other income (expense):
  Interest income.........         9,397          23            --           9,420          --             --            9,420
  Interest expense........       (22,954)         (2)      (34,575)(9)     (57,531)        (25)            --          (57,556)
    Earnings (loss) before
      minority interests,
      income taxes, and
      extraordinary
      item................       (87,219)      1,095       (35,096)       (121,220)      2,572        (18,204)        (136,852)
Minority interests........           184          --            --             184          --             --              184
Income taxes..............            --        (222)          222(8)           --         (99)            99(8)            --
                             -----------     -------      --------      -----------    -------     ----------      -----------
Earnings (loss) before
  extraordinary item......   $   (87,035)    $   873      $(34,874)     $ (121,036)    $ 2,473     $  (18,105)     $  (136,668)
                             ===========     =======      ========      ===========    =======     ==========      ===========
Weighted average shares
  outstanding -- basic and
  diluted.................    17,462,447                                17,462,447                  4,920,000(10)   22,382,447
                             ===========                                ===========                ==========      ===========
Loss per common share
  before extraordinary
  item -- basic and
  diluted.................   $     (4.98)                               $    (6.93)                                $     (6.11)
                             ===========                                ===========                                ===========
</TABLE>
 
                                       73
<PAGE>   88
 
                                   VERIO INC.
 
              PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
                NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1998 (UNAUDITED)
             AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AND PER SHARE DATA
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                              HISTORICAL                                  PRO FORMA
                                   --------------------------------                      COMBINED --
                                                 SEPTEMBER 30, 1998                       VERIO AND
                                                     COMPLETED         PRO FORMA      SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                                                    ACQUISITIONS      ADJUSTMENTS         COMPLETED
                                      VERIO           (NOTE B)         (NOTE C)          ACQUISITIONS
                                   -----------   ------------------   -----------     ------------------
<S>                                <C>           <C>                  <C>             <C>
Revenue:
  Internet connectivity..........  $    53,196        $ 6,071         $       --         $    59,267
  Enhanced services and other....       30,347          7,030               (142)(4)          37,235
                                   -----------        -------         ----------         -----------
          Total revenue..........       83,543         13,101               (142)             96,502
                                   -----------        -------         ----------         -----------
Costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating
     costs.......................       37,928          2,837                (82)(4)          40,683
  Selling, general and
     administrative and other....       80,941          9,990                (60)(4)          90,871
  Stock option related
     compensation and severance
     costs.......................        3,040          3,640                 --               6,680
  Depreciation and
     amortization................       26,818            456              4,656(5)           31,930
                                   -----------        -------         ----------         -----------
          Total costs and
            expenses.............      148,727         16,923              4,514             170,164
                                   -----------        -------         ----------         -----------
     Loss from operations........      (65,184)        (3,822)            (4,656)            (73,662)
Other income (expense):
  Interest income................        9,381             16                 --               9,397
  Interest expense...............      (22,860)           (94)                --             (22,954)
                                   -----------        -------         ----------         -----------
     Loss before minority
       interests, income taxes,
       and extraordinary item....      (78,663)        (3,900)            (4,656)            (87,219)
Minority interests...............          545             --               (361)(7)             184
Income taxes.....................           --           (100)               100(8)               --
                                   -----------        -------         ----------         -----------
  Loss before extraordinary
     item........................      (78,118)        (4,000)            (4,917)            (87,035)
Accretion of preferred stock to
  liquidation value..............          (87)            --                 87(3)               --
                                   -----------        -------         ----------         -----------
Loss attributable to common
  stockholders before
  extraordinary item.............  $   (78,205)       $(4,000)        $   (4,830)        $   (87,035)
                                   ===========        =======         ==========         ===========
Weighted average shares
  outstanding -- basic and
  diluted........................   17,462,447                                            17,462,447
                                   ===========                                           ===========
Loss per common share before
  extraordinary item -- basic and
  diluted........................  $     (4.49)                                          $     (4.98)
                                   ===========                                           ===========
</TABLE>
 
                                       74
<PAGE>   89
 
                                   VERIO INC.
 
              PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
                    YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997 (UNAUDITED)
             AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AND PER SHARE DATA
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                             PRO FORMA
                            COMBINED --
                             VERIO AND                                    PRO FORMA
                         SEPTEMBER 30, 1998                 PRO FORMA    COMBINED --                 PRO FORMA      PRO FORMA
                             COMPLETED        HISTORICAL   ADJUSTMENTS    VERIO AND    HISTORICAL   ADJUSTMENTS      COMBINED
                            ACQUISITIONS         WWW        (NOTE C)         WWW         HIWAY       (NOTE C)         VERIO
                         ------------------   ----------   -----------   -----------   ----------   -----------     ----------
<S>                      <C>                  <C>          <C>           <C>           <C>          <C>             <C>
Revenue:
  Internet
    connectivity.......      $   64,938         $   --      $     --     $   64,938     $ 7,231     $       --      $   72,169
  Enhanced services and
    other..............          30,448          3,712            --         34,160      18,954             --          53,114
                             ----------         ------      --------     ----------     -------     ----------      ----------
        Total Revenue..          95,386          3,712            --         99,098      26,185             --         125,283
                             ----------         ------      --------     ----------     -------     ----------      ----------
Costs and expenses:
  Internet services
    operating costs....          39,946          1,234            --         41,180       5,842             --          47,022
  Selling, general and
    administrative and
    other..............          87,291          1,406            --         88,697      14,101             --         102,798
  Depreciation and
    amortization.......          30,997             --           695(6)      31,692       1,371         24,271(6)       57,334
                             ----------         ------      --------     ----------     -------     ----------      ----------
        Total costs and
          expenses.....         158,234          2,640           695        161,569      21,314         24,271         207,154
                             ----------         ------      --------     ----------     -------     ----------      ----------
    Earnings (loss)
      from
      operations.......         (62,848)         1,072          (695)       (62,471)      4,871        (24,271)        (81,871)
Other income (expense):
  Interest income......           6,156             --            --          6,156          67             --           6,223
  Interest expense.....         (12,433)           (10)       46,100(9)     (58,543)       (142)            --         (58,685)
                             ----------         ------      --------     ----------     -------     ----------      ----------
      Earnings (loss)
        before income
        taxes..........         (69,125)         1,062       (46,795)      (114,858)      4,796        (24,271)       (134,333)
Income taxes...........              --           (319)          319(8)          --        (361)           361(8)           --
                             ----------         ------      --------     ----------     -------     ----------      ----------
Net earnings (loss)....      $  (69,125)        $  743      $(46,476)    $ (114,858)    $ 4,435     $  (23,910)     $ (134,333)
                             ==========         ======      ========     ==========     =======     ==========      ==========
Weighted average shares
  outstanding -- basic
  and diluted..........       1,144,685                                   1,144,685                  4,920,000(10)   6,064,685
                             ==========                                  ==========                 ==========      ==========
Loss per common share
   -- basic and
  diluted..............      $   (60.37)                                 $  (100.34)                                $   (22.15)
                             ==========                                  ==========                                 ==========
</TABLE>
 
                                       75
<PAGE>   90
 
                                   VERIO INC.
 
              PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
                    YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997 (UNAUDITED)
             AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AND PER SHARE DATA
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                  HISTORICAL
                                          --------------------------                       PRO FORMA
                                                       SEPTEMBER 30,                      COMBINED --
                                                           1998                            VERIO AND
                                                         COMPLETED      PRO FORMA      SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                                                       ACQUISITIONS    ADJUSTMENTS         COMPLETED
                                            VERIO        (NOTE B)       (NOTE C)          ACQUISITIONS
                                          ----------   -------------   -----------     ------------------
<S>                                       <C>          <C>             <C>             <C>
Revenue:
  Internet connectivity.................  $   23,476      $41,560      $      (98)(4)      $   64,938
  Enhanced services and other...........      12,216       18,232              --              30,448
                                          ----------      -------      ----------          ----------
          Total revenue.................      35,692       59,792             (98)             95,386
                                          ----------      -------      ----------          ----------
Costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating costs.....      15,974       24,048             (76)(4)          39,946
  Selling, general and administrative
     and other..........................      49,383       37,908              --              87,291
  Depreciation and amortization.........      10,624        3,436          16,937(5)           30,997
                                          ----------      -------      ----------          ----------
          Total costs and expenses......      75,981       65,392          16,861             158,234
                                          ----------      -------      ----------          ----------
     Loss from operations...............     (40,289)      (5,600)        (16,959)            (62,848)
Other income (expense):
  Interest income.......................       6,080           76              --               6,156
  Interest expense......................     (11,826)        (607)             --             (12,433)
  Equity in losses of affiliates........      (1,958)          --           1,958(7)               --
                                          ----------      -------      ----------          ----------
     Loss before minority interests and
       income taxes.....................     (47,993)      (6,131)        (15,001)            (69,125)
Minority interests......................       1,924           --          (1,924)(7)              --
Income taxes............................          --       (1,321)          1,321(8)               --
                                          ----------      -------      ----------          ----------
          Net loss......................     (46,069)      (7,452)        (15,604)            (69,125)
Accretion of preferred stock to
  liquidation value.....................        (260)          --             260(3)               --
                                          ----------      -------      ----------          ----------
Net loss attributable to common
  stockholders..........................  $  (46,329)     $(7,452)     $  (15,344)         $  (69,125)
                                          ==========      =======      ==========          ==========
Weighted average shares
  outstanding -- basic and diluted......   1,144,685                                        1,144,685
                                          ==========                                       ==========
Loss per common share -- basic and
  diluted...............................  $   (40.47)                                      $   (60.37)
                                          ==========                                       ==========
</TABLE>
 
                                       76
<PAGE>   91
 
                                   VERIO INC.
 
           NOTES TO PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
(A) BASIS OF PRESENTATION
 
     During the period from inception (March 1, 1996) to September 30, 1998,
Verio completed numerous business combinations, and completed the Buyout of the
remaining equity interests of certain ISPs in which it initially acquired a
less-than-100% equity position. In addition, subsequent to September 30, 1998,
Verio completed the acquisition of an 80% interest in WWW. On July 28, 1998,
Verio entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Hiway. All of the
acquisitions have been or will be accounted for using the purchase method of
accounting. Summary information regarding substantially all of the September 30,
1998 Completed Acquisitions, the WWW Acquisition and the Merger is as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                      CONSIDERATION (IN THOUSANDS)
                                                                                     -------------------------------
                                                                                                PREFERRED
               SEPTEMBER 30, 1998                     ACQUISITION       OWNERSHIP    CASH AND   OR COMMON
             COMPLETED ACQUISITIONS                     DATE(S)         PERCENTAGE    NOTES     STOCK(B)    TOTAL(C)
             ----------------------               -------------------   ----------   --------   ---------   --------
<S>                                               <C>                   <C>          <C>        <C>         <C>
On-Ramp Technologies, Inc.......................  August 1, 1996            51%
                                                  October 4, 1996            4%
                                                  February 26, 1998         45%      $13,639    $  6,985    $ 20,624
National Knowledge Networks, Inc................  August 2, 1996            26%
                                                  November 7, 1997          15%
                                                  February 27, 1998         59%        2,991          --       2,991
RAINet, Inc.....................................  August 2, 1996           100%        2,000          --       2,000
Access One, Inc.................................  December 12, 1996         20%
                                                  February 27, 1998         80%        6,107          --       6,107
CCnet, Inc......................................  December 19, 1996        100%        1,800          --       1,800
Signet Partners, Inc............................  December 19, 1996         25%
                                                  November 20, 1997         16%
                                                  February 26, 1998         59%        1,459       1,283       2,742
Global Enterprise Services -- Network
  Division......................................  January 17, 1997         100%        2,350          --       2,350
Surf Network, Inc...............................  January 31, 1997          25%
                                                  December 22, 1997         75%          603          --         603
Pacific Rim Network, Inc........................  February 4, 1997          27%
                                                  February 16, 1998         73%          880          --         880
Pioneer Global Telecommunications, Inc..........  February 6, 1997         100%        1,011          --       1,011
Compute Intensive Inc...........................  February 18, 1997         55%
                                                  April 24, 1998            45%        7,505      11,655      19,160
NorthWestNet, Inc...............................  February 28, 1997         85%
                                                  March 6, 1998             15%       12,330       1,937      14,267
Internet Engineering Associates, Inc............  March 4, 1997             20%
                                                  February 25, 1998         80%          207       1,607       1,814
Internet Online, Inc............................  March 5, 1997             35%
                                                  June 30, 1998             65%        5,250          --       5,250
Structured Network Systems, Inc.................  March 6, 1997             20%
                                                  April 16, 1998            80%        1,400          --       1,400
RustNet, Inc....................................  March 14, 1997           100%        1,703          --       1,703
AimNet Corporation..............................  May 19, 1997              55%
                                                  September 22, 1997        45%        7,613          --       7,613
West Coast Online, Inc..........................  July 26, 1996             20%
                                                  April 29, 1997            12%
                                                  September 30, 1997        68%        2,000          --       2,000
ServiceTech, Inc. ..............................  August 1, 1997            40%
                                                  December 31, 1997         60%        2,055          --       2,055
Branch Information Services, Inc................  September 17, 1997       100%        1,687          --       1,687
Communique, Inc.................................  October 2, 1997          100%        3,000          --       3,000
Clark Internet Services, Inc....................  October 17, 1997          51%
                                                  February 25, 1998         49%        3,952       3,431       7,383
ATMnet..........................................  November 5, 1997         100%        5,522          --       5,522
Global Internet Network Services, Inc...........  December 1, 1997         100%        6,000          --       6,000
Sesquinet.......................................  December 24, 1997        100%(a)       732          --         732
PREPnet.........................................  December 24, 1997        100%        1,405          --       1,405
</TABLE>
 
                                       77
<PAGE>   92
                                   VERIO INC.
 
   NOTES TO PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                      CONSIDERATION (IN THOUSANDS)
                                                                                     -------------------------------
                                                                                                PREFERRED
               SEPTEMBER 30, 1998                     ACQUISITION       OWNERSHIP    CASH AND   OR COMMON
             COMPLETED ACQUISITIONS                     DATE(S)         PERCENTAGE    NOTES     STOCK(B)    TOTAL(C)
             ----------------------               -------------------   ----------   --------   ---------   --------
<S>                                               <C>                   <C>          <C>        <C>         <C>
Monumental Network Systems, Inc.................  December 31, 1997        100%      $ 3,962          --    $  3,962
Internet Servers, Inc...........................  December 31, 1997        100%        9,800    $ 10,200      20,000
NSNet, Inc......................................  February 27, 1998        100%        1,896       1,765       3,661
LI Net, Inc.....................................  April 9, 1998            100%        6,500          --       6,500
STARnet, L.L.C..................................  April 14, 1998           100%        3,500          --       3,500
Computing Engineers Inc.........................  April 15, 1998           100%        9,000          --       9,000
Florida Internet Corporation....................  April 15, 1998           100%        2,200          --       2,200
Matrix Online Media, Inc........................  May 5, 1998              100%        4,000          --       4,000
NTX, Inc........................................  July 7, 1998             100%       45,500          --    $ 45,500
Magic Net, Inc..................................  July 23, 1998            100%        3,300          --       3,300
                                                                                                            --------
        Total...................................                                                            $223,722
                                                                                                            ========
WWW.............................................  October 21, 1998          80%        8,440          --    $  8,440
                                                                                                            ========
Hiway...........................................  --                       100%      180,000      74,720    $254,720
                                                                                                            ========
</TABLE>
 
     The total consideration, exclusive of acquisition costs of approximately
$9.4 million, for the above acquisitions has been allocated as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                           SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                                                               COMPLETED
                                                              ACQUISITIONS       WWW      HIWAY
                                                           ------------------   ------   --------
<S>                                                        <C>                  <C>      <C>
Equipment................................................       $ 17,966        $    4   $ 15,351
Goodwill.................................................        219,470         6,953    242,664
Net current assets (liabilities).........................        (13,714)        1,483     (3,295)
                                                                --------        ------   --------
          Total..........................................       $223,722        $8,440   $254,720
                                                                ========        ======   ========
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(a)  Assets of this entity were purchased by On-Ramp Technologies, Inc.
 
(b)  Represents shares of Series D-1 Preferred Stock valued at $15 per share
     prior to February 28, 1998 or $22 per share after February 28, 1998. For
     NorthWestNet, Inc., the amount represents options to purchase Preferred
     Stock at $15 per share. Such per share values for preferred or common stock
     or options, were determined by the Verio Board based on comparable
     valuations of private and public companies, methodologies based on
     multiples of revenue and discounted cash flows and arms-length negotiated
     values.
 
(c)  Total consideration does not include acquisition costs.
 
     The accompanying unaudited pro forma condensed combined balance sheet as of
September 30, 1998 includes historical balances of Verio and the businesses
acquired including the acquisitions of the remaining interests in certain
consolidated subsidiaries and minority owned affiliates, adjusted for the pro
forma effects of the WWW Acquisition and the Merger. All acquisitions are
assumed to have been completed for cash, debt or the issuance of preferred or
common stock of Verio. The unaudited pro forma condensed combined statements of
operations for the year ended December 31, 1997 and the nine months ended
September 30, 1998 include the historical results of operations of Verio and the
businesses acquired, including the acquisitions of the remaining interests in
certain consolidated subsidiaries and minority owned affiliates, the WWW
Acquisition and the Merger, adjusted for the pro forma effects of the
acquisitions.
 
                                       78
<PAGE>   93
                                   VERIO INC.
 
   NOTES TO PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
(B) HISTORICAL CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS INFORMATION -- SEPTEMBER 30,
1998 COMPLETED ACQUISITIONS
 
     Historical condensed statement of operations information for the September
30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions for the year ended December 31, 1997 including
the periods from January 1, 1997 to the dates of consolidation is as follows:
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                                  WEST
                                                                                              PIONEER GLOBAL      COAST
            YEAR ENDED                 AIMNET      RUSTNET,            COMPUTE    NORTHWEST    TELECOMMUNI-      ONLINE,
         DECEMBER 31, 1997           CORPORATION     INC.      GES    INTENSIVE      NET      CATIONS, INC.       INC.
         -----------------           -----------   --------   -----   ---------   ---------   --------------   -----------
<S>                                  <C>           <C>        <C>     <C>         <C>         <C>              <C>
Revenue:
  Internet connectivity............    $1,068       $ 310     $ 112     $ 468      $  709          $ 62          $1,192
  Enhanced services and other......       101          69        --       326         351             7             457
                                       ------       -----     -----     -----      ------          ----          ------
        Total revenue..............     1,169         379       112       794       1,060            69           1,649
Operating costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating
    costs..........................       444         147        94       301         113            33             735
  Selling, general and
    administrative and other.......       978         319       133       673       1,661            37             981
  Depreciation and amortization....       248          17        --        16         136             4              77
                                       ------       -----     -----     -----      ------          ----          ------
        Total costs and expenses...     1,670         483       227       990       1,910            74           1,793
                                       ------       -----     -----     -----      ------          ----          ------
  Earnings (loss) from
    operations.....................      (501)       (104)     (115)     (196)       (850)           (5)           (144)
Interest income....................         8                                                        --              --
Interest expense...................        --          (8)       --        (8)         --            (2)             --
                                       ------       -----     -----     -----      ------          ----          ------
    Earnings (loss) before income
      taxes........................      (493)       (112)     (115)     (204)       (850)           (7)           (144)
Income taxes.......................        --          --        --        --         118            (5)             --
                                       ------       -----     -----     -----      ------          ----          ------
        Net earnings (loss)........    $ (493)      $(112)    $(115)    $(204)     $ (732)         $(12)         $ (144)
                                       ======       =====     =====     =====      ======          ====          ======
 
<CAPTION>
 
                                         BRANCH
            YEAR ENDED                INFORMATION
         DECEMBER 31, 1997           SERVICES, INC.
         -----------------           --------------
<S>                                  <C>
Revenue:
  Internet connectivity............      $ 588
  Enhanced services and other......         84
                                         -----
        Total revenue..............        672
Operating costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating
    costs..........................         84
  Selling, general and
    administrative and other.......        298
  Depreciation and amortization....          2
                                         -----
        Total costs and expenses...        384
                                         -----
  Earnings (loss) from
    operations.....................        288
Interest income....................         --
Interest expense...................         --
                                         -----
    Earnings (loss) before income
      taxes........................        288
Income taxes.......................       (101)
                                         -----
        Net earnings (loss)........      $ 187
                                         =====
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                               GLOBAL
                                                                   CLARK                                      INTERNET
                                                                 INTERNET      SURF                            NETWORK
                                                   COMMUNIQUE,   SERVICES,   NETWORK,                         SERVICES,
                                                      INC.         INC.        INC.     SESQUINET   ATMNET      INC.      PREPNET
                                                   -----------   ---------   --------   ---------   -------   ---------   -------
<S>                                                <C>           <C>         <C>        <C>         <C>       <C>         <C>
Revenue
  Internet connectivity..........................    $1,454       $2,582      $  585     $1,124     $ 2,754    $2,501     $2,026
  Enhanced services and other....................       764          562         190         --          73     1,284        121
                                                     ------       ------      ------     ------     -------    ------     ------
        Total revenue............................     2,218        3,144         775      1,124       2,827     3,785      2,147
Operating costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating costs..............       690        1,394         431        538       2,976     2,679        793
  Selling, general and administrative and
    other........................................     1,159        1,784         981        367       1,786     1,019        773
  Depreciation and amortization..................         5          116          76         54          40       280        121
                                                     ------       ------      ------     ------     -------    ------     ------
    Total costs and expenses.....................     1,854        3,294       1,488        959       4,802     3,978      1,687
                                                     ------       ------      ------     ------     -------    ------     ------
    Earnings (loss) from operations..............       364         (150)       (713)       165      (1,975)     (193)       460
Interest income..................................        --            2          --         --          --        --         --
Interest expense.................................        --          (25)        (33)        --        (171)       (8)       (11)
                                                     ------       ------      ------     ------     -------    ------     ------
    Earnings (loss) before income taxes..........       364         (173)       (746)       165      (2,146)     (201)       449
Income taxes.....................................      (127)          --          --        (58)         --        --       (171)
                                                     ------       ------      ------     ------     -------    ------     ------
        Net earnings (loss)......................    $  237       $ (173)     $ (746)    $  107     $(2,146)   $ (201)    $  278
                                                     ======       ======      ======     ======     =======    ======     ======
</TABLE>
 
                                       79
<PAGE>   94
                                   VERIO INC.
 
   NOTES TO PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                                       INTERNET
                                              INTERNET   SERVICE   PACIFIC RIM    SIGNET              ENGINEERING    STRUCTURED
                                MONUMENTAL,   SERVERS,    TECH,     NETWORK,     PARTNERS,   NSNET,   ASSOCIATES,      NETWORK
                                   INC.         INC.      INC.        INC.         INC.       INC.       INC.       SYSTEMS, INC.
                                -----------   --------   -------   -----------   ---------   ------   -----------   -------------
<S>                             <C>           <C>        <C>       <C>           <C>         <C>      <C>           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet connectivity.......    $2,425       $  704    $ 1,536     $  472       $1,133     $1,832     $  831          $ 859
  Enhanced services and
    other.....................        47        3,688        627        337          518        15         303             27
                                  ------       ------    -------     ------       ------     ------     ------          -----
        Total revenue.........     2,472        4,392      2,163        809        1,651     1,847       1,134            886
Operating costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating
    costs.....................     1,162          536      1,229        385          336       471         323            473
  Selling, general and
    administrative and
    other.....................     1,757        2,006      1,814        674        1,977       939         678            511
  Depreciation and
    amortization..............       172          260        197         69           10       126          63             --
                                  ------       ------    -------     ------       ------     ------     ------          -----
        Total costs and
          expenses............     3,091        2,802      3,240      1,128        2,323     1,536       1,064            984
                                  ------       ------    -------     ------       ------     ------     ------          -----
    Earnings (loss) from
      operations..............      (619)       1,590     (1,077)      (319)        (672)      311          70            (98)
Interest income...............        --           26         --         --           --        --          14             --
Interest expense..............       (16)          --        (42)       (15)          (5)       (6)         --            (17)
                                  ------       ------    -------     ------       ------     ------     ------          -----
    Earnings (loss) before
      income taxes............      (635)       1,616     (1,119)      (334)        (677)      305          84           (115)
Income taxes..................        --         (602)        33        (15)          --      (116)        (29)            --
                                  ------       ------    -------     ------       ------     ------     ------          -----
      Net earnings (loss).....    $ (635)      $1,014    $(1,086)    $ (349)      $ (677)    $ 189      $   55          $(115)
                                  ======       ======    =======     ======       ======     ======     ======          =====
</TABLE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                              NATIONAL             FLORIDA     COMPU-                MATRIX
                                              KNOWLEDGE     LI     INTERNET     TING                 ONLINE
                                 ACCESSONE,   NETWORKS,    NET,     CORPO-    ENGINEERS   STARNET,   MEDIA,    NTX,    MAGICNET,
                                    INC.        INC.       INC.     RATION      INC.       L.L.C.     INC.     INC.      INC.
                                 ----------   ---------   ------   --------   ---------   --------   ------   ------   ---------
<S>                              <C>          <C>         <C>      <C>        <C>         <C>        <C>      <C>      <C>
Revenue:
  Internet connectivity........    $2,484      $1,169     $1,907    $1,172     $3,322      $1,202    $1,094   $  --     $1,883
  Enhanced services and
    other......................     1,035         234        120       264        758         399       233   4,944        294
                                   ------      ------     ------    ------     ------      ------    ------   ------    ------
        Total revenue..........     3,519       1,403      2,027     1,436      4,080       1,601     1,327   4,944      2,177
Operating costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating
    costs......................     1,510         669        792       773      1,026         717       393   1,006        795
  Selling, general and
    administrative and other...     2,251       1,282      1,573       578      2,341         570       787   4,192      1,029
  Depreciation and
    amortization...............       245          55        135       121        329         156       127      86         93
                                   ------      ------     ------    ------     ------      ------    ------   ------    ------
        Total costs and
          expenses.............     4,006       2,006      2,500     1,472      3,696       1,443     1,307   5,284      1,917
                                   ------      ------     ------    ------     ------      ------    ------   ------    ------
    Earnings (loss) from
      operations...............      (487)       (603)      (473)      (36)       384         158        20    (340)       260
Interest income................        --           6         --        --         --           9         2       6          3
Interest expense...............       (26)        (26)       (39)      (12)       (96)         (6)      (19)     --        (16)
                                   ------      ------     ------    ------     ------      ------    ------   ------    ------
    Earnings (loss) before
      income taxes.............      (513)       (623)      (512)      (48)       288         161         3    (334)       247
Income taxes...................        --          (3)        --        --       (110)        (61)       --      --        (74)
                                   ------      ------     ------    ------     ------      ------    ------   ------    ------
        Net earnings (loss)....    $ (513)     $ (626)    $ (512)   $  (48)    $  178      $  100    $    3   $(334)    $  173
                                   ======      ======     ======    ======     ======      ======    ======   ======    ======
 
<CAPTION>
 
                                  TOTAL
                                 -------
<S>                              <C>
Revenue:
  Internet connectivity........  $41,560
  Enhanced services and
    other......................   18,232
                                 -------
        Total revenue..........   59,792
Operating costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating
    costs......................   24,048
  Selling, general and
    administrative and other...   37,908
  Depreciation and
    amortization...............    3,436
                                 -------
        Total costs and
          expenses.............   65,392
                                 -------
    Earnings (loss) from
      operations...............   (5,600)
Interest income................       76
Interest expense...............     (607)
                                 -------
    Earnings (loss) before
      income taxes.............   (6,131)
Income taxes...................   (1,321)
                                 -------
        Net earnings (loss)....  $(7,452)
                                 =======
</TABLE>
 
                                       80
<PAGE>   95
                                   VERIO INC.
 
   NOTES TO PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     Historical condensed statement of operations information for the September
30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions for the nine months ended September 30, 1998
including the periods from January 1, 1998 to the dates of consolidation is as
follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                       INTERNET
                                                   PACIFIC RIM    SIGNET              ENGINEERING    STRUCTURED
                                                    NETWORK,     PARTNERS,   NSNET,   ASSOCIATES,      NETWORK      ACCESSONE,
NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1998                  INC.         INC.       INC.       INC.       SYSTEMS, INC.      INC.
------------------------------------               -----------   ---------   ------   -----------   -------------   ----------
<S>                                                <C>           <C>         <C>      <C>           <C>             <C>
Revenue:
  Internet connectivity..........................     $ 73         $122       $275       $152           $318          $ 643
  Enhanced services and other....................       31           50         75         41             25            108
                                                      ----         ----       ----       ----           ----          -----
        Total Revenue............................      104          172        350        193            343            751
Operating costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating costs..............       43           45        126         61            178            268
  Selling, general and administrative and
    other........................................       88          142        287        124            240            535
  Depreciation and amortization..................       10            4         27         13              7             53
                                                      ----         ----       ----       ----           ----          -----
        Total costs and expenses.................      141          191        440        198            425            856
                                                      ----         ----       ----       ----           ----          -----
    Earnings (loss) from operations..............      (37)         (19)       (90)        (5)           (82)          (105)
Interest income..................................       --           --         --          1              2             --
Interest expense.................................       (2)          (1)        --         --             (2)           (11)
                                                      ----         ----       ----       ----           ----          -----
    Earnings (loss) before income taxes..........      (39)         (20)       (90)        (4)           (82)          (116)
Income taxes.....................................       --           --         --         --             --             --
                                                      ----         ----       ----       ----           ----          -----
      Net earnings (loss)........................     $(39)        $(20)      $(90)      $ (4)          $(82)         $(116)
                                                      ====         ====       ====       ====           ====          =====
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                              NATIONAL                                                     MATRIX
                              KNOWLEDGE                 FLORIDA     COMPUTING              ONLINE
                              NETWORKS,      LI        INTERNET     ENGINEERS   STARNET,   MEDIA,    NTX,     MAGICNET,
                                INC.      NET, INC.   CORPORATION     INC.       L.L.C.     INC.     INC.        INC       TOTAL
                              ---------   ---------   -----------   ---------   --------   ------   -------   ---------   -------
<S>                           <C>         <C>         <C>           <C>         <C>        <C>      <C>       <C>         <C>
Revenue:
 Internet connectivity......    $265        $554         $435        $  914       $472      $546    $    --    $ 1,302    $ 6,071
 Enhanced services and
   other....................      68         147          180           491         26       155      5,430        203      7,030
                                ----        ----         ----        ------       ----      ----    -------    -------    -------
       Total revenue........     333         701          615         1,405        498       701      5,430      1,505     13,101
Operating costs and
 expenses:
 Internet services operating
   costs....................     147         299          158           373         89       187        289        574      2,837
 Selling, general and
   administrative and
   other....................     246         408          415           873        326       437      8,781        728     13,630
 Depreciation and
   amortization.............       9          39           27            54         15        44         99         55        456
                                ----        ----         ----        ------       ----      ----    -------    -------    -------
       Total costs and
        expenses............     402         746          600         1,300        430       668      9,169      1,357     16,923
                                ----        ----         ----        ------       ----      ----    -------    -------    -------
   Earnings (loss) from
     operations.............     (69)        (45)          15           105         68        33     (3,739)       148     (3,822)
Interest income.............      --          --           --             9         --         1          3         --         16
Interest expense............      --         (34)          (3)          (20)        --       (18)        --         (3)       (94)
                                ----        ----         ----        ------       ----      ----    -------    -------    -------
   Earnings (loss) before
     income taxes...........     (69)        (79)          12            94         68        16     (3,736)       145     (3,900)
Income taxes................      --          --           (4)          (28)       (20)       (5)        --        (43)      (100)
                                ----        ----         ----        ------       ----      ----    -------    -------    -------
       Net earnings
        (loss)..............    $(69)       $(79)        $  8        $   66       $ 48      $ 11    $(3,736)   $   102    $(4,000)
                                ====        ====         ====        ======       ====      ====    =======    =======    =======
</TABLE>
 
(C) PRO FORMA ADJUSTMENTS
 
     The following pro forma adjustments have been made to the condensed
combined balance sheet as of September 30, 1998 and the condensed combined
statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 1997 and the nine
months ended September 30, 1998. The purchase accounting adjustments relating to
the September 30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions are included in the historical
consolidated balance sheet of Verio as of September 30, 1998.
 
          (1) To reflect cash of $8,440,000 used in connection with the
     acquisition of an 80% interest in WWW, and the allocation of the excess
     purchase price to goodwill in the amount of $6,953,000.
                                       81
<PAGE>   96
                                   VERIO INC.
 
   NOTES TO PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
          (2) To reflect cash of $180.0 million, including estimated acquisition
     costs of $4.0 million, and the issuance of 4.92 million shares of common
     stock (including 1.78 million shares to be issued for outstanding options
     and warrants) valued at approximately $74.7 million in connection with the
     Merger, and the allocation of the excess purchase price to goodwill in the
     amount of approximately $242.7 million. The assumed value of the common
     stock, options and warrants is based on the quoted price per share on
     November 16, 1998, one day prior to the date of the Merger Agreement, less
     the estimated exercise price of the options and warrants. It is anticipated
     that Verio will record a charge to operations for in-process research and
     development in connection with the Merger and such charge may be
     significant. However, such amount is not presently determinable.
 
          The consideration to be paid by Verio in the Merger is subject to
     adjustment based on the amount of Excess Expenses and changes in Hiway's
     capitalization prior to completion of the Merger as discussed in "The
     Merger -- Merger Consideration." However, management does not believe such
     adjustments will be significant with respect to the accompanying pro forma
     financial statements.
 
          (3) To eliminate the equity accounts of the acquisitions and the
     accretion of preferred stock to liquidation value.
 
          (4) To eliminate intercompany revenue, expenses, receivables and
     payables.
 
          (5) To adjust amortization expense due to increase in carrying value
     of goodwill resulting from the September 30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions,
     using a ten-year life, and additional amortization of goodwill on 1997
     acquisitions for the period from January 1, 1997 through the date of
     acquisition as if the acquisitions had occurred as of January 1, 1997 and
     amortization of goodwill on 1998 acquisitions for the period from January
     1, 1998 through the date of acquisition as if the acquisitions had occurred
     as of January 1, 1997.
 
          (6) To adjust amortization expense due to increase in carrying value
     of goodwill resulting from the WWW Acquisition and the Merger, using a
     ten-year life, as follows (in thousands):
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                    NINE MONTHS
                                                    YEAR ENDED         ENDED
                                                   DECEMBER 31,    SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                       1997             1998
                                                   ------------   ----------------
<S>                                                <C>            <C>
WWW..............................................    $   695          $   521
                                                     =======          =======
Hiway............................................    $24,271          $18,204
                                                     =======          =======
</TABLE>
 
          The above amounts do not include the effect of the potential
     allocation of a portion of the Hiway purchase price to in-process research
     and development (IPR&D), which will result in an immediate charge to
     operations. Such amount is not presently determinable.
 
                                       82
<PAGE>   97
                                   VERIO INC.
 
   NOTES TO PRO FORMA CONDENSED COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
          The impact on goodwill and net loss of the allocation of a portion of
     the Hiway purchase price to IPR&D is as follows (in thousands):
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                 PERCENTAGE OF PURCHASE PRICE
                                                      ALLOCATED TO IPR&D
                                                 ----------------------------
                                                   10%       20%       50%
                                                 -------   -------   --------
<S>                                              <C>       <C>       <C>
Decrease in goodwill as of September 30,
  1998.........................................  $25,472   $50,944   $127,360
                                                 =======   =======   ========
Increase in net loss:
  Nine months ended September 30, 1998:
     IPR&D.....................................  $25,472   $50,944   $127,306
     Decrease in amortization expense..........   (1,910)   (3,820)    (9,550)
                                                 -------   -------   --------
          Net increase.........................  $23,562   $47,124   $117,756
                                                 =======   =======   ========
  Year ended December 31, 1997:
     IPR&D.....................................  $25,472   $50,944   $127,360
     Decrease in amortization expense..........   (2,547)   (5,094)   (12,736)
                                                 -------   -------   --------
          Net increase.........................  $22,925   $45,850   $114,624
                                                 =======   =======   ========
</TABLE>
 
          (7) To eliminate minority interests share of equity and equity in
     losses of affiliates upon acquisition of 100% ownership interests.
 
          (8) To eliminate income tax expense or benefit of acquired businesses
     due to consolidated net operating loss for the year ended December 31, 1997
     and the nine months ended September 30, 1998.
 
          (9) To adjust for the effects of the issuance of the November 1998
     Notes, including net cash proceeds of $389.0 million, deferred financing
     costs of $11.0 million and long-term debt of $400.0 million, and additional
     interest expense (including amortization of debt issuance costs) of $46.1
     million and $34.6 million for the year ended December 31, 1997 and nine
     months ended September 30, 1998, respectively.
 
          (10) To reflect the issuance of 4.92 million shares of common stock in
     connection with the Merger.
 
                                       83
<PAGE>   98
 
                               BUSINESS OF VERIO
 
OVERVIEW
 
     Verio is a leading provider of comprehensive business Internet
services -- including broadband connectivity, Web hosting solutions, VPNs,
e-commerce and other enhanced Internet services -- with an emphasis on serving
the small and medium sized business market. Verio believes that small and medium
sized businesses represent an attractive target market for the provision of
Internet services due to this market's low current penetration levels and
customer churn rates, and the expanding Internet needs of these businesses.
Because of their limited internal technical resources and operating scale, small
and medium sized businesses are increasingly looking to outsource Internet and
IT functions at a reasonable cost. These businesses also typically require
hands-on local support to help analyze their needs, configure solutions and
provide ongoing technical support. Verio believes that these businesses
currently are underserved by both the local and other national ISPs. While the
national ISPs typically lack the local presence to provide customized hands-on
support, the local ISPs often lack the requisite scale and resources to provide
a full range of services at acceptable quality and pricing levels. Verio further
believes it has a unique competitive advantage in serving small and medium sized
business customers through the combination of the technical expertise and
hands-on support provided through its local sales and engineering personnel with
the quality and economic efficiency of Verio's national network, operational
infrastructure and financial strength.
 
     Since its inception in March 1996, Verio has rapidly established critical
mass and a national presence through the acquisition, integration and growth of
over 45 ISPs that provide a comprehensive range of business Internet services.
Verio integrates the operations it acquires into regional operating units with
centralized regional management, connecting their regional networks to Verio's
high bandwidth, "tier one" national backbone, and providing them with Verio's
national support services, in order to capture economies of scale and
operational efficiencies while improving reliability, quality, and scalability.
Verio currently provides locally based sales and engineering support for its
connectivity, Web hosting and other enhanced services in 39 of the top 50 MSAs
in the U.S., and provides Web hosting services to customers in over 100
countries.
 
     In addition to basic Internet connectivity, businesses are increasingly
capitalizing on the power of the Internet by establishing domain-based Web sites
(such as www.yourcompany.com) and adopting additional enhanced Internet services
to expand their markets, increase productivity and reduce costs. With its recent
acquisition of TABNet and the proposed Merger, Verio significantly accelerates
and expands its ability to provide Web hosting and other value-added services to
its target market. Together with its acquisition of iServer at the end of 1997,
these acquisitions establish Verio as the largest Web hosting company in the
world based on the number of domain names hosted, and significantly increase
Verio's customer base. As of October 31, 1998, including all acquisitions
completed as of that date, Verio served over 160,000 customer accounts,
including over 80,000 hosted Web sites, with combined pro forma revenues of
approximately $35.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 1998. The
completion of the Merger would bring Verio's total customer accounts to over
250,000, the number of Web sites hosted to over 180,000, and its pro forma
combined revenues for the three months ended September 30, 1998 to approximately
$46.2 million. The consummation of the Merger, together with the completed
acquisitions of iServer and TABNet, would accomplish Verio's goal of deriving at
least half of its total revenue from enhanced services. These acquisitions would
also create in Verio a powerful sales engine, driven by preferential marketing
agreements with leading Internet portal companies, private label relationships
with major telecommunications companies, an established telemarketing
operations, direct sales through over 200 sales professionals, and a worldwide
indirect distribution channel of over 4,000 resellers in the U.S. and over 100
other countries. In addition, Verio has acquired through the iServer and TABNet
acquisitions, and expects to acquire, through the announced Merger, key
proprietary technologies that significantly differentiate Verio's Web hosting
platform from other providers.
 
INDUSTRY BACKGROUND
 
     Internet connectivity and enhanced Internet services (including Web
hosting) represent two of the fastest growing segments of the telecommunications
services market. Total ISP revenues in the United States are projected to grow
from $4.6 billion in 1997 to $18.3 billion in 2000, according to IDC, an
independent
                                       84
<PAGE>   99
 
company that prepares market studies relating to the Internet. The availability
of Internet connectivity, advancements in technologies required to navigate the
Internet, and the proliferation of content and applications available over the
Internet have attracted a rapidly growing number of users. Businesses are
increasingly recognizing that the Internet can significantly enhance
communications among geographically distributed offices and employees as well as
with customers and suppliers. In addition, the Internet presents a compelling
profit opportunity for businesses as it enables them to reduce operating costs,
access valuable information and reach new markets. As a result, businesses
increasingly are utilizing the Internet for mission critical applications such
as sales, customer service and project coordination.
 
     In order to capitalize on the power of the Internet, businesses must adopt
one or both of the fundamental Internet service platforms, Internet connectivity
and Internet Web site presence. Internet connectivity provides a company with
its basic gateway to the Internet, allowing it to transfer e-mail, access
information, and connect with employees, customers and suppliers, and provides
the foundation for VPNs. A Web site provides a company with a tangible identity
and interactive presence on the Internet, allowing it to post company
information and automate business processes such as sales, order entry and
customer service. Businesses are increasingly seeking a variety of enhanced
services and applications that can be enabled from the basic connectivity and
Web site platforms. For example, by connecting each of the company's office
locations and providing front-end security for data encryption, businesses can
implement a secured VPN over the Internet far more economically than the
traditional dedicated private wide area network approach. Similarly, by adding
security, shopping cart and transactions support to its Web site, a company can
offer electronic commerce, expanding its market reach and reducing its cost of
sales. According to IDC, enhanced services (including Web hosting) is the
fastest growing segment of the Internet services market, growing from
approximately $352 million in 1997 to over $7 billion by the year 2000. As
business users of the Internet adopt enhanced services, they also require
additional bandwidth and Web site functionality to support their expanded use of
the Internet. Verio expects this trend to continue as high-bandwidth, high
functionality enhanced services continue to be developed, improve and
proliferate and as Internet usage continues to expand.
 
     Industry analysts have reported that small and medium sized businesses
represent a potential market of over seven million customers in the U.S., and
use of the Internet by this market segment is expected to grow substantially
from its current low level of market penetration. IDC predicts that dedicated
connections to the Internet for small and medium sized businesses will grow from
approximately 122,000 in 1997 to just under 800,000 in 2000, representing an 87%
compounded annual growth rate. In addition, these businesses are moving rapidly
to establish a presence on the Internet through Web sites, enabling them to more
effectively communicate company information, expand distribution, and improve
productivity through back-office automation. IDC estimates Web hosting revenues
from small and medium sized businesses will grow from approximately $217 million
in 1997 to over $3.4 billion, representing 95% of the total Web hosting market,
by the year 2000. Often these companies find an outsourced solution more
cost-effective, because they typically lack the technology expertise, IT
resources, capital, personnel, or ability to bear the time-to-market and
operational risks required to install, maintain and monitor their own Web
servers and Internet connectivity. Small and medium sized businesses generally
seek an ISP with locally based personnel who are readily available to respond
in-person to technical issues, who can assist in developing and implementing the
customer's effective use of the Internet, and with whom they can establish a
stable and long-term relationship.
 
     The rapid development and growth of the Internet has resulted in a highly
fragmented industry of over 4,000 national and local ISPs in the United States,
with no dominant ISP serving the needs of small and medium sized businesses. The
other large national ISPs have primarily focused on the large business or
consumer markets and lack the local presence to provide the customized, hands-on
service required by small and medium sized businesses. Verio believes that
independent local and regional ISPs generally have been more adept at serving
small and medium sized businesses, and that these ISPs often have been the
source of innovative Internet products and services. As a result, independent
regional and local ISPs have successfully captured approximately one-half of
this market, despite the substantially greater resources of the national
providers. However, rising costs and increasing demands from business customers
are increasing the importance of scale and making it more difficult for the
small ISP to meet its customer's demands on a cost-
 
                                       85
<PAGE>   100
 
effective basis. Facing these competitive pressures, Verio believes that
independent ISPs will continue to be attracted to and benefit from the
consolidation opportunity provided by Verio.
 
THE VERIO SOLUTION
 
     Verio is a leading provider of Internet connectivity, Web hosting, VPNs,
e-commerce and other enhanced Internet services to small and medium sized
businesses. Verio's business strategy of combining national scale with local
presence was specifically developed to serve the needs of this market sector.
Verio has taken a leading role in consolidating the fragmented, independent ISP
industry, rapidly establishing its national presence through the acquisition,
integration, and growth of established, well-regarded national, regional and
local ISPs with a business customer focus. Verio believes it has a unique
competitive advantage in serving small and medium sized business customers.
Verio's combination of national scale with local presence provides distinct and
significant value to these customers, which Verio expects will result in
long-term customer loyalty and an expanding customer base. Verio's national
scale in both Internet connectivity and Web hosting allows it to provide robust,
scalable, high-quality service platforms for the full range of business Internet
solutions. Verio intends to further enhance the value of these platforms by
developing, both internally and through strategic vendor relationships, a
further array of enhanced, higher margin product and service offerings to
continue to address the evolving business needs of its customers. Verio plans to
leverage its local direct sales and technical support, as well as its increasing
number of distribution partners, to configure Internet connectivity, Web
hosting, VPNs, e-commerce and other enhanced service solutions for its
customers. Verio further believes that the small and medium sized business
market is more attractive than the consumer or large business market segments
for Internet services, in large part due to the stability of the customer
relationship resulting from the customer's reliance on its service provider's
hands-on technical support and ability to provide a turnkey Internet solution
tailored to the customer's particular business needs. Verio's market research
indicates that Verio's local presence, 24x7 hands-on technical support and
tailored Internet service solutions combined with its high speed, highly
reliable national backbone, will be significant factors in the purchase decision
for the small and medium sized business customer, as well as being a critical
factor driving customer loyalty.
 
THE VERIO STRATEGY
 
   
     Verio's goal is to be the premier, full-service provider of Internet
connectivity, Web hosting, VPNs, e-commerce and other enhanced Internet services
to small and medium sized businesses. Key elements of Verio's strategy in
accomplishing this goal are to: (i) continue to build scale and expand market
presence and service offerings through acquisitions; (ii) drive cost savings and
quality of service improvements by integrating the operations of its acquired
companies and leveraging its national network, infrastructure and support
services; (iii) generate internal growth and customer loyalty by building
national Verio brand name recognition, expanding distribution and leveraging its
local sales and technical support capability; and (iv) leverage its connectivity
and Web hosting core service platforms to develop and offer additional high-
margin enhanced services to increase revenues from existing and future
customers.
    
 
     Build Scale, Market Presence and Service Offerings through
Acquisitions. Verio has rapidly established a national presence and critical
customer mass by acquiring the stock or assets of, or making significant
investments in, established, well-regarded independent ISPs throughout the U.S.
Verio intends to continue its consolidation strategy, acquiring additional
business-focused ISPs to deepen and broaden its market presence, to expand its
strength in its Internet connectivity and Web hosting core service platforms,
and to add additional enhanced service capabilities. Given the increasing
competitive pressures facing independent ISPs, Verio believes that these ISPs
will continue to be attracted to and benefit from the consolidation opportunity
provided by Verio. As part of its integration strategy, Verio now seeks to
acquire 100% of new ISP affiliates and has effected the Buyouts of all but one
of the ISPs in which it did not initially acquire 100% ownership. See
"-- Subsidiary Ownership Structure." Given Verio's large customer base, broad
distribution channels and core service strengths in connectivity and Web
hosting, Verio believes it is also an attractive acquiror and strategic partner
for other related enhanced product and service companies.
 
     Drive Cost Savings and Quality Improvements by Integrating Operations and
Leveraging National Infrastructure. Verio believes it can capture significant
economies of scale and operational efficiencies while
                                       86
<PAGE>   101
 
improving service reliability, quality and scalability by integrating the
operations of the entities it acquires into core national service platforms for
Internet connectivity and Web hosting, focusing regional operations on sales,
distribution and customer support and leveraging a common set of leading edge
national systems and support services. Verio integrates the networks of the ISPs
it acquires into common regional networks connected to Verio's high-speed,
highly reliable national backbone with network management and monitoring
services provided by Verio's 7-day by 24-hour ("24X7") Network Operations Center
(NOC). Integration of the regional networks allows Verio to consolidate POPs,
aggregate traffic on higher capacity, lower per unit cost telco links,
consolidate engineering and network operations staffs, increase network
redundancy and ensure consistency of network operations. Similarly, Verio is in
the process of integrating its Web hosting operations into a single national Web
hosting operating unit with regional data centers connected to Verio's national
backbone and monitored 24X7 by Verio's NOC. Verio has developed national support
services backed by leading edge systems for network management, billing,
customer service and financial and accounting information. Verio is in the
process of integrating all of its operations onto these common national services
in order to capture further economies of scale, drive operations efficiency,
ensure operational control and improve quality, consistency and scalability of
its services. Finally, Verio has leveraged its scale to negotiate advantageous
national volume purchase agreements with key vendors such as Cisco, Qwest and
Raptor.
 
     Drive Growth by Building Brand Recognition, Expanding Distribution Channels
and Leveraging Local Support. Verio believes that brand recognition will be an
increasingly important decision factor among small and medium sized businesses
in choosing an Internet solutions provider. In conjunction with the integration
of its acquired ISPs, Verio has branded its consolidated regional operations
under the Verio name. Verio is building national Verio brand recognition by
aggressively marketing its full range of services through a national advertising
campaign using traditional media, online campaigns and trade shows and by
leveraging a coordinated public relations program. Verio intends to leverage its
strong local sales, distribution and technical customer support capabilities to
provide superior hands-on support to customers, further enhancing its brand
image and driving customer loyalty and sales. Verio currently has over 200 local
direct sales executives, over 300 local engineers and customer support
technicians, and over 2,500 resellers and referral partners. Verio expects to
continue to expand this local sales and distribution force and to increase its
effectiveness through national training, sales support, advertising and
marketing programs. Verio also markets its services nationally through direct
mail, telemarketing and online marketing campaigns, as well as through national
reseller arrangements. In addition, Verio has expanded the marketing of its
services through OEM-like relationships with major telecommunications carriers,
such as NTT, who can offer Verio's services on a private-label or co-branded
basis to their customer base. NTT America has recently launched its branded
Arcstar Internet service in the U.S., and will resell the full range of Verio
services under this brand. Completion of the proposed Merger would add another
1,500 resellers and a number of additional "OEM" relationships to Verio's
existing distribution channels.
 
     Develop and Offer Enhanced Products and Services to Increase
Revenues. While basic Internet connectivity and Web hosting constitute the
predominant services offered by Verio today, small and medium sized businesses
are increasingly looking for enhanced products and services that allow them to
further leverage the power of the Internet to expand markets, increase
productivity and reduce costs. Verio believes that its large existing customer
base and strong, balanced position in both the Internet connectivity and Web
hosting service platforms give it a competitive advantage in offering related
high-margin enhanced Internet services and bundled packages to meet the more
complex needs of its current and future customers. As a result, Verio believes
that it will be able to derive incremental revenue from these customers and
increase profitability by selling an expanding array of enhanced services, as
well as higher functionality Web sites and additional bandwidth to support these
services. Web-based enhanced services would include electronic commerce,
Web-based faxing and email, unified messaging, office and business process
automation capabilities, audio and video applications, automated Web site
authoring tools and templates and redundant "hot" sites across multiple national
and international data centers. Verio also plans to offer alternative
connectivity options such as DSL, as well as intranets and extranets
incorporating both connectivity and Web-hosting capabilities with enhanced
security measures. Verio also offers enhanced Internet security capabilities and
professional consulting services to support all of its Internet solutions. Verio
expects to provide these further
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enhanced services through a combination of internal development and packaging,
acquisitions and relationships with selected Internet hardware, software and
service companies.
 
THE VERIO ORGANIZATION
 
     Verio conducts its operations with both a national and regional approach.
Initially, Verio pursued a regional acquisition strategy, acquiring independent,
locally based ISPs to establish critical mass and a pervasive market presence in
selected geographic regions. Having established its presence in each of its
initially targeted regions, Verio expanded its target markets to encompass all
of the top 50 MSAs and is continuing to add incrementally to its presence within
its existing regions. In order to provide enhanced services such as Web hosting
on a national basis, Verio more recently has sought to acquire national
operations that can add strength to Verio's core service capabilities. Both the
iServer and TABNet acquisitions brought Verio national Web hosting operations
which added significantly to Verio's technical, marketing and operational
strength, and Verio expects that the proposed Merger will considerably expand
those capabilities.
 
     As of October 31, 1998, Verio had acquired the stock or assets of, or
invested in, over 45 ISPs, including the funding of a start-up operation which
is in the early stages of establishing a presence in the Rocky Mountain region.
Verio is in the process of consolidating the ownership and management of these
ISPs into five geographic operating regions, and integrating their network
operations, customer support, marketing efforts, financial and accounting
systems, and other back-office functions onto Verio's national systems, in order
to maximize operating synergies and efficiencies. Through these regional
operations, Verio provides locally based sales and engineering support in 39 of
the top 50 MSAs in the country. Verio is now focusing its acquisition efforts on
deepening and broadening its market presence, expanding its strength in its
Internet connectivity and Web hosting core service platforms, and adding
additional enhanced service capabilities. Verio has executed non-binding letters
of intent to acquire a number of additional ISPs and continues to evaluate, and
is in various stages of negotiations with, a number of additional potential
acquisition candidates.
 
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
 
     Verio currently offers, through its regional ISP operations, a
comprehensive range of Internet connectivity, Web hosting, VPNs, e-commerce and
other enhanced products and services. Verio plans to offer a core suite of
products and services nationally, with additional specific products offered in
each market based on the needs of the market and local telco tariffs. Verio
intends to continue to develop a broad range of enhanced products and services
independently, through acquisition, and through strategic relationships with key
vendors.
 
     Connectivity Services. Verio offers a variety of connectivity solutions,
including Internet access, third-party software and hardware implementations and
configuration services, which are offered in bundled and unbundled packages.
Internet access currently includes dial-up, ISDN, xDSL, frame relay and leased
line connectivity at speeds ranging from 28.8 kbps to 155 Mbps. Verio is
participating in trials for the deployment of new access technologies, such as
wireless access, and expects to deploy additional connectivity-related enhanced
services, such as Internet fax, Internet telephony and Internet video
conferencing, as and when they become commercially viable. Verio also offers a
full range of customer premise equipment ("CPE") hardware required to connect to
the Internet, including routers, servers and other products as needed. Verio's
national purchasing and leasing relationships with a variety of partners provide
improved hardware pricing, lower cost leasing arrangements and bundled service
offerings. Verio also offers a selection of software products including
browsers, electronic mail, news and other solutions that permit customers to
navigate and utilize the Internet. Additionally, Verio provides turnkey
configuration solutions encompassing such services as domain name server ("DNS")
support, telco line provisioning, IP address space assignment, router set-up,
e-mail configuration, router security configuration and other set-up services.
 
  Web Hosting Services.
 
     - Shared Server Web Hosting. Verio offers a series of shared server Web
       hosting plans that allow individuals and businesses to establish a
       sophisticated presence on the Internet at a reasonable cost, leveraging
       the expertise and equipment of Verio to deploy an effective Web site.
 
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      The basic standardized Web hosting option offers 6,000 megabytes of data
      transfer per month and 30 megabytes of disk storage. This service level
      allows customers to store HTML, graphics, video and sound files on a Web
      site and generally satisfies customers' bandwidth and disk storage
      requirements. A majority of Verio's current shared server Web hosting
      customers use the entry-level service. In order to allow customers to use
      their Web site as an effective interface for communication, Verio provides
      additional services bundled into its various shared server hosting plans.
      For example, customers are provided various Web-based e-mail options,
      support for Microsoft FrontPage(TM) extensions and a variety of unique Web
      site development tools as part of the basic Web hosting account. The
      higher tier shared server Web hosting offerings, including the proprietary
      Virtual Server technology developed by iServer, provide customers enhanced
      services, functionality and resources. Each successive tier allocates the
      customer more disk storage and increases the monthly data transfer limit.
      In addition, the more advanced plans offer Real Audio(TM), Real Video(TM)
      and mSQL(TM) database support and support for electronic commerce-enabled
      Web sites.
 
      Verio also has implemented a variety of tools to allow its customers to
      manage and enhance their sites more effectively and update their Web sites
      remotely. Typically, the Web hosting plans feature detailed Web statistics
      and access to raw log files, giving customers the ability to track the
      performance and evaluate the effectiveness of their Web sites. Higher tier
      plans offer customers their own configuration files, POP server and SMTP
      gateway. In addition, Verio provides a number of popular CGI scripts that
      allow customers to deploy hit counters, guest books, mail forms and other
      useful graphics easily, and also supports custom CGI scripts that enable
      customers to build additional functionality into their Web sites. Verio
      offers numerous tools which increase the control a customer has over Web
      site management, allowing them to change passwords, set e-mail forwarding
      options, view Web site statistics and check account and billing
      information. Additionally, all shared servers have regular back-up
      procedures to protect customer files.
 
     - Dedicated Server Web Hosting. Verio also offers dedicated server Web
       hosting solutions for larger customers that prefer not to host their Web
       sites on a shared server, providing the customer substantially more
       server and network resources than available under shared server Web
       hosting plans. The dedicated server Web hosting solutions provide the
       customer with an NT or UNIX-based Verio-owned dedicated server that is
       maintained by Verio in one of its data centers and monitored on a 24X7
       basis. This solution gives customers the ability to run complex
       applications without the additional IT administration costs and
       considerations that customers would experience if they managed their own
       servers and Web sites internally. Verio maintains spare equipment and
       backs up data regularly. Verio offers the dedicated server service at
       various prices depending upon the specific hardware configuration, level
       of service and data transfer rates required by the customer.
 
     - Co-location. Verio offers co-location services for customers that require
       the resources of a dedicated server, prefer to retain physical access to
       and ownership of their server, and have the expertise to maintain the Web
       site and the server. Verio's co-location facilities offer customers a
       secure location, environmental control, monitoring and a high-speed
       connection to the Internet. The co-location facilities typically are
       designed to provide an uninterruptible power source, a back-up diesel
       generator, climate control and 24X7 monitoring.
 
     - Domain Name Reservation. Each business or individual that desires a
       personalized Web address must first reserve a domain name (such as
       www.yourcompany.com). As more individuals and businesses establish a Web
       presence, desirable domain names, like trade or service marks, become
       more difficult to secure. With its acquisition of TABNet, Verio became
       the world leader in providing this important service, registering more
       domain names on a daily basis than any other company. For a one-time fee,
       Verio will register and maintain a domain name for two years or until the
       customer decides to use the domain name to host an active Web site.
       Domain name registration typically generates a one-time fee for Verio,
       but more importantly provides Verio a marketing advantage when these
       domain name registration customers select a Web hosting provider. Verio
       has built its leading position in this service through online marketing
       campaigns which leverage preferred banner ad positions on the leading
       search engines and Internet portals. Verio then actively telemarkets to
       new customers registering a
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       domain name and has a high conversion rate of these customers to
       recurring revenue Web hosting services.
 
     Virtual Private Networks ("VPNs"). Many companies today have private data
communication networks, which are often referred to as wide area networks
("WANs") and built on expensive leased lines, to transfer proprietary data
between office locations. The Internet offers companies a cost-effective
replacement alternative to WANs through VPNs, which are meant to provide secure
transmission of private Internet Protocol ("IP") traffic through the Internet.
Additionally, many companies require that their employees have remote access to
these private networks from home or while traveling. VPN products are available
in hardware, software, and firewall formats. VPN products, often in combination
with a Web site, are also the basis for offering intranet and extranet services.
Intranets are corporate/organizational networks that rely on Internet-based
technologies to provide secure links between corporate offices and secure access
to company data. Extranets expand the network to selected business partners
through secured links on the Internet. Increasingly, companies are finding that
intranets and extranets can enhance corporate productivity more easily and less
expensively than proprietary systems. Verio currently offers its customers a
number of VPN solutions, including Raptor's Firewall, IRE's SafeNet(TM), and
Watchguard's Firebox II(TM), and continues to evaluate additional products to
meet the needs of customers.
 
     Electronic Commerce Solutions. Electronic commerce provides users the
ability to sell products and services on the Internet. Verio currently provides
e-commerce capability to its customers by providing one or more of the three
principle functions of electronic commerce: secure socket layer, shopping cart
support, and transaction processing capability. Secure socket layer ("SSL") is
provided through its Premier Business Partner relationship with Verisign for
digital certificates. Verio supports a large variety of shopping carts,
including Shop Site(TM) by Icentral, and provides support for third party
transaction processing through ICVerify(TM), Cybercash(TM) and AuthorizeNet(TM).
The e-commerce solutions are packaged according to the complexity of the
individual customer's needs. Verio also provides fully integrated, turnkey
e-commerce applications that simplify and facilitate online commerce for small
and medium sized businesses without the need for sophisticated IT support.
 
     Other Enhanced Services. Verio believes that its small and medium sized
business customers will continue to increase their use of the Internet as a
business tool and, as a result, will require an expanding range of enhanced
services. Verio currently offers a variety of enhanced services. In addition,
Verio's national marketing group is focused on developing new enhanced services
through both internal development, acquisition and strategic relationships with
software, hardware and content providers. Verio's current and planned enhanced
services offerings include the following:
 
     - Security. Security solutions are a vital component for most businesses
       connected to the Internet. These solutions, which include firewalls,
       packet filter and proxy servers, give the customer (i) an ability to
       prevent intruders from accessing its corporate network, (ii)
       authentication of users attempting to gain access to the customer's local
       area network ("LAN") or Web site, and (iii) encryption services,
       providing secured transmission of company data through the Internet.
       Verio currently offers a comprehensive set of firewall products from
       Raptor, including the sophisticated Eagle Firewall(TM) and the more
       simplified product known as The Wall(TM). Additionally, Verio offers a
       "managed" security solution that provides ongoing detection and
       prevention of intrusions. Verio plans to expand its security product line
       with new solutions that simplify, reduce cost, or offer greater
       functionality as they become commercially available.
 
     - National Roaming. Employees of small and medium businesses are
       increasingly dependent on accessing their e-mail while on the road.
       Currently, many users either cannot do so because of the limitations of
       their local ISP, or they are required to pay expensive long distance
       access charges. Verio is in the process of implementing a national
       dial-up access roaming product to enable dial-up business customers to
       access the Internet locally as they travel throughout the country and
       abroad.
 
     - Professional Services. Verio's target customers typically do not have the
       internal resources or personnel to design and maintain Internet services.
       As more businesses utilize the Internet for mission critical
       applications, Verio expects its customers to rely on their ISP for
       support of many of their IT
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       applications. As a result, Verio believes it will be increasingly
       important for ISPs to offer onsite, technical consulting to customers.
       Verio currently offers a full complement of professional services to its
       customers, including network and system design, Web content creation,
       security system needs analysis and implementation, virtual private
       network design and implementation, and other Internet-related consulting
       projects. Verio plans to invest in additional professional services
       capabilities as they are required to provide customers with turnkey
       Internet solutions.
 
     - Future Enhanced Connectivity Enabled Services. Customers are increasingly
       seeking to utilize the Internet for an expanding array of
       telecommunication services. Verio plans to serve these needs through the
       packaging and configuration of third party applications, such as IP
       telephony (which permits users to make voice calls on the Internet),
       Internet faxing, Internet audio and video conferencing solutions, and
       other applications that may be developed.
 
     - Future Enhanced Web Enabled Services. Verio is exploring other Web-based
       services through internal development and third-party licensing
       arrangements to serve the evolving needs of small and medium size
       businesses. Verio has focused its efforts on select areas, including
       expanded electronic commerce capabilities, Web-based faxing and e-mail,
       unified messaging and "virtual offices," audio and video appliances,
       automated Web site authoring tools and templates, basic automated
       marketing tools, and redundant "hot" sites across multiple national and
       international data centers.
 
     As businesses commit to using the Internet, Verio believes that the
advanced applications product category will continue to expand, offering
additional revenue opportunities. Verio strives to be market driven, assessing
potential opportunities to extend new offerings as they become available and
evaluating its ability to implement these solutions in a cost-effective way
while maintaining quality of service for its customers.
 
     Verio has and intends to continue to enter into agreements with other
Internet companies to leverage their products, brand names, distribution
channels and other assets. Verio believes that its existing Internet product and
service partners have been attracted to Verio because of its broad geographic
coverage, ability to influence purchase decisions of its business customers, and
the ability of the Verio sales forces to sell complex Internet solutions. Verio
has established strategic relationships with software providers such as
Microsoft, Oracle and Raptor, and equipment providers such as Cisco and
Farallon, and intends to expand its strategic relationships with additional
providers of key products and services. These relationships provide Verio with
benefits including preferred pricing, access to the latest products,
co-marketing with the vendors, tailored product training and access to the
vendor's distribution channels to generate leads for new customers.
 
MARKETING
 
     Verio's marketing organization is responsible for services management,
advertising, marketing communications and public relations, and focuses on
stimulating demand for Verio's services and extending Verio's brands. Verio
stimulates demand for its services and seeks to extend its brands through a
broad range of advertising, marketing communications and public relations
activities. Verio relies on a combination of traditional media and online
advertising, and recently has launched a national advertising campaign. Verio
focuses its traditional media efforts on advertisements in major business and
technical publications, radio spots and direct mail. Verio's online marketing
program consists of general rotation and keyword-specific Web banner
advertisements. With the recent TABNet acquisition, Verio now hosts more than
80,000 Web sites, and anticipates that total Web sites hosted will increase to
over 180,000 with the completion of the Merger. TABNet became one of the world's
largest Internet domain name registrars and Web hosting companies by pioneering
domain name registration services and establishing preferential Web-based
marketing relationships with leading Internet search engine and portal companies
including Netscape, Yahoo, Excite, Infoseek, and others. Verio intends to
leverage TABNet's marketing relationships and systems to build brand recognition
and expand these marketing opportunities to Verio's full suite of product
offerings. Other marketing vehicles include collateral materials, trade shows,
direct response programs and management of Verio's Web site. Public relations
focuses on cultivating industry analyst and media relationships with the goal of
securing broad media coverage and public recognition of Verio.
 
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     Verio has consolidated the operations and marketing efforts of its acquired
operations under the Verio brand name. Verio has undertaken national public
relations efforts to raise the awareness and visibility of Verio in its target
market, and its recently launched national advertising campaign is designed to
further build Verio brand awareness. In certain instances, where an acquired
operation has established particularly strong brand identity (such as Hiway and
its RapidSite(TM) product offering), Verio may continue to market particular
products and services under that name.
 
SALES AND DISTRIBUTION
 
     Verio utilizes multiple distribution channels in order to extend its reach
and leverage the service capabilities and brand names of its channel partners.
Verio uses a combination of direct sales, telemarketing, VARs and private label
resellers.
 
     Direct Sales. Verio has a direct sales force of more than 200
professionals. These local sales representatives have a strong Internet
technical background and understand the local telecommunications tariffs as well
as the needs of their local business community. Additionally, these
representatives are familiar with local companies to assist in implementing
tailored solutions such as Web page content development. Because they are
locally based, these sales representatives are able to meet face-to-face with
prospective customers to discuss their Internet needs and technical requirements
and develop tailored solutions. Verio has developed programs at the national
level to attract and train high quality, motivated sales representatives that
have the necessary technical skills, consultative sales experience and knowledge
of their local markets. These programs include technical sales training,
consultative selling techniques, sales compensation plan development, and sales
representative recruiting profile identification. Through the effective use of
these initiatives, Verio plans to continue to expand its direct sales force. At
the local level, direct marketing techniques are being employed to target
customer segments that would achieve substantial benefit from the business
applications afforded by the Internet. Some direct marketing tactics include
direct mail, telemarketing, seminars and trade show participation. Verio works
with key vendors to assist in these direct marketing efforts. Verio co-markets
with these vendors through direct mail programs, joint seminar development and
joint trade show involvement. Through the TABNet acquisition, Verio has gained a
centralized outbound and inbound telemarketing sales capability targeted at
offering Web hosting services.
 
     Resellers and Indirect Sales. Verio has three primary partner programs that
permit the regional operations to adapt a formal indirect distribution strategy
to their markets. Verio believes indirect sales channels are a significant
contributor to its growth, and already has over 2,500 formal and informal
channel partner relationships. Completion of the proposed Merger would increase
Verio's worldwide indirect distribution channel to over 4,000 resellers in the
U.S. and over 100 other countries. The Authorized Solutions Partner ("ASP")
program offers partners the ability to share in the ongoing revenue stream of
customers they bring to Verio. ASPs include computer resellers, VARs, systems
integrators and other organizations focused on providing IT hardware, software,
and services to the business community, who typically have an established
relationship with the prospective customer base, and a sales force capable of
selling Internet services as part of the partner's suite of services. Referral
partners, including organizations such as Web designers, advertising agencies,
and telco resellers, are another source of customer leads. Verio's Referral
Partner program targets organizations that are less capable of, or interested
in, selling Internet services, or where Internet services fall outside their
core business interests. The Private Label Partner program is a wholesale
program which allows qualifying organizations to resell Verio services under
their own brand. The benefits of these programs to Verio include greater market
reach without fixed overhead costs, and the ability to use partners to assist in
the delivery of complete solutions to meet customer needs. In addition to local
partnerships, Verio is working with several national companies to expand its
indirect sales capability. Verio also intends to pursue additional private label
OEM-like relationships with major telecommunications carriers such as NTT. NTT
America recently has launched its branded ArcStar Internet service in the U.S.,
and will resell the full range of Verio services under this brand. Hiway also is
party to this sort of agreement with three of the RBOCs and a large European
telecommunications company, and has a number of letters of intent with
additional potential OEM-type partners, all of which, upon completion of the
Merger, would be brought to Verio.
 
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TECHNOLOGY AND NETWORK OPERATIONS
 
     Overview. Verio owns and operates a national network, providing a high
bandwidth, highly reliable data transmission path connecting Verio's customers
to the Internet, which Verio believes is adequate for the provision of current
and future planned access and enhanced services needs. Verio's national network
interconnects more than 22 national nodes and over 180 local POPs across the
United States. Verio believes that aggregating the bandwidth and capacity
requirements of its regional operations onto one national network provides
operational control and efficiency, reduces costs, provides redundancy, and
results in a higher quality service, thereby addressing some of the most
significant challenges that an ISP faces in supporting its customers. Verio's
national infrastructure also incorporates several other elements critical to
maintaining the highest quality Internet service, including a high capacity and
reliable national network, peering relationships with other regional, national
and international ISPs, sophisticated network management tools and engineering
support services. The reliability of the national network is the result of many
factors, including redundant routers and other critical hardware, carrier class
facilities at POP locations (such as back up power, fire suppression and climate
control), and redundant telecommunications lines.
 
     National Network. As of October 31, 1998, the national network carried
traffic for 35 of the ISPs acquired to date. The remaining ISPs' traffic will be
added as growth drives the need for additional capacity, as private and public
peering is implemented and as their current transit contracts expire.
 
     Following is a diagram of Verio's national network as of October 1, 1998:
 
                                     [MAP]
 
     Currently, the national network architecture includes a presence at
selected national exchange points and redundant network nodes to link Verio's
regional networks to the national network. As of October 1, 1998, Verio's
network included connectivity at MAE West, MAE East and the NY NAP, each of
which is a major public national exchange point for ISPs. Verio also has a
presence at the Palo Alto Internet Exchange
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(PAIX), NASA Ames and a number of other regional connecting points, including
Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Irvine, Sacramento and San Diego,
California; Denver, Colorado; Orem, Utah; New Orleans, Louisiana; Dallas and
Houston, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Harrisburg, Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; and Boston, Massachusetts.
Each of these Verio locations features leading router technology. The equipment
is located in facilities leased from a variety of telecommunications providers,
including MCI, Sprint, MFS and others. These access points are linked, using a
nationwide, high-speed ATM and DS-3 (45 Mbps), OC-3 (155 Mbps) and OC-12 (622
Mbps) clear line network infrastructure, utilizing capacity leased from a
variety of national telco providers, including Sprint, MCI, WorldCom and Qwest.
This combination of clear channel circuits, ATM and router architecture provides
reliability to the network through path diversity and redundancy. Verio's
regional operating units either co-locate at these access nodes or lease
connectivity from a local service provider such as an RBOC or other LEC to
connect to the Verio equipment.
 
     Work has begun to add national access nodes to serve additional parts of
the Midwest, Southern California, Texas and the Northeast, all of which Verio
currently plans to put on-line during the remainder of 1998. Expansion into the
Southeast is currently targeted for the first quarter of 1999. Multiple national
access nodes facilitate connection to Verio's national network by its regional
operations. Verio continues to add additional private peering points and access
nodes as it acquires more ISPs and expands operations, and to further increase
network capacity as the need for additional bandwidth arises.
 
     The national network is planned to allow for rapid expansion of bandwidth
through scaleable design supported by multiple local access and interexchange
carriers to provide the required bandwidth. Verio has begun the migration of
selected links from ATM to clear line. It is anticipated that Verio will have
implemented nationwide OC-3 capacity and selected OC-12 links in late 1998 to
handle its projected traffic requirements.
 
     On March 31, 1998, Verio entered into a 15-year Capacity and Services
Agreement (the "Capacity Agreement") with Qwest Communications Corporation
("Qwest"), under which Verio will have access to long haul capacity and
ancillary services on Qwest's planned 16,285 mile MacroCapacity(sm) Fiber
Network. Over the first seven years of the term of the Capacity Agreement (the
"Commitment Term"), Verio must purchase, and Qwest must provide, not less than
$100.0 million, in the aggregate, of such capacity and services (the
"Commitment"), at agreed upon prices. The amount of capacity represented by the
Commitment would satisfy less than 50% of Verio's currently projected long haul
capacity requirements over the Commitment Term. However, Verio has the right to
order capacity and services in excess of the Commitment, and after the
expiration of the Commitment Term, at the same agreed upon prices. Verio also
currently is party to a number of other long haul capacity agreements with
additional telecommunication providers. These agreements are for various terms
(of up to 5 years), and have varied pricing. Verio anticipates that it will
satisfy a substantial portion of its capacity and ancillary services needs under
the Capacity Agreement, because it believes that the agreed upon pricing levels
will significantly reduce the per unit costs that it otherwise would pay under
its other existing long haul capacity agreements.
 
     Verio believes that the currently installed Cisco and Juniper Networks
routers will be sufficient to support its traffic routing needs up to and
including OC-3 and OC-12 speeds. Verio is investigating and testing various
options to support higher than OC-12 speeds and bandwidth requirements. Verio's
options include switching, higher capacity and faster routers, or hybrid routing
and switching solutions.
 
     Peering Relationships. By implementing its own national network and
establishing peering relationships with other national ISPs, Verio believes it
can lower the cost of its Internet transit and increase the performance and
reliability of its network operations. Peering is the Internet practice under
which ISPs exchange each other's traffic without the payment of settlement
charges. The basis on which the large national ISPs make peering available or
impose settlement charges is evolving as the provision of Internet access and
related services has expanded and the dominance of a small group of national
ISPs has driven industry peering practice. Recently, companies that have
previously offered peering have cut back or eliminated peering relationships and
are establishing new, more restrictive criteria for peering. Verio believes that
substantial traffic volume and national scale will continue to be the focal
criteria necessary to establish and maintain
 
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peering relationships. As a result, it has become increasingly important for
companies seeking to take advantage of peering to have significant traffic, a
national network and monitoring capability.
 
     Verio has established public or private peering relationships with all of
the major national ISPs, as well as with many smaller domestic and international
networks, and continues to evaluate additional private peering proposals. With
over 100 peering partners, Verio's network is considered a "tier one" national
network. Some large network providers now prefer to peer at private exchange
points rather than at national exchange points. This preference represents the
desire to accomplish the exchange of high bandwidth traffic in a more efficient
manner rather than to risk congestion and equipment failure at public exchange
points. Verio currently anticipates that, as Verio's traffic grows, more peering
relationships can be obtained. However, no assurance can be given that peering
relationships will continue to be made available to Verio. Even if these
relationships are not maintained or established, Verio believes that it will be
more economical for Verio to maintain an exchange point transit agreement than
to pay other national ISPs for transit. See "Risk Factors -- Dependence upon
Implementation of Network Infrastructure; Establishment and Maintenance of
Peering Relationships."
 
     Web Hosting Operations. Through the iServer and TABNet acquisitions, Verio
has developed high-performance, reliable, secure and scalable Web hosting
solutions, which Verio believes provide it with a significant competitive
advantage. These solutions are comprised of multiple proprietary Web hosting
platforms that incorporate automated functionality and a highly reliable network
infrastructure that includes multiple data centers monitored on a 24X7 basis.
Verio expects to substantially increase these capabilities through the pending
Merger. Verio's strategy in developing its Web hosting solutions focuses on
utilizing proprietary technological innovations that it integrates with
third-party software and hardware.
 
     Web Hosting Platform. Also through its acquisitions, Verio has established
multiple proprietary Web hosting platforms that permit efficient hosting of up
to two thousand Web sites on a single server. Although industry-standard Web
servers can enable Web hosting, Verio believes that efficiently managing large
numbers of Web sites and users on a single shared server is technically
difficult and requires significant technological innovations. Accordingly, Verio
has focused its technology development efforts on creating various proprietary
operating system level tools to facilitate a high-density customer to server
ratio. Verio has also customized or developed Web server applications designed
to improve performance in a shared server environment and resource monitoring
tools designed to report and address scarcity of shared CPU and memory
resources. Verio's solution can scale easily, allowing server groups to be added
seamlessly and to be monitored centrally wherever they are located. To address
the diverse requirements of its customers, Verio offers Web hosting services on
a range of operating systems and computing platforms.
 
     Verio also has developed proprietary software that allows Verio to provide
its services on an efficient and cost-effective basis by automating the
following back-end functions: (i) order-taking and processing; (ii) customer
billing via credit cards, check, bank transfer and accounts receivable; (iii)
account provisioning and activation; (iv) server management and monitoring; (v)
coordination of the e-mail subsystem to integrate e-mail forwarding, multiple
e-mail accounts on a single Web site and autoresponders; (vi) inherent
distributor-dealer-customer hierarchy of all data; and (vii) support for
third-party feature "plug-ins." In addition, Verio provides a front-end
interface that allows a customer to set up accounts, change account parameters,
check Web site statistics quickly and easily and verify billing information. "TQ
software" was engineered to maximize automation to achieve high levels of
scalability, and the modular design allows additional server groups to be
supported easily. Language and branding independence enables international VARs
and OEMs to localize for foreign languages and customize the interface quickly
and with minimal effort.
 
     Data Centers. Verio currently has data centers located in Orem, Utah; San
Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; and Dallas, Texas; and is finishing
the implementation of a new center in Washington, D.C. An upgraded data center
in the San Francisco Bay Area is planned for 1999. All of Verio's data centers
are fitted with environmental controls, back-up generators, Cisco routers and
switches, and continuous monitoring capabilities to ensure high-quality service
with minimal interruptions. Completion of the Merger would add additional telco
class data centers in Mountain View, California and Boca Raton, Florida.
 
                                       95
<PAGE>   110
 
     National Network Management. Verio considers world-class network management
an essential capability for network monitoring and expansion, maintaining high
customer satisfaction and improving network quality. Verio has established a
24X7 NOC to allow continuous monitoring of the network and to provide a single
point of contact for real-time network status information and customer technical
problem resolution. The NOC is designed to provide real-time alarming, event
correlation, traffic management and forecasting, and distributed notification of
the network events and network status. Verio utilizes many leading edge systems
to provide the NOC capabilities. As of October 31, 1998, Verio monitored the
national network and the local networks of approximately 27 of the ISPs it had
acquired as of such time. Verio plans to provide national and regional network
monitoring throughout its regional operations by the end of 1998.
 
     Engineering Support Services. Verio has negotiated national level
telecommunications contracts with LECs, such as MFS/WorldCom, providing
favorable terms for local transport. Verio plans to expand national purchasing
and leasing benefits as well as technical planning and support to improve the
performance, reliability and economics of its regional networks. National level
purchasing benefits include both cost and vendor performance issues as well as
the provisioning of spare equipment and additional technical support from
suppliers. National level distribution agreements have been negotiated with a
number of additional national-scope suppliers. Co-location agreements have also
been established with companies such as Sprint, MCI, MFS/WorldCom and Digital
Equipment Corporation. Verio is pursuing additional vendor and telecommunication
relationships in an effort to reduce the cost of equipment and improve network
quality.
 
     Technical Planning and Support. The national engineering team provides
engineering support for routing configurations, telecommunications management
and pricing, development of local networks and purchasing and contract
negotiation. The national engineering team also works with the regional
engineering teams to nationalize certain network elements, improve performance
and reduce network costs. Support includes Internet protocol addressing support,
training and technology. This effort of sharing ideas and best practices among
the national team and the regions is intended to enhance the engineering talent
available locally and to share best practices nationally.
 
NATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES
 
     In addition to its national network and network monitoring capability,
Verio has developed and implemented three critical national support services
designed to increase operational efficiencies and enhance the quality,
consistency and scalability of Verio's services. These support services include
24X7 customer technical support and service, financial information management
through a central, standardized accounting system and a sophisticated billing
and collections system. The strategy of creating a partnership between local
support teams and Verio's established national support services enables Verio to
capture economies of scale, improve quality and responsiveness, and increase
productivity, while allowing local personnel to focus on relationships with
customers.
 
     Customer Technical Support. Verio's customer care combines the
responsiveness and on-site capabilities of local ISP presence with the scale
economies of a national customer support center in order to deliver customer
care to businesses. While local, independent ISPs bring the benefits of
understanding customer needs and providing hands-on support demanded by their
customers, they lack the ability to cost-effectively scale internal resources to
independently support their growing customer base. Verio's national customer
support center (located in Dallas, Texas) enables Verio to provide 24X7
responsiveness while maintaining the ability to provide on-site installation
assistance, hands-on troubleshooting and access to local experts who understand
the customer's business. As of October 31, 1998, Verio was providing customer
care services to 33 of the ISPs it had acquired as of such time and will offer
services to all of the Verio regional operations as the national customer
support center continues to expand throughout 1998. The support center team is
utilizing a leading customer support trouble ticketing and workflow management
system offered by Vantive Corporation. The system offers Verio the ability to
track, route, and report on customer issues and provides significant benefit in
ensuring quality and timely care to customers. Based on information received
through the trouble ticketing system, as well as through the centralized billing
and collections system, Verio is able to monitor network reliability and outage
experiences. To date, this information, as well as the low churn rates among
Verio's dedicated connectivity customers, reflects that the outages experienced
by Verio's customers, for the
                                       96
<PAGE>   111
 
most part, are minor and attributable to expected, ordinary course of business
service interruptions, telco capacity demands, and the customer's hardware and
software functionality issues. While Verio does not provide general service
warranties and has not instituted a uniform policy relating to the provision or
extent of service credits, Verio provides credits for outages resulting from
network failures in certain circumstances. To date, these credits have been
immaterial. Verio will continue to monitor outage experiences, and would expect
to record appropriate reserves if the level of outage credits becomes material.
 
     Financial Information Management. Verio is in the process of converting all
of its acquired ISP operations to the PeopleSoft(TM) financial reporting system
and the ADP payroll/human resources system, in order to provide a central,
standardized accounting system. As of October 31, 1998, 36 of the ISPs acquired
were utilizing the financial reporting system and 33 were utilizing the payroll
human resources system. These systems enable Verio to cost effectively increase
the productivity and quality of administrative support by standardizing
operational systems such as payroll, payables, purchasing and financial
reporting. These enhancements are part of Verio's initiative to implement
continuous improvement methodology and to create a learning organization.
 
     Billing and Collections. Verio has implemented the Kenan Systems' EC Arbor
billing solution which offers high quality, flexibility, cost-effectiveness and
scalability. Kenan is a leading billing solutions provider to the
telecommunications industry, providing accurate, timely, and easy-to-understand
invoicing. As of October 31, 1998, this system served 26 of Verio's acquired
ISPs. Verio is aggressively rolling out this billing platform to all of its
regional operations and will continue on the path toward centralized management
of billing operations.
 
NTT STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIP
 
     On April 7, 1998, Verio entered into agreements establishing a strategic
relationship with NTT. Under these agreements, upon the consummation of the IPO,
NTT acquired 4,493,877 shares of Common Stock for approximately $100.0 million
in aggregate consideration and is entitled to designate one member to serve on
Verio's Board of Directors. See "Certain Transactions of Verio -- Other
Transactions."
 
     In addition, Verio and NTT's U.S. affiliate, NTT America, Inc. ("NTT
America"), entered into a three year Outside Service Provider Agreement (the
"OSP Agreement"), which took effect upon the closing of the NTT Investment.
Pursuant to the OSP Agreement, Verio was designated as the preferred provider of
Internet access and related services to customers of NTT America on a reseller
basis. Verio and NTT also will connect their backbones and establish a peering
and transit relationship. During the term of the OSP Agreement, NTT America will
pay Verio for the services provided by Verio at predetermined rates reflective
of the strategic relationship between the parties, under which NTT is entitled
to "most favored customer" status and pricing concessions. Under the OSP
Agreement, NTT and Verio agreed to continue to negotiate the specific terms of
these arrangements. Recently, NTT America and Verio have executed a further
Strategic Partner Services Agreement setting forth the details for
implementation of the specific technical and administrative aspects arising
under the OSP Agreement. NTT America has now launched its branded Arcstar
Internet service in the U.S., and will resell the full range of Verio services
under this brand. Verio will also provide NTT America with full back-office and
engineering support.
 
SUBSIDIARY OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE
 
     While Verio now typically seeks to acquire 100% of new ISPs' operations,
Verio's early acquisition strategy was to rapidly build mass and scale by
acquiring less than 100% of its ISPs. In each case where Verio acquired less
than 100% of an ISP initially, it obtained the right to Buyout the remaining
equity in the future. As part of its integration strategy, Verio has effected
the Buyouts of all but one of the ISPs in which it did not initially acquire
100% ownership (other than VIANet, as discussed below). With the recent
completion of these Buyouts, Verio is now consolidating its ISP operations into
five integrated regional operating units and a national Web hosting division.
While Verio continues to own 100% of a number of operating subsidiaries, it is
continuing to consolidate the ownership of those subsidiaries in order to
minimize administrative costs.
 
                                       97
<PAGE>   112
 
   
     Verio currently holds an approximately 16% equity position in VIANet, which
was formed in 1997 to pursue a strategy similar to that of Verio's outside of
the U.S. and Canada. See "Certain Transactions of Verio -- Other Transactions."
Verio has no contractual right to acquire the remaining equity of VIANet, and
has no present plan to integrate the operations of VIANet with those of its own.
Hiway also owns minority and majority interests in certain entities that provide
Web hosting and other enhanced Internet services in various foreign countries.
Upon consummation of the Merger, Verio would acquire the remaining majority and
minority equity positions held by Hiway at that time, and may seek to acquire
the remaining equity in those entities in the future. Verio has recently
completed the acquisition of the remaining equity in one of these entities, a
German Web hosting company. If the Merger is not consummated, Hiway has an
option to purchase from Verio the 80% equity position in that entity that Verio
acquired, and Verio has a corresponding option to require Hiway to purchase that
80% interest from Verio.
    
 
COMPETITION
 
     The market for Internet connectivity and related services is extremely
competitive. Verio anticipates that competition will continue to intensify as
the use of the Internet grows. The tremendous growth and potential market size
of the Internet access market has attracted many new start-ups as well as
existing businesses from different industries. Current and prospective
competitors include, in addition to other national, regional and local ISPs,
long distance and local exchange telecommunications companies, cable television
companies, direct broadcast satellite and wireless communications providers, and
on-line service providers. Verio believes that a reliable national network,
knowledgeable salespeople and the quality of technical support currently are the
primary competitive factors in Verio's target market, and that price is usually
secondary to these factors. See "Risk Factors -- Competition; Pricing
Fluctuation."
 
     ISPs. According to Boardwatch magazine's directory of Internet Service
Providers, there are currently over 4,000 ISPs in the United States, consisting
of national, regional and local providers. Verio's current primary competitors
include other ISPs with a significant national presence which focus on business
customers, such as UUNet, GTE Internetworking (formerly BBN), PSINet, Concentric
Network and Intermedia/DIGEX. While Verio believes that its level of local
service and support and target market focus distinguish it from these
competitors, some of these competitors have significantly greater market
presence, brand recognition, and financial, technical and personnel resources
than Verio, and have extensive coast-to-coast Internet backbones. Verio also
competes with unaffiliated regional and local ISPs in its targeted geographic
regions.
 
     Telecommunications Carriers. All of the major long distance companies (also
known as interexchange carriers or IXCs), including AT&T, MCI/WorldCom, Cable &
Wireless/InternetMCI, and Sprint, offer Internet access services and compete
with Verio. The recent sweeping reforms in the federal regulation of the
telecommunications industry have created greater opportunities for LECs,
including the RBOCs, to enter the Internet connectivity market. In order to
address the Internet connectivity requirements of the current business customers
of long distance and local carriers, Verio believes that there is a move toward
horizontal integration through acquisitions of, joint ventures with, and the
wholesale purchase of connectivity from, ISPs. The MCI/WorldCom/MFS/UUNet
consolidation, Cable & Wireless' acquisition of InternetMCI, the
Intermedia/DIGEX merger and GTE's acquisition of BBN are indicative of this
trend. Accordingly, Verio expects that it will experience increased competition
from the traditional telecommunications carriers. Many of these
telecommunications carriers, in addition to their substantially greater network
coverage, market presence, and financial, technical and personnel resources,
also have large existing commercial customer bases. Furthermore,
telecommunications providers may have the ability to bundle Internet access with
basic local and long distance telecommunications services. Such bundling of
services may have an adverse effect on Verio's ability to compete effectively
with the telecommunications providers and may result in pricing pressure on
Verio that would have an adverse effect on Verio's business, financial condition
and results of operations. Verio believes that its local presence and its strong
technical and data-oriented sales force is an important feature distinguishing
it from the centralized voice-oriented sales approach typified by the current
Internet connectivity services offered by the IXCs and LECs.
 
                                       98
<PAGE>   113
 
     Cable Companies, Direct Broadcast Satellite and Wireless Communications
Companies. Many of the major cable companies have announced that they are
exploring the possibility of offering Internet connectivity, relying on the
viability of cable modems and economical upgrades to their networks. MediaOne
Group and TCI have recently announced trials to provide Internet cable service
to their residential customers in select areas. However, the cable companies are
faced with large-scale upgrades of their existing plant equipment and
infrastructure in order to support connections to the Internet backbone via
high-speed cable access devices. Additionally, their current subscriber base and
market focus is residential which requires that they partner with
business-focused providers or undergo massive sales and marketing and network
development efforts in order to target the business sector. Several
announcements also have recently been made by other alternative service
companies approaching the Internet connectivity market with various wireless
terrestrial and satellite-based service technologies. These include Hughes
Network System's DirecPC product that provides high-speed data through direct
broadcast satellite technology, CAI Wireless System's announcement of an MMDS
wireless cable operator launching data services via 2.5 to 2.7 GHz and
high-speed wireless modem technology, Cellularvision's announcement that it is
offering Internet access via high-speed wireless LMDS technology, and Winstar,
which currently offers high-speed Internet access to business customers over the
38 GHz spectrum.
 
     On-line Service Providers. The predominant on-line service providers,
including America Online, CompuServe, Microsoft Network, and Prodigy, have all
entered the Internet access business by engineering their current proprietary
networks to include Internet access capabilities. Verio competes to a lesser
extent with these on-line service providers.
 
     Recently, there have been several announcements regarding the deployment
and planned deployment of broadband services for high speed Internet access by
cable and telephone companies through new technologies such as cable modems and
various DSL technologies. While these providers initially targeted the
residential consumer, recently a number of DSL providers have also announced
their intent to offer DSL services to Verio's target market of small and medium
sized businesses, which may significantly affect the pricing of Verio's service
offerings. Further, a number of DSL providers have recently launched their
services in conjunction with ISPs (including Verio), allowing ISPs to offer
Internet connectivity over DSL circuits. These DSL circuits, which provide
higher speed and lower latency Internet connections than a standard dial-up
phone connection, may compete with Verio's dedicated connectivity offerings.
 
PROPERTIES
 
     Verio's corporate headquarters is located in Englewood, Colorado where
Verio leases approximately 43,400 square feet of office space. Verio's lease
agreement, which commenced February 1, 1998, is for a term of five years. Verio
also has executed a lease covering 20,700 square feet of space in the InfoMart
in Dallas, Texas, where Verio maintains its network operations center and
customer support center. That lease expires on June 30, 2002. Verio also leases
space, typically less than 200 square feet, in various geographic locations to
house network infrastructure and telecommunications equipment. Operational
functions are principally located in the offices of its regional operations,
where Verio typically is party to lease agreements for administrative office
space sufficient for locally based personnel, as well as smaller site leases to
house network equipment.
 
EMPLOYEES
 
     As of October 31, 1998, Verio employed approximately 1,200 people,
including full-time and part-time employees at its corporate headquarters in
Colorado, its network operations and customer support center in Texas and at its
controlled ISPs. Verio considers its employee relations to be good. None of the
employees of Verio is covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
 
TRADEMARKS AND TRADE NAMES
 
     Verio filed for federal trademark protection of "Verio" on November 29,
1996. This application is pending and Verio has no assurance that it will be
granted. Trademark protections for the Verio mark also
 
                                       99
<PAGE>   114
 
have been applied for in the European Economic Community, as well as in Japan.
Additionally, corporate name reservations for the name "Verio Inc." have been
filed in all fifty states. In conjunction with the consolidation of its ISPs
into regional operating entities, the ISPs have migrated to the Verio brand
name, with a regional or local geographical identifier appended.
 
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
 
     Verio is not currently party to any material legal proceedings.
 
                                       100
<PAGE>   115
 
                            CAPITALIZATION OF VERIO
                             (Amounts in Thousands)
 
     The following table sets forth at September 30, 1998 (i) the actual
capitalization of Verio, (ii) the pro forma capitalization adjusted for the
September 30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions, the WWW Acquisition and the effects
of the November 1998 Notes, and (iii) the pro forma capitalization adjusted to
reflect the Merger. This table should be read in conjunction with the Selected
Consolidated Financial Data of Verio, the Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined
Financial Statements of Verio and the Historical Consolidated Financial
Statements of Verio and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                                                         ------------------------------------------
                                                                                       PRO FORMA
                                                         HISTORICAL   PRO FORMA(1)   AS ADJUSTED(2)
                                                         ----------   ------------   --------------
<S>                                                      <C>          <C>            <C>
Cash and cash equivalents..............................  $ 245,912     $ 627,357       $ 450,925
Restricted cash and securities.........................     21,397        21,397          21,397
                                                         =========     =========       =========
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of
  current portions.....................................    274,452       674,452         680,506
                                                         ---------     ---------       ---------
Stockholders equity:
  Common stock, par value $0.001 per share; 125,000,000
     shares authorized; 32,789,776 shares outstanding
     historical and pro forma; 37,709,776 shares pro
     forma as adjusted; and additional paid in
     capital(3)........................................    374,387       374,387         449,107
  Accumulated deficit..................................   (139,780)     (139,780)       (139,780)
                                                         ---------     ---------       ---------
          Total stockholders' equity...................    234,607       234,607         309,327
                                                         ---------     ---------       ---------
          Total capitalization.........................  $ 509,059     $ 909,059       $ 989,833
                                                         =========     =========       =========
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) Pro forma for the September 30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions, the WWW
    Acquisition and the effects of the November 1998 Notes, as if they had
    occurred on September 30, 1998. See "Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined
    Financial Statements of Verio" and the notes thereto.
 
(2) As adjusted to give effect to the $176.0 million in cash payable to holders
    of Hiway Common Stock outstanding as of the Effective Time and 4.92 million
    shares of Verio Common Stock issuable to holders of Hiway Common Stock
    outstanding as of the Effective Time or upon the exercise of Hiway Options
    or Warrants outstanding as of the Effective Time. See "Unaudited Pro Forma
    Condensed Combined Financial Statements of Verio" and the notes thereto.
 
(3) Does not include 4,633,084 shares of Verio Common Stock reserved for
    issuance pursuant to outstanding stock options or 1,697,019 shares issuable
    upon exercise of outstanding warrants, each as of September 30, 1998.
 
                                       101
<PAGE>   116
 
     SELECTED CONSOLIDATED HISTORICAL AND PRO FORMA FINANCIAL DATA OF VERIO
 
    The selected historical consolidated financial data of Verio as of December
31, 1997, and for the period from inception (March 1, 1996) to December 31,
1996, and the year ended December 31, 1997 have been derived from the audited
Consolidated Financial Statements of Verio included elsewhere in this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus. The selected historical consolidated financial data as of
September 30, 1998 and for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 1997 and
1998 have been derived from unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements of
Verio, also included herein.
 
    The information set forth below should be read in conjunction with the
Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements of Verio and the
historical Consolidated Financial Statements of Verio and the notes thereto
included elsewhere in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus. Results of operations for
the period from inception to December 31, 1996, year ended December 31, 1997 and
the nine-month periods ended September 30, 1997 and 1998 are not necessarily
indicative of results of operations for future periods. Verio's development and
expansion activities, including acquisitions, during the periods shown below
significantly affect the comparability of this data from one period to another.
All significant adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments,
which, in the opinion of Verio's management, are necessary for a fair
presentation of Verio's financial position and results of operations as of
September 30, 1998 and for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 1997 and
1998 have been included. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations of Verio."
 
                      SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
                   (AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                             PERIOD FROM
                                              INCEPTION
                                                                                            NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                                    YEAR ENDED           --------------------------------------
                                           (MARCH 1, 1996)       DECEMBER 31, 1997             HISTORICAL          PRO FORMA(1)
                                           TO DECEMBER 31,   -------------------------   -----------------------   ------------
                                                1996         HISTORICAL   PRO FORMA(1)     1997          1998          1998
                                           ---------------   ----------   ------------   ---------    ----------   ------------
<S>                                        <C>               <C>          <C>            <C>          <C>          <C>
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Revenue:
  Dedicated connectivity.................      $ 1,100       $  16,383     $   47,714    $  10,120    $   36,924    $   40,486
  Dial-up connectivity...................        1,139           7,093         17,224        4,314        16,272        18,781
  Enhanced services and other............          126          12,216         34,160        7,853        30,347        41,860
                                               -------       ---------     ----------    ---------    ----------    ----------
        Total revenue....................        2,365          35,692         99,098       22,287        83,543       101,127
Costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating costs......          974          15,974         41,180        9,504        37,928        42,106
  Selling, general and administrative and
    other................................        7,002          49,383         88,697       31,233        80,941        92,935
  Stock option related compensation and
    severance costs......................           --              --             --           --         3,040         6,680
  Depreciation and amortization..........          669          10,624         31,692        6,737        26,818        32,515
                                               -------       ---------     ----------    ---------    ----------    ----------
        Total costs and expenses.........        8,645          75,981        161,569       47,474       148,727       174,236
                                               -------       ---------     ----------    ---------    ----------    ----------
Loss from operations.....................       (6,280)        (40,289)       (62,471)     (25,187)      (65,184)      (73,109)
Other income (expense):
  Interest income........................          593           6,080          6,156        4,068         9,381         9,420
  Interest expense.......................         (115)        (11,826)       (58,543)      (5,899)      (22,860)      (57,531)
  Equity in losses of affiliates.........           --          (1,958)            --       (1,642)           --            --
  Minority interests.....................          680           1,924             --        1,638           545           184
                                               -------       ---------     ----------    ---------    ----------    ----------
  Loss before extraordinary item.........       (5,122)        (46,069)    $ (114,858)     (27,022)      (78,118)   $( 121,036)
                                                                           ==========                               ==========
  Extraordinary item -- loss related to
    debt repurchase......................           --              --                          --       (10,101)
                                               -------       ---------                   ---------    ----------
        Net loss.........................       (5,122)        (46,069)                    (27,022)      (88,219)
Accretion of preferred stock to
  liquidation value......................          (23)           (260)                       (179)          (87)
                                               -------       ---------                   ---------    ----------
Net loss attributable to common
  stockholders...........................      $(5,145)      $ (46,329)                  $ (27,201)   $  (88,306)
                                               =======       =========                   =========    ==========
Loss per common share -- basic and
  diluted(2):
  Loss per common share before
    extraordinary item...................      $ (5.29)      $  (40.47)    $  (100.34)   $  (24.11)   $    (4.49)   $    (6.93)
                                               =======       =========     ==========    =========    ==========    ==========
  Loss per common share..................      $ (5.29)      $  (40.47)    $  (100.34)   $  (24.11)   $    (5.06)
                                               =======       =========                   =========    ==========
Weighted average common shares
  outstanding -- basic and diluted.......      971,748       1,144,685      1,144,685    1,128,004    17,462,447    17,462,447
                                               =======       =========     ==========    =========    ==========    ==========
OTHER DATA:
EBITDA(3)................................      $(5,611)      $ (29,665)    $  (30,779)   $ (18,450)   $  (38,366)   $  (40,594)
Capital expenditures(4)..................        3,430          14,547                      11,002        15,327
Cash flows information:
  Net cash used by operating
    activities...........................       (2,326)        (35,323)                    (20,462)      (36,257)
  Net cash used by investing
    activities...........................       (9,123)       (120,330)                    (89,375)     (119,312)
  Net cash provided by financing
    activities...........................       77,916         161,772                     163,002       328,895
</TABLE>
 
                                       102
<PAGE>   117
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               AS OF DECEMBER 31,        AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
                                                              ---------------------      -------------------------
                                                               1996          1997        HISTORICAL   PRO FORMA(1)
                                                              -------      --------      ----------   ------------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>           <C>          <C>
BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Cash and cash equivalents...................................  $66,467      $ 72,586       $245,912      $627,356
Restricted cash and securities..............................       --        40,554         21,397        21,397
Goodwill, net...............................................    8,736        83,216        210,067       217,000
Total assets................................................   82,628       246,471        562,329       962,787
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, net of
  discount..................................................      106       142,321        274,452       674,452
Redeemable preferred stock..................................   76,877        97,249             --            --
Stockholders' equity (deficit)..............................   (4,055)      (27,001)       234,607       234,607
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) Pro forma for the September 30, 1998 Completed Acquisitions and the WWW
    Acquisition as if they had occurred on September 30, 1998 for balance sheet
    purposes and on January 1, 1997 for statement of operations data purposes.
    The pro forma information also includes the effects of the November 1998
    Notes, but does not include the effects of the Merger. See "Unaudited Pro
    Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements of Verio" and the notes
    thereto.
 
(2) Verio paid no cash dividends on Verio Common Stock during the period from
    inception (March 1, 1996) to December 31, 1996, the year ended December 31,
    1997, and the nine months ended September 30, 1998.
 
(3) EBITDA represents earnings (loss) from operations before interest, taxes,
    depreciation, amortization and provision for loss on write-offs of
    investments in ISPs and fixed assets and includes non-cash stock option
    compensation and severance costs of $3.0 million and $6.7 million on a
    historical and pro forma basis, respectively, for the nine months ended
    September 30, 1998. The primary measure of operating performance is net
    earnings (loss). Although EBITDA is a measure commonly used in Verio's
    industry, it should not be construed as an alternative to net earnings
    (loss), determined in accordance with GAAP, as an indicator of operating
    performance or as an alternative to cash flows from operating activities,
    determined in accordance with GAAP. In addition, the measure of EBITDA
    presented herein by Verio may not be comparable to other similarly titled
    measures of other companies.
 
(4) Excludes equipment and leasehold improvements acquired in business
    acquisitions.
 
                                       103
<PAGE>   118
 
               MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
                  CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF VERIO
 
     The following discussion and analysis is based on the historical and pro
forma results of Verio and includes a number of ISPs acquired at various times.
See "Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Combined Financial Statements of Verio" for
the basis of presentation and those business acquisitions included therein.
Investments in ISP affiliates in which Verio acquires a minority interest are
accounted for at cost. Investments in ISP affiliates in which Verio acquires a
majority interest through the acquisition of net assets, common stock or
convertible preferred stock, and exercises significant control over the
operations, are accounted for using the purchase method of accounting and,
accordingly, the financial results of these ISPs have been consolidated with
those of Verio. Certain statements set forth below constitute "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Reform Act. Such forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that
may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Verio, or industry
results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Given
these uncertainties, prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on such forward-looking statements. See "Risk
Factors -- Forward-Looking Statements."
 
OVERVIEW
 
     Verio is a leading provider of Internet connectivity, Web hosting, virtual
private networks ("VPNs"), e-commerce and other enhanced Internet services with
an emphasis on serving small and medium sized businesses. Since its inception in
March 1996, Verio has rapidly established a global presence through the
acquisition, integration, and growth of local Internet service providers
("ISPs") with a business customer focus. Verio believes that small and medium
sized businesses represent an attractive target market for the provision of
Internet services due to this market's low current penetration levels and
customer churn, and the expanding Internet needs of these businesses. Verio
believes it has a unique competitive advantage in serving small and medium sized
business customers through the combination of the technical competency and
hands-on support provided through its local sales and engineering personnel with
the quality and economic efficiency of Verio's national network, operational
infrastructure and financial strength. Verio has quickly built critical mass by
acquiring the stock or assets of, or making significant investments in, over 45
ISPs that provide a comprehensive range of Internet connectivity, Web hosting
and other enhanced products and services to over 160,000 customer accounts
providing locally based sales and engineering support in 39 of the top 50 MSAs
in the U.S. under the Verio brand name and providing Web hosting services to
customers in over 100 countries. Verio and its consolidated subsidiaries had
total revenue of approximately $33.8 million for the three-month period ended
September 30, 1998. Taking into account the combined revenue of all ISP
operations acquired as of October 31, 1998, the pro forma combined revenue for
the three-month period ended September 30, 1998 would have been approximately
$35.7 million. Combined revenue includes the revenue of all of the ISPs that
were owned 51% or more on or before October 31, 1998. The completion of the
Merger, which Verio currently expects to complete in the first week of 1999
(subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions) would increase
Verio's pro forma combined revenue for the three months ended September 30, 1998
to approximately $46.2 million.
 
     Initially, Verio's strategy was to acquire 51% to 100% of a large regional
ISP, and a minority interest in smaller ISPs within designated geographic
regions. Verio now generally seeks to acquire 100% of new ISPs and, during the
second quarter of 1998, Verio completed the buyout of the remaining equity
interests (each, a "Buyout") in all but one of the ISPs in which Verio initially
acquired less than a 100% interest. Since that time, Verio has undertaken to
consolidate the ownership and management of the acquired ISPs into five
geographic operating regions, and to integrate the network operations, customer
support, marketing efforts, financial and accounting systems, and other
back-office functions onto Verio's national systems, in order to capture scale
and operating efficiencies. Verio has incurred significant one-time costs in
these consolidation efforts, but expects to recognize substantial long-term cost
savings as a result of these expenditures. Verio has the contractual right to
effect the Buyout of the one remaining ISP in which it does not currently hold
100% ownership (not including V-I-A Internet, Inc. ("VIANet") in which Verio
holds an approximately 16%
 
                                       104
<PAGE>   119
 
equity position). From January 1, 1998 through September 30, 1998, Verio
incurred costs of approximately $52.2 million, in the aggregate, in connection
with a total of 11 Buyouts, and approximately $84.8 million for acquisitions,
which amounts were paid with a combination of cash, shares of Verio stock and
options to acquire stock. As a result of its acquisitions, and the limited
amount of fixed assets required to operate an ISP, Verio has recorded
significant amounts of goodwill, and expects goodwill to increase significantly
during 1998.
 
     During July 1998, Verio announced its two largest acquisitions to date: The
acquisition of NTX, Inc. d/b/a TABNet ("TABNet") was consummated on July 7, 1998
(the "TABNet Acquisition). In the TABNet Acquisition, Verio paid an initial
purchase price of $45.5 million in cash to TABNet's shareholders. While the
TABNet Acquisition Agreement provided for additional contingent payments to be
paid based on TABNet's performance through the end of 1998, Verio does not
currently anticipate that any material amount of additional consideration will
be required to be paid. In connection with the Merger, Verio has agreed to pay
total consideration of approximately $176.0 million in cash and 4.92 million
fully diluted shares of Verio's Verio Common Stock to Hiway's shareholders,
option holders and warrant holders.
 
     To fund its acquisitions and operations, through September 30, 1998, Verio
had raised approximately $320.5 million of equity capital, including
approximately $115.7 million (after deduction of underwriting discounts,
commissions and expenses) in connection with its initial public offering of
Verio Common Stock ("the IPO") and approximately $100.0 million in connection
with its sale of Verio Common Stock to an affiliate of Nippon Telegraph and
Telephone Corporation ("NTT"), both of which occurred in May 1998. On June 15,
1998, pursuant to the partial exercise, at the request of the managing
underwriters, of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters in the
IPO, Verio raised an additional $5.1 million after deduction of underwriting
discounts and commissions (the "Over-Allotment Offering"). Verio also issued
$150.0 million principal amount of 13 1/2% Senior Notes due 2004 ("the 1997
Notes") to a group of institutional investors and Brooks Fiber Properties, Inc.
("Brooks"), $100.0 million of which remain outstanding following the repurchase
of $50.0 million principal amount of the 1997 Notes previously held by Brooks
(the "Refinancing"). On March 25, 1998, Verio consummated the sale of $175.0
million principal amount of 10 3/8% Senior Notes due 2005 (the "March 1998
Notes"), a portion of the proceeds of which was used to effect the Refinancing.
Subsequent to September 30, 1998, on November 25, 1998, Verio issued the
November 1998 Notes with an aggregate principal amount of $400 million, and
resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $389 million after
deducting the initial purchasers' discount and expenses. See "-- Liquidity and
Capital Resources."
 
     Verio has incurred net losses since its inception, and management expects
to incur significant additional losses as Verio continues its acquisition
program, the development of its national network, the implementation of its
national services and systems, and the integration of the operations it
acquires. For the period from inception to December 31, 1996, the year ended
December 31, 1997, and the nine-month period ended September 30, 1998, Verio
reported net losses of $5.1 million, $46.3 million, and $88.3 million,
respectively. The extent to which Verio continues to experience negative cash
flow will depend upon a number of factors, including the number and size of its
further acquisitions, the expenses and time required to integrate acquired
operations and capture operating efficiencies, and the ability to generate
increasing revenue and cash flow. While Verio anticipates that it will recognize
various economies and efficiencies of scale as a result of the integration of
the operations of the ISPs it has acquired and continues to acquire, the process
of consolidating the businesses and implementing the strategic integration of
Verio and its acquired operations may take a significant period of time, will
place a significant strain on Verio's resources, and could subject Verio to
additional expenses during the integration process. The timing and amount of
expenditures related to Verio's cost-saving initiatives and integration efforts
may be difficult to predict. Verio may increase near-term expenditures in order
to accelerate the integration and consolidation of acquired operations with the
goal of achieving longer-term cost savings and improved profitability.
 
                                       105
<PAGE>   120
 
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
 
  REVENUE
 
     Verio derives the majority of its revenue from business customers who
purchase dedicated Internet connections and enhanced services such as Web
hosting. Verio's subsidiaries offer a broad range of connectivity options to
their customers including dedicated, dial-up, Integrated Services Digital
Network ("ISDN"), frame relay and point-to-point connections. Dedicated
connection customers typically sign a contract for one to three years of service
that provides for fixed, recurring monthly service charges, and pay a one-time
setup fee. These charges vary depending on the type of service, the length of
the contract, and local market conditions. Dial-up customers also typically pay
a one-time setup fee and recurring monthly service charges. Fees and service
charges for enhanced services vary from product to product. For example, Web
hosting customers typically pay a one-time setup fee and fixed monthly service
charges that vary depending on the amount of disk space and bandwidth required.
In contrast, domain name registration customers pay a one-time fee. Additional
sources of enhanced services and other revenue include e-commerce, virtual
private networks, security services, co-location services, consulting and the
sales of equipment and customer circuits. Revenue related to Internet
connectivity and enhanced services is recognized as the services are provided.
Amounts billed relating to future periods are recorded as deferred revenue and
amortized monthly as services are rendered.
 
     Currently, connectivity services provide a majority of total revenue.
However, revenue from enhanced services, especially Web hosting, is expected to
represent an increasing percentage of total revenue in future periods. With the
TABNet Acquisition and the proposed Merger, Verio expects that revenue from
enhanced services and other revenue, including Web hosting, will exceed 50% of
its total revenue. Revenue from business customers currently represents
approximately 90% of total revenue. In addition to the growth that Verio has
achieved through acquisitions, revenue is also expected to increase due to
internal growth. In the past, Verio has experienced some seasonality in its
internal revenue growth, with the period of higher growth being the fall and
winter.
 
  Nine months ended September 30, 1997 compared to the nine months ended
September 30, 1998
 
     Total consolidated revenue increased 275% from $22.3 million for the nine
months ended September 30, 1997, to $83.5 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 1998. Internet connectivity represented 65% and 64% of total
revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 1997 and the nine months ended
September 30, 1998, respectively, with the balance derived from enhanced
services and other. The increase in enhanced services and other revenue as a
percentage of total revenue is due to acquisitions and increased sales of
enhanced services. The increase in revenue from the nine months ended September
30, 1997 to the nine months ended September 30, 1998 was primarily due to the
acquisitions of ISPs subsequent to September 30, 1997. Revenue attributable to
acquisitions completed subsequent to September 30, 1997 accounted for $42.2
million or 50% of total revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 1998.
The larger acquisitions completed subsequent to September 30, 1997 contributed
the following revenue amounts for the nine months ended September 30, 1998: $7.9
million from Clark Internet Services, Inc. and Monumental Network System, Inc.
(whose operations have been consolidated); $4.7 million from Internet Servers,
Inc.; and $3.4 million from TABNet.
 
  Period from Inception to December 31, 1996 compared to the Year Ended December
31, 1997
 
     Total consolidated revenues increased from $2.4 million for the period from
inception (March 1, 1996) to December 31, 1996 (the "1996 Period"), to $35.7
million for the year ended December 31, 1997. Internet connectivity decreased
from 95% of total revenue for the 1996 Period to 66% for the year ended December
31, 1997, with the balance derived from enhanced services and other, which
include Web hosting, consulting, sales of equipment and customer circuits. The
increase in enhanced services and other revenues as a percentage of total
revenues is because of a change in the revenue mix resulting from acquisitions
and increased sales of enhanced services. The increase in dedicated and dial-up
revenues and enhanced services and other revenues for the 1996 Period compared
to the year ended December 31, 1997 was primarily due to
 
                                       106
<PAGE>   121
 
the acquisitions of ISPs subsequent to December 31, 1996 and the longer period
covered. Revenues attributable to acquisitions completed in 1996 accounted for
$2.4 million or 100% of total revenues for the 1996 Period. Of these
acquisitions, revenues from material acquisitions were $1.8 million from On-Ramp
Technologies, Inc. and $.5 million from RAINet, Inc. Revenues attributable to
material acquisitions completed in 1997 accounted for $23.8 million or 67% of
total revenues for the year ended December 31, 1997. Of these acquisitions,
revenues from material acquisitions were $7.7 million from NorthWestNet, Inc.
($4.4 million in connectivity revenue and $3.3 million in enhanced services and
other revenue), and $3.6 million from Global Enterprise Services ($2.3 million
in connectivity revenue and $1.3 million in enhanced services and other
revenue). Revenues attributable to ISPs consolidated for the entire year were
31% of total revenues for the year ended December 31, 1997.
 
  COSTS OF SERVICE AND OPERATING EXPENSES
 
     Internet services operating costs consist primarily of local
telecommunication expense, Internet access expense and the cost of equipment and
customer circuits sold. Local telecommunications expense represents the cost of
transporting data between Verio's Points of Presence ("POPs") and a transit
provider, or circuits from the customer's location to one of the POPs. As of
September 30, 1998, 35 of the ISPs acquired prior thereto were utilizing the
Verio national network for their Internet access. In March 1998, Verio signed a
long-term long haul capacity agreement with Qwest Communications Corporation
("Qwest") (the "Capacity Agreement") in order to reduce the per unit costs of
such services. There will not be a significant effect on the results for 1998
from this agreement due to the time required to convert from existing circuits;
however, Verio expects that the pricing advantages provided by this agreement
will substantially reduce the cost of these services in future years.
Additionally, Verio has the right to prepay its minimum commitment, which would
allow the capitalization of costs (to the extent prepaid) under this contract.
Such capitalized costs would be amortized to operations over the term of the
agreement. The amount of the prepayment at September 30, 1998 would have been
approximately $60.0 million. Verio has incurred certain one-time expenses in
connection with the cancellation of Internet access contracts of acquired ISPs
and the consolidation of duplicate POPs that resulted from overlapping
acquisitions, closing a total of 31 POPs during the first nine months of 1998.
 
     Selling, general and administrative and other expenses consist primarily of
salaries and related employment expenses, consulting, travel and entertainment,
rent, and utilities. During the three months ended September 30, 1998, Verio
incurred approximately $3.5 million in higher sales and marketing expenses
compared to the immediately prior three-month period, reflecting Verio's
increase in quota-carrying salespeople, a national advertising and marketing
campaign, and other sales-related efforts. In addition, Verio recorded a
one-time charge relating to integration activities of approximately $1.9 million
in connection with the elimination of approximately 250 positions, which are no
longer necessary due to the integration of these functions onto Verio's national
services.
 
     Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the assets
ranging from 3 to 5 years using the straight-line method. The excess of cost
over the fair value of net assets acquired, or goodwill, is amortized using the
straight-line method over a ten-year period.
 
  Nine months ended September 30, 1997 compared to the nine months ended
September 30, 1998
 
     Internet services operating costs were 43% and 45% of total revenue for the
nine months ended September 30, 1997 and the nine months ended September 30,
1998, respectively. Total consolidated Internet services operating costs
increased $28.4 million from the nine months ended September 30, 1997 to the
nine months ended September 30, 1998 primarily due to the acquisitions of ISPs
subsequent to September 30, 1997. Internet services operating costs attributable
to corporate operations were 14% of total Internet services operating costs for
the nine months ended September 30, 1997, compared to 21% of total Internet
services operating costs for the nine months ended September 30, 1998. This
increase is primarily due to the conversion of acquired ISPs onto Verio's
national network. Verio expects Internet services operating costs to increase in
absolute dollars but to decrease as a percentage of total revenue over time as
additional acquired
 
                                       107
<PAGE>   122
 
ISPs are integrated onto Verio's national network, as enhanced services become a
larger percentage of total revenue, and as the Capacity Agreement with Qwest is
implemented.
 
     Selling, general and administrative and other expenses decreased from 140%
to 97% of total revenue from the nine months ended September 30, 1997 to the
nine months ended September 30, 1998. Total selling, general and administrative
and other expenses increased $49.7 million or 159% from the nine months ended
September 30, 1997 to the nine months ended September 30, 1998 primarily due to
acquisitions completed subsequent to September 30, 1997. In addition, Verio
incurred $3.4 million in one-time charges in connection with Verio's network and
operational consolidation and the associated integration of a number of its
previously acquired ISP operations. These expenses include approximately $1.9
million primarily related to severance costs in connection with the elimination
of approximately 250 positions which are no longer necessary due to the
integration of these functions on to Verio's national services. These
terminations have begun and will continue for approximately nine months. The
remaining liability for unpaid severance costs totaled approximately $1.7
million at September 30, 1998. The balance of the one-time integration expenses
were primarily related to personnel relocation costs and costs associated with
the cancellation of Internet access contracts and the closure of redundant POP
facilities of acquired ISPs. Corporate selling, general and administrative
expenses including the one-time expenses decreased from 59% of total revenue for
the nine months ended September 30, 1997 to 29% for the nine months ended
September 30, 1998. Consolidated sales and marketing expenses decreased from 32%
of total revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 1997 to 27% for the
nine months ended September 30, 1998, due in part to efficiencies gained from
the regionalization and nationalization of certain sales and marketing
functions.
 
     Verio expects selling, general and administrative expenses to continue to
increase in absolute dollars but to decrease as a percentage of total revenue as
Verio acquires additional Internet businesses, allowing it to spread its
corporate overhead over a larger revenue base, as its scaleable systems reduce
the incremental costs of supporting additional revenue, as sales force
productivity increases with experience, and as indirect selling channels are
expanded. Verio anticipates that increases in absolute dollar terms will be
primarily due to increased personnel resulting from acquisitions and additional
expenditures in sales and marketing. Depreciation and goodwill amortization are
expected to continue to increase significantly as a result of Verio's
acquisition and investment strategies. Also, Verio expects that it will continue
to incur significant one-time integration expenses related to its strategy of
acquiring and regionalizing ISP operations, and integrating those operations
onto Verio's national systems.
 
  Period from Inception to December 31, 1996 compared to the Year Ended December
31, 1997
 
     Internet services operating costs increased from 41% to 45% of total
revenues from the 1996 Period to the year ended December 31, 1997. Internet
services operating costs attributable to acquisitions completed in 1996
accounted for $0.7 million, or 69%, of total Internet services operating costs
for the 1996 Period. Total consolidated Internet services operating costs
increased $15.0 million from the 1996 Period to the year ended December 31,
1997, primarily due to the acquisitions of ISPs subsequent to December 31, 1996.
Of these acquisitions, the costs from material acquisitions were $0.4 million
from On-Ramp Technologies, Inc. and $.2 million from RAINet, Inc. Internet
services operating costs attributable to acquisitions completed in 1997
accounted for $8.3 million, or 52%, of total Internet services operating costs
for the year ended December 31, 1997. Of these acquisitions, the costs from
material acquisitions were $2.5 million from Global Enterprise Services, $1.2
million from NorthWestNet, Inc. and $1.1 million from Compute Intensive Inc.
Internet services operating costs attributable to ISPs consolidated for the
entire year were 26% of total Internet services operating costs for the year
ended December 31, 1997. Internet services operating costs attributable to
corporate operations were 33% of total Internet services operating costs for the
1996 Period, compared to 22% of total Internet services operating costs for the
year ended December 31, 1997. This decrease is primarily the result of
acquisitions in late 1997 that had not yet converted to Verio's national
network.
 
     Selling, general and administrative and other expenses declined from 296%
to 138% of total revenues from the 1996 Period to the year ended December 31,
1997. Total selling, general and administrative and other expenses increased
$42.4 million from the 1996 Period to the year ended December 31, 1997,
primarily due to the acquisitions of ISPs subsequent to December 31, 1996.
Selling, general and administrative and
                                       108
<PAGE>   123
 
other expenses attributable to acquisitions completed in 1996 accounted for $3.1
million or 44% of total selling, general and administrative and other expenses
for the 1996 Period. Corporate, selling, general and administrative expenses
accounted for 167% of total revenue for the 1996 Period compared to 54% for the
year ended December 31, 1997. Selling, general and administrative and other
expenses attributable to acquisitions completed in 1997 accounted for $19.7
million or 40% of total selling, general and administrative and other expenses
for the year ended December 31, 1997. Of these acquisitions, the expenses from
material acquisitions were $4.9 million from NorthWestNet, Inc., $4.3 million
from Compute Intensive Inc., and $3.2 million from Global Enterprise Services.
Selling, general and administrative and other expenses attributable to ISPs
consolidated for the entire year, and to corporate expenses, were 22% and 38% of
total selling, general and administrative and other expenses for the year ended
December 31, 1997, respectively. For the 1996 Period, selling, general and
administrative and other expenses relating to operations, engineering and
customer care were 63% of total selling, general and administrative and other
expenses compared to 66% for the year ended December 31, 1997, as a result of
Verio's decision to emphasize the quality of its engineering and technical
support for its customers. Sales and marketing expenses decreased from 49% of
total revenue for the 1996 Period to 30% for the year ended December 31, 1997,
due in part to efficiencies gained from the regionalization and nationalization
of certain sales and marketing functions. Executive and finance expenses were
59% of total revenue for the 1996 Period compared to 17% for the year ended
December 31, 1997.
 
  OTHER EXPENSES
 
  Nine months ended September 30, 1997 compared to the nine months ended
September 30, 1998
 
     Interest expense increased from $5.9 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 1997 to $22.9 million for the nine months ended September 30,
1998, primarily as a result of the issuance of the 1997 Notes in June 1997 and
the issuance of the March 1998 Notes in March 1998. Interest income increased
from $4.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 1997 to $9.4 million
for the nine months ended September 30, 1998 due to the increased cash balance
related to the debt and equity offerings. See "-- Liquidity and Capital
Resources."
 
     Verio incurred an extraordinary expense of $10.1 million related to the
Refinancing. See "-- Liquidity and Capital Resources."
 
  Period from inception to December 31, 1996 compared to the Year Ended December
31, 1997
 
     During the year ended December 31, 1997, Verio recognized equity in losses
of affiliates in the amount of $1,958,000, representing losses of those
affiliates in excess of the equity of the common shareholders of the affiliates.
See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements of Verio.
 
     Interest expense increased from $115,000 in the 1996 Period to $11.8
million for the year ended December 31, 1997 primarily as a result of the
completion of the $150.0 million placement of the 1997 Notes on June 24, 1997.
Interest expense is expected to increase in 1998, reflecting a full year's
interest on the 1997 Notes that remain outstanding and interest on the March
1998 Notes.
 
  INCOME TAXES
 
     As of December 31, 1997, Verio had a net operating loss carryforward for
federal income tax purposes of approximately $49.9 million which is available to
offset future federal taxable income, if any, through 2012. The utilization of a
portion of the net operating loss carryforwards may be limited under Section 382
of the Internal Revenue Code. No tax benefit for such losses has been recorded
by Verio in fiscal 1997 or 1998 due to uncertainties regarding the utilization
of the loss carryforward.
 
  STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
 
     Verio accounts for its stock-based compensation plans in accordance with
Accounting Principles Board Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to
Employees, and Related Interpretations. Since inception, Verio has granted stock
options with exercise prices equal to the fair value of the underlying Verio
Common
 
                                       109
<PAGE>   124
 
Stock, as determined by Verio's Board of Directors and based on Verio's other
equity transactions. Accordingly, Verio has not recorded compensation expense
related to the granting of stock options in 1996, 1997 and through February 28,
1998. Subsequent to February 28, 1998, and prior to the IPO, Verio granted
options to employees with exercise prices which were less than $22 per share
which was the low end of the IPO filing range immediately prior to the IPO.
Verio will record compensation expense totaling approximately $10.6 million,
representing the difference between the strike prices of the options granted and
$22 per share, pro rata over the forty-eight month vesting period of the
options. This compensation expense will total approximately $2.0 million for the
year ended December 31, 1998 and was $1.3 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 1998. Additionally, Verio incurred $1.4 million in compensation
expense during the quarter ended June 30, 1998 primarily related to the
accelerated vesting of options issued to Mark Johnson, Verio's former president
who passed away in March 1998, and approximately $0.4 million in compensation
expense during the quarter ended September 30, 1998, related to options issued
to Verio's new president.
 
QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                      THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  MARCH 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPTEMBER 30,   DECEMBER 31,   MARCH 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPTEMBER 30,
                                    1997        1997         1997            1997         1998        1998         1998
                                  ---------   --------   -------------   ------------   ---------   --------   -------------
                                                                    (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS)
<S>                               <C>         <C>        <C>             <C>            <C>         <C>        <C>
Revenue:
  Dedicated connectivity........   $ 1,954    $ 3,852      $  4,314        $  6,263     $  9,900    $ 12,644     $ 14,380
  Dial-up connectivity..........     1,106      1,564         1,644           2,779        4,147       5,739        6,386
  Enhanced services and other...     1,354      2,833         3,666           4,363        7,151      10,158       13,038
                                   -------    -------      --------        --------     --------    --------     --------
    Total revenue...............     4,414      8,249         9,624          13,405       21,198      28,541       33,804
Costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating
    costs.......................     2,042      3,433         4,029           6,470        9,536      13,318       15,074
  Selling, general and
    administrative and other....     6,718     11,122        13,393          18,150       19,999      25,851       35,091
  Stock option related
    compensation and severance
    costs.......................        --         --            --              --           --       2,001        1,039
  Depreciation and
    amortization................     1,246      2,548         2,943           3,887        6,381       8,698       11,740
                                   -------    -------      --------        --------     --------    --------     --------
    Total costs and expenses....    10,006     17,103        20,365          28,507       35,916      49,868       62,944
                                   -------    -------      --------        --------     --------    --------     --------
    Loss from operations........   $(5,592)   $(8,854)     $(10,741)       $(15,102)    $(14,718)   $(21,327)    $(29,140)
                                   =======    =======      ========        ========     ========    ========     ========
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                          THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      MARCH 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPTEMBER 30,   DECEMBER 31,   MARCH 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPTEMBER 30,
                                        1997        1997         1997            1997         1998        1998         1998
                                      ---------   --------   -------------   ------------   ---------   --------   -------------
                                                                  (AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL REVENUE)
<S>                                   <C>         <C>        <C>             <C>            <C>         <C>        <C>
Total revenue.......................     100%       100%          100%           100%         100%        100%         100%
Costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating
    costs...........................      46%        42%           42%            48%          45%         47%          45%
  Selling, general and
    administrative and other........     152%       135%          139%           135%          94%         91%         104%
  Stock option related compensation
    and severance costs.............       --         --            --             --           --          7%           3%
  Depreciation and amortization.....      28%        31%           31%            29%          30%         30%          35%
    Total costs and expenses........     227%       207%          212%           213%         169%        175%         186%
Loss from operations................    (127%)     (107%)        (112%)         (113%)        (69%)       (75%)        (86%)
</TABLE>
 
     Verio's operating results have fluctuated in the past and may in the future
fluctuate significantly depending upon a variety of factors, including the
incurrence of capital costs, costs associated with the integration of acquired
operations, and the introduction of value-added enhanced services and new
services by Verio. Additional factors that may contribute to variability of
operating results include: the pricing and mix of services offered by Verio;
customer retention rate; changes in pricing policies and product offerings by
Verio's competitors; growth in demand for network and Internet access services;
one-time costs associated with regional consolidation; and general
telecommunications services' performance and availability. Verio also has
experienced seasonal variation in Internet use and, therefore, revenue streams
may fluctuate accordingly. As a result, variations in the timing and amounts of
revenues could have a material adverse effect on Verio's
 
                                       110
<PAGE>   125
 
quarterly operating results. Due to the foregoing factors, Verio believes that
period-to-period comparisons of its operating results are not necessarily
meaningful and that such comparisons cannot be relied upon as indicators of
future performance.
 
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
 
     Verio's business and acquisition strategy has required and will continue to
require substantial capital for investments in Internet businesses, capital
expenditures for expansion of services, operating losses and working capital.
Net cash used by operating activities was $36.3 million during the nine months
ended September 30, 1998, which includes an increase in cash of $12.5 million
related to working capital items.
 
     Net cash used by investing activities was $119.3 million during the nine
months ended September 30, 1998, primarily related to purchases of fixed assets
of $15.3 million and approximately $121.4 million for acquisitions, which was
partially offset by $19.7 million provided from the release of the restricted
cash related to the Refinancing, which includes $6.5 million of net interest
payments on the 1997 Notes. Net cash provided by financing activities was $328.9
million during the nine months ended September 30, 1998, primarily from the IPO,
the March 1998 Notes, and the NTT investment.
 
     Until the completion of the IPO in May 1998, Verio financed its operations
primarily through the private sale of Preferred Stock, debt, and to a lesser
extent Verio Common Stock. In 1996, Verio raised approximately $78.1 million
from the sale of Series A and B Preferred Stock and approximately $1.1 million
from the sale of Verio Common Stock. In 1997, Verio sold Series C Preferred
Stock for gross proceeds of approximately $20.0 million. Upon the effectiveness
of Verio's IPO on May 12, 1998, all outstanding shares of Series A, B, C and D-1
Preferred Stock automatically converted to an equivalent number of shares of
Verio Common Stock.
 
     On June 24, 1997, Verio completed the placement of $150.0 million principal
amount of the 1997 Notes and attached warrants (the "Warrants"). One hundred
fifty thousand units were issued, each consisting of $1,000 principal amount of
the 1997 Notes and eight Warrants, with each Warrant entitling the holder
thereof to purchase 1.76 shares of Verio's Common Stock at a price of $.01 per
share, for a total of 2,112,480 shares of Verio Common Stock. The Warrants and
the 1997 Notes were separated on December 15, 1997. The 1997 Notes mature on
June 15, 2004. Interest on the 1997 Notes, at the annual rate of 13 1/2%, is
payable semi-annually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year.
Concurrent with the completion of the sale of the 1997 Notes, Verio was required
to deposit funds into an escrow account in an amount that together with interest
would be sufficient to fund the first five interest payments on the 1997 Notes.
Upon consummation of the sale of the March 1998 Notes and the Refinancing, that
portion of the escrowed amount attributable to the principal amount of the 1997
Notes refinanced was released to Verio. The 1997 Notes are redeemable at the
option of Verio commencing June 15, 2002. The 1997 Notes are senior unsecured
obligations of Verio ranking pari passu in right of payment with all existing
and future unsecured and senior indebtedness. The 1997 Notes impose significant
limitations on Verio's ability to incur additional indebtedness unless Verio's
Consolidated Pro Forma Interest Coverage Ratio (as defined) is greater than or
equal to 1.8 to 1.0 prior to June 30, 1999, or 2.5 to 1.0 on or after that date.
Verio is also limited in its ability to pay dividends or make Restricted
Payments (as defined in the Indenture, dated as of June 24, 1997, relating to
the 1997 Notes (the "1997 Indenture")), to engage in businesses other than the
Internet service business, and to place liens on its assets for the benefit of
persons other than the noteholders, among other restrictions. If a Change of
Control (as defined in the 1997 Indenture) occurs, Verio is required to make an
offer to purchase all of the 1997 Notes then outstanding at a price equal to
101% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
 
     On March 25, 1998, Verio completed the placement of $175.0 million
principal amount of the March 1998 Notes. The March 1998 Notes are senior
unsecured obligations of Verio ranking pari passu in right of payment with all
existing and future unsecured and senior indebtedness and mature on April 1,
2005. Interest on the March 1998 Notes, at the annual rate of 10 3/8%, is
payable semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and October 1 of each year,
commencing October 1, 1998. The March 1998 Notes are redeemable at the option of
Verio commencing April 1, 2002. The March 1998 Notes contain terms that are
substantially similar to the 1997 Notes. Verio used approximately $54.5 million
of the proceeds plus accrued interest to effect the repurchase of $50.0 million
principal amount of 1997 Notes from Brooks Fiber Properties, Inc. ("Brooks")
 
                                       111
<PAGE>   126
 
(the "Refinancing"). As a result of the Refinancing, Verio was refunded
approximately $13.3 million from the escrow account for the 1997 Notes, of which
approximately $1.9 million was used to pay accrued and unpaid interest on the
$50.0 million principal amount of 1997 Notes repurchased from Brooks.
 
     On April 6, 1998, Verio entered into a credit facility ("the Bank
Facility") with a group of commercial lending institutions that committed to
provide a $57.5 million revolving credit facility secured by the stock of the
ISPs that Verio owns currently or may own in the future and the Capacity
Agreement with Qwest. During the three months ended September 30, 1998, the Bank
Facility was increased to $70.0 million. The Chase Manhattan Bank serves as
agent for the Bank Facility. The Bank Facility requires no payments of principal
until its maturity on December 31, 1999. The terms of the Bank Facility provide
for borrowings at LIBOR + 2%. There is a commitment fee of  1/2% per annum on
the undrawn amount of the Bank Facility and a one-time fee of  1/2% on any
amounts drawn. The last $3.0 million of the Bank Facility can only be drawn for
the payment of interest. As of October 31, 1998, Verio had made no borrowings
under the Bank Facility.
 
     The Bank Facility sets forth covenants restricting, among other things,
Verio's ability to borrow, to guarantee the debt of others, and to make
borrowings at the subsidiary level. Verio is also limited in its ability to
enter into transactions with affiliates, create liens on its assets, and make
certain investments. In particular, Indebtedness (less cash), as defined in the
Bank Facility, may not exceed 2.35 times annualized pro forma revenue for the
most recent fiscal quarter. Verio's current indebtedness incurrence capacity is
approximately 2.35 times its annualized pro forma revenue. Dividends and certain
types of investments are prohibited, as are liens incurred for borrowed money.
Borrowings under the Bank Facility are required to be paid down with the
proceeds of new Indebtedness, certain asset sales, Excess Cash Flow (as defined
in the Bank Facility), or the net proceeds from insurance claims. As of October
31, 1998, Verio is in compliance with the provisions of each of the material
agreements under which it has incurred indebtedness.
 
     On May 12, 1998, Verio effected its IPO, selling 5,500,000 shares of Verio
Common Stock for net proceeds of approximately $115.7 million after deducting
underwriting discounts, commissions and expenses. Concurrently with the IPO,
Verio completed the sale of 4,493,877 shares of Verio Common Stock to an
affiliate of NTT for net proceeds of approximately $100.0 million. On June 15,
1998, pursuant to the partial exercise, at the request of the managing
underwriters, of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters in the
IPO, Verio sold an additional 235,000 shares in the Over-Allotment Offering. The
net proceeds from the Over-Allotment Offering were approximately $5.1 million
after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions.
 
     As of September 30, 1998, Verio had approximately $245.9 million in cash
and cash equivalents (excluding restricted cash). Subsequent to September 30,
1998, on November 25, 1998, Verio issued the November 1998 Notes, for net
proceeds of approximately $389 million after deducting the initial purchasers'
discount and expenses. Verio's business plan currently anticipates investments
of approximately $325.0 million over the next 12 months for capital
expenditures, currently anticipated acquisitions, operating losses and working
capital, including approximately $176.0 million for the Merger. EBITDA losses
increased from $(18.5) million for the nine months ended September 30, 1997 to
$(38.4) million for the nine months ended September 30, 1998 despite an increase
in revenue from $22.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 1997 to
$83.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 1998. EBITDA as a
percentage of revenue improved from (83%) to (46%) for the nine months ended
September 30, 1997 and the nine months ended September 30, 1998, respectively.
Cash flows from operations declined from $(20.5) million for the nine months
ended September 30, 1997 to $(36.3) million for the nine months ended September
30, 1998. Cash flows from operations as a percentage of revenue improved from
(92%) to (43%) from the nine months ended September 30, 1997 and 1998,
respectively. Verio incurred $80.9 million in selling, general and
administrative expenses during the nine months ended September 30, 1998 as it
invested in scaleable systems, hiring and sales training, and network
improvements, that it expects will result in incremental revenue at reduced
incremental costs. Although Verio is seeking to reduce EBITDA losses as a
percentage of revenue over time, there can be no assurance that Verio will be
able to do so, or that the rate of any reduction in EBITDA losses will be as
rapid as is being sought by Verio.
 
     Since the completion of substantially all of the Buyouts during the first
six months of 1998, Verio has focused considerable effort on, and incurred
significant expense in connection with, the consolidation of the
                                       112
<PAGE>   127
 
ownership and management and integration of the operations of the ISPs it has
acquired to date. During the three months ended September 30, 1998, Verio
recorded one-time expenses totaling approximately $3.4 million primarily in
connection with Verio's network and operational consolidation and integration
strategy, including approximately $1.9 million primarily related to the
elimination of approximately 250 positions which are no longer necessary due to
the integration of these functions into Verio's national services, and other
costs associated with personnel relocation and the cancellation of Internet
access contracts and the closure of redundant POP facilities of acquired ISPs.
Verio continues to incur costs for system upgrades and integration of TABNet's
operations onto Verio's network, customer care, billing and financial systems,
and expects to incur similar expenses associated with the integration of
additional ISP and Web hosting operations it acquires (including Hiway). While
Verio anticipates that these expenses could be significant, it also expects to
derive significant long-term savings as a result of synergies resulting from
telco and transit cost reductions, shared data centers, joint product
development, shared infrastructure and increased economies of scale made
possible by the consolidation and integration of its operations.
 
     Verio's anticipated expenditures are inherently uncertain and will vary
widely based on many factors including operating performance and working capital
requirements, the cost of additional acquisitions and investments, the
requirements for capital equipment to operate Verio's business, and Verio's
ability to raise additional funds. Accordingly, Verio may need significant
amounts of cash in excess of its plan, and no assurance can be given as to the
actual amounts of Verio's expenditures and additional capital requirements.
Verio is constantly evaluating potential acquisition and other strategic
transaction opportunities, which could significantly affect Verio's business
plan and cash needs. Verio intends to use a significant portion of its cash for
acquisitions, and will have to increase revenue without a commensurate increase
in costs to generate sufficient cash to enable it to meet its debt service
obligations as described above. There can be no assurance that Verio will have
sufficient resources to fund its continued acquisition efforts, particularly if
operating losses continue to increase or additional acquisition or other
strategic opportunities become available, or that Verio will be able to
successfully raise additional capital.
 
     Verio expects to meet its capital needs with cash on hand, proceeds from
the sale, or issuance of capital stock, credit facilities (including the Bank
Facility), lease financing, and additional debt. In the near term, Verio intends
to use its excess cash and the Bank Facility, which provides for up to $70.0
million in credit until it matures on December 31, 1999. Over the longer term,
Verio will be dependent on increased operating cash flows, and, to the extent
cash flow is not sufficient, the availability of additional financing, to meet
its debt service obligations. As an ongoing matter, Verio evaluates the
potential sources of capital that may be available to it, including public and
private sales of equity, the issuance of debt securities, bank financing, and
other sources, taking into account market conditions, available terms, the
current trading price of its stock, and other factors. There can be no assurance
that Verio will be able to service its indebtedness. Insufficient funding may
require Verio to delay or abandon some of its planned future expansion or
expenditures, which could have a material adverse effect on Verio's growth and
its ability to realize economies of scale. In addition, Verio's operating
flexibility with respect to certain business activities is limited by covenants
associated with its indebtedness. There can be no assurance that such covenants
will not adversely affect Verio's ability to finance its future operations or
capital needs or to engage in business activities that may be in the interest of
Verio.
 
NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
 
     During 1997, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statements of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 130, Reporting Comprehensive Income (SFAS
130), No. 131, Disclosures About Segments of an Enterprise and Related
Information (SFAS 131), and No. 132, Employers' Disclosures about Pensions and
Other Postretirement Benefits. During 1998, the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants issued Statement of Position No. 98-5, Reporting on the Costs
of Start-up Activities (SOP 97-5) and Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities.
The adoption of these pronouncements did not and are not expected to have a
significant effect on Verio's financial position or results of operations.
 
                                       113
<PAGE>   128
 
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
 
     The statements included in the discussion and analysis above that are not
historical fact are "forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in the
Reform Act). The safe harbor provisions provided in Section 27A of the
Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act apply to forward-looking
statements made by Verio. These statements can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will,"
"should," or "anticipates" or the negative thereof or other variations thereon
or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy that involve risks and
uncertainties. Management cautions the reader that these forward-looking
statements addressing the timing, costs and scope of its acquisition of, or
investments in, existing ISPs, the revenue and profitability levels of the ISPs
in which it invests, the anticipated reduction in operating costs resulting from
the integration and optimization of those ISPs, and other statements regarding
matters that are not historical facts, are only predictions. No assurance can be
given that future results indicated, whether expressed or implied, will be
achieved. While sometimes presented with numerical specificity, these
projections and other forward-looking statements are based upon a variety of
assumptions relating to the business of Verio, which, although considered
reasonable by Verio, may not be realized. Because of the number and range of the
assumptions underlying Verio's projections and forward-looking statements, many
of which are subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are
beyond the reasonable control of Verio, some of the assumptions will not
materialize and unanticipated events and circumstances may occur subsequent to
the date of this report. These forward-looking statements are based on current
expectations, and Verio assumes no obligation to update this information.
Therefore, the actual experience of Verio and results achieved during the period
covered by any particular projections or forward-looking statements may differ
substantially from those projected. Consequently, the inclusion of projections
and other forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation
by Verio, or any other person, that these estimates and projections will be
realized and actual results may vary materially. There can be no assurance that
any of these expectations will be realized or that any of the forward-looking
statements contained herein will prove to be accurate.
 
                                       114
<PAGE>   129
 
                         CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS OF VERIO
 
TRANSACTIONS WITH DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
 
     On June 16, 1997, Verio made a loan in the amount of $100,000 to Peter
Fritzinger, which Mr. Fritzinger repaid on July 21, 1997 with interest at the
then current market rate.
 
OTHER TRANSACTIONS
 
     Brooks. On March 18, 1998, in response to an offer by Brooks, Verio and
Brooks reached an agreement pursuant to which Verio agreed to repurchase the
$50.0 million principal amount of Verio's 1997 Notes held by Brooks for an
aggregate net purchase price of approximately $54.5 million, plus accrued
interest. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the 1998 Notes was used to
effect the Refinancing.
 
     NTT. On May 15, 1998 (the date of the closing of the Verio IPO), pursuant
to a Stock Purchase and Master Strategic Relationship Agreement, dated as of
April 7, 1998, between Verio and NTT (the "NTT Stock Purchase Agreement"), NTT
purchased 4,493,877 shares of Verio Common Stock from Verio for proceeds of
approximately $100.0 million (the "NTT Investment"). Verio granted NTT certain
registration rights with respect to the Verio Common Stock it had acquired. See
"Description of Capital Stock -- Verio Registration Rights."
 
   
     Verio and NTT also entered into an Investment Agreement, dated as of April
7, 1998 (the "NTT Investment Agreement"), providing for certain arrangements
effective from and after the consummation of the NTT Investment, some or all of
which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of
control of Verio. In particular, so long as NTT continues to hold at least 50%
of the aggregate number of shares of Verio Common Stock acquired by it in
connection with the NTT Investment, Verio has agreed to appoint an individual
designated by NTT to the Verio Board. The initial NTT designee, Yukimasa Ito,
will serve for an initial term ending as of the third annual stockholder meeting
following the closing of the Verio IPO. Thereafter, for so long as NTT continues
to meet the share ownership requirement, Verio has agreed, subject to certain
exceptions, to nominate as a member of the Verio Board at each subsequent
election of the applicable class of directors a person designated by NTT who
will be subject to election by the stockholders of Verio. In addition, NTT has
agreed on behalf of itself and its affiliates to certain "standstill"
restrictions pursuant to which NTT and its affiliates may only make open market
or privately negotiated purchases of additional voting securities (including
Verio Common Stock) so long as the total holdings of NTT and its affiliates do
not exceed 17.5% of Verio's fully diluted Verio Common Stock after taking into
account such acquisition. The "standstill" obligations terminate five years
after the consummation of the NTT Investment. NTT has also agreed, among other
things, that it will not (i) solicit proxies or participate in a proxy
solicitation or otherwise seek to influence voting with respect to Verio, (ii)
call a stockholders meeting, or (iii) make any announcement or proposal for a
tender offer that would result in NTT owning more than 17.5% of Verio Common
Stock on a fully diluted basis. In addition, NTT has agreed that in connection
with any offer or agreement by a third party to acquire over 30% of the voting
power of Verio or over 50% of the assets or earning power of Verio (an "NTT
Acquisition Proposal"), it will not transfer any securities of Verio in
connection with an NTT Acquisition Proposal, unless such NTT Acquisition
Proposal has been recommended by the Verio Board or the Verio Board has not
publicly recommended against such NTT Acquisition Proposal within three months
of the public announcement or presentation to the Verio Board of such NTT
Acquisition Proposal.
    
 
     The NTT Investment Agreement also imposes certain limitations on NTT's
ability to dispose of the shares of Verio Common Stock that it has acquired. NTT
has granted to Verio certain rights of first offer and rights of first refusal
which apply, under certain circumstances, in the event that NTT proposes to sell
some or all of the shares that it has acquired. The specific terms of these
rights vary depending upon the quantity of shares proposed to be sold and other
terms of the proposed sale. The NTT Investment Agreement also precludes NTT from
transferring Verio Common Stock to certain parties specified by Verio (which
list may include no more than 15 specified parties at any one time) that are or
are likely to become competitors of Verio or, subject to certain conditions, to
any person that as a result of such transfer would beneficially own more than
10% of Verio Common Stock.
                                       115
<PAGE>   130
 
     In connection with the NTT Investment Agreement, Verio and NTT also entered
into the OSP Agreement, under which Verio was designated as the preferred
provider of Internet access and related services to customers of NTT America on
a reseller basis, and Verio and NTT agreed to connect their backbones and
establish a peering and transit relationship, and that Verio would provide NTT
America with full back-office and engineering support. NTT America has agreed to
pay Verio for the services provided by Verio at predetermined rates reflective
of the strategic relationship between the parties, under which NTT is entitled
to "most favored customer" status and pricing concessions. Under the OSP
Agreement, NTT and Verio agreed to continue to negotiate the specific terms of
these arrangements. See "Business of Verio -- NTT Strategic Relationship."
Recently, NTT America and Verio have executed a further Strategic Partner
Services Agreement setting forth the details for implementation of the specific
technical and administrative aspects arising under the OSP Agreement. NTT
America recently has launched its branded Arcstar Internet service in the U.S.,
and will resell the full range of Verio services under this brand. Under the NTT
Investment Agreement, NTT has designated three individuals to be employed by
Verio in corporate development, technical and marketing positions to assist in
implementing and carrying out the commercial relationship between Verio and NTT.
 
     VIANet. In May 1998, Verio consummated an additional equity investment in
VIANet in which it purchased shares of VIANet's Series B Preferred Stock for an
aggregate purchase price of $8.0 million, resulting in Verio's owning an
approximately 16% equity position in VIANet. Verio has no right to acquire the
remaining equity of VIANet. Although, with the iServer Acquisition and TABNet
Acquisition, Verio gained a substantial international Web hosting presence,
which would be considerably expanded with the consummation of the Merger, the
Verio Board has determined that its investment in VIANet currently will be the
primary component of its international expansion strategy in the Internet
connectivity market in the near term. However, Verio also may pursue direct
investments in certain international markets where appropriate opportunities
exist. Verio believes that its indirect strategy through VIANet currently is the
most effective means to leverage Verio's resources in pursuing Internet
connectivity business internationally.
 
     A number of Verio's significant stockholders (including certain of The
Centennial Funds and Norwest) are investors in VIANet. Mr. Jaschke serves as the
Chairman of the Board of Directors of VIANet and Mr. Halstedt is a member of
VIANet's Board of Directors.
 
                                       116
<PAGE>   131
 
                        PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS OF VERIO
 
   
     The following table sets forth certain information as of October 31, 1998
with respect to the beneficial ownership of Verio Common Stock by (i) each
stockholder known by Verio to own beneficially more than five percent, in the
aggregate, of the outstanding shares of Verio Common Stock, (ii) each director
and Named Executive Officer of Verio (as defined below), and (iii) all executive
officers and directors as a group.
    
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                          PERCENTAGE
                                                                NUMBER OF SHARES         BENEFICIALLY
                                                              BENEFICIALLY OWNED(1)        OWNED(1)
                                                              ---------------------   -------------------
                                                              PRIOR TO    ASSUMING    PRIOR TO   ASSUMING
HOLDERS                                                        MERGER      MERGER      MERGER     MERGER
-------                                                       ---------   ---------   --------   --------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>         <C>        <C>
Brooks Fiber Properties, Inc.(2)............................  5,369,131   5,369,131    15.96%     14.60%
425 Woods Mill Road South
Suite 300
Town & Country, Missouri 63017
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation(3)...............  4,493,877   4,493,877    13.64%     12.45%
Global Communications Headquarters
Tokyo Opera City Tower
20-2 Nishi-Shinjuku 3-chrome
Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 163-14, Japan
Norwest Equity Partners V, L.P. ............................  4,301,250   4,301,250    13.06%     11.92%
245 Lytton Avenue
Palo Alto, California 94301
Providence Equity Partners, L.P. ...........................  3,055,693   3,055,693     9.28%      8.47%
50 Kennedy Plaza
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Centennial Fund V, L.P.(4)..................................  2,302,303   2,302,303     6.99%      6.38%
1428 Fifteenth Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
Centennial Fund IV, L.P.(4).................................  2,159,105   2,159,105     6.55%      5.98%
1428 Fifteenth Street
Denver, Colorado 80202
Steven C. Halstedt(5).......................................         --         --        --         --
Herbert R. Hribar...........................................         --         --        --         --
Justin L. Jaschke(6)........................................    240,182    240,182      *          *
Estate of Mark D. Johnson(7)................................    130,000    130,000      *          *
James C. Allen(8)...........................................     30,435     30,435      *          *
Trygve E. Myhren(9).........................................     20,000     20,000      *          *
Paul J. Salem(10)...........................................      2,174      2,174      *          *
Stephen W. Schovee(11)......................................         --         --        --         --
George J. Still, Jr.(12)....................................         --         --        --         --
Arthur L. Cahoon(13)........................................         --    186,813        --       *
Yukimasa Ito(14)............................................         --         --        --         --
Chris J. DeMarche(15).......................................    102,819    102,819      *          *
Carla Hamre Donelson(16)....................................     55,250     55,250      *          *
Peter B. Fritzinger(17).....................................     42,174     42,174      *          *
All executive officers and directors as a group (13 persons
  prior to Merger, 14 persons after Merger)(18).............    559,121    745,934      1.69%      2.06%
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
  *  Less than 1%
 
 (1) Percentage of beneficial ownership is based on 32,941,678 total shares of
     Verio Common Stock outstanding as of October 31, 1998. Percentage of
     beneficial ownership after the Merger is based on 36,082,927 shares of
     Verio Common Stock outstanding, which includes the shares outstanding prior
     to the Merger identified above plus 3,141,249 shares of Verio Common Stock
     to be issued pursuant to the Merger, but excludes 1,778,820 shares of Verio
     Common Stock reserved for issuance relating to the assumption by Verio of
     options or warrants to acquire Hiway Common Stock. In computing the number
     of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of
     that person, shares of Verio Common Stock subject to options or warrants
     owned by such person that are currently exercisable or
 
                                       117
<PAGE>   132
 
     exercisable within 60 days of October 31, 1998 are deemed outstanding;
     provided, that such shares are not deemed outstanding for the purpose of
     computing the percentage of ownership of any other person. Except as
     indicated in the footnotes to this table and pursuant to applicable
     community property laws, each of the persons named in this table has sole
     voting and investment power with respect to the shares set forth opposite
     such stockholder's name.
 
 (2) Includes warrants to acquire 704,160 shares of Verio Common Stock
     exercisable within 60 days. As a result of the acquisition of Brooks by
     WorldCom, which resulted in Brooks becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of
     WorldCom, WorldCom may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the shares
     owned by Brooks.
 
 (3) Because the percentage of beneficial ownership following the Verio IPO
     reflected in this table is based on outstanding (not fully diluted) shares
     (see footnote 1), the ownership percentage shown for NTT is higher than the
     maximum percentage of fully diluted shares that NTT was permitted to
     purchase in the NTT Investment.
 
 (4) Does not include 71,205 shares of Verio Common Stock held by Centennial
     Entrepreneurs Fund V, L.P. ("Centennial Entrepreneurs"). Centennial
     Holdings V, L.P. ("Holdings V") is the sole general partner of Centennial
     Entrepreneurs and may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own such shares
     by virtue of its authority to make decisions regarding the voting and
     disposition of shares beneficially owned by Centennial Entrepreneurs.
     Centennial Fund V, L.P. ("Centennial V") disclaims beneficial ownership of
     the shares held by Centennial Entrepreneurs, and Centennial Entrepreneurs
     disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by Centennial V. In
     addition, Centennial V disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares held by
     Centennial Fund IV, L.P. ("Centennial IV"), and Centennial IV disclaims
     beneficial ownership of the shares held by Centennial V.
 
 (5) The sole General Partner of Centennial IV is Centennial Holdings IV, L.P.
     ("Holdings IV") and the sole General Partner of Centennial V is Holdings V.
     Holdings IV and Holdings V may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the
     shares owned by Centennial IV and Centennial V, respectively. Mr. Halstedt
     is a general partner of Holdings IV and Holdings V and may be deemed to be
     the indirect beneficial owner of the shares owned by Centennial IV and
     Centennial V. Mr. Halstedt disclaims beneficial ownership of shares held by
     Centennial IV and Centennial V. In addition, this amount does not include
     141,265 shares of Verio Common Stock held by Centennial Holdings I, L.L.C.
     ("Holdings LLC"), of which Mr. Halstedt is a unit holder. Centennial
     Holdings, Inc. ("Holdings Inc."), of which Mr. Halstedt is an officer and
     director, is the sole Managing Member of Holdings LLC and may be deemed to
     beneficially own shares directly beneficially owned by Holdings LLC.
     However, Mr. Halstedt, acting alone, does not have voting or investment
     power with respect to any of the shares directly held by either Holdings
     Inc. or Holdings LLC, and, as a result, Mr. Halstedt disclaims beneficial
     ownership of the shares held by Holdings LLC.
 
 (6) Includes options for 70,000 shares of Verio Common Stock exercisable within
     60 days.
 
 (7) Includes options for 70,000 shares of Verio Common Stock exercisable within
     60 days.
 
 (8) On April 6, 1998, Mr. Allen transferred 25,000 of his shares of Verio
     Common Stock to the James C. Allen Revocable Trust. In accordance with the
     rules of the Exchange Act, Mr. Allen is deemed to be the beneficial owner
     of such shares.
 
 (9) Includes options for 10,000 shares of Verio Common Stock exercisable within
     60 days.
 
(10) Mr. Salem holds 2,174 shares of Verio Common Stock personally. The sole
     general partner of Providence Equity Partners L.P. ("Providence") is
     Providence Equity Partners LLC ("PEPLLC"). Mr. Salem is a member of PEPLLC
     and may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the shares owned by
     Providence. Mr. Salem disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares.
 
(11) Telecom Partners L.P. ("Telecom") holds 936,666 shares of Verio Common
     Stock. Mr. Schovee is a general partner of Telecom and may be deemed to be
     the indirect beneficial owner of the shares owned by Telecom. Mr. Schovee
     disclaims beneficial ownership of shares held by Telecom.
 
                                       118
<PAGE>   133
 
(12) The sole general partner of Norwest Equity Partners V, L.P. ("Norwest") is
     Itasca Partners V ("Itasca"). Mr. Still is a general partner of Itasca and
     may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own the shares owned by Norwest.
     Mr. Still disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares.
 
(13) Includes the shares held of record by Pam Fitch as Trustee of the Arthur
     Logan Cahoon Grantor Retained Annuity Trust dated May 29, 1998 (see
     footnote (7) of "Principal Shareholders of Hiway") and assumes that Mr.
     Cahoon exercises his warrants to acquire Hiway Common Stock prior to the
     closing of the Merger. In the event that Mr. Cahoon exercises such warrants
     (which are to be assumed by Verio at the Effective Time) after the closing
     of the Merger, he will own 542,403 shares of Verio Common Stock (including
     457,105 shares of Verio Common Stock issuable upon exercise of such
     warrants at the Option Exchange Ratio of 0.3940) representing 1.48% of
     Verio Common Stock.
 
(14) On September 11, 1998, options to purchase 30,000 shares of Verio Common
     Stock were issued to Mr. Ito. Mr. Ito assigned these options to NTT Rocky,
     Inc. on October 14, 1998. Mr. Ito disclaims beneficial ownership of these
     options. NTT Rocky, Inc. is affiliated with NTT, and NTT may be deemed to
     indirectly beneficially own these options.
 
(15) Includes options for 41,334 shares of Common Stock exercisable within 60
     days.
 
(16) Includes options for 37,333 shares of Common Stock exercisable within 60
     days.
 
(17) Includes options for 15,000 shares of Common Stock exercisable within 60
     days.
 
(18) Includes options exercisable for 196,334 shares of Verio Common Stock (not
     including options held by Mr. Johnson's estate) for the calculation prior
     to the Merger. For the calculation after the Merger, also includes the
     shares held of record by Pam Fitch as Trustee of the Arthur Logan Cahoon
     Grantor Retained Annuity Trust dated May 29, 1998 (see footnote (13) above)
     and assumes that Mr. Cahoon exercises his warrants to acquire Hiway Common
     Stock prior to the closing of the Merger. In the event that Mr. Cahoon
     exercises such warrants (which are to be assumed by Verio at the Effective
     Time) after the closing of the Merger, all executive officers and directors
     as a group will beneficially own 1,101,524 shares of Verio Common Stock
     (including 457,105 shares of Verio Common Stock issuable upon exercise of
     such warrants at the Option Exchange Ratio of 0.3940 to Mr. Cahoon, and
     options exercisable for 196,334 shares of Verio Common Stock) representing
     3.00% of Verio Common Stock.
 
                                       119
<PAGE>   134
 
                      MANAGEMENT OF VERIO AFTER THE MERGER
 
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF VERIO
 
     The directors and certain officers (including all executive officers) of
Verio following consummation of the Merger are anticipated to be:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
NAME                                 AGE                     POSITION(S)
----                                 ---                     -----------
<S>                                  <C>   <C>
Steven C. Halstedt(3)(4)...........  52    Chairman of the Board
Justin L. Jaschke(3)(4)............  40    Chief Executive Officer, Director
Herbert R. Hribar(3)...............  46    President and Chief Operating Officer, Director
James C. Allen(2)..................  52    Director
Trygve E. Myhren(1)(2)(4)..........  61    Director
Paul J. Salem......................  34    Director
Stephen W. Schovee(1)(2)...........  38    Director
George J. Still, Jr.(4)............  40    Director
Yukimasa Ito.......................  43    Director
Arthur L. Cahoon...................  42    Director
Sean G. Brophy.....................  39    Vice President of Corporate Development
James E. Cunningham................  41    Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Chris J. DeMarche..................  41    Chief Technical Officer
Carla Hamre Donelson...............  42    Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Peter B. Fritzinger................  40    Chief Financial Officer
Deb Mayfield Gahan.................  43    Vice President of Human Resources and
                                           Organizational Development
James M. Kieffer...................  37    Vice President of Customer Operations
Eric S. Hood.......................  45    Vice President of Engineering and Operations
Edward R. Milstein.................  40    Vice President and Chief Information Officer
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) Member of Audit Committee
 
(2) Member of Compensation Committee
 
(3) Member of Executive Committee
 
(4) Member of Finance Committee
 
     All of the officers identified above serve at the discretion of the Verio
Board. There are no family relationships between any persons identified above.
There are currently two vacancies on the Verio Board. One vacancy is being
reserved for the designee of Hiway pursuant to the Merger Agreement, which is
expected to be filled by Arthur L. Cahoon at the Effective Time. See "The Merger
Agreement -- Certain Covenants." The following are brief biographies of these
individuals.
 
     Steven C. Halstedt has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of
Verio since Verio's inception in March 1996. Mr. Halstedt is a co-founder of The
Centennial Funds. Mr. Halstedt has 17 years of direct venture capital experience
and serves as a general partner of each of the Centennial Holdings'
partnerships. Prior to co-founding The Centennial Funds in 1981, he was
Executive Vice President and Director of Daniels & Associates, Inc., a private
communications service company involved in cable television system operations.
Mr. Halstedt is a member of the Board of Directors of Formus Communications,
Inc., VIANet and WLL International, Inc. Mr. Halstedt was recently a director of
Pluto Technologies International, Inc., Centennial Communications Corp., Masada
Security Holdings, Inc. and Triax Communications Corp. He is also former
Chairman of the Board of OneComm Corporation ("OneComm"), PageAmerica Group,
Inc. and Orion Network Systems, Inc., all publicly traded telecommunications
companies. Mr. Halstedt received a Bachelor of Science with distinction in
management engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and earned a Master
of Business Administration from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration
at Dartmouth
 
                                       120
<PAGE>   135
 
College, where he was named an Edward Tuck Scholar. He attended the University
of Connecticut School of Law. He was a Platoon Leader and Battalion Operations
Officer in a U.S. Army Combat Engineer Battalion in Vietnam.
 
     Justin L. Jaschke has served as Chief Executive Officer of Verio since
Verio's inception in March 1996. He is also a member of Verio's Board of
Directors. Prior to forming Verio, Mr. Jaschke served as Chief Operating Officer
for Nextel Communications ("Nextel") following its merger with OneComm in July
of 1995. Mr. Jaschke served as OneComm's President and a member of its Board of
Directors from the time that he joined that company in April 1993 until the
merger with Nextel. Mr. Jaschke currently serves as Chairman of the Board of
Directors of VIANet and also serves on the Board of Directors of Metricom, a
leading wireless data communications provider, and on the Board of Directors of
Dobson Communications, a rural cellular and local exchange provider. From May
1990 to April 1993, Mr. Jaschke served as President and CEO of Bay Area Cellular
Telephone Company. From November 1987 to May 1990, Mr. Jaschke was Vice
President of Corporate Development of PacTel Cellular, and from 1985 to 1987 was
Director of Mergers and Acquisitions for PacTel Corporation. Prior to that, Mr.
Jaschke was a management consultant with Marakon Associates. Mr. Jaschke
received a Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude in mathematics from the
University of Puget Sound and a Master of Science degree in management from the
Sloan School of Management at MIT.
 
     Herbert R. Hribar has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of
Verio since July 1998. Mr. Hribar joined Verio from Ameritech Corporation, where
he served as President of Ameritech Corporation's cellular services business
unit and was responsible for all aspects of the business, including strategy,
marketing, sales, network, customer service, IT and business development. He was
promoted to that position in 1997 after working for Ameritech for two years,
first as Vice President of International Operations beginning in early 1995, and
later as Managing Director of Ameritech Europe. He also served as Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer of ADSB Telecommunications, a consortium of
international telecommunications companies headed by Ameritech. Before joining
Ameritech, Mr. Hribar served in various capacities with Sprint Corporation from
1988 to 1995, including as Vice President and General Manager at Sprint
International, where he was responsible for the off-shore network planning,
design, operations and information systems planning for Sprint's international
voice, data, messaging and fax services as well as private data network systems.
Mr. Hribar previously worked in senior management positions at GTE Telenet and
served in the U.S. Navy. Mr. Hribar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Ocean
Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Master of Science degree in Civil
Engineering from the University of Illinois, a Master of Business Administration
from George Washington University and a Master of Science degree in Computer
Science from Johns Hopkins University.
 
     James C. Allen has served as a director of Verio since May 1996. Mr. Allen
served as CEO of Brooks Fiber Properties, Inc. until its recent acquisition by
WorldCom. Mr. Allen has 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, operator,
financier, expert witness and advisor in cable television and broadband
telecommunications. Prior to joining Brooks, he served as Chief Financial
Officer and Chief Operating Officer of David Lipscomb University from which he
holds a Bachelor of Science degree. Mr. Allen was a founder and former
President, CFO and COO of Cencom Cable Associates, which was purchased by a
subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, and a former Vice President of Operations of
Telecom Engineering, Inc., a telecommunications engineering and consulting firm
with clients in both the telephone and cable television industries. Mr. Allen
previously held positions as Vice President of Operations of United Cable
Television, Divisional Manager of Continental Telephone Corporation, and Vice
President of Finance for National Communications Service Corporation. Mr. Allen
also is a director of MetroNet Communications Corp. ("MetroNet"), an LEC.
 
     Trygve E. Myhren has served as a director of Verio since April 1997. Mr.
Myhren is President of Myhren Media, Inc., a private investment firm
concentrating in media, telecommunications, software and Internet related and
consumer products companies. From 1990 to 1996, Mr. Myhren was President and a
director of The Providence Journal Company. From 1975 until 1988, Mr. Myhren was
an officer of American Television and Communications Corporation (ATC), the
cable television subsidiary of Time, Inc. (now Time/Warner Cable), serving as
Chairman and CEO from 1980 to 1988. Mr. Myhren also serves on the boards of The
Providence Journal Company, Advanced Marketing Services, Peapod, Inc.,
CableLabs, J.D. Edwards, Inc., WNP, Inc., Founders Funds and The University of
Denver. Previously, Mr. Myhren served as chairman of the
                                       121
<PAGE>   136
 
National Cable Television Association (NCTA), and also served on the boards of
Turner Broadcasting Systems, Continental Cablevision, Inc., Citizens Bank and
several internal Time, Inc. boards, including Home Box Office, Temple-Eastex and
Time Magazine Group. He also served on the FCC's Advisory Committee on High
Definition TV. Mr. Myhren has an undergraduate degree in political science and
philosophy from Dartmouth and a Master of Business Administration from the Amos
Tuck Graduate School at Dartmouth. He served three and one-half years as a naval
officer with the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
 
     Paul J. Salem has served as a director of Verio since December 1996. Mr.
Salem is a Managing Director of Providence Equity Partners, Inc., and is a
partner of the general partner of Providence's private equity funds. Providence
manages over $500 million in equity and specializes in communications and media
investments. Mr. Salem has been responsible for many of Providence's investment
activities, including its investments in competitive local exchange companies,
enhanced specialized mobile radio, wireless data networks, radio representation,
telecommunications infrastructure and other areas. He is currently a director of
Interep National Radio Sales, Inc., MetroNet, Wired Ventures, Inc. and UniSite,
Inc. Prior to joining Providence, Mr. Salem worked for Morgan Stanley & Co. in
corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. Previously, Mr. Salem spent four
years with Prudential Investment Corporation, an affiliate of Prudential
Insurance, where his responsibilities included private placement financings,
leveraged buyout transactions and establishing Prudential's European investment
office. Mr. Salem received a Bachelor of Arts in business from Brown University
and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
 
     Stephen W. Schovee has been a director of Verio since Verio's inception in
March 1996. Mr. Schovee serves as Managing Member of Telecom Partners, L.P. and
Telecom Partners II, L.P. Mr. Schovee was previously co-founder, Chief Executive
Officer and a director of OneComm from its inception until its merger with
Nextel. Prior to that, Mr. Schovee was a Vice President of Centennial Holdings,
the manager of The Centennial Funds, a Denver based venture capital fund with
over $400 million of subscribed capital. Mr. Schovee was a partner in two of The
Centennial Funds where he focused on telecommunications investments. Mr. Schovee
is a special limited partner of Centennial Fund IV, L.P. and Centennial Fund V,
L.P. He is a director of SMR Direct, WLL International, Inc., and Infobeat. Mr.
Schovee received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from
Bucknell University and a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton
School.
 
     George J. Still, Jr. has been a director of Verio since Verio's inception
in March 1996. Mr. Still, based in Palo Alto, California, is a Managing Partner
of various Norwest Venture capital partnerships. From July 1984 until October
1989, he was a General Partner with The Centennial Funds based in Denver,
Colorado. Prior to Centennial, Mr. Still was with Ernst & Whinney (now Ernst &
Young) in San Francisco. Currently, he is a director of PeopleSoft, Inc. and
3Dfx Interactive, Inc., both public companies. In addition, he serves on the
board of several private companies, including Metapath Software Corporation,
Software Technologies Corp., ObjectStream, Inc., and Chordiant Software.
Further, Mr. Still serves as a director of the National Venture Capital
Association. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration
from Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration from
the Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College.
 
     Yukimasa Ito has been a director of Verio since September 11, 1998. Mr. Ito
is Vice President, Service Planning of NTT Worldwide Telecommunications Inc., a
corporation specializing in providing various international telecommunications
services to end-users. NTT Worldwide Telecommunications Inc. is a subsidiary of
NTT which, in turn, is an affiliate of Verio. Mr. Ito has held his current
position at NTT Worldwide Telecommunications Inc. since 1997, prior to which he
was Vice President, Service Planning of NTTPC Communications, Inc. from 1994 to
1997 and Director, Corporate Planning of NTT America, Inc. from 1991 until 1994.
Mr. Ito has worked for NTT or its subsidiaries since 1980. Mr. Ito holds a
Bachelor of Engineering degree from Waseda University and a Master of Business
Administration from the University of Washington. In 1990, Mr. Ito was a M.Sc.
Sloan Fellow at Stanford University.
 
     Arthur L. Cahoon will be appointed to the Verio Board upon consummation of
the Merger. Mr. Cahoon served as Chairman of the Hiway Board, CEO and a director
of Hiway since May 1998. From October 1997 to May 1998, he was Chairman of Hiway
Florida. Since March 1993, he has served as general partner of Rock Creek
Partners, Ltd., an investment company, and executive vice president of James
Dahl & Co., an
 
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<PAGE>   137
 
investment banking company. Since January 1995, Mr. Cahoon also has served as
Executive Vice President of Timberland Investment Services, LLP, an investment
management company, which he co-founded. In addition, from June 1995 to June
1996, he served as President of QuinStone Industries, inc., a manufacturing
company. Prior to March 1993, Mr. Cahoon served as Executive Vice President and
CFO of Cain & Bultman, Inc., a wholesale distributor. Mr. Cahoon holds a B.B.A.
in accounting and finance from Stetson University.
 
     Sean G. Brophy has served as Vice President of Corporate Development since
November 1997, and prior to that served as Vice President of Marketing and
Business Development for Verio since joining Verio in May 1996. Mr. Brophy
served as Vice President of Marketing for OneComm and then Nextel from 1994 to
1996. He worked at Northern Telecom from 1990 through 1994 in a variety of
capacities, including strategic planning and product management, where he had
global responsibilities for new products for Personal Communications Services.
Prior to that he worked at Bell Northern Research, the research and development
arm of Northern Telecom, designing telephone equipment and services ranging from
the DMS-100 to key systems. While there he was awarded patent and design
excellence awards. Mr. Brophy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in computer
engineering from McMaster University, a Master of Science degree in electrical
engineering from Carleton University and a Master of Science degree in
management from the Sloan School of Management at MIT.
 
     James E. Cunningham was appointed as Verio's Vice President of Sales and
Marketing in June 1998, after serving as the President of Verio's Northeast
regional operations since December 1997. He assumed that role after acting as
the President of Global Enterprise Services, Inc. (one of Verio's acquired ISPs)
beginning in May 1997. Mr. Cunningham has 17 years of sales, marketing and
general management experience with both established and early stage
telecommunications companies. Mr. Cunningham most recently served as Senior Vice
President of Sales and Marketing at U.S. One Communications, Inc. overseeing its
eastern United States sales and service organization. Prior to joining U.S. One
Communications in 1996, Mr. Cunningham spent 10 years with MCI. From 1995 to
1996, he served as Vice President, Sales & Marketing for network MCI Digital
Imaging where he directed its Campus MCI program which provided Internet access
and enhanced services for universities and local governments around the country.
Mr. Cunningham holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration
from Livingston University in Alabama.
 
     Chris J. DeMarche has been Chief Technical Officer of Verio since joining
Verio in May 1996. From 1995 to 1996, Mr. DeMarche was CTO and Senior Vice
President of Nextel, where he was credited with addressing many critical
technology issues. From 1993 to 1995, he was Senior Vice President of
Engineering and Technology at OneComm, where he was responsible for building a
national engineering team and designing and implementing wireless communication
networks. Mr. DeMarche also worked in advanced technology areas at PacTel
Corporation and Hughes Aircraft Corporation and served in the U.S. Naval
Submarine Force. Mr. DeMarche received his Master of Business Administration
from UCLA in 1990, his Master of System Management from University of Southern
California in 1986, and his Bachelor of Science from the United States Naval
Academy in 1978.
 
     Carla Hamre Donelson has served as Vice President, General Counsel and
Secretary of Verio since joining Verio in October 1996 from the law firm of
Morrison & Foerster LLP, where she had practiced law since March 1987. She
served as a partner in that firm's business department from 1990 and as head of
the Denver business practice from 1993. While in private practice, Ms. Donelson
was engaged in a general corporate and transactional practice, focused primarily
on the communications and related technology industries, representing domestic
and foreign entities in numerous financing, merger, acquisition, investment, and
licensing transactions. She served as regular outside corporate counsel to
OneComm and represented OneComm in connection with a variety of its SMR
acquisitions as well as its merger with Nextel. Ms. Donelson received her
Bachelor of Arts degree in molecular biology from the University of Colorado,
her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Denver College of Law, and is a
member of the Colorado Bar Association.
 
     Peter B. Fritzinger has served as Chief Financial Officer of Verio since
June 1997. From September 1993 until June 1997, Mr. Fritzinger served as Chief
Financial Officer of Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas Corp., an
 
                                       123
<PAGE>   138
 
independent, publicly held oil and gas company headquartered in Oklahoma City.
From 1991 to 1993, he was Vice President-Finance and Treasurer of Louis Dreyfus
Energy Corp., a diversified, global enterprise with investments in oil and gas
reserves and other petroleum-related industries. Mr. Fritzinger joined Louis
Dreyfus Energy Corp. from J.P. Morgan, where he was a Vice President in its
corporate finance group, having held various positions with Morgan Guaranty
Trust Company of New York since 1980. Mr. Fritzinger received his Bachelor of
Arts degree in math and psychology from Amherst College.
 
     Deb Mayfield Gahan has served as Vice President of Human Resources and
Organizational Development for Verio since September 3, 1998. Prior to that, Ms.
Gahan served as Vice President of Finance and Administration since joining Verio
in May 1996. She brings with her ten years of extensive start-up and
telecommunications experience. From 1994 to 1996, Ms. Gahan served as Vice
President of Business Services and Controller for OneComm and then for Nextel
following its acquisition of OneComm. From 1987 to 1994, she was Director of
Business Operations and Controller for American Cellular Communications and then
BellSouth Cellular Corp., a leading provider of cellular service in 15 states.
In these positions, she was responsible for implementing cost-effective
financial control systems, asset protection, revenue assurance, financial
reporting, treasury and business process development. Ms. Gahan is a Certified
Public Accountant and holds a Master of Business Administration from Mississippi
College, as well as a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Mississippi State
University.
 
     James M. Kieffer has served as Vice President of Customer Operations for
Verio since joining Verio in July 1996. Previously, Mr. Kieffer served as
Nextel's Vice President of Customer Operations responsible for customer care,
billing, accounts receivable, and inventory management from August 1996. Prior
to OneComm's merger with Nextel, Mr. Kieffer led the development of OneComm's
customer care as Director of Customer Operations from January 1994 to August
1995. Prior to that, Mr. Kieffer served as National Customer Service Manager for
Motorola's Land Mobile Products Sector. During his six years with Motorola, he
held several key roles while developing a consolidated national customer care
organization from March 1990 until January 1994. Prior to joining Motorola, Mr.
Kieffer managed customer relations and accounts receivable for IBM. He received
his Master of Business Administration from DePaul University and holds a
Bachelor of Science in management from Illinois State University.
 
     Eric S. Hood has served as Vice President of Engineering and Operations
since September 3, 1998, having previously served as President and CEO of
NorthWestNet, Inc. Dr. Hood sits on the advisory board for several Internet
industry organizations, including Trustworthy Systems/Computer Emergency
Response Team (CERT), the top-level, international Internet security
organization; the U.S. Department of Justice Working Group on Internet Security;
and eCOMM Northwest, a regional consortium of businesses including Intel,
Sequent, BC Tel and Nike, promoting Internet commerce in the Northwest. From
1992 through 1994, Dr. Hood served as President of FARNET, the national
association of Internet service providers, telecommunications companies and
network equipment manufacturers, and from 1993 through 1995, he served on the
Steering Board for the U.S. Department of Energy's ESNet. Dr. Hood's research
and development programs in science, computing and network communications have
received funding support from the National Science Foundation, the U.S.
Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Education, US West and Digital
Equipment Corporation, among others. Dr. Hood received his doctoral degree in
Theoretical Chemistry from the University of California at Santa Barbara in
1983. He also held the research positions of Bantrell Fellow at the California
Institute of Technology and Visiting Scientist at IBM's Thomas J. Watson
Research Center.
 
     Edward R. Milstein has served as Vice President and Chief Information
Officer since September 3, 1998. Mr. Milstein previously served as President and
CEO of Compute Intensive d/b/a Network Intensive. Founded in 1991, Mr. Milstein
oversaw the growth of Network Intensive into a leading, full service, business
Internet access provider with customers throughout Southern California. Prior to
1991, Mr. Milstein served as area systems engineer for Sun Microsystems Computer
Corporation, a leading provider of high performance UNIX hardware and software.
From 1985 to 1987, Mr. Milstein was a software engineer for Hughes Aircraft,
where he developed a training business focused on the UNIX and Networking
industry. While earning his Bachelor of Science degree from the New Jersey
Institute of Technology in 1984, Mr. Milstein began his first business venture
as an independent consultant.
 
                                       124
<PAGE>   139
 
COMMITTEES OF THE VERIO BOARD
 
     The Verio Board has established an Executive Committee, a Finance
Committee, a Compensation Committee and an Audit Committee. The Executive
Committee is responsible for reviewing and, where appropriate, authorizing
corporate action with respect to the conduct of the business of Verio between
Board meetings. Actions taken by the Executive Committee must be submitted to
the Board for review and ratification at the next meeting, except in those cases
when the Verio Board has specifically delegated final decision-making authority
to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is composed of Messrs.
Halstedt, Jaschke and Hribar. The Finance Committee is responsible for reviewing
and, where appropriate, authorizing certain corporate actions with respect to
the finances of Verio and certain acquisitions of ISPs not involving the
issuance of stock. The Finance Committee is composed of Messrs. Halstedt,
Jaschke, Still and Myhren. The Compensation Committee is responsible for
reviewing and establishing the compensation structure for Verio's officers and
directors, including salary rates, participation in incentive compensation and
benefit plans, 401(k) plans, stock option and purchase plans and other forms of
compensation. The Compensation Committee is composed of Messrs. Allen, Myhren
and Schovee.
 
     The Verio Board also has established an Audit Committee consisting of
Messrs. Myhren and Schovee. The Audit Committee will be comprised solely of
independent directors and will be responsible for recommending the firm to be
appointed as independent accountants to audit Verio's financial statements,
discussing the scope and results of the audit with the independent accountants,
reviewing the functions of Verio's management and independent accountants with
respect to Verio's financial statements and performing such other related duties
and functions as are deemed appropriate by the Audit Committee and the Verio
Board.
 
DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF MERGER SUB
 
     The sole director of Merger Sub immediately prior to the Effective Time
will become the sole director of the Surviving Company at the Effective Time
until her successor has been duly elected and qualified or until her earlier
resignation or removal. As a result, the current directors of Hiway will not be
directors of the Surviving Company. The officers of Merger Sub immediately prior
to the Effective Time will be the officers of the Surviving Company at the
Effective Time until their respective successors have been duly appointed and
qualified or until their earlier resignation or removal.
 
                     COMPENSATION OF DIRECTORS AND CERTAIN
                          EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF VERIO
 
COMPENSATION OF VERIO DIRECTORS
 
     Each non-employee director of Verio receives an annual retainer fee of
$5,000 and a fee of $1,000 for each meeting of the Verio Board attended in
person or $500 for each meeting attended by telephone. The fee for Verio Board
committee meetings is $500 per meeting. A director may elect to receive these
payments in the form of Verio Common Stock. Upon consummation of the Verio IPO,
each non-employee director was automatically granted an option to acquire 30,000
shares of Verio Common Stock at an exercise price per share equal to the fair
market value of the Verio Common Stock at the date of grant. Such options will
vest and become exercisable in three equal installments on each yearly
anniversary of the grant date. Non-employee directors elected or appointed to
the Verio Board will be granted automatically at the time of election or
appointment an option to acquire 30,000 shares of Verio Common Stock with the
same terms and conditions at an exercise price equal to the then fair market
value of the Verio Common Stock. After the initial three year vesting period for
such options, non-employee directors will receive automatic annual grants of
options to acquire an additional 3,000 shares of Verio Common Stock at an
exercise price equal to the fair market value of the Verio Common Stock at the
date of grant. Such options will vest and become exercisable on the first
anniversary of the grant date. In April 1998, Verio adopted a separate stock
incentive plan under which options may be granted and shares of Verio Common
Stock may be issued to non-employee directors in
 
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<PAGE>   140
 
accordance with these compensation arrangements. See "-- Stock Option and
Incentive Plans -- 1998 Non-Employee Director Stock Incentive Plan."
 
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION OF VERIO
 
     The following table sets forth certain summary information for the years
ended December 31, 1997 and 1996, respectively, concerning the compensation paid
and awarded to: (a) Verio's Chief Executive Officer and (b) Verio's four most
highly compensated executive officers whose salaries and bonuses exceeded
$100,000 who were serving as executive officers as of December 31, 1997
(collectively, with the Chief Executive Officer, the "Named Executive
Officers").
 
                           SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                           LONG-TERM
                                                                         COMPENSATION
                                                                            AWARDS
                                       ANNUAL COMPENSATION          -----------------------
                                 --------------------------------   RESTRICTED   SECURITIES
                                 FISCAL                               STOCK      UNDERLYING      ALL OTHER
  NAME AND PRINCIPAL POSITION    YEAR(1)   SALARY($)     BONUS($)   AWARDS($)    OPTIONS(#)   COMPENSATIONS($)
  ---------------------------    -------   ---------     --------   ----------   ----------   ----------------
<S>                              <C>       <C>           <C>        <C>          <C>          <C>
Justin L. Jaschke..............   1997      175,003       66,500      85,000           --              --
  Chief Executive Officer         1996      124,631(2)    44,867          --      240,000              --
Mark D. Johnson................   1997      113,337       50,603          --      200,000              --
  President and Chief             1996           --           --          --           --              --
  Operating Officer(3)
Chris J. DeMarche..............   1997      160,004       60,800      25,000       20,000              --
  Chief Technical Officer         1996      106,666(4)    38,215          --       70,000              --
Carla Hamre Donelson...........   1997      160,004       57,760          --       20,000              --
  Vice President, General         1996       26,320(5)    13,680      50,000       60,000          42,678(7)
  Counsel and Secretary
Peter B. Fritzinger............   1997       89,443(6)    31,287          --       75,000          70,267(8)
  Chief Financial Officer         1996           --           --          --           --              --
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) Fiscal year 1996 covers the period from inception (March 1, 1996) to
    December 31, 1996.
 
(2) Reflects compensation paid to Mr. Jaschke commencing with his appointment as
    Chief Executive Officer in April 1996.
 
(3) Mr. Johnson, who served as Verio's President and Chief Operating Officer
    beginning in March 1997, died on March 9, 1998.
 
(4) Reflects compensation paid to Mr. DeMarche commencing with his appointment
    as Chief Technical Officer in May 1996.
 
(5) Reflects compensation paid to Ms. Donelson commencing with her appointment
    as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary in October 1996.
 
(6) Reflects compensation paid to Mr. Fritzinger commencing with his appointment
    as Chief Financial Officer in June 1997.
 
(7) Represents the cost to Verio of tax reimbursements.
 
(8) Represents the cost to Verio of providing relocation benefits.
 
                                       126
<PAGE>   141
 
                         STOCK OPTIONS GRANTED IN 1997
 
     The following table contains information concerning the grant of stock
options by Verio under Verio's stock option plans to the Named Executive
Officers during the year ended December 31, 1997.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                          POTENTIAL REALIZABLE
                                                                                            VALUE AT ASSUMED
                            NUMBER OF     PERCENT OF                                     ANNUAL RATES OF STOCK
                            SECURITIES   TOTAL OPTIONS                                   PRICE APPRECIATION FOR
                            UNDERLYING    GRANTED TO       EXERCISE                        OPTION TERM($)(2)
                             OPTIONS     EMPLOYEES IN        PRICE        EXPIRATION     ----------------------
           NAME             GRANTED(#)    FISCAL YEAR    ($/SHARE)(1)        DATE           5%          10%
           ----             ----------   -------------   -------------   -------------   --------    ----------
<S>                         <C>          <C>             <C>             <C>             <C>         <C>
Justin L. Jaschke.........        --            --             --             --              --            --
Mark D. Johnson...........   200,000         13.28%          6.00        May 11, 2007    754,674     1,912,491
Chris J. DeMarche.........    20,000          1.38%          6.75        Nov. 24, 2007    84,901       215,155
Carla Hamre Donelson......    20,000          1.38%          6.75        Nov. 24, 2007    84,901       215,155
Peter B. Fritzinger.......    75,000          5.18%          6.00        May 21, 2007    283,003       717,184
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) All options were granted at an exercise price per share equal to at least
    the fair market value of the Verio Common Stock on the date of grant, as
    determined by the Verio Board.
 
(2) The potential realizable value is calculated based on the fair market value
    on the date of grant, which is equal to the exercise price of the options,
    assuming that the stock appreciates in value from the date of grant
    compounded annually until the end of the option term at the rate specified
    (5% or 10%) and that the option is exercised and sold on the last day of the
    option term for the appreciated stock price. Potential realizable value is
    net of the option exercise price. The assumed rates of appreciation are
    specified in the rules and regulations of the Commission and do not
    represent Verio's estimate or projection of future stock price. Actual
    gains, if any, resulting from stock option exercises and Verio Common Stock
    holdings are dependent on the future performance of the Verio Common Stock
    and overall stock market conditions. There can be no assurance that the
    amounts reflected in this table will be achieved.
 
                         FISCAL YEAR-END OPTION VALUES
 
     The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the
Named Executive Officers regarding the stock options exercised during the last
fiscal year, the aggregate number of unexercised options to purchase Verio
Common Stock granted in all years and held by them as of December 31, 1997, and
the value of unexercised in-the-money options (i.e., options that had a positive
spread between the exercise price and the fair market value of the Verio Common
Stock) as of December 31, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                             NUMBER OF SECURITIES          VALUE OF UNEXERCISED
                                                             UNDERLYING OPTIONS AT         IN-THE-MONEY OPTIONS
                                SHARES                        FISCAL YEAR-END(#)         AT FISCAL YEAR-END($)(1)
                              ACQUIRED ON      VALUE      ---------------------------   ---------------------------
            NAME              EXERCISE(#)   REALIZED($)   EXERCISABLE   UNEXERCISABLE   EXERCISABLE   UNEXERCISABLE
            ----              -----------   -----------   -----------   -------------   -----------   -------------
<S>                           <C>           <C>           <C>           <C>             <C>           <C>
Justin L. Jaschke...........    60,000       1,280,000          --         180,000        380,000       3,600,000
Mark D. Johnson.............        --              --          --         200,000             --       3,400,000
Chris J. DeMarche...........        --              --      14,000          76,000        280,000       1,445,000
Carla Hamre Donelson........        --              --      12,000          68,000        240,000       1,285,000
Peter B. Fritzinger.........        --              --          --          75,000             --       1,275,000
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) The value of options at year-end is based on an assumed fair market value of
    $23.00 per share of Verio Common Stock.
 
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS
 
     As a general matter, Verio does not enter into employment agreements, and
has not entered into employment agreements with any of its officers. Rather, the
employment relationships with each officer are "at will." However, in connection
with the initial employment of each officer, Verio and the officer executed an
offer letter, in which the general compensation and benefits provided to the
officer are outlined, including base salary, targeted annual bonus, option
grants, employee benefits and severance. The amounts outlined in such offer
letters are subject to change from time to time.
 
                                       127
<PAGE>   142
 
COMPENSATION PROTECTION AGREEMENTS
 
     Verio has entered into compensation protection agreements (the
"Compensation Protection Agreements") with each of the Named Executive Officers
and certain additional officers (collectively, the "Protected Officers") of
Verio. Each of the Compensation Protection Agreements contain substantially
similar terms. The form of Compensation Protection Agreement has been filed as
an exhibit to Verio's Registration Statement of which this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus is a part. The Compensation Protection Agreements are for a
term of three years, subject to automatic yearly extensions. In no event will
the Compensation Protection Agreements terminate within 12 months of a Change in
Control of Verio. "Change in Control" includes the following:
 
          (a) An acquisition (other than directly from Verio) of any voting
     securities of Verio (the "Voting Securities") by any Person (as defined in
     the Exchange Act) immediately after which such Person has Beneficial
     Ownership (as defined in the Exchange Act) of 40% or more of the combined
     voting power of Verio's then outstanding Voting Securities. In determining
     whether a Change in Control has occurred, Voting Securities which are
     acquired in a "Non-Control Acquisition," as defined in the Compensation
     Protection Agreements, do not constitute an acquisition which would cause a
     Change in Control;
 
          (b) The individuals who, as of the date the Compensation Protection
     Agreements were approved by the Verio Board, are members of the Verio Board
     (the "Incumbent Verio Board"), cease for any reason to constitute at least
     a majority of the Verio Board (subject to certain provisos);
 
          (c) Approval by stockholders of Verio of a merger, consolidation or
     reorganization involving Verio, unless such merger, consolidation or
     reorganization (each, an "event") satisfies certain specified conditions;
 
          (d) Any other event that at least two-thirds of the Incumbent Verio
     Board determines constitutes a Change in Control; and
 
          (e) If a Protected Officer's employment is terminated prior to a
     Change in Control and the Verio Board determines that such termination was
     at the request of a third party who has indicated an intention or taken
     steps to effect a Change in Control and who subsequently effectuates a
     Change in Control, or occurred in connection with, or in anticipation of, a
     Change in Control which actually occurs, then a Change in Control is
     considered to have occurred with respect to that Protected Officer.
 
     Upon termination within 12 months following a Change in Control, each
Protected Officer will receive the following compensation and benefits:
 
          (i) If a Protected Officer's employment with Verio is terminated
     within 12 months following a Change in Control by Verio for Cause (as
     defined in the Compensation Protection Agreements) or by reason of the
     Protected Officer's Disability (as defined in the Compensation Protection
     Agreements), death or retirement, or by the Protected Officer other than
     for Good Reason (as defined in the Compensation Protection Agreements),
     then Verio must pay to the Protected Officer the Accrued Compensation (as
     defined below) due through the date of termination (the "Termination
     Date"). "Accrued Compensation" includes base salary, reimbursement for
     reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by the Protected Officer on
     behalf of Verio during the period ending on the Termination Date, and
     vacation pay.
 
          (ii) If a Protected Officer's employment is terminated within 12
     months of a Change in Control for any other reason than specified above,
     the Protected Officer will receive:
 
             (A) his or her Accrued Compensation;
 
             (B) an amount equal to the product of a fraction, the numerator of
        which is the number of days in Verio's fiscal year through the
        Termination Date and the denominator of which is 365, and the bonus
        amount, which will be the greater of 100% of the last annual incentive
        payment paid or payable to the Protected Officer prior to the
        Termination Date, and the Protected Officer's incentive target for the
        fiscal year in which the Change in Control occurs (the "Bonus Amount");
                                       128
<PAGE>   143
 
             (C) an amount equal to two times the sum of the Protected Officer's
        annual base salary in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control,
        plus the Bonus Amount. However, the amount paid to Mr. Jaschke will be
        three times that sum;
 
             (D) until the third anniversary of the Termination Date, the same
        rights with respect to benefits provided by Verio, as were provided to
        the Protected Officer as of the Effective Date, or, if greater, at any
        time within 90 days preceding the date of the Change in Control; and
 
             (E) the immediate vesting and removal of all restrictions on any
        outstanding incentive awards granted to the Protected Officer under
        Verio's stock option and other stock incentive plans or arrangement.
 
     The Compensation Protection Agreements further provide that the Protected
Officers are not required to mitigate the amount of any payment by seeking
employment or otherwise. Protected Officers may be entitled to additional
compensation or benefits in accordance with Verio's employee benefit plans and
other applicable programs, policies and practices then in effect. The
Compensation Protection Agreements contain a "gross-up" provision pursuant to
which any Severance Payment, which would be subject to certain excise taxes
occurring as a result of Change in Control, would include an additional gross-up
payment resulting in the Protected Officer retaining an additional amount equal
to excise tax.
 
STOCK OPTION AND INCENTIVE PLANS
 
  1996 Stock Option Plan
 
     The 1996 Stock Option Plan was adopted and approved by the Verio Board in
May 1996 and by the stockholders of Verio in June 1996. In February 1998, the
1996 Stock Option Plan was amended, with the approval of the Verio Board, to
reserve a total of 2,205,300 shares of Verio Common Stock for issuance under
this plan. As of October 31, 1998, options to purchase 157,547 shares of Verio
Common Stock granted under the 1996 Stock Option Plan had been exercised,
options to purchase 1,743,158 shares of Verio Common Stock were outstanding and
no additional options to purchase shares of Verio Common Stock remained
available for grant. All options forfeited after the amendment to the 1996 Stock
Option Plan was implemented in February 1998 result in availability under the
1998 Stock Incentive Plan and are no longer available for grant under the 1996
Stock Option Plan. The outstanding options were exercisable at a weighted
average exercise price of $6.31 per share. Outstanding options to purchase an
aggregate of 1,051,334 shares were held by employees who are not officers or
directors of Verio. Of the 157,547 shares issued upon exercise of options, a
total of 48,250 were issued upon exercise prior to their respective exercise
vesting dates, as permitted by the terms of the 1996 Stock Option Plan. As a
result, these shares are subject to repurchase by Verio at their respective
exercise prices, until the date on which they would have become exercisable. The
1996 Stock Option Plan will terminate in 2006, unless sooner terminated by the
Verio Board.
 
   
     The Verio Board has delegated administration of the 1996 Stock Option Plan
to its Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee is constituted to
comply with the rules under Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act. Awards under the
1996 Stock Option Plan may consist of (i) options to purchase Verio Common Stock
that are designed to qualify, under Section 422 of the Code, as "incentive stock
options" ("Incentive Stock Options"), or (ii) options to purchase Verio Common
Stock that are not described in Sections 422 or 423 of the Code ("Non-Qualified
Stock Options" and, collectively with Incentive Stock Options, "Options").
    
 
     The Compensation Committee has discretion to grant Incentive Stock Options
to employees and officers (including directors who are employees) of Verio or
any Affiliate (as defined in the 1996 Stock Option Plan) of Verio and
Non-Qualified Stock Options to employees, officers, directors or consultants of
Verio and its Affiliates. The Compensation Committee may set the terms of such
grants, subject to applicable restrictions in the 1996 Stock Option Plan.
Incentive Stock Option grants are subject to the following limitations: (i) the
term of any Incentive Stock Option may not be longer than ten years, provided
that the term of any Incentive Stock Option granted to an individual possessing
more than 10% of the combined voting power of Verio or an Affiliate (a "10%
Holder") may not be longer than five years; (ii) the aggregate fair market value
of all shares
 
                                       129
<PAGE>   144
 
underlying Incentive Stock Options granted to an individual that first become
exercisable in any calendar year may not exceed $100,000; and (iii) the exercise
price of Incentive Stock Options may not be less than the fair market value of
the underlying shares on the grant date, provided that the exercise price of any
Incentive Stock Option granted to a 10% Holder may not be less than 110% of the
fair market value of the underlying shares on the grant date. With respect to
Non-Qualified Stock Options, the exercise price may not be less than 85% of the
fair market value of the underlying shares on the grant date. As of October 31,
1998, no such below-market grant has been made.
 
     During an optionee's lifetime, an Incentive Stock Option is exercisable
only by the optionee and no Incentive Stock Option may be transferred by the
optionee other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution. During an
optionee's lifetime (or a transferee pursuant to a qualified domestic relation
order), a Non-Qualified Stock Option is exercisable only by the optionee and no
Non-Qualified Stock Option may be transferred by the optionee other than by will
or the laws of descent and distribution or pursuant to a qualified domestic
relation order satisfying the requirements of the prior version of Rule 16b-3
under the Exchange Act. An optionee whose continuous status as an employee,
director or consultant of Verio terminates for any reason (other than
termination because of death or disability) may exercise, in the three-month
period following such cessation (unless such Options terminate or expire sooner
by their terms), or such longer or shorter period as specified in the Option,
that portion of the optionee's Options that is exercisable at the time of such
cessation. In the event the optionee becomes disabled, the Options vested as of
the date of disability may be exercised prior to the earlier of such Option's
specified expiration date or 12 months from the date of the optionee's
disability, or such longer or shorter period as specified in the Option. In the
event the optionee dies, the Options vested as of the date of death may be
exercised prior to the earlier of such Option's specified expiration date or 18
months from the date of the optionee's death, or such longer or shorter period
as specified in the Option.
 
     In the event of (i) a dissolution or liquidation of Verio, (ii) a merger or
consolidation in which Verio is not the surviving corporation, (iii) a reverse
merger in which Verio is the surviving corporation but the shares of Verio's
outstanding Verio Common Stock immediately prior to such merger are converted
into other property, whether in the form of securities, cash or otherwise, or
(iv) any other capital reorganization in which Verio's stockholders receive less
than 50% of the outstanding voting shares of the surviving corporation: (a) any
surviving corporation shall assume any Options outstanding under the 1996 Stock
Option Plan; (b) such Options shall continue in full force and effect; or (c)
the Options shall terminate if not exercised prior to such event.
 
  1997 California Stock Option Plan
 
     Verio's 1997 California Stock Option Plan (the "1997 California Plan") was
adopted by the Verio Board in February 1997, and approved by Verio's
stockholders in April 1997. In February 1998, the 1997 California Plan was
amended, with the approval of the Verio Board, to reserve a total of 795,400
shares of Verio Common Stock for issuance under this plan. This amendment has
been approved by Verio's stockholders. As of October 31, 1998, options to
purchase 320 shares of Verio Common Stock had been exercised under the 1997
California Plan, options to purchase 542,751 shares of Verio Common Stock were
outstanding and there were no options available for grant as the remaining
options were transferred to the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan (as defined below).
The outstanding options were exercisable at a weighted average exercise price of
$12.10 per share. Outstanding options to purchase an aggregate of 515,251 shares
were held by employees who are not officers or directors of Verio, and the
remaining outstanding options to purchase 70,000 shares are held by Mr.
Johnson's estate.
 
     The 1997 California Plan may be administered by the Verio Board or the
Compensation Committee (either, the "1997 Plan Administrator"). The 1997
California Plan provides for the granting to employees of Verio and of its
subsidiaries or parent corporations of Incentive Stock Options, and for the
granting to employees and independent contractors of Non-Qualified Stock
Options. The 1997 Plan Administrator has the power to determine the terms of the
Options granted, including the exercise price, number of shares subject to the
Option and the exercisability thereof, and the form of consideration payable
upon exercise. Options granted under the 1997 California Plan are not
transferable by the optionee other than by will or by
                                       130
<PAGE>   145
 
the laws of descent or distribution, and each Option is exercisable during the
lifetime of the optionee only by such optionee. The exercise price of all
Incentive Stock Options granted under the 1997 California Plan must be at least
equal to the fair market value, as determined by the Verio Board, of the Verio
Common Stock on the grant date. The exercise price of all Non-Qualified Stock
Options granted under the 1997 California Plan must be at least 85% of the fair
market value, as determined by the 1997 Plan Administrator, of the Verio Common
Stock on the grant date. With respect to any participant who owns stock
possessing more than 10% of the voting power or value of all classes of Verio's
outstanding capital stock, the exercise price of any Incentive Stock Option or
Non-Qualified Stock Option granted must equal at least 110% of the fair market
value of the Verio Common Stock on the grant date and the term of the Option
must not exceed five years. The term of all other Options granted under the 1997
California Plan may not exceed ten years. The consideration for exercising any
Option may consist of cash, check, shares of Verio Common Stock, a promissory
note, the assignment of part of the proceeds from the sale of shares acquired
upon exercise of the Options or any combination thereof as specified in the
agreement evidencing the Option.
 
     The 1997 California Plan provides that in the event of a merger of Verio
with or into another corporation or a consolidation, sale of substantially all
of Verio's assets or like transaction involving Verio in which Verio's
stockholders before the transaction do not retain a majority interest in Verio,
each Option may be assumed or an equivalent Option may be substituted by a
successor corporation. If the successor corporation chooses not to assume the
Options under the 1997 California Plan, the Options not otherwise exercisable
will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of the transaction.
 
     Unless terminated sooner, the 1997 California Plan will terminate
automatically in 2007. The Verio Board has the authority to amend, suspend or
terminate the 1997 California Plan, subject to stockholder approval of certain
amendments, and provided no such action may affect any share of Verio Common
Stock previously issued and sold or any Option previously granted under the 1997
California Plan without the optionee's consent.
 
  1998 Stock Incentive Plan
 
   
     Verio's 1998 Stock Incentive Plan (the "1998 Stock Incentive Plan"), which
was adopted by the Verio Board in February 1998, was amended and restated as of
March 19, 1998 and has been approved by Verio's stockholders to reserve
6,199,300 shares of Verio Common Stock for issuance under the 1998 Stock
Incentive Plan, together with (i) any shares of Verio Common Stock available for
future awards under the 1997 California Plan as of the Verio IPO, and (ii) any
shares of Verio Common Stock represented by Awards under the 1996 Stock Option
Plan and the 1997 California Plan (the "Prior Plans"), that are forfeited,
expire or are cancelled following the Verio IPO. In connection with the adoption
of the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan, the Verio Board determined that Verio will
limit the issuance of 1998 Awards (as defined below) under the 1998 Stock
Incentive Plan such that the aggregate number of shares subject to 1998 Awards
granted under the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan and the Prior Plans will not at any
time exceed 15% of the Verio's outstanding fully-diluted equity. From and after
Verio's IPO, all further option grants, including the Hiway Options assumed by
Verio in the Merger, will be made solely under the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan.
    
 
     As of October 31, 1998, options to purchase 34,968 shares of Verio Common
Stock had been exercised under the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan, options to
purchase 2,280,807 shares of Verio Common Stock were outstanding, and options to
purchase an additional 3,883,525 shares of Verio Common Stock remained available
for grant. The outstanding options were exercisable at a weighted average
exercise price of $16.75 per share. Outstanding options to purchase an aggregate
of 1,372,103 shares were held by employees who are not officers or directors of
Verio.
 
     The purpose of the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan is to attract and retain the
best available personnel, to provide additional incentive to employees,
directors and consultants of Verio and its related entities and to promote the
success of Verio's business. The 1998 Stock Incentive Plan provides for the
granting to employees of Incentive Stock Options and the granting of
nonstatutory stock options, stock appreciation rights, dividend equivalent
rights, restricted stock, performance units, performance shares, and other
equity-based rights ("1998 Awards") to employees, directors and consultants of
Verio and its related entities.
 
                                       131
<PAGE>   146
 
     With respect to 1998 Awards granted to directors or officers, the 1998
Stock Incentive Plan is administered by the Verio Board or a committee
designated by the Verio Board constituted to permit such 1998 Awards to be
exempt from Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act in accordance with Rule 16b-3
thereunder. With respect to 1998 Awards granted to other participants, the 1998
Stock Incentive Plan is administered by the Verio Board or a committee
designated by the Verio Board. In each case, the respective plan administrator
shall determine the provisions, terms and conditions of each 1998 Award,
including, but not limited to, the 1998 Award vesting schedule, repurchase
provisions, rights of first refusal, forfeiture provisions, form of payment
(cash, shares of Verio Common Stock or other consideration) upon settlement of
the 1998 Award, payment contingencies and satisfaction of any performance
criteria.
 
     Incentive Stock Options are not transferable by the optionee other than by
will or the laws of descent or distribution, and each Incentive Stock Option is
exercisable during the lifetime of the optionee only by such optionee. Other
1998 Awards shall be transferable to the extent provided in the agreement
evidencing the 1998 Award.
 
     The exercise price of Incentive Stock Options must be at least equal to the
fair market value of the Verio Common Stock on the date of grant, and the term
of the option must not exceed ten years. The term of other 1998 Awards will be
determined by the respective plan administrator. With respect to an employee who
owns stock possessing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of
Verio's outstanding capital stock, the exercise price of any Incentive Stock
Option must equal at least 110% of the fair market value of the Verio Common
Stock on the grant date and the term of the option must not exceed five years.
The exercise price or purchase price, if any, of other 1998 Awards will be such
price as determined by the respective plan administrator, but not less than 85%
of the fair market value of the stock. The consideration to be paid for the
shares of Verio Common Stock upon exercise or purchase of a 1998 Award will be
determined by the respective plan administrator and may include cash, check,
shares of Verio Common Stock or the assignment of part of the proceeds from the
sale of shares acquired upon exercise or purchase of the 1998 Award.
 
     Where the 1998 Award agreement permits the exercise or purchase of a 1998
Award for a certain period of time following the recipient's termination of
service with Verio, disability or death, such 1998 Award will terminate to the
extent not exercised or purchased on the last day of the specified period or the
last day of the original term of such 1998 Award, whichever occurs first.
 
     Unless terminated sooner, the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan will terminate
automatically in 2008. The Verio Board has the authority to amend, suspend or
terminate the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan, subject to stockholder approval of
certain amendments, and provided no such action may affect 1998 Awards
previously granted under the 1998 Stock Incentive Plan unless agreed to by the
affected grantees.
 
  1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
 
     Verio's 1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "Stock Purchase Plan") was
approved by the Verio Board in February 1998 and has been approved by Verio's
stockholders. The Stock Purchase Plan was subsequently amended and restated as
of April 13, 1998. The Stock Purchase Plan is intended to qualify as an
"employee stock purchase plan" under Section 423 of the Code in order to provide
employees of Verio with an opportunity to purchase Verio Common Stock through
payroll deductions. An aggregate of 3,000,000 shares of Verio Common Stock has
been reserved for issuance under the Stock Purchase Plan and available for
purchase thereunder, subject to adjustment in the event of a stock split, stock
dividend or other similar change in the Verio Common Stock or the capital
structure of Verio. All employees of Verio (and employees of "subsidiary
corporations" and "parent corporations" of Verio (as defined by the Code)
designated by the administrator of the Stock Purchase Plan) whose customary
employment is for more than five months in any calendar year and more than 20
hours per week are eligible to participate in the Stock Purchase Plan. Employees
of Verio are eligible to participate in the Stock Purchase Plan, subject to a
six-month waiting period after hiring. Non-employee directors, consultants and
employees subject to the rules or laws of a foreign jurisdiction that prohibit
or make impractical the participation of such employees in the Stock Purchase
Plan are not eligible to participate in the Stock Purchase Plan.
 
                                       132
<PAGE>   147
 
     The Stock Purchase Plan designates Purchase Periods, Accrual Periods and
Exercise Dates. Purchase Periods are generally overlapping periods of 12 months.
The initial Purchase Period begins on the effective date of the Stock Purchase
Plan, which is the effective date of Verio's Registration Statement relating to
the Verio IPO, and ends on May 14, 1999. Additional Purchase Periods will
commence each May 15 and November 15. Accrual Periods are generally six month
periods, with the initial Accrual Period commencing on the effective date of the
Stock Purchase Plan and ending on November 14, 1998. Thereafter, Accrual Periods
will commence each May 15 and November 15. Exercise Dates are the last day of
each Accrual Period. In the event of a merger of Verio with or into another
corporation, the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of Verio, or
certain other transactions in which the stockholders of Verio before the
transaction own less than 50% of the total combined voting power of Verio's
outstanding securities following the transaction, the administrator of the Stock
Purchase Plan may elect to shorten the Purchase Period then in progress.
 
   
     On the first day of each Purchase Period, a participating employee is
granted a purchase right, which is a form of option to be automatically
exercised on the forthcoming Exercise Dates within the Purchase Period, during
which deductions are to be made from the pay of participants (in accordance with
their authorizations) and credited to their accounts under the Stock Purchase
Plan. When the purchase right is exercised, the participant's withheld salary is
used to purchase shares of Verio Common Stock. The price per share at which
shares of Verio Common Stock are to be purchased under the Stock Purchase Plan
during any Accrual Period is the lesser of (i) 85% of the fair market value of
the Verio Common Stock on the date of the grant of the option (the commencement
of the Purchase Period), or (ii) 85% of the fair market value of the Verio
Common Stock on the Exercise Date (the last day of an Accrual Period). The
participant's purchase right is exercised in this manner on both Exercise Dates
arising in the Purchase Period unless, on the first day of any Accrual Period,
the fair market value of the Verio Common Stock is lower than the fair market
value of the Verio Common Stock on the first day of the Purchase Period. If so,
the participant's participation in the original Purchase Period is terminated,
and the participant is automatically enrolled in the new Purchase Period
effective the same date.
    
 
     Payroll deductions may range from 1% to 10% (in whole percentage
increments) of a participant's regular base pay and bonuses, exclusive of
overtime, shift-premiums or commissions. Participants may not make direct cash
payments to their accounts. The maximum number of shares of Verio Common Stock
which any employee may purchase under the Stock Purchase Plan during an Accrual
Period is 1,250 shares. Certain additional limitations on the amount of Verio
Common Stock which may be purchased during any calendar year are imposed by the
Code.
 
     The Stock Purchase Plan will be administered by the Verio Board or a
committee designated by the Verio Board, which will have the authority to
terminate or amend the Stock Purchase Plan (subject to specified restrictions)
and otherwise to administer the Stock Purchase Plan and to resolve all questions
relating to the administration of the Stock Purchase Plan.
 
  1998 Non-Employee Director Stock Incentive Plan
 
     In April 1998, the Verio Board adopted the 1998 Non-Employee Director Stock
Incentive Plan (the "1998 Non-Employee Director Plan"), under which the total
number of shares available for grant is equal to 550,000 shares of Verio Common
Stock, in order to provide for option grants and stock issuances to members of
the Verio Board who are not employees of Verio in accordance with the
compensation guidelines described in "-- Compensation of Verio Directors." The
1998 Non-Employee Director Plan has been approved by Verio's stockholders.
Options to purchase 210,000 shares of Verio Common Stock were granted to non-
employee directors. As of October 31, 1998, options to purchase an additional
340,000 shares of Verio Common Stock remained available for grant.
 
     The purposes of the 1998 Non-Employee Director Plan are to attract and
retain the best available non-employee directors, to provide them additional
incentives, and to promote the success of Verio's business. The 1998
Non-Employee Director Plan establishes two programs for the grant of awards to
non-employee directors: the Automatic Option Grant Program and the Stock Fee
Program (the "Non-Employee Director Awards").
 
                                       133
<PAGE>   148
 
     Under the Automatic Option Grant Program, each of the six non-employee
directors serving on the Verio Board automatically at the time of the Verio IPO
were granted an option to acquire 30,000 shares of Verio Common Stock at an
exercise price per share equal to the fair market value of the Verio Common
Stock at the date of grant. These options will vest and become exercisable in
three equal installments on each yearly anniversary of the grant date.
Non-employee directors appointed to the Verio Board also will be granted
automatically at the time of election or appointment an option to acquire 30,000
shares of Verio Common Stock with the same terms and conditions at an exercise
price equal to the then fair market value of the Verio Common Stock. After the
initial three year vesting period for such options, each non-employee director
will receive automatic annual grants of options to acquire an additional 3,000
shares of Verio Common Stock at an exercise price equal to the fair market value
of the Verio Common Stock at the date of grant. Such options will vest and
become fully exercisable on the first anniversary of the grant date.
 
     Each automatic option grant will have a term of eight years and will be
transferable to the extent provided in the agreement evidencing the option. The
consideration for exercising an option may consist of cash, check, shares of
Verio Common Stock, the assignment of part of the proceeds from the sale of
shares acquired upon exercise of the option or any combination thereof. In the
event of a merger of Verio with or into another corporation, a sale of
substantially all of Verio's assets, a person becoming more than a 50% owner of
Verio or a like transaction involving Verio in which Verio's stockholders before
the transaction do not retain a majority interest in Verio, immediately prior to
the transaction, one-third of the shares subject to the options to purchase
30,000 shares of Verio Common Stock will vest and become exercisable and all of
the shares subject to the options to purchase 3,000 shares of Verio Common Stock
will vest and become exercisable. Upon consummation of such transaction all such
options will terminate, unless they are assumed by the successor company. In the
event of a hostile takeover of Verio or change in the majority of the Verio
Board through contested elections, the vesting of all such options will likewise
accelerate as described above, but the options will remain exercisable according
to their terms.
 
     Under the Stock Fee Program, each non-employee director will be eligible to
apply all or any portion of the annual retainer and meeting fees otherwise
payable in cash to the non-employee director to the acquisition of shares of
Verio Common Stock. The non-employee director must make the stock purchase
election prior to the start of the calendar year for which the election is to be
in effect. The first year for which such elections may be made is 1999. On the
first trading day following the due date for payment of a portion of the annual
retainer fee or the date of any meeting in a calendar year for which the
election is effective, the portion of the annual retainer or meeting fee subject
to such election automatically will be applied to the acquisition of shares of
Verio Common Stock by dividing the selected dollar amount by the then fair
market value per share of the Verio Common Stock. The number of issuable shares
will be rounded down to the next whole share.
 
     The 1998 Non-Employee Director Plan is administered by the Verio Board or a
committee designated by the Verio Board (either, the "1998 Plan Administrator")
constituted to permit Non-Employee Director Awards to be exempt from Section
16(b) of the Exchange Act in accordance with Rule 16b-3 thereunder. The 1998
Plan Administrator shall approve forms of the Non-Employee Director Award
agreement for use under the Plan, determine the terms and conditions of
Non-Employee Director Awards, and construe and interpret the terms of the 1998
Non-Employee Director Plan and Non-Employee Director Awards granted pursuant
thereto.
 
     Unless terminated sooner, the 1998 Non-Employee Director Plan will
terminate automatically in 2008. The Verio Board has the authority to amend,
suspend or terminate the 1998 Non-Employee Director Plan, subject to stockholder
approval of certain amendments, and provided no such action may affect Non-
Employee Director Awards previously granted under the 1998 Non-Employee Director
Plan unless agreed to by the affected non-employee directors.
 
401(k) PLAN
 
     In January 1997, Verio implemented an employee savings and retirement plan
(the "401(k) Plan") covering certain of Verio's employees who have at least one
month of service with Verio and have attained the age of 21. Pursuant to the
401(k) Plan, eligible employees may elect to reduce their current compensation
by
 
                                       134
<PAGE>   149
 
up to the lesser of 20% of such compensation or the statutorily prescribed
annual limit ($10,000 in 1998) and have the amount of such reduction contributed
to the 401(k) Plan. Verio may make contributions to the 401(k) Plan on behalf of
eligible employees. Employees become 20% vested in these Verio contributions
after one year of service, and increase their vested percentages by an
additional 20% for each year of service thereafter. The 401(k) Plan is intended
to qualify under Section 401 of the Code so that contributions by employees or
by Verio to the 401(k) Plan, and income earned on the 401(k) Plan contributions,
are not taxable to employees until withdrawn from the 401(k) Plan, and so that
contributions by Verio, if any, will be deductible by Verio when made. The
trustee under the 401(k) Plan, at the direction of each participant, invests the
401(k) Plan employee salary deferrals in selected investment options. Verio made
no contributions to the 401(k) Plan in 1996 or in 1997. Verio does not presently
expect to make any contributions to the 401(k) Plan during fiscal 1998.
 
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION
 
     The Chairman of the Compensation Committee is Mr. Schovee. No member of the
Compensation Committee was at any time during the fiscal year ended December 31,
1997, or at any other time, an officer or employee of Verio. No member of the
Compensation Committee serves as a member of the board of directors or
compensation committee of any entity that has one or more executive officers
serving as a member of the Verio Board or the Compensation Committee.
 
LIMITATION ON LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION MATTERS
 
     The Verio Certificate and Bylaws provide that Verio shall indemnify to the
fullest extent permitted by Section 145 of the DGCL, as it now exists or as
amended, all directors and officers pursuant thereto. The Verio Certificate and
Bylaws also authorize Verio to indemnify its employees and other agents, at its
option, to the fullest extent permitted by Section 145, as it now exists or as
amended. Verio entered into agreements to indemnify its directors and officers,
in addition to indemnification provided for in Verio's charter documents. These
agreements, among other things, provide for the indemnification of Verio's
directors and officers for certain expenses (including attorneys' fees),
judgments, fines and settlement amounts incurred by any such person in any
action or proceeding, including any action by or in the right of Verio, arising
out of such person's services as a director or officer of Verio, any subsidiary
of Verio or any other company or enterprise to which such person provides
services at the request of Verio to the fullest extent permitted by applicable
law. Verio believes that these provisions and agreements will assist Verio in
attracting and retaining qualified persons to serve as directors and officers.
 
     Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL permits a corporation to provide in its
certificate of incorporation that a director of the corporation shall not be
personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages
for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any
breach of the director's duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders,
(ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional
misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under Section 174 of the DGCL or
(iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal
benefit. The Verio Certificate provides for the elimination of personal
liability of a director for breach of fiduciary duty, as permitted by Section
102(b)(7) of the DGCL.
 
     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of Verio
pursuant to the provisions contained in the Verio Certificate and Bylaws, the
DGCL or otherwise, Verio has been advised that in the opinion of the Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification
against such liabilities (other than the payment by Verio of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of Verio in the successful
defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such director,
officer or controlling person in connection with the Verio Common Stock being
registered hereunder, Verio will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the
matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by
the final adjudication of such issue.
                                       135
<PAGE>   150
 
     Verio has purchased and maintains insurance on behalf of the officers and
directors insuring them against liabilities that they may incur in such
capacities or arising out of such status.
 
                               BUSINESS OF HIWAY
 
     Hiway is a leading global provider of Web hosting and related enhanced
Internet services to small and medium sized businesses. With over 91,000 Web
hosting accounts worldwide, Hiway believes that it is currently the largest
provider of business Web hosting services, as measured by number of Web hosting
accounts. Hiway focuses on delivering high-quality, reliable and flexible
services that are backed by 24x7 customer support and can be scaled to host
millions of Web sites. Hiway's services enable its customers to deploy, expand
and update Web sites more rapidly and cost-effectively than internally developed
solutions. Hiway offers its solutions directly, through VARs and through OEMs.
Hiway's OEMs include three of the five RBOCs.
 
     Hiway's services are designed to provide small to medium sized businesses
with the high performance, scalability, flexibility and expertise they need to
deploy a Web presence or expand its functionality cost effectively. Hiway's
services utilize a redundant, high-speed, secure, proprietary network
architecture and a fault tolerant hosting platform, monitored on a 24x7 basis
through two Hiway NOCs. This enables Hiway to offer its customers a 99.9% uptime
service level warranty. In addition, Hiway has developed various proprietary
operating system level tools to facilitate a high customer to server ratio,
allowing Hiway to host over 2,000 Web sites on a single server. Hiway also
utilizes various proprietary technologies to improve the back-end processing and
customer interface components of its solutions, allowing customers to order,
change and manage their Web hosting accounts easily and flexibly, regardless of
their level of technical expertise. To meet its customers' needs, Hiway offers
Web hosting services on a range of operating systems and computing platforms:
Silicon Graphics, Intel and Sun Microsystems. Hiway expects to offer Windows
NT-based Web hosting services commencing in the fourth quarter of 1998.
 
     Hiway seeks to maximize market share by utilizing three distribution
channels -- direct sales, VARs and OEM partnerships. In addition to driving
direct sales through the use of traditional media and online marketing
campaigns, Hiway has developed a global VAR network consisting of over 1,800
value-added resellers that resell Hiway's services to customers located in more
than 100 countries. Hiway has also recently commenced the distribution of its
services through OEM partners, which include three of the five RBOCs. Hiway
believes that these relationships present a significant opportunity to penetrate
the large, established customer bases of these OEMs.
 
     Hiway was formed in May 1998 through the merger of Best, which was
incorporated in September 1994, and Hiway Florida, which was incorporated in
April 1995. Prior to the Best/Hiway Merger, Hiway Florida was a leading provider
of shared server Web hosting domestically and, through its established network
of VARs, internationally. Hiway Florida had also begun to expand its
distribution channels by entering into relationships with RBOCs and other OEMs.
Best was a leading provider of shared server Web hosting bundled with dial-up
Internet access in the California market prior to such merger, and also offered
stand-alone high-speed Internet connectivity and co-location Web hosting
services. The Best/Hiway Merger was accounted for as a pooling of interests.
Primarily as a direct or indirect result of the Best/Hiway Merger, Hiway wrote
off approximately $395,000 of related merger costs in the second quarter of
1998, including approximately $204,000 of legal costs, $89,000 of accounting
costs and $102,000 of travel and miscellaneous costs. In 1997 and the first
quarter of 1998, Hiway Florida had revenues of $10.4 million and $4.3 million,
respectively, and Best had revenues of $15.8 million and $4.5 million,
respectively. At March 31, 1998, Hiway Florida had approximately 49,000 Web
hosting accounts and Best had approximately 29,000 Web hosting accounts.
 
                                       136
<PAGE>   151
 
                 SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA OF HIWAY
 
    The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in
conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements of Hiway and Notes
thereto and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations of Hiway" included elsewhere in this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus. The consolidated statement of operations data for each of
the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 1997, and the consolidated
balance sheet data as of December 31, 1996 and 1997, are derived from
consolidated financial statements of Hiway that, except as they relate to the
financial statements of Hiway Florida for the period from April 6, 1995 (date of
inception) to December 31, 1995 and for the year ended December 31, 1996, have
been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent accountants, and,
insofar as they relate to the financial statements of Hiway Florida for the
period from April 6, 1995 (date of inception) to December 31, 1995 and for the
year ended December 31, 1996, have been audited by De Meo, Young, McGrath &
Company, P.A., independent accountants, and are included elsewhere in this Proxy
Statement/Prospectus. The consolidated statement of operations data for the
three months ended March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31, 1997, and
March 31, June 30 and September 30, 1998, and the consolidated balance sheet
data as of December 31, 1995 and September 30, 1998, are derived from unaudited
consolidated financial statements that are not included herein. The unaudited
consolidated financial statements have been prepared on substantially the same
basis as the audited consolidated financial statements and, in the opinion of
Hiway's management, include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring
adjustments, necessary to present fairly, in all material respects, the
financial condition and results of operations for such periods and as of such
dates. Historical results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be
expected in the future, and results of interim periods are not necessarily
indicative of results to be expected for the entire year.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                             THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                                 YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,     -------------------
                                                --------------------------   MAR. 31,   JUNE 30,
                                                 1995     1996      1997       1997       1997
                                                ------   -------   -------   --------   --------
                                                     (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
<S>                                             <C>      <C>       <C>       <C>        <C>
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Revenues......................................  $2,011   $12,217   $26,185    $5,371     $6,164
                                                ------   -------   -------    ------     ------
Operating costs and expenses:
 Cost of revenues.............................     231     3,233     7,213     1,577      1,789
 Sales and marketing..........................     154     2,555     3,589       626        756
 Product development and systems
   engineering................................      97     1,005     2,112       353        485
 General and administrative...................   2,068     4,641     8,400     1,579      1,814
                                                ------   -------   -------    ------     ------
       Total operating costs and expenses.....   2,550    11,434    21,314     4,135      4,844
                                                ------   -------   -------    ------     ------
Income (loss) from operations.................    (539)      783     4,871     1,236      1,320
Interest and other income (expense), net......     (11)     (190)      (75)      (18)         9
                                                ------   -------   -------    ------     ------
Income (loss) before provision (benefit) for
 income taxes.................................    (550)      593     4,796     1,218      1,329
Provision (benefit) for income taxes..........       1         1       361        91        103
                                                ------   -------   -------    ------     ------
       Net income (loss)......................  $ (551)  $   592   $ 4,435    $1,127     $1,226
                                                ======   =======   =======    ======     ======
       Pro forma net income (loss)(1).........  $ (551)  $   560   $ 2,871    $  737     $  794
                                                ======   =======   =======    ======     ======
Historical net income (loss) per share(2)
 -- Basic.....................................  $(0.03)  $  0.02   $  0.15    $ 0.04     $ 0.04
 -- Diluted...................................  $(0.03)  $  0.02   $  0.13    $ 0.03     $ 0.04
Pro forma net income (loss) per share(2)
 -- Basic.....................................  $(0.03)  $  0.02   $  0.10    $ 0.02     $ 0.03
 -- Diluted...................................  $(0.03)  $  0.02   $  0.08    $ 0.02     $ 0.02
Shares used in computing basic net income
 (loss) per share(2)..........................  16,871    25,878    30,020    29,599     29,966
Shares used in computing diluted net income
 (loss) per share(2)..........................  16,871    28,509    34,877    33,529     34,816
 
<CAPTION>
                                                                  THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                                ------------------------------------------------------
                                                SEPT. 30,   DEC. 31,   MAR. 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPT. 30,
                                                  1997        1997       1998       1998       1998
                                                ---------   --------   --------   --------   ---------
                                                  (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
<S>                                             <C>         <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS DATA:
Revenues......................................   $6,918      $7,732     $8,844     $9,666     $10,563
                                                 ------      ------     ------     ------     -------
Operating costs and expenses:
 Cost of revenues.............................    1,766       2,081      2,475      2,813       2,951
 Sales and marketing..........................      898       1,309      1,365      1,396       1,990
 Product development and systems
   engineering................................      581         693        717        639         758
 General and administrative...................    2,239       2,768      3,027      4,001       4,344
                                                 ------      ------     ------     ------     -------
       Total operating costs and expenses.....    5,484       6,851      7,584      8,849      10,043
                                                 ------      ------     ------     ------     -------
Income (loss) from operations.................    1,434         881      1,260        817         520
Interest and other income (expense), net......       (6)        (60)        62        (40)        (47)
                                                 ------      ------     ------     ------     -------
Income (loss) before provision (benefit) for
 income taxes.................................    1,428         821      1,322        777         473
Provision (benefit) for income taxes..........      107          60        176        (77)         --
                                                 ------      ------     ------     ------     -------
       Net income (loss)......................   $1,321      $  761     $1,146     $  854     $   473
                                                 ======      ======     ======     ======     =======
       Pro forma net income (loss)(1).........   $  848      $  492     $  792     $  464     $   473
                                                 ======      ======     ======     ======     =======
Historical net income (loss) per share(2)
 -- Basic.....................................   $ 0.04      $ 0.03     $ 0.04     $ 0.02     $  0.01
 -- Diluted...................................   $ 0.04      $ 0.02     $ 0.03     $ 0.03     $  0.01
Pro forma net income (loss) per share(2)
 -- Basic.....................................   $ 0.03      $ 0.02     $ 0.03     $ 0.01     $  0.01
 -- Diluted...................................   $ 0.02      $ 0.02     $ 0.03     $ 0.01     $  0.01
Shares used in computing basic net income
 (loss) per share(2)..........................   29,968      30,549     31,156     33,447      35,809
Shares used in computing diluted net income
 (loss) per share(2)..........................   35,155      35,675     36,063     36,537      37,776
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                    DECEMBER 31,
                                                              -------------------------   SEPT. 30,
                                                               1995     1996     1997       1998
                                                              ------   ------   -------   ---------
                                                                         (IN THOUSANDS)
<S>                                                           <C>      <C>      <C>       <C>
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Cash and cash equivalents...................................  $   55   $1,588   $ 5,672    $ 3,569
Working capital (deficiency)................................    (503)     389     4,169        (90)
       Total assets.........................................   1,243    9,539    19,467     26,677
Long-term debt and capital lease obligations, less current
 portion....................................................      22      778     5,197      5,136
       Total stockholders' equity...........................     487    4,969     8,957     12,056
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(1) See Note 18 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of Hiway for an
    explanation of the determination of pro forma net income (loss), which
    reflects a provision for income taxes as if Hiway Florida was a corporation
    subject to income taxes.
 
(2) See Note 19 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of Hiway for an
    explanation of the computation of per share data.
 
                                       137
<PAGE>   152
 
          MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
                       AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF HIWAY
 
     The following discussion and analysis is based on the historical and pro
forma results of Hiway. See "Consolidated Financial Statements of Hiway" for the
basis of presentation. Certain statements set forth below constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Reform Act. The safe
harbor provisions provided in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E
of the Exchange Act do not apply to forward-looking statements made by Hiway.
Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties
and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements
of Hiway, or industry results, to be materially different from any future
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, prospective investors are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. See
"Risk Factors -- Forward-Looking Statements."
 
OVERVIEW
 
     Hiway is a leading global provider of Web hosting and related enhanced
Internet services to small and medium sized businesses. With over 108,000 Web
hosting accounts worldwide, Hiway believes that it is currently the largest
provider of business Web hosting services, as measured by number of Web hosting
accounts. Hiway focuses on delivering high-quality, reliable and flexible
services that are backed by 24X7 customer support and can be scaled to host
millions of Web sites.
 
     Hiway was formed in May 1998 through the merger of Best, which was
incorporated in September 1994, and Hiway Florida, which was incorporated in
April 1995. Prior to the Best/Hiway Merger, Hiway Florida was a leading provider
of shared server Web hosting domestically and, through its established network
of VARs, internationally. Hiway Florida had also begun to expand its
distribution channels by entering into relationships with RBOCs and other OEMs.
Best was a leading provider of shared server Web hosting bundled with dial-up
Internet access in the California market prior to such merger, and also offered
stand-alone high-speed Internet connectivity and co-location Web hosting
services. In 1997 and the first quarter of 1998, Hiway Florida had revenues of
$10.4 million and $4.3 million, respectively, and Best had revenues of $15.8
million and $4.5 million, respectively. At March 31, 1998, Hiway Florida had
approximately 49,000 Web hosting accounts and Best had approximately 29,000 Web
hosting accounts. Hiway currently expects to focus on shared server Web hosting,
both stand-alone and bundled with dial-up Internet access, and to de-emphasize
stand-alone high-speed Internet connectivity and co-location Web hosting
services. The Best/Hiway Merger was accounted for as a pooling of interests, and
accordingly all prior financial statements have been restated to combine the
results of Best and Hiway Florida. Primarily as a direct or indirect result of
the Best/Hiway Merger, Hiway wrote off approximately $395,000 of related merger
costs in the second quarter of 1998, including approximately $204,000 of legal
costs, $89,000 of accounting costs and $102,000 of travel and miscellaneous
costs. See Notes 1 and 4 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements of Hiway
included elsewhere in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
 
     Hiway is in the process of completing leasehold improvements in a 70,000
square foot state-of-the-art data center and headquarters facility in Boca
Raton, Florida, which will replace its existing facility in Boca Raton.
Leasehold improvements, equipment and other capital expenditures for this
facility are expected to aggregate up to $5.5 million, of which approximately
$4.5 million had been spent by September 30, 1998. Following the completion of
this facility, Hiway will maintain two NOCs, one in Boca Raton and one in
Mountain View, California. Hiway believes that its two data centers will be
adequate to scale its domestic business for at least the next two years. Rather
than build international data centers, Hiway expects to lease data center space
in Europe, Japan and South America as Hiway's customer base grows in these
geographic regions. As a result, Hiway expects that future capital expenditures
will occur only incrementally as Hiway's business expands.
 
     Hiway derived approximately 18.7% of its revenues internationally in the
first nine months of 1998 and expects that this percentage will increase over
the next several years. Although a portion of international customers purchase
services online directly from Hiway, Hiway markets and sells shared server Web
hosting
 
                                       138
<PAGE>   153
 
to international customers and services these customers primarily through its
indirect distribution channel comprised of Premier Partners and VARs. Premier
Partners are VARs that are responsible for building Hiway's brand in their local
markets through marketing programs and by establishing a network of additional
VARs. Hiway has ownership stakes in five of its 11 Premier Partners -- Germany
(20%), Japan (35%), France (25%), Spain (20%) and the United Kingdom
(60%) -- for which it has paid an aggregate of $370,000. Hiway grants its
Premier Partners and VARs substantial discounts from Hiway's retail prices on
the services they resell to their customers, and the Premier Partners and VARs
are responsible for localizing Hiway's services and providing technical support
and other services to their customers. Hiway denominates its sales to VARs and
Premier Partners in U.S. dollars. Thus, fluctuations in the value of the U.S.
dollar relative to the currency of a given country may make Hiway's services
more or less profitable and therefore more or less attractive to VARs selling in
that country.
 
     Hiway derives its revenues primarily from ongoing monthly fees and one-time
setup fees for Web hosting and, to a lesser extent, from similar fees for
high-speed Internet connectivity and enhanced Internet services. Hiway
advertises in traditional and online media to attract potential customers. As a
result, to date, Hiway has derived a significant majority of its accounts from
inbound requests from potential customers. Hiway also markets its services
through over 1,800 international and domestic VARs and through OEMs, including
three RBOCs and SwissCom (a European telecommunications company), which offer
Hiway an opportunity to derive revenue from the large established customer bases
of these companies. In addition, Hiway is in discussions with a number of other
telecommunications companies regarding possible establishment of distribution
relationships. Although Hiway contemplates significant increases in advertising
in order to attempt to grow sales through its direct sales channel, Hiway
anticipates that an increasing percentage of its revenues will be derived from
sales through its VARs and OEMs. Because sales to VARs and OEMs are made at a
discount to Hiway's retail prices for similar services, they result in lower
gross margins to Hiway than direct sales; however, sales and marketing expenses
for these reseller channels are significantly less than such expenses for direct
sales. As a result, Hiway expects that, to the extent the portion of its new
customer base from these indirect reseller channels increases, this increase
will have a positive effect on its operating margin.
 
                                       139
<PAGE>   154
 
QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
 
     The following table sets forth certain selected items in Hiway's
consolidated statements of operations as a percentage of revenues for the
periods indicated. This information has been derived from Hiway's unaudited
consolidated financial statements, which, in the opinion of Hiway's management,
have been prepared on substantially the same basis as the audited financial
statements and include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring
adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of the financial information for
the quarters presented. This information should be read in conjunction with the
Consolidated Financial Statements of Hiway and Notes thereto included elsewhere
in this Statement/Prospectus. The operating results in any quarter are not
necessarily indicative of the results for any future period.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  MAR. 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPT. 30,   DEC. 31,   MAR. 31,   JUNE 30,   SEPT. 30,
                                    1997       1997       1997        1997       1998       1998       1998
                                  --------   --------   ---------   --------   --------   --------   ---------
<S>                               <C>        <C>        <C>         <C>        <C>        <C>        <C>
Revenues........................   100.0%     100.0%      100.0%     100.0%     100.0%     100.0%      100.0%
                                   -----      -----       -----      -----      -----      -----       -----
Operating costs and expenses:
  Cost of revenues..............    29.3       29.0        25.5       26.9       28.0       29.1        27.9
  Sales and marketing...........    11.7       12.3        13.0       16.9       15.5       14.5        18.8
  Product development and
     systems engineering........     6.6        7.9         8.4        9.0        8.1        6.6         7.2
  General and administrative....    29.4       29.4        32.4       35.8       34.2       41.4        41.2
                                   -----      -----       -----      -----      -----      -----       -----
          Total operating costs
            and expenses........    77.0       78.6        79.3       88.6       85.8       91.6        95.1
                                   -----      -----       -----      -----      -----      -----       -----
Income from operations..........    23.0       21.4        20.7       11.4       14.2        8.4         4.9
Interest and other income
  (expense), net................    (0.3)       0.2        (0.1)      (0.8)       0.7       (0.4)       (0.4)
                                   -----      -----       -----      -----      -----      -----       -----
Income before provision
  (benefit) for income taxes....    22.7       21.6        20.6       10.6       14.9        8.0         4.5
Provision (benefit) for income
  taxes.........................     1.7        1.7         1.5        0.8        2.0       (0.8)         --
                                   -----      -----       -----      -----      -----      -----       -----
Net income......................    21.0%      19.9%       19.1%       9.8%      12.9%       8.8%        4.5%
                                   =====      =====       =====      =====      =====      =====       =====
</TABLE>
 
     Revenues. Revenues consist primarily of customer fees for Web hosting and,
to a lesser extent, customer fees for high-speed Internet connectivity and
enhanced Internet services. Customers typically pay recurring monthly fees and
one-time set-up fees for Web hosting and enhanced Internet services and for
high-speed Internet connectivity. Monthly fees are generally billed for, and
recognized ratably over, the one or three-month billing period selected by a
customer, and one-time set-up fees are typically recognized at the time the
set-up services are performed.
 
     Hiway's revenues increased sequentially each quarter from $5.4 million to
$6.2 million to $6.9 million to $7.7 million to $8.8 million to $9.7 million and
to $10.6 million in the quarters ended March 31, June 30, September 30, and
December 31, 1997 and March 31, June 30, and September 30, 1998, respectively.
International revenues increased sequentially each quarter from $809,000 to
$952,000 to $1.2 million to $1.3 million to $1.6 million to $1.9 million and to
$2.0 million, a compound quarterly growth rate of 13.8%, while domestic revenues
increased sequentially from $4.6 million to $5.2 million to $5.7 million to $6.4
million to $7.2 million to $7.8 million and to $8.6 million, a compound
quarterly growth rate of 9.4%. As a result, the percentage of Hiway's revenues
derived internationally increased from 15.1% to 15.4% to 17.7% to 17.5% to 18.5%
to 21.0% then decreasing to 18.7% during the comparison periods.
 
     Substantially all of this growth in revenues resulted from increases in the
number of Hiway's Web hosting accounts, which totaled approximately 44,000,
52,000, 59,000, 68,000, 78,000, 91,000 and 108,000 at March 31, June 30,
September 30, and December 31, 1997 and March 31, June 30, and September 30,
1998, respectively. Hiway did not materially alter the pricing of its various
Web hosting or high-speed Internet connectivity services during the comparison
periods; however, certain shifts in distribution and service mix served to
reduce Hiway's overall average selling price. During these periods, shared
server Web hosting
 
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<PAGE>   155
 
revenues from direct sales, which are made at Hiway's retail prices, grew less
rapidly than shared server Web hosting sales to VARs and OEMs, which are made at
a significant discount from Hiway's retail prices. Sales to VARs and OEMs
represented 10.5%, 13.0%, 15.3%, 18.7%, 19.1%, 20.4% and 23.7% of Hiway's
revenues in the quarters ended March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31,
1997 and March 31, June 30, and September 30, 1998, respectively, while revenues
from direct sales represented 89.5%, 87.0%, 84.7%, 81.3%, 80.9%, 79.6% and 76.8%
respectively. Sales to OEMs, although growing, represent only 3.3% of revenues
in the quarter ended September 30, 1998. Overall average selling price during
the comparison periods was also reduced by the fact that revenues from shared
server Web hosting (with or without dial-up access) grew more rapidly than
revenues from high-speed Internet connectivity, which have higher monthly fees.
Shared server Web hosting revenues increased from 73.3% of Hiway's revenues in
the first quarter of 1997 to 86.9% of its revenues in the third quarter of 1998,
while high-speed Internet connectivity revenues decreased from 17.8% of Hiway's
revenues in the first quarter of 1997 to 13.1% of its revenues in the third
quarter of 1998. Hiway does not plan to devote significant resources to
marketing stand-alone high-speed Internet connectivity services.
 
     In the future, as competition for Web hosting services becomes more
intense, Hiway may find that competitive pressures will force it to reduce the
prices of its services, although Hiway may be able to mitigate such pressures by
incorporating more features into those services. Also, if OEMs and VARs, as
expected, continue to represent an increasing percentage of Hiway's revenues,
Hiway's average revenues per shared server Web hosting account will decline.
 
     Cost of Revenues. Hiway's cost of revenues is comprised primarily of
Hiway's Internet connectivity costs, salaries and benefits for Hiway personnel
responsible for provisioning customer accounts and providing customer service
and technical support, depreciation of Hiway's servers and network equipment,
the cost of third-party equipment sold by Hiway and merchant fees on credit card
transactions. Hiway's cost of revenues increased from $1.6 million to $1.8
million to $1.8 million to $2.1 million to $2.5 million to $2.8 million and to
$3.0 million in the quarters ended March 31, June 30, September 30 and December
31, 1997 and March 31, June 30, and September 30, 1998, respectively, and
represented 29.3%, 29.0%, 25.5%, 26.9%, 28.0%, 29.1% and 27.9% of revenues,
respectively. The increases in cost of revenues in absolute dollars were
primarily the result of increased Internet connectivity costs, increased
salaries and benefits for customer support personnel and increased depreciation
of server and network equipment, all of which tend to grow as revenues grow.
Hiway's cost of revenues remained relatively constant as a percentage of
revenues during the comparison periods. The increase in percentage from the
third quarter of 1997 to the second quarter of 1998 was primarily the result of
increased headcount in the customer support organization in anticipation of
growth in the number of Web hosting accounts and increased Internet connectivity
costs related to Hiway's expansion into the Los Angeles Basin. Hiway expects
that its cost of revenues may continue to increase as a percentage of revenues
to the extent competitive pressures cause it to reduce prices or increase
features and as Hiway derives a greater percentage of its revenues from OEMs and
VARs, which purchase at discounts from Hiway's retail prices. The decreases in
gross margin that would result may be offset in part by the fact that the
depreciation on Hiway's leasehold improvements and equipment at its new data
center and headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida will decrease as a percentage of
revenues as revenues grow and that, if Hiway develops significantly more
Internet traffic, it may be able to negotiate lower costs for certain types of
Internet connectivity.
 
     Sales and Marketing. Hiway's sales and marketing expenses are comprised
primarily of salaries and benefits for Hiway's sales and marketing personnel,
print and online advertising costs associated with Hiway's marketing efforts and
costs for trade shows. After increasing gradually in absolute dollar terms in
the quarters ended March 31, June 30 and September 30, 1997, Hiway's sales and
marketing expenses jumped significantly in the quarter ended December 31, 1997
both in absolute dollars and as a percentage of total revenues as a result of
increased advertising designed to accelerate the rate of customer growth.
Hiway's sales and marketing expenses continued to increase minimally in absolute
dollars in the first two quarters of 1998 and increased in absolute dollars and
as a percentage of sales in the third quarter of 1998 as Hiway began a more
aggressive advertising program. Hiway's cost of acquiring new direct sales
customers increased each quarter in 1997 as it sought to attract not only
technologically sophisticated "early adopters" but also more mainstream small
and medium sized businesses, but decreased in each of the first two quarters of
1998 as a result of more efficient
 
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<PAGE>   156
 
marketing campaigns. Hiway's cost of acquiring customers then increased again in
the third quarter of 1998 as the result of a more broad based advertising
campaign designed to build brand identity and accelerate growth. Hiway expects
sales and marketing expenses to continue to increase significantly in absolute
dollar terms and, at least through the end of 1998, as a percentage of revenues,
as Hiway continues to focus on customer growth and to advertise more heavily and
in more expensive broad based publications and online. To the extent revenue
growth does not justify continued increases in advertising and promotion
expenses, Hiway may elect to reduce the rate of growth of such expenses.
 
     Product Development and Systems Engineering. Hiway's product development
and systems engineering expenses are comprised almost entirely of salaries and
benefits for Hiway's product development and systems engineering organizations,
which focus on enhancing and administering the functionality and breadth of
Hiway's Web hosting platforms and enhanced Internet service offerings. Product
development and systems engineering expenses increased each quarter through the
first quarter of 1998 in absolute dollars, primarily as a result of hiring
additional personnel, and also increased as a percentage of revenues from the
first quarter of 1997 through the fourth quarter of 1997. Product development
and systems engineering expenses decreased as a percentage of revenues in the
first and second quarters of 1998 and in absolute dollars in the second quarter
of 1998, although Hiway also capitalized approximately $108,000 of costs in the
second quarter of 1998 in connection with the development of a Windows NT Web
hosting platform. Product development costs increased again in the third quarter
of 1998 in absolute dollars and as a percentage of sales as a result of
increased headcount. Hiway expects that product development and systems
engineering expenses will increase in absolute dollars as Hiway continues to
develop new service offerings and enhance its network infrastructure and
operations but will not increase significantly as a percentage of revenues if
revenues increase at the rate expected.
 
     General and Administrative. Hiway's general and administrative expenses are
comprised primarily of salaries and benefits for Hiway's executive,
administrative, human resources, financial and accounting personnel, Hiway's
occupancy costs and other overhead, depreciation on Hiway's leasehold
improvements, furniture and fixtures, fees for Hiway's outside professional
advisers and the allowance for bad debts. The increases in general and
administrative expenses in absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenues
during 1997 were primarily the result of increased salaries and benefits for
personnel as well as increases in fees for outside professional advisers and
depreciation. In the first quarter of 1998, Hiway experienced a significant
increase in rent as a result of its new Blue Lake facility, but general and
administrative expenses still declined as a percentage of revenues. In the
second quarter of 1998, general and administrative expenses again increased in
absolute dollars and as a percentage of revenues due to the first full quarter
of occupancy costs at Hiway's new Florida facilities, an increase in salaries
and benefits for personnel, fees for outside professional advisers, and charges
relating to the merger with Hiway Florida. General and administrative expenses
increased in the third quarter of 1998 due to a slight increase in headcount and
charges relating to the sale of the company to Verio. Hiway expects that general
and administrative expenses will increase in absolute dollars but will begin to
decline as a percentage of revenues if revenues increase at the rate expected.
 
     Provision for Income Taxes. Best's effective income tax rate during 1997
approximated 7.5%. The effective income tax rate differed from the statutory
federal rate of 34% as Hiway Florida did not pay taxes at the corporate level
during the comparison periods because it operated as a Subchapter S corporation.
Best had an effective tax rate of 18.0% throughout 1997, which differed from the
statutory rate primarily as a result of a change in the deferred tax valuation
allowance. In the first quarter of 1998, Best's effective tax rate was 13.3%,
which differed from the federal statutory rate primarily as a result of the use
of net operating loss carryforwards. In the second quarter of 1998, Best's
effective tax rate was a credit of 10%, which differed from the federal
statutory rate primarily as a result of a tax benefit that resulted from Hiway
Florida's conversion from a Subchapter S corporation to a Subchapter C
corporation. Hiway did not record a provision for income taxes in the third
quarter of 1998 as Hiway anticipates accruing one-time initial public offering
("Hiway IPO") expenses and expenses related to the Merger of approximately $7.0
million in the fourth quarter of 1998, thereby reducing fiscal 1998 tax
liability.
 
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<PAGE>   157
 
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1995, 1996 AND 1997 AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
1997 AND 1998
 
     Revenues. Hiway's revenues increased 508% from $2.0 million in 1995 to
$12.2 million in 1996 and increased an additional 114% to $26.2 million in 1997.
The rapid revenue increases from 1995 to 1997 resulted primarily from Hiway's
success in increasing its number of Web hosting accounts, which totaled
approximately 35,000 and 68,000 at the end of 1996 and 1997, respectively. Hiway
also acquired the assets and ongoing operations of two Internet service
providers in July 1996, which resulted in incremental revenues of approximately
$900,000 in 1996. Price and service mix changes did not have significant effects
on revenues between the comparison periods. Hiway's revenues increased 57.3%
from $18.5 million in the first nine months of 1997 to $29.1 million in the
first nine months of 1998 primarily as a result of Hiway's success in increasing
its number of Web hosting accounts, which totaled approximately 59,000 and
108,000 at September 30, 1997 and 1998, respectively.
 
     Cost of Revenues. Cost of revenues increased from $231,000 in 1995 to $3.2
million in 1996 and to $7.2 million in 1997. The rapid increase in costs of
revenues from 1995 to 1996 resulted primarily from (a) increased connectivity
costs of approximately $1.3 million necessary to support a rapidly growing
customer base and implement redundancy in Hiway's network connectivity, (b)
increased depreciation of servers and network equipment and (c) increased
technical support personnel. In 1997, Hiway continued to increase its
connectivity and support costs in absolute dollars (to approximately $3.1
million) but began to experience a slight decrease in such costs as a percentage
of revenues as Hiway achieved some operating leverage in its support personnel.
Cost of revenues increased 58.8% from $5.1 million in the first nine months of
1997 to $8.1 million in the first six months of 1998 primarily due to increases
in Internet connectivity costs, technical support salaries and benefits and
depreciation of servers and network equipment.
 
     Sales and Marketing. Hiway's sales and marketing expenses increased from
$154,000 in 1995 to $2.6 million in 1996 and $3.6 million in 1997. These
increases were primarily the result of hiring additional sales and marketing
personnel, which contributed approximately $41,000, $1.6 million and $2.0
million to sales and marketing expenses in 1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively,
and expanding marketing and advertising programs in connection with Hiway's
efforts to create national, international and regional brands, which contributed
approximately $113,000, $1.0 million and $1.6 million to sales and marketing
expenses in 1995, 1996 and 1997, respectively. The decline in sales and
marketing expenses as a percentage of revenues from 20.9% in 1996 to 13.7% in
1997 was primarily a result of a slowing in the growth rate of Hiway's
advertising and promotion expenses. Hiway's sales and marketing expenses
increased 113.0% from $2.3 million in the first nine months of 1997 to $4.9
million in the first nine months of 1998 primarily as a result of increases in
expenditures for sales and marketing personnel and marketing and advertising
expenditures.
 
     Product Development and Systems Engineering. Product development and
systems engineering expenses increased from $97,000 in 1995 to $1.0 million in
1996 and $2.1 million in 1997. These increases were primarily the result of
payroll increases. Product development and systems engineering expenses
increased as a percentage of revenues from 4.8% in 1995 to 8.2% in 1996 and then
remained relatively constant at 8.1% in 1997. Product development and systems
engineering expenses increased from $1.4 million in the first nine months of
1997 to $2.1 million in the first nine months of 1998 as a result of increased
expenditures for product development and systems engineering personnel.
 
     General and Administrative. General and administrative expenses increased
from $2.1 million in 1995 to $4.6 million in 1996 to $8.4 million in 1997. These
increases were primarily the result of increases in headcount, occupancy costs
and the provision for bad debts, which generally increases as a percentage of
revenues. Occupancy costs contributed approximately $155,000, $346,000 and
$856,000 to general and administrative expenses in 1995, 1996 and 1997,
respectively, and the provision for bad debts contributed approximately $8,000,
$423,000 and $1.5 million to general and administrative expenses in 1995, 1996
and 1997, respectively. The significant increase in Hiway's provision for bad
debts corresponds with the increase in revenues from $2 million in 1995 to $26.2
million in 1997. Hiway's provision reflects the proportion of accounts which are
expected to be bad debts based on past experience and is calculated using a
percentage of revenues that is consistent with historical results and is updated
monthly. General and administrative expenses decreased as a percentage of
revenues from 102.8% in 1995 to 38.0% in 1996 and 32.1% in 1997. General and
 
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<PAGE>   158
 
administrative expenses increased from $5.6 million in the first nine months of
1997 to $11.4 million in the first nine months of 1998, primarily as a result of
increased expenditures on salaries and benefits for an increased number of
administrative personnel, occupancy costs, provision for bad debts, and charges
relating to the merger with Hiway Florida and the sale of the company to Verio.
 
     Provision for Income Taxes. Hiway recorded a $1,000 tax provision for both
1995 and 1996 for minimum state income taxes. No other income taxes were payable
since Best incurred losses during these periods and Hiway Florida operated as a
Subchapter S corporation. During 1997, Hiway Florida continued to operate as a
Subchapter S corporation and therefore paid no tax at the corporate level. In
1997, Best had a provision for income taxes of $361,000, which represented an
effective tax rate of 18.0% for Best and 7.5% for Hiway as a combined company.
The effective tax rate differed from the federal statutory rate of 34.0%
primarily as a result of a change in Hiway's deferred tax valuation allowance.
During the first nine months of 1998, Hiway had a provision for income taxes of
$99,000, which represented an effective tax rate of 3.4%. The effective tax rate
differed from the federal statutory rate of 34.0% primarily as a result of the
use of net operating loss carryforwards and the tax benefit that resulted from
Hiway Florida's conversion from a Subchapter S corporation to a Subchapter C
corporation and from Hiway anticipating the accrual of $7.0 million of one-time
Hiway IPO costs and costs related to the Merger in the fourth quarter of 1998,
thereby reducing fiscal 1998 tax liability.
 
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
 
     Since inception, Hiway has financed its operations primarily through
private sales of equity securities and debt issuances, cash generated from
operating activities and various types of equipment loans and lease lines.
 
     Hiway generated $92,000, $1.9 million, $6.5 million and $6.1 million in
cash from operations in the years ended December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the
nine months ended September 30, 1998, respectively. Net cash provided by
operations in 1995 resulted primarily from increases in accounts payable and
other liabilities mostly offset by Hiway's net loss for the year. For each of
the other periods, net cash provided by operations resulted primarily from
Hiway's net income plus non-cash depreciation, amortization and doubtful
accounts expenses, coupled with increases in deferred revenue, partially offset
by increases in accounts receivable.
 
     Net cash used in investing activities in 1995, 1996, 1997 and the nine
months ended September 30, 1998 was $1.0 million, $4.8 million, $5.5 million and
$8.3 million, respectively. Net cash used for investing activities in these
periods resulted almost entirely from expenditures for network and computer
equipment and leasehold improvements and investments in Hiway's network
infrastructure and, in 1996, cash used to acquire two Internet service providers
and in 1998 from expenditures to build out Hiway's Blue Lake facility.
 
     Cash provided by financing activities in 1995, 1996 and 1997 was $1.0
million, $4.4 million and $3.1 million, respectively, and was almost entirely
the result of private sales of equity securities and, in 1996 and 1997, $0.8
million and $5.9 million, respectively, of net debt issuances, offset in 1996
and 1997 by distributions to shareholders of Hiway Florida, a Subchapter S
corporation, of $125,000 and $3.0 million, respectively. Hiway did not have any
material financing activities in the nine months ended September 30, 1998.
 
     At September 30, 1998, the principal source of liquidity for Hiway was $3.6
million of cash and cash equivalents. As of that date, Hiway also had aggregate
principal amount of $5 million in 5% Senior Unsecured Notes (the "Notes")
outstanding. The Notes bear interest at 5% until January 1, 2000 and then bear
interest at 9% through maturity at December 31, 2002. Interest payments on the
Notes are due quarterly, and the outstanding principal balance is due at
maturity. The Notes may be prepaid at the option of Hiway after December 1999,
subject to certain conditions, at a premium of ten percent. At September 30,
1998, Hiway had no material commitments for capital expenditures but expects
such expenditures to be approximately $1.0 million in the remainder of 1998.
Hiway also has minimum lease obligations of between $800,000 and $1.2 million
annually for the next five years. Hiway believes that its existing cash and cash
equivalents, and any cash generated from operations will be sufficient to fund
its operating activities, capital expenditures and other obligations through at
least the next 18 months. Hiway may not be successful in generating sufficient
cash flow from operations or in raising additional capital when required in
sufficient amounts on terms acceptable to Hiway. The failure of Hiway to raise
capital when needed could have a material adverse effect
 
                                       144
<PAGE>   159
 
on Hiway's business, results of operations and financial condition. If
additional funds are raised through the issuance of equity securities, the
percentage ownership of its then-current shareholders would be reduced.
Furthermore, such equity securities might have rights, preferences or privileges
senior to those of the Hiway Common Stock.
 
FACTORS AFFECTING RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION
 
     Hiway has experienced significant fluctuations in its results of operations
on a quarterly and an annual basis. Hiway expects to continue to experience
significant fluctuations in its quarterly and annual results of operations due
to a variety of factors, many of which are outside Hiway's control. These
factors include: (a) demand for and market acceptance of Hiway's services; (b)
introductions of products or services by Hiway and its competitors; (c) reliable
continuity of service and network availability; (d) the ability to increase
bandwidth as necessary; (e) the mix of services sold by Hiway; (f) provisions
for customer discounts and credits; (g) customer retention; (h) the timing and
success of marketing efforts and service introductions by Hiway and its VARs and
OEMs; (i) the timing and magnitude of capital expenditures, including
construction costs relating to the expansion of operations; (j) the introduction
by third parties of new Internet and networking technologies; (k) increased
competition in Hiway's markets; (l) changes in the pricing policies of Hiway and
its competitors; (m) fluctuations in bandwidth used by customers; (n) the timing
and magnitude of expenditures on advertising and promotion; (o) economic
conditions specific to the Internet industry; and (p) other general economic
factors. In addition, a relatively large portion of Hiway's expenses are fixed
in the short-term, and therefore Hiway's results of operations are particularly
sensitive to fluctuations in revenues. Also, if Hiway were unable to continue
using third-party products in Hiway's services offerings, Hiway's service
development costs could increase significantly. Although Hiway has not
encountered significant difficulties in collecting accounts receivable in the
past, many of Hiway's customers are individuals and small businesses, and Hiway
may not be able to collect accounts receivable on a timely basis. For these and
other reasons, in some future quarters, Hiway's results of operations may not
meet or exceed the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could
have a material adverse effect on the market price of Hiway Common Stock.
 
     The market for Web hosting and related enhanced Internet services has only
recently begun to develop and is evolving rapidly. There is significant
uncertainty regarding whether this market ultimately will prove to be viable or,
if it becomes viable, whether it will grow. Hiway's future growth, if any, will
depend upon the willingness of businesses and consumers to outsource Web hosting
services and Hiway's ability to market its services in a cost-effective manner
to a sufficiently large number of customers. The market for Hiway's services may
not develop further, Hiway's services may not be more widely adopted, and
significant numbers of businesses, organizations or consumers may not use the
Internet for commerce and communication. If this market fails to develop further
or develops more slowly than expected, or if Hiway's services do not achieve
broader market acceptance, Hiway's business, results of operations and financial
condition would be materially and adversely affected. In addition, to be
successful in this emerging market, Hiway must be able to differentiate itself
from its competition through its service offerings and brand recognition. Hiway
may not be successful in differentiating itself or achieving market acceptance
of its services, and Hiway may experience difficulties that could delay or
prevent the successful development, introduction or marketing of these services.
If Hiway incurs increased costs or is unable, for technical or other reasons, to
develop and introduce new services or products or enhancements to existing
services in a timely manner, or if new services do not achieve market acceptance
in a timely manner or at all, Hiway's business, results of operations and
financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
 
     An important element of Hiway's strategy for growth is to continue to
develop its reseller channel through RapidSite, which manages Hiway's network of
over 1,800 domestic and international VARs, and through Hiway's OEM
relationships. Hiway's VARs typically are Web development or Web consulting
companies that also sell Hiway's Web hosting services but that do not generally
have established customer bases to which they can market Hiway's services.
Therefore, in those markets, primarily international, where Hiway does not focus
its direct marketing efforts, Hiway is dependent on third parties to stimulate
demand for Hiway's services. Although Hiway attempts to incentivize its VARs by
providing them with price discounts on Hiway's services
 
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<PAGE>   160
 
that the VARs seek to resell at a profit, the failure of Hiway's services to be
commercially accepted in certain markets, whether as a result of a VAR's
performance or otherwise, could cause Hiway's current channel partners to
discontinue their relationships with Hiway, and Hiway may not be successful in
establishing additional channel partner relationships as required. Hiway has
also developed strategic relationships with certain of its international VARs
through its "Premier Partner" program. Each of Hiway's Premier Partners is
responsible for building and supporting a VAR channel, which allows Hiway to
leverage the Premier Partner's local marketing and distribution expertise, and
for helping Hiway build the RapidSite brand internationally. In addition, Hiway
recently has established OEM relationships with several large companies and is
pursuing OEM relationships with additional companies. Hiway's OEM relationships
have not generated a material amount of revenue to date, and, in order for Hiway
to be successful, revenues generated by OEMs must increase significantly. OEMs
and VARs have no obligation to market or resell Hiway's Web hosting services,
and OEMs can terminate their relationships with Hiway with limited or no penalty
with as little as 30 days' notice. The loss of Premier Partners, other VARs or
OEMs, the failure of such parties to perform under agreements with Hiway or the
Premier Partner or the inability of Hiway to attract and retain new Premier
Partners, VARs or OEMs with the industry experience required to market Hiway's
Web hosting services successfully in the future could have a material adverse
effect on Hiway's business, results of operations and financial condition.
Hiway's direct sales efforts may conflict with the efforts of its indirect
channel partners, which may adversely affect Hiway's relationships with such
partners. In addition, to the extent that Hiway succeeds in increasing its sales
through indirect channels such as Premier Partners, VARs or OEMs, those sales
will be at discounted rates, and revenue and gross margin to Hiway for each such
sale will be less than if Hiway had sold the same services to the customer
directly.
 
     In 1996, 1997 and the first nine months of 1998, revenues derived from
customers outside the United States, primarily in Europe and Asia, represented
approximately 9.5%, 14.0% and 18.7%, respectively, of Hiway's revenues. Hiway's
success is dependent in part on expanding its international presence, primarily
through Hiway's VARs and RapidSite's Premier Partners and their VARs. As a
result, Hiway will depend upon its VAR network to market and sell its services
and manage the accounts of customers internationally. Hiway's VARs may not be
able to continue to market and sell Hiway's Web hosting services successfully.
Hiway denominates its sales to VARs and Premier Partners in U.S. dollars. Thus,
fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the currency of a given
country may make Hiway's services more or less profitable and therefore more or
less attractive to VARs selling in that country. In addition, there are certain
risks inherent in conducting business internationally, such as changes in
regulatory requirements, export restrictions, tariffs and other trade barriers,
differing technology standards, longer payment cycles, political and economic
instability, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, imposition of currency
exchange controls, seasonal reductions in business activity, increased
difficulty in enforcing contracts and potentially adverse tax consequences, any
of which could adversely affect Hiway's international operations. Furthermore,
certain foreign governments, such as Germany, have enforced laws and regulations
related to content distributed over the Internet that are more strict than those
currently in place in the United States. One or more of these factors could have
a material adverse effect on Hiway's current or future international operations
and, consequently, on Hiway's business, results of operations and financial
condition. To the extent that Hiway does business in foreign markets directly,
Hiway will also be subject to risks such as challenges in staffing and managing
foreign operations, employment laws and practices in foreign countries and
problems in collecting accounts receivable. In addition, Hiway or its channel
partners may not be able to compete effectively in international markets.
 
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
 
     The Financial Accounting Standards Board recently issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS No. 131"), Disclosure about Segments of an
Enterprise and Related Information. SFAS No. 131 establishes standards for the
way public business enterprises are to report information about operating
segments in annual financial statements and requires those enterprises to report
selected information about operating segments in interim financial reports. SFAS
No. 131 is effective for financial statements for fiscal years beginning after
December 15, 1997. Hiway has determined that it does not have any separately
reportable business segments.
                                       146
<PAGE>   161
 
     In March 1998, the AICPA issued Statement of Position ("SOP") 98-1,
Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software Developed or Obtained for Internal
Use. Hiway is reviewing the impact of SOP 98-1, which will be effective for the
year ending December 31, 1999.
 
YEAR 2000 ISSUES
 
     Hiway recognizes the need to ensure its operations will not be adversely
impacted by Year 2000 software failures. Software failures due to processing
errors potentially arising from calculations using the dates on or after Year
2000 are a known risk. Hiway has established procedures for evaluating and
managing the risks and costs associated with this problem and believes that its
systems are Year 2000 compliant. Hiway currently anticipates hiring an
independent consultant to review Hiway's systems and certify that they are Year
2000 compliant in order to satisfy inquiries from customers. The cost of this
review could exceed $100,000, and, were it to uncover Year 2000 problems, Hiway
could incur significant operating expenses or be required to invest in improved
computer systems to be Year 2000 compliant. Such expenditures could have a
material adverse effect on Hiway's business, results of operations and financial
condition. In addition, Hiway maintains most of its customers' Web pages on
UNIX-based servers, which may be impacted by Year 2000 complications. The
failure of such servers could have a material adverse effect on Hiway's
customers, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on Hiway's
business, results of operations and financial condition.
 
                                       147
<PAGE>   162
 
                        PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS OF HIWAY
 
     Except as otherwise noted, the following table sets forth certain
information known to Hiway with respect to beneficial ownership of the Hiway
Common Stock as of November 13, 1998 by (a) each shareholder known by Hiway to
be the beneficial owner of more that five percent, in the aggregate, of the
outstanding shares of Hiway Common Stock, (b) each director of Hiway, (c)
Hiway's current Chief Executive Officer and four most highly compensated
executive officers whose salaries and bonuses exceeded $100,000, and (d) all
current executive officers and directors as a group. The information in the
table was obtained from the books and records of Hiway or, where applicable,
supplied to Hiway by the beneficial owners below.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                             BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP(1)(2)
                                                       ---------------------------------------
                                                        NUMBER OF SHARES         PERCENT
NAME OF BENEFICIAL OWNER                               BENEFICIALLY OWNED   BENEFICIALLY OWNED
------------------------                               ------------------   ------------------
<S>                                                    <C>                  <C>
William G. Nesbitt(3)................................       7,861,070              21.9%
Scott H. Adams(3)(4).................................       7,237,174              20.2
Steven J. Umberger(3)(5).............................       3,930,535              11.0
Robert D. Leppo(6)...................................       2,943,047               8.2
Arthur L. Cahoon(3)(7)...............................       2,135,003               5.8
James R. Zarley(8)...................................       1,250,150               3.5
David S. Buzby(9)....................................         841,871               2.3
Thomas C. Barry/BI Partners, LLC(10).................         630,716               1.8
Robert E. Tomasi, Jr.(11)............................         422,917               1.2
All current executive officers and directors as a
  group (7 persons)(12)..............................      23,886,519              64.3
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
 (1) Unless otherwise indicated below, the persons and entities named in the
     table have sole voting and sole investment power with respect to all shares
     beneficially owned, subject to community property laws where applicable.
 
 (2) Percentage ownership is based on 35,887,913 shares outstanding as of
     November 13, 1998. Shares of Hiway Common Stock subject to options or
     warrants granted as of November 13, 1998 that are currently exercisable or
     exercisable within 60 days of November 13, 1998 are deemed to be
     outstanding and to be beneficially owned by the person holding such options
     or warrants for the purpose of computing the percentage ownership of such
     person but are not treated as outstanding for the purpose of computing the
     percentage ownership of any other person.
 
 (3) The address of Messrs. Nesbitt, Adams, Umberger and Cahoon is c/o Hiway
     Technologies, Inc., 5050 Blue Lake Drive, Suite 100, Boca Raton, Florida,
     33431.
 
 (4) Represents 6,237,174 shares held of record by Mr. Adams and 1,000,000
     shares held of record by Franklin H. Adams as Trustee of the Scott H. Adams
     Grantor Retained Annuity Trust dated May 29, 1998.
 
 (5) Represents 3,180,535 shares held of record by Mr. Umberger, 500,000 shares
     held of record by Margaret Norine Davis as Trustee of the Steven J.
     Umberger Grantor Retained Annuity Trust III dated May 29, 1998, 175,000
     shares held of record by Timothy D. Umberger as Trustee of the Steven J.
     Umberger Grantor Retained Annuity Trust I dated May 29, 1998 and 75,000
     shares held of record by Carolyn Davis Oates as Trustee of the Steven J.
     Umberger Grantor Retained Annuity Trust II dated May 29, 1998.
 
 (6) The address of Mr. Leppo is 5655 College Ave., #250, Oakland, California
     94618.
 
 (7) Represents 724,838 shares held of record by Arthur L. Cahoon, 250,000
     shares held of record by Pam Fitch as Trustee of the Arthur Logan Cahoon
     Grantor Retained Annuity Trust dated May 29, 1998 and 1,160,165 shares
     subject to immediately exercisable warrants held of record by Mr. Cahoon.
 
 (8) Represents 1,040,000 shares held of record by The Zarley Family Trust dated
     May 1, 1994, 148,150 shares held of record by Mr. Zarley and 62,000 shares
     held of record by Quantech Investment Co., which was founded by Mr. Zarley.
 
                                       148
<PAGE>   163
 
 (9) Represents 841,871 shares held of record by David S. Buzby and Susheela D.
     Vasan, Trustees of the Buzby-Vasan 1997 Trust.
 
(10) Represents 520,000 shares and 100,000 shares subject to a warrant held of
     record by BI Partners, LLC, of which Mr. Barry is the founder, general
     partner and manager. In addition, on July 7, 1998, options to acquire
     20,000 shares of Hiway Common Stock, of which 10,716 of such options have
     vested or will vest and be exercisable within 60 days of November 13, 1998,
     have been granted to Mr. Barry.
 
(11) Represents 412,917 shares held of record by Mr. Tomasi and 10,000 shares
     held of record by Mr. Tomasi's children.
 
(12) Includes the shares subject to warrants and options that are identified in
     footnotes (7) and (10).
 
                                 OTHER MATTERS
 
     It is not expected that any matters other than those described in this
Proxy Statement/Prospectus will be brought before the Hiway Special Meeting. If
any other matters are presented, however, it is the intention of the persons
named in the proxy to vote such proxies in accordance with their respective
discretion.
 
     It is expected that representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Hiway's
independent public accountants, will be present at the Hiway Special Meeting,
where they will have an opportunity to respond to appropriate questions of
shareholders of Hiway and to make statements if they so desire.
 
                                 LEGAL MATTERS
 
     Certain legal matters with respect to the validity of the securities
offered hereby will be passed upon for Verio by Morrison & Foerster LLP, San
Francisco, California.
 
                                    EXPERTS
 
     The consolidated financial statements of Verio Inc. and subsidiaries as of
December 31, 1996 and 1997 and for the period from inception (March 1, 1996) to
December 31, 1996, and the year ended December 31, 1997 and the financial
statements of On-Ramp Technologies, Inc. as of and for the nine months ended
July 31, 1996; Global Enterprise Services -- Network Division (a Division of
Global Enterprise Services, Inc.) as of December 31, 1995 and 1996, and for each
of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 1996 and the period
ended January 17, 1997; Compute Intensive Inc. as of December 31, 1995 and 1996,
and for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 1996, and
the period ended February 18, 1997; NorthWestNet, Inc. as of and for the six
months ended June 30, 1996 and the eight months ended February 28, 1997,
Northwest Academic Computing Consortium, Inc. as of and for the year ended June
30, 1995 and the six months ended December 31, 1995; Aimnet Corporation as of
and for the year ended March 31, 1997 and for the period ended May 19, 1997;
West Coast Online, Inc. as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 1997;
Clark Internet Services, Inc. as of and for the year ended September 30, 1997
and for the period ended October 17, 1997; ATMnet as of and for the years ended
October 31, 1996 and 1997; Global Internet Network Services, Inc. as of December
31, 1996 and November 26, 1997 and for the year and period then ended;
Pennsylvania Research Partnership Network as of and for the years ended November
30, 1996 and 1997 and for the period ended December 24, 1997; Monumental Network
Systems, Inc. as of and for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997; Internet
Servers, Inc. as of December 31, 1996 and 1997 and for the period from inception
(August 23, 1995) to December 31, 1995 and the years ended December 31, 1996 and
1997; NSNet, Inc. as of and for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997;
Access One, Inc. as of and for the year ended December 31, 1997; STARnet, L.L.C.
as of and for the year ended December 31, 1997; Computing Engineers Inc. as of
and for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997; LI Net, Inc. as of April 30,
1997 and January 31, 1998 and for the years ended April 30, 1996 and 1997 and
the nine months ended January 31, 1998; and NTX, Inc. as of and for the nine
months ended June 30, 1998, have been included herein in reliance upon the
reports of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, independent certified public accountants,
appearing elsewhere herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in
accounting and auditing.
 
                                       149
<PAGE>   164
 
     The consolidated financial statements of Hiway Technologies, Inc. and
subsidiaries included in this Proxy Statement/Prospectus as of December 31, 1996
and 1997 and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31,
1997, except as they relate to the financial statements of Hiway Florida as of
December 31, 1996, for the period from April 6, 1995 (date of incorporation) to
December 31, 1995 and for the year ended December 31, 1996, have been audited by
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent certified public accountants, and,
insofar as they relate to the financial statements of Hiway Florida as of and
for the periods indicated, by DeMeo, Young, McGrath & Company, P.A., independent
accountants, whose reports thereon appear herein. Such financial statements have
been included in reliance on the reports of such independent accountants given
on the authority of said firms as experts in accounting and auditing.
 
                                       150
<PAGE>   165
 
                               GLOSSARY OF TERMS
 
ATM........................  Asynchronous Transfer Mode. An information transfer
                             standard for routing traffic which uses packets
                             (cells) of a fixed length.
 
Backbone...................  A centralized high-speed network that interconnects
                             smaller, independent networks.
 
Bandwidth..................  The number of bits of information which can move
                             through a communications medium in a given amount
                             of time; the capacity of a telecommunications
                             circuit/network to carry voice, data and video
                             information. Typically measured in kbps and Mbps.
 
Caching....................  Temporary storage or replication of a Web server
                             content at one or more locations throughout the
                             Internet to provide a quicker response to a browser
                             request.
 
CGI........................  Custom Gateway Interface.
 
CPE........................  Customer Premise Equipment.
 
DNS........................  Domain Name Server.
 
DS-3 or T-3................  A data communications circuit capable of
                             transmitting data at 45 Mbps. Equivalent to 28
                             T-1's of data capacity. Currently used only by
                             businesses/institutions and carriers for high end
                             applications.
 
Firewall...................  A system placed between networks that filters data
                             passing through it and prevents unauthorized
                             traffic, thereby enhancing the security of the
                             network.
 
Frame Relay................  An information transfer standard for relaying
                             traffic based on an address contained in the
                             six-byte header of a variable length packet that is
                             up to 2,106 bytes long.
 
Hertz......................  The dimensional unit for measuring the frequency
                             with which an electromagnetic signal cycles through
                             the zero-value state between lowest and highest
                             states. One Hertz (abbreviated Hz) equals one cycle
                             per second. KHz (KiloHertz) stands for thousands of
                             Hertz; MHz (MegaHertz) stands for millions of
                             Hertz; GHz (GigaHertz) stands for billions of
                             Hertz.
 
Internet...................  A global collection of interconnected computer
                             networks which use a specific communications
                             protocol.
 
IP.........................  Internet Protocol. Network protocols that allow
                             computers with different architectures and
                             operating system software to communicate with other
                             computers on the Internet.
 
ISDN.......................  Integrated Services Digital Network. An information
                             transfer standard for transmitting digital voice
                             and data over telephone lines at speeds up to 128
                             Kbps.
 
ISPs.......................  Internet Service Providers. Companies formed to
                             provide access to the Internet to consumers and
                             business customers via local networks.
 
IXC........................  Interexchange Carrier. A telecommunications company
                             that provides telecommunications services between
                             local exchanges on an interstate or intrastate
                             basis.
 
                                       151
<PAGE>   166
 
Kbps.......................  Kilobits per second. A transmission rate. One
                             kilobit equals 1,024 bits of information.
 
LAN........................  Local Area Network. A data communications network
                             designed to interconnect personal computers,
                             workstations, minicomputers, file servers and other
                             communications and computing devices within a
                             localized environment.
 
Leased Line................  Telecommunications line dedicated to a particular
                             customer along predetermined routes.
 
LEC........................  Local Exchange Carrier. A telecommunications
                             company that provides telecommunications services
                             in a geographic area in which calls generally are
                             transmitted without toll charges. LECs include both
                             RBOCs and competitive local exchange carriers.
 
LMDS.......................  Local Multipoint Distribution Service. Two blocks
                             of spectrum with total bandwidth of 1150 MHz and
                             150 MHz to be auctioned and used for various
                             wireless services.
 
Mbps.......................  Megabits per second. A transmission rate. One
                             megabit equals 1,024 kilobits.
 
MMDS.......................  Microwave Multipoint Distribution Service.
 
Modem......................  A device for transmitting digital information over
                             an analog telephone line.
 
MSAs.......................  Metropolitan Statistical Areas. A designation by
                             the U.S. Census Bureau for metropolitan areas with
                             a central city or an urbanized area having a
                             minimum population of 50,000 with a total
                             metropolitan population of at least 100,000 and
                             including all counties that have strong economic
                             and social ties to the central city.
 
NAP........................  Network Access Point. A location at which ISPs
                             exchange each other's traffic.
 
National Node..............  National network access point where IP traffic is
                             exchanged between network links and where regional
                             networks access the national network.
 
NOC........................  Network Operations Center. Facility where the
                             Company monitors and manages the Company's network.
 
OC-3.......................  A data communications circuit consisting of three
                             DS-3s capable of transmitting data at 155 Mbps.
 
OC-12......................  A data communications circuit capable of
                             transmitting data at 622 Mbps (4 X OC-3).
 
Peering....................  The commercial practice under which ISPs exchange
                             each other's traffic without the payment of
                             settlement charges. Peering occurs at both public
                             and private exchange points.
 
POP........................  Point of Presence. Telecommunications facility
                             where the Company locates network equipment used to
                             connect customers to its network backbone.
 
Proxy Server...............  A server that acts on behalf of one or more other
                             servers, usually for screening, firewall, caching,
                             or a combination of these purposes. Typically, a
                             proxy server is used within a company to gather all
                             Internet requests, forward them out to Internet
                             servers, and then receive the
                                       152
<PAGE>   167
 
                             responses and in turn forward them to the original
                             requestor within the company.
 
Router.....................  Equipment placed between networks that relays data
                             to those networks based upon a destination address
                             contained in the data packets being routed.
 
SMTP.......................  Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
 
TCP/IP.....................  Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. A
                             suite of network protocols that allow computers
                             with different architectures and operating system
                             software to communicate with other computers on the
                             Internet.
 
VPN........................  Virtual Private Network. A network capable of
                             providing the tailored services of a private
                             network (i.e. low latency, high throughput,
                             security and customization) while maintaining the
                             benefits of a public network (i.e. ubiquity and
                             economies of scale).
 
WAN........................  Wide Area Network. A data communications network
                             designed to interconnect personal computers,
                             workstations, mini computers, file servers and
                             other communications and computing devices across a
                             broad geographic region.
 
Web Site...................  A server connected to the Internet from which
                             Internet users can obtain information.
 
World Wide Web or Web......  A collection of computer systems supporting a
                             communications protocol that permits multi-media
                             presentation of information over the Internet.
 
xDSL.......................  A term referring to a variety of new Digital
                             Subscriber Line technologies. Some of these
                             varieties are asymmetric with different data rates
                             in the downstream and upstream directions. Others
                             are symmetric. Downstream speeds range from 384
                             kbps (or "SDSL") to 1.5-8 Mbps (or "ASDL").
 
                                       153
<PAGE>   168
 
                         INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Best Internet Communications, Inc. and Subsidiaries  --
  Financial Statements:
  Report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent
     Accountants............................................    F-5
  Report of De Meo, Young, McGrath & Company, P.A.,
     Independent Accountants................................    F-6
  Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1996 and
     1997 and September 30, 1998 (unaudited)................    F-7
  Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Years Ended
     December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the Nine Months
     Ended September 30, 1997 and 1998 (unaudited)..........    F-8
  Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the
     Years Ended December 31 1995, 1996 and 1997 and Nine
     Months Ended September 30, 1998 (unaudited)............    F-9
  Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended
     December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 and the Nine Months
     Ended September 30, 1997 and 1998 (unaudited)..........   F-10
  Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements................   F-11
Verio Inc. and Subsidiaries -- Consolidated Financial
  Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................   F-24
  Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1996 and
     1997 and September 30, 1998 (unaudited)................   F-25
  Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Period from
     Inception (March 1, 1996) to December 31, 1996, the
     Year Ended December 31, 1997 and the Nine Months Ended
     September 30, 1998 and 1997 (unaudited)................   F-26
  Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Deficit for the
     Period from Inception (March 1, 1996) to December 31,
     1996, the Year Ended December 31, 1997 and the Nine
     Months Ended September 30, 1998 (unaudited)............   F-27
  Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Period from
     Inception (March 1, 1996) to December 31, 1996, the
     Year Ended December 31, 1997 and the Nine Months Ended
     September 30, 1998 and 1997 (unaudited)................   F-28
  Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements................   F-29
On-Ramp Technologies, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................   F-43
  Balance Sheet as of July 31, 1996.........................   F-44
  Statement of Operations for the Nine Months Ended July 31,
     1996...................................................   F-45
  Statement of Stockholders' Deficit for the Nine Months
     Ended July 31, 1996....................................   F-46
  Statement of Cash Flows for the Nine Months Ended July 31,
     1996...................................................   F-47
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................   F-48
Global Enterprises Services -- Network Division -- Financial
  Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................   F-51
  Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1995 and 1996...........   F-52
  Statements of Operations and Owner's Deficit for the Years
     Ended December 31, 1994, 1995, 1996 and Period Ended
     January 17, 1997.......................................   F-53
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31,
     1994, 1995 and 1996 and Period Ended January 17,
     1997...................................................   F-54
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................   F-55
</TABLE>
 
                                       F-1
<PAGE>   169
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Compute Intensive, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................   F-58
  Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1995 and 1996...........   F-59
  Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31,
     1995 and 1996 and Period Ended February 18, 1997.......   F-60
  Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) for the Years
     Ended December 31, 1995 and 1996 and Period Ended
     February 18, 1997......................................   F-61
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31,
     1995 and 1996 and Period Ended February 18, 1997.......   F-62
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................   F-63
NorthWestNet, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................   F-68
  Balance Sheets as of June 30, 1995 and 1996...............   F-69
  Statements of Operations for the Year Ended June 30, 1995
     and the Six Months Ended December 31, 1995 and Six
     Months Ended June 30, 1996 and the Eight Months Ended
     February 28, 1997......................................   F-70
  Statements of Stockholders' Equity and Fund Balance for
     the Year Ended June 30, 1995 and the Six Months Ended
     December 31, 1995 and Six Months Ended June 30, 1996
     and the Eight Months Ended February 28, 1997...........   F-71
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Year Ended June 30, 1995
     and the Six Months Ended December 31, 1995, and the Six
     Months Ended June 30, 1996 and the Eight Months Ended
     February 28, 1997......................................   F-72
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................   F-73
Aimnet Corporation -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................   F-80
  Balance Sheet as of March 31, 1997........................   F-81
  Statement of Operations for the Year Ended March 31, 1997
     and Period Ended May 19, 1997..........................   F-82
  Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the Year Ended
     March 31, 1997 and Period Ended May 19, 1997...........   F-83
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Year Ended March 31, 1997
     and Period Ended May 19, 1997..........................   F-84
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................   F-85
West Coast Online, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................   F-88
  Balance Sheet as of September 30, 1997....................   F-89
  Statement of Operations and Accumulated Deficit for the
     Nine Months Ended September 30, 1997...................   F-90
  Statement of Cash Flows for the Nine Months Ended
     September 30, 1997.....................................   F-91
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................   F-92
Clark Internet Services, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................   F-95
  Balance Sheet as of September 30, 1997....................   F-96
  Statements of Operations and Retained Earnings for the
     Year Ended September 30, 1997 and Period Ended October
     17, 1997...............................................   F-97
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Year Ended September 30,
     1997 and Period Ended October 17, 1997.................   F-98
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................   F-99
</TABLE>
 
                                       F-2
<PAGE>   170
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
ATMnet -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-101
  Balance Sheets as of October 31, 1996 and 1997............  F-102
  Statements of Operations for the Years Ended October 31,
     1996 and 1997..........................................  F-103
  Statements of Stockholders' Deficit for the Years Ended
     October 31, 1996 and 1997..............................  F-104
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended October 31,
     1996 and 1997..........................................  F-105
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-106
Global Internet Network Services, Inc. -- Financial
  Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-110
  Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1996 and November 26,
     1997...................................................  F-111
  Statements of Operations for the Year Ended December 31,
     1996 and the Period Ended November 26, 1997............  F-112
  Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) for the Year
     Ended December 31, 1996 and the Period Ended November
     26, 1997...............................................  F-113
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Year Ended December 31,
     1996 and the Period Ended November 26, 1997............  F-114
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-115
Pennsylvania Research Partnership Network
  (PREPnet) -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-118
  Balance Sheets as of November 30, 1996 and 1997...........  F-119
  Statements of Operations and Owner's Deficit for the Years
     Ended November 30, 1996 and 1997 and the Period Ended
     December 24, 1997......................................  F-120
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended November 30,
     1996 and 1997 and the Period Ended December 24, 1997...  F-121
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-122
Monumental Network Systems, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-125
  Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1996 and 1997...........  F-126
  Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31,
     1996 and 1997..........................................  F-127
  Statements of Stockholders' Deficit for the Years Ended
     December 31, 1996 and 1997.............................  F-128
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31,
     1996 and 1997..........................................  F-129
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-130
Internet Servers, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-134
  Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1996 and 1997...........  F-135
  Statements of Operations for the Period from Inception
     (August 23, 1995) to December 31, 1995 and Years Ended
     December 31, 1996 and 1997.............................  F-136
  Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the Period from
     Inception (August 23, 1995) to December 31, 1995 and
     Years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997.................  F-137
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Period from Inception
     (August 23, 1995) to December 31, 1995 and Years Ended
     December 31, 1996 and 1997.............................  F-138
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-139
NSNet, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-142
  Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1996 and 1997...........  F-143
  Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31,
     1996 and 1997..........................................  F-144
  Statements of Owner's and Stockholder's Equity for the
     Years Ended December 31, 1996 and 1997.................  F-145
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31,
     1996 and 1997..........................................  F-146
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-147
</TABLE>
 
                                       F-3
<PAGE>   171
   
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Access One, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-150
  Balance Sheet as of December 31, 1997.....................  F-151
  Statement of Operations and Accumulated Deficit for the
     Year Ended December 31, 1997...........................  F-152
  Statement of Cash Flows for the Year Ended December 31,
     1997...................................................  F-153
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-154
STARnet, L.L.C. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-158
  Balance Sheet as of December 31, 1997.....................  F-159
  Statement of Operations for the Year Ended December 31,
     1997...................................................  F-160
  Statement of Members' Equity for the Year Ended December
     31, 1997...............................................  F-161
  Statement of Cash Flows for the Year Ended December 31,
     1997...................................................  F-162
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-163
Computing Engineers Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-165
  Balance Sheets as of December 31, 1996 and 1997...........  F-166
  Statements of Operations for the Years Ended December 31,
     1996 and 1997..........................................  F-167
  Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the Years Ended
     December 31, 1996 and 1997.............................  F-168
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31,
     1996 and 1997..........................................  F-169
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-170
LI Net, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-172
  Balance Sheets as of April 30, 1997 and January 31,
     1998...................................................  F-173
  Statements of Operations for the Years Ended April 30,
     1996 and 1997 and the Nine Months Ended January 31,
     1998...................................................  F-174
  Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) for the Years
     Ended April 30, 1996 and 1997 and the Nine Months Ended
     January 31, 1998.......................................  F-175
  Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended April 30,
     1996 and 1997 and the Nine Months Ended January 31,
     1998...................................................  F-176
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-177
NTX, Inc. -- Financial Statements:
  Independent Auditors' Report..............................  F-181
  Balance Sheet as of June 30, 1998.........................  F-182
  Statement of Operations for the Nine Months Ended June 30,
     1998...................................................  F-183
  Statement of Stockholders' Deficit for the Nine Months
     Ended June 30, 1998....................................  F-184
  Statement of Cash Flows for the Nine Months Ended June 30,
     1998...................................................  F-185
  Notes to Financial Statements.............................  F-186
</TABLE>
    
 
                                       F-4
<PAGE>   172
 
                       REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
 
To the Board of Directors and Shareholders
of Best Internet Communications, Inc.
 
     In our opinion, based on our audits and the report of other auditors, the
accompanying consolidated balance sheets and the related consolidated statements
of operations, stockholders' equity, and cash flows present fairly, in all
material respects, the financial position of Best Internet Communications, Inc.
and its subsidiaries at December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the results of their
operations and their cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended
December 31, 1997, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management;
our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based
on our audits. We conducted our audits of these statements in accordance with
generally accepted auditing standards which require that we plan and perform the
audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are
free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis,
evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements,
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We
believe that our audits and the report of other auditors provide a reasonable
basis for the opinion expressed above. We did not audit the financial statements
of Hiway Technologies, Inc. (Hiway Florida) for 1995 and 1996, which statements
reflect total assets of $2,150,000 at December 31, 1996 and revenues of
$2,700,000 and $10,400,000, respectively, for the years ended 1995 and 1996.
Those statements were audited by other auditors whose unqualified reports have
been furnished to us and our opinion, insofar as it relates to amounts included
for Hiway Florida for such periods, is based solely on the report of the other
auditors.
 
                                            PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
 
San Jose, California
May 27, 1998
 
                                       F-5
<PAGE>   173
 
                       REPORT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
 
To the Stockholders of Hiway Technologies, Inc. Boca Raton, Florida
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Hiway Technologies, Inc.
as of December 31, 1996 and the related statements of income, retained earnings
and cash flows for the period from April 6, 1995 (date of inception) to December
31, 1995 and the year ended December 31, 1996. These financial statements are
the responsibility of Hiway Technologies, Inc.'s management. Our responsibility
is to express an opinion on the financial statements based on our audit.
 
     We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Hiway Technologies, Inc. as
of December 31, 1996, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for
the period from April 6, 1995 (date of inception) to December 31, 1995 and for
the year ended December 31, 1996, in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles.
 
                                            De Meo, Young, McGrath & Company,
                                            P.A.
 
September 17, 1997
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
 
                                       F-6
<PAGE>   174
 
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
                          CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                      (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AMOUNTS)
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                DECEMBER 31,
                                                              ----------------   SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                               1996     1997         1998
                                                              ------   -------   -------------
                                                                                  (UNAUDITED)
<S>                                                           <C>      <C>       <C>
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents...................................  $1,588   $ 5,672      $ 3,569
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
  of $373, $1,072 and $1,063, respectively..................   1,380     2,550        3,669
Note receivable.............................................      --       160           --
Inventory -- equipment held for resale......................      71        35           14
Prepaid expenses and other current assets...................     237       297          565
Deferred taxes..............................................      --       342          660
                                                              ------   -------      -------
          Total current assets..............................   3,276     9,056        8,477
Property and equipment, net.................................   4,813     8,706       15,351
Deposits and other..........................................      68       196        1,354
Investments.................................................      --       344          464
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $101,
  $318 and $458, respectively...............................   1,382     1,165        1,031
                                                              ------   -------      -------
          Total assets......................................  $9,539   $19,467      $26,677
                                                              ======   =======      =======
                             LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable............................................  $1,165   $ 1,234      $ 2,353
Accrued payroll and related liabilities.....................     265       458        1,137
Other accrued liabilities...................................     201       141          490
Deferred revenue............................................     981     2,578        4,205
Current portion of notes payable............................     140       225           91
Current portion of capital lease obligations................     135       251          291
                                                              ------   -------      -------
          Total current liabilities.........................   2,887     4,887        8,567
Deferred rent...............................................     105       119          564
Deferred taxes..............................................      --       307          354
Notes payable, less current portion.........................     541     4,944        4,904
Capital lease obligations, less current portion.............     237       253          232
Convertible note payable....................................     800        --           --
                                                              ------   -------      -------
          Total liabilities.................................   4,570    10,510       14,621
                                                              ------   -------      -------
Commitments (Note 8)
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
Preferred stock, convertible and redeemable, $0.001 par
  value per share: Authorized: 10,000,000 shares;
Series B: Authorized: 4,000,000 shares; Issued and
  outstanding: 2,822,000, 3,462,000 and no shares,
  respectively..............................................   3,441     4,229           --
Liquidation preference: $3,528, $4,328 and $0, respectively
Common stock, $0.001 par value per share: Authorized:
  60,000,000 shares; Issued and outstanding: 27,776,620,
  31,120,237 and 35,886,113 shares, respectively............      14        16           36
Additional paid-in capital..................................   1,598     4,224        9,528
Notes receivable from shareholders..........................      --      (889)      (1,358)
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit).....................     (84)    1,377        3,850
                                                              ------   -------      -------
          Total shareholders' equity........................   4,969     8,957       12,056
                                                              ------   -------      -------
          Total liabilities and shareholders' equity........  $9,539   $19,467      $26,677
                                                              ======   =======      =======
</TABLE>
 
  The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
                                  statements.
 
                                       F-7
<PAGE>   175
 
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                    (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE AMOUNTS)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                             NINE MONTHS ENDED
                                             YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,           SEPTEMBER 30,
                                            --------------------------   -------------------------
                                             1995     1996      1997        1997          1998
                                            ------   -------   -------   -----------   -----------
                                                                         (UNAUDITED)   (UNAUDITED)
<S>                                         <C>      <C>       <C>       <C>           <C>
Revenues..................................  $2,011   $12,217   $26,185     $18,453       $29,073
                                            ------   -------   -------     -------       -------
Operating costs and expenses:
  Cost of revenues........................     231     3,233     7,213       5,132         8,112
  Sales and marketing.....................     154     2,555     3,589       2,280         4,878
  Product development and systems
     engineering..........................      97     1,005     2,112       1,419         2,114
  General and administrative..............   2,068     4,641     8,400       5,632        11,372
                                            ------   -------   -------     -------       -------
          Total operating costs and
            expenses......................   2,550    11,434    21,314      14,463        26,476
                                            ------   -------   -------     -------       -------
Income (loss) from operations.............    (539)      783     4,871       3,990         2,597
Other income (expense)....................      (7)       --        67          54           269
Interest expense, net.....................      (4)     (190)     (142)        (69)         (294)
                                            ------   -------   -------     -------       -------
Income (loss) before provision for income
  taxes...................................    (550)      593     4,796       3,975         2,572
Provision for income taxes................       1         1       361         301            99
                                            ------   -------   -------     -------       -------
Net income (loss).........................  $ (551)  $   592   $ 4,435     $ 3,674       $ 2,473
                                            ======   =======   =======     =======       =======
Basic net income (loss) per share.........  $(0.03)  $  0.02   $  0.15     $  0.12       $  0.07
                                            ======   =======   =======     =======       =======
Diluted net income (loss) per share.......  $(0.03)  $  0.02   $  0.13     $  0.11       $  0.07
                                            ======   =======   =======     =======       =======
Pro forma net income data (unaudited)
  (Note 18):
  Income (loss) before provision for
     income taxes.........................  $ (550)  $   593   $ 4,796     $ 3,975       $ 2,572
  Pro forma provision for income taxes....       1        33     1,925       1,596           843
                                            ------   -------   -------     -------       -------
Pro forma net income (loss)...............  $ (551)  $   560   $ 2,871     $ 2,379       $ 1,729
                                            ======   =======   =======     =======       =======
Pro forma basic net income (loss) per
  share...................................  $(0.03)  $  0.02   $  0.10     $  0.08       $  0.05
                                            ======   =======   =======     =======       =======
Pro forma diluted net income (loss) per
  share...................................  $(0.03)  $  0.02   $  0.08     $  0.07       $  0.05
                                            ======   =======   =======     =======       =======
</TABLE>
 
  The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
                                  statements.
 
                                       F-8
<PAGE>   176
 
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
                CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
FOR THE THREE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997 AND NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
                                      1998
                      (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE AMOUNTS)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                  SERIES B                                               NOTES         RETAINED
                              PREFERRED STOCK         COMMON STOCK       ADDITIONAL    RECEIVABLE      EARNINGS         TOTAL
                            --------------------   -------------------    PAID-IN         FROM       (ACCUMULATED   SHAREHOLDERS'
                              SHARES     AMOUNT      SHARES     AMOUNT    CAPITAL     SHAREHOLDERS     DEFICIT)        EQUITY
                            ----------   -------   ----------   ------   ----------   ------------   ------------   -------------
<S>                         <C>          <C>       <C>          <C>      <C>          <C>            <C>            <C>
BALANCES, JANUARY 1,
  1995....................          --   $    --           --    $--       $   --       $    --        $    --         $    --
Issuance of common stock
  for cash, net of
  issuance costs of $7....          --        --   22,622,141     22          990            --             --           1,012
Issuance of common stock
  for services rendered...          --        --      510,000      1           25            --             --              26
Net loss..................          --        --           --     --           --            --           (551)           (551)
                            ----------   -------   ----------    ---       ------       -------        -------         -------
BALANCES, DECEMBER 31,
  1995....................          --        --   23,132,141     23        1,015            --           (551)            487
Issuance of common stock
  and exercise of stock
  options for cash, net of
  issuance costs of $3....          --        --    4,509,479      5          430            --             --             435
Issuance of common stock
  for acquisitions........          --        --      135,000     --           67            --             --              67
Issuance of warrants......          --        --           --     --           72            --             --              72
Issuance of preferred
  stock for cash, net of
  issuance costs
  of $86..................   2,822,000     3,441           --     --           --            --             --           3,441
Net income................          --        --           --     --           --            --            592             592
Distributions by Hiway
  Florida (a Subchapter S
  corporation)............          --        --           --     --           --            --           (125)           (125)
                            ----------   -------   ----------    ---       ------       -------        -------         -------
BALANCES, DECEMBER 31,
  1996....................   2,822,000     3,441   27,776,620     28        1,584            --            (84)          4,969
Issuance of common stock
  and exercise of stock
  options for
  cash....................          --        --    2,279,503      2          544            --             --             546
Issuance of common stock
  and exercise of stock
  options for
  notes...................          --        --    1,084,114      1          608          (609)            --              --
Repurchase of common
  stock...................          --        --      (20,000)    --          (40)           --             --             (40)
Issuance of warrants for
  note....................          --        --           --     --          280          (280)            --              --
Issuance of warrant.......          --        --           --     --        1,233            --             --           1,233
Issuance of preferred
  stock for cash, net of
  issuance costs
  of $12..................     640,000       788           --     --           --            --             --             788
Net income................          --        --           --     --           --            --          4,435           4,435
Distributions by Hiway
  Florida (a Subchapter S
  corporation)............          --        --           --     --           --            --         (2,974)         (2,974)
                            ----------   -------   ----------    ---       ------       -------        -------         -------
BALANCES, DECEMBER 31,
  1997....................   3,462,000     4,229   31,120,237     31        4,209          (889)         1,377           8,957
Exercise of stock options
  for cash................          --        --      683,161      1          445            --             --             446
Exercise of stock options
  for
  notes...................          --        --      620,715      1          468          (469)            --              --
Conversion of preferred
  stock...................  (3,462,000)   (4,229)   3,462,000      3        4,226            --             --              --
Contribution from
  shareholders............          --        --           --     --          180            --             --             180
Net income................          --        --           --     --           --            --          2,473           2,473
                            ----------   -------   ----------    ---       ------       -------        -------         -------
BALANCES, SEPTEMBER 30,
  1998
  (unaudited).............          --   $    --   35,886,113    $36       $9,528       $(1,358)       $ 3,850         $12,056
                            ==========   =======   ==========    ===       ======       =======        =======         =======
</TABLE>
 
  The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
                                  statements.
 
                                       F-9
<PAGE>   177
 
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                                 (IN THOUSANDS)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                     NINE MONTHS ENDED
                                                     YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,           SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                   ---------------------------   -------------------------
                                                    1995      1996      1997        1997          1998
                                                   -------   -------   -------   -----------   -----------
                                                                                 (UNAUDITED)   (UNAUDITED)
<S>                                                <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>           <C>
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income (loss)................................  $  (551)  $   592   $ 4,435     $ 3,674       $ 2,473
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net
  cash provided by operating activities:
  Depreciation and amortization..................       87       608     1,371         916         1,962
  Amortization of intangibles....................       --       101       217         146           134
  Services rendered in exchange for common
    stock........................................       26        --        --          --            --
  Provision for doubtful accounts................        8       365       699         423            (9)
  Loss (gain) on sale and trade-in of property
    and equipment................................       --        39         2          (2)         (134)
  Equity in earnings of foreign resellers........       --        --        --          --           (13)
  Amortization of discount on convertible debt...       --        72        --          --           224
  Deferred taxes.................................       --        --       (35)         --          (443)
  Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
    Accounts receivable..........................      (92)   (1,660)   (1,869)     (1,215)       (1,110)
    Inventory....................................      (30)      (41)       36          32            21
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets....       (4)     (233)      (60)         81          (268)
    Deposits.....................................      (34)      (15)     (128)        (96)       (1,158)
    Accounts payable.............................      360       804        69          (2)        1,119
    Accrued liabilities..........................      150       316       133         225         1,199
    Deferred revenue.............................      115       866     1,597       1,193         1,627
    Deferred rent................................       57        48        14          10           445
                                                   -------   -------   -------     -------       -------
         Net cash provided by operating
           activities............................       92     1,862     6,481       5,385         6,069
                                                   -------   -------   -------     -------       -------
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment.....       --        47         7          --             2
Purchases of property and equipment..............   (1,047)   (3,491)   (4,955)     (3,417)       (8,277)
Repayment (issuance) of note receivable..........       --        --      (160)       (160)          160
Purchase of investments..........................       --        --      (344)       (120)         (158)
Acquisitions.....................................       --    (1,312)       --          --            --
                                                   -------   -------   -------     -------       -------
         Net cash used in investing activities...   (1,047)   (4,756)   (5,452)     (3,697)       (8,273)
                                                   -------   -------   -------     -------       -------
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock...........    1,012       422       500         500            --
Proceeds from exercise of stock options..........       --        13        46          22           446
Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock........       --     3,441       788         788            --
Repurchase of common stock.......................       --        --       (40)         --            --
Proceeds from (repayment of) convertible notes...       --       800      (800)       (590)           --
Proceeds from notes payable......................       --        43     5,912          --            --
Principal payments on notes payable..............       --       (79)     (190)       (127)         (346)
Proceeds from shareholder loans..................        9        --       105         105            --
Repayment of shareholder loans...................       (8)      (21)     (105)         --            --
Loans to shareholder.............................       --        --        --        (250)           --
Principal payment on capital lease obligations...       (3)      (67)     (187)       (126)         (179)
Distributions to shareholders....................       --      (125)   (2,974)     (1,219)           --
Contribution from shareholders...................       --        --        --          --           180
                                                   -------   -------   -------     -------       -------
         Net cash provided by (used in) financing
           activities............................    1,010     4,427     3,055        (897)          101
                                                   -------   -------   -------     -------       -------
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash
  equivalents....................................       55     1,533     4,084         791        (2,103)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period...       --        55     1,588       1,588         5,672
                                                   -------   -------   -------     -------       -------
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period.........  $    55   $ 1,588   $ 5,672     $ 2,379       $ 3,569
                                                   =======   =======   =======     =======       =======
</TABLE>
 
  The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial
                                  statements.
 
                                      F-10
<PAGE>   178
 
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
                   NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 
  (INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO JUNE 30, 1998 AND THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30,
                          1997 AND 1998 IS UNAUDITED)
             (IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT FOR SHARE AND PER SHARE AMOUNTS)
 
1. COMPANY BACKGROUND
 
     Best Internet Communications, Inc. (the Company), was incorporated in
California on September 21, 1994. Activity from September 21, 1994 (date of
inception) to December 31, 1994 resulted in revenues of $20 and a net loss of
$46, which have been included in the results for the year ended December 31,
1995. On May 27, 1998, the Company merged with Hiway Technologies, Inc. (Hiway
Florida), a company based in Florida. Hiway Florida was formed on April 6, 1995
and operated as a Subchapter S corporation.
 
     The Company is a leading global provider of Web hosting and related
enhanced Internet services to small and medium sized businesses. The Company
focuses on delivering high-quality, reliable and flexible services that are
backed by 24 X 7 customer support.
 
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Principles of Consolidation:
 
     The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company
and its majority-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and
transactions have been eliminated.
 
     The Company has minority investments in certain of its foreign resellers.
The activities of these entities are not significant.
 
  Management Estimates:
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial
statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the
reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
 
  Cash and Cash Equivalents:
 
     The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with original
maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. These instruments are
stated at cost, which approximates fair value.
 
  Fair Value of Financial Instruments:
 
     Carrying amounts of certain financial instruments held by the Company
including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and
other accrued liabilities approximate fair value due to their short maturities.
Based on borrowing rates currently available to the Company for loans with
similar terms, the carrying value of the notes payable and capital lease
obligations approximates fair value.
 
  Inventory:
 
     Inventory is stated at the lower of cost (determined on a first-in,
first-out basis) or market, and consists primarily of third party equipment for
resale.
 
  Property and Equipment:
 
     Property and equipment is stated at cost and is depreciated on a straight
line basis over their estimated useful lives of five to seven years. Leasehold
improvements are amortized over the length of the lease or
 
                                      F-11
<PAGE>   179
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
estimated useful life, whichever is less. Major additions and betterments are
capitalized, while replacements, maintenance, and repairs that do not improve or
extend the life of the assets are charged to expense. In the period assets are
retired or otherwise disposed of, the costs and related accumulated depreciation
and amortization are removed from the accounts, and any gain or loss on disposal
is included in results of operations.
 
  Intangible Assets:
 
     Intangible assets consist of goodwill which arose from the acquisition of
two Internet service providers in 1996 (see Note 4) and is being amortized on a
straight-line basis over seven years. The Company reviews the carrying value of
goodwill for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstance indicate that
the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
 
  Revenue Recognition:
 
     Revenues consist primarily of Web hosting and Internet service fees, set-up
fees and equipment sales. The Company generally sells its Web hosting services
for contractual periods ranging from one to three months. Revenues from these
services are recognized ratably over the contractual period. The fee charged for
domain name reservations is recognized over the two year name reservation period
and any unrecognized portion of the revenue is booked upon any termination of
the reservation. Internet service fees consist of fixed monthly amounts that are
recognized as the service is provided. Payments received in advance of providing
services are deferred until the period such services are provided. Set-up fees
and equipment sales are recognized when the set-up services are performed. The
Company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for Web hosting services. Refunds
made by the Company have been insignificant.
 
  Advertising:
 
     The Company charges advertising costs to expense as they are incurred.
Advertising expense for the years ended December 31, 1995, 1996 and 1997 was
$113, $988 and $1,353, respectively.
 
  Product Development:
 
     Product development expenses are charged to operations as incurred.
 
  Income Taxes:
 
     The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109 (SFAS 109), "Accounting for Income
Taxes." Under SFAS 109, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based
on differences between financial reporting and tax bases of assets and
liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that will be
in effect when the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation
allowances are established when, in management's estimate, there is uncertainty
over the recovery of deferred tax assets. The provision for income tax is
comprised of taxes payable for the current period, plus the net change in
deferred tax amounts during the period.
 
     Income taxes are recognized in these consolidated financial statements for
the operations of the Company which was a C Corporation during all periods
presented. Because Hiway Florida was a Subchapter S corporation during all
periods presented, the income taxes for Hiway Florida's operations were the
responsibility of that company's stockholders. Pro forma income tax expenses, as
though both the Company and Hiway Florida reported on a combined basis as a C
corporation is disclosed in Note 18.
 
                                      F-12
<PAGE>   180
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
  Unaudited Interim Financial Information:
 
     The accompanying interim balance sheet as of September 30, 1998 and the
statements of operations and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30,
1997 and 1998 together with the related notes are unaudited but include all
adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, which the Company
considers necessary to present fairly, in all material respects, the financial
position, as of September 30, 1998 and the results of operations and cash flows
for the nine months ended September 30, 1997 and 1998. Results for the nine
months ended September 30, 1997 and 1998 are not necessarily indicative of
results for an entire year.
 
  Recent Accounting Pronouncements:
 
     In 1997, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued SFAS No. 131,
"Disclosure About Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information," which is
effective for the year ending December 31, 1998.
 
     In March 1998, the AICPA issued Statement of Position (SOP) 98-1,
"Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software Developed or Obtained for
Internal Use." The Company is reviewing the impact of SOP 98-1, which will be
effective for the year ending December 31, 1999.
 
3. BUSINESS RISKS AND CREDIT CONCENTRATION
 
     The Company operates in the intensely competitive Internet industry which
is characterized by rapid technological change, short product life cycles, and
heightened competition. Significant technological changes in the industry could
affect operating results adversely.
 
     Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to
concentrations of credit risk comprise principally cash and cash equivalents,
trade accounts receivable, and other receivables and deposits. As of December
31, 1997, the Company's cash and cash equivalents are deposited with numerous
domestic financial institutions. With respect to accounts receivable, the
Company's customer base is dispersed across many different geographic areas. The
Company monitors customers' payment history and establishes reserves for bad
debt as warranted. In addition to individual customers, the Company also
provides Web hosting services to resellers who in turn provide services to their
own customers.
 
4. MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
 
  Merger with Hiway Florida:
 
     On May 27, 1998, the Company merged with Hiway Florida, a provider of Web
hosting services. Under the terms of the merger agreement, each share of Hiway
Florida common stock was exchanged for 4.1374 shares of the Company's common
stock. The Company issued approximately 21.8 million shares of common stock in
exchange for all the outstanding shares of Hiway Florida. The Company also
assumed and exchanged all options and warrants to purchase Hiway Florida stock
for options and warrants to purchase approximately 3 million shares of the
Company's common stock. The transaction was accounted for as a pooling of
interest and accordingly the Company's financial statements have been restated
to include the results of Hiway Florida for all periods presented.
 
                                      F-13
<PAGE>   181
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     Separate and combined results of operations for the periods prior to the
merger are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                               NINE
                                                                              MONTHS
                                               YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,         ENDED
                                              --------------------------   SEPTEMBER 30,
                                               1995     1996      1997         1998
                                              ------   -------   -------   -------------
<S>                                           <C>      <C>       <C>       <C>
Revenues:
  Best......................................  $1,965   $ 9,517   $15,785      $14,312
  Hiway Florida.............................      46     2,700    10,400       14,761
                                              ------   -------   -------      -------
  Combined..................................  $2,011   $12,217   $26,185      $29,073
                                              ======   =======   =======      =======
Net income (loss) -- historical:
  Best......................................  $ (566)  $  (474)  $ 1,662      $   320
  Hiway Florida.............................      15     1,138     2,773        2,153
                                              ------   -------   -------      -------
  Combined..................................  $ (551)  $   664   $ 4,435      $ 2,473
                                              ======   =======   =======      =======
</TABLE>
 
  Other Acquisitions:
 
     In July 1996, the Company acquired certain assets and the ongoing
operations of two Internet service providers for a total of $2,076. The
aggregate purchase price comprised $1,312 in cash, $697 in notes payable to
sellers, and 135,000 shares of common stock valued at $67. The purchase price
was allocated to the net tangible assets acquired ($593) and to goodwill
($1,483). The value of the common stock was determined by the Board of
Directors.
 
5. NOTE RECEIVABLE
 
     The note receivable is due from one of the Company's partners in a foreign
reseller. The note is uncollateralized, bears interest at the rate of 12% and is
due on demand.
 
6. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                          DECEMBER 31,
                                                         ---------------   SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                          1996     1997        1998
                                                         ------   ------   -------------
<S>                                                      <C>      <C>      <C>
Network, computer equipment and software...............  $4,661   $8,841      $12,860
Furniture and fixtures.................................     124      471          841
Leasehold improvements.................................     566    1,199        5,317
Other..................................................     148      252          127
                                                         ------   ------      -------
                                                          5,499   10,763       19,145
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization.........     686    2,057        3,794
                                                         ------   ------      -------
                                                         $4,813   $8,706      $15,351
                                                         ======   ======      =======
</TABLE>
 
     Included in network and computer equipment are $490, $776 and $799 of
equipment acquired under capital leases at December 31, 1996 and 1997 and
September 30, 1998, respectively. Accumulated amortization related to such
capital leases was $40, $158 and $325 at December 31, 1996 and 1997 and
September 30, 1998, respectively. Network and computer equipment also includes
$1,064 and $328 of equipment not yet placed in service at December 31, 1997 and
September 30, 1998, respectively.
 
                                      F-14
<PAGE>   182
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
7. CAPITAL LEASE OBLIGATIONS
 
     The Company leases network equipment under several capital leases. The
agreements require the Company to maintain liability and property insurance.
Capital leases at December 31, 1997 expire at various dates through September
2000 and bear interest ranging from 5.8% to 18.5%. Future minimum lease payments
as of December 31, 1997 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
1998........................................................   $284
1999........................................................    209
2000........................................................     58
                                                               ----
                                                                551
Less amount representing interest...........................     47
                                                               ----
Present value of minimum lease payments.....................    504
Less current portion........................................    251
                                                               ----
                                                               $253
                                                               ====
</TABLE>
 
8. COMMITMENTS
 
     The Company rents office facilities and equipment under several operating
leases which expire at various times through May 2005. Rent expense charged to
operations was $155, $345 and $670 for the years ended December 31, 1995, 1996,
and 1997, respectively.
 
     Future minimum lease payments under noncancelable operating leases as of
December 31, 1997 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
1998........................................................   $  786
1999........................................................      861
2000........................................................    1,148
2001........................................................    1,140
2002........................................................      977
Thereafter..................................................    1,818
                                                               ------
          Total commitments.................................   $6,730
                                                               ======
</TABLE>
 
9. NOTES PAYABLE
 
     Notes payable comprise the following:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              DECEMBER 31,
                                                              -------------
                                                              1996    1997
                                                              ----   ------
<S>                                                           <C>    <C>
Seller notes................................................  $649   $  475
Bank notes..................................................    32      927
Senior unsecured notes......................................    --    3,767
                                                              ----   ------
                                                               681    5,169
Less current portion........................................   140      225
                                                              ----   ------
                                                              $541   $4,944
                                                              ====   ======
</TABLE>
 
     The seller notes bear interest at 8% per annum and are repayable in monthly
equal installments through July 2001. These notes resulted from the acquisitions
made in 1996 (see Note 4).
 
                                      F-15
<PAGE>   183
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The bank notes bear interest at 9.75% to 10% per annum and are repayable in
equal monthly installments through October 2001. The bank notes are
collateralized by the Company's assets and require the Company to comply with
certain covenants including a minimum quick ratio, a minimum tangible net worth,
a maximum ratio of total liabilities to tangible net worth, a minimum monthly
subscriber additions to disconnections ratio, and minimum cash requirements. The
Company also has an unused line of credit with this bank in the amount of $500.
The line of credit bears interest at 1% above the bank's prime rate, and
advances are limited to 75% of eligible accounts receivable.
 
     On December 19, 1997, the Company issued $5,000 of 5% Senior Unsecured
Notes (the Notes) with detachable warrants to purchase 1,654,962 shares of
common stock. The warrants can be exercised for $3.02 per share, at any time
after December 19, 1997. The Notes are uncollateralized and bear interest at 5%
from December 19, 1997 until January 1, 2000 and then bear interest at 9%
through maturity on December 31, 2002. Quarterly payments of interest only are
due beginning March 31, 1998 with the outstanding principal balance due on
December 31, 2002. The notes may be prepaid at the option of the Company,
subject to certain conditions, at a premium of ten percent.
 
     In connection with the issuance of the Notes and warrants, the Company
attributed a portion of the proceeds to the warrants, which has been recorded as
additional paid in capital and as a reduction to the face amount of the Notes,
thereby increasing effective interest to 13.895% and increasing interest expense
for the year ended December 31, 1997 to $42. The value of the warrants was
determined by discounting the debt using an assumed interest rate of 12%.
 
     Future payments of the notes payable as of December 31, 1997 are as
follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
1998........................................................   $  225
1999........................................................      437
2000........................................................      448
2001........................................................      292
2002........................................................    3,767
                                                               ------
                                                               $5,169
                                                               ======
</TABLE>
 
10. CONVERTIBLE NOTE
 
     In January 1996, the Company issued two convertible notes in the amounts of
$200,000 and $800,000. In connection with the $200,000 note, the Company issued
a warrant to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock at $0.50 per share to the
noteholder. In connection with the $800,000 note, the Company issued warrants to
purchase 266,667 and 133,333 shares of common stock at $0.50 per share to the
noteholder and the guarantor of the note, respectively.
 
     In July 1996, the Company repaid the $200,000 convertible note. The
$800,000 convertible note was repaid in March 1997 and the warrant issued to the
noteholder to purchase 266,667 shares of common stock was replaced by a warrant
to purchase 200,000 shares of common stock at $0.50 per share. In addition, the
warrant held by the guarantor of the note was canceled.
 
     The Company recorded the fair value of the warrants as a discount against
the related convertible notes with a corresponding amount credited to additional
paid-in capital. Amortization of the debt discount totalled $72 in 1996 and was
insignificant in 1997.
 
11. NOTES RECEIVABLE FROM SHAREHOLDERS
 
     Notes receivable from shareholders comprise loans made to shareholders in
connection with the exercise of options for the Company's common stock or to
purchase the Company's common stock. The loans are with full recourse and bear
interest at rates from 2% above prime to 8.5%. The loans are due between 1998 to
2000.
 
                                      F-16
<PAGE>   184
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The Company also issued a warrant to purchase 1,160,166 shares of common
stock at $2.78 per share to a shareholder, as an incentive to the shareholder to
become Chairman of the Board of Directors, in return for a promissory note in
the amount of $280. The note bears interest at prime and is due in 2000. There
was no compensation element relating to the warrant since the exercise price was
in excess of the fair market value of the Company's common stock at the date of
issuance, as determined by other equity transactions and an independent
valuation.
 
12. SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
  Preferred Stock
 
     In connection with the issuance of convertible promissory notes in 1996,
the Board of Directors designated 500,000 shares of the Serial preferred stock
as Series A preferred stock. As at December 31, 1997, the convertible promissory
notes had been repaid by the Company and there were no conversions into the
Series A preferred stock.
 
     In 1996, the Board of Directors designated 4,000,000 shares of the Serial
preferred stock as Series B preferred stock. These shares were issued and sold
by the Company in July 1996 and March 1997 to independent third party investors.
Effective May 27, 1998, all of the outstanding shares of Series B preferred
stock were converted into 3,462,000 shares of common stock.
 
  Warrants
 
     In 1996 and 1997, the Company issued warrants to purchase common stock to
investors and lenders. At December 31, 1997 such warrants were as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SHARES OF     EXERCISE    EXPIRATION
COMMON STOCK   PRICE         DATE                           PURPOSE OF WARRANT
------------  --------    ----------                        ------------------
<C>           <C>        <C>             <S>
   100,000     $0.50      January 2001   Issued in connection with $200 convertible note
   200,000     $0.50      January 2001   Issued in connection with $800 convertible note
 1,160,166     $2.78     December 2000   Issued to stockholder in return for $280 promissory note
 1,654,952     $3.02     December 2002   Issued in connection with $5,000 senior unsecured notes
</TABLE>
 
13. STOCK OPTION PLANS
 
     Under the Company's 1996 Stock Option Plan, as amended, (the Plan) the
Company could issue incentive options to employees at prices not lower than fair
market value at the date of grant, as determined by the Board of Directors.
Supplemental stock options (options that do not qualify as incentive stock
option) could be granted to employees, directors and consultants, at prices not
lower than 85% of fair market value at the date of grant, as determined by the
Board of Directors. The Board also had the authority to set the term of the
options (no longer than ten years from date of grant). Options granted generally
vest over three to four years. Unexercised options expire at least 30 days after
termination of employment with the Company.
 
     In April 1998, the Board of Directors and the shareholders approved the
adoption of a 1998 Equity Incentive Plan (the 1998 Plan) which serves as the
successor of the 1996 Stock Option Plan. As amended through July 1998, the
Company has reserved, subject to shareholder approval, a total of 4,000,000
shares of common stock. In June 1998, the Board also adopted the 1998 Directors
Stock Option Plan and reserved a total of 600,000 shares of common stock for
issuance thereunder. The amended and restated 1998 Plan and the 1998 Directors
Stock Option Plan are subject to the shareholders' approval.
 
                                      F-17
<PAGE>   185
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     Activity under the Plans is as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                         OUTSTANDING OPTIONS
                                 --------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   SHARES       NUMBER                                    WEIGHTED
                                 AVAILABLE        OF         EXERCISE     AGGREGATE       AVERAGE
                                 FOR GRANT      SHARES        PRICE         PRICE      EXERCISE PRICE
                                 ----------   ----------   ------------   ----------   --------------
<S>                              <C>          <C>          <C>            <C>          <C>
Options reserved at Plan
  inception....................   4,000,000           --
Options granted................  (1,156,500)   1,156,500   $ 0.05-$0.50   $  149,564       $ 0.13
                                 ----------   ----------   ------------   ----------       ------
Balances, December 31, 1995....   2,843,500    1,156,500                     149,564       $ 0.13
Options granted................  (2,721,500)   2,721,500   $ 0.50-$0.75    1,549,955       $ 0.57
Options exercised..............          --     (178,944)  $ 0.05-$0.50      (20,012)      $ 0.11
Options canceled...............     592,832     (592,832)  $ 0.10-$0.50     (214,015)      $ 0.36
                                 ----------   ----------   ------------   ----------       ------
Balances, December 31, 1996....     714,832    3,106,224                   1,465,492       $ 0.47
Options granted................  (1,508,156)   1,508,156   $ 0.36-$3.00    1,459,085       $ 0.97
Options exercised..............          --   (1,079,986)  $ 0.05-$1.25     (444,347)      $ 0.41
Options canceled...............   1,419,330   (1,419,350)  $ 0.50-$1.25     (727,566)      $ 0.51
                                 ----------   ----------   ------------   ----------       ------
Balances, December 31, 1997....     626,006    2,115,044                   1,752,664       $ 0.83
Options reserved under new
  Plan.........................   4,000,000           --
Cancellation of shares
  available for grant under old
  Plan.........................    (578,506)          --
Options granted................    (851,150)     851,150   $ 3.00-$6.00    4,936,663       $ 5.80
Options exercised..............          --   (1,303,862)  $ 0.25-$3.00     (908,636)      $ 0.70
Options canceled...............          --     (230,321)  $ 0.50-$6.00     (811,887)      $ 3.53
                                 ----------   ----------   ------------   ----------       ------
Balances, June 30, 1998........   3,196,350    1,432,011                  $4,968,804       $ 3.47
                                 ==========   ==========                  ==========       ======
</TABLE>
 
     The following table summarizes information with respect to stock options
outstanding at December 31, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                              OPTIONS OUTSTANDING                        OPTIONS CURRENTLY
                               --------------------------------------------------           EXERCISABLE
                                                 WEIGHTED                           ----------------------------
                                                 AVERAGE            WEIGHTED                         WEIGHTED
                                NUMBER OF       REMAINING            AVERAGE          NUMBER         AVERAGE
EXERCISE PRICE                 OUTSTANDING   CONTRACTUAL LIFE    EXERCISE PRICE     EXERCISABLE   EXERCISE PRICE
--------------                 -----------   ----------------   -----------------   -----------   --------------
<S>                            <C>           <C>                <C>                 <C>           <C>
$0.10........................     140,000          7.07               $0.10           140,000         $0.10
$0.25........................      46,000          7.50               $0.25            46,000         $0.25
$0.36........................     206,865          9.45               $0.36            68,958         $0.36
$0.50........................     240,116          8.62               $0.50            81,200         $0.50
$0.75........................   1,054,318          9.04               $0.75           212,034         $0.75
$1.25........................     108,750          9.47               $1.25            10,680         $1.25
$1.75........................     172,495          9.84               $1.75             1,980         $1.75
$2.00........................     128,000          9.84               $2.00                --            --
$3.00........................      18,500          9.92               $3.00                --            --
                                ---------                                             -------         -----
                                2,115,044                                             560,852         $0.48
                                =========                                             =======         =====
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-18
<PAGE>   186
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The following information concerning the Company's stock option plan is
provided in accordance with SFAS No. 123, "Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation." The Company accounts for the plan in accordance with APB No. 25
and related Interpretations.
 
     The fair value of each option grant has been estimated on the date of grant
using the minimum value method with the following assumptions:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               1996      1997
                                                              -------   -------
<S>                                                           <C>       <C>
Risk-free interest rates....................................     6.55%     6.25%
Expected volatility.........................................        0%        0%
Expected life...............................................  5 years   5 years
Dividends...................................................     None      None
</TABLE>
 
     The weighted average fair value of the options granted in 1996 and 1997 was
$0.42 and $0.77, respectively.
 
     The following pro forma net income (loss) information has been prepared as
if the Company had followed the provisions of SFAS No. 123:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              1996    1997
                                                              ----   ------
<S>                                                           <C>    <C>
Net income:
  As reported (pro forma)...................................  $560   $2,871
  Pro forma.................................................  $494   $2,600
</TABLE>
 
     These pro forma amounts may not be representative of the effects on
reported net income (loss) for future years as options vest over several years
and additional awards are generally made each year.
 
14. MERGER COSTS
 
     General and administrative expense for the nine months ended September 30,
1998 includes approximately $1.2 million in costs related to the merger with
Hiway Florida and the sale of the Company to Verio. The Company expenses such
costs as they are incurred.
 
15. INCOME TAXES
 
     The Company's provision for income taxes for the year ended December 31,
1997 is as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
Current provision:
  Federal...................................................   $(314)
  State.....................................................     (81)
                                                               -----
                                                                (395)
                                                               -----
Deferred benefit:
  Federal...................................................      33
  State.....................................................       1
                                                               -----
                                                                  34
                                                               -----
Provision for income taxes..................................   $(361)
                                                               =====
</TABLE>
 
     The Company recorded a $1 tax provision for both years ended December 31,
1995 and 1996 for minimum state income tax. No other income taxes were payable
since the Company incurred losses during these periods and Hiway Florida
operated as a Subchapter S corporation (see Note 17 for pro forma provision for
income tax).
 
                                      F-19
<PAGE>   187
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The Tax Reform Act of 1986 limits the use of net operating loss and tax
credit carryforwards in certain situations where changes occur in the stock
ownership of a company. Since the Company underwent a change in ownership during
1996 as defined in the Internal Revenue Code, the net operating loss
carryforwards of $995 and $940 at December 31, 1996 for Federal and California
purposes, respectively, could not be fully utilized in 1997. At December 31,
1997 the Company had net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $49 and
$47 for Federal and California purposes, respectively. These carryforwards
expire in 2003 through 2012 if not utilized beforehand.
 
     The Company's deferred income taxes are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              DECEMBER 31,
                                                              -------------
                                                              1996    1997
                                                              -----   -----
<S>                                                           <C>     <C>
Deferred tax assets (current):
  Net operating losses......................................  $ 426   $  21
  Allowance for doubtful accounts...........................    144     208
  Deferred rent.............................................     45      51
  Accrued liabilities.......................................     33      35
  Other.....................................................      1      28
Deferred tax assets (non-current):
  Amortization..............................................     30      72
                                                              -----   -----
  Deferred tax assets.......................................    679     415
Deferred tax liabilities (non-current):
  Depreciation..............................................   (239)   (380)
  Other.....................................................    (30)     --
                                                              -----   -----
Deferred tax liabilities....................................   (269)   (380)
Valuation allowance.........................................   (410)     --
                                                              -----   -----
          Net deferred tax asset............................  $  --   $  35
                                                              =====   =====
</TABLE>
 
     The deferred tax valuation allowance decreased by $410 in 1997 as
management determined that the net deferred tax asset as of December 31, 1997
was more likely to be realized than not.
 
     The following schedule reconciles the differences between the federal
income tax rate and the effective income tax rate for the year ended December
31, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
Statutory rate..............................................    34.0%
State taxes, net............................................     1.1
Change in valuation allowance...............................    (8.5)
Effect of income not subject to income taxes due to Hiway
  Florida's Subchapter S status.............................   (19.7)
Other.......................................................     0.6
                                                               -----
Effective tax rate..........................................     7.5%
                                                               =====
</TABLE>
 
16. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN
 
     In September 1995, the Company adopted a 401(k) Plan which qualifies under
Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The Plan provides
retirement benefits through tax deferred salary deductions for all eligible
employees meeting certain age and service requirements. The Company may make
discretionary matching contributions on behalf of employees. All employee
contributions are 100% vested. The Company did not make any contribution to the
Plan during the years ended December 31, 1995, 1996 or 1997.
 
                                      F-20
<PAGE>   188
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
17. SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
                                                              -------------------------
                                                              1995     1996      1997
                                                              -----    -----    -------
<S>                                                           <C>      <C>      <C>
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
  Taxes paid................................................   $ 1     $ 56     $  283
  Interest paid.............................................     4      103        122
SUPPLEMENTAL NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITY:
  Note payable issued for rent deposit......................    18      406         --
  Equipment purchased under capital lease...................    36      490        286
  Common stock issued in acquisitions.......................    --       67         --
  Note issued in acquisitions...............................    --      697         --
  Shareholders contributions of equipment in exchange for
     shareholder loans payable..............................    21       --         --
  Allowances on trade in of equipment.......................    --       34         --
  Exercise of stock options for notes.......................    --       --        409
  Issuance of common stock for note.........................    --       --        200
  Issuance of warrant for note..............................    --       --        280
  Issuance of warrant.......................................    --       72      1,233
</TABLE>
 
18. UNAUDITED PRO FORMA DATA
 
     The statement of operations includes a pro forma provision for income taxes
to reflect income tax expense as if both entities in the merged company, the
Company and Hiway Florida (which operated as a Subchapter S corporation), had
been a C corporation on a combined basis for all periods presented. The
components of the pro forma provision for income taxes consisted of:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                            NINE MONTHS
                                                                               ENDED
                                                 YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,   SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                 -----------------------   -------------
                                                 1995    1996     1997      1997    1998
                                                 -----   -----   -------   ------   ----
<S>                                              <C>     <C>     <C>       <C>      <C>
Current provision:
  Federal......................................   $--    $ 79    $1,636    $1,380   $641
  State........................................     1      22       428       321    204
                                                  ---    ----    ------    ------   ----
                                                    1     101     2,064     1,701    845
                                                  ---    ----    ------    ------   ----
Deferred provision (benefit):
  Federal......................................    --     (58)     (138)     (104)    15
  State........................................    --     (10)       (1)       (1)   (17)
                                                  ---    ----    ------    ------   ----
                                                   --     (68)     (139)     (105)    (2)
                                                  ---    ----    ------    ------   ----
Pro forma provision for income taxes...........   $ 1    $ 33    $1,925    $1,596   $843
                                                  ===    ====    ======    ======   ====
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-21
<PAGE>   189
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
19. EARNINGS PER SHARE (EPS) DISCLOSURES
 
     In accordance with the requirements of Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 128, "Earnings Per Share," a reconciliation of the numerator and
denominator of basic and diluted EPS is provided as follows.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                             NINE MONTHS ENDED
                                      YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,                  SEPTEMBER 30,
                               --------------------------------------    --------------------------
                                  1995         1996          1997           1997           1998
                               ----------   -----------   -----------    -----------    -----------
<S>                            <C>          <C>           <C>            <C>            <C>
Numerator-Basic EPS
Historical net income
  (loss).....................  $     (551)  $       592   $     4,435    $     3,674    $     2,473
                               ==========   ===========   ===========    ===========    ===========
Pro forma net income (loss)
  (unaudited)................  $     (551)  $       560   $     2,871    $     2,379    $     1,729
                               ==========   ===========   ===========    ===========    ===========
Denominator-Basic EPS
  Weighted average common
     stock outstanding.......  16,871,100    25,877,800    30,020,460     29,844,420     33,470,450
                               ==========   ===========   ===========    ===========    ===========
Basic earnings (loss) per
  share -- Historical........  $    (0.03)  $      0.02   $      0.15    $      0.12    $      0.07
                               ==========   ===========   ===========    ===========    ===========
        -- Pro forma.........  $    (0.03)  $      0.02   $      0.10    $      0.08    $      0.05
                               ==========   ===========   ===========    ===========    ===========
Numerator -- Diluted EPS
Historical net income
  (loss).....................  $     (551)  $       592   $     4,435    $     3,674    $     2,473
  Interest on convertible
     debt (net of related tax
     effect).................          --            28             6             --             --
                               ----------   -----------   -----------    -----------    -----------
Historical net income
  (loss).....................  $     (551)  $       620   $     4,441    $     3,674    $     2,473
                               ==========   ===========   ===========    ===========    ===========
  Pro forma net income (loss)
     (unaudited).............  $     (551)  $       560   $     2,871    $     2,379    $     1,729
  Interest on convertible
     debt (net of related tax
     effect).................          --            28             6             --             --
                               ----------   -----------   -----------    -----------    -----------
Pro forma net income (loss)
  (unaudited)................  $     (551)  $       588   $     2,877    $     2,379    $     1,729
                               ==========   ===========   ===========    ===========    ===========
Denominator-Diluted EPS
Denominator -- Basic EPS.....  16,871,100    25,877,800    30,020,460     29,844,420     33,470,450
Effect of Dilutive
  Securities:
  Common stock options.......          --       885,680     1,419,380      1,378,340        755,700
  Warrants...................          --        68,460       142,100        137,620        834,770
  Convertible preferred
     stock...................          --     1,293,420     3,212,000      3,139,780      1,731,000
  Convertible debt...........          --       383,340        83,340             --             --
                               ----------   -----------   -----------    -----------    -----------
                               16,871,100    28,508,700    34,877,280     34,500,160     36,791,920
                               ==========   ===========   ===========    ===========    ===========
Diluted earnings (loss) per
  share -- Historical........  $    (0.03)  $      0.02   $      0.13    $      0.11    $      0.07
                               ==========   ===========   ===========    ===========    ===========
        -- Pro forma.........  $    (0.03)  $      0.02   $      0.08    $      0.07    $      0.05
                               ==========   ===========   ===========    ===========    ===========
</TABLE>
 
     For the years ended December 31, 1995, stock options, preferred stock,
convertible debt and warrants and in 1996 and 1997, convertible debt and certain
warrants were excluded from the determination of the diluted EPS since their
effect would have been antidilutive.
 
                                      F-22
<PAGE>   190
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
20. SEGMENT REPORTING
 
     The Company operates in one industry segment.
 
     The distribution of revenues by geographic area was as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                            YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,
                                                           --------------------------
                                                            1995     1996      1997
                                                           ------   -------   -------
<S>                                                        <C>      <C>       <C>
North America............................................  $2,011   $11,052   $22,507
Europe...................................................      --       593     2,194
Rest of the world........................................      --       572     1,484
                                                           ------   -------   -------
                                                           $2,011   $12,217   $26,185
                                                           ======   =======   =======
</TABLE>
 
21. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS (UNAUDITED)
 
     In June 1998, the Board of Directors authorized management of the Company
to file a Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission
relating to a public offering of the Company's common stock.
 
     In July 1998, the Board of Directors approved the sale of the Company to
Verio, a leading provider of Internet services. As a result of this transaction,
the Company suspended its public offering of common stock and the Company
anticipates formally withdrawing the offering in December 1998. Accordingly, the
Company will expense approximately $1 million of deferred costs relating to the
public offering in the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 1998.
 
                                      F-23
<PAGE>   191
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Verio Inc.
and subsidiaries as of December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the related consolidated
statements of operations, stockholders' deficit, and cash flows for the period
from inception (March 1, 1996) to December 31, 1996 and the year ended December
31, 1997. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the
Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these
consolidated financial statements based on our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above
present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Verio Inc.
and subsidiaries as of December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the results of their
operations and their cash flows for the period from inception (March 1, 1996) to
December 31, 1996 and the year ended December 31, 1997 in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
February 25, 1998
 
                                      F-24
<PAGE>   192
 
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
                          CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                   (AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA)
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 DECEMBER 31,
                                                              ------------------   SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                               1996       1997         1998
                                                              -------   --------   -------------
                                                                                    (UNAUDITED)
<S>                                                           <C>       <C>        <C>
Current assets:
  Cash and cash equivalents.................................  $66,467   $ 72,586     $ 245,912
  Restricted cash and securities (notes 3 and 4)............       --     21,015        14,159
  Receivables:
    Trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $117,
      $1,233, and $3,698....................................      611      7,565        13,687
    Affiliates..............................................      119        735            --
  Prepaid expenses and other................................      410      3,921         6,590
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
         Total current assets...............................   67,607    105,822       280,348
Restricted cash and securities (notes 3 and 4)..............       --     19,539         7,238
Investments in affiliates, at cost (note 2).................    1,536      2,378         8,298
Equipment and leasehold improvements:
  Internet access and computer equipment....................    4,485     30,535        54,858
  Furniture, fixtures and computer software.................      220      3,301         4,930
  Leasehold improvements....................................      141      1,596         3,780
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
                                                                4,846     35,432        63,568
  Less accumulated depreciation and amortization............     (359)    (7,219)      (20,355)
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
      Net equipment and leasehold improvements..............    4,487     28,213        43,213
Other assets:
  Goodwill, net of accumulated amortization of $303, $3,595,
    and $15,670 (note 2)....................................    8,736     83,216       210,047
  Debt issuance costs, net of accumulated amortization of
    $330, and $1,169........................................       --      4,858         8,796
  Organization costs and other, net.........................      262      2,445         4,389
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
         Total assets.......................................  $82,628   $246,471     $ 562,329
                                                              =======   ========     =========
 
                         LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $ 2,132   $  7,389     $   9,263
  Accrued expenses..........................................      931     11,401        15,402
  Accrued interest payable..................................       --        844        13,109
  Accrued preferred stock issuance costs....................    1,110         --            --
  Lines of credit, notes payable and current portion of
    long-term debt (note 3).................................    2,573      2,751           774
  Current portion of capital lease obligations (note 4).....       64      1,575         3,952
  Deferred revenue..........................................      659      7,177        10,770
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
         Total current liabilities..........................    7,469     31,137        53,270
Long-term debt, less current portion, net of discount (note
  3)........................................................       20    139,376       268,440
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 4)....       86      2,945         6,012
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
         Total liabilities..................................    7,575    173,458       327,722
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
Minority interests in subsidiaries (note 2).................    2,231      2,765            --
Redeemable preferred stock (converted to common stock in
  1998)(note 5):
  Series A, convertible, $.001 par value; 6,100,000 shares
    authorized; 6,033,333 shares issued and outstanding at
    December 31, 1996 and 1997..............................   18,078     18,080            --
  Series B, convertible, $.001 par value; 10,117,000 shares
    authorized; 10,000,000 and 10,028,334 shares issued and
    outstanding at December 31, 1996 and 1997...............   58,799     59,193            --
  Series C, convertible, $.001 par value; 2,500,000 shares
    authorized; issued and outstanding at December 31,
    1997....................................................       --     19,976            --
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
                                                               76,877     97,249            --
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
Stockholders' equity (deficit) (note 6):
  Preferred stock, Series D-1, convertible, $.001 par value;
    3,000,000 shares authorized; 680,000 shares issued and
    outstanding at December 31, 1997 (converted to common
    stock in 1998)(note 5)..................................       --     10,200            --
  Common stock, $.001 par value; 125,000,000 shares
    authorized; 1,090,000, 1,254,533 and, 32,789,776 shares
    issued and outstanding at December 31, 1996 and 1997 and
    September 30, 1998......................................        1          1            33
  Additional paid-in capital................................    1,089     14,272       374,354
  Accumulated deficit.......................................   (5,145)   (51,474)     (139,780)
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
         Total stockholders' equity (deficit)...............   (4,055)   (27,001)      234,607
                                                              -------   --------     ---------
Commitments (notes 2, 4 and 5)
         Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
           (deficit)........................................  $82,628   $246,471     $ 562,329
                                                              =======   ========     =========
</TABLE>
 
          See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
                                      F-25
<PAGE>   193
 
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                 (AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                 PERIOD FROM
                                                  INCEPTION          YEAR        NINE MONTHS ENDED
                                               (MARCH 1, 1996)      ENDED          SEPTEMBER 30,
                                               TO DECEMBER 31,   DECEMBER 31,   -------------------
                                                    1996             1997         1997       1998
                                               ---------------   ------------   --------   --------
                                                                                    (UNAUDITED)
<S>                                            <C>               <C>            <C>        <C>
Revenue:
  Internet connectivity:
     Dedicated...............................      $ 1,100         $ 16,383     $ 10,120   $ 36,924
     Dial-up.................................        1,139            7,093        4,314     16,272
  Enhanced services and other................          126           12,216        7,853     30,347
                                                   -------         --------     --------   --------
          Total revenue......................        2,365           35,692       22,287     83,543
Costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating costs..........          974           15,974        9,504     37,928
  Selling, general and administrative and
     other...................................        7,002           49,383       31,233     80,941
  Stock option related compensation and
     severance costs (note 6)................           --               --           --      3,040
  Depreciation and amortization..............          669           10,624        6,737     26,818
                                                   -------         --------     --------   --------
          Total costs and expenses...........        8,645           75,981       47,474    148,727
                                                   -------         --------     --------   --------
          Loss from operations...............       (6,280)         (40,289)     (25,187)   (65,184)
Other income (expense):
  Interest income............................          593            6,080        4,068      9,381
  Interest expense...........................         (115)         (11,826)      (5,899)   (22,860)
  Equity in losses of affiliates.............           --           (1,958)      (1,642)        --
                                                   -------         --------     --------   --------
          Loss before minority interests and
            extraordinary item...............       (5,802)         (47,993)     (28,660)   (78,663)
Minority interests...........................          680            1,924        1,638        545
                                                   -------         --------     --------   --------
          Loss before extraordinary item.....       (5,122)         (46,069)     (27,022)   (78,118)
Extraordinary item -- loss related to debt
  repurchase (note 3)........................           --               --           --    (10,101)
                                                   -------         --------     --------   --------
          Net loss...........................       (5,122)         (46,069)     (27,022)   (88,219)
Accretion of preferred stock to liquidation
  value......................................          (23)            (260)        (179)       (87)
                                                   -------         --------     --------   --------
          Net loss attributable to common
            stockholders.....................      $(5,145)        $(46,329)    $(27,201)  $(88,306)
                                                   =======         ========     ========   ========
Weighted average number of common shares
  outstanding -- basic and diluted...........          972            1,145        1,128     17,462
                                                   =======         ========     ========   ========
Loss per common share -- basic and diluted:
  Loss per common share before extraordinary
     item....................................        (5.29)          (40.47)      (24.11)     (4.49)
  Extraordinary item.........................           --               --           --      (0.57)
                                                   -------         --------     --------   --------
          Loss per common share..............      $ (5.29)        $ (40.47)    $ (24.11)  $  (5.06)
                                                   =======         ========     ========   ========
</TABLE>
 
          See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
                                      F-26
<PAGE>   194
 
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
                CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
                   (AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS, EXCEPT SHARE DATA)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                    COMMON STOCK       ADDITIONAL
                                     PREFERRED   -------------------    PAID-IN     ACCUMULATED
                                       STOCK       SHARES     AMOUNT    CAPITAL       DEFICIT      TOTAL
                                     ---------   ----------   ------   ----------   -----------   --------
<S>                                  <C>         <C>          <C>      <C>          <C>           <C>
BALANCES AT INCEPTION..............  $     --            --    $--      $     --     $      --    $     --
Issuance of common stock for
  cash.............................        --     1,090,000      1         1,089            --       1,090
Accretion of redeemable preferred
  stock to liquidation value.......        --            --     --            --           (23)        (23)
Net loss...........................        --            --     --            --        (5,122)     (5,122)
                                     --------    ----------    ---      --------     ---------    --------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1996......        --     1,090,000      1         1,089        (5,145)     (4,055)
Issuance of common stock for
  exercise of options..............        --        76,200                  148            --         148
Issuance of common stock for
  cash.............................        --        88,333                  360            --         360
Warrants issued in connection with
  debt offering (note 3)...........        --            --     --        12,675            --      12,675
Issuance of preferred stock in
  business combination (note 5)....    10,200            --     --            --            --      10,200
Accretion of redeemable preferred
  stock to liquidation value.......        --            --                   --          (260)       (260)
Net loss...........................        --            --     --                     (46,069)    (46,069)
                                     --------    ----------    ---      --------     ---------    --------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1997......    10,200     1,254,533      1        14,272       (51,474)    (27,001)
Issuance of common stock for
  exercise of options..............        --       114,725     --           485            --         485
Issuance of common stock for
  exercise of warrants.............        --       415,461      1            --            --           1
Issuance of common stock in initial
  public offering, net of expenses
  (note 6).........................        --     5,735,000      6       120,814            --     120,820
Issuance of common stock to private
  investor (note 6)................        --     4,493,877      4        99,995            --      99,999
Issuance of Series D-1 preferred
  stock in business combinations
  (notes 2 and 5)..................    26,726            --     --            --            --      26,726
Accretion of redeemable preferred
  stock to liquidation value.......        --            --     --            --           (87)        (87)
Issuance of common stock pursuant
  to conversion of Series D-1
  preferred stock (note 5).........   (36,926)    2,214,513      2        36,924            --          --
Issuance of common stock pursuant
  to conversion of Series A, B and
  C redeemable preferred stock
  (note 5).........................        --    18,561,667     19        97,287            --      97,306
Issuance of common stock options in
  business combinations............        --            --     --         1,937            --       1,937
Stock option related compensation
  and severance costs (note 6).....        --            --     --         2,640            --       2,640
Net loss...........................                                                    (88,219)    (88,219)
                                     --------    ----------    ---      --------     ---------    --------
BALANCE AT SEPTEMBER 30, 1998
  (UNAUDITED)......................  $     --    32,789,776    $33      $374,354     $(139,780)   $234,607
                                     ========    ==========    ===      ========     =========    ========
</TABLE>
 
          See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
                                      F-27
<PAGE>   195
 
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                             (AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                          PERIOD FROM
                                                           INCEPTION                      NINE MONTHS ENDED
                                                        (MARCH 1, 1996)    YEAR ENDED       SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                        TO DECEMBER 31,   DECEMBER 31,   --------------------
                                                             1996             1997         1997       1998
                                                        ---------------   ------------   --------   ---------
                                                                                             (UNAUDITED)
<S>                                                     <C>               <C>            <C>        <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss............................................      $(5,122)       $ (46,069)    $(27,022)  $ (88,219)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used
    by operating activities:
    Depreciation and amortization.....................          669           10,624        6,737      26,818
    Minority interests' share of losses...............         (680)          (1,924)      (1,638)       (545)
    Stock option related compensation and severance
      costs...........................................           --               --           --       3,040
    Equity in losses of affiliates....................           --            1,958        1,642          --
    Extraordinary item -- loss related to the
      repurchase of debt..............................           --               --           --      10,101
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities,
      excluding effects of business combinations:
      Receivables.....................................         (265)          (1,561)      (2,110)     (1,979)
      Prepaid expenses and other current assets.......         (284)          (2,305)      (2,593)       (899)
      Accounts payable................................        1,439           (1,656)        (359)       (889)
      Accrued expenses................................        1,910            3,082       (1,531)      3,720
      Accrued interest payable........................           --              844        5,400      13,040
      Deferred revenue................................            7            1,684        1,012        (445)
                                                            -------        ---------     --------   ---------
         Net cash used by operating activities........       (2,326)         (35,323)     (20,462)    (36,257)
                                                            -------        ---------     --------   ---------
Cash flows from investing activities:
  Acquisition of equipment and leasehold
    improvements......................................       (3,430)         (14,547)     (11,002)    (15,327)
  Acquisition of net assets in business combinations
    and investments in affiliates, net of cash
    acquired..........................................       (5,627)         (64,023)     (28,796)   (121,432)
  Change in restricted cash and securities............                       (40,554)     (48,532)     19,689
  Other...............................................          (66)          (1,206)      (1,045)     (2,242)
                                                            -------        ---------     --------   ---------
         Net cash used by investing activities........       (9,123)        (120,330)     (89,375)   (119,312)
                                                            -------        ---------     --------   ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Proceeds from lines of credit, notes payable and
    long-term debt....................................           --          145,512      145,478     168,827
  Repayments of lines of credit and notes payable.....          (20)          (3,468)      (2,566)    (58,784)
  Repayments of capital lease obligations.............           (8)            (950)        (440)     (2,452)
  Proceeds from issuance of common and preferred
    stock, net of issuance costs......................       77,944           20,678       20,530     221,304
                                                            -------        ---------     --------   ---------
         Net cash provided by financing activities....       77,916          161,772      163,002     328,895
                                                            -------        ---------     --------   ---------
         Net increase in cash and cash equivalents....       66,467            6,119       53,165     173,326
Cash and cash equivalents:
  Beginning of period.................................           --           66,467       66,467      72,586
                                                            -------        ---------     --------   ---------
  End of period.......................................      $66,467        $  72,586     $119,632   $ 245,912
                                                            =======        =========     ========   =========
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
  Cash paid for interest..............................      $    --        $  10,982     $     --   $  10,393
                                                            =======        =========     ========   =========
Supplemental disclosures of non-cash investing and
  financing activities:
  Equipment acquired through capital lease
    obligations.......................................      $    58        $   3,301     $  1,923   $   7,209
                                                            =======        =========     ========   =========
  Acquisition of net assets in business combination
    through issuance of notes payable.................      $ 6,675        $   4,718     $     --   $      --
                                                            =======        =========     ========   =========
  Acquisition of net assets in business combination
    through issuance of preferred stock and preferred
    stock options.....................................      $    --        $  10,200     $     --   $  28,663
                                                            =======        =========     ========   =========
  Warrants issued in connection with debt offering....      $    --        $  12,675     $ 12,675   $      --
                                                            =======        =========     ========   =========
</TABLE>
 
          See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
 
                                      F-28
<PAGE>   196
 
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
                   NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
    INFORMATION AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 1998 AND FOR THE SIX-MONTH PERIODS ENDED
                    SEPTEMBER 30, 1997 AND 1998 IS UNAUDITED
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  (a) Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     Verio Inc. (Verio or the Company) was incorporated on March 1, 1996 to
capitalize on the growing demand for Internet access and enhanced services by
business users through the acquisition, integration, and growth of existing
independent Internet service providers with a business customer focus in
targeted geographic regions. The goal of the Company is to be the dominant,
full-service national provider of Internet connectivity and enhanced Internet
services to small and medium sized businesses. The Company commenced operations
in April 1996 and had no activity other than the sale of common stock to
founders prior to April 1, 1996.
 
     The accompanying unaudited financial information as of September 30, 1998
and for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 1997 and 1998 has been
prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for interim
financial information. All significant adjustments, consisting of only normal
and recurring adjustments, which, in the opinion of management, are necessary
for a fair presentation of the results for the nine months ended September 30,
1997 and 1998 have been included. Operating results for the nine-month period
ending September 30, 1998 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may
be expected for the full year.
 
     The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of
Verio and its majority owned subsidiaries, as described in Note 2. All
significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in
consolidation. The preparation of financial statements requires management to
make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of
the financial statements and the reported amount of revenue and expenses during
the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
 
  (b) Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash
 
     The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments with original
maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Included in cash
equivalents as of December 31, 1996, December 31, 1997 and September 30, 1998
are U.S. government, municipal and corporate debt securities, money market
accounts and commercial paper, totaling $61,769,000, $75,442,000 (exclusive of
cash overdraft in the amount of $11,228,000) and $233,975,000, respectively,
with maturities ranging from thirty to ninety days.
 
     Restricted cash and securities include U.S. government securities which are
classified as securities held to maturity and recorded at cost. At December 31,
1997 and September 30, 1998, cost approximated market value.
 
  (c) Equipment and Leasehold Improvements
 
     Equipment and leasehold improvements are recorded at cost. Depreciation is
provided over the estimated useful lives of the assets ranging from 3 to 5 years
using the straight-line method. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the
shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the asset.
 
  (d) Investments in Affiliates and Consolidation of Subsidiaries
 
     Investments in affiliates represent newly issued preferred shares of
various affiliates. The preferred shares are convertible at the option of the
Company into common shares on a one-for-one basis and represent future common
stock ownership interests, upon conversion, of less than 50%. As the Company did
not acquire a
 
                                      F-29
<PAGE>   197
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
common stock ownership interest, these investments are recorded at cost until
such time as the preferred shares are converted to common. In addition, if these
entities incur losses resulting in the equity of the common shareholders being
reduced to zero, the Company will utilize the equity method of accounting for
these investments and will generally recognize 100% of all losses of the
affiliates from that date, up to the amount of the Company's investment, based
on the inability of the majority common shareholders to fund additional losses.
During the year ended December 31, 1997, the Company recognized equity in losses
of affiliates of $1,958,000 under this method of accounting. Such losses were
not significant for the nine months ended September 30, 1998.
 
     The Company has also acquired preferred shares in certain entities which
are convertible into future common stock ownership interests of greater than
50%. In these situations, the Company has majority representation on the Board
of Directors and majority voting rights, exercises significant control over the
entities' operations, and intends to acquire a 100% common ownership interest in
the future. Accordingly, the accounts of these investees have been consolidated
with those of the Company in the accompanying consolidated financial statements
from the dates of acquisition (see note 2).
 
     As of September 30, 1998, the Company had acquired a 100% ownership
interest in all but one affiliate. Accordingly, the accounts of these investees
are consolidated with those of the Company as of September 30, 1998.
 
  (e) Other Assets
 
     The excess of cost over the fair value of net assets acquired, or goodwill,
is amortized using the straight-line method over a 10-year period. Other
intangibles are amortized using the straight-line method over periods ranging
from three to seven years.
 
  (f) Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lives Assets to be Disposed
Of (SFAS 121). SFAS 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on long-lived
assets used in operations, including goodwill, when indications of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. In addition, the
recoverability of goodwill is further evaluated under the provisions of APB
Opinion No. 17, Intangible Assets, based upon undiscounted cash flows. If such
assets are impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount
by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of
the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying
value or fair value, less costs to sell.
 
  (g) Revenue Recognition
 
     Revenue related to Internet and enhanced services is recognized as the
services are provided, and deferred and amortized to operations for amounts
billed relating to future periods. Installation and customer set-up fees are
recognized upon completion of the services. Revenue from consulting services is
recognized as the services are provided. Revenue from hardware and software
sales is recognized upon shipment of the respective products.
 
  (h) Peering Relationships
 
     The Company does not pay any fees in connection with its peering
relationships with other companies and does not record revenue or expense in
connection with those arrangements. The nature of these relationships is that
the parties share the responsibility for communications that occur between their
respective local networks. These peering relationships are essentially exchanges
of similar productive assets rather than the culmination of an earnings process.
Accordingly, these arrangements are appropriately not reflected in the
operations of the Company.
                                      F-30
<PAGE>   198
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
  (i) Income Taxes
 
     The Company accounts for income taxes under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (SFAS 109).
SFAS 109 requires recognition of deferred tax liabilities and assets for the
expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the
financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax liabilities
and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial
statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in
effect for the year in which the difference is expected to reverse.
 
  (j) Stock-Based Compensation
 
     The Company accounts for its stock-based employee compensation plans using
the intrinsic value based method prescribed by Accounting Principles Board
Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, and related
interpretations (APB 25). The Company has provided pro forma disclosures of net
loss and loss per share as if the fair value based method of accounting for the
plans, as prescribed by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123,
Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation (SFAS 123), had been applied. Pro forma
disclosures include the effects of employee stock options granted during the
period and year ended December 31, 1996 and 1997.
 
  (k) Loss Per Share
 
     Loss per share is presented in accordance with the provisions of Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards No. 128, Earnings Per Share, (SFAS 128). SFAS
128 replaced the presentation of primary and fully diluted earnings (loss) per
share (EPS), with a presentation of basic EPS and diluted EPS. Under SFAS 128,
basic EPS excludes dilution for common stock equivalents and is computed by
dividing income or loss available to common shareholders by the weighted average
number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS reflects the
potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue
common stock were exercised or converted into common stock and resulted in the
issuance of common stock. Basic and diluted EPS are the same in 1996, 1997 and
1998, as all potential common stock instruments are antidilutive.
 
                                      F-31
<PAGE>   199
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
(2) BUSINESS COMBINATIONS AND INVESTMENTS IN AFFILIATES
 
     During the period from inception (March 1, 1996) to December 31, 1996, the
Company completed seven business combinations and investments for cash and notes
payable. All of the acquisitions were accounted for using the purchase method of
accounting, and represent the acquisition of stock or net assets. Outstanding
stock options of acquired businesses were included in the determination of the
purchase prices based on fair values. For those businesses acquired and
consolidated, the results of operations for the acquired businesses are included
in the Company's consolidated statement of operations from the dates of
acquisition. Summary information regarding the business combinations is as
follows:
 
  Consolidated acquisitions in 1996:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                        TOTAL
                                                                      OWNERSHIP
                                                     OWNERSHIP       INTEREST AT     APPROXIMATE
                                                      INTEREST      DECEMBER 31,      PURCHASE
         BUSINESS NAME           ACQUISITION DATE   PURCHASED(a)       1996(a)          PRICE
         -------------           -----------------  ------------   ---------------   -----------
                                                                                     (AMOUNTS IN
                                                                                     THOUSANDS)
<S>                              <C>                <C>            <C>               <C>
On-Ramp Technologies, Inc......  August 1, 1996          51%
                                 October 4, 1996          4%             55%(b)        $ 8,775
RAINet, Inc....................  August 2, 1996         100%            100%(c)          2,000
CCnet Inc......................  December 19, 1996      100%            100%(c)          1,800
                                                                                       -------
                                                                                       $12,575
Acquisition costs..............                                                            284
                                                                                       -------
                                                                                       $12,859
                                                                                       =======
</TABLE>
 
     The aggregate purchase price, including acquisition costs was allocated
based upon fair value as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                          <C>
Equipment..................................................  $ 1,359
Goodwill...................................................    9,039
Net current assets.........................................    2,461
                                                             -------
          Total purchase price.............................  $12,859
                                                             =======
</TABLE>
 
  Unconsolidated investments in 1996:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                   TOTAL
                                                                 OWNERSHIP
                                                OWNERSHIP       INTEREST AT       APPROXIMATE
                                                 INTEREST      DECEMBER 31,        PURCHASE
      BUSINESS NAME        ACQUISITION DATE    PURCHASED(a)       1996(a)            PRICE
      -------------        -----------------   ------------   ---------------     -----------
                                                                                  (AMOUNTS IN
                                                                                  THOUSANDS)
<S>                        <C>                 <C>            <C>                 <C>
West Coast Online,         July 26, 1996            20%             20%(b)          $   225
  Inc....................
National Knowledge         August 2, 1996           26%             26%(b)              300
  Networks, Inc..........
Access One, Inc..........  December 12, 1996        20%             20%(b)              506
Signet Partners, Inc.....  December 19, 1996        25%             25%(b)              403
                                                                                    -------
                                                                                    $ 1,434
Acquisition costs........                                                               102
                                                                                    -------
                                                                                    $ 1,536
                                                                                    =======
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-32
<PAGE>   200
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     During the year ended December 31, 1997, the Company completed 23 business
combinations and investments for cash, notes payable and preferred stock. All of
the acquisitions were accounted for using the purchase method of accounting. For
those businesses acquired and consolidated, the results of operations for the
acquired businesses are included in the Company's consolidated statement of
operations from the dates of acquisition. Seventeen subsidiaries were acquired
and newly consolidated during 1997. In addition, the Company formed two new
start-up subsidiaries. Summary information regarding these acquisitions is as
follows:
 
  Consolidated acquisitions in 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                        TOTAL
                                                                      OWNERSHIP
                                                     OWNERSHIP       INTEREST AT     APPROXIMATE
                                                      INTEREST      DECEMBER 31,      PURCHASE
        BUSINESS NAME            ACQUISITION DATE   PURCHASED(a)       1997(a)        PRICE(e)
        -------------           ------------------  ------------   ---------------   -----------
                                                                                     (AMOUNTS IN
                                                                                     THOUSANDS)
<S>                             <C>                 <C>            <C>               <C>
Global Enterprise Services --
  Network Division............  January 17, 1997        100%            100%(d)        $ 2,350
Pioneer Global
  Telecommunications, Inc.....  February 6, 1997        100%            100%(c)          1,011
Compute Intensive Inc.........  February 18, 1997        55%             55%(b)          4,900
NorthWestNet, Inc.............  February 28, 1997        85%             85%(c)          9,464
RUSTnet, Inc..................  March 14, 1997          100%            100%(c)          1,703
Aimnet Corporation............  May 19, 1997             55%
                                September 22, 1997       45%            100%(c)          7,613
Branch Information Services,
  Inc.........................  September 17, 1997      100%            100%(c)          1,687
West Coast Online, Inc........  April 29, 1997           12%
                                September 30, 1997       68%            100%(b)          1,775
Communique, Inc...............  October 2, 1997         100%            100%(c)          3,000
Clark Internet Services,
  Inc.........................  October 17, 1997         51%             51%(b)          3,520
ATMnet........................  November 5, 1997        100%            100%(d)          5,522
Global Internet Network
  Services, Inc...............  December 1, 1997        100%            100%(c)          6,000
Surf Network, Inc.............  January 31, 1997         25%
                                December 22, 1997        75%            100%(b)            603
PREPnet.......................  December 24, 1997       100%            100%(d)          1,405
Sesquinet.....................  December 24, 1997       100%            100%(d)            732
Service Tech, Inc.............  August 1, 1997           40%
                                December 31, 1997        60%            100%(b)          2,055
Monumental Network Systems,
  Inc.........................  December 31, 1997       100%            100%(c)          3,962
Internet Servers, Inc.........  December 31, 1997       100%            100%(c)         20,000
                                                                                       -------
                                                                                       $77,302
Acquisition costs.............                                                           3,396
                                                                                       -------
                                                                                       $80,698
                                                                                       =======
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-33
<PAGE>   201
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The aggregate purchase price, including acquisition costs was allocated
based upon fair values as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                          <C>
Equipment..................................................  $12,378
Goodwill...................................................   77,772
Net current liabilities....................................   (9,452)
                                                             -------
          Total purchase price.............................  $80,698
                                                             =======
</TABLE>
 
  Unconsolidated investments in 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 TOTAL OWNERSHIP
                                                   OWNERSHIP       INTEREST AT     APPROXIMATE
                                                    INTEREST      DECEMBER 31,      PURCHASE
        BUSINESS NAME          ACQUISITION DATE   PURCHASED(a)       1997(a)        PRICE(e)
        -------------          -----------------  ------------   ---------------   -----------
                                                                                   (AMOUNTS IN
                                                                                   THOUSANDS)
<S>                            <C>                <C>            <C>               <C>
Pacific Rim Network, Inc.....  February 4, 1997        27%             27%(b)        $  150
Internet Engineering
  Associates, Inc............  March 4, 1997           20%             20%(b)           206
Internet Online, Inc.........  March 5, 1997           35%             35%(b)         1,050
Structured Network Systems,
  Inc........................  March 6, 1997           20%             20%(b)           150
National Knowledge Networks,
  Inc........................  November 7, 1997        15%             41%(b)           599
Signet Partners, Inc.........  November 20, 1997       16%             41%(b)           414
                                                                                     ------
                                                                                     $2,569
Acquisition costs............                                                           253
                                                                                     ------
                                                                                     $2,822
                                                                                     ======
</TABLE>
 
     During the nine months ended September 30, 1998, the Company purchased
additional investments in eleven of the Company's affiliates and acquired 10 new
internet service providers for a combination of cash and Series D-1 Preferred
Stock. All acquisitions were accounted for using the purchase method of
accounting. For those businesses acquired and consolidated, the results of
operations for the acquired businesses are included in the Company's
consolidated statement of operations from the dates of acquisition. Summary
information regarding the business combinations is as follows:
 
  Consolidated acquisitions in 1998:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                   TOTAL OWNERSHIP
                                                     OWNERSHIP       INTEREST AT     APPROXIMATE
                                                      INTEREST        JUNE 30,        PURCHASE
         BUSINESS NAME           ACQUISITION DATE   PURCHASED(a)       1998(a)        PRICE(e)
         -------------           -----------------  ------------   ---------------   -----------
                                                                                     (AMOUNTS IN
                                                                                     THOUSANDS)
<S>                              <C>                <C>            <C>               <C>
Signet Partners, Inc...........  January 30, 1998        14%              --                --
                                 February 26, 1998       45%            100%          $  1,925
Pacific Rim Network, Inc.......  February 16, 1998       73%            100%               730
Clark Internet Services,
  Inc..........................  February 25, 1998       49%            100%             3,863
Internet Engineering
  Associates, Inc..............  February 25, 1998       80%            100%             1,608
On-Ramp Technologies, Inc......  February 26, 1998       45%            100%            11,849
National Knowledge Networks,
  Inc..........................  February 27, 1998       59%            100%             2,092
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-34
<PAGE>   202
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                   TOTAL OWNERSHIP
                                                     OWNERSHIP       INTEREST AT     APPROXIMATE
                                                      INTEREST        JUNE 30,        PURCHASE
         BUSINESS NAME           ACQUISITION DATE   PURCHASED(a)       1998(a)        PRICE(e)
         -------------           -----------------  ------------   ---------------   -----------
                                                                                     (AMOUNTS IN
                                                                                     THOUSANDS)
<S>                              <C>                <C>            <C>               <C>
Access One, Inc................  February 27, 1998       80%            100%             5,601
NSNet, Inc.....................  February 27, 1998      100%            100%             3,661
NorthWestNet, Inc..............  March 6, 1998           15%            100%             4,803
LI Net, Inc....................  April 9, 1998          100%            100%             6,500
STARnet, L.L.C.................  April 14, 1998         100%            100%             3,500
Computing Engineers Inc........  April 15, 1998         100%            100%             9,000
Florida Internet Corporation...  April 15, 1998         100%            100%             2,200
Structured Network Systems,
  Inc..........................  April 16, 1998          80%            100%             1,250
Compute Intensive Inc..........  April 24, 1998          45%            100%            14,260
Matrix Online Media, Inc.......  May 5, 1998            100%            100%             4,000
PacketWorks, Inc...............  June 19, 1998          100%            100%               852
Internet Online, Inc...........  June 30, 1998           65%            100%             4,200
NTX, Inc. (TABNet).............  July 7, 1998           100%            100%            45,500
MagicNet, Inc. ................  July 23, 1998          100%            100%             3,300
TerraNet.......................  August 7, 1998         100%            100%             4,271
                                                                                      --------
                                                                                       134,965
Acquisition costs..............                                                          5,314
                                                                                      --------
                                                                                      $140,279
                                                                                      ========
</TABLE>
 
     The aggregate purchase price, including acquisition costs was allocated
based upon fair values as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                         <C>
Equipment................................................   $  5,506
Goodwill.................................................    137,863
Net current liabilities..................................     (3,090)
                                                            --------
          Total purchase price...........................   $140,279
                                                            ========
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(a)  Represents existing ownership interest or, in the case of investments in
     preferred stock, ownership upon conversion of preferred shares to common,
     on a fully diluted basis.
 
(b)  Represents ownership of preferred stock of affiliate or subsidiary.
 
(c)  Represents ownership of common stock of affiliate or subsidiary.
 
(d)  Represents acquisition of net assets.
 
(e)  Purchase prices are comprised of cash, notes payable, the issuance of
     shares of Series D-1 preferred stock, and the granting of an option to
     purchase shares of Series D-1 preferred stock. The value of such shares,
     which were converted to common stock of the Company in May 1998, as
     described in note 5, was generally determined by the Company's Board of
     Directors based on comparable valuations of private and public companies,
     methodologies based on multiples of revenue and discounted cash flows, and
     arms-length negotiated values.
 
                                      F-35
<PAGE>   203
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The following unaudited condensed pro forma information presents the
unaudited results of operations of the Company as if substantially all of the
above consolidated acquisitions had occurred on January 1, 1996:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                        NINE MONTHS ENDED
                                             YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31,      SEPTEMBER 30,
                                             -----------------------   -------------------
                                                1996         1997        1997       1998
                                             ----------   ----------   --------   --------
                                                        (AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS,
                                                      EXCEPT FOR PER SHARE DATA)
<S>                                          <C>          <C>          <C>        <C>
Revenue....................................   $ 57,712     $ 95,386    $ 68,286   $ 96,502
Loss before extraordinary item and
  accretion of preferred stock.............    (42,469)     (69,125)    (43,297)   (87,035)
Net loss attributable to common
  stockholders.............................    (42,492)     (69,125)    (43,476)   (97,223)
Loss per common share -- basic and
  diluted..................................   $ (43.73)    $ (60.37)   $ (38.54)  $  (5.57)
</TABLE>
 
     The pro forma results do not necessarily represent results that would have
occurred if the consolidated acquisitions had taken place as of January 1, 1996
nor are they necessarily indicative of the results of future operations.
 
     Subsequent to September 30, 1998, the Company completed one acquisition for
total consideration of approximately $8.4 million in cash. In addition, in
August 1998, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Hiway
for total consideration of $254.7 million, consisting of cash of $176.0 million
and approximately 4.92 million fully diluted shares of Verio Inc. Common Stock.
 
(3) DEBT
 
     Lines of credit, notes payable and long-term debt consists of the
following:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                         DECEMBER 31,
                                                      ------------------   SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                       1996       1997         1998
                                                      -------   --------   -------------
                                                                            (UNAUDITED)
                                                            (AMOUNTS IN THOUSANDS)
<S>                                                   <C>       <C>        <C>
10 3/8% Senior Notes due 2005(b)...................   $    --   $     --     $175,000
13 1/2% Senior Notes due in 2004, net of
  unamortized discount of $12,130,136 and 7,900,515
  as of December 31, 1997 and September 30, 1998,
  respectively(a)..................................        --    137,870       92,494
Revolving lines of credit, bearing interest at .5%
  to 2.00% above prime, (9.0% to 10.5% at December
  31, 1997) due primarily on demand, secured by
  restricted cash of $765,000......................        --        788           --
Unsecured notes payable bearing interest primarily
  at 7%, due in 1998 and 1999......................     2,500      2,809        1,418
Other..............................................        93        660          302
                                                      -------   --------     --------
                                                        2,593    142,127      269,214
Less current portion...............................    (2,573)    (2,751)        (774)
                                                      =======   ========     ========
Long-term debt, less current portion...............   $    20   $139,376     $268,440
                                                      =======   ========     ========
</TABLE>
 
---------------
 
(a)  In June 1997, the Company completed a debt offering of $150.0 million,
     13 1/2% Senior Notes due 2004 (the "1997 Notes") and warrants to purchase
     2,112,480 shares of common stock at $.01 per share, which were valued at
     approximately $12,675,000 based on the Company's most recent equity
     offering. Interest on the 1997 Notes is payable semi-annually on June 15
     and December 15 of each year. The value attributed to the warrants has been
     recorded as debt discount and is being amortized to interest expense using
     the interest method over the term of the 1997 Notes. Upon closing, the
     Company deposited U.S.
                                      F-36
<PAGE>   204
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     Treasury securities in an escrow account in an amount that, together with
     interest on the securities, will be sufficient to fund the first five
     interest payments (through December 1999) on the 1997 Notes. This
     restricted cash and securities balance totaled $38,195,404 at December 31,
     1997. The 1997 Notes are redeemable on or after June 15, 2002 at 103% of
     the face value.
 
     The indenture covering the 1997 Notes includes various covenants
restricting the payment of dividends, additional indebtedness, disposition of
assets, and transactions with affiliates.
 
(b)  On March 25, 1998, the Company completed the private placement of $175.0
     million principal amount of senior notes (the "March 1998 Notes"). The
     March 1998 Notes are redeemable at the option of the Company commencing
     April 1, 2002. The March 1998 Notes mature on April 1, 2005. Interest on
     the March 1998 Notes, at the annual rate of 10 3/8%, is payable
     semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and October 1 of each year, commencing
     October 1, 1998. The March 1998 Notes are senior unsecured obligations of
     the Company ranking pari passu in right of payment with all existing and
     future unsecured and senior indebtedness. The March 1998 Notes contain
     terms that are substantially similar to the 1997 Notes. The Company used
     approximately $54.5 million of the proceeds plus accrued interest to
     repurchase $50.0 million principal amount of the $150,000,000 13 1/2%
     Senior Notes due 2004. As a result, the Company was refunded approximately
     $13.3 million from the escrow account for the 1997 Notes, of which
     approximately $1.9 million was used to pay accrued and unpaid interest on
     the $50.0 million principal amount of 1997 Notes repurchased from Brooks
     Fiber Properties, Inc. This transaction resulted in an extraordinary loss
     of $10.1 million.
 
     Maturities of lines of credit, notes payable and long-term debt are as
follows (in thousands):
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                         <C>
1998.....................................................   $  2,751
1999.....................................................      1,032
2000.....................................................        474
2001.....................................................         --
2002.....................................................         --
Thereafter...............................................    137,870
                                                            --------
                                                            $142,127
                                                            ========
</TABLE>
 
     The Company has received commitments from a group of commercial lending
institutions to provide an aggregate of up to $70.0 million pursuant to a
two-year revolving credit financing facility. No borrowings are outstanding
under this facility as of September 30, 1998.
 
                                      F-37
<PAGE>   205
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
(4) LEASES AND COMMITMENTS
 
     The Company leases office space, certain facilities storing internet points
of presence and certain computer and office equipment under capital and
operating leases expiring at various dates through 2003. Future minimum annual
lease payments under these leases as of December 31, 1997 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              CAPITAL     OPERATING
                                                              LEASES       LEASES
                                                              -------     ---------
                                                                   (AMOUNTS IN
                                                                   THOUSANDS)
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
1998........................................................  $ 2,279      $ 5,786
1999........................................................    1,840        5,178
2000........................................................    1,128        3,485
2001........................................................       42        1,393
2002........................................................        9          487
Thereafter..................................................       --          172
                                                              -------      -------
          Total minimum payments............................  $ 5,298      $16,501
                                                                           =======
Less amount representing interest...........................     (778)
                                                              -------
          Present value of net minimum lease payments.......    4,520
Less current portion........................................   (1,575)
                                                              -------
                                                              $ 2,945
                                                              =======
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the period from inception (March 31, 1996) to December 31,
1996 and the year ended December 31, 1997 and the nine months ended September
30, 1998 was $128,000, $1,856,000, and $3,036,000, respectively.
 
     In addition, the Company has entered into agreements with two
telecommunications companies to provide the Company with products and services
to be used in its operations. Under one agreement, the minimum payments as of
September 30, 1998 are as follows (in thousands):
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
1998........................................................  $1,200
1999........................................................   1,900
2000........................................................   2,400
2001........................................................     800
                                                              ------
          Total minimum payments............................  $6,300
                                                              ======
</TABLE>
 
     Under the second agreement, the Company is obligated to spend a total of
$39 million between June 16, 1997 and June 16, 2002 of which approximately
$3,300,000 had been paid as of September 30, 1998. Annual payments will be based
on actual usage by the Company.
 
     On March 31, 1998, the Company entered into a 15-year Capacity and Services
Agreement (the "Capacity Agreement") with Qwest Communications Corporation
("Qwest"), under which the Company will have access to long haul capacity and
ancillary services on Qwest's planned 16,285 mile MacroCapacity(sm) Fiber
Network. Over the first seven years of the term of the Capacity Agreement (the
"Commitment Term"), the Company must purchase, and Qwest must provide, not less
than $100.0 million, in the aggregate, of such capacity and services (the
"Commitment"), at agreed upon prices. The amount of capacity represented by the
Commitment would satisfy less than 50% of the Company's currently projected long
haul capacity requirements over the Commitment Term. However, the Company has
the right to order capacity and services in excess of the Commitment, and after
the expiration of the Commitment Term, at the same agreed upon prices.
 
     The Company had an outstanding irrevocable letter of credit in the amount
of $1.4 million as of September 30, 1998. This letter of credit, which is
automatically renewed after one year at the discretion of the bank, not to be
extended beyond January 31, 2003, is to collateralize the Company's lease
obligation to a
 
                                      F-38
<PAGE>   206
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
third party. The fair value of this letter of credit approximates contract value
which is fixed over the life of the commitment. Restricted cash in the amount of
$1,500,000 secures the letter of credit.
 
(5) PREFERRED STOCK
 
     Series A, B and C preferred shares were issued in 1996 and 1997 at $3, $6
and $8 per share, respectively, for total proceeds of $18,100,001, $60,170,004
and $20,000,000, respectively. The Series A, B, and C preferred shares were
subject to mandatory redemption and were convertible into common stock initially
on a one-for-one basis. In December 1997, the Company also issued 680,000 shares
of Series D-1 preferred stock at $15 per share in connection with an
acquisition. The Series D-1 preferred shares were not redeemable. From January
1, 1998 through April 30, 1998, the Company issued 1,534,513 additional shares
of Series D-1 preferred stock ranging from $15 to $22 per share in connection
with business combinations. The preferred shares were entitled to receive
dividends equal, on an as-converted basis, to any amount paid to common
stockholders. In the event of any liquidation or dissolution of the Company,
including certain mergers, consolidations and asset sales, holders of the
preferred shares were entitled to receive an amount equal to the original
issuance price, plus any declared and unpaid dividends. In connection with the
Company's initial public offering of common stock discussed in note 6, all
outstanding preferred shares were converted to common stock in May 1998.
 
(6) STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
  Common Stock Offerings
 
     On May 15, 1998, the Company completed its initial public offering of
common stock. The Company issued 5,500,000 shares for net proceeds, after
offering costs, of approximately $115.7 million.
 
     Concurrently with the above offering, the Company also sold an additional
4,493,877 shares to a strategic investor for total proceeds of approximately
$100 million.
 
     Subsequent to the above offering, the Company sold an additional 235,000
shares, in connection with the underwriters exercise of their over-allotment
option, for net proceeds of approximately $5.1 million.
 
  Stock-Based Compensation Plans
 
     The Company has established Incentive Stock Option Plans (the Plans)
whereby, at the discretion of the Board of Directors (the Board), the Company
may grant stock options to employees of the Company and its controlled
subsidiaries. As of September 30, 1998, the Company had reserved 4,633,084
shares for issuance under the Plans. The option price is determined by the Board
at the time the option is granted, but generally such price is not less than the
fair market value of the Company's common stock at the date of grant, as
determined by the Board. As of December 31, 1996 and December 31, 1997, options
had been granted entitling the holders to purchase 707,200 and 2,237,050 shares
of the Company's common stock, respectively, at exercise prices of $1, $3, $6,
$6.75 and $8.50 per share. Options granted on or before December 19, 1997, vest
over a five year period, and expire ten years from the date of grant. Options
granted December 20, 1997, or later, vest over a four year period, and expire
eight years from the date of grant. In certain circumstances, options vest
earlier or later based upon the fair value of the Company's common shares or
upon reaching certain performance targets, as defined, and in the case that such
performance targets are not met, such performance-based options vest seven years
from the date of grant. Performance based options granted on or before December
19, 1997, expire ten years from the date of grant, and performance based options
granted December 20, 1997, or later, expire eight years from the date of grant.
As of December 31, 1997, 54,700 options, in total, were vested and exercisable.
Options may be exercised prior to their scheduled vesting date, but are subject
to a repurchase by the Company at the exercise price until the scheduled vesting
date. The weighted average contractual term of outstanding options was
approximately 5 years at December 31, 1997.
 
                                      F-39
<PAGE>   207
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The following table summarizes option activity for the period from
inception (March 1, 1996) through September 30, 1998:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                           WEIGHTED
                                                                           AVERAGE
                                                              NUMBER OF    EXERCISE
                                                               OPTIONS      PRICE
                                                              ---------    --------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
Options granted at the following exercise prices:
  $1 per share..............................................     60,000
  $3 per share..............................................    647,700
                                                              ---------
Options outstanding at December 31, 1996....................    707,700     $ 2.83
Options granted at the following exercise prices:
  $3 per share..............................................      6,000
  $6 per share..............................................    924,550
  $6.75 per share...........................................    635,450
  $8.50 per share...........................................    191,250
  Options forfeited.........................................   (151,700)    $ 5.95
  Options exercised.........................................    (76,200)    $ 1.95
                                                              ---------     ------
Options outstanding at December 31, 1997....................  2,237,050     $ 5.55
Options granted at the following exercise prices:
  $12.75 per share..........................................    467,150
  $13.50 per share..........................................  1,042,284
  $17.00 per share..........................................     18,500
  $17.38 per share..........................................    180,750
  $17.75 per share..........................................    250,000
  $19.00 per share..........................................    555,187
  $20.50 per share..........................................     30,000
  $20.81 per share..........................................     70,000
  $21.13 per share..........................................    177,700
  $22.75 per share..........................................      7,750
  $23.00 per share..........................................    180,000
  $27.25 per share..........................................    104,350
  $29.13 per share..........................................    104,900
  $30.03 per share..........................................     39,500
  Options forfeited.........................................   (751,650)    $10.72
  Options exercised.........................................    (80,387)    $ 4.65
                                                              ---------     ------
Options outstanding at September 30, 1998 (unaudited).......  4,633,084     $12.90
                                                              =========     ======
</TABLE>
 
     Options outstanding does not include approximately 165,000 options assumed
in connection with the Buyout of NorthWestNet.
 
     During the period and year ended December 31, 1996 and 1997, the per share
weighted-average fair value of stock options granted was $.46 and $1.08,
respectively, on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model
with the following weighted-average assumptions: no dividends or volatility,
risk-free interest rate of 6%, and expected life of three years. If the Company
had recorded compensation expense for the period and year ended December 31,
1996 and 1997, based on the fair value of the options at the grant date under
SFAS No. 123, net loss available to common stockholders would increase to
$5,210,000 and $46,737,000, respectively, and basic and diluted net loss per
common share would increase to $4.78 and $40.83, respectively.
 
                                      F-40
<PAGE>   208
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     Since inception, the Company has generally granted stock options with
exercise prices equal to the fair value of the underlying common stock, as
determined by the Company's Board of Directors and based on the Company's other
equity transactions. Accordingly, the Company has not recorded compensation
expense related to the granting of stock options in 1996, 1997 and through
February 28, 1998. Subsequent to February 28, 1998, the Company granted options
to employees with exercise prices less than the fair value per share based upon
the Company's estimated price per share in the initial public offering.
Accordingly the Company will record compensation expense totaling approximately
$10.6 million. Such compensation expense will be recognized pro rata over the
forty-eight month vesting period of the options. This compensation expense
totaled approximately $1,269,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 1998.
It is the intention of the Company to generally grant future stock options with
exercise prices equal to the fair value of the underlying Common Stock at the
date of grant. In addition, the Company incurred $1.4 million in compensation
expense during the nine-months ended September 30, 1998 related to accelerated
vesting of options and approximately $0.4 million in compensation expense
related to options issued to the Company's new president.
 
(7) INCOME TAXES
 
     Income tax benefit for the period and year ended December 31, 1996 and
1997, differs from the amounts that would result from applying the federal
statutory rate of 34% as follows in thousands:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                  YEAR ENDED
                                                                 DECEMBER 31,
                                                              ------------------
                                                               1996       1997
                                                              -------   --------
<S>                                                           <C>       <C>
Expected tax benefit........................................  $(1,749)  $(15,752)
State income taxes, net of federal benefit..................     (180)    (1,622)
Nondeductible goodwill amortization.........................       26        820
Change in valuation allowance for deferred tax assets,
  exclusive of effect of acquired net operating losses......    1,877     16,472
Other.......................................................       26         82
                                                              -------   --------
  Actual income tax benefit.................................  $    --   $     --
                                                              =======   ========
</TABLE>
 
     No tax benefit was recorded for the nine months ended September 30, 1997
and 1998 due to the increase in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets,
relating primarily to net operating loss carryforwards.
 
     Temporary differences that give rise to the components of deferred tax
assets as of December 31, 1996 and 1997 and June 30, 1998 are as follows in
thousands:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                         DECEMBER 31,
                                                      ------------------   SEPTEMBER 30,
                                                       1996       1997         1998
                                                      -------   --------   -------------
                                                                            (UNAUDITED)
<S>                                                   <C>       <C>        <C>
Net operating loss carryforwards, including
  acquisitions......................................  $ 2,238   $ 18,586     $ 52,500
Other, net..........................................       39        163          250
                                                      -------   --------     --------
          Gross deferred tax asset..................    2,277     18,749       52,750
Valuation allowance.................................   (2,277)   (18,749)     (52,750)
                                                      -------   --------     --------
          Net deferred tax asset....................  $    --   $     --     $     --
                                                      =======   ========     ========
</TABLE>
 
     At December 31, 1997, the Company has a net operating loss carryforward for
federal income tax purposes of approximately $49.9 million, of which $5.9
million and $44.0 million is available to offset future federal taxable income,
if any, through 2011 and 2012, respectively. As a result of various preferred
stock transactions during 1996 and 1997, management believes the Company has
undergone an "ownership change"
 
                                      F-41
<PAGE>   209
                          VERIO INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
 
           NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
as defined by section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. Accordingly, the
utilization of a portion of the net operating loss carryforward may be limited.
Due to this limitation, and the uncertainty regarding the ultimate utilization
of the net operating loss carryforward, no tax benefit for losses has been
recorded by the Company in 1996, 1997 and 1998, and a valuation allowance has
been recorded for the entire amount of the deferred tax asset.
 
(8) CONCENTRATION OF CREDIT RISK AND FAIR VALUE OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
 
     Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to
concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and
accounts receivable. As of December 31, 1996 and 1997 and September 30, 1998,
the Company had no concentrations of credit risk. Concentrations of credit risk
with respect to trade receivables are limited due to the large number of
customers comprising the Company's customer base and the relatively minor
balances of each individual account. At December 31, 1996 and 1997 and September
30, 1998, the fair value of the Company's financial instruments approximate
their carrying value, based on their terms and interest rates.
 
(9) EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN
 
     The Company has a 401(k) Plan (the Plan) for all full time employees of the
Company. The Company may make discretionary contributions to the Plan on behalf
of employees that meet certain contribution eligibility requirements defined
under the terms of the Plan. The Company did not make any contributions to the
Plan during 1996, 1997 or 1998.
 
(10) QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)
 
     Summary quarterly financial information for the Company is as follows. The
second quarter of 1996 represents the period from inception (March 1, 1996) to
June 30, 1996 (Amounts in Thousands Except Per Share Data).
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                      THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                  ----------------------------------------------------------
1996                              MARCH 31   JUNE 30   SEPTEMBER 30   DECEMBER 31    TOTAL
----                              --------   -------   ------------   -----------   --------
<S>                               <C>        <C>       <C>            <C>           <C>
Revenue.........................  $    --    $    --     $    678      $  1,687     $  2,365
Loss from operations............       --       (329)      (1,395)       (4,556)      (6,280)
Net loss........................       --       (329)      (1,442)       (3,374)      (5,145)
Loss per common share -- basic
  and diluted...................       --      (0.34)       (1.48)        (3.47)       (5.29)
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                      THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                  ----------------------------------------------------------
1997                              MARCH 31   JUNE 30   SEPTEMBER 30   DECEMBER 31    TOTAL
----                              --------   -------   ------------   -----------   --------
<S>                               <C>        <C>       <C>            <C>           <C>
Revenue.........................  $ 4,414    $ 8,249     $  9,624      $ 13,405     $ 35,692
Loss from operations............   (5,592)    (8,854)     (10,741)      (15,102)     (40,289)
Net loss........................   (4,677)    (9,274)     (13,250)      (19,128)     (46,329)
Loss per common share -- basic
  and diluted...................    (4.29)     (8.32)      (11.26)       (16.63)      (40.47)
</TABLE>
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                       THREE MONTHS ENDED
                                        ------------------------------------------------
1998                                    MARCH 31    JUNE 30     SEPTEMBER 30     TOTAL
----                                    --------    --------    ------------    --------
<S>                                     <C>         <C>         <C>             <C>
Revenue...............................  $ 21,198    $ 28,541      $ 33,804      $ 83,543
Loss from operations..................   (14,717)    (21,327)      (29,140)      (65,184)
Net loss..............................   (28,384)    (26,316)      (33,606)      (88,306)
Loss per common share -- basic and
  diluted.............................    (22.44)      (1.44)        (1.03)        (5.06)
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-42
<PAGE>   210
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of On-Ramp Technologies,
Inc. as of July 31, 1996, and the related statements of operations,
stockholders' deficit, and cash flows for the nine months then ended. These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audit.
 
     We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of On-Ramp Technologies, Inc.
as of July 31, 1996, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for
the nine months then ended in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
April 11, 1997
 
                                      F-43
<PAGE>   211
 
                           ON-RAMP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEET
                                 JULY 31, 1996
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Current assets:
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $80,812.............................................  $   433,075
  Prepaid expenses and other................................       25,079
                                                              -----------
          Total current assets..............................      458,154
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................      867,388
                                                              -----------
          Total assets......................................  $ 1,325,542
                                                              ===========
                  LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Current liabilities:
  Cash overdraft............................................  $    91,342
  Accounts payable..........................................      448,460
  Accrued liabilities.......................................       61,750
  Current portion of note payable (note 3)..................       55,003
  Deferred revenue..........................................      652,965
                                                              -----------
          Total current liabilities.........................    1,309,520
Note payable, less current portion (note 3).................       58,692
                                                              -----------
          Total liabilities.................................    1,368,212
                                                              -----------
Stockholders' equity (deficit) (note 5):
  Common stock, $0.001 par value, 40,000,000 shares
     authorized, 1,079,000 shares issued....................        1,079
  Additional paid-in capital................................    1,804,871
  Accumulated deficit.......................................   (1,822,620)
  Treasury stock -- 689,971 shares at cost..................      (26,000)
                                                              -----------
          Total stockholders' deficit.......................      (42,670)
                                                              -----------
Commitments and contingencies (note 4):
          Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit.......  $ 1,325,542
                                                              ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-44
<PAGE>   212
 
                           ON-RAMP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
                            STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
                        NINE MONTHS ENDED JULY 31, 1996
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.........................................  $2,959,650
  Computer hardware and software sales......................     312,487
  Consulting services.......................................      92,881
                                                              ----------
          Total revenue.....................................   3,365,018
                                                              ----------
Cost and expenses:
  Internet services operating costs.........................     606,249
  Cost of hardware and software sales.......................     249,990
  Selling, general and administrative.......................   2,210,706
  Provision for bad debts...................................     497,742
  Depreciation..............................................     260,194
                                                              ----------
          Total operating expenses..........................   3,824,881
                                                              ----------
          Loss from operations..............................    (459,863)
Other income (expense):
  Interest income...........................................       8,035
  Interest expense..........................................      (7,991)
                                                              ----------
          Net loss..........................................  $ (459,819)
                                                              ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-45
<PAGE>   213
 
                           ON-RAMP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
                       STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
                        NINE MONTHS ENDED JULY 31, 1996
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                              TOTAL
                                                    ADDITIONAL                            STOCKHOLDERS'
                                          COMMON     PAID-IN     ACCUMULATED   TREASURY      EQUITY
                                           STOCK     CAPITAL       DEFICIT      STOCK       (DEFICIT)
                                          -------   ----------   -----------   --------   -------------
<S>                                       <C>       <C>          <C>           <C>        <C>
BALANCES AT NOVEMBER 1, 1995............   1,079    1,799,699    (1,362,801)   (26,000)      411,977
Capital contribution....................      --        5,172            --         --         5,172
Net loss................................      --           --      (459,819)        --      (459,819)
                                          ------    ---------    ----------    -------      --------
BALANCES AT JULY 31, 1996...............  $1,079    1,804,871    (1,822,620)   (26,000)      (42,670)
                                          ======    =========    ==========    =======      ========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-46
<PAGE>   214
 
                           ON-RAMP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
                            STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
                        NINE MONTHS ENDED JULY 31, 1996
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss..................................................  $(459,819)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used by
     operating activities:
     Depreciation...........................................    260,194
     Provision for bad debts................................    497,742
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Trade receivables....................................   (375,867)
       Prepaid expenses.....................................      6,103
       Accounts payable.....................................   (170,123)
       Accrued liabilities..................................      4,891
       Deferred revenue.....................................    227,140
                                                              ---------
          Net cash used by operating activities.............     (9,739)
                                                              ---------
Cash flows from investing activities --
  purchases of equipment....................................   (222,564)
                                                              ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Increase in cash overdraft................................     91,342
  Principal payments on note payable........................    (26,919)
  Capital contribution......................................      5,172
                                                              ---------
          Net cash used by financing activities.............     69,595
                                                              ---------
          Decrease in cash..................................   (162,708)
Cash at beginning of period.................................    162,708
                                                              ---------
Cash at end of period.......................................  $      --
                                                              =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
  Cash paid for interest....................................  $   7,991
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-47
<PAGE>   215
 
                           ON-RAMP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                                 JULY 31, 1996
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Business and Basis of Presentation
 
     On-Ramp Technologies, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated in the State of
Texas on December 27, 1993. The Company's business consists of providing
regional internet access services, and hardware and software sales and
consulting, to customers in Texas and Georgia.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance.
 
     Revenue from consulting services is recognized as the services are
provided. Revenue from hardware and software sales is recognized upon shipment
of the respective products.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment is stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is
recorded using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the
related assets of three years. Costs for normal repairs and maintenance are
expensed as incurred.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     Income taxes are accounted for under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, (SFAS 109).
Under SFAS 109, deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax
consequences of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and
their financial reporting amounts at each year-end based on enacted tax laws and
statutory rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected
to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary,
to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     In March 1995, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting for the Impairment of
Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed Of (SFAS 121). This
statement was effective for financial statements for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 1995. Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be
recorded on long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the
amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the
assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying
amount or fair value less costs to sell. The adoption of SFAS 121 as of November
1, 1995 did not have a significant effect on the Company's financial position or
results of operations.
 
  Stock Based Compensation
 
     In October 1996, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation, (SFAS No. 123), which establishes a fair
 
                                      F-48
<PAGE>   216
                           ON-RAMP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
value-based method of accounting for stock-based compensation plans. Companies
are encouraged to adopt all provisions of SFAS No. 123 and are required to
comply with the disclosure requirements of SFAS No. 123, which was effective for
fiscal years beginning after December 15, 1995. The Company will continue to
account for stock based compensation under the provisions of APB Opinion No. 25
and will provide the pro forma disclosures required by SFAS 123.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at July 31, 1996:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................  $1,155,370
Furniture and office equipment..............................     119,973
Leasehold improvements......................................       6,668
                                                              ----------
                                                               1,282,011
Less accumulated depreciation...............................    (414,623)
                                                              ----------
                                                              $  867,388
                                                              ==========
</TABLE>
 
(3) DEBT
 
     Debt as of July 31, 1996 consists of the following:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Note payable bearing interest at 18%, monthly principal and
  interest payments of $7,020 through April 1, 1998.........  $113,695
  Less current portion......................................   (55,003)
                                                              --------
                                                              $ 58,692
                                                              ========
</TABLE>
 
(4) COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
 
     Future minimum annual lease payments under operating leases for each of the
years ending July 31, are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
1997........................................................  $129,377
1998........................................................   326,781
1999........................................................   324,755
2000........................................................   211,920
                                                              --------
                                                              $992,833
                                                              ========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the nine months ended July 31, 1996 totaled $90,999.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     The Company provides unsecured credit to customers in the normal course of
business. Failure of the customers to pay could result in losses up to the
recorded receivable balances. The Company does not have any customers that
represent greater than 5% of total revenue at July 31, 1996.
 
     The Company conducts business in Texas and Georgia. Customers who operate
in Texas represent approximately 97% of the Company's customer base and accounts
receivable.
 
     At July 31, 1996, the fair values of the Company's financial instruments
approximate their carrying values based on their terms and interest rates.
 
                                      F-49
<PAGE>   217
                           ON-RAMP TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
(5) STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
     Effective August 1, 1996, the Company issued 1,250,000 shares of newly
authorized redeemable, convertible preferred stock to Verio Inc. (Verio) for
cash consideration of $2,336,816, cancellation of indebtedness in the amount of
$1,663,184, and a note receivable of $4,175,000. The preferred shares are
convertible into common shares on a one for one basis and represent a 50.82%
interest in the Company upon conversion. The preferred shares are redeemable at
the option of the holder at any time, vote on an as-converted basis, and have a
liquidation preference equal to the issuance price. On October 4, 1996, Verio
purchased 100,000 shares of common stock from two Company shareholders for cash
consideration of $600,000, representing an additional 4.07% interest in the
Company. In addition, Verio acquired an option to acquire a 100% common stock
ownership in the Company in the future upon the occurrence of certain events,
including an initial public offering of Verio common stock.
 
     The Company established a stock option plan (the Plan) which provides that
salaried officers or key employees, non-employee directors, and consultants who
provide services to the Company may, at the discretion of the Board of
Directors, be granted options to purchase shares of common stock. 130,560 shares
of the Company's Common Stock have been authorized for issuance under the Plan,
of which 59,878 shares were granted during the nine months ended July 31, 1996,
with an exercise price of $6.34 per share. There were no options exercised or
canceled during the nine months ended July 31, 1996. As of July 31, 1996, 11,976
options were exercisable.
 
     Generally, options vest 20% or 25% on the date of grant of the option and
the balance vests thereafter over a 4 or 3 year period.
 
     During the nine months ended July 31, 1996, the per share weighted-average
fair values of stock options granted was $.71 on the date of grant using the
Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average
assumptions; expected dividend yield 0%, risk-free interest rate of 6%, and
expected life of four years. If the Company determined compensation expense for
the nine months ended July 31, 1996 based on the fair value of the options at
the grant date under SFAS No. 123, net loss would have been approximately
$468,000.
 
(6) INCOME TAXES
 
     At December 31, 1995, the Company has a net operating loss carryforward for
federal income tax purposes of $534,000 which is available to offset future
federal taxable income, if any, through 2010. Management believes the Company
has undergone an ownership change under section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code
and, accordingly, the utilization of the net operating loss carryforward
incurred prior to this ownership change is limited. Due to this limitation and
the uncertainty regarding the ultimate utilization of the net operating loss
carryforward a valuation allowance has been recorded for the full amount of the
deferred tax asset related to the net operating loss carryforward, which
represents the only significant temporary difference as of December 31, 1996.
 
                                      F-50
<PAGE>   218
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Global Enterprise
Services -- Network Division (a Division of Global Enterprise Services, Inc.) as
of December 31, 1995 and 1996, and the related statements of operations and
owners' deficit, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period
ended December 31, 1996 and the period ended January 17, 1997. These financial
statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Global Enterprise
Services -- Network Division (a Division of Global Enterprises Services, Inc.)
as of December 31, 1995 and 1996, and the results of its operations and its cash
flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 1996 and
for the period ended January 17, 1997, in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
February 25, 1998
 
                                      F-51
<PAGE>   219
 
                 GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES -- NETWORK DIVISION
                (A DIVISION OF GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES, INC.)
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND 1996
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1995           1996
                                                              -----------    -----------
<S>                                                           <C>            <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $    31,072         33,018
  Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful
     accounts of $67,247 in 1995 and $84,510 in 1996........      843,980        822,823
  Prepaid expenses and other assets.........................       26,286         10,424
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total current assets..............................      901,338        866,265
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................    1,672,045      2,388,509
Other assets................................................       43,487        118,888
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total assets......................................  $ 2,616,870      3,373,662
                                                              ===========    ===========
                            LIABILITIES AND OWNER'S DEFICIT
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $ 1,223,510      2,450,316
  Accrued expenses..........................................      378,400        449,270
  Deferred revenue..........................................    1,293,360      1,545,884
  Current portion of capital lease obligations (note 6).....      213,041        548,608
  Due to related party (note 3).............................      866,840      2,183,256
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total current liabilities.........................    3,975,151      7,177,334
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 6)....      454,122        824,034
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total liabilities.................................    4,429,273      8,001,368
Owner's deficit.............................................   (1,812,403)    (4,627,706)
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total liabilities and owner's deficit.............  $ 2,616,870      3,373,662
                                                              ===========    ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-52
<PAGE>   220
 
                 GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES -- NETWORK DIVISION
                (A DIVISION OF GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES, INC.)
 
                  STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND OWNER'S DEFICIT
 YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1994, 1995 AND 1996 AND PERIOD ENDED JANUARY 17, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                      PERIOD ENDED
                                              1994         1995          1996       JANUARY 17, 1997
                                           ----------   -----------   -----------   ----------------
<S>                                        <C>          <C>           <C>           <C>
Internet services revenue, net...........  $3,386,621     3,642,063     3,958,049         155,170
Costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating costs......   1,965,110     2,484,276     3,227,766         163,076
  Selling, general and administrative....   1,716,853     1,953,712     2,847,300         107,179
  Depreciation and amortization..........     191,983       291,541       556,112          33,126
                                           ----------   -----------   -----------     -----------
          Total operating costs and
            expenses.....................   3,873,946     4,729,529     6,631,178         303,381
                                           ----------   -----------   -----------     -----------
          Loss from operations...........    (487,325)   (1,087,466)   (2,673,129)       (148,211)
Interest expense, net....................      (6,479)      (39,960)     (142,174)         (6,622)
                                           ----------   -----------   -----------     -----------
          Net loss.......................    (493,804)   (1,127,426)   (2,815,303)       (154,833)
Owner's deficit at beginning of period...    (191,173)     (684,977)   (1,812,403)     (4,627,706)
                                           ----------   -----------   -----------     -----------
Owner's deficit at end of period.........  $ (684,977)   (1,812,403)   (4,627,706)     (4,782,539)
                                           ==========   ===========   ===========     ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-53
<PAGE>   221
 
                 GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES -- NETWORK DIVISION
                (A DIVISION OF GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES, INC.)
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
 YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1994, 1995 AND 1996 AND PERIOD ENDED JANUARY 17, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                   PERIOD ENDED
                                                                                   JANUARY 17,
                                            1994         1995          1996            1997
                                          --------    ----------    -----------    ------------
<S>                                       <C>         <C>           <C>            <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss..............................  (493,804)   (1,127,426)    (2,815,303)    $(154,833)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to
     net cash provided (used) by
     operating activities:
     Depreciation and amortization......   191,983       291,541        556,112        33,126
     Provision for doubtful accounts....    30,644        31,714         25,993            --
     Changes in operating assets and
       liabilities:
       Accounts receivable..............   170,528      (291,457)        (4,836)      148,984
       Prepaid expenses and other
          current assets................   (26,819)       11,404         15,862        (9,636)
       Other assets.....................   (27,258)        3,771        (75,401)       60,000
       Accounts payable.................   286,981       766,581      1,226,806       (52,610)
       Accrued expenses.................    63,273        (3,735)        70,870       116,785
       Deferred revenue.................   297,900      (387,288)       252,524      (155,171)
                                          --------    ----------    -----------     ---------
          Net cash provided (used) by
            operating activities........   493,428      (704,895)      (747,373)      (13,355)
                                          --------    ----------    -----------     ---------
Cash flows from investing
  activities -- purchases of
  equipment.............................  (321,399)     (497,168)      (345,436)           --
                                          --------    ----------    -----------     ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Net change in due to related party....  (142,215)    1,318,772      1,316,416      (153,663)
  Proceeds from debt....................        --            --             --       134,000
  Principal repayments on capital lease
     obligations........................   (22,739)      (93,738)      (221,661)           --
                                          --------    ----------    -----------     ---------
          Net cash provided (used) by
            financing activities........  (164,954)    1,225,034      1,094,755       (19,663)
                                          --------    ----------    -----------     ---------
Net increase (decrease) in cash.........     7,075        22,971          1,946       (33,018)
Cash at beginning of period.............     1,026         8,101         31,072        33,018
                                          --------    ----------    -----------     ---------
Cash at end of period...................     8,101        31,072         33,018     $      --
                                          ========    ==========    ===========     =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow
  information:
  Cash paid during the year for
     interest...........................     6,073        35,249         70,535     $   6,622
                                          ========    ==========    ===========     =========
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash
  investing activities -- equipment
  acquired through capital leases.......    10,908       735,088        927,140     $      --
                                          ========    ==========    ===========     =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-54
<PAGE>   222
 
                 GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES -- NETWORK DIVISION
                (A DIVISION OF GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES, INC.)
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND 1996
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
 
  Business and Basis of Presentation
 
     Global Enterprise Services, Inc. (GES) was formed in August 1992 to provide
internet services to subscribers on a national and international basis through a
high performance telecommunications network. The accompanying financial
statements include the accounts of the domestic operations (Network Division),
assuming that the Network Division had been operated separately as of January 1,
1994 and thereafter.
 
     In preparing the accompanying financial statements, management has
allocated certain assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses based upon the
characteristics of the accounts and the business divisions to which they relate.
Expenses which are not directly related to a particular division are allocated
based upon revenue or payroll expense of the division which, in the opinion of
management, represents a reasonable and appropriate method of allocation.
 
     Effective January 17, 1997, the net assets of the Network Division were
acquired by Verio Inc.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Network
Division records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in
advance.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment, including any assets under capital leases, is stated at cost,
less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is
recorded using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the
related assets or the lease term, which range from five to seven years. Costs
for normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     The operations of the Network Division are included in the income tax
returns of GES, which was treated as a subchapter S Corporation in 1994 and
through August 14, 1995, and a C Corporation beginning on August 15, 1995.
 
     Income taxes are accounted for under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, (SFAS 109).
Under SFAS 109, deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax
consequences of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and
their financial reporting amounts at each year-end based on enacted tax laws and
statutory rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected
to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary,
to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
 
     No tax benefit has been allocated to the Network Division in 1994, 1995 and
1996 or for the period ended January 17, 1997, due to losses at the GES level
for which no tax benefit has been provided for financial statement purposes.
 
                                      F-55
<PAGE>   223
                 GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES -- NETWORK DIVISION
                (A DIVISION OF GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES, INC.)
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     The Network Division provides unsecured credit to customers in the normal
course of business. Failure of the customers to pay could result in losses up to
the recorded receivable balances. The Network Division does not have any
customers that represent greater than 5% of total revenue for the years ended
December 31, 1994, 1995 and 1996 or for the period ended January 17, 1997.
 
     At December 31, 1996, the fair values of the Network Division's financial
instruments approximate their carrying values based on their terms and interest
rates.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     In March 1995, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting for the Impairment of
Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed Of (SFAS 121). This
statement was effective for financial statements for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 1995. Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be
recorded on long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the
amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the
assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying
amount or fair value less costs to sell. The adoption of SFAS 121 effective
January 1, 1996 did not have a significant effect on the Network Division's
financial position or results of operations.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at December 31:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1995         1996
                                                              ----------   -----------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................  $2,277,949     3,286,929
Furniture and office equipment..............................       5,889        64,709
Leasehold improvements......................................      27,165       204,624
                                                              ----------   -----------
                                                               2,311,003     3,556,262
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization..............    (638,958)   (1,167,753)
                                                              ----------   -----------
                                                              $1,672,045     2,388,509
                                                              ==========   ===========
</TABLE>
 
(3) RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
 
     Amounts due to related party represent net cash transfers between the
Network Division and the other divisions of GES, and are non interest bearing.
 
(4) EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN
 
     GES has established a defined contribution savings plan which provides for
eligible employees who have met certain age and service requirements to
participate by electing to contribute up to 15% of their gross salary to the
plan, as defined, with GES and the Network Division matching 25% of a
participant's contribution up to a maximum of 10% of gross salary, as defined.
Employee contributions are immediately vested. Contributions to the savings plan
on behalf of the Network Division employees for the years ended December 31,
1994, 1995 and 1996 were $3,253, $1,697 and $6,838, respectively.
 
                                      F-56
<PAGE>   224
                 GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES -- NETWORK DIVISION
                (A DIVISION OF GLOBAL ENTERPRISE SERVICES, INC.)
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
(5) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANTS
 
     The Network Division receives grant revenue from the National Science
Foundation (NSF) to provide network connections to certain not-for-profit
educational institutions. Funding is received on a per entity basis. The grant
revenue is recognized ratably over the term of the contract with the
not-for-profit educational institution, which is generally twelve months. Grant
revenue amounted to $131,166, $99,487 and $47,112, in 1994, 1995 and 1996,
respectively. Total amounts receivable at December 31, 1994, 1995 and 1996 were
$34,990, $72,199 and $23,243, respectively.
 
     In September 1994, GES and the Network Division entered into a four year
cooperative agreement with the NSF to provide for interregional connectivity for
the Network Division's United States research and educational customers in the
aggregate amount of $625,115. Pursuant to the agreement, the Network Division
will be reimbursed by the NSF for costs associated with upgrading the Network
Division's existing telecommunications network. The level of funding for each
year will be determined based upon a progress review of the Network Division by
the NSF and the availability of NSF funds. The Network Division is required to
submit an annual plan to the NSF. For the years ended December 31, 1995 and
1996, respectively, the Network Division recognized $154,344 and $196,169 as a
reduction to internet services operating costs. No amounts were recognized for
the year ended December 31, 1994. Total amounts receivable were $30,904 and
$10,326 as of December 31, 1995 and 1996, respectively.
 
(6) LEASES
 
     The Network Division has entered into capital and operating leases for
telecommunications equipment and office space. Future minimum lease commitments
under all leases at December 31, 1996 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                CAPITAL      OPERATING
                 YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31,                        LEASES       LEASES
                 ------------------------                      ----------    ---------
<S>                                                            <C>           <C>
                    1997...................................    $  650,731      344,562
                    1998...................................       468,940      360,623
                    1999...................................       392,382      360,830
                    2000...................................        89,056      372,295
                    2001...................................            --      191,466
                                                               ----------    ---------
  Total minimum lease payments.............................     1,601,109    1,629,776
                                                                             =========
Less amount representing interest..........................      (228,467)
                                                               ----------
  Present value of minimum lease payments..................    $1,372,642
Less current portion.......................................      (548,608)
                                                               ----------
                                                               $  824,034
                                                               ==========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 1994, 1995 and 1996 was
$193,904, $218,408 and $455,936, respectively.
 
     The Network Division has guaranteed monthly usage levels with its primary
communications vendors at December 31, 1996 as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                          YEAR ENDING
                                                          DECEMBER 31,
                                                          ------------
<S>                                                       <C>
1997....................................................    $205,000
1998....................................................     205,000
1999....................................................      51,250
                                                            --------
     Total..............................................    $461,250
                                                            ========
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-57
<PAGE>   225
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Compute Intensive, Inc.
as of December 31, 1995 and 1996, and the related statements of operations,
stockholders' equity (deficit), and cash flows for each of the years in the two
year period ended December 31, 1996 and for the period ended February 18, 1997.
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management.
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based
on our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Compute Intensive, Inc. as
of December 31, 1995 and 1996, and the results of its operations and its cash
flows for each of the years in the two year period ended December 31, 1996 and
for the period ended February 18, 1997 in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
February 25, 1998
 
                                      F-58
<PAGE>   226
 
                             COMPUTE INTENSIVE INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND 1996
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1995       1996
                                                              --------   ---------
<S>                                                           <C>        <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $ 20,335      44,328
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $35,033 and $105,858 in 1995 and 1996,
     respectively...........................................   455,148     506,017
  Income taxes receivable...................................     9,612      15,510
  Deferred income taxes (note 7)............................    16,362          --
  Prepaid expenses and other................................     5,937     183,834
                                                              --------   ---------
          Total current assets..............................   507,394     749,689
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................   344,988     604,358
Other assets................................................    15,408      48,587
                                                              --------   ---------
          Total assets......................................  $867,790   1,402,634
                                                              ========   =========
 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
 
Current liabilities:
  Revolving lines of credit (note 3)........................  $ 28,193     207,115
  Current portion of note payable to related party (note
     3).....................................................    18,341          --
  Current portion of obligations under capital leases (note
     4).....................................................    60,220     121,535
  Accounts payable..........................................   373,146     809,791
  Accrued liabilities.......................................   113,218     142,235
  Deferred revenue..........................................    43,343      53,295
                                                              --------   ---------
          Total current liabilities.........................   636,461   1,333,971
Note payable to related party, less current portion (note
  3)........................................................    70,384          --
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 4)....   104,048     169,476
Deferred income taxes (note 7)..............................    27,790          --
                                                              --------   ---------
          Total liabilities.................................   838,683   1,503,447
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
  Common stock, no par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized,
     900,000 shares issued and outstanding..................       900         900
  Additional paid-in capital................................    41,112     106,266
  Accumulated deficit.......................................   (12,905)   (207,979)
                                                              --------   ---------
          Total stockholders' equity (deficit)..............    29,107    (100,813)
                                                              --------   ---------
Commitments and contingencies (note 4)
          Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
            (deficit).......................................  $867,790   1,402,634
                                                              ========   =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-59
<PAGE>   227
 
                             COMPUTE INTENSIVE INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
   YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND 1996 AND PERIOD ENDED FEBRUARY 18, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                         PERIOD
                                                                                         ENDED
                                                                                      FEBRUARY 18,
                                                               1995        1996           1997
                                                            ----------   ---------    ------------
<S>                                                         <C>          <C>          <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.......................................  $  584,174   2,013,098       519,127
  Consulting services.....................................   1,562,814   1,878,336       187,812
  Computer hardware sales.................................     263,924     387,215        44,540
  Computer software sales.................................       5,345      37,881        17,375
  Other...................................................      69,145      60,037        24,736
                                                            ----------   ---------      --------
          Total revenue...................................   2,485,402   4,376,567       793,590
                                                            ----------   ---------      --------
Operating expenses:
  Cost of consulting services.............................     503,454     537,000       107,604
  Cost of internet services...............................     317,768     670,158       144,457
  Cost of hardware sales..................................     227,913     292,941        26,394
  Cost of software sales..................................       5,859      28,043        15,032
  Marketing and selling...................................     348,006     541,426       137,449
  General and administrative..............................   1,001,736   2,331,945       544,350
  Depreciation and amortization...........................      46,174     133,280        15,954
                                                            ----------   ---------      --------
          Total operating expenses........................   2,450,910   4,534,793       991,240
                                                            ----------   ---------      --------
          Earnings (loss) from operations.................      34,492    (158,226)     (197,650)
Interest expense..........................................     (23,319)    (54,174)       (7,254)
                                                            ----------   ---------      --------
          Earnings (loss) before income taxes.............      11,173    (212,400)     (204,904)
Income tax benefit (expense) (note 7).....................      (7,308)     17,326            --
                                                            ----------   ---------      --------
          Net earnings (loss).............................  $    3,865    (195,074)     (204,904)
                                                            ==========   =========      ========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-60
<PAGE>   228
 
                             COMPUTE INTENSIVE INC.
 
                  STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
   YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND 1996 AND PERIOD ENDED FEBRUARY 18, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                              TOTAL
                                                 COMMON      ADDITIONAL                   STOCKHOLDERS'
                                     COMMON      STOCK        PAID-IN      ACCUMULATED       EQUITY
                                     STOCK     SUBSCRIBED     CAPITAL        DEFICIT        (DEFICIT)
                                     ------    ----------    ----------    -----------    -------------
<S>                                  <C>       <C>           <C>           <C>            <C>
BALANCES AT JANUARY 1, 1995........   $ --         900         41,112        (16,770)          25,242
Issuance of common stock...........    900        (900)            --             --               --
Net earnings.......................     --          --             --          3,865            3,865
                                      ----        ----        -------       --------        ---------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1995......    900          --         41,112        (12,905)          29,107
Capital contribution (note 3)......     --          --         65,154             --           65,154
Net loss...........................     --          --             --       (195,074)        (195,074)
                                      ----        ----        -------       --------        ---------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1996......    900          --        106,266       (207,979)        (100,813)
Net loss...........................     --          --             --       (204,904)        (204,904)
                                      ----        ----        -------       --------        ---------
BALANCES AT FEBRUARY 18, 1997......   $900          --        106,266       (412,883)        (305,717)
                                      ====        ====        =======       ========        =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-61
<PAGE>   229
 
                             COMPUTE INTENSIVE INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
   YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND 1996 AND PERIOD ENDED FEBRUARY 18, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                       PERIOD
                                                                                       ENDED
                                                                                    FEBRUARY 18,
                                                             1995         1996          1997
                                                           ---------    --------    ------------
<S>                                                        <C>          <C>         <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net earnings (loss)....................................  $   3,865    (195,074)     (204,904)
  Adjustments to reconcile net earnings (loss) to net
     cash provided (used) by operating activities:
     Depreciation and amortization.......................     46,174     133,280        15,954
     Deferred income tax expense (benefit)...............     11,972     (11,428)           --
     Provision for bad debts.............................     35,015     135,593         5,580
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Increase in receivables...........................   (306,539)   (186,462)      (64,719)
       Decrease (increase) in prepaid expenses and
          other..........................................      4,463    (117,897)      (33,368)
       Increase in other assets..........................     (7,678)    (35,191)       (2,251)
       Increase in accounts payable......................    306,005     372,637        78,036
       Increase in accrued liabilities...................     22,478      29,017        49,219
       Increase in income tax receivable.................    (17,064)     (5,898)       15,510
       Increase in deferred revenue......................     34,358       9,952       (18,215)
                                                           ---------    --------     ---------
          Net cash provided (used) by operating
            activities...................................    133,049     128,529      (159,428)
                                                           ---------    --------     ---------
Cash flows from investing activities -- Purchases of
  equipment..............................................   (131,193)   (158,549)     (119,999)
                                                           ---------    --------     ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Borrowings under revolving lines of credit.............     19,000     305,258        66,057
  Repayments of revolving lines of credit................     (1,808)   (126,336)      (98,225)
  Borrowings (payments) on note payable to related
     party...............................................    (11,275)    (19,563)      200,000
  Principal payments on capital lease obligations........    (24,880)   (105,346)      (12,717)
  Cash overdraft.........................................         --          --        79,984
                                                           ---------    --------     ---------
          Net cash provided (used) by financing
            activities...................................    (18,963)     54,013       235,099
                                                           ---------    --------     ---------
          Increase (decrease) in cash....................    (17,107)     23,993       (44,328)
Cash, beginning of period................................     37,442      20,335        44,328
                                                           ---------    --------     ---------
Cash, end of period......................................  $  20,335      44,328            --
                                                           =========    ========     =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
  Cash paid during the year for:
     Income taxes........................................  $  10,800          --     $      --
                                                           =========    ========     =========
     Interest............................................  $  21,571      54,175     $   7,253
                                                           =========    ========     =========
Noncash investing and financing activities -- Equipment
  acquired through capital lease obligations.............  $ 158,006     232,089     $      --
                                                           =========    ========     =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-62
<PAGE>   230
 
                             COMPUTE INTENSIVE INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND 1996
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     Compute Intensive, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated in the State of
California on December 31, 1993. The Company has three distinct areas of
business; providing regional internet access services to customers in California
and New Mexico, software and hardware consulting and sales, and software
development and implementation.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance.
 
     Revenue from consulting services is recognized when services have been
rendered. On fixed price contracts, revenue is recognized over the course of the
contract using the percentage-of-completion method. The Company provides for any
anticipated losses on such contracts in the period in which such losses are
first determinable.
 
     Revenue from hardware and software sales is recognized upon shipment of the
respective products if the Company has no significant future obligations and
collectibility is probable.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment, including any assets under capital leases, is stated at cost,
less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is
recorded using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the
related assets on the lease term, which range from five to seven years. Costs
for normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     Income taxes are accounted for under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, (SFAS 109).
Under SFAS 109, deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax
consequences of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and
their financial reporting amounts at each year-end based on enacted tax laws and
statutory rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected
to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary,
to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
 
  Fair Value of Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of December 31, 1995 and 1996 approximate their
carrying values based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different
market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect
on the estimated fair values.
 
                                      F-63
<PAGE>   231
                             COMPUTE INTENSIVE INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     In March 1995, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting for the Impairment of
Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed Of (SFAS 121). This
statement was effective for financial statements for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 1995. Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be
recorded on long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the
amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the
assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at lower of the carrying amount or
fair value less costs to sell. The adoption of SFAS 121 in 1996 did not have a
significant effect on the Company's financial position or results of operations.
 
  Stock Based Compensation
 
     In October 1996, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement
of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation, (SFAS No. 123), which establishes a fair value-based method of
accounting for stock-based compensation plans. Companies are encouraged to adopt
all provisions of SFAS No. 123 and are required to comply with the disclosure
requirements of SFAS No. 123, which was effective for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 1995. The Company will continue to account for stock based
compensation under the provisions of APB Opinion No. 25 and will provide the pro
forma disclosures required by SFAS 123.
 
  Reclassifications
 
     Certain reclassifications have been made to the 1995 financial statements
to conform with the 1996 presentation.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at December 31:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1995        1996
                                                              --------    --------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................  $342,407     730,143
Furniture and office equipment..............................    55,016      57,718
Leasehold improvements......................................     1,892       2,092
                                                              --------    --------
                                                               399,315     789,953
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization..............   (54,327)   (185,595)
                                                              --------    --------
                                                              $344,988     604,358
                                                              ========    ========
</TABLE>
 
     Equipment includes assets owned under capital leases with a net book value
of $173,607 and $315,303 at December 31, 1995 and 1996, respectively.
 
(3) DEBT
 
     At December 31, 1995 and 1996, the Company had an $100,000 unsecured
revolving line of credit agreement with a bank, under which $28,193 and $32,167
was outstanding, respectively. Borrowings under the line bear interest at the
bank's prime lending rate plus 4.75% or 4.5%, based on an average daily balance,
payable monthly (12.75% at December 31, 1996) and are due in 1997.
 
                                      F-64
<PAGE>   232
                             COMPUTE INTENSIVE INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     On October 16, 1996, the Company entered into an additional $200,000
revolving line of credit agreement with a bank, under which $174,948 was
outstanding at December 31, 1996. Borrowings under the line bear interest at the
bank's prime lending rate plus 2%, based on an average daily balance, payable
monthly (10.25% at December 31, 1996) and are due in 1997.
 
     Note payable to related party at December 31, 1995 bore interest at 7.5%
and was due in monthly installments through 2000. During 1996, the unpaid
balance of $65,154 was assumed by the Company's majority stockholder and was
forgiven and recorded as a capital contribution. The Company borrowed $200,000
from Verio Inc. (Verio) (See note 6), during the period ended February 18, 1997.
Such amount was non interest bearing and was repaid in connection with Verio's
investment in the Company.
 
(4) COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
 
  Leases
 
     The Company leases certain computer and office equipment under capital
leases. The Company also leases office space under noncancelable operating
leases expiring at various dates through 1997.
 
     Future minimum annual lease payments under capital and noncancelable
operating leases for each of the years ending December 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               CAPITAL     OPERATING
                                                               LEASES       LEASES
                                                              ---------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
1997........................................................  $ 166,477      200,490
1998........................................................    123,363      269,220
1999........................................................     50,815      281,820
2000........................................................     24,352      307,020
2001........................................................     11,823      313,320
                                                              ---------    ---------
  Total minimum payments....................................    376,830    1,371,870
                                                                           =========
Less amount representing interest...........................    (85,819)
                                                              ---------
  Present value of net minimum lease payments...............    291,011
Less current portion........................................   (121,535)
                                                              ---------
                                                              $ 169,476
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 1995 and 1996 and the period
ended February 18, 1997 was $83,148, $128,130 and $27,800, respectively.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk
 
     The Company provides unsecured credit to customers in the normal course of
business. Failure of the customers to pay could result in losses up to the
recorded receivable balances. The Company's largest customer represented
approximately 32% and 20% of total revenues for the years ended December 31,
1995 and 1996, respectively.
 
     The Company conducts business in California and New Mexico. Customers who
operate in California represent at least 75% of the Company's customer base and
accounts receivable.
 
(5) EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN
 
     The Company has a Simplified Employee Pension Plan (the Plan) covering all
employees who meet certain eligibility requirements. The Company may make
discretionary contributions to the Plan on behalf of
 
                                      F-65
<PAGE>   233
                             COMPUTE INTENSIVE INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
employees that meet certain contribution eligibility requirements defined under
the terms of the Plan. The Company did not make any contributions to the Plan
during 1995 or 1996.
 
(6) STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY AND REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK
 
     On February 18, 1997, the Company issued 770,234 shares of newly authorized
redeemable, convertible preferred stock to Verio for cash consideration of
$4,899,998. The preferred shares are convertible into common shares on a 1.000
for 1.0017 basis and represent a 55% ownership interest in the Company upon
conversion. The preferred shares are redeemable at the option of the holder at
any time, vote on an as-converted basis, and include a liquidation preference
equal to the issuance price. In addition, Verio acquired an option to acquire a
100% common stock ownership in the Company which it may exercise at any time on
or after one year following the issuance date of the preferred shares. Upon the
initial public offering of Verio common stock or a significant strategic
investor in Verio, Verio is required to exercise the option.
 
     The Company's 1995 Stock Option/Stock Issuance Plan (the Plan) was adopted
by the Board of Directors and approved by the shareholders of the Company in
March 1995. The Plan provides that salaried officers or key employees,
non-employee directors, and consultants who provide services to the Company may,
at the discretion of the plan administrator, be granted options to purchase
shares of common stock. 250,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock have been
authorized for issuance under the Plan, of which 131,000 and 29,500 nonqualified
options were granted in 1995 and 1996, respectively, with an exercise price of
$.05 and $.001 per share, respectively. All options were granted at fair value
at the date of grant, as determined by the Company's Board of Directors. There
were no options exercised and 18,176 were canceled during 1996.
 
     Generally, options vest 25% on the first anniversary of the option grant
date and the balance vests thereafter in equal successive monthly installments
over the next 36 months of service. Option grants to nonemployee directors must
be approved by the Board.
 
     During 1995 and 1996, the per share weighted-average fair values of stock
options granted was $.01 and $.65, respectively, on the date of grant using the
Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average
assumptions for both years; expected dividend yield 0%, risk-free interest rate
of 6%, and expected life of three years. If the Company determined compensation
expense in 1995 and 1996 based on the fair value of the options at the grant
date under SFAS No. 123, net loss and net earnings would not have been
significantly different than the historical results of operations.
 
(7) INCOME TAXES
 
     Income tax expense (benefit) consists of the following for the years ended
December 31:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              1995      1996
                                                             -------   -------
<S>                                                          <C>       <C>
Current:
  Federal..................................................  $(3,838)   (6,698)
  State....................................................     (826)      800
                                                             -------   -------
                                                              (4,664)   (5,898)
                                                             -------   -------
Deferred:
  Federal..................................................    9,261    (8,717)
  State....................................................    2,711    (2,711)
                                                             -------   -------
                                                              11,972   (11,428)
                                                             -------   -------
                                                             $ 7,308   (17,326)
                                                             =======   =======
</TABLE>
 
     No tax benefit was recorded for the period ended February 18, 1997 due to
uncertainty as to realization of the net operating loss for the period.
 
                                      F-66
<PAGE>   234
                             COMPUTE INTENSIVE INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     Income taxes expense (benefit) for the years ended December 31 differs from
the amounts that would result from applying the federal statutory rate of 34% as
follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               1995      1996
                                                              ------    -------
<S>                                                           <C>       <C>
Expected tax expense (benefit)..............................  $3,798    (72,216)
State income taxes, net of federal benefit..................     335     (6,373)
Nondeductible expenses......................................   3,175      7,142
Increase in valuation allowance for deferred tax assets.....      --     41,066
Other.......................................................      --     13,055
                                                              ------    -------
     Actual income tax expense (benefit)....................  $7,308    (17,326)
                                                              ======    =======
</TABLE>
 
     Temporary differences that give rise to the components of deferred tax
assets and liabilities as of December 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1995       1996
                                                              --------    -------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Deferred tax assets:
  Net operating loss carryforwards..........................  $     --     50,231
  Accounts receivable, due to allowance for doubtful
     accounts for financial statement purposes only.........    15,169     37,983
  Other.....................................................     1,193         --
                                                              --------    -------
          Gross deferred tax asset..........................    16,362     88,214
Valuation allowance.........................................        --    (41,066)
                                                              --------    -------
          Net deferred tax asset............................    16,362     47,148
                                                              --------    -------
Deferred tax liability:
  Equipment, due to differences in depreciation for
     financial statement and tax purposes...................   (23,696)   (43,054)
  Other.....................................................    (4,094)    (4,094)
                                                              --------    -------
          Total deferred tax liability......................   (27,790)   (47,148)
                                                              --------    -------
          Net deferred tax liability........................  $ 11,428         --
                                                              ========    =======
</TABLE>
 
     As of December 31, 1996, the Company has a net operating loss carryforward
of approximately $132,000 for federal income tax purposes which will expire in
2011, if not utilized. A valuation allowance has been recorded for a portion of
the related deferred tax asset due to the uncertainty relating to the
realization of the entire net operating loss carryforward in the future.
 
                                      F-67
<PAGE>   235
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
NorthWestNet, Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of NorthWestNet, Inc. as of
June 30, 1996, and the related statements of operations, stockholders' equity,
and cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 1996 and the eight months ended
February 28, 1997. We have also audited the accompanying balance sheet of
Northwest Academic Computing Consortium, Inc. (Predecessor Company) as of June
30, 1995 and the related statements of operations, fund balance and cash flows
for the year ended June 30, 1995 and the six months ended December 31, 1995.
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management.
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based
on our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of NorthWestNet, Inc. as of
June 30, 1996, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the six
months ended June 30, 1996, and the eight months ended February 28, 1997 and the
financial position of Northwest Academic Computing Consortium, Inc. as of June
30, 1995 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended
June 30, 1995 and the six months ended December 31, 1995 in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Seattle, Washington
January 31, 1998
 
                                      F-68
<PAGE>   236
 
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              PREDECESSOR
                                                                COMPANY      NORTHWESTNET, INC.
                                                              -----------    ------------------
                                                               JUNE 30,           JUNE 30,
                                                                 1995               1996
                                                              -----------    ------------------
<S>                                                           <C>            <C>
Cash and cash equivalents...................................  $  563,952           277,284
Accounts receivable, net....................................     842,753         1,243,981
Prepaids and other assets...................................      29,605            32,505
                                                              ----------         ---------
          Total current assets..............................   1,436,310         1,553,770
Equipment, furniture and leasehold improvements, net........   1,246,180         1,613,981
Deferred income taxes.......................................          --            46,000
                                                              ----------         ---------
          Total assets......................................  $2,682,490         3,213,751
                                                              ==========         =========
 
                      LIABILITIES, STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY AND FUND BALANCE
 
Accounts payable............................................  $  108,297           165,606
Accrued liabilities.........................................     102,010           340,677
Deferred revenues and customer advances.....................     965,589         1,374,708
                                                              ----------         ---------
          Total current liabilities.........................   1,175,896         1,880,991
                                                              ----------         ---------
Stockholders' equity:
  Common stock, $.01 par value. Authorized 10,000,000
     shares; issued and outstanding 4,000,000 shares and
     4,000,100 shares at June 30, 1995 and June 30, 1996,
     respectively...........................................          --            40,000
  Additional paid-in capital................................          --         1,193,402
  Retained earnings.........................................          --            99,358
                                                              ----------         ---------
          Total stockholders' equity........................          --         1,332,760
                                                              ----------         ---------
Fund balance................................................   1,506,594                --
                                                              ----------         ---------
          Total liabilities and stockholders' equity........  $2,682,490         3,213,751
                                                              ==========         =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-69
<PAGE>   237
 
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                               PREDECESSOR COMPANY            NORTHWESTNET, INC.
                                            --------------------------    --------------------------
                                                           SIX MONTHS     SIX MONTHS    EIGHT MONTHS
                                            YEAR ENDED       ENDED          ENDED          ENDED
                                             JUNE 30,     DECEMBER 31,     JUNE 30,     FEBRUARY 28,
                                               1995           1995           1996           1997
                                            ----------    ------------    ----------    ------------
<S>                                         <C>           <C>             <C>           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet access and connection fees.....  $2,218,354     1,197,690      1,655,211      2,572,917
  Online information service fees.........     430,031       310,430        380,522        976,404
  Grants..................................      10,000       146,734         78,342         85,795
  Other...................................     117,835        15,407         16,949         47,019
                                            ----------     ---------      ---------      ---------
          Total revenue...................   2,776,220     1,670,261      2,131,024      3,682,135
Operating expenses:
  Salaries and employee benefits..........   1,145,224       770,215        886,958      2,728,589
  Network operations and circuits.........     225,570       356,711        320,396        547,031
  Professional fees.......................     254,982       126,789         39,307         61,047
  Marketing and advertising...............      55,222        32,460         66,209        114,544
  General and administrative..............     624,314       309,961        364,418        673,541
  Depreciation and amortization...........     507,693       248,770        311,261        509,122
                                            ----------     ---------      ---------      ---------
          Total operating expenses........   2,813,005     1,844,906      1,988,549      4,633,874
                                            ----------     ---------      ---------      ---------
Operating income (loss)...................     (36,785)     (174,645)       142,475       (951,739)
Interest income...........................      46,108        25,639         15,883         25,083
                                            ----------     ---------      ---------      ---------
          Earnings (loss) before income
            taxes.........................       9,323      (149,006)       158,358       (926,656)
                                            ----------     ---------      ---------      ---------
Income tax expense (benefit)..............          --            --         59,000       (135,000)
                                            ----------     ---------      ---------      ---------
          Net earnings (loss).............  $    9,323      (149,006)        99,358       (791,656)
                                            ==========     =========      =========      =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-70
<PAGE>   238
 
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
              STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY AND FUND BALANCE
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                 RETAINED
                                                                  ADDITIONAL     EARNINGS         TOTAL
                                             FUND       COMMON     PAID-IN     (ACCUMULATED   STOCKHOLDERS'
                                            BALANCE      STOCK     CAPITAL       DEFICIT)        EQUITY
                                          -----------   -------   ----------   ------------   -------------
<S>                                       <C>           <C>       <C>          <C>            <C>
BALANCES AT JUNE 30, 1994...............  $ 1,497,271       --           --            --              --
Net earnings............................        9,323       --           --            --              --
                                          -----------   ------    ---------      --------       ---------
BALANCES AT JUNE 30, 1995...............    1,506,594       --           --            --              --
Net loss for the six months ended
  December 31, 1995.....................     (149,006)      --           --            --              --
Distribution to stockholder.............     (124,186)      --           --            --              --
                                          -----------   ------    ---------      --------       ---------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1995...........    1,233,402       --           --            --              --
Issuance of common stock to effect
  corporate reorganization..............   (1,233,402)  40,000    1,193,402            --       1,233,402
Net earnings for the six months ended
  June 30, 1996.........................           --       --           --        99,358          99,358
                                          -----------   ------    ---------      --------       ---------
BALANCES AT JUNE 30, 1996...............           --   40,000    1,193,402        99,358       1,332,760
Exercise of stock options...............           --        1           86            --              87
Contingent stock compensation expense...           --       --      451,696            --         451,696
Net loss for the eight months ended
  February 28, 1997.....................           --       --           --      (791,656)       (791,656)
                                          -----------   ------    ---------      --------       ---------
BALANCES AT FEBRUARY 28, 1997...........  $        --   40,001    1,645,184      (692,298)        992,887
                                          ===========   ======    =========      ========       =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-71
<PAGE>   239
 
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                  JUNE 30, 1995 AND 1996 AND DECEMBER 31, 1996
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                             PREDECESSOR COMPANY         NORTHWESTNET, INC.
                                          -------------------------   -------------------------
                                                        SIX MONTHS    SIX MONTHS   EIGHT MONTHS
                                          YEAR ENDED      ENDED         ENDED         ENDED
                                           JUNE 30,    DECEMBER 31,    JUNE 30,    FEBRUARY 28,
                                             1995          1995          1996          1997
                                          ----------   ------------   ----------   ------------
<S>                                       <C>          <C>            <C>          <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net earnings (loss)...................  $   9,323       (149,006)      99,358       (791,656)
  Adjustments to reconcile net earnings
     (loss) to net cash provided by
     operating activities:
     Depreciation and amortization......    507,693        248,770      311,261        509,122
     Contingent stock option
       compensation.....................         --             --           --        451,696
     Loss on disposition of equipment...         --             --           --         10,526
     Deferred tax benefit...............         --             --      (46,000)       (74,000)
     Increases and decreases in:
       Accounts receivable..............   (272,151)       418,635     (819,863)       624,707
       Prepaids and other assets........    (18,841)       (28,347)      25,447     (1,396,570)
       Accounts payable.................    (73,064)       (48,302)     (37,056)       304,296
       Accrued liabilities..............     (9,079)       110,275      128,392      1,069,605
       Deferred revenue.................    331,904         76,759      332,360       (599,775)
                                          ---------     ----------    ---------    -----------
          Net cash provided by (used in)
            operating activities........    475,785        628,784       (6,101)       107,951
                                          ---------     ----------    ---------    -----------
Cash flows from investing activities:
  Purchase of equipment, furniture and
     leasehold improvements.............   (760,922)      (260,850)    (524,315)    (1,047,283)
  Disposition of equipment..............         --             --           --         22,678
                                          ---------     ----------    ---------    -----------
          Net cash used in investing
            activities..................   (760,922)      (260,850)    (524,315)    (1,024,605)
                                          ---------     ----------    ---------    -----------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Advances from Verio, Inc. ............         --             --           --      2,560,294
  Distribution to stockholder...........         --             --     (124,186)            --
  Exercise of stock options.............         --             --           --             87
                                          ---------     ----------    ---------    -----------
          Net cash provided by (used in)
            financing activities........         --             --     (124,186)     2,560,381
                                          ---------     ----------    ---------    -----------
          Increase (decrease) in cash
            and cash equivalents........   (285,137)       367,934     (654,602)     1,643,727
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning
  of period.............................    849,089        563,952      931,886        277,284
                                          ---------     ----------    ---------    -----------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of
  period................................  $ 563,952        931,886      277,284      1,921,011
                                          =========     ==========    =========    ===========
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow
  information -- cash paid during the
  period for income taxes...............  $     900             --       82,000        118,000
                                          =========     ==========    =========    ===========
Supplemental schedule of noncash
  financing and investing activities:
  Accounts payable related to purchase
     of equipment.......................  $  15,140         13,523      129,144             --
                                          =========     ==========    =========    ===========
  Issuance of common stock to effect
     corporate reorganization...........  $      --      1,233,402           --             --
                                          =========     ==========    =========    ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-72
<PAGE>   240
 
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                  JUNE 30, 1995 AND 1996 AND FEBRUARY 28, 1997
 
(1) DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  (a) Description of Business
 
     NorthWestNet, Inc. (NorthWestNet), a for-profit corporation incorporated in
the state of Oregon, is a subsidiary of Northwest Academic Computing Consortium,
Inc. (NWACC). NorthWestNet provides Internet access and related on-line
information services to businesses, educational institutions and other
organizations located principally in the Northwest.
 
  (b) Corporate Reorganization
 
     NWACC, a nonprofit corporation organized to promote research, education and
economic development in the Northwest, had been providing Internet access to
businesses and organizations in the Northwest since 1991.
 
     On January 1, 1996, NWACC completed a transaction that included the
creation of NorthWestNet. The transaction consisted of the transfer of
substantially all of NWACC's operating assets and liabilities to NorthWestNet in
exchange for 4,000,000 shares of common stock, which represented all of the
outstanding common stock of NorthWestNet. This transaction represented a
tax-free transfer pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 351. In
connection with the transaction, all NWACC employees became NorthWestNet
employees.
 
     NWACC's relationship to NorthWestNet, is now that of a stockholder,
currently the majority stockholder. NWACC intends to maintain its tax-exempt
status under IRC section 501(c)(3); however, its activities are independent of
NorthWestNet and its employees.
 
  (c) Basis of Presentation
 
     There was no change in the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities
transferred from NWACC to NorthWestNet effective January 1, 1996. The
accompanying financial statements include the accounts of NWACC through December
31, 1995, presented as Predecessor Company.
 
     The carrying amounts of net assets transferred from NWACC to NorthWestNet
effective January 1, 1996 are summarized as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Cash and cash equivalents...................................  $  807,700
Accounts receivable, net....................................     424,118
Prepaids and other assets...................................      57,952
Equipment, furniture and leasehold improvements, net........   1,271,783
                                                              ----------
          Total assets......................................   2,561,553
                                                              ----------
Accounts payable............................................      73,518
Accrued expenses............................................     212,285
Deferred revenue............................................   1,042,348
                                                              ----------
          Total liabilities.................................   1,328,151
                                                              ----------
          Net assets........................................  $1,233,402
                                                              ==========
</TABLE>
 
  (d) Cash Equivalents
 
     All short-term investments with original maturities of three months or less
at date of purchase are considered to be cash equivalents.
 
                                      F-73
<PAGE>   241
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
  (e) Concentrations of Credit Risk
 
     Financial instruments that potentially subject NorthWestNet to
concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash equivalents and
accounts receivable. NorthWestNet's cash equivalents represent investments in
money market funds which are readily convertible to cash. Accounts receivable
are principally from NorthWestNet's customers located throughout the Northwest.
 
  (f) Long-Lived Assets
 
     In March 1995, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting for the Impairment of
Long-Lived Assets and Long-Lived Assets to Be Disposed Of (SFAS 121). This
statement was effective for financial statements for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 1995. Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be
recorded on long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the
amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the
assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying
amount or fair value less costs to sell. The adoption of SFAS 121 effective July
1, 1996 did not have a significant effect on the NorthWestNet's financial
position or results of operations.
 
  (g) Revenue Recognition
 
     Revenues consist primarily of Internet access fees, connection fees and
on-line information service fees. Internet access fees consist of fixed monthly
amounts and are recognized ratably over the terms of the service contracts.
Connection fees, representing customer site equipment and installation charges,
are recognized upon installation of a customer's Internet connectivity. Fixed
on-line information service fees are recognized ratably over the terms of the
service contracts. Volume-based on-line information service fees are recognized
as such services are delivered. Payments received in advance of providing
services are deferred until the period such services are provided.
 
  (h) Advertising Costs
 
     Advertising costs are expensed as incurred.
 
  (i) Depreciation and Amortization
 
     Equipment, furniture and leasehold improvements are stated at cost.
Depreciation and amortization are provided on the straight-line method over the
estimated useful lives of the assets, or the lease term, if shorter. The
estimated useful lives of the assets are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Network equipment...........................................  3 - 4 years
Computer and office equipment...............................  2 - 3 years
Furniture and fixtures......................................      7 years
Leasehold improvements......................................      5 years
</TABLE>
 
  (j) Use of Estimates
 
     NorthWestNet management has made a number of estimates and assumptions
relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, and
disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these financial
statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. Actual
results could differ from those estimates.
 
                                      F-74
<PAGE>   242
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
  (k) Income Taxes
 
     NorthWestNet accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability
method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax
consequences attributable to temporary differences between the financial
statement carrying amounts and tax bases of existing assets and liabilities.
 
     NWACC was exempt from the payment of Federal income taxes under IRC section
501(c)(3). Therefore, no provision for income taxes was required through
December 31, 1995.
 
  (l) Stock-Based Compensation
 
     Prior to July 1, 1996, NorthWestNet accounted for its stock option plan in
accordance with the provisions of Accounting Principles Board (APB) Opinion No.
25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, and related interpretations. As
such, compensation expense would be recorded on the date of grant only if the
current market price of the underlying stock exceeded the exercise price. On
July 1, 1996, NorthWestNet adopted Statement of Financial Accounting Standards
(SFAS) No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation, which permits entities
to recognize as expense over the vesting period the fair value of all
stock-based awards on the date of grant. Alternatively, SFAS No. 123 allows
entities to continue to apply the provisions of APB Opinion No. 25 for
transactions with employees and provide pro forma net income and pro forma
earnings per share disclosures for employee stock option grants made in 1995 and
future years as if the fair-value-based method defined in SFAS No. 123 had been
applied to these transactions. NorthWestNet has elected to continue to apply the
provisions of APB Opinion No. 25 and provide the pro forma disclosure provisions
of SFAS No. 123.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE AND LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS
 
     Equipment, furniture and leasehold improvements and related accumulated
depreciation and amortization consist of the following:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                      JUNE 30
                                                              ------------------------
                                                                 1995          1996
                                                              -----------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>            <C>
Network equipment...........................................  $ 1,645,558    1,878,787
Computer and office equipment...............................      603,051      586,653
Furniture and fixtures......................................      102,010       77,011
Leasehold improvements......................................       50,301       50,301
                                                              -----------    ---------
          Total cost........................................    2,400,920    2,592,752
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization..............   (1,154,740)    (978,771)
                                                              -----------    ---------
                                                              $ 1,246,180    1,613,981
                                                              ===========    =========
</TABLE>
 
(3) ACCRUED LIABILITIES
 
     Accrued liabilities consist of the following:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                    JUNE 30
                                                              -------------------
                                                                1995       1996
                                                              --------    -------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Accrued compensation and benefits...........................  $102,010    153,447
Network operations and circuits.............................        --    129,080
Other.......................................................        --     58,150
                                                              --------    -------
                                                              $102,010    340,677
                                                              ========    =======
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-75
<PAGE>   243
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
(4) BORROWING AGREEMENT
 
     NorthWestNet had a borrowing agreement with a commercial bank, which
expired in June 1997, that provided for a $400,000 operating line of credit
(Line of Credit) and a $600,000 equipment term loan (Term Loan). Borrowings
under the Line of Credit were limited to 75% of eligible accounts receivable and
bear interest at the bank's prime rate plus 1.75%. The Term Loan bore interest
at the bank's prime rate plus 2%. Borrowings under this agreement were secured
by substantially all of NorthWestNet's assets. There were no borrowings under
the Line of Credit or Term Loan as of June 30, 1996.
 
(5) INCOME TAXES
 
     The components of NorthWestNet's income tax expense (benefit) for the six
months ended June 30, 1996 and the eight months ended February 28, 1997 are as
follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                SIX          EIGHT
                                                               MONTHS        MONTHS
                                                               ENDED         ENDED
                                                              JUNE 30,    FEBRUARY 28,
                                                                1996          1997
                                                              --------    ------------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Current:
Federal.....................................................  $100,000       (66,000)
State.......................................................     5,000         5,000
Deferred -- Federal.........................................   (46,000)      (74,000)
                                                              --------      --------
                                                              $ 59,000      (135,000)
                                                              ========      ========
</TABLE>
 
     Deferred income taxes result from temporary differences in the recognition
of income and expense between financial statement and income tax reporting.
Temporary differences at June 30, 1996 are primarily attributable to
depreciation and amortization of equipment, furniture and leasehold
improvements. The tax effects of these temporary differences result in deferred
tax assets which are classified as noncurrent on the accompanying June 30, 1996
balance sheet. Actual tax expense for the six months ended June 30, 1996
approximates the amount calculated using the Federal statutory rate of 34%, plus
the provision for state taxes. The tax benefit for the eight months ended
February 28, 1997 differs from the expected benefit, calculated using the
Federal statutory rate of 34%, primarily due to non-deductible stock option
compensation.
 
(6) STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY -- EMPLOYEE STOCK OPTION PLAN
 
     NorthWestNet adopted a stock option plan (Plan) in January 1996 to
compensate its employees for future services and has reserved 1.5 million shares
of common stock for option grants under the Plan. Of the reserved shares,
500,000 are for options which are exercisable, upon reaching defined corporate
objectives (Contingent Options), at an exercise price of $.875 per share. The
date the defined corporate objectives are met, any excess of fair market value
per share over the exercise price per share of the outstanding options would be
charged to salaries and benefits expense in the statement of operations with a
corresponding increase in stockholder's equity. As of December 31, 1996, 370,000
contingent shares were outstanding. The remaining 1 million reserved shares are
for options which generally vest, based on continued employment, over periods
ranging from three to four years in equal monthly increments beginning the month
after the grant (Noncontingent Options). All options expire ten years from the
date of grant and are exercisable at the fair market value of the common stock
at the grant date.
 
                                      F-76
<PAGE>   244
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     A summary of stock option activity under the Plan follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                     OUTSTANDING OPTIONS
                                                             -----------------------------------
                                                                                       WEIGHTED-
                                                  SHARES                                AVERAGE
                                                 AVAILABLE      NON-                   EXERCISE
                                                 FOR GRANT   CONTINGENT   CONTINGENT     PRICE
                                                 ---------   ----------   ----------   ---------
<S>                                              <C>         <C>          <C>          <C>
Authorization of Plan..........................  1,500,000          --          --      $   --
Options granted................................   (988,000)    583,000     405,000       0.875
Options relinquished...........................     76,771     (41,771)    (35,000)      0.875
Balances at June 30, 1996......................    588,771     541,229     370,000       0.875
Options granted................................    (54,000)     54,000          --       1.956
Options exercised..............................         --        (100)         --       0.875
Options relinquished...........................      3,229      (3,229)         --       0.875
Options surrendered for cash...................         --    (192,265)         --       0.875
Balances at February 28, 1997..................    538,000     399,635     370,000      $0.951
</TABLE>
 
     NorthWestNet applies APB Opinion No. 25 in accounting for its Plans, and,
because the Company grants options at fair value, as determined by the Company's
Board of Directors, no compensation cost has been recognized for its employee
stock options in the financial statements. Had NorthWestNet determined
compensation cost of employee stock options based on the fair value at the grant
date for its stock options under SFAS No. 123, NorthWestNet's net earnings would
have been reported as the pro forma amounts indicated below:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                SIX          EIGHT
                                                               MONTHS        MONTHS
                                                               ENDED         ENDED
                                                              JUNE 30,    FEBRUARY 28,
                                                                1996          1997
                                                              --------    ------------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Net earnings (loss):
  As reported...............................................  $99,359       (791,656)
  Pro forma.................................................   26,469       (892,205)
</TABLE>
 
     The per share weighted-average fair value of stock options granted during
the six months ended June 30, 1996 and the eight months ended February 28, 1997
was $0.28 and $0.70 respectively, on the date of grant using the Black Scholes
option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions: six months
ended June 30, 1996 -- expected dividend yield 0%, risk-free interest rate of
5.51% and an expected life of 7 years; eight months ended February 28,
1997 -- expected dividend yield 0%, risk-free interest rate of 6.55%, and an
expected life of 7 years.
 
                                      F-77
<PAGE>   245
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The following table summarizes information about stock options outstanding
under the Plan at June 30, 1996 and February 28, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 OPTIONS OUTSTANDING
                                                         ------------------------------------
                                                                          WEIGHTED-AVERAGE
                                                           NUMBER             REMAINING
                    EXERCISE PRICES                      OUTSTANDING      CONTRACTUAL LIFE
                    ---------------                      -----------    ---------------------
<S>                                                      <C>            <C>
June 30, 1996:
  $0.875...............................................    911,229            9.5 years
                                                           -------
February 28, 1997:
  $0.875...............................................    715,635
   1.375...............................................      6,000
   2.000...............................................     34,500
  $2.10................................................     13,500
                                                           -------
  $0.875-2.000.........................................    769,635            9.5 years
                                                           -------
</TABLE>
 
     All options became vested and exercisable upon completion of the ownership
change described in note 10.
 
(7) LEASES
 
     NorthWestNet leases its office and certain network operations facilities
under operating leases which expire in 2002. NorthWestNet subleases a portion of
its office space as sublessor under operating leases which expire in 1996 and
1997. Rental expense, net of sublease income, is included in general and
administrative expenses and is comprised of the following:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                          MINIMUM     SUBLEASE
                                                          RENTALS      INCOME     TOTAL
                                                          --------    --------   -------
<S>                                                       <C>         <C>        <C>
Year ended June 30, 1995................................  $142,318     34,665    107,653
Six months ended December 31, 1995......................    88,960     28,623     60,337
Six months ended June 30, 1996..........................    88,795     24,423     64,372
Eight months ended February 28, 1997....................   119,696     25,455     94,241
</TABLE>
 
     NorthWestNet leases circuit lines from various vendors under month-to-month
operating leases. Rent expense on these circuit line leases amounted to
$225,570, $316,712, $270,395, and $413,697 for fiscal year ended 1995, the six
months ended December 31, 1995 and June 30, 1996, and the eight months ended
February 28, 1997, respectively, and is included in network operations and
circuits in the statements of operations.
 
     In November 1996, NorthWestNet amended its existing operating lease for its
office facilities. The amendment increased the space leased by NorthWestNet by
approximately 9,000 square feet, beginning in February 1997, and extended the
lease term of existing space to February 2002. Additionally, in December 1996,
NorthWestNet entered into an operating lease for network operations facilities.
The initial term of the lease is five years, beginning in March 1997, with two
three-year extensions available at NorthWestNet's option.
 
(8) DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN
 
     NorthWestNet and NWACC both sponsor defined contribution plans. For the
NorthWestNet plan, employees who have worked a minimum of three months and
attained age 20 are eligible to participate and employee contributions are
matched by NorthWestNet up to certain limits. Sponsor contributions to the plans
 
                                      F-78
<PAGE>   246
                               NORTHWESTNET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
totaled $35,765, $17,589, $26,781, and $68,855 for the year ended June 30, 1995
and the six months ended December 31, 1995 and June 30, 1996, and the eight
months ended February 28, 1997, respectively.
 
(9) BUSINESS CONCENTRATION
 
     One customer accounted for approximately 25%, 23%, 27%, and 23% of revenues
for the year ended June 30, 1995, the six months ended December 31, 1995 and
June 30, 1996, and the eight months ended February 28, 1997, respectively. Such
customer had account receivable balance of $227,662 at June 30, 1996.
 
     Additionally, another customer accounted for approximately 14% of revenues
for the eight months ended February 28, 1997.
 
(10) OWNERSHIP CHANGE
 
     On January 22, 1997, NorthWestNet, NWACC and Verio Inc. (Verio) executed a
Stock Purchase Agreement (Agreement) pursuant to which Verio acquired all of the
common stock of NorthWestNet owned by NWACC. Under the Agreement, Verio also
agreed to contribute at least $3.4 million to NorthWestNet, of which
approximately $2.3 million was funded in February 1997. The transaction closed
on February 28, 1997.
 
     In connection with the sale to Verio, 370,000 contingent options became
exercisable and $451,696 of compensation expense was recorded by NorthWestNet in
February 1997 which was funded by Verio in addition to the $3.4 million. (See
note 6). In addition, the Plan was amended to provide for Verio's right to
acquire all of the securities outstanding under that plan.
 
                                      F-79
<PAGE>   247
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
VERIO INC.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Aimnet Corporation
(wholly-owned by Aimquest Corporation) as of March 31, 1997 and the related
statements of operations, stockholder's equity, and cash flows for the year
ended March 31, 1997 and the period ended May 19, 1997. These financial
statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Aimnet Corporation as of
March 31, 1997, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the
year ended March 31, 1997 and the period ended May 19, 1997 in conformity with
generally accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
February 25, 1998
 
                                      F-80
<PAGE>   248
 
                               AIMNET CORPORATION
                     (WHOLLY-OWNED BY AIMQUEST CORPORATION)
 
                                 BALANCE SHEET
                                 MARCH 31, 1997
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $   201,074
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $52,770.............................................      460,611
  Inventory.................................................       39,344
  Prepaid expenses and other................................       44,867
                                                              -----------
          Total current assets..............................      745,896
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................      880,224
                                                              -----------
          Total assets......................................  $ 1,626,120
                                                              ===========
                  LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
Current Liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $   141,680
  Accrued expenses..........................................       31,260
  Deferred revenue..........................................       19,251
  Due to parent (note 3)....................................      514,122
  Current portion of obligations under capital lease
     obligations (note 4)...................................        8,153
                                                              -----------
          Total current liabilities.........................      714,466
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 4)....       17,409
                                                              -----------
          Total liabilities.................................      731,875
Stockholder's equity (note 6):
  Common stock, no par value, 1,000 shares authorized, 100
     shares issued and outstanding..........................    2,307,640
  Accumulated deficit.......................................   (1,413,395)
                                                              -----------
          Total stockholder's equity........................      894,245
Commitments (note 4)
                                                              -----------
          Total liabilities and stockholder's equity........  $ 1,626,120
                                                              ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-81
<PAGE>   249
 
                               AIMNET CORPORATION
                     (WHOLLY-OWNED BY AIMQUEST CORPORATION)
 
                            STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
            YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1997 AND PERIOD ENDED MAY 19, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                            PERIOD ENDED
                                                                              MAY 19,
                                                                 1997           1997
                                                              -----------   ------------
<S>                                                           <C>           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.........................................  $ 2,649,839      303,600
  Other (note 3)............................................      215,279       87,788
                                                              -----------     --------
          Total revenue.....................................    2,865,118      391,388
                                                              -----------     --------
Operating expenses:
  Internet services and other operating costs...............    1,225,329      124,275
  Selling, general and administrative.......................    2,098,958      437,292
  Provision for bad debts...................................      425,295           --
  Depreciation..............................................      528,931       94,801
                                                              -----------     --------
          Total operating expenses..........................    4,278,513      656,368
                                                              -----------     --------
          Net loss..........................................  $(1,413,395)    (264,980)
                                                              ===========     ========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-82
<PAGE>   250
 
                               AIMNET CORPORATION
                     (WHOLLY-OWNED BY AIMQUEST CORPORATION)
 
                       STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
            YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1997 AND PERIOD ENDED MAY 19, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                           INTERCOMPANY
                                                COMMON       ACCOUNT      ACCUMULATED
                                                STOCK      WITH PARENT      DEFICIT       TOTAL
                                              ----------   ------------   -----------   ----------
<S>                                           <C>          <C>            <C>           <C>
Balance as of March 31, 1996................  $       --     1,592,490            --     1,592,490
Incorporation as wholly owned subsidiary and
  additional capital contribution by
  parent....................................   2,307,640    (1,592,490)           --       715,150
Net loss....................................          --            --    (1,413,395)   (1,413,395)
                                              ----------    ----------    ----------    ----------
Balances as of March 31, 1997...............  $2,307,640            --    (1,413,395)      894,245
Net loss....................................          --            --      (264,980)     (264,980)
                                              ----------    ----------    ----------    ----------
Balances as of May 19, 1997.................  $2,307,640            --    (1,678,375)      629,265
                                              ==========    ==========    ==========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-83
<PAGE>   251
 
                               AIMNET CORPORATION
                     (WHOLLY-OWNED BY AIMQUEST CORPORATION)
 
                            STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
            YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 1997 AND PERIOD ENDED MAY 19, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                             PERIOD ENDED
                                                                               MAY 19,
                                                                 1997            1997
                                                              -----------    ------------
<S>                                                           <C>            <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss..................................................  $(1,413,395)     (264,980)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used by
     operating activities:
     Depreciation...........................................      528,931        94,801
     Provision for bad debts................................      425,295            --
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Decrease (increase) in trade receivables.............     (375,042)       40,670
       Decrease (increase) in inventory.....................       (5,423)       13,107
       Decrease in prepaid expenses and other...............        7,047         4,416
       Decrease in accounts payable.........................      (44,692)       (7,459)
       Increase (decrease) in accrued expenses..............      (15,248)       18,522
       Increase (decrease) in deferred revenue..............       10,968        (5,171)
                                                              -----------      --------
          Net cash used by operating activities.............     (881,559)     (106,094)
                                                              -----------      --------
Cash flows from investing activities -- purchases of
  equipment.................................................     (320,809)      (54,458)
                                                              -----------      --------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Cash capital contribution by parent.......................      715,150            --
  Increase in due to related party..........................      514,122        55,264
  Principal payments on capital lease obligations...........       (3,255)       (1,548)
                                                              -----------      --------
          Net cash provided by financing activities.........    1,226,017        53,716
                                                              -----------      --------
          Increase (decrease) in cash.......................       23,649      (106,836)
Cash, beginning of period...................................      177,425       201,074
                                                              -----------      --------
Cash, end of period.........................................  $   201,074        94,238
                                                              ===========      ========
Noncash investing and financing activities --
  Equipment acquired through capital lease obligations......  $    28,817            --
                                                              ===========      ========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-84
<PAGE>   252
 
                               AIMNET CORPORATION
                     (WHOLLY-OWNED BY AIMQUEST CORPORATION)
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                                 MARCH 31, 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     Aimnet Corporation (the Company) was incorporated in the State of
California on September 26, 1996 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Aimquest
Corporation (Aimquest). Prior to incorporation, the Company's assets,
liabilities, and operations were included in the financial statements of
Aimquest. The Company provides regional internet access services, and hardware
and software sales to customers in California. The accompanying financial
statements include the operations of the Company assuming that the Company had
been operated separately as of April 1, 1996 and thereafter.
 
     Effective May 19, 1997, Verio Inc. acquired a 55% ownership interest in the
Company (see note 6).
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance. Revenue
from hardware and software sales is recognized upon shipment of the respective
products.
 
  Inventory
 
     Inventory, consisting of systems hardware and software and maintenance
parts and supplies is recorded at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or
market.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment, including assets held under capital leases, is stated at cost,
less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is
recorded using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful
lives of the related assets or the lease term, which are two or three years.
Costs for normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     The Company is included in the tax returns of Aimquest. Income taxes are
accounted for under the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, (SFAS 109). Under SFAS 109,
deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax consequences of
differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their financial
reporting amounts at each year-end based on enacted tax laws and statutory rates
applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect
taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce
deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
 
     No tax benefit has been allocated to the Company due to the Company's net
loss and the uncertainty regarding the ultimate utilization of such loss in the
consolidated income tax returns of Aimquest. A valuation allowance has been
recorded for the entire balance of the deferred tax asset related to the
Company's net loss.
 
                                      F-85
<PAGE>   253
                               AIMNET CORPORATION
                     (WHOLLY-OWNED BY AIMQUEST CORPORATION)
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of March 31, 1997 approximate their carrying values
based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different market assumptions
and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect on the estimated
fair values.
 
     Customers who operate in California represent substantially all of the
Company's customer base and accounts receivable. However, no single customer
comprised more than 5% of accounts receivable or total revenue as of or for the
year ended March 31, 1997 or the period ended May 19, 1997.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     In March 1995, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting for the Impairment of
Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed Of (SFAS 121). This
statement was effective for financial statements for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 1995. Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be
recorded on long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the
amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the
assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying
amount or fair value, less costs to sell. The adoption of SFAS 121 effective
April 1, 1996 did not have a significant effect on the Company's financial
position or results of operations.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at March 31, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                        <C>
Internet and computer equipment..........................  $1,712,000
Furniture................................................      29,144
                                                           ----------
                                                            1,741,144
Less accumulated depreciation............................    (860,920)
                                                           ----------
                                                           $  880,224
                                                           ==========
</TABLE>
 
     Equipment includes assets owned under capital leases with a net book value
of $25,562 at March 31, 1997.
 
(3) RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
 
     The Company provides internet services to Aimquest which totaled $5,924 for
the year ended March 31, 1997 and $20,386 for the period ended May 19, 1997.
 
     Amounts due to parent represent cash transfers from Aimquest which are
noninterest bearing.
 
                                      F-86
<PAGE>   254
                               AIMNET CORPORATION
                     (WHOLLY-OWNED BY AIMQUEST CORPORATION)
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
(4) COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
 
  Leases
 
     The Company leases certain computer and office equipment under capital
leases. The Company also leases office space under noncancelable operating
leases expiring at various dates through 2001. Future minimum annual lease
payments under capital and noncancelable operating leases for each of the years
ending March 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                          CAPITAL    OPERATING
                                                          LEASES       LEASES
                                                          -------    ----------
<S>                                                       <C>        <C>
1998....................................................  $12,396     327,146
1999....................................................   12,396     283,916
2000....................................................    8,780     279,810
2001....................................................       --     109,488
Less future minimum payments to be received under
  noncancelable subleases...............................       --     (31,059)
                                                          -------     -------
  Total minimum payments................................   33,572     969,301
                                                                      =======
Less amount representing interest.......................   (8,010)
                                                          -------
  Present value of net minimum lease payments...........   25,562
Less current portion....................................   (8,153)
                                                          -------
                                                          $17,409
                                                          =======
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the year ended March 31, 1997 and the period ended May 19,
1997 totaled $314,890 and $38,203, respectively.
 
(5) EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN
 
     Aimquest has a 401(k) (the Plan) covering all employees of the Company who
meet certain eligibility requirements. Employer contributions are not required
and the Company did not make any contributions to the Plan during the year ended
March 31, 1997 or the period ended May 19, 1997.
 
(6) SUBSEQUENT EVENT
 
     Effective May 19, 1997, Verio Inc. (Verio) acquired 77 shares of the
Company's series A preferred stock for cash consideration of approximately
$4,171,000. The preferred shares represent a 55% ownership interest in the
Company, on a fully diluted basis, and are convertible into common shares on a
one for one basis. In addition, the preferred shares have a liquidation
preference equal to the issuance price. Verio also acquired an option to acquire
a 100% ownership in the Company in the future upon the occurrence of certain
events, including an initial public offering of Verio common stock.
 
                                      F-87
<PAGE>   255
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of West Coast Online, Inc.
as of September 30, 1997 and the related statements of operations and
accumulated deficit, and cash flows for the nine months then ended. These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audit.
 
     We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of West Coast Online, Inc. as
of September 30, 1997, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for
the nine months then ended in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
November 21, 1997
 
                                      F-88
<PAGE>   256
 
                            WEST COAST ONLINE, INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEET
                               SEPTEMBER 30, 1997
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $  25,907
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $3,588..............................................     96,659
  Prepaid expenses and other................................      4,933
                                                              ---------
          Total current assets..............................    127,499
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................    524,474
Other assets................................................      7,148
                                                              ---------
          Total assets......................................  $ 659,121
                                                              =========
                 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable:
     Trade..................................................  $  41,270
     Related party (note 5).................................     27,009
  Accrued liabilities.......................................    105,487
  Deferred revenue..........................................     99,679
  Current portion of capital lease obligations (note 3).....     57,874
                                                              ---------
          Total current liabilities.........................    331,319
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 3)....     69,994
          Total liabilities.................................    401,313
                                                              ---------
Redeemable preferred stock, 2,000,000 shares authorized
  (note 4):
  Series A, 60,000 shares issued and outstanding............    225,000
  Series B, 50,710 shares issued and outstanding............    250,000
                                                              ---------
          Total redeemable preferred stock..................    475,000
                                                              ---------
Stockholders' deficit (note 4):
  Common stock, no par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized,
     246,000 shares issued and outstanding..................     79,775
  Accumulated deficit.......................................   (296,967)
                                                              ---------
          Total stockholders' deficit.......................   (217,192)
Commitments (note 3)
          Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit.......  $ 659,121
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-89
<PAGE>   257
 
                            WEST COAST ONLINE, INC.
 
                STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND ACCUMULATED DEFICIT
                      NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.........................................  $1,354,911
  Computer hardware sales...................................     171,818
  Other.....................................................     126,394
                                                              ----------
          Total revenue.....................................   1,653,123
                                                              ----------
Operating expenses:
  Internet services operating costs.........................     641,106
  Cost of hardware sales....................................     136,978
  Selling, general and administrative.......................     913,743
  Depreciation..............................................     106,185
                                                              ----------
          Total operating expenses..........................   1,798,012
                                                              ----------
          Loss from operations..............................    (144,889)
Interest expense............................................     (22,772)
                                                              ----------
          Net loss..........................................    (167,661)
Accumulated deficit at beginning of period..................    (129,306)
                                                              ----------
Accumulated deficit at end of period........................  $ (296,967)
                                                              ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-90
<PAGE>   258
 
                            WEST COAST ONLINE, INC.
 
                            STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
                      NINE MONTHS ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss..................................................  $(167,661)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used by
     operating activities:
     Depreciation...........................................    106,185
     Provision for bad debts................................      3,588
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Receivables..........................................    (39,945)
       Prepaid expenses and other current assets............      5,197
       Other assets.........................................     (7,148)
       Accounts payable and accrued liabilities.............     12,802
       Deferred revenue.....................................     35,944
                                                              ---------
          Net cash used by operating activities.............    (51,038)
                                                              ---------
Cash flows from investing activities -- purchase of
  equipment.................................................   (154,301)
                                                              ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Proceeds from issuance of redeemable preferred stock......    250,000
  Principal payments under capital lease obligations........    (36,541)
                                                              ---------
          Net cash provided by financing activities.........    213,459
                                                              ---------
          Net increase in cash..............................      8,120
Cash at beginning of period.................................     17,787
                                                              ---------
Cash at end of period.......................................  $  25,907
                                                              =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information -- cash
  paid during the year for interest.........................  $  22,772
                                                              =========
Noncash investing and finance activities -- equipment
  acquired through capital lease obligations................  $  67,064
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-91
<PAGE>   259
 
                            WEST COAST ONLINE, INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                               SEPTEMBER 30, 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     West Coast Online, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated in the State of
California on January 30, 1996. The Company provides internet access services
and computer hardware sales to customers primarily in California.
 
     As of September 30, 1997, Verio Inc. (Verio) acquired all of the
outstanding common stock of the Company, resulting in 100% ownership.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment is stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is
recorded using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful
lives of the related assets or the lease term, which range from three to five
years. Costs of normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed
Of (SFAS 121). SFAS 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on long-lived
assets used in operations, including goodwill, when indications of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the
carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets.
Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying value or fair
value, less costs to sell.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance.
 
     Revenue from hardware sales is recognized upon shipment of the respective
products if the Company's future obligations are not significant and
collectibility is probable.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     Income taxes are accounted for under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (SFAS 109).
Under SFAS 109, deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax
consequences of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and
their financial reporting amounts at September 30, 1997 based on enacted tax
laws and statutory rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are
expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when
necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
The Company has a net operating loss carryforward of approximately $181,000
which expires in 2012. No tax benefit has been recorded by the Company for the
nine months ended September 30, 1997 due to the Company's net loss and the
uncertainty regarding the ultimate utilization of such loss carryforward. A
valuation allowance has been
 
                                      F-92
<PAGE>   260
                            WEST COAST ONLINE, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
recorded for the entire balance of the deferred tax asset related to the
carryforward. Other temporary differences between financial statement and income
tax bases of assets and liabilities are not significant.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of December 31, 1997 approximate their carrying values
based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different market assumptions
and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect on the estimated
fair values.
 
     Customers who operate in California represent substantially all of the
Company's customer base. However, no single customer comprised more than 10% of
accounts receivable or total revenue for the nine months ended September 30,
1997.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at September 30, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................   $ 733,411
Furniture and office equipment..............................      21,312
                                                               ---------
                                                                 754,723
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization..............    (230,249)
                                                               ---------
                                                               $ 524,474
                                                               =========
</TABLE>
 
     Equipment includes assets held under capital leases with a net book value
of $134,362 at September 30, 1997.
 
(3) COMMITMENTS
 
     The Company leases certain computer and office equipment under capital
leases. The Company also leases office space under noncancelable leases expiring
at various dates through 2001. Future minimum annual lease payments under
noncancelable operating leases for each of the years ending September 30 are as
follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                         CAPITAL     OPERATING
                                                          LEASES      LEASES
                                                         --------    ---------
<S>                                                      <C>         <C>
1998...................................................  $ 70,104    $ 72,160
1999...................................................    63,728      36,342
2000...................................................    18,974      10,743
2001...................................................        --       7,162
                                                         --------    --------
  Total minimum payments...............................  $152,806    $126,407
                                                                     ========
Less amount representing interest......................   (24,938)
                                                         --------
  Present value of net minimum lease payments..........   127,868
Less current portion...................................   (57,874)
                                                         --------
                                                         $ 69,994
                                                         ========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the nine months ended September 30, 1997 totaled $64,820.
 
                                      F-93
<PAGE>   261
                            WEST COAST ONLINE, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
(4) REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK
 
     The Company issued 60,000 Series A and 50,710 Series B shares of
redeemable, convertible preferred stock in 1996 and 1997, respectively, to
Verio. The preferred shares were convertible into common shares on a one for one
basis and were mandatorily redeemable in 2000. On September 30, 1997, in
connection with the Verio Acquisition, as described in Note 1, Verio converted
these preferred shares to common stock.
 
(5) TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PARTY
 
     During the nine months ended September 30, 1997, the Company received
certain network services from Verio Inc. The entire cost of these services
remain in Accounts Payable-Related Party at September 30, 1997 and is included
in internet services and network operating costs.
 
                                      F-94
<PAGE>   262
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Clark Internet Services,
Inc. as of September 30, 1997, and the related statements of operations and
retained earnings, and cash flows for the year ended September 30, 1997 and the
period ended October 17, 1997. These financial statements are the responsibility
of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on
these financial statements based on our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Clark Internet Services,
Inc. as of September 30, 1997, and the results of its operations and its cash
flows for the year ended September 30, 1997 and the period ended October 17,
1997 in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
February 25, 1998
 
                                      F-95
<PAGE>   263
 
                         CLARK INTERNET SERVICES, INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEET
                               SEPTEMBER 30, 1997
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Current assets:
  Cash and cash equivalents.................................  $   54,293
  Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful
     accounts of $28,154....................................     438,186
  Related party receivable (note 5).........................      42,104
  Prepaid expenses and other................................     122,894
                                                              ----------
          Total current assets..............................     657,477
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................     650,001
Other assets, net...........................................     112,475
                                                              ----------
          Total assets......................................  $1,419,953
                                                              ==========
 
                  LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $  261,194
  Accrued liabilities.......................................      91,474
  Salaries and commissions payable..........................      98,220
  Deferred revenue and customer advances....................     514,555
  Current portion of long-term debt (note 3)................     175,800
                                                              ----------
          Total current liabilities.........................   1,141,243
Long-term debt, net of current portion (note 3).............     264,950
          Total liabilities.................................   1,406,193
Stockholders' equity:
  Common stock, no par value, 1,000,000 shares authorized,
     860,000 shares issued and outstanding..................       4,000
  Retained earnings.........................................       9,760
                                                              ----------
          Total stockholders' equity........................      13,760
                                                              ----------
Commitments (note 4)
          Total liabilities and stockholders' equity........  $1,419,953
                                                              ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-96
<PAGE>   264
 
                         CLARK INTERNET SERVICES, INC.
 
                 STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND RETAINED EARNINGS
        YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1997 AND PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 17, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                           PERIOD ENDED
                                                                           OCTOBER 17,
                                                                 1997          1997
                                                              ----------   ------------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.........................................  $3,601,491     159,079
  Other.....................................................     114,193      48,917
                                                              ----------     -------
          Total revenue.....................................   3,715,684     207,996
                                                              ----------     -------
Operating expenses:
  Internet services.........................................   1,672,046      48,346
  Selling, general and administrative.......................   2,053,619     195,610
  Depreciation and amortization.............................     139,379       9,547
                                                              ----------     -------
          Total operating expenses..........................   3,865,044     253,503
                                                              ----------     -------
          Loss from operations..............................    (149,360)    (45,507)
Other income (expense):
  Interest income...........................................       2,702      (1,054)
  Interest expense..........................................     (26,929)         --
                                                              ----------     -------
          Net loss..........................................    (173,587)    (46,561)
Retained earnings (deficit):
  Beginning of period.......................................     183,347       9,760
                                                              ----------     -------
  End of period.............................................  $    9,760     (36,801)
                                                              ==========     =======
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-97
<PAGE>   265
 
                         CLARK INTERNET SERVICES, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
        YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 1997 AND PERIOD ENDED OCTOBER 17, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                          PERIOD ENDED
                                                                          OCTOBER 17,
                                                                1997          1997
                                                              ---------   ------------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss..................................................  $(173,587)    (46,561)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by
     operating activities -- depreciation and
     amortization...........................................    139,379       9,547
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
     Trade and related party accounts receivable, net.......   (362,396)      2,483
     Prepaid expenses and other.............................    (19,671)     32,793
     Accounts payable.......................................    157,360     (78,954)
     Accrued liabilities, and salaries and commissions
      payable...............................................     92,849      30,677
     Deferred revenue and customer advances.................    245,114      30,809
     Other assets, net......................................    (61,263)     12,179
                                                              ---------     -------
          Net cash provided (used) by operating
            activities......................................     17,785      (7,027)
Cash flows used by investing activities --
  purchases of equipment....................................   (425,477)         --
                                                              ---------     -------
Cash flows used by financing activities:
  Proceeds from bank lines of credit........................     90,000          --
  Proceeds from bank loan...................................    375,000          --
  Repayment of bank loan....................................    (51,929)         --
                                                              ---------     -------
          Net cash provided by financing activities.........    413,071          --
                                                              ---------     -------
          Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash
            equivalents.....................................      5,379      (7,027)
Cash and cash equivalents, at beginning of period...........     48,914      54,293
                                                              ---------     -------
Cash and cash equivalents, at end of period.................  $  54,293      47,266
                                                              =========     =======
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information --
  cash paid during year for interest........................  $  26,929       1,053
                                                              =========     =======
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-98
<PAGE>   266
 
                         CLARK INTERNET SERVICES, INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                               SEPTEMBER 30, 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     Clark Internet Services, Inc. (the Company) is a provider of internet
access services to businesses and individuals, primarily in the Maryland,
Washington DC, and Northern Virginia regions.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the
reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
 
     Effective October 17, 1997, Verio Inc. acquired 51% of the outstanding
common stock of the Company.
 
  Cash and Cash Equivalents
 
     The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments with original
maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment is recorded at cost. Depreciation is provided over the estimated
useful lives of the assets ranging from 3 to 5 years using the straight-line
method.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to Be Disposed
Of (Statement No. 121). Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be
recorded on long-lived assets used in operations, including goodwill, when
indicators of impairment are present and the undiscounted future cash flows
estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets' carrying
amount. If such assets are impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured
by the amounts by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value
of the assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the
carrying value or fair value, less costs to sell.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services revenue is recognized as the services are provided.
Installation charges and set-up fees are recognized when installation is
completed. The Company records deferred revenue for accounts billed and/or
collected in advance.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     The Company accounts for income taxes under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (SFAS 109).
SFAS 109 requires recognition of deferred tax liabilities and assets for the
expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the
financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax liabilities
and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial
statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in
effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse.
 
     At December 31, 1997, the Company has a net operating loss carryforward for
federal income tax purposes of $235,000 which is available to offset future
federal taxable income, if any, through 2012. Due to the uncertainty regarding
the ultimate utilization of the net operating loss carryforward a valuation
allowance
 
                                      F-99
<PAGE>   267
                         CLARK INTERNET SERVICES, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
has been recorded for the full amount of the deferred tax asset related to the
net operating loss carryforward, which represents the only significant temporary
difference as of September 30, 1997.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statements purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of September 30, 1997 approximate their carrying values
based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different market assumptions
and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect on the estimated
fair values.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at September 30, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 
<S>                                                           <C>
Furniture and fixtures......................................  $ 337,163
Computer and equipment......................................    656,496
                                                              ---------
                                                                993,659
Less accumulated depreciation...............................   (343,658)
                                                              ---------
                                                              $ 650,001
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
     Depreciation expense for the year ended September 30, 1997 and the period
ended October 17, 1997 totaled $138,054 and $9,547, respectively.
 
(3) BANK LINE OF CREDIT AND NOTES PAYABLE
 
     In April 1997, the Company entered into a $200,000 line of credit agreement
with a bank, with interest at the prime rate plus 1.5% (10.0% at September 30,
1997). Borrowings under the line of credit are due in April 1998.
 
     In addition, the Company also borrowed $375,000 from a bank under a loan
secured by the Small Business Administration with interest at the prime rate
plus 2% (10.5% at September 30, 1997). Monthly principal payments of $6,250 are
due through April 2002.
 
(4) LEASES
 
     The Company leases its facilities under long-term operating leases expiring
at various dates through 2002. Future minimum lease payments consist of the
following at September 30:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 
<S>                                                           <C>
1998........................................................  $363,000
1999........................................................   182,155
2000........................................................    42,926
2001........................................................    25,320
2002........................................................    13,811
                                                              --------
          Total minimum lease payments......................  $627,212
                                                              ========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense totaled $484,162 for the year ended September 30, 1997.
 
(5) TRANSACTION WITH RELATED PARTY
 
     The related party receivable at September 30, 1997 is due from an entity
owned by the Company's Chief Executive Officer, for whom the Company provides
general accounting and administrative services. These amounts were repaid
subsequent to September 30, 1997.
 
                                      F-100
<PAGE>   268
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of ATMnet as of October 31,
1996 and 1997, and the related statements of operations, stockholders' deficit,
and cash flows for the years then ended. These financial statements are the
responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of ATMnet as of October 31,
1996 and 1997, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the
years then ended in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
December 13, 1997
 
                                      F-101
<PAGE>   269
 
                                     ATMNET
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                           OCTOBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996           1997
                                                              -----------    -----------
<S>                                                           <C>            <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $    76,037         11,739
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $30,000 and $25,981.................................      279,871        192,726
  Other receivables.........................................       13,646             --
  Other.....................................................       56,607         65,886
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total current assets..............................      426,161        270,351
Equipment and leasehold improvements, net (note 2)..........    1,404,863      1,120,396
Investment in affiliate (note 3)............................       87,500             --
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of
  $99,758 and $52,952.......................................      181,081        134,273
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total assets......................................  $ 2,099,605      1,525,020
                                                              ===========    ===========
 
                          LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $ 1,736,880      2,738,070
  Accrued liabilities.......................................      162,381        589,794
  Due to related parties (note 6)...........................       16,235         41,209
  Deferred revenue..........................................      176,481        115,393
  Subordinated notes payable to stockholders and related
     parties (note 4).......................................           --        908,979
  Current portion of capital lease obligations (note 7).....      140,223        150,134
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total current liabilities.........................    2,232,200      4,543,579
Capital lease obligations, less current portion.............      164,514         14,379
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total liabilities.................................    2,396,714      4,557,958
Stockholders' deficit (note 5):
  Common stock, no par value, 83,000,000 shares authorized;
     29,100,000 shares issued and outstanding...............    1,158,532      1,158,532
  Accumulated deficit.......................................   (1,455,641)    (4,191,470)
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total stockholders' deficit.......................     (297,109)    (3,032,938)
Commitments (note 7)........................................
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit.......  $ 2,099,605      1,525,020
                                                              ===========    ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-102
<PAGE>   270
 
                                     ATMNET
 
                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                     YEARS ENDED OCTOBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996           1997
                                                              -----------    -----------
<S>                                                           <C>            <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services (note 6)................................  $ 1,236,478    $ 2,730,732
  Equipment sales...........................................      440,315        513,941
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total revenue.....................................    1,676,793      3,244,673
                                                              -----------    -----------
Operating expenses:
  Cost of internet services.................................      845,465      1,963,858
  Cost of equipment sold....................................      258,517        381,043
  Other operating expenses..................................      645,710        721,012
  Selling, general and administrative.......................      957,253      1,927,589
  Depreciation and amortization.............................      343,682        649,510
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Total operating expenses..........................    3,050,627      5,643,012
                                                              -----------    -----------
  Loss from operations......................................   (1,373,834)    (2,398,339)
Other expenses:
  Interest expense..........................................      (36,203)      (167,864)
  Other.....................................................      (21,000)      (169,626)
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Net loss..........................................  $(1,431,037)   $(2,735,829)
                                                              ===========    ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-103
<PAGE>   271
 
                                     ATMNET
 
                      STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
                     YEARS ENDED OCTOBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                         COMMON      ACCUMULATED
                                                         STOCK         DEFICIT         TOTAL
                                                       ----------    -----------    -----------
<S>                                                    <C>           <C>            <C>
BALANCE AS OF NOVEMBER 1, 1995.......................  $  458,200    $   (24,604)   $   433,596
Issuance of common stock for cash....................     700,332             --        700,332
Net loss.............................................          --     (1,431,037)    (1,431,037)
                                                       ----------    -----------    -----------
BALANCES AS OF OCTOBER 31, 1996......................   1,158,532     (1,455,641)      (297,109)
Net loss.............................................          --     (2,735,829)    (2,735,829)
                                                       ----------    -----------    -----------
BALANCES AS OF OCTOBER 31, 1997......................  $1,158,532    $(4,191,470)   $(3,032,938)
                                                       ==========    ===========    ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-104
<PAGE>   272
 
                                     ATMNET
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                     YEARS ENDED OCTOBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996           1997
                                                              -----------    -----------
<S>                                                           <C>            <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss..................................................  $(1,431,037)   $(2,735,829)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided
     (used) by operating activities:
     Depreciation and amortization..........................      343,682        649,510
     Provision for doubtful accounts........................       62,000         58,686
     Loss on write-off of investment........................           --         87,500
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Trade receivables....................................     (302,792)        28,459
       Other receivables....................................       46,354         13,646
       Other current assets.................................      (51,943)        (9,279)
       Accounts payable.....................................    1,710,981      1,001,190
       Accrued liabilities and due to related parties.......      172,852        452,387
       Deferred revenue.....................................      171,898        (61,088)
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Net cash provided (used) by operating
             activities.....................................      721,995       (514,818)
                                                              -----------    -----------
Cash flows from investing activities:
  Purchase of equipment and leasehold improvements..........   (1,235,719)      (318,235)
  Investment in affiliates, at cost.........................      (87,500)            --
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Net cash used by investing activities.............   (1,323,219)      (318,235)
                                                              -----------    -----------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Proceeds from issuance of subordinated debt...............           --      1,018,979
  Proceeds from issuance of common stock....................      700,332             --
  Principal payments on subordinated debt...................           --       (110,000)
  Principal payments on capital lease obligations...........     (114,166)      (140,224)
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Net cash provided by financing activities.........      586,166        768,755
                                                              -----------    -----------
          Net decrease in cash..............................      (15,058)       (64,298)
Cash, beginning of year.....................................       91,095         76,037
                                                              -----------    -----------
Cash, end of year...........................................  $    76,037    $    11,739
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
  Cash paid during the year for:
     Interest...............................................  $    36,203    $    25,765
                                                              ===========    ===========
Noncash investing and financing activities -- equipment
  acquired through capital lease obligations................  $   345,046    $        --
                                                              ===========    ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-105
<PAGE>   273
 
                                     ATMNET
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                           OCTOBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     ATMnet (the Company) was incorporated in the State of California on
February 26, 1997. The Company provides regional internet access services, and
hardware sales to customers mainly in California.
 
     Effective November 5, 1997, Verio Inc. acquired substantially all of the
net assets of the Company.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance. Revenue
from hardware sales is recognized upon shipment of the respective products.
 
  Equipment and Leasehold Improvements
 
     Equipment and leasehold improvements, including assets held under capital
leases, is stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization.
Depreciation and amortization is recorded using the straight-line method over
the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the related assets or the lease
term, which are two or three years. Costs for normal repairs and maintenance are
expensed as incurred.
 
  Investment in Affiliates
 
     Investment in affiliate represents common stock of an affiliate
representing less than a 20% ownership interest which is accounted for using the
cost method.
 
  Intangible Assets
 
     The excess of cost over the fair value of net assets acquired, or goodwill,
and organization costs are amortized using the straight-line method over five
years.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     Income taxes are accounted for under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (SFAS 109).
Under SFAS 109, deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax
consequences of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and
their financial reporting amounts at each year-end based on enacted tax laws and
statutory rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected
to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary,
to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
 
     The Company has a net operating loss carryforward for income tax purposes
of approximately $3,883,000 which expires in 2012. No tax benefit has been
recorded by the Company in fiscal 1996 and 1997 due to the Company's net loss
and the uncertainty regarding the ultimate utilization of such loss
carryforward. A valuation allowance has been recorded for the entire balance of
the deferred tax asset related to the carryforward. Other temporary differences
between financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities are
not significant.
 
                                      F-106
<PAGE>   274
                                     ATMNET
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
                           OCTOBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of October 31, 1997 and 1996 approximate their carrying
values based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different market
assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect on the
estimated fair values.
 
     Customers who operate in California represent substantially all of the
Company's customer base and accounts receivable. However, no single customer
comprised more than 5% of accounts receivable or total revenue as of or for the
year ended October 31, 1997 or 1996.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company accounts for long-lived assets under the provisions of
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting for the
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed Of
(SFAS 121). Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on
long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment are present
and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets
are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are considered to be
impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the
carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be
disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value, less
costs to sell.
 
  Stock-Based Compensation
 
     The Company applies APB Opinion 25 and related interpretations in
accounting for its stock compensation plan. Accordingly, since the Company
grants stock options with exercise prices equal to fair value at the date of
grant, no compensation expense has been recognized in 1996 or 1997. Under
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation (SFAS 123), entities are permitted to adopt the fair value method
of accounting for employee stock-based compensation plans. However, SFAS 123
allows an entity to continue using the intrinsic value method under APB Opinion
No. 25, but requires the entity to make pro forma disclosures of net income or
loss as if the fair value method of accounting had been applied.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT AND LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at October 31, 1996 and 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996         1997
                                                              ----------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>           <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................  $1,613,305    1,786,575
Furniture and fixtures......................................      77,668      133,730
Leasehold improvements......................................      12,080      100,983
                                                              ----------    ---------
                                                               1,703,053    2,021,288
Less accumulated depreciation...............................    (298,190)    (900,892)
                                                              ----------    ---------
                                                              $1,404,863    1,120,396
                                                              ==========    =========
</TABLE>
 
     Equipment and leasehold improvements includes assets owned under capital
leases with a net book value of $195,294 and $333,079 at October 31, 1996 and
1997, respectively.
 
                                      F-107
<PAGE>   275
                                     ATMNET
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
                           OCTOBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
(3) INVESTMENT IN AFFILIATE
 
     During fiscal 1996, the Company acquired a 10% interest in Turpike
Corporation for a purchase price of $87,500. The investment was written off in
fiscal 1997.
 
(4) SUBORDINATED NOTES PAYABLE
 
     Subordinated notes payable as of October 31, 1997 consists of notes payable
to stockholders and related parties, with interest at rates varying from prime
plus 2% (10.5% at October 31, 1997) to 18%, due in June 1998. The notes are
subordinate to all other senior indebtedness of the Company. Interest expense
related to the subordinated notes totaled $104,130 in 1997.
 
(5) STOCK COMPENSATION PLANS
 
     The Company established a Stock Option Plan in March 1996, whereby. at the
discretion of the Board of Directors (the Board), the Company may grant stock
options to certain key employees of the Company. The option price is determined
by the Board at the time the option is granted, but in no event is less than the
fair market value of the Company's common stock at the date of grant, as
determined by the Board. The options vest over a five year period or, in certain
circumstances, earlier based on the fair value of the Company's common shares,
as defined, and expire ten years from the date of grant. As of October 31, 1997,
no options had been exercised or are exercisable. The weighted-average
contractual life of outstanding options as of October 31, 1997 is approximately
two years.
 
     The following table summarizes option activity for two years ended October
31, 1997:
 
     Options granted during fiscal 1996 at the following exercise price:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                             <C>
Options granted during fiscal 1996 at the following exercise
  price:
  $0.30 per share...........................................     4,410,000
  $0.33 per share...........................................     1,000,000
                                                                ----------
Options outstanding at October 31, 1996.....................     5,410,000
  Options cancelled.........................................    (1,545,000)
                                                                ----------
Options outstanding at October 31, 1997.....................     3,865,000
                                                                ==========
Weighted average exercise price of outstanding options......          $.31
                                                                ==========
</TABLE>
 
     During the years ended October 31, 1996 and 1997, the per share
weighted-average fair value of stock options granted was $.03 on the date of
grant using the Black-Scholes opinion-pricing model with the following
weighted-average assumptions; no dividends or volatility, risk-free interest
rate of 6%, and expected life of two years. If the Company had determined
compensation expense for the years ended October 31, 1996 and 1997 based on the
fair value of the options at the grant dates under SFAS No. 123, net loss would
increase to $1,595,000 and $2,854,000, respectively.
 
(6) RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
 
     The Company provides internet services to a company whose founder and CEO
is a shareholder of ATMnet. Revenue earned by ATMnet from this company totaled
$15,523 and $22,581 during the years ended October 31, 1996 and 1997,
respectively.
 
     Amounts due to related parties are for services provided, are non-interest
bearing and are due within one year.
 
                                      F-108
<PAGE>   276
                                     ATMNET
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
                           OCTOBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
(7) LEASES
 
     The Company leases certain computer and office equipment under capital
leases. The Company also leases office space under noncancelable operating
leases expiring at various dates through 2000. Future minimum annual lease
payments under capital and noncancelable operating leases for each of the years
ending October 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               CAPITAL     OPERATING
                                                               LEASES       LEASES
                                                              ---------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
1998........................................................  $ 161,028     173,868
1999........................................................     22,524     142,068
2000........................................................         --      26,209
                                                              ---------     -------
  Total minimum payments....................................    183,552     342,145
                                                                            =======
Less amount representing interest...........................    (19,039)
                                                              ---------
  Present value of net minimum lease payments...............    164,513
Less current portion........................................   (150,134)
                                                              ---------
                                                              $  14,379
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the years ended October 31, 1996 and 1997 totaled $72,686
and $168,410, respectively.
 
                                      F-109
<PAGE>   277
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Global Internet Network
Services, Inc. (wholly-owned by Global Internet.Com Inc.) as of December 31,
1996 and November 26, 1997, and the related statements of operations,
stockholder's equity (deficit), and cash flows for the year ended December 31,
1996 and the period ended November 26, 1997. These financial statements are the
responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Global Internet Network
Services, Inc. as of December 31, 1996 and November 26, 1997 and, and the
results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31,
1996 and the period ended November 26, 1997 in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
February 20, 1998
 
                                      F-110
<PAGE>   278
 
                     GLOBAL INTERNET NETWORK SERVICES, INC.
                   (WHOLLY-OWNED BY GLOBAL INTERNET.COM INC.)
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                    DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND NOVEMBER 26, 1997
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996         1997
                                                              ----------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>           <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $  132,118       30,681
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $59,777 in 1996 and $86,166 in 1997.................     935,979      449,959
  Receivables from affiliates (note 3)......................      40,497       53,542
  Inventory.................................................     126,020      102,801
  Prepaid expenses and other................................      60,869       83,323
                                                              ----------    ---------
          Total current assets..............................   1,295,483      720,306
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................     557,142      799,179
Other assets................................................       3,864        3,723
                                                              ----------    ---------
          Total assets......................................  $1,856,489    1,523,208
                                                              ==========    =========
 
                   LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY (DEFICIT)
 
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $  631,660      109,651
  Accrued liabilities.......................................      17,996       18,168
  Deferred revenue..........................................     486,167      418,885
  Current portion of obligations under capital leases (note
     4).....................................................      37,828      106,720
  Due to parent (note 3)....................................     942,098           --
                                                              ----------    ---------
          Total current liabilities.........................   2,115,749      653,424
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 4)....      31,687      193,630
                                                              ----------    ---------
          Total liabilities.................................   2,147,436      847,054
                                                              ----------    ---------
Stockholder's equity (deficit):
  Common stock, $1.00 par value, 10,000 shares authorized,
     5,000 shares issued and outstanding....................       5,000        5,000
  Additional paid-in capital................................     245,000    1,412,849
  Accumulated deficit.......................................    (540,947)    (741,695)
                                                              ----------    ---------
     Total stockholder's equity (deficit)...................    (290,947)     676,154
                                                              ----------    ---------
Commitments (note 4)
     Total liabilities and stockholder's equity (deficit)...  $1,856,489    1,523,208
                                                              ==========    =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-111
<PAGE>   279
 
                     GLOBAL INTERNET NETWORK SERVICES, INC.
                   (WHOLLY-OWNED BY GLOBAL INTERNET.COM INC.)
 
                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                        YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND
                         PERIOD ENDED NOVEMBER 26, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996          1997
                                                              ----------    ----------
<S>                                                           <C>           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.........................................  $1,979,201     2,501,037
  Consulting services (note 3)..............................     344,233       564,150
  Computer hardware and software sales (note 3).............     853,396       355,731
  National Science Foundation revenue (note 7)..............     440,119       114,982
  Other.....................................................      80,401       248,816
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total revenue.....................................   3,697,350     3,784,716
                                                              ----------    ----------
Operating expenses:
  Internet services operating costs.........................   1,530,020     1,960,653
  Cost of hardware and software sales.......................     591,227       292,874
  Engineering and network...................................     507,843       425,430
  Marketing and selling.....................................     248,986       238,982
  General and administrative................................     956,052       785,960
  Depreciation and amortization.............................     259,956       280,445
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total operating expenses..........................   4,094,084     3,984,344
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Loss from operations..............................    (396,734)     (199,628)
Other income (expense):
  Interest expense..........................................      (9,897)       (8,229)
  Other, net................................................      43,577         7,109
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Net loss..........................................  $ (363,054)     (200,748)
                                                              ==========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-112
<PAGE>   280
 
                     GLOBAL INTERNET NETWORK SERVICES, INC.
                   (WHOLLY-OWNED BY GLOBAL INTERNET.COM INC.)
 
                  STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY (DEFICIT)
                        YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND
                         PERIOD ENDED NOVEMBER 26, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                          TOTAL
                                                           ADDITIONAL                 STOCKHOLDER'S
                                                  COMMON    PAID-IN     ACCUMULATED      EQUITY
                                                  STOCK     CAPITAL       DEFICIT       (DEFICIT)
                                                  ------   ----------   -----------   -------------
<S>                                               <C>      <C>          <C>           <C>
BALANCES AT JANUARY 1, 1996.....................  $5,000     245,000     (177,893)        72,107
Net loss........................................     --           --     (363,054)      (363,054)
                                                  ------   ---------     --------       --------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1996...................  5,000      245,000     (540,947)      (290,947)
Transfer of net assets to parent (note 6).......     --     (101,088)          --       (101,088)
Conversion of note payable to parent to equity
  (note 6)......................................     --    1,156,437           --      1,156,437
Capital contribution by parent (note 6).........     --      112,500           --        112,500
Net loss........................................     --           --     (200,748)      (200,748)
                                                  ------   ---------     --------       --------
BALANCES AT NOVEMBER 26, 1997...................  $5,000   1,412,849     (741,695)       676,154
                                                  ======   =========     ========       ========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-113
<PAGE>   281
 
                     GLOBAL INTERNET NETWORK SERVICES, INC.
                   (WHOLLY-OWNED BY GLOBAL INTERNET.COM INC.)
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                        YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND
                         PERIOD ENDED NOVEMBER 26, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996        1997
                                                              ---------   ---------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss..................................................  $(363,054)   (200,748)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used by
     operating activities:
     Depreciation and amortization..........................    259,956     280,445
     Provision for bad debts................................     70,445      95,913
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Trade receivables....................................   (231,005)    377,062
       Inventory............................................    (43,335)     23,219
       Other current assets.................................    (26,954)    (22,454)
       Accounts payable.....................................    575,188    (522,009)
       Accrued liabilities..................................   (382,897)        172
       Deferred revenue.....................................     58,277     (67,282)
       Other................................................     (3,241)         --
                                                              ---------   ---------
          Net cash used by operating activities.............    (86,620)    (35,682)
                                                              ---------   ---------
Cash flows from investing activities -- purchases of
  equipment.................................................   (336,795)   (334,161)
                                                              ---------   ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Capital contribution by parent............................         --     112,500
  Advances by parent........................................    544,707     214,339
  Principal payments made under capital lease obligations...    (39,720)    (58,433)
                                                              ---------   ---------
          Net cash provided by financing activities.........    504,987     268,406
                                                              ---------   ---------
          Increase (decrease) in cash.......................     81,572    (101,437)
Cash, beginning of year.....................................     50,546     132,118
                                                              ---------   ---------
Cash, end of year...........................................  $ 132,118      30,681
                                                              =========   =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
  Cash paid during the year for interest....................  $  10,095      15,681
                                                              =========   =========
  Noncash investing and financing activities:
     Equipment acquired through capital lease obligations...  $      --     299,940
                                                              =========   =========
     Transfer of assets to parent...........................  $      --     101,088
                                                              =========   =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-114
<PAGE>   282
 
                     GLOBAL INTERNET NETWORK SERVICES, INC.
                   (WHOLLY-OWNED BY GLOBAL INTERNET.COM INC.)
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                    DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND NOVEMBER 26, 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     Global Internet Network Services, Inc. (the Company) is engaged in
providing regional internet access services, software and hardware consulting
and sales to customers in a ten state region. The Company was incorporated in
Nebraska in September 1987, as Midnet Inc., a nonprofit corporation organized to
promote research, education and economic development. On July 15, 1994, Midnet
Inc. became a for profit corporation and was purchased by Global Internet.Com
Inc. (Parent) on August 8, 1994. On March 12, 1997, the Company changed its
corporate name from Midnet Inc. to Global Internet Network Services, Inc.
 
     Effective November 26, 1997, Verio Inc. (Verio) acquired a 100% ownership
interest in the Company. (see note 6).
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance. Revenue
from consulting services is recognized when services have been rendered. Revenue
from hardware and software sales is recognized upon shipment of the respective
products.
 
  Inventory
 
     Inventory, consisting of systems hardware and software and maintenance
parts and supplies is recorded at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or
market.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment, including any assets held under capital leases, is recorded at
cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and
amortization is recorded using the straight-line method over the estimated
useful lives of the related assets or the lease term, which range from three to
five years. Costs for normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     The Company is included in the tax returns of the Parent. Income taxes are
accounted for under the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (SFAS 109). Under SFAS 109,
deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax consequences of
differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their financial
reporting amounts at each year-end based on enacted tax laws and statutory rates
applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect
taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce
deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
 
     The Company has a net operating loss carryforward of approximately
$518,000, which expires in 2012. No tax benefit has been recorded by the Company
for 1996 or 1997 due to the Company's net loss and the uncertainty regarding the
ultimate utilization of such loss in the consolidated income tax returns of the
Parent. A valuation allowance has been recorded for the entire balance of the
deferred tax asset related to the
 
                                      F-115
<PAGE>   283
                     GLOBAL INTERNET NETWORK SERVICES, INC.
                   (WHOLLY-OWNED BY GLOBAL INTERNET.COM INC.)
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
Company's net loss. Other temporary differences between financial statement and
income tax bases of assets and liabilities are not significant.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk
 
     The Company provides unsecured credit to customers in the normal course of
business. Failure of the customers to pay could result in losses up to the
recorded receivable balances. The Company did not have any customers that
represent greater than 5% of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 1996
and the period ended November 26, 1997, respectively.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     In March 1995, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting for the Impairment of
Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed Of (SFAS 121). This
statement was effective for financial statements for fiscal years beginning
after December 15, 1995. Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be
recorded on long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the
amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the
assets. Assets to be disposed of are reported at lower of the carrying amount or
fair value less costs to sell. SFAS 121 did not have a significant effect on the
Company's financial position or results of operations in 1997 and 1996.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment is comprised of the following:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                             DECEMBER 31,    NOVEMBER 26,
                                                                 1996            1997
                                                             ------------    ------------
<S>                                                          <C>             <C>
Internet and computer equipment............................    $821,921       1,342,321
Furniture and office equipment.............................     137,847         150,254
Leasehold improvements.....................................       1,228           2,001
                                                               --------       ---------
                                                                960,996       1,494,576
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization.............    (403,854)       (695,397)
                                                               --------       ---------
                                                               $557,142         799,179
                                                               ========       =========
</TABLE>
 
(3) TRANSACTIONS WITH PARENT
 
     Amounts due to Parent represent noninterest bearing cash transfers from the
Parent (see note 6).
 
     Hardware and software sales and consulting revenue from affiliates of the
Parent for the year ended December 31, 1996 and the period ended November 27,
1997 were $92,273 and $561,438, respectively.
 
(4) LEASES
 
     The Company leases certain internet and computer equipment under capital
leases. At December 31, 1996 and November 26, 1997, leased equipment was
included in internet and computer equipment with net book values of $80,117 and
$367,003, respectively. The Company also leases office space under a
noncancelable operating lease expiring in November 2002.
 
                                      F-116
<PAGE>   284
                     GLOBAL INTERNET NETWORK SERVICES, INC.
                   (WHOLLY-OWNED BY GLOBAL INTERNET.COM INC.)
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     Future minimum annual lease payments under capital and noncancelable
operating leases for years ending November 30 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               CAPITAL     OPERATING
                                                               LEASES       LEASES
                                                              ---------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
1998........................................................  $ 131,748      47,634
1999........................................................    116,448      50,016
2000........................................................     95,435      52,516
2001........................................................         --      55,142
2002........................................................         --      57,899
                                                              ---------     -------
  Total minimum payments....................................    343,631     263,207
                                                                            =======
Less amount representing interest...........................    (43,281)
                                                              ---------
  Present value of net minimum lease payments...............    300,350
Less current portion........................................   (106,720)
                                                              ---------
                                                              $ 193,630
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the year ended December 31, 1996 and the period ended
November 26, 1997 was $71,738 and $63,724, respectively.
 
(5) EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN
 
     The Parent has a 401(k) (the Plan) covering all employees of the Company
who meet certain eligibility requirements. Employer contributions are not
required and the Parent did not make any contributions to the Plan during the
year ended December 31, 1996 and the period ended November 26, 1997.
 
(6) STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
 
     In connection with the acquisition of common stock of the Company by Verio
Inc. (Verio) amounts due to parent totaling $1,156,437 were converted to equity
and the Parent made a cash contribution to the Company in the amount of
$112,500.
 
     Prior to the Verio acquisition in November 1997, the Company transferred
certain net assets of a division to the Parent in the amount of $101,088, which
division was not acquired by Verio.
 
(7) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANTS
 
     The Company receives grant revenue under contracts with the National
Science Foundation (NSF) to provide network connections to certain
not-for-profit educational institutions. Grant revenue is recognized ratably
over the term of the contract, which is generally twelve months. Grant revenue
amounted to $440,119 and $114,982 for the year ended December 31, 1996 and the
period ended November 26, 1997, respectively. Total amounts receivable at
December 31, 1996 and November 26, 1997 were $65,858 and $16,439, respectively.
 
                                      F-117
<PAGE>   285
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of the Pennsylvania
Research Partnership Network (PREPnet) as of November 30, 1996 and 1997, and the
related statements of operations and owners' deficit, and cash flows for the
years then ended and the period ended December 24, 1997. These financial
statements are the responsibility of PREPnet's management. Our responsibility is
to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of the Pennsylvania Research
Partnership Network (PREPnet) as of November 30, 1996 and 1997, and the results
of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended and for the period
ended December 24, 1997 in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
February 20, 1998
 
                                      F-118
<PAGE>   286
 
                 THE PENNSYLVANIA RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP NETWORK
                                   (PREPNET)
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                           NOVEMBER 30, 1996 AND 1997
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996          1997
                                                              -----------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>            <C>
Current assets:
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $14,631 and $13,313, respectively...................  $    73,943    $ 102,041
  Prepaid expenses and other................................        1,769       15,409
                                                              -----------    ---------
          Total current assets..............................       75,712      117,450
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................      200,538      138,008
                                                              -----------    ---------
          Total assets......................................  $   276,250    $ 255,458
                                                              ===========    =========
 
                           LIABILITIES AND OWNER'S DEFICIT
 
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $    88,639    $ 132,039
  Accrued liabilities.......................................       44,555        3,020
  Current portion of obligations under capital leases (note
     3).....................................................       57,468       56,262
  Deferred revenue..........................................    1,084,501      683,371
                                                              -----------    ---------
          Total current liabilities.........................    1,275,163      874,692
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 3)....       55,502           --
                                                              -----------    ---------
          Total liabilities.................................    1,330,665      874,692
Owners' deficit.............................................   (1,054,415)    (619,234)
Commitments (note 3)
                                                              -----------    ---------
          Total liabilities and owner's deficit.............  $   276,250    $ 255,458
                                                              ===========    =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-119
<PAGE>   287
 
                 THE PENNSYLVANIA RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP NETWORK
                                   (PREPNET)
 
                  STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND OWNERS' DEFICIT
   YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 30, 1996 AND 1997 AND PERIOD ENDED DECEMBER 24, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                     PERIOD ENDED
                                                                                     DECEMBER 24,
                                                            1996          1997           1997
                                                         -----------   -----------   ------------
<S>                                                      <C>           <C>           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services....................................  $ 2,027,682   $ 2,026,439    $  156,459
  Grant revenue (note 4)...............................      194,343        98,711            --
  Other................................................        6,309        22,477            --
                                                         -----------   -----------    ----------
          Total revenue................................    2,228,334     2,147,627       156,459
                                                         -----------   -----------    ----------
Costs and expenses:
  Internet services operating costs....................      588,543       792,684        80,972
  Selling, general and administrative (note 5).........      831,230       773,174        64,625
  Depreciation.........................................       92,251       121,192         8,285
                                                         -----------   -----------    ----------
          Total costs and expenses.....................    1,512,024     1,687,050       153,882
                                                         -----------   -----------    ----------
          Earnings from operations.....................      716,310       460,577         2,577
Interest expense, net..................................      (18,331)      (11,261)         (938)
                                                         -----------   -----------    ----------
          Net earnings.................................      697,979       449,316         1,639
Owners' deficit at beginning of period.................     (726,569)   (1,054,415)     (619,234)
Net advances to owners.................................   (1,025,825)      (14,135)      (23,911)
                                                         -----------   -----------    ----------
Owners' deficit at end of period.......................  $(1,054,415)  $  (619,234)   $ (641,506)
                                                         ===========   ===========    ==========
Pro forma information:
  Historical net earnings..............................  $   697,979   $   449,316    $    1,639
  Pro forma adjustment for income tax expense..........     (265,000)     (171,000)         (600)
                                                         -----------   -----------    ----------
          Pro forma net earnings.......................  $   432,979   $   278,316    $    1,039
                                                         ===========   ===========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-120
<PAGE>   288
 
                 THE PENNSYLVANIA RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP NETWORK
                                   (PREPNET)
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
   YEARS ENDED NOVEMBER 30, 1996 AND 1997 AND PERIOD ENDED DECEMBER 24, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                    PERIOD ENDED
                                                                                    DECEMBER 24,
                                                           1996          1997           1997
                                                        -----------    ---------    ------------
<S>                                                     <C>            <C>          <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net earnings........................................  $   697,979    $ 449,316     $   1,639
  Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash
     provided by operating activities:
     Depreciation.....................................       92,251      121,192         8,285
     Provision for bad debts..........................       14,631       13,313            --
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Trade receivables..............................       58,406      (41,411)      (38,747)
       Prepaid expenses and other assets..............           --      (13,640)        6,294
       Accounts payable and accrued liabilities.......      100,318        1,865        (5,400)
       Deferred revenue...............................      178,313     (401,130)       57,131
                                                        -----------    ---------     ---------
          Net cash provided by operating activities...    1,141,898      129,505        29,202
                                                        -----------    ---------     ---------
Cash flows from investing activities -- purchase of
  equipment...........................................      (61,987)     (58,662)           --
                                                        -----------    ---------     ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Repayments of capital lease obligations.............      (54,086)     (56,708)       (5,291)
  Net advances to owners..............................   (1,025,825)     (14,135)      (23,911)
                                                        -----------    ---------     ---------
          Net cash used by financing activities.......   (1,079,911)     (70,843)      (29,202)
                                                        -----------    ---------     ---------
          Net change in cash and cash at beginning and
            end of period.............................  $        --    $      --     $      --
                                                        ===========    =========     =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow
  information -- cash paid for interest...............  $    18,331    $  11,261     $     938
                                                        ===========    =========     =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-121
<PAGE>   289
 
                 THE PENNSYLVANIA RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP NETWORK
                                   (PREPNET)
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                           NOVEMBER 30, 1996 AND 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     The accompanying financial statements include the accounts of the
Pennsylvania Research Partnership Network (PREPnet), the data communications
network of a consortium of research institutions in Pennsylvania. A joint
venture between Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh
serves as the legal entity and coordinator of the consortium. The accompanying
financial statements have been prepared assuming that PREPnet had been operated
separately as of December 1, 1995 and thereafter. PREPnet provides internet
services to businesses, educational institutions, not-for-profit organizations,
and individual subscribers.
 
     Effective December 24, 1997, the net assets of PREPnet were acquired by
Verio Inc. in a purchase business combination.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. PREPnet
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment, including any assets held under capital leases, is stated at
cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recorded using the
straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets or
the lease term, which is 3 years. Costs for normal repairs and maintenance are
expensed as incurred.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     PREPnet evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed
Of (SFAS 121). Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on
long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment are present
and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets
are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are impaired, the
impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying
amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be disposed
of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to
sell.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     The operations of PREPnet are included in the income tax returns of the
joint venture, which is a non-profit entity and is exempt from income taxes.
However, pro forma information has been included in the accompanying statement
of operations to reflect a pro forma adjustment for income tax expense as if
PREPnet had been a separate taxable entity subject to federal and state income
taxes for all periods presented.
 
                                      F-122
<PAGE>   290
                 THE PENNSYLVANIA RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP NETWORK
                                   (PREPNET)
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statements purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of November 30, 1996 and 1997 approximate their
carrying values based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different
market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect
on the estimated fair values.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at November 30:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996         1997
                                                               ---------    ---------
<S>                                                            <C>          <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................   $ 321,434    $ 376,014
Furniture and office equipment..............................       5,854        9,936
                                                               ---------    ---------
                                                                 327,288      385,950
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization..............    (126,750)    (247,942)
                                                               ---------    ---------
                                                               $ 200,538    $ 138,008
                                                               =========    =========
</TABLE>
 
(3) COMMITMENTS
 
     PREPnet leases certain computer and office equipment under capital leases.
PREPnet also leases office space under noncancelable operating leases expiring
at various dates through 2001.
 
     Future minimum annual lease payments under capital and noncancelable
operating leases for each of the years ending November 30 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              CAPITAL     OPERATING
                                                               LEASES      LEASES
                                                              --------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
1998........................................................  $ 58,810    $ 50,731
1999........................................................        --      50,341
2000........................................................        --      27,867
2001........................................................        --      49,171
                                                              --------    --------
  Total minimum payments....................................    58,810    $178,110
                                                                          ========
Less amount representing interest...........................    (2,548)
                                                              --------
  Present value of net minimum lease payments...............    56,262
Less current portion........................................   (56,262)
                                                              --------
                                                              $     --
                                                              ========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the years ended November 30, 1996 and 1997 and the period
ended December 24, 1997 was $47,674, $73,218 and $6,102, respectively.
 
(4) GRANT REVENUE
 
     PREPnet receives grant revenue from the National Science Foundation and
other government agencies to provide network connections to certain
not-for-profit educational institutions. Grant revenue is recognized ratably
over the term of the contract, which is generally twelve months. Total deferred
grant revenue at November 30, 1996 was $71,667.
 
                                      F-123
<PAGE>   291
                 THE PENNSYLVANIA RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP NETWORK
                                   (PREPNET)
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
(5) RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
 
     Carnegie Mellon University provides administrative support and use of
facilities to PREPnet and allocates the cost of these services to the entity.
Such allocations totalled approximately $69,188 and $81,886 for the years ended
November 30, 1996 and 1997, respectively.
 
                                      F-124
<PAGE>   292
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Monumental Network
Systems, Inc. as of December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the related statements of
operations, stockholders' deficit, and cash flows for the years then ended.
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management.
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based
on our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Monumental Network Systems,
Inc. as of December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the results of its operations and its
cash flows for the years then ended in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
February 25, 1998
 
                                      F-125
<PAGE>   293
 
                        MONUMENTAL NETWORK SYSTEMS, INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996          1997
                                                              ---------    -----------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $  63,693    $        --
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $15,363 and $41,207.................................    138,263        214,440
                                                              ---------    -----------
          Total current assets..............................    201,956        214,440
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................    359,327        440,406
Other assets, net...........................................     17,664         66,562
                                                              ---------    -----------
          Total assets......................................  $ 578,947    $   721,408
                                                              =========    ===========
 
                        LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
 
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $ 186,526    $   258,319
  Accrued liabilities.......................................     23,052        163,436
  Current portion of notes payable (note 3):
     Related party..........................................     30,025        132,954
     Other..................................................      9,789         49,694
  Current portion of obligations under capital lease (note
     4).....................................................     70,736         82,194
  Deferred revenue..........................................    326,924        573,057
  Cash overdraft............................................         --        166,157
                                                              ---------    -----------
          Total current liabilities.........................    647,052      1,425,811
Notes payable, less current portion (note 3)................      8,915         21,067
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 4)....    114,764         97,208
                                                              ---------    -----------
          Total liabilities.................................    770,731      1,544,086
Stockholders' deficit:
  Common stock, $1.00 par value, 500,000 shares authorized,
     300,944 and 302,779 shares issued and outstanding as of
     December 31, 1996 and 1997.............................    300,944        302,779
  Additional paid-in capital................................    197,494        199,329
  Accumulated deficit.......................................   (690,222)    (1,324,786)
                                                              ---------    -----------
          Total stockholders' deficit.......................   (191,784)      (822,678)
Commitments (note 4)
                                                              ---------    -----------
          Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit.......  $ 578,947    $   721,408
                                                              =========    ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-126
<PAGE>   294
 
                        MONUMENTAL NETWORK SYSTEMS, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996          1997
                                                              ----------    ----------
<S>                                                           <C>           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.........................................  $1,250,789    $2,425,121
  Computer hardware and software sales......................      95,557        41,733
  Other.....................................................      24,197         4,653
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total revenue.....................................   1,370,543     2,471,507
                                                              ----------    ----------
Operating expenses:
  Internet services operating costs.........................     385,439       743,524
  Cost of hardware and software sales.......................     198,486       417,559
  Selling, general and administrative.......................   1,246,716     1,756,956
  Depreciation..............................................      74,607       172,092
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total operating expenses..........................   1,905,248     3,090,131
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Loss from operations..............................    (534,705)     (618,624)
Interest expense, net.......................................      18,448        15,940
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Net loss..........................................  $ (553,153)   $ (634,564)
                                                              ==========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-127
<PAGE>   295
 
                        MONUMENTAL NETWORK SYSTEMS, INC.
 
                      STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                               TOTAL
                                              COMMON STOCK      ADDITIONAL                 STOCKHOLDERS'
                                           ------------------    PAID-IN     ACCUMULATED      EQUITY
                                           SHARES     AMOUNT     CAPITAL       DEFICIT       (DEFICIT)
                                           -------   --------   ----------   -----------   -------------
<S>                                        <C>       <C>        <C>          <C>           <C>
BALANCES AT JANUARY 1, 1996..............  114,015   $114,015    $     --    $  (137,069)    $ (23,054)
Issuance of common shares for cash.......  100,000    100,000     100,000             --       200,000
Issuance of common shares for services or
  equipment..............................   86,929     86,929      97,494             --       184,423
Net loss.................................       --         --          --       (553,153)     (553,153)
                                           -------   --------    --------    -----------     ---------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1996............  300,944    300,944     197,494       (690,222)     (191,784)
Issuance of common shares for cash.......    1,000      1,000       1,000             --         2,000
Issuance of common shares for services...      835        835         835             --         1,670
Net loss.................................       --         --          --       (634,564)     (634,564)
                                           -------   --------    --------    -----------     ---------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1997............  302,779   $302,779    $199,329    $(1,324,786)    $(822,678)
                                           =======   ========    ========    ===========     =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-128
<PAGE>   296
 
                        MONUMENTAL NETWORK SYSTEMS, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996         1997
                                                              ---------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss..................................................  $(553,153)   $(634,564)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used by
     operating activities:
     Depreciation...........................................     74,607      172,092
     Provision for bad debts................................     15,363      170,634
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Trade receivables....................................   (127,442)    (246,811)
       Other assets.........................................    (15,691)     (48,898)
       Accounts payable.....................................    120,414       71,793
       Accrued liabilities..................................     13,704      140,384
       Deferred revenue.....................................    278,172      246,133
                                                              ---------    ---------
          Net cash used by operating activities.............   (194,026)    (129,237)
                                                              ---------    ---------
Cash flows from investing activities -- purchases of
  equipment.................................................   (142,367)    (178,377)
                                                              ---------    ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Net change in cash overdraft..............................         --      166,157
  Borrowings under note payable to related parties..........     30,848      130,000
  Principal payments on note payable to related parties.....       (823)     (27,071)
  Borrowings under notes payable............................     18,704       66,229
  Repayments of notes payable...............................         --      (14,172)
  Principal payments on capital lease obligations...........    (36,824)     (80,892)
  Issuance of common stock..................................    384,423        3,670
                                                              ---------    ---------
          Net cash provided by financing activities.........    396,328      243,921
                                                              ---------    ---------
          Increase (decrease) in cash.......................     59,935      (63,693)
Cash at beginning of year...................................      3,758       63,693
                                                              ---------    ---------
Cash at end of year.........................................  $  63,693    $      --
                                                              =========    =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information -- cash
  paid during the year for interest.........................  $  18,739    $  16,508
                                                              =========    =========
Noncash investing and financing activities -- equipment
  acquired through capital lease obligations................  $ 219,242    $  74,794
                                                              =========    =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-129
<PAGE>   297
 
                        MONUMENTAL NETWORK SYSTEMS, INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     Monumental Network Systems, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated in the
State of Virginia on April 13, 1994. The Company's business consists of
providing regional internet access services, hardware and software sales, and
consulting to customers in Virginia, Maryland and the Washington D.C. area.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
     Effective December 31, 1997, Verio Inc. acquired all of the outstanding
common stock of the Company.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment, including any assets held under capital leases, is stated at
cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recorded using the
straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, or
over the lease term, which range from three to seven years. Costs for normal
repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed
Of (SFAS 121). Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on
long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment are present
and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets
are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are considered to be
impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the
carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be
disposed of are reported at lower of the carrying amount or fair value less
costs to sell.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance.
 
     Revenue from consulting services is recognized when services have been
rendered.
 
     Revenue from hardware and software sales is recognized upon shipment of the
respective products, if significant future vendor obligations do not exist and
collectibility is probable.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     Income taxes are accounted for under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (SFAS 109).
Under SFAS 109, deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax
consequences of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and
their financial reporting amounts at each year-end based on enacted tax laws and
statutory rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected
to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary,
to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
 
                                      F-130
<PAGE>   298
                        MONUMENTAL NETWORK SYSTEMS, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of December 31, 1996 and 1997 approximate their
carrying values based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different
market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect
on the estimated fair values.
 
     Customers who operate in Virginia, Maryland and the Washington D.C. area
represent substantially all of the Company's customer base. No single customer
comprised more than 10% of accounts receivable or total revenue as of or for the
years ended December 31, 1996 or 1997.
 
  Stock-Based Compensation
 
     The Company accounts for its stock-based employee compensation plan using
the intrinsic value based method prescribed by Accounting Principles Board
Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, and related
interpretations (APB 25). The Company has provided pro forma disclosures of net
loss as if the fair value based method of accounting for the plan, as prescribed
by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123, Accounting for
Stock-Based Compensation (SFAS 123), had been applied. Pro forma disclosures
include the effects of employee stock options granted during the years ended
December 31, 1996 and 1997.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at December 31:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996        1997
                                                              --------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Equipment...................................................  $413,615    $ 642,498
Furniture and office equipment..............................    39,310       55,505
Leasehold improvements......................................        --        8,093
                                                              --------    ---------
                                                               452,925      706,096
Less accumulated depreciation...............................   (93,598)    (265,690)
                                                              --------    ---------
                                                              $359,327    $ 440,406
                                                              ========    =========
</TABLE>
 
     Equipment includes assets held under capital leases with a net book value
of $198,445 and $201,745 at December 31, 1996 and 1997, respectively.
Depreciation expense totaled $74,607 and $172,092 for the years ended December
31, 1996 and 1997, respectively.
 
(3) DEBT
 
     Notes payable consists of the following as of December 31, 1996 and 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               1996        1997
                                                              -------    --------
<S>                                                           <C>        <C>
Notes payable with interest rates ranging from 8.25% to
  8.39%, secured by vehicles due through 2002...............  $14,319    $ 34,625
Unsecured notes payable to vendors with interest at 15% due
  in 1998...................................................    4,385      36,136
                                                              -------    --------
                                                               18,704      70,761
Less current portion........................................   (9,789)    (49,694)
                                                              -------    --------
                                                              $ 8,915    $ 21,067
                                                              =======    ========
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-131
<PAGE>   299
                        MONUMENTAL NETWORK SYSTEMS, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     During 1996, the Company issued notes payable to stockholders of the
Company in the amount of $30,848, with interest at 6%, and monthly payments of
principal and interest due in various dates through 1998. The total unpaid
balance as of December 31, 1997 was $30,025.
 
     During 1997, the Company issued additional notes payable to stockholders of
the Company totaling $130,000, which bear interest at 9%, with interest payable
annually, and are due on demand.
 
(4) COMMITMENTS
 
     The Company leases certain computer and office equipment under capital
leases. The Company also leases office space under noncancelable operating
leases expiring at various dates through 2001. Future minimum annual lease
payments under capital and noncancelable operating leases for each of the years
ending December 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              CAPITAL    OPERATING
                                                               LEASES     LEASES
                                                              --------   ---------
<S>                                                           <C>        <C>
1998........................................................  $103,978    $29,132
1999........................................................    66,919      5,736
2000........................................................    39,031      1,710
2001........................................................     3,818         --
                                                              --------    -------
  Total minimum payments....................................   213,746    $36,578
                                                                          =======
Less amount representing interest...........................   (34,344)
                                                              --------
  Present value of net minimum lease payments...............   179,402
Less current portion........................................   (82,194)
                                                              --------
                                                              $ 97,208
                                                              ========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997 was $38,967 and
$53,084, respectively.
 
(5) INCOME TAXES
 
     As of December 31, 1997, the Company has a net operating loss carryforward
of approximately $470,000 which will expire in 2012, if not utilized. A
valuation allowance has been recorded for the entire deferred tax asset related
primarily to the net operating loss carryforward due to the uncertainty relating
to the realization of the benefit of the deferred tax asset in the future.
 
(6) STOCK OPTION PLAN
 
     The Company's 1997 Option Plan (the Plan) was adopted by the Board of
Directors and approved by the stockholders of the Company on January 1, 1997.
The Plan provides that salaried officers or key employees, non-employee
directors, and consultants who provide services to the Company may, at the
discretion of the plan administrator, be granted Incentive or Non-statutory
stock options to purchase shares of common stock. 200,000 shares of the
Company's common stock have been authorized for issuance under the Plan, of
which 11,872 incentive stock options were granted in 1997, with an exercise
price of $2.00 per share. None of the options were exercised or canceled during
1997.
 
     Options vest 25% on the first anniversary of the option grant date and 25%
on each of the following three anniversary dates. As of December 31, 1997, no
options were vested or exercisable. The weighted average contractual term of
outstanding options was approximately 9 years at December 31, 1997.
 
     The per share weighted-average fair value of stock options granted was $.33
on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the
following weighted-average assumptions; expected dividend yield
 
                                      F-132
<PAGE>   300
                        MONUMENTAL NETWORK SYSTEMS, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
0%, risk-free interest rate of 6%, and expected life of three years. If the
Company determined compensation expense in 1997 based on the fair value of the
options at the grant date under SFAS No. 123, net loss would not have been
significantly different from the historical results of operations other than for
compensation expense recognized for options granted at less than fair value, as
discussed below.
 
     None of the incentive stock option shares were exercisable or vested as of
December 31, 1997. However, in accordance with the acquisition agreement between
the Company and Verio Inc., Monumental Network Systems, Inc. purchased the
11,872 options outstanding as of December 31,1997 at fair market value, less the
exercise price per share, and recorded a charge to operations of $84,152.
 
                                      F-133
<PAGE>   301
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Internet Servers, Inc.
as of December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the related statements of operations,
stockholders' equity, and cash flows for the period from inception (August 23,
1995) to December 31, 1995 and the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997. These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Internet Servers, Inc. as of
December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the results of its operations and its cash flows
for the period from inception (August 23, 1995) to December 31, 1995 and the
years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997 in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
March 2, 1998
 
                                      F-134
<PAGE>   302
 
                             INTERNET SERVERS, INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996         1997
                                                              --------    ----------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Current assets:
  Cash and cash equivalents.................................  $ 18,021    $1,161,510
  Receivables:
     Trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of
      $11,029 in 1997.......................................    98,675       220,571
     Employees..............................................        --        67,000
  Prepaid expenses and other................................        --        85,478
                                                              --------    ----------
          Total current assets..............................   116,696     1,534,559
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................   484,240       714,205
                                                              --------    ----------
          Total assets......................................  $600,936    $2,248,764
                                                              ========    ==========
 
                 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $ 35,061    $  118,241
  Accrued liabilities.......................................    11,731       159,366
  Income taxes payable......................................   111,314       316,456
  Deferred revenue..........................................        --        14,388
                                                              --------    ----------
          Total current liabilities.........................   158,106       608,451
Stockholders' equity (note 5):
  Common stock, no par value, 100,000 shares authorized,
     10,895 and 11,092 shares issued and outstanding........    70,918       426,129
  Retained earnings.........................................   371,912     1,214,184
                                                              --------    ----------
          Total stockholders' equity........................   442,830     1,640,313
Commitments (note 4)
                                                              --------    ----------
          Total liabilities and stockholders' equity........  $600,936    $2,248,764
                                                              ========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-135
<PAGE>   303
 
                             INTERNET SERVERS, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
        PERIOD FROM INCEPTION (AUGUST 23, 1995) TO DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                        PERIOD FROM
                                                         INCEPTION
                                                        (AUGUST 23,
                                                          1995) TO
                                                        DECEMBER 31,
                                                            1995           1996          1997
                                                        ------------    ----------    ----------
<S>                                                     <C>             <C>           <C>
Revenue:
  Enhanced services...................................    $48,380       $1,507,875    $3,476,045
  Internet services...................................         --               --       704,187
  Other...............................................      2,520               --       211,962
                                                          -------       ----------    ----------
          Total revenue...............................     50,900        1,507,875     4,392,194
                                                          =======       ==========    ==========
Operating costs and expenses:
  Enhanced and internet services operating costs......      8,240          631,111     1,820,757
  Selling, general and administrative.................     35,698          166,751       721,337
  Depreciation........................................      5,728           90,343       259,984
                                                          -------       ----------    ----------
          Total costs and expenses....................     49,666          888,205     2,802,078
                                                          -------       ----------    ----------
          Earnings from operations....................      1,234          619,670     1,590,116
Other income, net.....................................         --              322        26,215
                                                          -------       ----------    ----------
          Earnings before income taxes................      1,234          619,992     1,616,331
Income tax expense (note 3)...........................         --         (111,314)     (602,059)
                                                          -------       ----------    ----------
          Net earnings................................    $ 1,234       $  508,678    $1,014,272
                                                          =======       ==========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-136
<PAGE>   304
 
                             INTERNET SERVERS, INC.
 
                       STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
        PERIOD FROM INCEPTION (AUGUST 23, 1995) TO DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                    COMMON STOCK
                                                 ------------------     RETAINED
                                                 SHARES     AMOUNT      EARNINGS       TOTAL
                                                 ------    --------    ----------    ----------
<S>                                              <C>       <C>         <C>           <C>
BALANCES AT INCEPTION.........................       --    $     --    $       --    $       --
Issuances of common stock for cash............    9,800      13,000            --        13,000
Net earnings..................................       --          --         1,234         1,234
                                                 ------    --------    ----------    ----------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1995.................    9,800      13,000         1,234        14,234
Issuance of common stock for services.........    1,095      57,918            --        57,918
Dividends paid in cash........................       --          --      (138,000)     (138,000)
Net earnings..................................       --          --       508,678       508,678
                                                 ------    --------    ----------    ----------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1996.................   10,895      70,918       371,912       442,830
Issuance of common stock for services.........      197     355,211            --       355,211
Dividends paid in cash........................       --          --      (172,000)     (172,000)
Net earnings..................................       --          --     1,014,272     1,014,272
                                                 ------    --------    ----------    ----------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1997.................   11,092    $426,129    $1,214,184    $1,640,313
                                                 ======    ========    ==========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-137
<PAGE>   305
 
                             INTERNET SERVERS, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
        PERIOD FROM INCEPTION (AUGUST 23, 1995) TO DECEMBER 31, 1995 AND
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                         PERIOD FROM
                                                          INCEPTION
                                                         (AUGUST 23,
                                                           1995) TO
                                                         DECEMBER 31,
                                                             1995          1996          1997
                                                         ------------    ---------    ----------
<S>                                                      <C>             <C>          <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net earnings.........................................    $  1,234      $ 508,678    $1,014,272
  Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash
     provided by operating activities:
     Depreciation......................................       5,728         90,343       259,984
     Provision for bad debts...........................          --             --        58,371
     Common stock issued for services..................          --         57,918       355,211
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Receivables.....................................     (12,611)       (86,064)     (247,267)
       Prepaid expenses and other......................          --             --       (85,478)
       Accounts payable................................      13,224         21,837        83,180
       Accrued liabilities.............................       4,896          6,835       147,635
       Income taxes payable............................          --        111,314       205,142
       Deferred revenue................................          --             --        14,388
                                                           --------      ---------    ----------
          Net cash provided by operating activities....      12,471        710,861     1,805,438
                                                           --------      ---------    ----------
Cash flows from investing activities -- purchases of
  equipment............................................     (35,144)      (545,167)     (489,949)
                                                           --------      ---------    ----------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Borrowings on debt...................................       7,000             --            --
  Repayments of debt...................................          --         (7,000)           --
  Proceeds from issuance of common stock...............      13,000             --            --
  Dividends............................................          --       (138,000)     (172,000)
  Net change in cash overdraft.........................       2,673         (2,673)           --
                                                           --------      ---------    ----------
          Net cash provided (used) by financing
            activities.................................      22,673       (147,673)     (172,000)
                                                           --------      ---------    ----------
          Increase in cash and cash equivalents........          --         18,021     1,143,489
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period.......          --             --        18,021
                                                           --------      ---------    ----------
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period.............    $     --      $  18,021    $1,161,510
                                                           ========      =========    ==========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information --
  cash paid during the year for income taxes...........    $     --      $  40,000    $  349,743
                                                           ========      =========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-138
<PAGE>   306
 
                             INTERNET SERVERS, INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     Internet Servers, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated in the State of Utah
on August 23, 1995. The Company's business consists of providing regional
internet enhanced services and consulting to customers in Utah and throughout
the Western states.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
     Effective December 31, 1997, Verio Inc. acquired 100% of the outstanding
common stock of the Company.
 
  Cash and Cash Equivalents
 
     The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original
maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Revenue related to enhanced and internet services is recognized as the
services are provided. Enhanced services consists primarily of web hosting
services to customers. The Company records deferred revenue for accounts billed
and/or collected in advance.
 
     Revenue from hardware and software sales is recognized upon shipment of the
respective products if the Company's future obligations are not significant and
collectibility is probable.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment is stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is
provided over the estimated useful lives of the assets ranging from three to
seven years using the straight-line method. Costs for normal repairs and
maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed
Of (SFAS 121). SFAS 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on long-lived
assets used in operations including goodwill when indications of impairment are
present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
impaired the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the
carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets.
Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying value or fair
value less costs to sell.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     From inception to September 1, 1996, the Company elected to be treated as a
subchapter S Corporation for income tax purposes. Accordingly, taxable income
through September 1, 1996 was included in the income tax returns of the
shareholders. On September 1, 1996, the Company converted to a C Corporation.
 
                                      F-139
<PAGE>   307
                             INTERNET SERVERS, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The Company accounts for income taxes under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (SFAS 109).
SFAS 109 requires recognition of deferred tax liabilities and assets for the
expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the
financial statements or tax returns. Under this method deferred tax liabilities
and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial
statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in
effect for the year in which the difference is expected to reverse.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of December 31, 1996 and 1997 approximate their
carrying values based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different
market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect
on the estimated fair values.
 
     Customers who operate in Utah represent substantially all of the Company's
customer base and accounts receivable. However, no single customer comprised
more than 10% of accounts receivable or total revenue as of or for the years
ended December 31, 1995, 1996 or 1997.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at December 31:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996         1997
                                                              --------    ----------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................  $561,296    $1,044,691
Furniture and office equipment..............................    19,015        25,569
                                                              --------    ----------
                                                               580,311     1,070,260
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization..............   (96,071)     (356,055)
                                                              --------    ----------
                                                              $484,240    $  714,205
                                                              ========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
(3) INCOME TAXES
 
     Income tax expense consists of the following for the years ended December
31:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                   1996        1997
                                                 --------    --------
<S>                                              <C>         <C>
Current:
  Federal......................................  $ 91,314    $548,794
  State........................................    20,000      53,265
                                                 --------    --------
                                                 $111,314    $602,059
                                                 ========    ========
</TABLE>
 
     Income tax expense for the years ended December 31 differs from the amounts
computed using the federal statutory tax rate of 34% to earnings before income
taxes as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996         1997
                                                              ---------    --------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
Expected tax expense........................................  $ 210,797    $549,553
State income taxes, net of federal benefit..................     20,460      53,341
S Corporation taxable income................................   (120,693)         --
Other.......................................................        750        (835)
                                                              ---------    --------
          Actual income tax expense.........................  $ 111,314    $602,059
                                                              =========    ========
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-140
<PAGE>   308
                             INTERNET SERVERS, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     Temporary differences in the bases of assets and liabilities for financial
statement and income tax purposes are not significant as of December 31, 1996
and 1997.
 
(4) COMMITMENTS
 
     The Company leases certain computer equipment and office space under
noncancelable operating leases expiring at various dates through 2000. Future
minimum annual lease payments under noncancelable operating leases for each of
the years ending December 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                 <C>
1998..............................................  $359,139
1999..............................................   345,684
2000..............................................   148,654
                                                    --------
Total minimum payments............................  $853,477
                                                    ========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997 was $14,500 and
$241,402, respectively.
 
(5) STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
     On October 21, 1996, the Company entered into an employment agreement with
an officer. The agreement included a compensation and benefit package which also
included a long-term incentive provision consisting of the granting of shares of
the Company's common stock equal to two percent of the total common shares
outstanding. As of December 31, 1996, 25 shares had been issued resulting in
compensation expense of $45,078 based on the estimated fair value of the stock,
as determined by the Company's Board of Directors.
 
     In accordance with the acquisition agreement between the Company and Verio
Inc., the unvested shares under the employment agreement were fully vested at
December 31, 1997. An additional 197 shares were issued as of December 31, 1997
and compensation expense of $355,211 was recognized by the Company based on the
estimated fair value of the stock using the acquisition price in the Verio Inc.
transaction.
 
                                      F-141
<PAGE>   309
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of NSNet, Inc. as of
December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the related statements of operations, owner's
and stockholder's equity, and cash flows for the years then ended. These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of NSNet, Inc. as of December
31, 1996 and 1997, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the
years then ended in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
March 13, 1998
 
                                      F-142
<PAGE>   310
 
                                  NSNET, INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
                                ASSETS (NOTE 3)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996        1997
                                                              --------    --------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $  4,188    $ 20,169
  Receivables:
     Trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $3,133
      and $12,158 in 1996 and 1997, respectively............    27,494      85,881
     Other..................................................        --      20,377
  Prepaid expenses and other................................   124,829     333,130
                                                              --------    --------
          Total current assets..............................   156,511     459,557
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................   177,410     378,874
Other assets................................................        --      67,665
                                                              --------    --------
          Total assets......................................  $333,921    $906,096
                                                              ========    ========
 
LIABILITIES AND OWNER'S AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
 
Current liabilities:
  Cash overdraft............................................  $ 41,057    $     --
  Accounts payable..........................................     7,614      94,252
  Accrued liabilities.......................................    37,778      44,866
  Revolving lines of credit (note 3)........................        --     200,000
  Current portion of capital lease obligations (note 4).....        --      34,231
  Deferred revenue and customer advances....................    42,827      82,699
                                                              --------    --------
          Total current liabilities.........................   129,276     456,048
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 4)....        --      61,636
                                                              --------    --------
          Total liabilities.................................   129,276     517,684
Owner's and Stockholder's equity:
  Owner's equity............................................   204,645          --
  Common stock, no par value, 2,000,000 shares authorized,
     100,000 shares issued and outstanding at December 31,
     1997...................................................        --     204,645
  Retained earnings.........................................        --     183,767
                                                              --------    --------
          Total owner's and stockholder's equity............   204,645     388,412
Commitments (note 4)
                                                              --------    --------
          Total liabilities and owner's and stockholder's
            equity..........................................  $333,921    $906,096
                                                              ========    ========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-143
<PAGE>   311
 
                                  NSNET, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996         1997
                                                               --------    ----------
<S>                                                            <C>         <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.........................................   $887,939    $1,832,374
  Other.....................................................         --        14,550
                                                               --------    ----------
          Total revenue.....................................    887,939     1,846,924
                                                               --------    ----------
Operating expenses:
  Internet services operating costs.........................    210,517       471,247
  Selling, general and administrative.......................    485,128       938,523
  Depreciation..............................................     61,106       126,301
                                                               --------    ----------
          Total operating expenses..........................    756,751     1,536,071
                                                               --------    ----------
          Earnings from operations..........................    131,188       310,853
Other income (expense), net.................................      1,885        (5,508)
                                                               --------    ----------
          Net earnings......................................   $133,073       305,345
                                                               ========    ==========
Pro forma information:
  Historical net earnings...................................    133,073       305,345
  Pro forma adjustment for income tax expense...............    (51,000)     (116,000)
                                                               --------    ----------
          Pro forma net earnings............................   $ 82,073    $  189,345
                                                               ========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-144
<PAGE>   312
 
                                  NSNET, INC.
 
                 STATEMENTS OF OWNER'S AND STOCKHOLDER'S EQUITY
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                         TOTAL
                                                   OWNER'S     COMMON    RETAINED    STOCKHOLDER'S
                                                   EQUITY      STOCK     EARNINGS       EQUITY
                                                  ---------   --------   ---------   -------------
<S>                                               <C>         <C>        <C>         <C>
BALANCES AT JANUARY 1, 1996.....................  $  75,037   $     --   $      --     $  75,037
  Distributions.................................     (3,465)        --          --        (3,465)
  Net earnings..................................    133,073         --          --       133,073
                                                  ---------   --------   ---------     ---------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1996...................    204,645         --          --       204,645
  Issuance of common stock upon incorporation
     (note 1)...................................   (204,645)   204,645          --            --
  Distributions.................................         --         --    (121,578)     (121,578)
  Net earnings..................................         --         --     305,345       305,345
                                                  ---------   --------   ---------     ---------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1997...................  $      --   $204,645   $ 183,767     $ 388,412
                                                  =========   ========   =========     =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-145
<PAGE>   313
 
                                  NSNET, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996         1997
                                                              ---------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net earnings..............................................  $ 133,073    $ 305,345
  Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided
     by operating activities:
     Depreciation...........................................     61,106      126,301
     Provision for bad debts................................      3,133       24,334
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Receivables..........................................    (17,073)    (103,098)
       Prepaid expenses and other...........................   (124,829)    (208,301)
       Accounts payable and accrued liabilities.............     26,911       93,726
       Deferred revenue and customer advances...............     25,647       39,872
                                                              ---------    ---------
          Net cash provided by operating activities.........    107,968      278,179
                                                              ---------    ---------
Cash flows from investing activities:
  Purchases of equipment....................................   (141,372)    (217,958)
  Increase in other assets..................................         --      (67,665)
                                                              ---------    ---------
          Net cash used by investing activities.............   (141,372)    (285,623)
                                                              ---------    ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Cash overdraft............................................     41,057      (41,057)
  Borrowings under revolving lines of credit................         --      240,000
  Repayments under revolving lines of credit................         --      (40,000)
  Principal payments under capital lease obligations........         --      (13,940)
  Distributions.............................................     (3,465)    (121,578)
                                                              ---------    ---------
          Net cash provided by financing activities.........     37,592       23,425
                                                              ---------    ---------
          Increase in cash..................................      4,188       15,981
Cash at beginning of year...................................         --        4,188
                                                              ---------    ---------
Cash at end of year.........................................  $   4,188    $  20,169
                                                              =========    =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information -- cash
  paid during the year for interest.........................  $      --    $   5,508
                                                              =========    =========
Noncash investing and financing activities -- equipment
  acquired through capital lease obligations................  $      --    $ 109,807
                                                              =========    =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-146
<PAGE>   314
 
                                  NSNET, INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     NSNet, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated as a subchapter S Corporation in
the State of California on January 1, 1997. Prior to incorporation, the Company
was operating as NextGen Systems Internet Services, a sole proprietorship formed
in 1992. All assets and liabilities of the sole proprietorship were contributed
to the Company upon incorporation and recorded at historical cost. The Company
provides internet access services to customers in California.
 
     Effective February 27, 1998, Verio Inc. acquired 100% of the outstanding
common stock of the Company.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for accounts billed and/or collected in advance.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment, including assets held under capital leases, is stated at cost,
less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recorded using the straight-line
method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the related assets or
the lease term, which is three years. Costs for normal repairs and maintenance
are expensed as incurred.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed
Of (SFAS 121). SFAS 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on long-lived
assets used in operations, including goodwill, when indications of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the
carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets.
Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying value or fair
value, less costs to sell.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     No provision for income taxes has been included in the accompanying
financial statement for 1996 or 1997 due to the Company's status as a sole
proprietorship and subchapter S Corporation. Accordingly, net earnings as of
December 31, 1996 were included in owner's equity and taxable income has been
included in the tax returns of the owner and stockholder. However, pro forma
information has been included in the accompanying statements of operations to
reflect a pro forma adjustment for income tax expense as if the Company had been
a separate taxable entity subject to federal and state income taxes for both
years presented.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair
 
                                      F-147
<PAGE>   315
                                  NSNET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
values of all financial instruments as of December 31, 1996 and 1997 approximate
their carrying values based on their terms and interest rates. The use of
different market assumptions and/or estimation methodologies may have a
significant effect on the estimated fair values.
 
     Customers who operate in California represent substantially all of the
Company's customer base. No single customer comprised more than 10% of accounts
receivable or total revenue as of or for the years ended December 31, 1996 or
1997.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at December 31:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996        1997
                                                              --------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................  $255,112    $ 568,239
Furniture...................................................    10,000       24,638
                                                              --------    ---------
                                                               265,112      592,877
Less accumulated depreciation...............................   (87,702)    (214,003)
                                                              --------    ---------
                                                              $177,410    $ 378,874
                                                              ========    =========
</TABLE>
 
     Equipment includes assets held under capital leases with a net book value
of $94,248 at December 31, 1997.
 
(3) DEBT
 
     At December 31, 1997, the Company had a $150,000 unsecured revolving line
of credit agreement with a bank, under which $100,000 was outstanding.
Borrowings under the line bear interest at the bank's prime rate plus 2.975%
(11.475% at December 31, 1997), and are due in 1998. The agreement included
various restrictive covenants including limitations on indebtedness and payment
of dividends. As of December 31, 1997, the Company was not in compliance with
the restrictions on additional indebtedness. All borrowings under this line were
paid in full subsequent to the acquisition by Verio, Inc.
 
     At December 31, 1997, the Company had an additional $125,000 revolving line
of credit agreement with a second bank, secured by substantially all of the
assets of the Company, under which $100,000 was outstanding. Borrowings under
the line bear interest at the bank's prime rate plus 1.5% (10% at December 31,
1997), and are due in 1998.
 
(4) COMMITMENTS
 
     The Company leases certain computer and office equipment under capital
leases. The Company also leases office space under noncancelable operating
leases expiring at various dates through 2002. Future
 
                                      F-148
<PAGE>   316
                                  NSNET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
minimum annual lease payments under capital and noncancelable operating leases
for each of the years ending December 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              CAPITAL     OPERATING
                                                               LEASES      LEASES
                                                              --------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
1998........................................................  $ 43,434    $ 95,767
1999........................................................    43,434     110,092
2000........................................................    23,227     114,004
2001........................................................        --     118,862
2002........................................................        --     108,956
                                                              --------    --------
  Total minimum payments....................................   110,095    $547,681
                                                                          ========
Less amount representing interest...........................   (14,228)
                                                              --------
  Present value of net minimum lease payments...............    95,867
Less current portion........................................   (34,231)
                                                              --------
                                                              $ 61,636
                                                              ========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997 totaled $19,801
and $34,082, respectively.
 
                                      F-149
<PAGE>   317
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of Access One, Inc. as of
December 31, 1997 and the related statements of operations and accumulated
deficit, and cash flows for the year then ended. These financial statements are
the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express
an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit.
 
     We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Access One, Inc. as of
December 31, 1997, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the
year then ended in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
April 9, 1998
 
                                      F-150
<PAGE>   318
 
                                ACCESS ONE, INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEET
                               DECEMBER 31, 1997
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $  259,144
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $148,040 (note 3)...................................     344,773
  Inventory.................................................      40,635
  Prepaid expenses and other................................     105,365
                                                              ----------
          Total current assets..............................     749,917
Equipment, net (notes 2 and 3)..............................     678,752
Other assets................................................       9,853
                                                              ----------
          Total assets......................................  $1,438,522
                                                              ==========
                 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Current liabilities:
  Revolving line of credit..................................  $  110,000
  Accounts payable:
     Trade..................................................     144,297
     Related party (note 5).................................     273,306
  Accrued liabilities.......................................     376,330
  Notes payable (note 3)....................................      88,550
  Current portion of capital lease obligations (note 4).....       8,858
  Note payable to related party (note 5)....................      32,194
  Deferred revenue..........................................     294,266
                                                              ----------
          Total current liabilities.........................   1,327,801
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 4)....       6,812
                                                              ----------
          Total liabilities.................................   1,334,613
Redeemable preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 500,000 shares
  authorized, 200,000 shares issued and outstanding (note
  6)........................................................     508,748
Stockholders' deficit (note 6):
  Common stock, $0.01 par value, 2,000,000 shares
     authorized, 800,000 shares issued and outstanding......       8,000
  Additional paid-in capital................................      85,476
  Accumulated deficit.......................................    (498,315)
                                                              ----------
          Total stockholders' deficit.......................    (404,839)
Commitments (note 4)
                                                              ----------
          Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit.......  $1,438,522
                                                              ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-151
<PAGE>   319
 
                                ACCESS ONE, INC.
 
                STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND ACCUMULATED DEFICIT
                          YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.........................................  $2,485,583
  Enhanced services.........................................     702,639
  Computer hardware and software sales......................     303,465
  Other.....................................................      27,019
                                                              ----------
          Total revenue.....................................   3,518,706
                                                              ----------
Operating expenses:
  Internet and enhanced services operating costs (note 5)...     613,084
  Cost of hardware and software sales.......................     226,205
  Selling, general and administrative (note 5)..............   2,922,073
  Depreciation..............................................     245,003
                                                              ----------
          Total operating expenses..........................   4,006,365
                                                              ----------
          Loss from operations..............................    (487,659)
Other expense:
  Interest expense..........................................     (21,833)
  Other, net................................................      (3,808)
                                                              ----------
          Net loss..........................................  $ (513,300)
                                                              ==========
Retained earnings at beginning of year......................      14,985
Accumulated deficit at end of year..........................    (498,315)
                                                              ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-152
<PAGE>   320
 
                                ACCESS ONE, INC.
 
                            STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
                          YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss..................................................  $(513,300)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by
     operating activities:
       Depreciation.........................................    245,003
       Provision for bad debts..............................    386,983
       Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
          Receivables.......................................   (445,284)
          Inventory.........................................    (40,635)
          Prepaid expenses and other current assets.........    (96,000)
          Other assets......................................     (9,708)
          Accounts payable and accrued liabilities..........    541,280
          Deferred revenue..................................    148,798
                                                              ---------
               Net cash provided by operating activities....    217,137
                                                              ---------
Cash flows from investing activities -- purchase of
  equipment.................................................   (559,530)
                                                              ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Borrowings under revolving line of credit.................    110,000
  Borrowings under note payable.............................    127,916
  Principal payments on note payable........................    (39,366)
  Borrowings under notes to related parties.................      6,965
  Principal payments under capital lease obligations........    (15,501)
                                                              ---------
               Net cash provided by financing activities....    190,014
                                                              ---------
               Net decrease in cash.........................   (152,379)
Cash at beginning of year...................................    411,523
                                                              ---------
Cash at end of year.........................................  $ 259,144
                                                              =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information -- cash
  paid during the year for interest.........................  $  21,822
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-153
<PAGE>   321
 
                                ACCESS ONE, INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                               DECEMBER 31, 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     Access One, Inc. (the Company) was originally organized as a limited
liability company on July 1, 1994. The Company reincorporated on December 9,
1996 as a C corporation in the state of Washington. The Company provides
internet access and enhanced services and computer hardware and software sales
to customers primarily in Washington.
 
     Effective February 27, 1998, Verio Inc. (Verio) acquired all of the
outstanding common stock of the Company, resulting in 100% ownership (see Note
6).
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment is stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is
recorded using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful
lives of the related assets or the lease terms, which range from three to five
years. Costs for normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed
Of (SFAS 121). SFAS 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on long-lived
assets used in operations, including goodwill, when indications of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the
carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets.
Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying value or fair
value, less costs to sell.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet and enhanced services are recognized as the services are provided.
Enhanced services consist primarily of web hosting and collocation services to
customers. The Company records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or
collected in advance.
 
     Revenue from hardware sales is recognized upon shipment of the respective
products if the Company's future obligations are not significant and
collectibility is probable.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     Income taxes are accounted for under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes (SFAS 109).
Under SFAS 109, deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax
consequences of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and
their financial reporting amounts at each year-end based on enacted tax laws and
statutory rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected
to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary,
to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
 
                                      F-154
<PAGE>   322
                                ACCESS ONE, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The Company has a net operating loss carryforward for income tax purposes
of approximately $337,000 which expires in 2012. No tax benefit has been
recorded by the Company in 1997 due to the Company's net loss and the
uncertainty regarding the ultimate utilization of such loss carryforward. The
Company also has a deferred tax asset related to the allowance for doubtful
accounts of approximately $56,000. A valuation allowance has been recorded for
the entire balance of the deferred tax asset related to the carryforward and the
allowance for doubtful accounts. Other temporary differences between financial
statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities are not significant.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of December 31, 1997 approximate their carrying values
based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different market assumptions
and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect on the estimated
fair values.
 
     Customers who operate in Washington represent substantially all of the
Company's customer base. No single customer comprised more than 10% of revenue
or accounts receivable as of or for the year ended December 31, 1997.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at December 31, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
  Internet and computer equipment...........................   $ 926,175
  Furniture and office equipment............................     120,657
                                                               ---------
                                                               1,046,832
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization..............    (368,080)
                                                               ---------
                                                               $ 678,752
                                                               =========
</TABLE>
 
     Equipment includes assets held under capital lease with a net book value of
$12,990 at December 31, 1997.
 
(3) DEBT
 
     Lines of credit and notes payable consist of the following as of December
31, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Revolving line of credit, maximum credit available of
  $300,000, bearing interest at 1.5% above the bank's prime
  lending rate, (10% at December 31, 1997), due in 1998, and
  secured by accounts receivable............................  $ 110,000
Notes payable, bearing interest at 10.25%, due on demand, or
  if no demand is made, in monthly payments of principal and
  interest of $5,945 through April, 1999, and secured by
  certain equipment of the Company..........................     88,550
                                                              ---------
                                                                198,550
Less current portion........................................   (198,550)
                                                              ---------
  Long-term debt, less current portion......................  $      --
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
     The Company's revolving line of credit includes various restrictive
covenants including limitations on indebtedness and maintaining a specified debt
to equity ratio. As of December 31, 1997, the Company was not
 
                                      F-155
<PAGE>   323
                                ACCESS ONE, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
in compliance with limitations placed by the debt to equity ratio. All
borrowings under the line were repaid upon completion of the buyout by Verio
Inc. in February 1998.
 
(4) COMMITMENTS
 
  Leases
 
     The Company leases certain computer and office equipment under capital
leases. The Company also leases office space under noncancelable operating
leases expiring at various dates through 1999. Future minimum annual lease
payments under noncancelable capital and operating leases for each of the years
ending December 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                          CAPITAL    OPERATING
                                          LEASES      LEASES
                                          -------    ---------
<S>                                       <C>        <C>
1998....................................  $ 8,280     $80,808
1999....................................    7,589       1,512
                                          -------     -------
  Total minimum payments................  $15,869     $82,320
                                          =======     =======
Less amount representing interest.......     (199)
                                          -------
  Present value of net minimum lease
  payments..............................   15,670
Less current portion....................   (8,858)
                                          -------
                                          $ 6,812
                                          =======
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the year ended December 31, 1997 totaled $219,500.
 
     The Company has commitments with two different telecommunications companies
to receive future services from such companies. Future payments under these
agreements total $8,200 per month through September 1999.
 
(5) TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PARTIES
 
     During 1997, the Company received customer service, technical support, and
backbone transport services provided by Verio. Total amounts charged to the
Company by Verio in this manner were $79,421 included in internet and enhanced
services operating costs and $178,969 included in selling, general, and
administrative expenses. Verio also purchased approximately $14,916 of equipment
on behalf of the Company. Amounts due to related party at December 31, 1997
relate to these services and purchases of equipment and are non interest
bearing.
 
     Note payable to related party is a non interest bearing, unsecured note
payable to the majority stockholder of the Company.
 
(6) REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK
 
     During 1996, the Company issued 200,000 shares of redeemable, convertible
Series A preferred stock to Verio. The preferred shares are convertible into
common shares on a one for one basis and are mandatorily redeemable in 2002. In
connection with the Verio acquisition disclosed in note 1, the preferred shares
were converted to common stock.
 
                                      F-156
<PAGE>   324
                                ACCESS ONE, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
(7) EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN
 
     The Company sponsors a 401(k) Plan (the Plan) for all full time employees.
The Company makes matching contributions of 25% of employee contributions up to
6% of the respective employee's salary. During 1997 the Company made
contributions to the Plan totaling $11,876.
 
                                      F-157
<PAGE>   325
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of STARnet, L.L.C. as of
December 31, 1997 and the related statements of operations, members' equity and
cash flows for the year then ended. These financial statements are the
responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these financial statements based on our audit.
 
     We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of STARnet, L.L.C. as of
December 31, 1997, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the
year then ended in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
March 27, 1998
 
                                      F-158
<PAGE>   326
 
                                STARNET, L.L.C.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEET
                               DECEMBER 31, 1997
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $210,089
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $22,944.............................................   111,541
  Inventory.................................................    69,089
  Prepaid expenses and other................................    18,779
                                                              --------
          Total current assets..............................   409,498
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................   208,336
Other assets................................................     4,583
                                                              --------
          Total assets......................................  $622,417
                                                              ========
                   LIABILITIES AND MEMBERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $ 31,371
  Accrued liabilities.......................................    12,895
  Deferred revenue..........................................   371,608
                                                              --------
          Total current liabilities.........................   415,874
Members' equity.............................................   206,543
Commitments (note 3)
                                                              --------
          Total liabilities and members' equity.............  $622,417
                                                              ========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-159
<PAGE>   327
 
                                STARNET, L.L.C.
 
                            STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
                          YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                                                           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.........................................  $1,201,504
  Computer hardware sales...................................     386,376
  Other.....................................................      13,094
                                                              ----------
          Total revenue.....................................   1,600,974
                                                              ----------
Operating expenses:
  Internet services operating costs.........................     397,019
  Cost of hardware sales....................................     319,486
  Selling, general and administrative.......................     570,461
  Depreciation..............................................     155,968
                                                              ----------
          Total operating expenses..........................   1,442,934
                                                              ----------
          Earnings from operations..........................     158,040
Other income (expense):
  Interest income...........................................       9,411
  Other, net................................................      (6,282)
                                                              ----------
          Net earnings......................................  $  161,169
                                                              ==========
Pro forma information:
  Historical net earnings...................................     161,169
  Pro forma adjustment for income tax expense...............     (61,000)
                                                              ----------
          Pro forma net earnings............................  $  100,169
                                                              ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-160
<PAGE>   328
 
                                STARNET, L.L.C.
 
                          STATEMENT OF MEMBERS' EQUITY
                          YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Balance at January 1, 1997..................................  $ 290,109
Distributions to members....................................   (244,735)
Net earnings................................................    161,169
                                                              ---------
Balance at December 31, 1997................................  $ 206,543
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-161
<PAGE>   329
 
                                STARNET, L.L.C.
 
                            STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
                          YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1997
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net earnings..............................................  $ 161,169
  Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided
     by operating activities:
     Depreciation...........................................    155,968
     Provision for bad debts................................     44,484
     Loss on sale of assets.................................      6,282
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Receivables..........................................    (40,725)
       Inventory............................................     50,205
       Prepaid expenses and other current assets............    (13,944)
       Other assets.........................................        834
       Accounts payable and accrued liabilities.............    (54,304)
       Deferred revenue.....................................     (3,346)
                                                              ---------
          Net cash provided by operating activities.........    306,623
                                                              ---------
Cash flows from investing activities -- purchase of
  equipment.................................................   (117,202)
                                                              ---------
Cash flows from financing activities -- distributions to
  members...................................................   (244,735)
                                                              ---------
          Net decrease in cash..............................    (55,314)
Cash at beginning of year...................................    265,403
                                                              ---------
Cash at end of year.........................................  $ 210,089
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-162
<PAGE>   330
 
                                STARNET, L.L.C.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                               DECEMBER 31, 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     STARnet, L.L.C. (the Company) was originally organized as a limited
liability company in the State of Missouri as Internetix, L.L.C. on June 21,
1994. On August 18, 1997, the Company changed its name to STARnet, L.L.C. The
Company provides internet access services and computer hardware sales to
customers primarily in Missouri and Illinois.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment is stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is
recorded using a method that estimates the straight-line method over the
estimated useful lives of the related assets, which is three years. Costs for
normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed
Of (SFAS 121). SFAS 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on long-lived
assets used in operations, including goodwill, when indications of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the
carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets.
Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying value or fair
value, less costs to sell.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance.
 
     Revenue from hardware sales is recognized upon shipment of the respective
products if the Company's future obligations are not significant and
collectibility is probable.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     No provision for income taxes has been included in the accompanying
financial statements due to the Company's status as a limited liability
corporation. Accordingly, taxable income has been included in the tax returns of
the members. However, pro forma information has been included in the
accompanying statement of operations to reflect a pro forma adjustment for
income tax expense as if the Company had been a separate taxable entity subject
to federal and state income taxes for the year ended December 31, 1997.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of December 31, 1997 approximate their carrying values
based on their
 
                                      F-163
<PAGE>   331
                                STARNET, L.L.C.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
terms and interest rates. The use of different market assumptions and/or
estimation methodologies may have a significant effect on the estimated fair
values.
 
     Customers who operate in Missouri and Illinois represent substantially all
of the Company's customer base. Three customers comprised approximately 38% of
accounts receivable as of December 31, 1997. However, no single customer
comprised more than 10% of revenue for the year ended December 31, 1997.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at December 31, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................   $ 503,324
Furniture and office equipment..............................       2,750
                                                               ---------
                                                                 506,074
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization..............    (297,738)
                                                               ---------
                                                               $ 208,336
                                                               =========
</TABLE>
 
(3) COMMITMENTS
 
     The Company leases office space and equipment under noncancelable leases
expiring at various dates through 2002. Future minimum annual lease payments
under noncancelable operating leases for each of the years ending December 31
are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                  <C>
1998...............................................  $32,873
1999...............................................   26,236
2000...............................................    2,716
2001...............................................      870
2002...............................................      400
                                                     -------
          Total minimum payments...................  $63,095
                                                     =======
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the year ended December 31, 1997 totaled $39,630.
 
     In addition, the Company has a verbal agreement to guarantee certain
obligations of a related party with a telecommunications company for one year in
the amount of $250,000.
 
                                      F-164
<PAGE>   332
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of Computing Engineers Inc.
as of December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the related statements of operations,
stockholders' equity and cash flows for the years then ended. These financial
statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of Computing Engineers Inc. as
of December 31, 1996 and 1997, and the results of its operations and its cash
flows for the years then ended, in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
March 27, 1998
 
                                      F-165
<PAGE>   333
 
                            COMPUTING ENGINEERS INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
                                ASSETS (NOTE 3)
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996          1997
                                                              ----------    ----------
<S>                                                           <C>           <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $       --    $   15,995
  Trade receivables, net of allowance for doubtful accounts
     of $133,739 and $62,085 in 1996 and 1997,
     respectively...........................................     340,799       429,171
  Inventory.................................................          --        37,411
  Prepaid expenses and other................................       2,014         2,014
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total current assets..............................     342,813       484,591
Equipment, net (note 2).....................................     821,637     1,049,662
Other assets, net...........................................          --        20,420
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total assets......................................  $1,164,450    $1,554,673
                                                              ==========    ==========
 
                         LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
Current liabilities:
  Cash overdraft............................................  $   54,352    $       --
  Accounts payable..........................................     355,223       225,153
  Accrued liabilities.......................................       5,252        33,373
  Current portion of note payable (note 3)..................          --        84,352
  Current portion of obligations under capital leases (note
     4).....................................................     193,873       223,826
  Deferred revenue..........................................     146,010       249,817
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total current liabilities.........................     754,710       816,521
Note payable, less current portion (note 3).................          --       585,002
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 4)....      49,776        28,811
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total liabilities.................................     804,486     1,430,334
Stockholders' equity:
  Common stock, $10 par value, 1,000 shares authorized, 100
     shares issued and outstanding..........................       1,000         1,000
  Additional paid-in capital................................       5,000         5,000
  Retained earnings.........................................     353,964       118,339
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total stockholders' equity........................     359,964       124,339
                                                              ----------    ----------
Commitments (note 4)
          Total liabilities and stockholders' equity........  $1,164,450    $1,554,673
                                                              ==========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-166
<PAGE>   334
 
                            COMPUTING ENGINEERS INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                 1996          1997
                                                              ----------    ----------
<S>                                                           <C>           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.........................................  $2,326,898    $3,321,562
  Consulting services.......................................          --       162,683
  Computer hardware and software sales......................      88,664       537,057
  Other.....................................................          --        58,176
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total revenue.....................................   2,415,562     4,079,478
                                                              ----------    ----------
Operating expenses:
  Internet services operating costs.........................     606,522       632,653
  Costs of hardware and software sales......................     148,770       392,676
  Marketing and selling.....................................      47,155       299,990
  General and administrative................................   1,179,149     2,041,265
  Depreciation and amortization.............................     144,953       329,296
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Total operating expenses..........................   2,126,549     3,695,880
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Earnings from operations..........................     289,013       383,598
Interest expense............................................     (19,254)      (95,223)
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Net earnings......................................  $  269,759    $  288,375
                                                              ==========    ==========
Pro forma information:
  Historical net earnings...................................  $  269,759    $  288,375
  Pro forma adjustment for income tax expense...............    (103,000)     (110,000)
                                                              ----------    ----------
          Pro forma net earnings............................  $  166,759    $  178,375
                                                              ==========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-167
<PAGE>   335
 
                            COMPUTING ENGINEERS INC.
 
                       STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                           COMMON STOCK      ADDITIONAL                     TOTAL
                                         ----------------     PAID-IN      RETAINED     STOCKHOLDERS'
                                         SHARES    AMOUNT     CAPITAL      EARNINGS        EQUITY
                                         ------    ------    ----------    ---------    -------------
<S>                                      <C>       <C>       <C>           <C>          <C>
BALANCES AT JANUARY 1, 1996............   100      $1,000      $5,000      $ 207,104      $ 213,104
Distributions to stockholders..........    --          --          --       (122,899)      (122,899)
Net earnings...........................    --          --          --        269,759        269,759
                                          ---      ------      ------      ---------      ---------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1996..........   100       1,000       5,000        353,964        359,964
Distributions to stockholders..........    --          --          --       (524,000)      (524,000)
Net earnings...........................    --          --          --        288,375        288,375
                                          ---      ------      ------      ---------      ---------
BALANCES AT DECEMBER 31, 1997..........   100      $1,000      $5,000      $ 118,339      $ 124,339
                                          ===      ======      ======      =========      =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-168
<PAGE>   336
 
                            COMPUTING ENGINEERS INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                     YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1996         1997
                                                              ---------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net earnings..............................................  $ 269,759    $ 288,375
  Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided
     by operating activities:
     Depreciation and amortization..........................    144,953      329,296
     Provision for bad debts................................    133,739      165,153
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Trade receivables....................................   (472,524)    (253,525)
       Inventory............................................         --      (37,411)
       Prepaid expenses and other...........................        142           --
       Accounts payable.....................................    355,223     (130,070)
       Accrued liabilities..................................        238       28,121
       Deferred revenue.....................................    146,010      103,807
                                                              ---------    ---------
          Net cash provided by operating activities.........    577,540      493,746
                                                              ---------    ---------
Cash flows from investing activities -- purchases of
  equipment.................................................   (336,776)    (228,892)
                                                              ---------    ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Net change in cash overdraft..............................    (15,314)     (54,352)
  Borrowings under note payable.............................         --      700,000
  Debt issuance costs.......................................         --      (20,420)
  Principal payments on note payable........................         --      (30,646)
  Principal payments on capital lease obligations...........   (102,551)    (319,441)
  Distributions to shareholders.............................   (122,899)    (524,000)
                                                              ---------    ---------
          Net cash used by financing activities.............   (240,764)    (248,859)
                                                              ---------    ---------
          Increase in cash..................................         --       15,995
Cash at beginning of year...................................         --           --
                                                              ---------    ---------
Cash at end of year.........................................  $      --    $  15,995
                                                              =========    =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information -- cash
  paid during the year for interest.........................  $  19,254    $  95,223
                                                              =========    =========
Noncash investing and financing activities -- equipment
  acquired through capital lease obligations................  $ 346,200    $ 328,429
                                                              =========    =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-169
<PAGE>   337
 
                            COMPUTING ENGINEERS INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                           DECEMBER 31, 1996 AND 1997
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     Computing Engineers Inc. (the Company) was incorporated in the State of
Illinois on November 1, 1993. The Company is a provider of internet access
services to businesses and individuals, primarily in Illinois.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment, including any assets held under capital leases, is stated at
cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and
amortization is recorded using the straight-line method over the shorter of the
estimated useful lives of the related assets or the lease term, which is three
years. Costs for normal repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed
Of (SFAS 121). Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on
long-lived assets used in operations when indicators of impairment are present
and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by those assets
are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are considered to be
impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the
carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. Assets to be
disposed of are reported at lower of the carrying amount or fair value less
costs to sell.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance.
 
     Revenue from consulting services is recognized when services have been
rendered.
 
     Revenue from hardware and software sales is recognized upon shipment of the
respective products if the Company's future obligations are not significant and
collectibility is probable.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     No provision for income taxes has been included in the accompanying
financial statements for 1996 or 1997 due to the Company's status as a
subchapter S corporation. Accordingly, taxable income has been included in the
tax returns of the stockholders. However, pro forma information has been
included in the accompanying statements of operations to reflect a pro forma
adjustment for income tax expense as if the Company had been a separate taxable
entity subject to federal and state income taxes for all periods presented.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of December 31, 1996 and 1997 approximate their
carrying values based
 
                                      F-170
<PAGE>   338
                            COMPUTING ENGINEERS INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
on their terms and interest rates. The use of different market assumptions
and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect on the estimated
fair values.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at December 31:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               1996           1997
                                                             ---------     ----------
<S>                                                          <C>           <C>
Internet and computer equipment............................  $ 973,392     $1,522,201
Furniture and office equipment.............................     22,048         30,560
                                                             ---------     ----------
                                                               995,440      1,552,761
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization.............   (173,803)      (503,099)
                                                             ---------     ----------
                                                             $ 821,637     $1,049,662
                                                             =========     ==========
</TABLE>
 
     Equipment includes assets owned under capital leases with a net book value
of $305,530 and $474,893 at December 31, 1996 and 1997, respectively.
 
(3) DEBT
 
     Debt consists of the following as of December 31, 1997:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                           <C>
Note payable bearing interest at prime plus 2.75% (11.25% at
  December 31, 1997), monthly principal and interest
  payments of $11,986 through May 12, 2004, secured by
  substantially all the assets of the Company...............  $669,354
Less current portion........................................   (84,352)
                                                              --------
                                                              $585,002
                                                              ========
</TABLE>
 
(4) COMMITMENTS
 
     The Company leases certain computer and office equipment under capital
leases. The Company also leases office space under noncancelable operating
leases expiring at various dates through 2005. Future minimum annual lease
payments under capital and noncancelable operating leases for each of the years
ending December 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                               CAPITAL     OPERATING
                                                               LEASES        LEASES
                                                              ---------    ----------
<S>                                                           <C>          <C>
1998........................................................  $ 252,242    $  234,353
1999........................................................     29,695       219,153
2000........................................................         --       192,161
2001........................................................         --       197,120
2002........................................................         --       202,079
Thereafter..................................................         --       472,345
                                                              ---------    ----------
  Total minimum payments....................................    281,937    $1,517,211
                                                                           ==========
Less amount representing interest...........................    (29,300)
                                                              ---------
  Present value of net minimum lease payments...............    252,637
Less current portion........................................   (223,826)
                                                              ---------
                                                              $  28,811
                                                              =========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 1996 and 1997 was $93,501 and
$134,777, respectively.
 
                                      F-171
<PAGE>   339
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
LI Net, Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheets of LI Net, Inc. as of April
30, 1997 and January 31, 1998, and the related statements of operations,
stockholders' equity (deficit), and cash flows for the years ended April 30,
1996 and 1997 and the nine months ended January 31, 1998. These financial
statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on
our audits.
 
     We conducted our audits in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of LI Net, Inc. as of April 30,
1997 and January 31, 1998, and the results of its operations and its cash flows
for the years ended April 30, 1996 and 1997 and the nine months ended January
31, 1998 in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG Peat Marwick LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
March 27, 1998
 
                                      F-172
<PAGE>   340
 
                                  LI NET, INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEETS
                      APRIL 30, 1997 AND JANUARY 31, 1998
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1997        1998
                                                              --------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................  $ 49,036    $  24,575
  Receivables (note 3):
     Trade, net of all allowance for doubtful accounts of
      $28,948 and $50,000, respectively.....................   157,643      225,148
     Other..................................................        --        6,000
  Prepaid expenses and other................................     3,850        3,850
                                                              --------    ---------
          Total current assets..............................   210,529      259,573
Equipment, net (notes 2 and 3)..............................   355,906      500,654
Other assets................................................    25,057       28,708
                                                              --------    ---------
          Total assets......................................  $591,492    $ 788,935
                                                              ========    =========
                  LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................  $171,038    $ 245,777
  Accrued liabilities.......................................    13,942       22,521
  Current portion of notes payable (note 3):
     Bank...................................................        --       22,476
     Related party (note 6).................................     9,038        8,885
  Revolving line of credit (note 3).........................    15,265       39,993
  Current portion of obligations under capital leases (note
     4).....................................................    52,090       81,652
  Deferred revenue..........................................    77,766      158,740
                                                              --------    ---------
          Total current liabilities.........................   339,139      580,044
Notes payable, less current portion (note 3):
  Bank......................................................        --       93,542
  Related party (note 6)....................................   126,052      114,029
Capital lease obligations, less current portion (note 4)....    87,826       62,453
                                                              --------    ---------
          Total liabilities.................................   553,017      850,068
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
  Common stock, no par value, 100 shares authorized and
     issued.................................................    44,000       44,000
  Additional paid-in capital................................        --      273,100
  Retained earnings (deficit)...............................     6,375     (378,233)
  Treasury stock -- 5 shares at April 30, 1997, at cost.....   (11,900)          --
                                                              --------    ---------
          Total stockholders' equity (deficit)..............    38,475      (61,133)
                                                              --------    ---------
Commitments (note 4)
          Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
            (deficit).......................................  $591,492    $ 788,935
                                                              ========    =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-173
<PAGE>   341
 
                                  LI NET, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
   YEARS ENDED APRIL 30, 1996 AND 1997 AND NINE MONTHS ENDED JANUARY 31, 1998
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                            1996         1997          1998
                                                          --------    ----------    ----------
<S>                                                       <C>         <C>           <C>
Revenue:
  Internet services.....................................  $608,714    $1,033,595    $1,430,480
  Computer hardware sales...............................   152,854       325,723        90,233
                                                          --------    ----------    ----------
          Total revenue.................................   761,568     1,359,318     1,520,713
                                                          --------    ----------    ----------
Operating expenses:
  Internet services operating costs.....................   197,025       317,225       551,993
  Costs of hardware sold................................    73,370       156,347        42,987
  Selling, general and administrative expenses(note
     7).................................................   358,627       769,898     1,180,146
  Depreciation..........................................    64,470        77,762       100,902
                                                          --------    ----------    ----------
          Total operating expenses......................   693,492     1,321,232     1,876,028
          Earnings (loss) from operations...............    68,076        38,086      (355,315)
Interest expense........................................   (10,596)      (55,325)      (29,293)
                                                          --------    ----------    ----------
          Earnings (loss) before income taxes...........    57,480       (17,239)     (384,608)
Income tax expense (note 5).............................    (7,600)           --            --
                                                          --------    ----------    ----------
          Net earnings (loss)...........................  $ 49,880    $  (17,239)   $ (384,608)
                                                          ========    ==========    ==========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-174
<PAGE>   342
 
                                  LI NET, INC.
 
                  STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY (DEFICIT)
   YEARS ENDED APRIL 30, 1996 AND 1997 AND NINE MONTHS ENDED JANUARY 31, 1998
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                           TOTAL
                                                ADDITIONAL    RETAINED                 STOCKHOLDERS'
                                     COMMON      PAID-IN      EARNINGS     TREASURY       EQUITY
                                      STOCK      CAPITAL      (DEFICIT)     STOCK        (DEFICIT)
                                     -------    ----------    ---------    --------    -------------
<S>                                  <C>        <C>           <C>          <C>         <C>
BALANCES AT MAY 1, 1995............  $44,000     $     --     $ (26,266)   $     --      $  17,734
Purchase of treasury stock.........       --           --            --     (10,000)       (10,000)
Net earnings.......................       --           --        49,880          --         49,880
                                     -------     --------     ---------    --------      ---------
BALANCES AT APRIL 30, 1996.........   44,000           --        23,614     (10,000)        57,614
Purchase of treasury stock.........       --           --            --     (13,800)       (13,800)
Issuance of treasury stock for
  services (note 7)................       --           --            --      11,900         11,900
Net loss...........................       --           --       (17,239)         --        (17,239)
                                     -------     --------     ---------    --------      ---------
BALANCES AT APRIL 30, 1997.........   44,000           --         6,375     (11,900)        38,475
Issuance of treasury stock for
  services (note 7)................       --      273,100            --      11,900        285,000
Net loss...........................       --           --      (384,608)         --       (384,608)
                                     -------     --------     ---------    --------      ---------
BALANCES AT JANUARY 31, 1998.......  $44,000     $273,100     $(378,233)   $     --      $ (61,133)
                                     =======     ========     =========    ========      =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-175
<PAGE>   343
 
                                  LI NET, INC.
 
                            STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
   YEARS ENDED APRIL 30, 1996 AND 1997 AND NINE MONTHS ENDED JANUARY 31, 1998
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              1996        1997        1998
                                                            ---------   ---------   ---------
<S>                                                         <C>         <C>         <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net earnings (loss).....................................  $  49,880   $ (17,239)  $(384,608)
  Adjustments to reconcile net earnings (loss) to net cash
     provided by operating activities:
     Depreciation.........................................     64,470      77,762     100,902
     Provision for bad debts..............................         --      28,948      50,000
     Issuance of treasury stock for services..............         --      11,900     285,000
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Receivables........................................    (66,218)   (103,079)   (123,505)
       Prepaid expenses and other current assets..........         --      (3,850)         --
       Other assets.......................................    (13,602)     (6,580)     (3,651)
       Accounts payable and accrued liabilities...........     88,042      67,313      83,318
       Deferred revenue...................................         --      77,766      80,974
                                                            ---------   ---------   ---------
          Net cash provided by operating activities.......    122,572     132,941      88,430
                                                            ---------   ---------   ---------
Cash flows from investing activities -- purchases of
  equipment...............................................   (149,667)    (94,633)   (182,471)
                                                            ---------   ---------   ---------
Cash flows from financing activities:
  Borrowings under revolving lines of credit..............         --      15,265      24,728
  Proceeds from borrowings from bank......................         --          --     130,000
  Principal payments on notes payable to bank.............         --          --     (13,982)
  Proceeds from borrowings from related parties...........    107,713          --          --
  Principal payments on notes payable to related party....    (21,128)    (13,677)    (12,176)
  Principal payments on capital lease obligations.........         --     (39,872)    (58,990)
  Purchase of treasury stock..............................    (10,000)    (13,800)         --
                                                            ---------   ---------   ---------
          Net cash provided (used) by financing
            activities....................................     76,585     (52,084)     69,580
                                                            ---------   ---------   ---------
          Net increase (decrease) in cash.................     49,490     (13,776)    (24,461)
Cash at beginning of year.................................     13,322      62,812      49,036
                                                            ---------   ---------   ---------
Cash at end of year.......................................  $  62,812   $  49,036   $  24,575
                                                            =========   =========   =========
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information -- cash
  paid during the year for interest.......................  $  10,596   $  39,621   $  22,593
                                                            =========   =========   =========
Noncash investing and financing activities -- equipment
  acquired through capital lease obligations..............  $  32,876   $ 146,912   $  63,179
                                                            =========   =========   =========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-176
<PAGE>   344
 
                                  LI NET, INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
   YEARS ENDED APRIL 30, 1996 AND 1997 AND NINE MONTHS ENDED JANUARY 31, 1998
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
  Organization and Basis of Presentation
 
     LI Net, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated in the State of New York and
provides regional internet access services to customers in New York.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the
date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and
expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those
estimates.
 
  Equipment
 
     Equipment, including assets held under capital leases, is stated at cost,
less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recorded using the straight-line
method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the related assets or
the lease terms, which range from three to five years. Costs for normal repairs
and maintenance are expensed as incurred.
 
  Long-Lived Assets
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to be Disposed
Of (SFAS 121). SFAS 121 requires impairment losses to be recorded on long-lived
assets used in operations, including goodwill, when indications of impairment
are present and the undiscounted future cash flows estimated to be generated by
those assets are less than the assets' carrying amount. If such assets are
impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the
carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets.
Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying value or fair
value, less costs to sell.
 
  Revenue Recognition
 
     Internet services are recognized as the services are provided. The Company
records deferred revenue for amounts billed and/or collected in advance.
 
     Revenue from hardware sales is recognized upon shipment of the respective
products if the Company's future obligations are not significant and
collectibility is probable.
 
  Income Taxes
 
     Income taxes are accounted for under the provisions of Statement of
Financial Accounting Standards No. 109, Accounting for Income Taxes, (SFAS 109).
Under SFAS 109, deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax
consequences of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and
their financial reporting amounts at each year-end based on enacted tax laws and
statutory rates applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected
to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary,
to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
 
  Concentration of Credit Risk and Financial Instruments
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of April 30, 1997 and January 31, 1998, approximate
their carrying values
 
                                      F-177
<PAGE>   345
                                  LI NET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different market assumptions
and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect on the estimated
fair values.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT
 
     Equipment consisted of the following at April 30, 1997 and January 31,
1998:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1997          1998
                                                              ---------     ---------
<S>                                                           <C>           <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................  $ 409,376     $ 641,881
Furniture and office equipment..............................     67,532        80,677
Leasehold improvements......................................     32,297        32,297
                                                              ---------     ---------
                                                                509,205       754,855
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization..............   (153,299)     (254,201)
                                                              ---------     ---------
                                                              $ 355,906     $ 500,654
                                                              =========     =========
</TABLE>
 
     Equipment includes assets held under capital leases with a net book value
of approximately $139,000 and $155,000 at April 30, 1997 and January 31, 1998,
respectively.
 
(3) DEBT
 
     During fiscal 1998, the Company entered into a loan agreement with a bank
and borrowed $130,000. The loan is secured by the Company's equipment, and bears
interest at 8.75%. Principal and interest payments of $2,683 are due monthly
through 2002. At January 31, 1998, the outstanding balance was $116,018.
 
     At April 30, 1997 and January 31, 1998, the Company had a $50,000 revolving
line of credit agreement with a bank, secured by receivables, under which
$15,265 and $39,993 was outstanding, respectively. Borrowings under the line
bear interest at the bank's prime lending rate plus 2% (10.5% at January 31,
1997) and are due in 1998.
 
     Maturities of the line of credit and note payable for each of the years
ending January 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                 <C>
1999..............................................  $ 62,469
2000..............................................    25,384
2001..............................................    27,247
2002..............................................    29,732
2003..............................................    11,179
                                                    --------
                                                    $156,011
                                                    ========
</TABLE>
 
(4) COMMITMENTS
 
     The Company leases certain computer and office equipment under capital
leases. The Company also leases office space under noncancelable operating
leases expiring at various dates through 2002.
 
                                      F-178
<PAGE>   346
                                  LI NET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     Future minimum annual lease payments under capital and noncancelable
operating leases for each of the years ending January 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              CAPITAL     OPERATING
                                                               LEASES      LEASES
                                                              --------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
1999........................................................  $100,042    $ 63,879
2000........................................................    53,085      47,121
2001........................................................    17,937      23,386
2002........................................................    10,060       5,459
                                                              --------    --------
  Total minimum payments....................................   181,124    $139,845
                                                                          ========
Less amount representing interest...........................   (37,019)
                                                              --------
  Present value of net minimum lease payments...............   144,105
Less current portion........................................   (81,652)
                                                              --------
                                                              $ 62,453
                                                              ========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense for the years ended April 30, 1996 and 1997 and nine months
ended January 31, 1998, was $25,335, $35,353, and $52,779 respectively.
 
(5) INCOME TAXES
 
     Income tax expense (benefit) for the years ended April 30, 1996 and 1997
and nine months ended January 31, 1998 differs from the amounts that would
result from applying the federal statutory rate of 34% as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                       1996       1997        1998
                                                      -------    -------    ---------
<S>                                                   <C>        <C>        <C>
Expected tax expense (benefit)......................  $19,543    $(5,861)   $(130,777)
State income taxes, net of federal benefit..........    2,300       (690)     (15,374)
Nondeductible expenses..............................       --        622        1,653
Change in valuation allowance for deferred tax
  assets............................................  (14,243)     5,929      144,498
                                                      -------    -------    ---------
          Actual income tax expense.................  $ 7,600    $    --    $      --
                                                      =======    =======    =========
</TABLE>
 
     Temporary differences that give rise to the components of deferred tax
assets and liabilities as of April 30, 1997 and January 31, 1998 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                1997        1998
                                                              --------    ---------
<S>                                                           <C>         <C>
Deferred tax assets:
  Net operating loss carryforwards..........................  $ 12,738    $ 148,824
  Accounts receivable, due to allowance for doubtful
     accounts for financial statement purposes only.........    11,000       30,000
  Other.....................................................       173          140
                                                              --------    ---------
          Total deferred tax assets.........................    23,911      178,964
  Valuation allowance.......................................    (5,929)    (150,427)
                                                              --------    ---------
          Net deferred tax assets...........................    17,982       28,537
                                                              --------    ---------
Deferred tax liability:
  Equipment, due to differences in depreciation for
     financial statement and tax purposes...................   (17,982)     (28,537)
                                                              --------    ---------
          Net deferred tax asset (liability)................  $     --    $      --
                                                              ========    =========
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-179
<PAGE>   347
                                  LI NET, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     As of January 31, 1998, the Company has a net operating loss carryforward
of approximately $392,000 for federal income tax purposes which will expire in
2013, if not utilized. A valuation allowance has been recorded for a portion of
the related deferred tax asset due to the uncertainty relating to the
realization of the net operating loss carryforward in the future.
 
(6) TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PARTIES
 
     Notes payable to related party at April 30, 1997 and January 31, 1998
included $93,917 and $89,334, respectively, of unsecured notes due to
stockholders of the Company. The loans bear interest at 10% with the principal
and interest due in total on July 1, 1999 or upon sale of 50% or more of the
stock of the stockholders.
 
     Also included in notes payable to related party at April 30, 1997 and
January 31, 1998 was an unsecured note due to a relative of a stockholder of the
Company. Principal outstanding on the note was $41,176 and $33,580 at April 30,
1997 and January 31, 1998, respectively. The note bears interest at 10% and is
payable in monthly principal and interest payments of $1,062 until 2001.
 
     Maturities of notes payable to related parties for each of the years ending
January 31 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                 <C>
1999..............................................  $  8,885
2000..............................................   100,087
2001..............................................    11,878
2002..............................................     2,064
                                                    --------
                                                    $122,914
                                                    ========
</TABLE>
 
(7) STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
 
     During the year ended April 30, 1997 and the nine months ended January 31,
1998, the Company issued treasury shares to an officer as compensation for
services. The Company recorded compensation expense of $11,900 and $285,000,
respectively, which, in the opinion of the Company's Board of Directors,
represented fair value of the shares at the date of issuance.
 
                                      F-180
<PAGE>   348
 
                          INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
 
The Board of Directors
  Verio Inc.:
 
     We have audited the accompanying balance sheet of NTX, Inc. as of June 30,
1998, and the related statements of operations, stockholders' deficit, and cash
flows for the nine months then ended. These financial statements are the
responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an
opinion on these financial statements based on our audit.
 
     We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing
standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material
misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting
the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes
assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by
management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
     In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly,
in all material respects, the financial position of NTX, Inc. as of June 30,
1998, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the nine months
then ended, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.
 
                                            KPMG PEAT MARWICK LLP
 
Denver, Colorado
August 5, 1998
 
                                      F-181
<PAGE>   349
 
                                   NTX, INC.
 
                                 BALANCE SHEET
                                 JUNE 30, 1998
 
                                     ASSETS
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
 
Current assets:
  Cash......................................................   $    91,373
  Restricted cash...........................................       537,572
  Receivables:
     Trade, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of
      $337,063..............................................     1,080,965
     Other..................................................        25,000
  Prepaid expenses and other................................        20,523
                                                               -----------
          Total current assets..............................     1,755,433
Equipment and leasehold improvements, net (note 2)..........       525,942
Other assets, net...........................................        21,231
                                                               -----------
          Total assets......................................   $ 2,302,606
                                                               ===========
 
                  LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
 
Current liabilities:
  Accounts payable..........................................   $   721,248
  Accrued liabilities.......................................       346,370
  Deferred revenue..........................................     1,904,564
                                                               -----------
          Total current liabilities.........................     2,972,182
                                                               -----------
Stockholders' deficit (note 3):
  Common stock, no par value, 4,210,524 shares authorized,
     issued and outstanding.................................     3,640,000
  Accumulated deficit.......................................    (4,309,576)
                                                               -----------
          Total stockholders' deficit.......................      (669,576)
                                                               -----------
Commitments (note 4)
          Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit.......   $ 2,302,606
                                                               ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-182
<PAGE>   350
 
                                   NTX, INC.
 
                            STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
                        NINE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 1998
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
Revenue:
  Web hosting...............................................   $ 3,552,716
  Domain name registration..................................     2,733,506
  Other.....................................................       316,320
                                                               -----------
          Total revenue.....................................     6,602,542
                                                               -----------
Costs and expenses:
  Operating.................................................     1,315,039
  Selling, general and administrative.......................     5,750,785
  Stock-based compensation (note 3).........................     3,640,000
  Depreciation and amortization.............................       124,818
                                                               -----------
          Total costs and expenses..........................    10,830,642
                                                               -----------
          Loss from operations..............................    (4,228,100)
                                                               -----------
Other income (expense):
  Interest income...........................................         6,131
  Interest expense..........................................          (380)
                                                               -----------
          Net loss..........................................   $(4,222,349)
                                                               ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-183
<PAGE>   351
 
                                   NTX, INC.
 
                       STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
                        NINE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 1998
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                        TOTAL
                                              MEMBERS'     COMMON     ACCUMULATED   STOCKHOLDERS'
                                               DEFICIT      STOCK       DEFICIT        DEFICIT
                                              ---------   ---------   -----------   -------------
<S>                                           <C>         <C>         <C>           <C>
BALANCES AT OCTOBER 1, 1997.................  $(160,936)         --   $        --    $  (160,936)
Contributions from members..................     73,709          --            --         73,709
Issuance of common stock in connection with
  reincorporation...........................     87,227          --       (87,227)            --
Stock-based compensation expense (note 3)...         --   3,640,000            --      3,640,000
Net loss....................................         --          --    (4,222,349)    (4,222,349)
                                              ---------   ---------   -----------    -----------
BALANCE AT JUNE 30, 1998....................  $      --   3,640,000   $(4,309,576)   $  (669,576)
                                              =========   =========   ===========    ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-184
<PAGE>   352
 
                                    NTX, INC.
 
                             STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
                         NINE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 1998
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net loss..................................................   $(4,222,349)
  Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by
     operating activities:
     Depreciation and amortization..........................       124,818
     Provision for bad debts................................       259,499
     Stock-based compensation expense.......................     3,640,000
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
       Trade and other accounts receivable..................    (1,118,363)
       Prepaid expenses and other...........................       (20,523)
       Accounts payable.....................................       434,822
       Accrued liabilities..................................       209,994
       Deferred revenue.....................................     1,469,194
       Other assets, net....................................       (21,231)
                                                               -----------
          Net cash provided by operating activities.........       755,861
                                                               -----------
Cash flows from investing activities:
  Purchases of equipment and leasehold improvements.........      (419,386)
  Restricted cash...........................................      (461,841)
                                                               -----------
          Net cash used by investing activities.............      (881,227)
                                                               -----------
Cash flows from financing activities -- contributions from
  members...................................................        73,709
                                                               -----------
          Net decrease in cash..............................       (51,657)
Cash at the beginning of period.............................       143,030
                                                               -----------
Cash at end of period.......................................   $    91,373
                                                               ===========
</TABLE>
 
                See accompanying notes to financial statements.
 
                                      F-185
<PAGE>   353
 
                                   NTX, INC.
 
                         NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
                                 JUNE 30, 1998
 
(1) SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
 
ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
 
     NTX, Inc. d/b/a TABNet (the Company), was incorporated as a subchapter S
Corporation in the State of California on November 24, 1997. Prior to
incorporation as a subchapter S Corporation, the Company was operating as NTX,
L.L.C., a limited liability corporation. All assets and liabilities of the
L.L.C. were contributed to the Company upon incorporation and recorded at
historical cost. The Company provides web hosting and domain name registration
services to customers primarily in the United States.
 
     Effective July 7, 1998, Verio Inc. acquired 100% of the outstanding common
stock of the Company.
 
     The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally
accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the
reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
 
RESTRICTED CASH
 
     Restricted cash represents the retained portion of customer payments by the
Company's credit card merchant bank processors and is restricted for a period of
approximately six months after each payment transaction.
 
EQUIPMENT AND LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS
 
     Equipment and leasehold improvements are recorded at cost, less accumulated
depreciation. Depreciation is recorded over the estimated useful lives of the
assets ranging from 3 to 5 years using the straight-line method. Leasehold
improvements are amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated
useful life of the asset. Costs for normal repairs and maintenance are expensed
as incurred.
 
LONG-LIVED ASSETS
 
     The Company evaluates the carrying value of its long-lived assets under the
provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 121, Accounting
for the Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and for Long-Lived Assets to Be Disposed
Of (Statement No. 121). Statement No. 121 requires impairment losses to be
recognized on long-lived assets used in operations, including goodwill, when
indications of impairment are present and the undiscounted future cash flows
estimated to be generated by those assets are less than the assets' carrying
amount. If such assets are impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured
by the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds their fair
value. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount
or fair value, less costs to sell.
 
REVENUE RECOGNITION
 
     Web hosting and domain name registration revenue is recognized as the
services are provided. Set-up fees are recognized when installation is
completed. The Company records deferred revenue for accounts billed and/or
collected in advance.
 
INCOME TAXES
 
     No provision for income taxes has been included in the accompanying
financial statements for the nine months ended June 30, 1998 due to the
Company's status as a limited liability corporation and subchapter S
Corporation. Accordingly, net losses for the period were included in the
respective individual tax returns of the members and stockholders.
 
                                      F-186
<PAGE>   354
                                   NTX, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
 
     The Company accounts for its stock-based employee compensation using the
intrinsic value based method prescribed by Accounting Principles Board Opinion
No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, and related interpretations
(APB 25). The Company has no options outstanding at June 30, 1998, and no formal
stock option plan in place. The Company will provide the pro forma disclosures
of net loss as if the fair value based method of accounting for the stock-based
compensation, as prescribed by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No.
123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation (SFAS 123), had been applied, in
the future as applicable.
 
CONCENTRATION OF CREDIT RISK AND FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
 
     Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 107 requires disclosure
about fair value for all financial instruments whether or not recognized for
financial statement purposes. Management estimates that the fair values of all
financial instruments as of June 30, 1998 approximate their carrying amounts
based on their terms and interest rates. The use of different market assumptions
and/or estimation methodologies may have a significant effect on the estimated
fair values.
 
(2) EQUIPMENT AND LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS
 
     Equipment and leasehold improvements consisted of the following at June 30,
1998:
 
<TABLE>
<S>                                                            <C>
Internet and computer equipment.............................   $ 668,307
Furniture and leasehold improvements........................      52,396
                                                               ---------
                                                                 720,703
  Less accumulated depreciation.............................    (194,761)
                                                               ---------
                                                               $ 525,942
                                                               =========
</TABLE>
 
(3) STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
 
     During the nine months ended June 30, 1998, the Company granted rights to
acquire a specific percentage ownership in the Company to four employees as
compensation. The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense of
$3,640,000 which, in the opinion of the Company's Board of Directors,
represented fair value at the date of grant based on the per share price paid by
Verio Inc. in the acquisition of the Company's common stock.
 
(4) COMMITMENTS
 
     The Company leases its facilities under long-term operating leases expiring
at various dates through 2003. Future minimum lease payments consist of the
following at June 30, 1998:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                    YEAR ENDING JUNE 30:
                    --------------------
<S>                                                            <C>
  1999......................................................   $120,148
  2000......................................................     70,188
  2001......................................................     23,610
  2002......................................................     22,920
  2003......................................................     19,100
                                                               --------
          Total minimum lease payments......................   $255,966
                                                               ========
</TABLE>
 
     Rent expense totaled $78,688 for the nine months ended June 30, 1998.
 
                                      F-187
<PAGE>   355
                                   NTX, INC.
 
                  NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS -- (CONTINUED)
 
     The Company has entered into marketing agreements for internet search
engines and an agreement which provides for internet access. Future payments
under these noncancelable agreements as of June 30, 1998 are as follows:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                    YEAR ENDING JUNE 30:
                    --------------------
<S>                                                            <C>
  1999......................................................   $4,672,300
  2000......................................................    1,438,500
</TABLE>
 
                                      F-188
<PAGE>   356
 
                               APPENDICES TO THE
                           PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
 
APPENDIX A  AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
 
APPENDIX B  FORM OF PROXY OF HIWAY
 
APPENDIX C  OPINION OF BT ALEX. BROWN INCORPORATED
 
APPENDIX D  CHAPTER 13 OF THE CALIFORNIA GENERAL CORPORATION LAW
<PAGE>   357
 
                                                                      APPENDIX A
 
                              AMENDED AND RESTATED
 
                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
 
                                  BY AND AMONG
 
                                  VERIO INC.,
 
                            PURPLE ACQUISITION, INC.
 
                                      AND
 
                       BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
                               NOVEMBER 17, 1998
<PAGE>   358
 
                               TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                       PAGE
                                                                       ----
<S>      <C>                                                           <C>
ARTICLE 1  THE MERGER................................................
  1.1    The Merger..................................................
  1.2    Effective Time of the Merger................................
ARTICLE 2  THE SURVIVING CORPORATION.................................
  2.1    Articles of Incorporation...................................
  2.2    Bylaws......................................................
  2.3    Directors and Officers of Surviving Corporation.............
ARTICLE 3  CONVERSION OF SHARES......................................
  3.1    Conversion of Shares........................................
  3.2    Options and Warrants........................................
  3.3    Exchange of Shares..........................................
  3.4    Dividends; Transfer Taxes...................................
  3.5    No Fractional Shares........................................
  3.6    Closing of Company Transfer Books...........................
  3.7    Closing.....................................................
  3.8    Supplementary Action........................................
  3.9    Dissenting Shares...........................................
ARTICLE 4  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY.............
  4.1    Due Organization; Good Standing; Authority; Binding Nature
         of Agreements...............................................
  4.2    Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws; Records...............
  4.3    Capitalization; Ownership of Stock; Solvency, Etc. .........
  4.4    Financial Statements........................................
  4.5    Absence of Changes..........................................
  4.6    Title to Assets; Equipment; Real Property, Leases;
         Inventory...................................................
  4.7    Receivables; Major Customers................................
  4.8    Accounts Payable; Major Suppliers...........................
  4.9    Proprietary Assets..........................................
  4.10   Contracts...................................................
  4.11   Compliance With Legal Requirements..........................
  4.12   Governmental Authorizations.................................
  4.13   Tax Matters.................................................
  4.14   Employee and Labor Matters..................................
  4.15   Benefit Plans; ERISA........................................
  4.16   Environmental Matters.......................................
  4.17   Sale of Products; Performance of Services...................
  4.18   Insurance...................................................
  4.19   Proceedings; Orders.........................................
  4.20   Non-Contravention; Consents.................................
  4.21   Brokers.....................................................
  4.22   Full Disclosure.............................................
  4.23   Powers of Attorney..........................................
  4.24   Securities Law Compliance...................................
  4.25   Takeover Statutes...........................................
  4.26   Voting Arrangements.........................................
  4.27   Financial Projections.......................................
  4.28   Ownership of Shares of Verio Common Stock...................
</TABLE>
 
                                        i
<PAGE>   359
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                       PAGE
                                                                       ----
<S>      <C>                                                           <C>
ARTICLE 5  REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF VERIO AND MERGER SUB....
  5.1    Due Organization; Good Standing; Authority; Binding Nature
         of Agreements...............................................
  5.2    Proceedings; Orders.........................................
  5.3    Non-Contravention; Consents.................................
  5.4    Brokers.....................................................
  5.5    Financial Capacity..........................................
  5.6    Full Disclosure; SEC Reports................................
ARTICLE 6  PRE-CLOSING PERIOD COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY...............
  6.1    Access and Investigation. The Company shall ensure that, at
         all times during the Pre-Closing Period:....................
  6.2    Operation of Business.......................................
  6.3    Filings and Consents; Cooperation...........................
  6.4    Notification; Updates to Disclosure Schedule................
  6.5    Payment of Indebtedness by Related Parties..................
  6.6    No Negotiation or Solicitation..............................
  6.7    Best Efforts................................................
  6.8    Confidentiality; Publicity..................................
  6.9    FIRPTA Certification........................................
  6.10   Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreements...........
  6.11   Letters of the Company's Auditors...........................
  6.12   Reports of Company Transaction Expenses.....................
  6.13   Affiliates..................................................
  6.14   Takeover Statutes...........................................
  6.15   Bank Accounts...............................................
  6.16   Supplier Information........................................
  6.17   Employee Information........................................
  6.18   Insurance Information.......................................
  6.19   Company Accruals and Reserves...............................
  6.20   Termination of Employment Agreements........................
  6.21   Subsidiary and other Equity Interests.......................
ARTICLE 7  PRE-CLOSING PERIOD COVENANTS OF VERIO.....................
  7.1    Notification................................................
  7.2    Best Efforts................................................
  7.3    Confidentiality; Publicity..................................
ARTICLE 8  ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS.....................................
  8.1    Proxy Statement/Prospectus..................................
  8.2    Company Shareholder Approval................................
  8.3    Reserved....................................................
  8.4    Nasdaq National Market......................................
  8.5    Antitrust Laws..............................................
  8.6    Certain Employee Benefit Plans Matters......................
  8.7    Integration Matters.........................................
  8.8    Stock Options and Warrants..................................
  8.9    Expenses....................................................
  8.10   Additional Agreements.......................................
</TABLE>
 
                                       ii
<PAGE>   360
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                       PAGE
                                                                       ----
<S>      <C>                                                           <C>
ARTICLE 9  CONDITIONS TO CONSUMMATION OF THE MERGER..................
  9.1    Conditions to Each Party's Obligation to Effect the
         Merger......................................................
  9.2    Additional Conditions to Verio's and Merger Sub's Obligation
         to Consummate the Merger....................................
  9.3    Additional Conditions to the Company's Obligation to
         Consummate the Merger.......................................
ARTICLE 10  TERMINATION..............................................
  10.1   Termination.................................................
  10.2   Termination Procedures......................................
  10.3   Effect of Termination.......................................
  10.4   Exclusivity of Termination Rights...........................
ARTICLE 11  MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.................................
  11.1   Further Assurances..........................................
  11.2   Fees and Expenses...........................................
  11.3   Attorneys' Fees.............................................
  11.4   Notices.....................................................
  11.5   Time of the Essence.........................................
  11.6   Headings....................................................
  11.7   Counterparts................................................
  11.8   Governing Law; Venue........................................
  11.9   Successors and Assigns......................................
  11.10  Remedies Cumulative; Specific Performance...................
  11.11  Waiver......................................................
  11.12  Amendments..................................................
  11.13  Severability................................................
  11.14  Parties in Interest.........................................
  11.15  Entire Agreement............................................
  11.16  No Survival.................................................
  11.17  Investigation...............................................
  11.18  Original Merger Agreement Superseded........................
  11.19  Construction................................................
</TABLE>
 
                                       iii
<PAGE>   361
 
                              AMENDED AND RESTATED
 
                          AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER
 
     This AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (this "Agreement"),
dated as of November 17, 1998, by and among VERIO INC. ("Verio"), a Delaware
corporation, PURPLE ACQUISITION, INC. ("Merger Sub"), a California corporation,
and BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (the "Company"), a California
corporation. Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in
Exhibit A.
 
     WHEREAS, the Boards of Directors of Verio, Merger Sub and the Company each
have determined that the acquisition of the Company by Verio is in the best
interests of their respective companies and stockholders and presents an
opportunity for their respective companies to achieve long-term strategic and
financial benefits, and accordingly have agreed to effect the merger provided
for herein upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein;
 
     WHEREAS, Verio, Merger Sub and the Company entered into an Agreement and
Plan of Merger dated as of July 28, 1998 (the "Original Merger Agreement"),
providing for the merger of the Company with and into Merger Sub;
 
     WHEREAS, Verio, Merger Sub and the Company desire to amend and restate the
Original Merger Agreement as provided herein; and
 
     WHEREAS, concurrently herewith Verio has entered into voting agreements
("Voting Agreements") with certain holders of capital stock of the Company
pursuant to which such holders have, among other things, agreed to vote their
shares of Company capital stock in favor of the merger contemplated herein and
have granted Verio irrevocable proxies to vote such shares in such manner;
 
     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the respective
representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein, the
parties hereto agree as follows:
 
                                   ARTICLE 1
 
                                   THE MERGER
 
     1.1  The Merger. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, at
the Effective Time Merger Sub shall be merged with and into the Company, the
Company shall be the surviving corporation (the "Surviving Corporation") and the
separate existence of the Company shall thereupon cease (the "Merger"). The
Merger shall have the effects set forth in the applicable provisions of the
California General Corporation Law ( the "CGCL"). Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, at and after the Effective Time the Surviving
Corporation shall possess all the rights, privileges, powers and franchises of a
public as well as of a private nature, and be subject to all the restrictions,
disabilities and duties, of each of the constituent corporations in the Merger.
 
     1.2  Effective Time of the Merger. The Merger shall become effective when a
properly executed agreement of merger (the "Agreement of Merger"), in such form
as may be agreed by the parties hereto and as required by the relevant
provisions of the CGCL, is duly filed with the Secretary of State of the State
California, which filing shall be made in connection with the closing of the
Transactions in accordance with Section 3.7 upon satisfaction or waiver of the
conditions set forth in Article 9. When used in this Agreement, the term
"Effective Time" shall mean the date and time at which such Agreement of Merger
has been so filed or at such later time as is provided in the Agreement of
Merger.
 
                                   ARTICLE 2
 
                           THE SURVIVING CORPORATION
 
     2.1  Articles of Incorporation. The Articles of Incorporation of the
Company shall be the Articles of Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation,
provided, that effective as of the Effective Time the Articles of
                                       A-1
<PAGE>   362
 
Incorporation of the Company shall be amended in their entirety to conform to
the Articles of Incorporation of Merger Sub (other than with respect to the name
of the Surviving Corporation), and shall continue as the Articles of
Incorporation of the Surviving Corporation until duly amended in accordance with
the terms thereof and the CGCL.
 
     2.2  Bylaws. The Bylaws of the Company as in effect at the Effective Time
shall be the Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation, provided, that effective as of
the Effective Time the Bylaws of the Company shall be amended in their entirety
to conform to the Bylaws of Merger Sub, and shall continue as the Bylaws of the
Surviving Corporation until duly amended in accordance with the terms thereof
and the CGCL.
 
     2.3  Directors and Officers of Surviving Corporation.
 
     (a) The directors of Merger Sub shall be the initial directors of the
Surviving Corporation and shall hold office from the Effective Time until their
respective successors are duly elected or appointed and qualified, or until
their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance with the Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation, or as otherwise provided
by law.
 
     (b) The officers of Merger Sub at the Effective Time shall be the initial
officers of the Surviving Corporation and shall hold office from the Effective
Time until their respective successors are duly elected or appointed and
qualified, or until their earlier death, resignation or removal in accordance
with the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the Surviving Corporation, or
as otherwise provided by law.
 
                                   ARTICLE 3
 
                              CONVERSION OF SHARES
 
     3.1  Conversion of Shares.
 
     (a) At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action
on the part of the holders thereof, each share of the Common Stock, no par value
per share, of the Company ("Company Common Stock") that is issued and
outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into the
right to receive, upon surrender of the certificate (the "Certificate") formerly
representing such share of Company Common Stock, (i) that number of shares of
the Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share, of Verio ("Verio Common Stock") as
equals the Common Stock Exchange Ratio and (ii) that amount of cash as equals
the Per Share Cash Amount; provided, however, that each share of Company Common
Stock that is held in the treasury of the Company, by any subsidiary of the
Company, by Verio or by any subsidiary of Verio immediately prior to the
Effective Time shall not be so converted but shall be canceled and retired, and
no consideration shall be delivered in exchange therefor.
 
     (b) As used herein, the following terms shall be defined as follows.
 
          (i) "Aggregate Transaction Value" shall be equal to Two Hundred Forty
     One Million Five Hundred Thirty Eight Thousand Three Hundred Fifteen
     dollars ($241,538,315) less all Excess Company Transaction Expenses.
 
          (ii) "Common Stock Exchange Ratio" shall be equal to the quotient of
     the Per Share Stock Amount divided by $16.00.
 
          (iii) "Company Capitalization Number" shall be equal to the number of
     shares of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding on the Closing Date,
     on a fully-diluted, as-converted-to-common basis, including without
     limitation (i) all shares of Company Common Stock then issued and
     outstanding, and (ii) all shares of Company Common Stock issuable upon the
     exercise of any options, warrants or other rights to purchase Company
     Common Stock then issued and outstanding (in each case whether or not
     vested).
 
          (iv) "Company Transaction Expenses" shall be all expenses that are
     incurred or paid by the Company, or which the Company may be legally
     obligated to pay or reimburse, in connection with or related to the Merger
     and the Transactions or the Company's proposed initial public offering, in
     each case
 
                                       A-2
<PAGE>   363
 
     whether before or after Closing (other than amounts actually paid prior to
     June 30, 1998), including, without limitation, (i) all legal, printing,
     investment banking and accounting fees, (ii) all payments that may be made
     in respect of noncompetition covenants or agreements (other than
     performance bonuses earned prior to the date hereof), and (iii) all
     payments that may be made in respect of the termination of the employment
     agreements between the Company and each of the Company Specified Officers
     as required by Section 6.20 or that would constitute "parachute payments"
     within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code made to such Company
     Specified Officers.
 
          (v) "Excess Company Transaction Expenses" shall be equal to the sum of
     all Company Transaction Expenses in excess of $9.338 million.
 
          (vi) "Outstanding Shares Number" shall be equal to the number of
     shares of Company Common Stock issued and outstanding on the Closing Date.
 
          (vii) "Per Share Cash Amount" shall be equal to the quotient of $176
     million divided by the Outstanding Shares Number.
 
          (viii) "Per Share Price" shall be equal to the quotient obtained when
     (i) the Aggregate Transaction Value plus proceeds that would be receivable
     upon exercise of Company Stock Options and warrants outstanding at July 28,
     1998 or issued subsequent to such date and prior to the Closing Date, and
     in any such case which remain outstanding on, or are exercised prior to,
     the Closing Date, is divided by (ii) the Company Capitalization Number.
 
          (ix) "Per Share Stock Amount" shall be equal to the Per Share Price
     minus the Per Share Cash Amount.
 
     (c) At the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action
on the part of the holder thereof, each share of the Common Stock, no par value
per share, of Merger Sub that is issued and outstanding immediately prior to the
Effective Time shall be converted into and continue as one share of the Common
Stock of the Surviving Corporation.
 
     3.2  Options and Warrants. At the Effective Time, all stock options,
warrants and convertible securities to purchase Company Common Stock then
outstanding shall be assumed by Verio in accordance with Section 8.8.
 
     3.3  Exchange of Shares.
 
     (a) Prior to the Effective Time, Verio shall select, and enter into an
agreement (in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Company) with, a
bank or trust company to act as exchange agent hereunder (the "Exchange Agent").
On the Closing Date, Verio shall deposit by wire transfer or other transfer of
immediately available funds with the Exchange Agent the cash and shares of Verio
Common Stock required to be delivered hereunder in connection with the
conversion of Company Common Stock at the Effective Time. After the Effective
Time, each holder of shares of Company Common Stock (other than Dissenting
Shares) will be entitled to receive, upon surrender to the Exchange Agent of one
or more Certificates and a duly executed letter of transmittal as described
below, certificates representing the number of whole shares of Verio Common
Stock and cash into which such shares of Company Common Stock are converted in
the Merger. The shares of Verio Common Stock into which the shares of Company
Common Stock shall be converted in the Merger shall be deemed to have been
issued at the Effective Time.
 
     (b) As soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective Time, the
Exchange Agent shall mail to each holder of record of Company Common Stock (i) a
letter of transmittal (which shall specify that delivery shall be effected, and
risk of loss and title to the Certificates shall pass, only upon delivery of the
Certificates to the Exchange Agent and shall be in such form and have such other
provisions as Verio may reasonably specify that are not inconsistent with the
terms of this Agreement) and (ii) instructions for use in effecting the
surrender of the Certificates in exchange for certificates representing shares
of Verio Common Stock. Upon surrender of a Certificate for cancellation to the
Exchange Agent together with such letter of transmittal, duly executed, the
holder of such Certificate shall be entitled to receive in exchange therefor (i)
a certificate representing that number of whole shares of Verio Common Stock and
(ii) a check representing the amount
 
                                       A-3
<PAGE>   364
 
of cash which such holder has the right to receive in respect of the Certificate
so surrendered pursuant to the provisions of this Article 3.
 
     (c) In the event that 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, the Exchange Agent will issue
or cause to be issued in exchange for such lost, stolen or destroyed Certificate
the number of whole shares of Verio Common Stock and cash into which the shares
of Company Common Stock represented by the Certificate are converted in the
Merger in accordance with this Article 3. When authorizing such issuance in
exchange therefor, Verio and/or the Exchange Agent may, in its discretion and as
a condition precedent to the issuance thereof, require the owner of such lost,
stolen or destroyed Certificate to give Verio and/or the Exchange Agent a bond
in such sum as it may direct as indemnity, or such other form of indemnity, as
it shall direct, against any claim that may be made against Verio or the
Exchange Agent with respect to the Certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen
or destroyed.
 
     3.4  Dividends; Transfer Taxes.
 
     (a) No dividends that are declared on shares of Verio Common Stock after
the Effective Time (if any) will be paid to persons entitled to receive
certificates representing shares of Verio Common Stock until such persons
surrender their Certificates. Upon such surrender, there shall be paid to the
person in whose name the certificates representing such shares of Verio Common
Stock shall be issued any dividends which shall have become payable with respect
to such shares of Verio Common Stock between the Effective Time and the time of
such surrender. In no event shall the person entitled to receive such dividends
be entitled to receive interest on such dividends.
 
     (b) If any certificates for any shares of Verio Common Stock are to be
issued in a name other than that in which the Certificate surrendered in
exchange therefor is registered, it shall be a condition of such exchange that
the Person requesting such exchange shall (i) pay to the Exchange Agent any
transfer or other taxes required by reason of the issuance of certificates for
such shares of Verio Common Stock in a name other than that of the registered
holder of the Certificate surrendered or (ii) establish to the satisfaction of
the Exchange Agent that such tax has been paid or is not applicable.
 
     (c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the
Exchange Agent nor any party hereto shall be liable to a holder of shares of
Company Common Stock for any shares of Verio Common Stock or dividends thereon
or the cash payments otherwise due hereunder delivered to a public official
pursuant to applicable escheat laws following the passage of time specified
therein.
 
     3.5  No Fractional Shares. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,
no fractional shares of Verio Common Stock shall be issued pursuant to the
Merger. In lieu of the issuance of any such fractional share of Verio Common
Stock, cash will be paid in respect of any fractional share of Verio Common
Stock that would otherwise be issuable. The amount of such cash shall be the
product of (i) such fraction of a share of Verio Common Stock (after aggregating
all the shares of Verio Common Stock to be issued to a holder) multiplied by
(ii) $16.00.
 
     3.6  Closing of Company Transfer Books. At the Effective Time, the stock
transfer books of the Company shall be closed and no transfer of shares of
Company Common Stock shall thereafter be made. If, after the Effective Time,
Certificates are presented to the Surviving Corporation, they shall be canceled
and exchanged for certificates representing shares of Verio Common Stock and
cash in accordance with the terms hereof. At and after the Effective Time, the
holders of shares of Company Common Stock to be exchanged for shares of Verio
Common Stock pursuant to this Agreement shall cease to have any rights as
shareholders of the Company, except for the right to surrender such Certificates
in exchange for shares of Verio Common Stock as provided hereunder or such
dissenters' rights as are provided under applicable law.
 
     3.7  Closing. The closing of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement (the "Closing") shall take place at the offices of Morrison & Foerster
LLP, 425 Market Street, San Francisco, California 94105 at 9:00 a.m., local
time, on the date (the "Closing Date") that is the later of (i) January 1, 1999,
or as soon thereafter as is reasonably practical, and (ii) the first business
day following the date on which the Company's shareholders have given any
requisite approvals of this Agreement and the Transactions in accordance with
                                       A-4
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Legal Requirements; provided, however, that if all of the other conditions set
forth in Article 9 hereof are not satisfied or waived at such date, the Closing
Date shall be the business day following the day on which all such conditions
have been satisfied or waived, or at such other date, time and place as Verio,
Merger Sub and the Company shall agree.
 
     3.8  Supplementary Action. If, at any time after the Effective Time, any
further assignments or assurances in law or any other things are necessary or
desirable to vest or to perfect or confirm of record in the Surviving
Corporation the title to any property or rights of the Company, or otherwise to
carry out the provisions of this Agreement, the officers and directors of the
Surviving Corporation are hereby authorized and empowered on behalf of the
Company in the name of and on behalf of the Company to execute and deliver any
and all things necessary or proper to vest or to perfect or confirm title to
such property or rights in the Surviving Corporation, and otherwise to carry out
the purposes and provisions of this Agreement.
 
     3.9  Dissenting Shares.
 
     (a) Notwithstanding any provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, any
shares of Company Common Stock held by a holder who has exercised such holder's
dissenters' rights in accordance with the CGCL and who, as of the Effective
Time, has not effectively withdrawn or lost such dissenters' rights ("Dissenting
Shares"), shall not be converted into or represent a right to receive the
consideration described in Section 3.1, but the holder of the Dissenting Shares
shall only be entitled to such rights as are granted by the CGCL.
 
     (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) above, if any holder
of shares of Company Common Stock who demands dissenters' rights with respect to
such shares shall effectively withdraw or lose (through the failure to perfect
or otherwise) such holder's dissenters' rights under the CGCL, then, as of the
Effective Time or the occurrence of such event, such holder's shares shall
automatically be converted into and represent only the right to receive the
consideration described in Section 3.1 upon surrender of the applicable
Certificate(s) as provided herein.
 
     (c) The Company shall give Verio (i) prompt written notice of any written
demands for payment with respect to any shares of Company Common Stock pursuant
to dissenters' rights, and any withdrawals of such demands or losses of such
rights, and any other instruments served pursuant to the CGCL, and (ii) the
opportunity to participate in all negotiations and proceedings with respect to
demands for dissenters' rights. The Company shall not, except with the prior
written consent of Verio, voluntarily make any payment with respect to demands
for dissenters' rights or offer to settle or settle any such demands. It is the
opinion of the Company's Board of Directors that, subject to receipt of a
favorable fairness opinion from the financial advisor to the Company, the fair
market value of a share of Company Common Stock as of the day before the first
announcement of the terms of the proposed Merger, excluding any appreciation or
depreciation in consequence of the proposed Merger, in no event exceeds $6.30.
Following approval of the Merger by the shareholders of the Company, the Company
shall promptly mail to its shareholders a notice of such approval in accordance
with the provisions of the CGCL relating to dissenters' rights, provided, that
the Company shall not issue any such notice of approval or make any other offer
to purchase shares of Company Common Stock without Verio's prior consent.
 
                                       A-5
<PAGE>   366
 
                                   ARTICLE 4
 
                 REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE COMPANY
 
     Except as specifically set forth in the disclosure schedule provided by the
Company simultaneously herewith (the "Disclosure Schedule"), the parts of which
are numbered to correspond to the Section numbers of this Agreement, the Company
hereby represents and warrants to Verio and Merger Sub as follows:
 
     4.1  Due Organization; Good Standing; Authority; Binding Nature of
Agreements.
 
     (a) The Company is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of the State of California, and has all necessary
corporate power and authority:
 
          (i) to conduct its business in the manner in which its business is
     currently being conducted and in the manner in which its business is
     proposed to be conducted prior to the Closing;
 
          (ii) to own and use its assets in the manner in which its assets are
     currently owned and used and in the manner in which its assets are proposed
     to be owned and used prior to the Closing;
 
          (iii) to perform its obligations under all Company Contracts; and
 
          (iv) to enter into and perform all of its obligations under the
     Transactional Agreements.
 
     (b) The Company has never conducted directly or through any subsidiary any
business under or otherwise used, for any purpose or in any jurisdiction, any
fictitious name, assumed name, trade name or name other than "Best Internet
Communications, Inc.," "Hiway Technologies, Inc.," and "RapidSite, Inc."
 
     (c) The Company is duly qualified and in good standing as a foreign
corporation in each of the jurisdictions in which the nature of its business or
the ownership or leasing of its properties requires such qualification. Section
4.1(c) of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a true and complete list of each
jurisdiction in which the Company has an officer or a paid representative
(employee or consultant) or owns or leases property and of each jurisdiction in
which the Company is qualified to do business.
 
     (d) Section 4.1(d) of the Disclosure Schedule accurately sets forth (i) the
names of the members of the Company's Board of Directors, and (ii) the names and
titles of the Company's officers. The Company has no committee of the Company's
Board of Directors.
 
     (e) Neither the Company nor any of its shareholders has ever approved, or
commenced any proceeding or made any election contemplating, the dissolution or
liquidation of the Company or the winding up or cessation of the Company's
business or affairs.
 
     (f) Except as indicated in Section 4.1(f) of the Disclosure Schedule, the
Company has no subsidiaries, and the Company has never owned, beneficially or
otherwise, any shares or other securities of, or any direct or indirect interest
of any nature in, any Entity. Each subsidiary of the Company, and each other
Entity in which the Company owns equity interests, indicated on Section 4.1(f)
of the Disclosure Schedule is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and
in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation. The shares
of capital stock owned by the Company in its subsidiaries or in other Entities
as indicated in Section 4.1(f) of the Disclosure Schedule have been duly
authorized and validly issued, and are fully paid and nonassessable.
 
     (g) The execution, delivery and performance of the Transactional Agreements
have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of Company, its
officers, and its Board of Directors, subject to the approval of the
shareholders of the Company.
 
     (h) The Transactional Agreements each constitute the legal, valid and
binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance
with its terms and conditions, subject to the approval of the shareholders of
the Company.
 
                                       A-6
<PAGE>   367
 
     4.2  Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws; Records.
 
     (a) The Company has delivered to Verio accurate and complete copies of:
 
          (i) the Company's Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, including all
     amendments thereto;
 
          (ii) the stock records of the Company; and
 
          (iii) the minutes and other records of the meetings and other
     proceedings (including any actions taken by written consent or otherwise
     without a meeting) of the shareholders of the Company and the Board of
     Directors of the Company.
 
There have been no meetings or other proceedings of the shareholders of the
Company or the Board of Directors of the Company that are not reflected in such
minutes or other records.
 
     (b) There has not been any violation of any of the provisions of the
Company's Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws or of any resolution adopted by
the Company's shareholders or the Company's Board of Directors, and to the
Knowledge of the Company no event has occurred, and no condition or circumstance
exists, that likely would (with or without notice or lapse of time) constitute
or result directly or indirectly in such a violation.
 
     (c) The books of account, stock records, minute books and other records of
the Company are accurate, up to date and complete, and have been maintained in
accordance with sound and prudent business practices. All of the records of the
Company are in the actual possession and direct control of the Company.
 
     4.3  Capitalization; Ownership of Stock; Solvency, Etc.
 
     (a) The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of (i) ten million
(10,000,000) shares of Preferred Stock, no par value per share, of which five
hundred thousand (500,000) are designated Series A Preferred Stock and four
million (4,000,000) are designated Series B Preferred Stock, and (ii) sixty
million (60,000,000) shares of Company Common Stock, no par value per share. As
of November 13, 1998: (i) thirty five million eight hundred eighty seven
thousand nine hundred thirteen (35,887,913) shares of Company Common Stock, (ii)
no shares of Preferred Stock, (iii) options to purchase one million three
hundred ninety nine thousand two hundred five (1,399,205) shares of Company
Common Stock, and (iv) warrants to purchase three million one hundred fifteen
thousand one hundred twenty-three (3,115,123) shares of Company Common Stock
have been issued and are outstanding. All of such Company Common Stock, warrants
and options are owned of record by the shareholders, warrantholders and
optionholders specified in Section 4.3 of the Disclosure Schedule, in each case
free and clear of any Encumbrances. The aggregate proceeds receivable by the
Company upon exercise of all options and warrants outstanding as of November 13,
1998 was $13,182,800. On the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver to Verio a
true and correct update of the information in this Section 4.3(a) as of the
Closing Date.
 
     (b) All of the shares of Company Common Stock currently outstanding (i)
have been duly authorized and validly issued, (ii) are fully paid and
nonassessable, and (iii) have been issued in full compliance with all applicable
securities laws and other applicable Legal Requirements. The Company has
delivered to Verio accurate and complete copies of the stock certificates
evidencing the currently outstanding shares of Company Common Stock.
 
     (c) Other than as set forth in Section 4.3(a) above or on Section 4.3(a) of
the Disclosure Schedule, there is no:
 
          (i) outstanding preemptive right, subscription, option, call, warrant
     or right (whether or not currently exercisable) to acquire any shares of
     the capital stock or other securities of the Company;
 
          (ii) outstanding security, instrument or obligation that is or may
     become convertible into or exchangeable for any shares of the capital stock
     or other securities of the Company;
 
          (iii) Contract under which the Company is or may become obligated to
     sell or otherwise issue any shares of its capital stock or any other
     securities; or
 
                                       A-7
<PAGE>   368
 
          (iv) condition or circumstance that likely would directly or
     indirectly give rise to or provide a basis for the assertion of a claim by
     any Person to the effect that such Person is entitled to acquire or receive
     any shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company.
 
     (d) The Company has neither repurchased, redeemed or otherwise reacquired
(and, except as contemplated by this Agreement, has not agreed, committed or
offered (in writing or otherwise) to reacquire) any shares of capital stock or
other securities. Any securities reacquired by the Company were (or will have
been) reacquired in full compliance with the applicable provisions of all
applicable Legal Requirements.
 
     4.4  Financial Statements.
 
     (a) The Company has delivered to Verio the following financial statements
and notes (collectively, the "Financial Statements"), which are attached hereto
as Exhibit B:
 
          (i) the audited balance sheet of the Company as of December 31, 1997,
     and the related statements of operations, changes in shareholders' equity
     and fund balance and cash flows of the Company as of December 31, 1997,
     together with the notes thereto; and
 
          (ii) the unaudited balance sheets of the Company as of September 30,
     1998 (the "Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet") and related unaudited
     statements of operations, for the 9 months then ended.
 
     (b) All of the Financial Statements are accurate and complete in all
respects. The Financial Statements are in accordance with the books and records
of the Company, present fairly the financial position of the Company as of the
respective dates thereof and the results of operations and, with respect to the
unaudited Financial Statements, changes in shareholders' equity and fund balance
and cash flows of the Company for the respective periods covered thereby, and
have been prepared in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis,
subject, in the case of the unaudited financial statements, to normal recurring
year-end adjustments, the effect of which will not be material and the absence
of notes and statements of cash flows and changes in shareholders' equity.
 
     (c) At the date of the Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet, (i) the Company had
no Liabilities of any nature (matured or unmatured, fixed or contingent)
required by GAAP consistently applied to be provided for in such Unaudited
Interim Balance Sheet which were not provided for, (ii) the Company had no
material Liabilities of any nature (matured or unmatured, fixed or contingent)
which were not required by GAAP to be provided for in the Unaudited Interim
Balance Sheet and (iii) all reserves established by the Company and set forth in
the Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet were adequate for the purposes for which
they were established.
 
     (d) As of the date of this Agreement, the Company has no Liabilities in
excess of $100,000 individually, or $250,000 in the aggregate, except for:
 
          (i) Liabilities identified as such in the "liabilities" column of the
     Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet;
 
          (ii) accounts payable and Liabilities (of the type required to be
     reflected as current liabilities in the "liabilities" column of a balance
     sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP) incurred and accrued by the Company
     in the Ordinary Course of Business since the date of the Unaudited Interim
     Balance Sheet; and
 
          (iii) the Company Transaction Expenses, the Company's good faith
     estimate of which is included in Section 4.4(d) of the Disclosure Schedule.
 
     4.5  Absence of Changes. Since the date of the Unaudited Balance Sheet:
 
     (a) there has not been any material adverse change in the Company's
business, condition, assets, liabilities, operations, financial performance or
results of operations, and no event has occurred that likely would have an
adverse effect on the Company's business, condition, assets, liabilities,
operations, financial performance or results of operations;
 
     (b) there has not been any material loss, damage or destruction to, or any
interruption in the use of, any of the Company's assets (whether or not covered
by insurance);
 
                                       A-8
<PAGE>   369
 
     (c) the Company has not (i) declared, accrued, set aside or paid any
dividend or made any other distribution in respect of any shares of capital
stock, or (ii) repurchased, redeemed or otherwise reacquired any shares of
capital stock or other securities, other than pursuant to existing agreements
with Company employees at the original purchase price upon termination of such
employee's employment with the Company;
 
     (d) the Company has not sold or otherwise issued any shares of capital
stock or any other securities, other than upon exercise of options or warrants
outstanding at the date hereof or pursuant to the exercise of options granted
after the date hereof to new employees as permitted pursuant to Section 6.2(f);
 
     (e) the Company has not amended its Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws and
has not effected or been a party to any transaction relating to an Acquisition
Proposal, recapitalization, reclassification of shares, stock split, reverse
stock split or similar transaction;
 
     (f) the Company has not purchased or otherwise acquired any asset from any
other Person, except for assets acquired by the Company in the Ordinary Course
of Business;
 
     (g) the Company has not leased or licensed any asset from any other Person,
except for assets leased or licensed in the Ordinary Course of Business;
 
     (h) the Company has not made any capital expenditures outside the Ordinary
Course of Business, except for such capital expenditures as in the aggregate,
measured by invoice amount, do not exceed $2 million or were consented to by
Verio in writing;
 
     (i) the Company has not sold or otherwise transferred, and has not leased
or licensed, any asset to any other Person, except for products sold by the
Company from its inventory in the Ordinary Course of Business;
 
     (j) the Company has not written off as uncollectible, or established any
extraordinary reserve with respect to, any account receivable or other
indebtedness, except in the Ordinary Course of Business;
 
     (k) the Company has not pledged or hypothecated any of its assets or
otherwise permitted any of its assets to become subject to any Encumbrance,
except in the Ordinary Course of Business;
 
     (l) the Company has not made any loan or advance to any other Person,
including without limitation, any shareholder of the Company;
 
     (m) the Company has not (i) established or adopted any Employee Benefit
Plan or (ii) paid any bonus or made any profit sharing or similar payment to, or
increased the amount of the wages, salary, commissions, fringe benefits or other
compensation or remuneration payable to, any of its directors, officers or
employees, other than as required under agreements existing on the date hereof
as disclosed in Section 4.5(m) of the Disclosure Schedule;
 
     (n) the Company has not entered into, and neither the Company nor any of
the assets owned or used by the Company has become bound by, any Contract,
except in the Ordinary Course of Business;
 
     (o) no Contract by which the Company or any of the assets owned or used by
the Company is or was bound, or under which the Company has or had any rights or
interest, has been amended or terminated, other than in the Ordinary Course of
Business;
 
     (p) there has been no borrowing or agreement to borrow by the Company
(other than borrowings in the Ordinary Course of Business under the Company's
line of credit with Silicon Valley Bank, up to a maximum of $2 million in the
aggregate) or change in any guaranty, endorsement, indemnity, warranty or other
obligation of the Company in respect of the obligations of others, or grant of a
mortgage or security interest in any property of the Company, and the Company
has not incurred, assumed or otherwise become subject to any Liabilities, other
than accounts payable (of the type required to be reflected as current
liabilities on a balance sheet prepared in accordance with GAAP) incurred by the
Company in the Ordinary Course of Business;
 
     (q) the Company has not discharged any Encumbrance or discharged or paid
any indebtedness or other Liability, except any that (i) are reflected as
current liabilities in the Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet or
 
                                       A-9
<PAGE>   370
 
have been incurred by the Company since the date thereof in the Ordinary Course
of Business, and (ii) have been discharged or paid in the Ordinary Course of
Business;
 
     (r) the Company has not forgiven any debt or otherwise released or waived
any right or claim;
 
     (s) the Company has not changed any of its methods of accounting or
accounting practices in any respect;
 
     (t) the Company has not entered into any transaction or taken any other
action outside the Ordinary Course of Business; and
 
     (u) the Company has not agreed or committed (in writing or otherwise), to
take any of the actions referred to in clauses (c) through (t) above.
 
     4.6  Title to Assets; Equipment; Real Property, Leases; Inventory.
 
     (a) The Company owns, and has good, valid and marketable title to, all
assets it purports to own, including:
 
          (i) all assets reflected on the Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet
     (except for inventory sold by the Company since the date thereof in the
     Ordinary Course of Business);
 
          (ii) all assets acquired by the Company since the date of the
     Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet (except for inventory sold by the Company
     since the date of the Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet in the Ordinary
     Course of Business);
 
          (iii) all assets referred to in Sections 4.6(b), 4.7 and 4.9 of the
     Disclosure Schedule, except leased assets identified in Section 4.6(b) of
     the Disclosure Schedule, and all of the Company's rights under Company
     Contracts; and
 
          (iv) all other assets reflected in the Company's books and records as
     being owned by the Company.
 
All of said assets are owned by the Company free and clear of any Encumbrances,
except liens for current taxes and assessments not delinquent.
 
     (b) Section 4.6(b) of the Disclosure Schedule identifies all computers,
routers, networking equipment, telecommunications equipment and other tangible
and intangible assets owned by or leased to the Company and used by the Company
in its web hosting and Internet access businesses, other than ordinary office
furniture and office supplies.
 
     (c) To the Knowledge of the Company, each asset identified in Section
4.6(b) of the Disclosure Schedule:
 
          (i) is in good condition and repair, consistent with its age and
     intended use (ordinary wear and tear excepted);
 
          (ii) complies in all respects and is being operated and otherwise used
     in full compliance with all applicable Legal Requirements; and
 
          (iii) is adequate for the uses to which it is being put.
 
     (d) The Company does not own any real property or any interest in real
property, except for the leaseholds created under the real property leases
identified in Section 4.6(d) of the Disclosure Schedule (the "Leased Premises").
Section 4.6(d) of the Disclosure Schedule provides an accurate and complete
description of the premises covered by said leases and the facilities located on
such premises. The Company enjoys peaceful and undisturbed possession of such
premises. The Company has delivered to Verio complete copies of all such leases.
The Surviving Corporation will obtain a valid leasehold interest in such leases,
in each case free and clear of all title defects, Encumbrances and restrictions
of any kind, except: (i) mechanics', carriers', workers' and other similar liens
arising in the Ordinary Course of Business since the date of the Unaudited
Interim Balance Sheet and (ii) liens for current taxes not yet due and payable.
 
                                      A-10
<PAGE>   371
 
     (e) Section 4.6(e) of the Disclosure Schedule identifies all personal
property assets that are being leased or licensed to the Company.
 
     (f) All leases pursuant to which the Company leases real or personal
property are valid and effective in accordance with their respective terms and,
to the Company's Knowledge, there exists no default thereunder or occurrence or
condition which could result in a default thereunder or termination thereof.
 
     (g) The Company's Leased Premises are in a condition adequate for the
conduct of the business in the Ordinary Course of Business, and the Company
owns, or has a valid leasehold interest in or license to, all assets necessary
for the conduct of its business as presently conducted.
 
     4.7  Receivables; Major Customers.
 
     (a) Section 4.7 of the Disclosure Schedule provides an accurate and
complete breakdown and aging of the aggregate accounts and notes receivable and
a list of all other receivables of the Company as of September 30, 1998,
categorized by period of aging (30, 60, 90 or 120 or more days), and a detail of
the aging of the accounts receivables of each customer of the Company accounting
for revenues in 1997 or annualized for 1998 in excess of $10,000.
 
     (b) All existing accounts receivable of the Company (including those
accounts receivable reflected on the Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet that have
not yet been collected and those accounts receivable that have arisen since such
date and have not yet been collected):
 
          (i) represent valid obligations of ongoing customers of the Company
     arising from bona fide transactions entered into in the Ordinary Course of
     Business; and
 
          (ii) are current and in the aggregate, will be collected in full
     (without any counterclaim or setoff), net of reserves, on or before the
     later of 90 days from the date of invoice or 60 days from the Closing Date.
 
     (c) The Company has not received any notice or other communication (in
writing or otherwise), or received any other information, indicating that
customers representing a material portion of the Company's revenues may cease
dealing with the Company or may otherwise reduce the volume of business
transacted by such Person with the Company below historical levels.
 
     (d) The Company has provided to Verio a copy of each of the Company's two
standard forms of customer contract. Customers covered by contracts in forms
other than such standard forms or with material deviations from such standard
forms do not constitute a material portion of the Company's revenues. The
Company has no oral contracts or agreements to provide services.
 
     4.8  Accounts Payable; Major Suppliers.
 
     (a) Section 4.8 of the Disclosure Schedule:
 
          (i) provides an accurate and complete breakdown and aging of the
     Company's aggregate accounts payable as of September 30, 1998; and
 
          (ii) provides an accurate and complete breakdown of the Company's
     long-term debt as of the date of this Agreement.
 
     4.9  Proprietary Assets.
 
     (a) Section 4.9 of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth each registered or
material Proprietary Asset that is owned by or licensed to the Company or that
is otherwise used in connection with Company's business.
 
     (b) The Company has taken all reasonable measures and precautions necessary
to protect the confidentiality and value of each Proprietary Asset identified or
required to be identified in Section 4.9 of the Disclosure Schedule.
 
                                      A-11
<PAGE>   372
 
     (c) All current and former consultants of the Company involved in the
development of Proprietary Assets have executed an employee or consultant
proprietary information and inventions agreement substantially in one of the
forms attached as Exhibit C hereto. To the Knowledge of the Company, no such
consultant is in violation thereof. The Company does not believe it is or will
be necessary to utilize any inventions, trade secrets or proprietary information
of owned by any Company employee, except for inventions, trade secrets or
proprietary information identified in Schedule 4.9(c) of the Disclosure
Schedule.
 
     (d) The Company has conducted its business without infringement or claim of
infringement of any license, patent, copyright, service mark, trademark, trade
name, trade secret or other intellectual property right of others. The Company
is not infringing and has not at any time infringed or received any notice or
other communication (in writing or otherwise) of any actual, alleged, possible
or potential infringement of any Proprietary Asset owned or used by any other
Person. To the Company's Knowledge, no Person is infringing, and no Proprietary
Asset owned or used by any other Person infringes or conflicts with, any
Proprietary Asset owned or used by Company.
 
     (e) There are no royalties, honoraria, fees or other payments payable by
the Company to any person by reason of the ownership, use, license, sale or
disposition of any Proprietary Asset of the Company.
 
     (f) The Proprietary Assets identified in Section 4.9 of the Disclosure
Schedule constitute all of the material Proprietary Assets necessary to enable
the Company to conduct its business in the manner in which its business is
currently being conducted, and the Company owns, or has the right to use, and to
license others to use all such Proprietary Assets. Such ownership or right to
use, and to license others to use, are, or with respect to patents to the
Company's Knowledge are, free and clear of, and without liability under, all
claims and right of third parties.
 
     4.10  Contracts.
 
     (a) Section 4.10 of the Disclosure Schedule lists each material Company
Contract. All material Company Contracts are in writing. The Company has
delivered to Verio accurate and complete copies of all material Company
Contracts, including all amendments thereto.
 
     (b) Each Company Contract is valid and in full force and effect, and is
enforceable by the Company in accordance with its material terms. Neither any
Company Contract with any customer of the Company nor any material Company
Contract contains any material term or provision that is extraordinary or that
is not customarily found in Contracts entered into by comparable Entities.
 
     (c) The Company is not in default under any Company Contract, and to the
Company's Knowledge: (i) no Person acting for the Company has violated or
breached, or declared or committed any material default under, any Company
Contract; (ii) no event has occurred, and no circumstance or condition exists,
that likely would (with or without notice or lapse of time) (A) result in a
material violation or breach of any of the provisions of any Company Contract,
(B) give any Person the right to declare a default or exercise any remedy or
hinder any Company Contract, (C) give any Person the right to accelerate the
maturity or performance of any Company Contract, or (D) give any Person the
right to cancel, terminate or modify any Company Contract; and (iii) the Company
has not waived any of its rights under any Company Contract.
 
     (d) The Company has not received any notice that any Person against which
the Company has or may acquire any rights under any Company Contract is not
solvent and is not able to satisfy all of such Person's current and future
monetary obligations and other obligations and Liabilities to the Company.
 
     (e) (i) The Company has never guaranteed or otherwise agreed to cause,
insure or become liable for, and has never pledged any of its assets to secure,
the performance or payment of any obligation or other Liability of any other
Person except in the Ordinary Course of Business; and (ii) the Company has never
been a party to or bound by (A) any joint venture agreement, partnership
agreement, profit sharing agreement, cost sharing agreement, loss sharing
agreement or similar Contract, or (B) any Contract that creates or grants to any
Person, or provides for the creation or grant of, any stock appreciation right,
phantom stock right or similar right or interest.
 
                                      A-12
<PAGE>   373
 
     (f) To the Knowledge of the Company, the performance of the Company
Contracts will not result in any violation of or failure to comply with any
Legal Requirement.
 
     (g) No Person is materially renegotiating, nor has the contractual right to
materially renegotiate, any amount paid or payable to the Company under any
material Company Contract or any other material term or provision of any
material Company Contract.
 
     (h) Schedule 4.10(h) of the Disclosure Schedule identifies and provides an
accurate and brief description, as of the date of this Agreement, of each
proposed material Contract as to which any bid, offer, written proposal, term
sheet or similar document has been submitted or received by the Company that
would commit the Company to provide services and is outstanding.
 
     (i) No party to any material Company Contract has notified the Company or
made a claim to the effect that the Company has failed to perform an obligation
thereunder. In addition, to the Knowledge of the Company, there is no plan,
intention or indication of any contracting party to any material Company
Contract to cause the termination, cancellation or modification of such Contract
or to reduce or otherwise change its activity thereunder so as to adversely
affect the benefits derived or expected to be derived therefrom by the Company.
 
     (j) The Company has all material Contracts necessary to conduct its
business in the manner in which it is being conducted or is proposed to be
conducted prior to the Closing.
 
     4.11  Compliance With Legal Requirements.
 
     (a) To the Knowledge of the Company, the Company is in compliance with each
Legal Requirement that is applicable to it or to the conduct of its business or
the ownership or use of any of its assets.
 
     (b) To the Knowledge of the Company, no event has occurred, and no
condition or circumstance exists, that likely would (with or without notice or
lapse of time) constitute or result directly or indirectly in a violation by the
Company of, or a failure on the part of the Company to comply with, any Legal
Requirement.
 
     (c) The Company has not received, at any time, any notice or other
communication (in writing or otherwise) from any Governmental Body, or any other
Person, regarding (i) any actual, alleged, possible or potential violation of,
or failure to comply with, any Legal Requirement, or (ii) any actual, alleged,
possible or potential obligation on the part of the Company to undertake, or to
bear all or any portion of the cost of, any cleanup or any remedial, corrective
or response action of any nature.
 
     4.12  Governmental Authorizations.
 
     (a) Section 4.12 of the Disclosure Schedule identifies:
 
          (i) each material Governmental Authorization that is held by the
     Company, if any; and
 
          (ii) each other Governmental Authorization that, to the Knowledge of
     the Company, is held by any of the Company's employees and is used in
     connection with the Company's business.
 
The Company has delivered to Verio accurate and complete copies of all
Governmental Authorizations identified in Section 4.12 of the Disclosure
Schedule (if any), including all renewals thereof and all amendments thereto.
Each Governmental Authorization identified or required to be identified in
Section 4.12 of the Disclosure Schedule (if any) is valid and in full force and
effect.
 
     (b) The Company has all Governmental Authorizations necessary (i) to enable
the Company to conduct its business in the manner in which its business is
currently being conducted or is proposed to be conducted prior to the Closing,
and (ii) to permit the Company to own and use its assets in the manner in which
they are currently owned and used.
 
     4.13  Tax Matters.
 
     (a) Each Tax required to have been paid, or claimed by any Governmental
Body to be payable, by the Company (whether pursuant to any Tax Return or
otherwise) has been duly paid in full on a timely basis, or
 
                                      A-13
<PAGE>   374
 
the Company has established adequate reserves therefor (identified as such) in
the Financial Statements. Any Tax required to have been withheld or collected by
the Company has been duly withheld and collected, and (to the extent required)
each such Tax has been paid to the appropriate Governmental Body.
 
     (b) Section 4.13(b) of the Disclosure Schedule accurately identifies all
Tax Returns required to be filed by or on behalf of the Company with any
Governmental Body with respect to any taxable period ending on or before the
Closing Date ("Company Returns"). All Company Returns (i) have been or will be
filed when due, and (ii) have been, or will be when filed, prepared in material
compliance with all applicable Legal Requirements. All amounts shown on the
Company Returns to be due on or before the Closing Date, and all amounts
otherwise payable in connection with the Company Returns on or before the
Closing Date, have been or will be paid on or before the Closing Date. The
Company has delivered to Verio accurate and complete copies of Company Returns
filed by the Company.
 
     (c) The Company's liability for unpaid Taxes for all periods ending on or
before the date of the Financial Statements does not, in the aggregate, exceed
the amount of the current liability accruals for Taxes (excluding reserves for
deferred taxes) reported in the Financial Statements, and the Company's
liability for unpaid Taxes for all periods or partial periods through the
Closing Date will not exceed such accruals, adjusted for operations in the
Ordinary Course of Business after the date of the Unaudited Interim Balance
Sheet.
 
     (d) Section 4.13(d) of the Disclosure Schedule accurately identifies each
examination or audit of any Company Return that has been conducted by any
Governmental Body. The Company has delivered to Verio accurate and complete
copies of all audit reports and similar documents relating to Company Returns.
No extension or waiver of the limitation period applicable to any of the Company
Returns has been granted (by the Company or any other Person), and no such
extension or waiver has been requested from the Company.
 
     (e) No claim or other Proceeding is pending or to the Company's Knowledge
has been threatened against or with respect to Company in respect of any Tax.
There are no unsatisfied Liabilities for Taxes (including liabilities for
interest, additions to tax and penalties thereon and related expenses) with
respect to any notice of deficiency or similar document received by the Company.
The Company has not entered into or become bound by any agreement or consent
pursuant to Section 341(f) of the Code. The Company has not been, and will not
be, required to include any adjustment in taxable income for any tax period (or
portion thereof) pursuant to Section 481 or 263A of the Code or any comparable
provision under state or foreign Tax laws as a result of transactions or events
occurring, or accounting methods employed, prior to the Closing.
 
     (f) There is no agreement, plan, arrangement or other Contract covering any
employee or independent contractor or former employee or independent contractor
of the Company that, individually or collectively, could give rise directly or
indirectly to the payment of any amount that would not be deductible pursuant to
Section 28OG or Section 162(m) of the Code.
 
     (g) The Company is not a United States real property holding corporation
within the meaning of Section 897(c)(2) of the Code and has not been a United
States real property holding corporation within the applicable period specified
in Section 897(c)(1)(A)(ii) of the Code.
 
     (h) The Company is not liable for Taxes incurred by any individual, trust,
corporation, partnership or other entity other than Company, either as a
transferee or pursuant to Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6, or pursuant to
any other provision of federal, state or local law or regulation. 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 Contract.
 
     (i) The Company is not a party to any joint venture, partnership or other
arrangement or contract which could be treated as a partnership for United
States federal income tax purposes.
 
     4.14  Employee and Labor Matters.
 
     (a) The organization chart included in the Disclosure Schedule is complete
and accurate as of the date of this Agreement.
 
                                      A-14
<PAGE>   375
 
     (b) Schedule 4.14(b) of the Disclosure Schedule contains a list of
individuals who are currently performing services for the Company in connection
with the development of Proprietary Assets and are classified as "consultants"
or "independent contractors," and the respective compensation of each such
"consultant" or "independent contractor."
 
     (c) There is no former employee of the Company who is receiving or is
scheduled to receive (or whose spouse or other dependent is receiving or is
scheduled to receive) any benefits (whether from the Company or otherwise)
relating to such former employee's employment with the Company; and Section
4.14(c) of the Disclosure Schedule accurately describes any such benefits.
 
     (d) The Company is not a party to or bound by, and has never been a party
to or bound by, any employment agreement or any union contract, collective
bargaining agreement or similar Contract. The Company has terminated all
employment agreements to which it has been a party or by which it or any of its
subsidiaries was bound, and has no obligation to make any additional payments
with respect to such terminations, and is not otherwise obligated in any way
with respect to such terminations. The Company has delivered to Verio copies of
all written agreements relating to such terminations.
 
     (e) The employment of each of the Company's employees is terminable by the
Company at will. The Company has delivered to Verio accurate and complete copies
of all employee manuals and handbooks, disclosure materials, policy statements,
employment agreements and other materials relating to the employment of the
current and former employees of the Company.
 
     (f) The Company has not received any notice that any key employee of the
Company intends to terminate his or her employment with the Company, and the
Company does not have a present intention to terminate the employment of any
employee.
 
     (g) To the Knowledge of the Company (but with no investigation), no
employee of the Company is a party to or is bound by any confidentiality
agreement, noncompetition agreement or other Contract (with any Person) that
likely would have an adverse effect on (A) the performance by such employee of
any of his duties or responsibilities as an employee of the Company, or (B) the
Company's business or operations.
 
     (h) To the Company's Knowledge, the Company is not engaged, and has never
been engaged, in any unfair labor practice of any nature. There has never been
any slowdown, work stoppage, labor dispute or union organizing activity, or any
similar activity or dispute, affecting the Company or any of its employees.
There is not now pending, and to the Knowledge of the Company no Person has
threatened to commence, any such slowdown, work stoppage, labor dispute or union
organizing activity or any similar activity or dispute, nor has any event
occurred, nor does any condition or circumstance exist, that likely would
directly or indirectly give rise to or provide a basis for the commencement of
any such slowdown, work stoppage, labor dispute or union organizing activity or
any similar activity or dispute.
 
     4.15  Benefit Plans; ERISA.
 
     (a) Section 4.15 of the Disclosure Schedule provides a true and complete
list of each Current Benefit Plan maintained by the Company and each Past
Benefit Plan maintained by the Company. The Company has never established,
adopted, maintained, sponsored, contributed to, participated in or incurred any
Liability with respect to, and does not maintain, sponsor, contribute to or
participate in, any Employee Benefit Plan, except for the Company Plans
identified in Section 4.15 of the Disclosure Schedule; and the Company has never
provided or made available any fringe benefit or other benefit of any nature to
any of its employees, whether or not the value of such benefit is includable in
the recipient's gross income, as determined in accordance with Section 132 of
the Code or other applicable sections, or other material benefit of any nature
to any of its employees, except as set forth in Section 4.15 of the Disclosure
Schedule.
 
     (b) No Company Plan:
 
          (i) provides or provided any benefit guaranteed by the Pension Benefit
     Guaranty Corporation;
 
          (ii) is or was a "multiemployer plan" as defined in Section 4001(a)(3)
     of ERISA;
 
                                      A-15
<PAGE>   376
 
          (iii) is or was subject to the minimum funding standards of Section
     412 of the Code, Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, or Section 302 of ERISA; or
 
          (iv) is or was a "Multi-employer Plan" as defined in Section 3(37)(A)
     of ERISA. There is no Person that (by reason of common control or
     otherwise) is or has at any time been treated together with the Company as
     a single employer within the meaning of Section 414 of the Code.
 
     (c) The Company has delivered or made available to Verio, with respect to
each Current Benefit Plan and, to the extent specifically requested by Verio,
each Past Benefit Plan, a current, accurate and complete copy of such Company
Plan and all other documents with respect to which the administrator of such
plan would be required to provide copies pursuant to Section 104(b)(4) of ERISA
including without limitation, to the extent applicable, copies of the most
recent (i) IRS determination letter and any outstanding request for a
determination letter, (ii) Form 5500 series Annual Return/Report that may have
been prepared, in draft or final form, with respect to the Plan Year Ending
December 31, 1997, whether or not such form was actually filed with the Internal
Revenue Service, (iii) with respect to any pension benefit plan, a comprehensive
financial statement of plan assets held in the accompanying trust and statements
of financial activity in the individual participant accounts for the Plan Year
Ending December 31, 1997, including the fair market value of assets as of
December 31, 1997, (iv) attorney's response to auditor's request for
information; (v) collective bargaining agreements or other supplemental
agreements relating thereto; (vi) letter ruling and any outstanding request for
a letter ruling with regard to any aspect of a Company Plan; and (vii) general
notification to employees of their rights under Section 4980B(f)(6) of the Code
and form of letter(s) distributed upon the occurrence of a qualifying event
described in Section 4980B(f)(3) of the Code, in the case of a Company Plan that
is a "group health plan" as defined in Section 4980B(g)(2) of the Code.
 
     (d) Each Current Benefit Plan maintained by the Company is being operated
and administered in compliance with the provisions thereof, and each Company
Plan maintained by the Company has at all times been operated and administered
in full compliance with the provisions thereof. Each contribution or other
payment that is required to have been accrued or made under or with respect to
any Company Plan maintained by the Company has been duly accrued and made on a
timely basis, including, without limitation, any contribution that is required
to satisfy the requirements of Section 401(a) et seq., as well as Sections
401(k) and 401(m) of the Code.
 
     (e) With respect to each Current Benefit Plan which is an employee pension
benefit plan (as such term is defined in ERISA Section 3(2)) intended to qualify
under Section 401(a) of the Code, the Company has received a favorable
determination letter as to its qualification under the Code and, to the
Company's Knowledge, nothing has occurred, whether by action or failure to act,
which would cause the loss of such qualification.
 
     (f) The Company's financial statement(s) reflect all of the Company's
employee benefit liabilities in a manner satisfying the requirements set forth
in FASB Statement Nos. 87, 106 and 112.
 
     (g) Each Current Benefit Plan maintained by the Company complies and is
being operated and administered in compliance with, and each Company Plan
maintained by the Company has at all times complied and been operated and
administered in compliance with, all applicable reporting, disclosure and other
requirements of ERISA and the Code and all other applicable Legal Requirements.
The Company has never incurred any Liability to the Internal Revenue Service nor
any other Governmental Body with respect to any Company Plan maintained by the
Company; and no event has occurred, and, to the Company's Knowledge, no
condition or circumstance exists, that likely would (with or without notice or
lapse of time) give rise directly or indirectly to any such Liability. To the
Company's Knowledge, neither the Company nor any Person that is or was an
administrator or fiduciary of any Company Plan maintained by the Company, has
engaged in any transaction or has otherwise acted or failed to act in a manner
that has subjected or likely would subject the Company to any Liability for
breach of any fiduciary duty or any other duty. There are no actions, suits or
claims (other than routine claims for benefits in the ordinary course) pending
with respect to any Company Plan, or to the Knowledge of the Company,
threatened, and the Company has no Knowledge of any facts which would give rise
to any such actions, suits or claims (other than routine claims for benefits in
the ordinary course).
                                      A-16
<PAGE>   377
 
     (h) Since December 31, 1997, no Company Plan maintained by the Company has
been or will be (i) terminated by Company, (ii) amended in any manner which
would directly or indirectly increase the benefits accrued, or which may be
accrued, by any participant thereunder, or (iii) amended in any manner which
would materially increase the cost to the Company or Verio or any Person of
maintaining such Company Plan.
 
     (i) With respect to any Company Plan maintained by the Company which is an
employee welfare benefit plan (within the meaning of ERISA Section 3(1)) (a
"Welfare Benefit Plan"): (i) each such Welfare Benefit Plan which is intended to
meet the requirement for tax favored treatment under Subchapter B of Chapter 1
of the Code meets all such requirements; (ii) there is no disqualified benefit
(as such term is defined in Section 4976(b) of the Code); (iii) each and every
Welfare Benefit Plan which is a group health plan (as such term is defined in
Section 4980B(g)(2)) complies with, and in each and every case has complied
with, the applicable requirements of Code Section 4980B; and (iv) each such
Welfare Benefit Plan (including any plan covering former employees of Company)
may be amended or terminated by the Company or Verio on or at any time after the
Closing Date.
 
     4.16  Environmental Matters. The Company is and, to the Knowledge of the
Company, has been at all times in compliance in all material respects with all
Environmental Laws. The Company has now and at all times has had all the
necessary permits required under Environmental Laws for the operation of its
business, and is not and has not been in violation of any of the terms and
conditions of any of its permits. The Company has not received any notice or
other communication (in writing or otherwise) that alleges that the Company is
not in compliance with any Environmental Law. The Company has not generated,
manufactured, produced, transported, imported, used, treated, refined,
processed, handled, stored, discharged, released, or disposed of any Hazardous
Materials (whether lawfully or unlawfully) at any of the Leased Premises
occupied or controlled by the Company on or at any time prior to the Closing
Date, other than common household and office products in de minimis quantities.
To the Knowledge of the Company: (a) there are not and have not been any
releases or threatened releases of any Hazardous Materials in any quantity
(other than common household and office products in de minimis quantities) at,
on, or from the Leased Premises, (b) there are no circumstances that may prevent
or interfere with the Company's compliance with any Environmental Law, and (c)
no former owner or user of the Leased Premises engaged in any type of
manufacturing or commercial activity which might be reasonably expected to
generate, manufacture, produce, transport, import, use, treat, refine, process,
handle, store, discharge, release, or dispose of any Hazardous Materials
(whether lawfully or unlawfully) on the Leased Premises.
 
     4.17  Sale of Products; Performance of Services.
 
     (a) The Company will not incur or otherwise become subject to any Liability
arising directly or indirectly from any product manufactured or sold, or any
repair services or other services performed by, the Company on or at any time
prior to the Closing Date, other than normal warranty claims.
 
     (b) No customer or other Person has ever asserted or threatened to assert
any material claim against the Company (i) under or based upon any warranty
provided by or on behalf of the Company, or (ii) under or based upon any other
warranty relating to any services performed by the Company, other than normal
warranty claims in the Ordinary Course of Business, the costs of which in the
aggregate are not material. To the Knowledge of the Company, no event has
occurred, and no condition or circumstance exists, that likely would (with or
without notice or lapse of time) directly or indirectly give rise to or serve as
a basis for the assertion of any such claim.
 
     (c) The Company believes that its quality control program is adequate.
 
     4.18  Insurance.
 
     (a) The Company believes that it maintains insurance that it is adequate
and customary for like companies. The Company currently has in force the
insurances indicated on the insurance certificate attached to Section 4.18 of
the Disclosure Schedule.
 
                                      A-17
<PAGE>   378
 
     (b) Each of the insurance policies carried by the Company is valid,
enforceable and in full force and effect, and has been issued by an insurance
carrier that, to the Knowledge of the Company, is solvent, financially sound and
reputable. All of the information contained in the applications submitted in
connection with said policies was (at the times said applications were
submitted) accurate and complete, and all premiums and other amounts owing with
respect to said policies have been paid in full on a timely basis. The nature,
scope and dollar amounts of the insurance coverage provided by said policies are
sufficient to adequately insure the Company's business, assets, operations, key
employees, services and potential liabilities and comply with all insurance
coverage requirements of Company Contracts.
 
     (c) There is no pending claim under or based upon any of the Company's
insurance policies, and to the Company's Knowledge no event has occurred, and no
condition or circumstance exists, that likely would (with or without notice or
lapse of time) directly or indirectly give rise to or serve as a basis for any
such claim.
 
     (d) The Company has not received:
 
          (i) any notice or other communication (in writing or otherwise)
     regarding the actual or possible cancellation or invalidation of any of the
     Company's insurance policies or regarding any actual or possible adjustment
     in the amount of the premiums payable with respect to any of said policies;
 
          (ii) any notice or other communication (in writing or otherwise)
     regarding any actual or possible refusal of coverage under, or any actual
     or possible rejection of any claim under, any of the Company's insurance
     policies; or
 
          (iii) any indication that the issuer of any of the Company's insurance
     policies may be unwilling or unable to perform any of its obligations
     thereunder.
 
     4.19  Proceedings; Orders.
 
     (a) There is no pending Proceeding, and to the Knowledge of the Company, no
Person has threatened to commence any Proceeding:
 
          (i) that involves the Company or that otherwise relates to or likely
     would affect the Company's business or any of the assets owned or used by
     the Company (whether or not the Company is named as a party thereto); or
 
          (ii) that challenges, or that may have the effect of preventing,
     delaying, making illegal or otherwise interfering with, any of the
     Transactions.
 
     (b) The Company has delivered to Verio accurate and complete copies of all
pleadings, correspondence and other written materials to which the Company has
access that relate to the Proceedings identified in Section 4.19 of the
Disclosure Schedule.
 
     (c) There is no Order expressly applicable to the Company or any of the
assets owned or used by the Company.
 
     (d) To the Knowledge of the Company, no officer or employee of the Company
is subject to any Order that prohibits such officer or employee from engaging in
or continuing any conduct, activity or practice relating to the Company's
business.
 
     (e) There is no Order or, to the Knowledge of the Company, proposed Order
(other than any proposed Order that would be applicable generally to the
Internet connectivity industry) that, if issued or otherwise put into effect,
(i) likely would have an adverse effect on the Company's business, condition,
assets, liabilities, operations, financial performance, net income or prospects
(or on any aspect or portion thereof) or on the ability of the Company to comply
with or perform any covenant or obligation under this Agreement or any of the
other Transactional Agreements, or (ii) may have the effect of preventing,
delaying, making legal or otherwise interfering with any of the Transactions.
 
                                      A-18
<PAGE>   379
 
     4.20  Non-Contravention; Consents. Neither the execution and delivery of
this Agreement or the other Transactional Agreements, nor the consummation or
performance of any of the Transactions, will directly or indirectly (with or
without notice or lapse of time):
 
     (a) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of (i) any of the
provisions of the Company's Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, or (ii) any
resolution adopted by the Company's shareholders, the Company's Board of
Directors or any committee of the Company's Board of Directors;
 
     (b) to the Knowledge of the Company, contravene, conflict with or result in
a violation of, or give any Governmental Body or other Person the right to
challenge any of the Transactions or to exercise any remedy or obtain any relief
under, any Legal Requirement or any Order to which the Company, or any of the
assets owned or used by the Company, is subject (assuming approval by the
shareholders of the Company);
 
     (c) cause the Company to become subject to, or to become liable for the
payment of, any Tax;
 
     (d) cause any of the assets owned or used by the Company to be reassessed
or revalued by any taxing authority or other Governmental Body;
 
     (e) to the Knowledge of the Company, contravene, conflict with or result in
a violation of any of the terms or requirements of, or give any Governmental
Body the right to revoke, withdraw, suspend, cancel, terminate or modify, any
Governmental Authorization that is held by the Company or any of its employees
or that otherwise relates to the Company's business or to any of the assets
owned or used by the Company;
 
     (f) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation or breach of, or
result in a default under, any material provision of any of the Company
Contracts;
 
     (g) give any Person the right to (i) declare a default or exercise any
remedy under any Company Contract, (ii) accelerate the maturity or performance
of any Company Contract, or (iii) cancel, terminate or modify any Company
Contract;
 
     (h) give any Person the right to any payment by the Company or give rise to
any acceleration or change in the award, grant, vesting or determination of
options, warrants, rights, severance payments or other contingent obligations of
any nature whatsoever of the Company in favor of any Person, in any such case as
a result of the change in control of the Company or otherwise resulting from the
Transactions.
 
     (i) result in the imposition or creation of any Encumbrance upon or with
respect to any asset owned or used by the Company.
 
The Company will not be required to make any filing with or give any notice to,
or obtain any Consent from, any Person in connection with the execution and
delivery of this Agreement and the other Transactional Agreements or the
consummation or performance of any of the Transactions. As of the date hereof,
all such filings, notices and Consents have been duly made, given or obtained
and are in full force and effect, other than those which by their nature are
required to be made, given or obtained after the Closing, all of which shall be
made, given or obtained within the time required therefor.
 
     4.21  Brokers. The Company has not agreed or become obligated to pay, or
taken any action that likely would result in any Person, other than Bear,
Stearns & Co. Inc. and BT Alex. Brown Incorporated, claiming to be entitled to
receive, any brokerage commission, finder's fee or similar commission or fee in
connection with any of the Transactions. Copies of the engagement letters for
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and BT Alex. Brown Incorporated have been provided to
Verio.
 
     4.22  Full Disclosure.
 
     (a) Neither this Agreement (including all Schedules and Exhibits hereto),
nor any of the other Transactional Agreements, contains or will contain any
untrue statement of material fact or omits or will omit to state any fact
necessary to make any of the representations, warranties or statements contained
therein on behalf of the Company or any of the Shareholders not misleading. To
the extent any representation or warranty permits omission of items otherwise
required to be discussed because they are not material or do not
 
                                      A-19
<PAGE>   380
 
or would not have a material adverse effect on the Company, such omissions in
the aggregate will not and do not have a material adverse effect on the Company.
 
     (b) The Company has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in connection with its proposed
initial public offering (collectively, the "Company S-1"), and has previously
furnished or made available to Verio true and complete copies of the Company S-1
(including any exhibits thereto) and will promptly deliver to Verio any other
filings by the Company with the SEC filed between the date hereof and the
Effective Time (collectively with the Company S-1, the "Company SEC Filings"),
and any comments or requests received from the SEC in connection therewith. None
of such Company SEC Filings, as of their respective dates (as amended through
the date hereof), contained or, with respect to the Company SEC Filings filed
after the date hereof, will contain any untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted or, with respect to the Company SEC Filings filed after the date hereof,
will 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. If applicable, each of the balance sheets (including the
related notes) included in the Company SEC Filings fairly presents the
consolidated financial position of the Company and its subsidiaries as of the
date thereof, and the other related statements (including the related notes)
included therein fairly present the results of operations and the changes in
cash flows of the Company and its subsidiaries for the respective periods set
forth therein, all in conformity with GAAP consistently applied during the
periods involved.
 
     (c) The information relating to the Company and its subsidiaries and the
Shareholders to be contained in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus will not contain
any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not
misleading.
 
     4.23  Powers of Attorney. The Company has not given a power of attorney to
any Person.
 
     4.24  Securities Law Compliance. The Company has complied with all federal
and state securities laws in connection with all offers and sales of securities
issued by the Company prior to the date of this Agreement. The Company has not
heretofore granted any other purchaser of its securities the right to require
the Company to register any securities under the Securities Act or to qualify
for any exemption thereunder.
 
     4.25  Takeover Statutes. No "fair price," "moratorium," "control share
acquisition" or other similar antitakeover statute is applicable to the Company
in connection with the Merger, except for such statutes or regulations as to
which all necessary action has been taken by the Company and its Board of
Directors to permit the consummation of the Merger in accordance with the terms
hereof.
 
     4.26  Voting Arrangements. There are no outstanding shareholder agreements,
voting trusts, proxies or other arrangements or understandings to which the
Company is a party or, to the Knowledge of the Company, to which any other
Person is a party, relating to the voting of any shares of the capital stock of
the Company, other than the Voting Agreements.
 
     4.27  Financial Projections. The Company's projections as heretofore
provided to Verio have been prepared by the Company based on the Company's good
faith estimates (based on reasonable investigation) of the projected financial
performance of the Company following the Closing (without reference to any
changes to the Company's operating plan, expense structure or sales and
marketing that may be instituted by Verio after the Closing) and based on these
and other assumptions set forth therein, which assumptions the Company believes
are reasonable. The Company has concluded after reasonable investigation that
the assumptions and conclusions of the Company's projections constitute
reasonable estimates of the Company's performance, but such estimates are no
guarantee of actual performance.
 
     4.28  Ownership of Shares of Verio Common Stock. As of the date hereof,
neither Company nor, to its Knowledge, any of its affiliates or associates (as
such terms are defined under the Exchange Act), (a) beneficially owns, directly
or indirectly, or (b) is party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding
for the purpose of acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of, in each case,
shares of Verio Common Stock, except for shares of Verio Common Stock in the
aggregate representing less than 1% of the outstanding shares of Verio Common
Stock.
                                      A-20
<PAGE>   381
 
                                   ARTICLE 5
 
             REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF VERIO AND MERGER SUB
 
     Except as set forth in the disclosure letter delivered to the Company at or
prior to the execution of this Agreement ("Verio Disclosure Schedule"), Verio
and Merger Sub represent and warrant to the Company as follows:
 
     5.1  Due Organization; Good Standing; Authority; Binding Nature of
Agreements.
 
     (a) Verio is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good
standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, and has all necessary
corporate power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under
the Transactional Agreements to which it is or is to be a party. Merger Sub is a
corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws
of the State of California, and has all necessary corporate power and authority
to enter into and perform its obligations under the Transactional Agreements to
which it is or is to be a party.
 
     (b) The execution, delivery and performance of each of the Transactional
Agreements to which it is or is to be a party have been duly authorized by all
necessary action on the part of each of Verio and Merger Sub and their
respective Boards of Directors.
 
     (c) Each of the Transactional Agreements to which it is or is to be a party
constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of Verio and Merger Sub, as
the case may be, enforceable against Verio and Merger Sub, as the case may be,
in accordance with its terms.
 
     5.2  Proceedings; Orders. There is no pending Proceeding, and to Verio's
Knowledge no Person has threatened to commence any Proceeding that challenges,
or that may have the effect of preventing, delaying, making illegal or otherwise
interfering with, any of the Transactions. There is no Order that likely would,
or, to the Knowledge of Verio, proposed Order that if issued or otherwise put
into effect likely would, have an adverse effect on Verio's business, condition,
assets, liabilities, operations, financial performance, net income or prospects
(or on any aspect or portion thereof) or on the ability of Verio or Merger Sub
to comply with or perform any covenant or obligation under this Agreement, or
may have the effect of preventing, delaying, making illegal or otherwise
interfering with any of the Transactions.
 
     5.3  Non-Contravention; Consents. Neither the execution and delivery of
this Agreement or the other Transactional Agreements to which Verio or Merger
Sub, as the case may be, is or is to be a party, nor the consummation or
performance of any of the Transactions, will directly or indirectly (with or
without notice or lapse of time):
 
     (a) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation of (i) any of the
provisions of Verio's or Merger Sub's Certificate or Articles of Incorporation
or Bylaws, or (ii) any resolution adopted by Verio's or Merger Sub's
stockholders, Verio's or Merger Sub's Board of Directors or any committee of
Verio's or Merger Sub's Board of Directors;
 
     (b) to Verio's Knowledge, contravene, conflict with or result in a
violation of, or give any Governmental Body or other Person the right to
challenge any of the Transactions or to exercise any remedy or obtain any relief
under, any Legal Requirement or any Order to which Verio or Merger Sub, or any
of the assets owned or used by Verio or Merger Sub, is subject; or
 
     (c) contravene, conflict with or result in a violation or breach of, or
result in a material default under, any of Verio's material agreements for
borrowed money, including bond indentures.
 
     With the exception of the filing of the Agreement of Merger in the State of
California and any necessary filings pursuant to federal and state securities
and antitrust laws, Verio and Merger Sub will not be required to make any filing
with or give any notice to, or to obtain any Consent from, any Person in
connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation
or performance of any of the Transactions.
 
     5.4  Brokers. Verio has not agreed or become obligated to pay, and has not
taken any action that likely would result in any Person, other than Lazard
Freres & Co. LLC, claiming to be entitled to receive, any
 
                                      A-21
<PAGE>   382
 
brokerage commission, finder's fee or similar commission or fee in connection
with any of the Transactions. Verio shall be responsible for the payment of such
amounts to Lazard Freres & Co. LLC.
 
     5.5  Financial Capacity. Verio has the capacity and financial capability to
comply with and perform all of its covenants and obligations under each of the
Transactional Agreements, on the terms and subject to the conditions of this
Agreement.
 
     5.6  Full Disclosure; SEC Reports.
 
     (a) Neither this Agreement (including all Schedules and Exhibits hereto),
nor any of the Transactional Agreements, contains or will contain any untrue
statement of material fact or omits or will omit to state any fact necessary to
make any of the representations, warranties or statements contained therein on
behalf of Verio and Merger Sub not misleading with respect to Verio or Merger
Sub. The Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement/Prospectus (to the
extent information is provided by Verio) and any amendment thereto do not
contain, and will not contain, any untrue statement of a material fact and do
not omit, and will not omit, to state any material fact required to be stated
therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the
circumstances under which they are made, not misleading.
 
     (b) As of the date of this Agreement, Verio has provided the Company and
the Company's Representatives with full and complete access to all of Verio's
records and other documents and data requested by them.
 
     (c) Verio has filed all reports required to be filed with the SEC pursuant
to the Exchange Act since May 12, 1998 (all such reports and amendments thereto,
collectively, the "Verio SEC Reports"), and has previously furnished or made
available to the Company true and complete copies of all Verio SEC Reports filed
with respect to periods beginning after May 12, 1998 (including any exhibits
thereto) and will promptly deliver to the Company any Verio SEC Reports filed
between the date hereof and the Effective Time. None of such Verio SEC Reports,
as of their respective dates (as amended through the date hereof), contained or,
with respect to Verio SEC Reports filed after the date hereof, will contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or, with respect to Verio SEC
Reports filed after the date hereof, will 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. Each of the
balance sheets (including the related notes) included in the Verio SEC Reports
fairly presents the consolidated financial position of Verio and its
subsidiaries as of the date thereof, and the other related statements (including
the related notes) included therein fairly present the results of operations and
the changes in cash flows of Verio and its subsidiaries for the respective
periods set forth therein, all in conformity with GAAP consistently applied
during the periods involved, except as otherwise noted therein and subject, in
the case of the unaudited interim financial statements, to (i) normal year end
adjustments which would not in the aggregate be material in amount or effect and
(ii) the permitted exclusion of all footnotes that would otherwise be required
by GAAP.
 
                                   ARTICLE 6
 
                  PRE-CLOSING PERIOD COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY
 
     6.1  Access and Investigation. The Company shall ensure that, at all times
during the Pre-Closing Period:
 
     (a) The Company and its Representatives provide Verio and its
Representatives with free and complete access, at reasonable times and with
reasonable notice from Verio to the Company, to all of the Company's premises
and assets, to all existing books, records, Tax Returns, work papers and other
documents and information relating to the Company, and to responsible officers
and employees of the Company, and the Company and its Representatives provide
Verio and its Representatives with copies of such existing books, records, Tax
Returns, work papers and other documents and information relating to the Company
as Verio may request in good faith;
 
     (b) The Company and its Representatives compile and provide Verio and its
Representatives with such additional financial, operating and other data and
information regarding the Company as Verio may request in good faith; and
                                      A-22
<PAGE>   383
 
     (c) The Company and its Representatives confer regularly (not less than
semi-monthly and as Verio may otherwise request) with Verio concerning
operational matters and otherwise report regularly (not less than semi-monthly
and as Verio may otherwise request) to Verio and discuss with Verio and its
Representatives concerning the status of the Company's business, condition,
assets, liabilities, operations, financial performance and prospects, and
promptly notify Verio of any material change in the Company's business,
condition, assets, liabilities, operations, financial performance or prospects,
or any event reasonably likely to lead to any such change.
 
     6.2  Operation of Business. The Company shall ensure that, during the
Pre-Closing Period:
 
     (a) The Company conducts its operations exclusively in the Ordinary Course
of Business and in the same manner as such operations have been conducted prior
to the date of this Agreement;
 
     (b) The Company uses its Best Efforts to preserve intact its current
business organization, keep available the services of its current officers and
employees and maintain its relations and goodwill with all suppliers, customers,
landlords, creditors, licensors, licensees, employees and other Persons having
business relationships with the Company;
 
     (c) The Company keeps in full force all insurance policies identified in
Section 4.18 of the Disclosure Schedule;
 
     (d) The Company immediately notifies Verio in writing of any inquiry,
proposal or offer from any Person relating to any Acquisition Proposal;
 
     (e) The Company does not declare, accrue, set aside or pay any dividend or
make any other distribution in respect of any shares of capital stock, and does
not repurchase, redeem or otherwise reacquire any shares of capital stock or
other securities, except with respect to the repurchase of shares of Company
Common Stock upon termination of employees at the original purchase price
pursuant to agreements existing at the date hereof;
 
     (f) The Company does not sell or otherwise issue (or grant any warrants,
options or other rights to purchase) any shares of capital stock or any other
securities, except the issuance of shares of Company Common Stock pursuant to
option grants to employees made in the ordinary course of business;
 
     (g) The Company does not amend its Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws, and
does not effect or become a party to any transaction related to an Acquisition
Proposal or any recapitalization, reclassification of shares, stock split,
reverse stock split or similar transaction;
 
     (h) The Company does not form any subsidiary or acquire any equity interest
or other interest in any other Entity;
 
     (i) The Company does not establish or adopt any Employee Benefit Plan, and
does not pay any bonus or make any profit sharing or similar payment to, or
increase the amount of the wages, salary, commissions, fringe benefits or other
compensation or remuneration payable to, any of its directors, officers or
employees;
 
     (j) The Company does not change any of its methods of accounting or
accounting practices in any respect;
 
     (k) The Company does not make any Tax election;
 
     (l) The Company does not commence any Proceeding;
 
     (m) The Company does not (i) acquire, dispose of, transfer, lease, license,
mortgage, pledge or encumber any fixed or other assets, other than in the
Ordinary Course of Business; (ii) incur, assume or prepay any indebtedness,
Liability or obligation or any other liabilities or issue any debt securities,
other than in the Ordinary Course of Business; (iii) assume, guarantee, endorse
or otherwise become liable or responsible (whether directly, contingently or
otherwise) for the obligations of any other person, other than in the Ordinary
Course of Business; (iv) make any loans, advances or capital contributions to,
or investments in, any other Person, other than in the Ordinary Course of
Business; or (v) fail to maintain insurance consistent with past practices for
its business and property;
                                      A-23
<PAGE>   384
 
     (n) The Company pays all debts and Taxes, and pays or performs all other
obligations, when due;
 
     (o) The Company does not transfer to any Person any Proprietary Asset,
other than in the Ordinary Course of Business;
 
     (p) The Company does not enter into or amend any agreements pursuant to
which any other Person is granted distribution, marketing or other rights of any
type or scope with respect to any of its services, products or technology;
 
     (q) The Company does not pay, discharge or satisfy, in any amount in excess
of $100,000 in any one case or $250,000 in the aggregate, any claim, liability
or obligation (absolute, accrued, asserted or unasserted, contingent or
otherwise) arising other than in the Ordinary Course of Business, other than the
payment, discharge or satisfaction of liabilities reflected or reserved against
in the Financial Statements or which Verio has consented to in writing;
 
     (r) The Company does not hire any new director level or officer-level
employee;
 
     (s) The Company gives all notices and other information (including any
notices and information required based on any instructions of Verio related to
post-Closing operations) required prior to the Closing to be given to the
employees of the Company and any applicable Governmental Body under the National
Labor Relations Act, the Code, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
Act, and other applicable law in connection with the Transactions;
 
     (t) The Company does not revalue any of its assets, including, without
limitation, writing down the value of inventory or writing off notes or accounts
receivable, except as required under GAAP and in the Ordinary Course of
Business;
 
     (u) Except as otherwise contemplated hereunder, the Company does not enter
into any transaction or take any other action outside the Ordinary Course of
Business; and
 
     (v) The Company does not enter into any transaction or take any other
action that likely would cause or constitute a Breach of any representation or
warranty made by the Company or any of the Shareholders in this Agreement or in
any of the other Transactional Agreements.
 
     6.3  Filings and Consents; Cooperation. The Company shall ensure that:
 
     (a) Each filing or notice required to be made or given (pursuant to any
applicable Legal Requirement, Order or Contract, or otherwise) by the Company in
connection with the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the other
Transactional Agreements, or in connection with the consummation or performance
of any of the Transactions, is made or given as soon as possible after the date
of this Agreement;
 
     (b) Each Consent required to be obtained (pursuant to any applicable Legal
Requirement, Order or Contract, or otherwise) by the Company in connection with
the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the other Transactional
Agreements, or in connection with the consummation or performance of any of the
Transactions (including each of the Consents identified in Section 4.20 of the
Disclosure Schedule), is obtained as soon as possible after the date of this
Agreement and remains in full force and effect through the Closing Date;
 
     (c) The Company promptly delivers to Verio a copy of each filing made, each
notice given and each Consent obtained by the Company during the Pre-Closing
Period; and
 
     (d) During the Pre-Closing Period, the Company and its Representatives
cooperate with Verio and Verio's Representatives, and prepare and make available
such documents and take such other actions as Verio may request in good faith,
in connection with any filing, notice or Consent that Verio is required or
elects to make, give or obtain.
 
                                      A-24
<PAGE>   385
 
     6.4  Notification; Updates to Disclosure Schedule.
 
     (a) During the Pre-Closing Period, the Company shall promptly notify Verio
in writing of:
 
          (i) the discovery by the Company of any event, condition, fact or
     circumstance that occurred or existed on or prior to the date of this
     Agreement and that caused or constitutes a Breach of any representation or
     warranty made by the Company or any of the Shareholders in this Agreement
     or any of the other Transactional Agreements;
 
          (ii) any event, condition, fact or circumstance that occurs, arises or
     exists after the date of this Agreement (except as a result of actions
     taken pursuant to the written consent of Verio) and that would cause or
     constitute a Breach of any representation or warranty made by the Company
     or any of the Shareholders in this Agreement or any of the other
     Transactional Agreements if (A) such representation or warranty had been
     made as of the time of the occurrence, existence or discovery of such
     event, condition, fact or circumstance, or (B) such extent, condition, fact
     or circumstance had occurred, arisen or existed on or prior to the date of
     this Agreement or any of the other Transactional Agreements;
 
          (iii) any Breach of any covenant or obligation of the Company; and
 
          (iv) any event, condition, fact or circumstance that may make the
     timely satisfaction of any of the conditions set forth in Section 9.1 or
     Section 9.2 impossible or unlikely.
 
     (b) If any event, condition, fact or circumstances that is required to be
disclosed pursuant to Section 6.4(a) requires any material change in the
Disclosure Schedule, or if any such event, condition, fact or circumstance would
require such a change assuming the Disclosure Schedule were dated as of the date
of the occurrence, existence or discovery of such event, condition, fact or
circumstances, then the Company shall promptly deliver to Verio an update to the
Disclosure Schedule specifying such change (a "Disclosure Schedule Update");
provided, however, that no such update shall be deemed to supplement or amend
the Disclosure Schedule for the purpose of (i) determining the accuracy of any
of the representations and warranties made by the Company or the Shareholders in
this Agreement or any of the other Transactional Agreements, or (ii) determining
whether any of the conditions set forth in Article 9 has been satisfied, unless
the specific updated information has been consented to by Verio in writing as a
waiver of such inaccuracy or determination.
 
     (c) The Company will promptly update any relevant and material information
provided to Verio after the date hereof pursuant to the terms of this Agreement.
 
     6.5  Payment of Indebtedness by Related Parties. Except as otherwise
provided in Section 6.5 of the Disclosure Schedule, the Company shall cause all
indebtedness and other Liabilities of each Related Party to the Company to be
discharged and paid in full at or prior to the Closing (which may include
payment from net cash proceeds received by a Related Party with respect to the
conversion of shares of Company Common Stock in the Merger).
 
     6.6  No Negotiation or Solicitation. The Company shall ensure that neither
the Company nor any of the Company's Representatives directly or indirectly,
from the date hereof until the earlier of termination of this Agreement or
consummation of the Merger, (a) initiate, solicit or encourage, or take any
other action to facilitate any inquiries or the making of any proposal with
respect to, or (b) consider the merits or engage or participate in negotiations
concerning, provide any nonpublic information or data to, or have any
discussions with, any person other than a party hereto or their Representatives
relating to, any (i) acquisition, (ii) tender offer (including a self-tender
offer), (iii) exchange offer, (iv) merger, (v) consolidation, (vi) acquisition
of beneficial ownership of (or the right to vote securities representing) any
securities of the Company, or any rights to acquire, or other instruments
convertible into, securities of the Company, (vii) dissolution, (viii) business
combination, (ix) purchase of all or any significant portion of the assets or
any division of (or any equity interest in) the Company or any subsidiary, or
(x) any similar transaction other than the Merger (such proposals,
announcements, or transactions being referred to as "Acquisition Proposals").
The Company will notify Verio orally (within one business day) and in writing
(as promptly as practicable) if any such
 
                                      A-25
<PAGE>   386
 
Acquisition Proposals (including the identity of the persons making such
proposals and the terms of such proposals) are received and furnish to Verio a
copy of any written proposal relating thereto.
 
     6.7  Best Efforts. During the Pre-Closing Period, the Company shall use its
commercially reasonable Best Efforts to cause the conditions set forth in
Section 9.1 and Section 9.2 to be satisfied on a timely basis and so that the
Closing can take place on January 1, 1999 or as soon thereafter as is reasonably
practical, in accordance with Section 3.7, and shall not take any action or omit
to take any action, the taking or omission of which would or could reasonably be
expected to result in any of the representations and warranties of the Company
or the Shareholders set forth in this Agreement or any of the other
Transactional Agreements becoming untrue, or in any of the conditions of Closing
set forth in Section 9.1 or Section 9.2 not being satisfied.
 
     6.8  Confidentiality; Publicity. The Company shall use its commercially
reasonable Best Efforts to ensure that, during the Pre-Closing Period:
 
     (a) the Company and its Representatives keep strictly confidential the
existence and terms of this Agreement and, not in any way limiting the
generality of the foregoing, comply with the terms and provisions of the letter
agreement by and between Verio and the Company, dated as of July 15, 1998 (the
"Nondisclosure Agreement"); and
 
     (b) neither the Company nor any of its Representatives issues or
disseminates any press release or other publicity or otherwise makes any
disclosure of any nature (to any of the Company's suppliers, customers,
landlords, creditors or employees or to any other Person) regarding any of the
Transactions;
 
except in each case to the extent that the Company is required by law to make
any such disclosure regarding such transactions or as separately agreed by the
parties; provided, however, that if the Company is required by law to make any
such disclosure, the Company advises Verio, at least five business days before
making such disclosure, of the nature and content of the intended disclosure.
 
     6.9  FIRPTA Certification. The Company shall furnish to Verio on or within
thirty days prior to the Closing Date certification in the form required by
Treasury Regulation ss. 1.1445-2(c)(3) that the stock of the Company is not a
U.S. real property interest. In addition, simultaneously with delivery of such
certification, the Company shall have provided Verio, as agent for the Company,
a form of notice to the Internal Revenue Service in accordance with the
requirements of Treasury Regulation Section 1.897-2(h)(2) along with written
authorization for Verio to deliver such notice form to the Internal Revenue
Service on behalf of the Company upon the Closing of the Merger.
 
     6.10  Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreements. On or prior to
Closing, the Company shall enter into Proprietary Information and Inventions
Agreements, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit C-1 or C-2 hereto or
in such other form as Verio may approve, with all of the Company's employees and
consultants, except for such employees and consultants as shall have previously
entered into a form of such agreement reasonably acceptable to Verio.
 
     6.11  Letters of the Company's Auditors. The Company shall use its Best
Efforts to cause to be delivered to Verio at or prior to the date two business
days prior to the Closing a letter of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (the "Company
Auditors"), the Company's independent auditors, dated a date within two business
days before the date on which the Registration Statement shall become effective
and addressed to Verio, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Verio,
and in scope and substance consistent with applicable professional standards for
letters delivered by independent public accountants in connection with
registration statements similar to the Registration Statement (the "Accounting
Comfort Letter"). The Company shall use its Best Efforts to cause to be
delivered to Verio an update, dated the Closing Date, of the letter of the
Company Auditors described in the preceding sentence.
 
     6.12  Reports of Company Transaction Expenses. At or prior the date two
business days prior to the Closing, the Company shall provide Verio with: (i)
final invoices from every law firm, investment banking firm and accounting firm
that has provided services to or on behalf of the Company in connection with the
Merger or any of the other Transactions, and including the Company's proposed
initial public offering; (ii) final
 
                                      A-26
<PAGE>   387
 
statements for any other expenses related to the Merger and the other
Transactions, and including the Company's proposed initial public offering, that
are includable in Company Transaction Expenses; and (iii) a written
representation on behalf of the Company by the Chief Executive Officer of the
Company that the foregoing invoices and statements constitute all of the
expenses includable in Company Transaction Expenses, which representation shall
be included in the Company Closing Certificate. Such sums will be paid by the
Company at the Closing.
 
     6.13  Affiliates.
 
     (a) The Company shall deliver to Verio a list identifying all Persons
("Affiliates"), if any, who at the time the Merger is submitted for approval to
the shareholders of the Company, may be deemed "affiliates" of the Company for
purposes of Rule 145 under the Securities Act. The Company shall use its Best
Efforts to cause each Affiliate to deliver to Verio, on or prior to December 15,
1998, a written agreement ("Affiliate Agreement"), in the form of Exhibit D
hereto.
 
     (b) The Company shall promptly advise Verio if any Person becomes or ceases
to be an Affiliate.
 
     6.14  Takeover Statutes. If any Takeover Statute shall become applicable to
any of the Transactions, the Company and the members of the Board of Directors
of the Company shall grant such approvals and take such actions as are necessary
so that the Merger and the other Transactions may be commenced as promptly as
practicable in the terms contemplated hereby and otherwise act to eliminate or
minimize the effects of such statute or regulation in the Transaction.
 
     6.15  Bank Accounts. Promptly after the date hereof, the Company will
deliver to Verio a written statement which accurately sets forth, with respect
to each account maintained by or for the benefit of the Company at any bank or
other financial institution:
 
     (a) the name and location of the institution at which such account is
maintained;
 
     (b) the name in which such account is maintained and the account number of
such account;
 
     (c) a description of such account and the purpose for which such account is
used;
 
     (d) the then current balance in such account;
 
     (e) the rate of interest then being earned on the funds in such account;
and
 
     (f) the names of all individuals authorized to draw on or make withdrawals
from such account.
 
     6.16  Supplier Information. Promptly following the date hereof, the Company
shall provide Verio with a written statement that accurately identifies, and
provides an accurate and complete breakdown of the amounts paid to, each
supplier or other Person that received more than $500,000 from the Company in
the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997 or the period from January 1, 1998 to
September 30, 1998 (on an annualized basis), other than amounts paid to
employees or consultants and described in Section 4.14 of the Disclosure
Schedule.
 
     6.17  Employee Information.
 
     (a) Promptly following the date hereof, the Company will deliver to Verio a
written statement showing, with respect to each employee of the Company
(including any employee of the Company who is on a leave of absence or on layoff
status):
 
          (i) the name of such employee and the date as of which such employee
     was originally hired by the Company;
 
          (ii) such employee's title;
 
          (iii) such employee's annualized compensation as of the date of this
     Agreement;
 
          (iv) each Current Benefit Plan in which such employee participates or
     is eligible to participate; and
 
                                      A-27
<PAGE>   388
 
          (v) any Governmental Authorization that is held by such employee and
     that is used in connection with the Company's business.
 
     6.18  Insurance Information.
 
     (a) Promptly following the Closing, the Company will deliver to Verio a
written statement stating, with respect to each insurance policy maintained by
or at the expense of, or for the direct or indirect benefit of, the Company:
 
          (i) the name of the insurance carrier that issued such policy and the
     policy number of such policy;
 
          (ii) whether such policy is a "claims made" or an "occurrences"
     policy;
 
          (iii) a description of the coverage provided by such policy and the
     material terms and provisions of such policy (including all applicable
     coverage limits, deductible amounts and co-insurance arrangements);
 
          (iv) the annual premium payable with respect to such policy, and the
     cash value (if any) of such policy; and
 
          (v) a description of any claims pending, and any claims that have been
     asserted in the past, with respect to such policy.
 
Such statement shall also identify (1) each pending application for insurance
that has been submitted by or on behalf of the Company, and (2) each
self-insurance or risk-sharing arrangement affecting the Company or any of its
assets. The Company also shall deliver to Verio accurate and complete copies of
all of its insurance policies (including all renewals thereof and endorsements
thereto) and binders relating thereto indicating that such policies are in full
force and effect as of the date hereof.
 
     6.19  Company Accruals and Reserves. Prior to the Closing Date, the Company
shall review and, to the extent determined necessary or advisable and requested
in writing by Verio, consistent with GAAP, modify and change its accrual,
reserve and provision policies and practices to (a) reflect the Surviving
Corporation's plans with respect to the conduct of Company's business following
the Merger and (b) make adequate provision for the costs and expenses relating
thereto so as to be applied consistently on a mutually satisfactory basis with
those of Verio. The parties agree to cooperate in preparing for the
implementation of the adjustments contemplated by this Section 6.19. The parties
further agree that no such modifications or changes made at the written request
of Verio shall constitute a Breach of any obligation or representation or
warranty or covenant of the Company hereunder by virtue of the Company's
compliance with such Verio request or by virtue of the Company's making such
changes.
 
     6.20  Termination of Employment Agreements. Prior to or on the Closing
Date, the Company shall cause the termination of each of the employment
agreements between the Company and each of the Company Specified Officers, in
each case in such a manner that the Company will not be required to make any
payments or otherwise bear any liability, before or after the Closing, with
respect to "excess parachute payments" within the meaning of Section 280G of the
Code.
 
     6.21  Subsidiary and other Equity Interests. During the Pre-Closing Period,
the Company shall use its Best Efforts to obtain definitive evidence, consistent
with applicable local custom and Legal Requirements, with respect to its
ownership interests in the Entities in which the Company holds equity interests,
as disclosed in Section 4.1(f) of the Disclosure Schedule.
 
                                      A-28
<PAGE>   389
 
                                   ARTICLE 7
 
                     PRE-CLOSING PERIOD COVENANTS OF VERIO
 
     7.1  Notification. During the Pre-Closing Period, Verio shall promptly
notify the Company in writing of:
 
     (a) the discovery by Verio of any event, condition, fact or circumstance
that occurred or existed on or prior to the date of this Agreement and that
caused or constitutes a Breach of any representation or warranty made by Verio
in this Agreement or any of the other Transactional Agreements;
 
     (b) any event, condition, fact or circumstance that occurs, arises or
exists after the date of this Agreement (except as a result of actions taken
pursuant to the written consent of the Company) and that would cause or
constitute a Breach of any representation or warranty made by Verio or Merger
Sub in this Agreement or any of the other Transactional Agreements if (i) such
representation or warranty had been made as of the time of the occurrence,
existence or discovery of such event, condition, fact or circumstance, or (ii)
such event, condition, fact or circumstance had occurred, arisen or existed on
or prior to the date of this Agreement or any of the other Transactional
Agreements;
 
     (c) any Breach of any covenant or obligation of Verio or Merger Sub; and
 
     (d) any event, condition, fact or circumstance that may make the timely
satisfaction of any of the conditions set forth in Section 9.1 or Section 9.3
impossible or unlikely.
 
     7.2  Best Efforts. During the Pre-Closing Period, Verio shall use its
commercially reasonable Best Efforts to cause the conditions set forth in
Section 9.1 and 9.3 to be satisfied on a timely basis and so that the Closing
can take place on January 1, 1999 or as soon thereafter as is reasonably
practical, in accordance with Section 3.7, and shall not take any action or omit
to take any action, the taking or omission of which would or could reasonably be
expected to result in any of the representations and warranties or Verio set
forth in this Agreement or in any other Transactional Agreement becoming untrue
or in any of the conditions of closing set forth in Section 9.1 or Section 9.3
not being satisfied.
 
     7.3  Confidentiality; Publicity. Verio shall use its commercially
reasonable Best Efforts to ensure that, during the Pre-Closing Period:
 
     (a) Verio and its Representatives keep strictly confidential the existence
and terms of this Agreement prior to the issuance or dissemination of any
mutually agreed upon press release or other disclosure of the Transactions and,
not in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing, comply with the terms
and provisions of the Nondisclosure Agreement; and
 
     (b) neither Verio nor any of its Representatives issues or disseminates any
press release or other publicity or otherwise makes any disclosure of any nature
(to any of the Company's suppliers, customers, landlords, creditors or employees
or to any other Person) regarding any of the Transactions;
 
except, in each case, to the extent that Verio is required by law to make any
such disclosure regarding the Transactions or as otherwise agreed by the
parties; provided, however, that if Verio is required by law to make any
disclosure regarding the Transactions, Verio advises the Company in writing, at
least five business days before making such disclosure, if reasonably practical,
of the nature and content of the intended disclosure.
 
     Notwithstanding the foregoing, Verio and the Company shall cooperate to
make a joint announcement and issue a press release with respect to the
execution of this Agreement at or promptly following the execution hereof.
 
                                      A-29
<PAGE>   390
 
                                   ARTICLE 8
 
                             ADDITIONAL AGREEMENTS
 
     8.1  Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
 
     (a) Verio has prepared a document (the "Proxy Statement/Prospectus") to be
used as a Proxy Statement with respect to the solicitation by the Company Board
of Directors of the vote of the outstanding shares of Company Common Stock and
by Verio as part of a Registration Statement on Form S-4 under the Securities
Act and as a prospectus with respect to the shares of Verio Common Stock to be
issued in connection with the Closing pursuant to Section 3.1. Verio has filed
the Proxy Statement/Prospectus with the SEC, and will respond to any comments of
the SEC with respect thereto as promptly as reasonably practical. Such document,
as filed by Verio under the Securities Act in connection with the registration
of the shares of Verio Common Stock to be issued in the Merger, is referred to
herein as the "Registration Statement."
 
     (b) The Company shall cooperate fully, and shall cause the Shareholders to
cooperate fully, with Verio in the preparation of the Proxy
Statement/Prospectus. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company shall provide
Verio with all information concerning the Company and the holders of its capital
stock and shall take such other action as Verio may reasonably request in
connection with such document and the issuance of shares of Verio Common Stock.
 
     (c) Whenever any event occurs which should be set forth in an amendment or
a supplement to the Proxy Statement/Prospectus or any filing required to be made
with the SEC, each party will promptly inform the other and will cooperate in
filing with the SEC such amendment or supplement.
 
     8.2  Company Shareholder Approval.
 
     (a) The Company, acting through its Board of Directors, shall, in
accordance with the requirements of applicable law and the Company's Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws:
 
          (i) cause the Proxy Statement/Prospectus to be mailed to the Company
     shareholders promptly upon the effectiveness thereof and duly call, give
     notice of, convene and hold as soon as practicable a meeting (or solicit an
     action by written consent in lieu thereof) of its shareholders for the
     purpose of voting to approve and adopt this Agreement and the other
     Transactional Agreements, to the extent required in accordance with Legal
     Requirements, and use its Best Efforts to obtain such shareholders'
     approval; and
 
          (ii) recommend approval and adoption of this Agreement and the other
     Transactional Agreements by the shareholders of the Company, to the extent
     required in accordance with Legal Requirements, which recommendation shall
     be included in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
 
     (b) If requested by Verio, the Company shall, in addition to calling a
meeting of the Company shareholders as provided above, seek the approval and
adoption of this Agreement and the other Transactional Agreements by written
consent promptly following the effectiveness of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
 
     (c) Whenever any event occurs which should be set forth in an amendment or
a supplement to the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, the Company will promptly inform
Verio and will mail to the Company's shareholders such amendment or supplement.
 
     8.3  Reserved.
 
     8.4  Nasdaq National Market. Verio shall notify the Nasdaq National Market
of the listing of the shares of Verio Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the
Merger.
 
     8.5  Antitrust Laws. Each of the Company and Verio has made all filings and
submissions required to be made by it under the HSR Act in connection with the
Transactions. Subject to Sections 6.8 and 7.3 hereof, the Company will furnish
to Verio, and Verio will furnish to the Company, such information and assistance
as the other may reasonably request in connection with the preparation of any
such filings or submissions. Subject to Sections 6.8 and 7.3 hereof, the Company
will provide Verio, and Verio will provide the Company,
 
                                      A-30
<PAGE>   391
 
with copies of all correspondence, filings or communications (or memoranda
setting forth the substance thereof) between such party or any of its
representatives, on the one hand, and any Governmental Body or members of their
respective staffs, on the other hand, with respect to this Agreement and the
Transactions, except to the extent that Verio or the Company is advised by
independent counsel that the provision of such information would be inadvisable
under applicable antitrust laws.
 
     8.6  Certain Employee Benefit Plans Matters. The Company shall take no
action from and after the date hereof to deposit into any trust (including any
"rabbi trust") amounts in respect of any employee benefit obligations.
 
     8.7  Integration Matters. The Company and Verio will work cooperate in good
faith to identify and, to the extent practicable, resolve matters regarding the
orderly integration of their respective operations, including matters relating
to acceptable positions with Verio for key management personnel of the Company,
and the retention of other Company employees who will remain after the Merger.
The Company and Verio will work together to facilitate the development of a plan
for the transition to common network and back office systems, to the extent
consistent with antitrust laws.
 
     8.8  Stock Options and Warrants.
 
     (a) The Company hereby confirms to Verio that:
 
          (i) all the Company Stock Options under all the Company stock option
     plans shall carry over and become options to acquire Verio Common Stock;
     and
 
          (ii) the Company's Board of Directors shall not cause such options
     vesting or exercisability to be accelerated unless and except to the extent
     that such acceleration is automatic under the terms of the applicable
     agreement.
 
     (b) As of the Effective Time, all options ("Company Stock Options") and
warrants to purchase Company Common Stock, and all securities convertible into
Company Common Stock, which are outstanding and not expired as of the Effective
Time, shall be assumed by Verio and converted into options or warrants to
purchase, or securities convertible into, such shares of Verio Common Stock as
the holder thereof would have received in the Merger had such option, warrant or
security been exercised or converted prior to the Effective Time (and had the
entire Per Share Price for the Company Common Stock resulting from such exercise
or conversion been paid in the form of Verio Common Stock based upon a Verio
Common Stock price of $16.00), at an aggregate purchase price equal to the
aggregate purchase price applicable prior to such conversion; provided, however,
that in the case of any Company Stock Option to which Section 421 of the Code
applies by reason of its qualification under Section 422 of the Code, the
conversion formula shall be adjusted, if necessary, to comply with Section
424(a) of the Code to the effect that the number of shares shall be rounded down
to the nearest whole share and the exercise price shall be rounded up to the
nearest penny. Except as provided above, the converted stock options, warrants
or convertible securities, as the case may be, shall be subject to the same
terms and conditions (including, without limitation, expiration date, vesting
and exercise provisions) as were applicable to the stock options, warrants or
convertible securities, as the case may be, immediately prior to the Effective
Time.
 
     (c) No such option, warrant or convertible security shall be converted into
a stock option, warrant or convertible security to purchase a partial share of
Verio Common Stock.
 
     (d) The consummation of the Merger shall not be treated as a termination of
employment for purposes of such stock options, warrants or convertible
securities.
 
     (e) Verio agrees that as soon as reasonably practicable after the Effective
Time it will cause to be filed one or more registration statements on Form S-8
under the Securities Act, or amendments to its existing registration statements
on Form S-8 or amendments to the Registration Statement, in order to register
the shares of Verio Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the aforesaid
converted Company Stock Options.
 
     8.9  Expenses. Except for adjustments to the Aggregate Transaction Value as
provided in Section 3.1 with respect to Excess Company Transaction Expenses, all
costs and expenses incurred in connection with this
                                      A-31
<PAGE>   392
 
Agreement and the Transactional Agreements and the transactions contemplated
hereby and thereby (whether or not the Merger is consummated) shall be paid by
the party incurring such expenses, except as otherwise provided herein or in the
Transactional Agreements.
 
     8.10  Additional Agreements.
 
     (a) Subject to the terms and conditions herein provided, each of the
parties hereto agrees to use its Best Efforts to take, or cause to be taken, all
action 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, including using all reasonable efforts to obtain all necessary
waivers, consents and approvals, and to effect all necessary registrations and
filings and to obtain from each natural person who owns of record any shares of
the capital stock of any subsidiary of the Company a power of attorney, in form
acceptable to Verio and its counsel, appointing one or more representatives of
Verio as attorney in fact for such Person, effective as of the Effective Time,
for purposes of executing any reports and taking any other actions required to
transfer record ownership of such shares to such Entity as Verio shall
determine. In case at any time after the Effective Time any further action is
necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes of this Agreement, the proper
officers and/or directors of Verio and the Company (or of the Surviving
Corporation on behalf of the Company) shall take all such necessary action.
 
     (b) Verio and the Company each will cooperate with one another and use all
reasonable efforts to prepare all necessary documentation to effect promptly all
necessary filings and to obtain all necessary permits, consents, approvals,
orders and authorizations of or any exemptions by, all third parties and
governmental bodies necessary to consummate the transactions contemplated by
this Agreement. Each party will keep the other party apprised of the status of
any inquiries made of such party by the Department of Justice, the SEC, or any
other governmental agency or authority or members of their respective staffs
with respect to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated herein.
 
     (c) For a period of 3 years after the Closing, Verio shall maintain, with
respect to claims arising from facts or events which occurred before the
Closing, officers' and directors' liability insurance covering the directors and
officers of the Company who are currently covered (in their capacities as
officers and directors of the Company or any of its subsidiaries) by the
Company's existing officers' and directors' liability insurance policy (a copy
of which has been provided to Verio), on terms substantially no less
advantageous to such officers and directors than such existing insurance;
provided, however, that Verio shall not be required to expend an amount per
annum to maintain such coverage in excess of 150% of the current annual policy
premiums payable by the Company with respect to its directors' and officers'
liability insurance coverage. Subject to, and to the extent required by, the
preceding sentence, Verio shall continue the Company's current officers' and
directors' liability insurance or shall provide such substantially similar
insurance as the Company may reasonably agree.
 
     (d) Verio's Board of Directors shall take all action necessary to cause one
person specified by the Company and reasonably acceptable to Verio to be
designated to serve on the Board of Directors of Verio effective at the
Effective Time. Such designation by the Company shall be made prior to the date
of the mailing of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus to the shareholders of the
Company. Such designee may be appointed to serve on the Board of Directors of
Verio either by means of a stockholder vote or by means of appointment by the
Board of Directors to fill any vacancy that may exist in Verio's Board of
Directors.
 
                                      A-32
<PAGE>   393
 
                                   ARTICLE 9
 
                    CONDITIONS TO CONSUMMATION OF THE MERGER
 
     9.1  Conditions to Each Party's Obligation to Effect the Merger. The
respective obligations of each party to consummate the Merger and to take the
other actions required to be taken by it at the Closing shall be subject to the
satisfaction, at or prior to the Closing, of each of the following conditions
(any of which may be waived by both the Company and Verio, in whole or in part):
 
     (a) Any waiting period applicable to the consummation of the Merger under
the HSR Act shall have expired or been terminated.
 
     (b) The Registration Statement shall have become effective in accordance
with the provisions of the Securities Act, and shall be effective at the
Effective Time, no stop order suspending effectiveness of the Registration
Statement shall have been issued, and no action, suit, proceeding or
investigation by the SEC to suspend the effectiveness thereof shall have been
initiated and be continuing.
 
     (c) All necessary approvals under federal and state securities laws and
other authorizations relating to the issuance or trading of the Verio Common
Stock to be issued to Company shareholders in connection with the Merger shall
have been received.
 
     (d) The shares of Verio Common Stock to be issued in the Merger shall have
been approved for listing on the Nasdaq National Market.
 
     (e) This Agreement and the Transactions shall have been approved and
adopted by the favorable vote of a majority of the shares of the outstanding
capital stock of the Company entitled to vote thereon at a shareholders meeting
at which a quorum is present in accordance with Legal Requirements.
 
     (f) No preliminary or permanent injunction or other order by any federal,
state or foreign court of competent jurisdiction which prohibits the
consummation of the Merger shall have been issued and remain in effect. No
statute, rule, regulation, executive order, stay, decree, or judgment shall have
been enacted, entered, issued, promulgated or enforced by any court or
governmental authority which prohibits or restricts the consummation of the
Merger. Other than the filing of the Agreement of Merger with the Secretary of
State of California, all authorizations, consents, orders or approvals of, or
declarations or filings with, and all expirations of waiting periods imposed by,
any Governmental Body which are necessary for the consummation of the Merger,
other than those the failure to obtain which would not materially adversely
affect the consummation of the Merger or in the aggregate have a material
adverse effect on the Surviving Corporation and its subsidiaries, taken as a
whole, shall have been filed, occurred or been obtained (all such permits,
approvals, filings and consents and the lapse of all such waiting periods being
referred to as the "Requisite Regulatory Approvals") and all such Requisite
Regulatory Approvals shall be in full force and effect.
 
     (g) There shall not be any action taken, or any statute, rule, regulation
or order enacted, entered, enforced or deemed applicable to the Merger, by any
federal or state Governmental Body which, in connection with the grant of a
Requisite Regulatory Approval, imposes any condition or restriction upon the
Surviving Corporation or its subsidiaries (or, in the case of any disposition of
assets required in connection with such Requisite Regulatory Approval, upon
Verio or its subsidiaries or the Company or its subsidiaries), including,
without limitation, requirements relating to the disposition of assets, which in
any such case would so materially adversely impact the economic or business
benefits of the Transactions as to render inadvisable the consummation of the
Merger.
 
     9.2  Additional Conditions to Verio's and Merger Sub's Obligation to
Consummate the Merger. Verio's and Merger Sub's obligations to consummate the
Merger and to take the other actions required to be taken by Verio and Merger
Sub at the Closing is subject to the satisfaction, at or prior to the Closing,
of each of the following conditions (any of which may be waived by Verio, in
whole or in part):
 
     (a) All of the representations and warranties made by the Company and each
of the Shareholders in this Agreement and the other Transactional Agreements
(considered collectively) shall have been accurate in all material respects as
of the date of this Agreement, and shall be accurate in all material respects as
of the
 
                                      A-33
<PAGE>   394
 
Closing Time (without giving effect to any Disclosure Schedule Update) (other
than any such inaccuracies resulting from actions taken at the written request
of or with the written consent of Verio).
 
     (b) The Company or the Shareholders, as the case may be, shall have
executed and delivered each of the agreements, instruments and documents
required to be executed and delivered, and performed all actions required by the
Company or any of the Shareholders, as the case may be, pursuant to Section 4.22
and Article 6, except as Verio has otherwise consented in writing.
 
     (c) Each of the members of the Company's management listed on Schedule 1
shall have executed and delivered to Verio a lock-up letter in the form of
Exhibit E hereto.
 
     (d) Each of the employees of the Company specified on Schedule 2 shall have
executed and delivered to Verio a Noncompetition and Nonsolicitation Agreement
in the form of Exhibit F hereto, with such changes to Section 3 thereof as may
be agreed between each such employee and Verio.
 
     (e) All of the other covenants and obligations that the Company or any
Shareholder is required to comply with or to perform pursuant to this Agreement
or any other Transactional Agreement at or prior to the Closing (considered
collectively) shall have been duly complied with and performed in all material
respects.
 
     (f) Each individual that has executed a Voting Agreement shall have entered
into a Registration Rights Agreement with Verio.
 
     (g) Each of the Consents identified or required to have been identified in
Section 4.20 of the Disclosure Schedule shall have been obtained and shall be in
full force and effect, other than those Consents the absence of which shall not
have a material adverse effect on the Company.
 
     (h) There shall not have been any material adverse change in the Company's
business, condition, assets, liabilities, operations or financial performance
since the date of this Agreement.
 
     (i) In addition to the documents required to be received under this Section
9.2, Verio shall also have received the following documents:
 
          (i) the opinion letter from Fenwick & West LLP, counsel to the
     Company, dated the Closing Date, in the form attached as Exhibit H;
 
          (ii) a certificate (the "Company Closing Certificate"), dated the
     Closing Date, duly executed by the Company, (1) certifying that (A) each of
     the representations and warranties made by the Company or any Shareholder
     in this Agreement and in the other Transactional Agreements was accurate in
     all material respects as of the date of the applicable Agreement and is
     accurate in all material respects as of the Closing Date as if made on the
     Closing Date, (B) each of the covenants and obligations that the Company or
     any Shareholder is required to have complied with or performed pursuant to
     this Agreement or any of the other Transactional Agreements at or prior to
     the Closing has been duly complied with and performed in all material
     respects, and (C) each of the conditions set forth in Section 9.2 has been
     satisfied in all respects, and (2) providing the information required by
     Section 6.12;
 
          (iii) duly executed Affiliate Agreements from each Affiliate of the
     Company;
 
          (iv) copies of resolutions of the Company, certified by a Secretary,
     Assistant Secretary or other appropriate officer of the Company,
     authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of the Transactional
     Agreements and the Transactions, and copies of resolutions of the meeting
     of shareholders of the Company (or written consent in lieu thereof),
     certified by a Secretary, Assistant Secretary or other appropriate officer
     of the Company, authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of the
     Transactional Agreements and the Transactions;
 
          (v) good standing certificate for the States of California and
     Florida;
 
          (vi) the updated capitalization information for the Company required
     by Section 4.3(a), certified as true and correct by an executive officer of
     the Company; and
 
                                      A-34
<PAGE>   395
 
          (vii) such other documents as Verio may request in good faith for the
     purpose of (i) evidencing the accuracy of any representation or warranty
     made by the Company or any Shareholder, (ii) evidencing the compliance by
     the Company, or the performance by the Company of, any covenant or
     obligation set forth in this Agreement or any of the other Transactional
     Agreements, (iii) evidencing the satisfaction of any condition set forth in
     Section 9.1 or this Section 9.2, or (iv) otherwise facilitating the
     consummation or performance of any of the Transactions.
 
     (j) Since the date of this Agreement, there shall not have been commenced
or threatened against Verio, or against any Person affiliated with Verio, any
Proceeding (i) involving any challenge to, or seeking Damages or other relief in
connection with, any of the Transactions, or (ii) that may have the effect of
preventing, delaying, making illegal or otherwise interfering with any of the
Transactions or any of the Transactional Agreements or having a material adverse
effect on the Company.
 
     (k) No Person shall have made or threatened any claim asserting that such
Person (i) may be the holder or the beneficial owner of, or may have the right
to acquire or to obtain beneficial ownership of, any capital stock or other
securities of the Company, or (ii) may be entitled to all or any portion of the
consideration to be issued in connection with the Merger pursuant to Section
3.1.
 
     (l) Neither the consummation nor the performance of any of the Transactions
or any of the Transactional Agreements will, directly or indirectly (with or
without notice or lapse of time), contravene or conflict with or result in a
violation of, or cause Verio or any Person affiliated with Verio to suffer any
material adverse consequence under (i) any applicable Legal Requirement or Order
or (ii) any Legal Requirement or Order that has been proposed by or before any
Governmental Body.
 
     (m) Each Person (other than Verio and Merger Sub) shall have executed and
delivered prior to or on the Closing Date all Transactional Agreements to which
it is to be a party.
 
     (n) Verio shall have received from the Company the reports of Company
Transaction Expenses required to be delivered pursuant to Section 6.12.
 
     (o) The holders of no more than ten percent (10%) of the outstanding shares
of Company Common Stock shall have demanded and not lost or withdrawn, or shall
be eligible to demand, dissenters' rights.
 
     (p) Each of the Company's employees and consultants shall have entered into
a Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreement substantially in the form of
Exhibit C-1 or C-2 hereto or such other form as shall have been provided to and
approved by Verio.
 
     (q) Each of the employment agreements between the Company and the Company
Specified Officers shall have been terminated as required by Section 6.20, and
Verio shall be satisfied in its reasonable discretion that there are no Company
employee benefit plans, arrangements, agreements or understandings that would,
whether upon the closing of the Merger or otherwise in connection with the
Merger (including after the passage of time and the taking of any action such as
the termination of an employee), constitute "excess parachute payments" within
the meaning of Section 280G of the Code.
 
     (r) Verio, since the date of this Agreement, shall have raised such
additional financing, on terms and conditions satisfactory to Verio in its sole
discretion, to allow it to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement with
respect to the conversion of shares of Company Common Stock as provided in
Section 3.1.
 
     9.3  Additional Conditions to the Company's Obligation to Consummate the
Merger. The Company's obligation to consummate the Merger and to take the other
actions required to be taken by the Company at the Closing shall be subject to
the satisfaction, at or prior to the Closing, of each of the following
conditions (any of which may be waived by the Company, in whole or in part):
 
     (a) All of the representations and warranties made by Verio and Merger Sub
in this Agreement (considered collectively) shall have been accurate in all
material respects as of the date of this Agreement and shall be accurate in all
material respects as of the Closing Time.
 
                                      A-35
<PAGE>   396
 
     (b) The Company shall have received the following documents:
 
          (i) a certificate (the "Verio Closing Certificate"), dated the Closing
     Date, duly executed by Verio, certifying that (A) each of the
     representations and warranties made by Verio and the Merger Sub in this
     Agreement and in the other Transactional Agreements was accurate in all
     material respects as of the date of the applicable Agreement and is
     accurate in all material respects as of the Closing Date as if made on the
     Closing Date, (B) each of the covenants and obligations that Verio or the
     Merger Sub is required to have complied with or performed pursuant to this
     Agreement or any of the other Transactional Agreements at or prior to the
     Closing has been duly complied with and performed in all material respects,
     and (C) each of the conditions set forth in Section 9.3 has been satisfied
     in all respects; and
 
          (ii) such other documents as the Company may request in good faith for
     the purpose of (A) evidencing the accuracy of any representation or
     warranty made by Verio and Merger Sub, (B) evidencing the compliance by
     Verio and Merger Sub with, or the performance by Verio and Merger Sub of,
     any covenant or obligation set forth in this Agreement or any of the other
     Transactional Agreements, (C) evidencing the satisfaction of any condition
     set forth in this Article 9, or (D) otherwise facilitating the consummation
     or performance of any of the Transactions.
 
     (c) All of the covenants and obligations that either Verio or Merger Sub is
required to comply with or to perform pursuant to this Agreement at or prior to
the Closing (considered collectively) shall have been duly complied with and
performed in all material respects.
 
     (d) Verio shall have executed an delivered a Registration Rights Agreement
to each individual that has executed and delivered to Verio a Voting Agreement.
 
     (e) Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Verio and Merger
Sub shall have executed and delivered prior to or on the Closing Date all
Transactional Agreements to which it is to be a party.
 
     (f) Neither the consummation nor the performance of any of the Transactions
or any of the Transactional Agreements will, directly or indirectly (with or
without notice or lapse of time), contravene or conflict with or result in a
violation of, or cause the Shareholders to suffer any material adverse
consequences under, (a) any applicable Legal Requirement or Order or (b) any
Legal Requirement or Order that has been proposed by or before any Governmental
Body.
 
     (g) There shall not have been any material adverse change in Verio's
business, condition, assets, liabilities, operations or financial performance
since the date of this Agreement; provided, however, that a decrease in the
trading price of Verio Common Stock shall not of itself be considered a material
adverse change.
 
     (h) The person designated by the Company as a member of the Verio Board of
Directors pursuant to Section 8.10(d) shall have been appointed to the Verio
Board of Directors (if so designated), effective at the Effective Time.
 
                                   ARTICLE 10
 
                                  TERMINATION
 
     10.1  Termination. This Agreement may be terminated and the Merger
abandoned at any time prior to the Effective Time, whether before or after
approval by the shareholders of the Company:
 
     (a) by mutual written consent of Verio and the Company;
 
     (b) by Verio if (i) there is a material Breach of any covenant or
obligation of the Company or any of the Shareholders, or (ii) Verio reasonably
determines that the timely satisfaction of any condition set forth in Section
9.1 or 9.2 has become impossible or impractical (other than as a result of any
failure on the part of Verio to comply with or perform its covenants and
obligations under this Agreement);
 
                                      A-36
<PAGE>   397
 
     (c) by the Company if (i) there is a material Breach of any covenant or
obligation of Verio or Merger Sub, or (ii) the Company reasonably determines
that the timely satisfaction of any condition set forth in Section 9.1 or 9.3
has become impossible or impractical (other than as a result of any failure on
the part of the Company or any Shareholder to comply with or perform any
covenant or obligation set forth in this Agreement or any of the other
Transactional Agreements);
 
     (d) by Verio if the Closing has not taken place on or before February 28,
1999 (other than as a result of any failure on the part of Verio or Merger Sub
to comply with or perform its covenants and obligations under this Agreement);
 
     (e) by the Company if the Closing has not taken place on or before February
28, 1999 (other than as a result of the failure on the part of the Company or
any of the Shareholders to comply with or perform any covenant or obligation set
forth in this Agreement or in any other Transactional Agreement);
 
     (f) by either Verio or the Company if any court of competent jurisdiction
in the United States or other United States governmental body shall have issued
an order, decree or ruling or taken any other action restraining, enjoining or
otherwise prohibiting the Merger and such order, decree, ruling or any other
action shall have become final and non-appealable; provided, however, that the
party seeking to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this clause (f) shall have
used all reasonable efforts to remove such order, decree or ruling; or
 
     (g) by Verio, upon written notice to the Company, if any approval of the
shareholders of the Company required for the consummation of the Merger
submitted for approval shall not have been obtained by reason of the failure to
obtain the required vote at a duly held meeting of shareholders or at any
adjournment thereof.
 
     10.2  Termination Procedures. If Verio wishes to terminate this Agreement
pursuant to Section 10.1, Verio shall deliver to the Company a written notice
stating that Verio is terminating this Agreement and setting forth a brief
description of the basis on which Verio is terminating this Agreement. If the
Company wishes to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 10.1, the Company
shall deliver to Verio a written notice stating that the Company is terminating
this Agreement and setting forth a brief description of the basis on which the
Company is terminating this Agreement.
 
     10.3  Effect of Termination. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to
Section 10.1, all further obligations of the parties under this Agreement shall
terminate; provided, however, that:
 
     (a) the parties shall, in all events, remain bound by and continue to be
subject to the applicable provisions set forth in Article 11;
 
     (b) the Company shall, in all events, remain bound by and continue to be
subject to Section 6.8;
 
     (c) Verio shall, in all events, remain bound by and continue to be subject
to Section 7.3; and
 
     (d) the parties shall, in all events, remain bound by the terms and
provisions of the Nondisclosure Agreement.
 
Notwithstanding the above, both Verio and the Company shall be entitled to
announce the termination of this Agreement.
 
     10.4  Exclusivity of Termination Rights. Except as provided in Section
11.12, the termination rights and obligations provided in this Article 10 shall
be deemed to be exclusive. The parties shall not have any other or further
Liabilities to or with respect to one another by reason of this Agreement or its
termination.
 
                                      A-37
<PAGE>   398
 
                                   ARTICLE 11
 
                            MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
 
     11.1  Further Assurances. Each party hereto shall execute and cause to be
delivered to each other party hereto such instruments and other documents, and
shall take such other actions, as such other party may reasonably request (prior
to, at or after the Closing) for the purpose of carrying out or evidencing any
of the Transactions.
 
     11.2  Fees and Expenses.
 
     (a) Subject to the provisions of Article 3, the Company shall bear and pay
all fees, costs and expenses that have been incurred or that are in the future
incurred by or on behalf of the Company.
 
     (b) Subject to the provisions of Article 3, Verio shall bear and pay all
fees, costs and expenses that have been incurred or that are in the future
incurred by or on behalf of Verio.
 
     11.3  Attorneys' Fees. If any legal action or other legal proceeding
relating to this Agreement, or the other Transactional Agreements in connection
herewith, or the enforcement of any provision of such items is brought against
any party hereto, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover reasonable
attorneys' fees, costs and disbursements (in addition to any other relief to
which the prevailing party may be entitled).
 
     11.4  Notices. Any notice or other communication required or permitted to
be delivered to any party under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be
deemed properly delivered, given and received when delivered (by hand, by
registered mail, by courier or express delivery service or by telecopier during
business hours) to the address or telecopier number set forth beneath the name
of such party below (or to such other address or telecopier number as such party
shall have specified in a written notice given to the other parties hereto):
 
     if to the Company:
 
        Best Internet Communications, Inc.
        5050 Blue Lake Drive, Suite 100
        Boca Raton, FL 33431
        Attention: Scott Adams
        Telecopier: (561) 912-2401
 
     with a copy to:
 
        Fenwick & West LLP
        Two Palo Alto Square
        Palo Alto, CA 94306
        Attention: Jacqueline A. Daunt, Esq.
        Telecopier: (650) 494-1417
 
     if to Verio or Merger Sub:
 
        Verio Inc.
        8005 South Chester
        Suite 200
        Englewood, CA 80112
        Attention: Carla Hamre Donelson, Esq.
        Telecopier: (303) 792-3879
 
                                      A-38
<PAGE>   399
 
     with a copy to:
 
        Morrison & Foerster LLP
        425 Market Street
        San Francisco, California 94105
        Attention: Gavin Grover, Esq.
        Telecopier: 415-268-7522
 
     11.5  Time of the Essence. Time is of the essence in the performance of
each of the terms hereof with respect to the obligations and rights of each
party hereto.
 
     11.6  Headings. The headings contained in this Agreement are for
convenience of reference only, shall not be deemed to be a part of this
Agreement and shall not be referred to in connection with the construction or
interpretation of this Agreement.
 
     11.7  Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts,
each of which shall constitute an original and all of which, when taken
together, shall constitute one agreement.
 
     11.8  Governing Law; Venue.
 
     (a) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with, and governed in
all respects by, the internal laws of the State of California (without giving
effect to principles of conflicts of laws).
 
     (b) Any legal action or other legal proceeding relating to this Agreement
or the enforcement of any provision of this Agreement may be brought or
otherwise commenced in any state or federal court located in the County of
Denver, Colorado. Each party to this Agreement:
 
          (i) expressly and irrevocably consents and submits to the jurisdiction
     of each state and federal court located in the County of Denver, Colorado
     (including each appellate court located in the State of Colorado) in
     connection with any such legal proceeding;
 
          (ii) agrees that each state and federal court located in the County of
     Denver, Colorado shall be deemed to be a convenient forum; and
 
          (iii) agrees not to assert (by way of motion, as a defense or
     otherwise), in any such legal proceeding commenced in any state or federal
     court located in the County of Denver, Colorado, any claim that such party
     is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of such court, that such
     legal proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue
     of such proceeding is improper or that this Agreement or the subject matter
     of this Agreement may not be enforced in or by such court.
 
     (c) The parties agree that if any Proceeding is commenced against the
Company, Verio or Merger Sub or any of their respective Representatives by any
Person in or before any court or other tribunal anywhere in the world, then such
party may proceed against the applicable party in such court or tribunal with
respect to any indemnification claim or other claim arising directly or
indirectly from or relating directly or indirectly to such Proceeding or any
matters alleged therein or any of the circumstances giving rise thereto.
 
     (d) Nothing contained in Section 11.8(b) or (c) shall be deemed to limit or
otherwise affect the right of any party hereto to commence any legal proceeding
or otherwise proceed against any other party hereto in any other forum or
jurisdiction.
 
     (e) Each of the parties irrevocably waives the right to a jury trial in
connection with any legal proceeding relating to this Agreement or the
enforcement of any provision of this Agreement.
 
     11.9  Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon the
parties and their respective successors and assigns. This Agreement shall inure
to the benefit of the Company, the Shareholders, Merger Sub, Verio, and the
respective successors and assigns (if any) of the foregoing. Verio and Merger
Sub may freely assign any or all of their respective rights under this
Agreement, in whole or in part, to any other Person without obtaining the
consent or approval of any other party hereto or of any other Person.
 
                                      A-39
<PAGE>   400
 
     11.10  Remedies Cumulative; Specific Performance. Except as otherwise
provided herein, and not in limitation of any remedies available under
applicable law, the rights and remedies of the parties hereto shall be
cumulative (and not alternative). Each of the parties agrees that:
 
     (a) in the event of any Breach or threatened Breach by a party of any
covenant, obligation or other provision set forth in this Agreement, the other
party or parties shall be entitled (in addition to any other remedy that may be
available to it under the Agreement) to (i) a decree or order of specific
performance or mandamus to enforce the observance and performance of such
covenant, obligation or other provision, and (ii) an injunction restraining such
Breach or threatened Breach; and
 
     (b) neither Verio, on the one hand, nor the Shareholders, on the other,
shall be required to provide any bond or other security in connection with any
such decree, order or injunction or in connection with any related action or
Proceeding.
 
     11.11  Waiver.
 
     (a) No failure on the part of any Person to exercise any power, right,
privilege or remedy under this Agreement, and no delay on the part of any Person
in exercising any power, right, privilege or remedy under this Agreement, shall
operate as a waiver of such power, right, privilege or remedy; and no single or
partial exercise or waiver of any such power, right, privilege or remedy shall
preclude any other or further exercise thereof or of any other power, right,
privilege or remedy.
 
     (b) No Person shall be deemed to have waived any claim arising out of this
Agreement, or any power, right, privilege or remedy under this Agreement, unless
the waiver of such claim, power, right, privilege or remedy is expressly set
forth in a written instrument duly executed and delivered on behalf of such
Person; and any such waiver shall not be applicable or have any effect except in
the specific instance in which it is given.
 
     11.12  Amendments. This Agreement may not be amended, modified, altered or
supplemented other than by means of a written instrument duly executed and
delivered on behalf of Verio and the Company.
 
     11.13  Severability. In the event that any provision of this Agreement, or
the application of any such provision to any Person or set of circumstances,
shall be determined to be invalid, unlawful, void or unenforceable to any
extent, the remainder of this Agreement, and the application of such provision
to Persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is determined to be
invalid, unlawful, void or unenforceable, shall not be impaired or otherwise
affected and shall continue to be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent
permitted by law.
 
     11.14  Parties in Interest. None of the provisions of this Agreement is
intended to provide any rights or remedies to any Person other than the parties
hereto and their respective successors and assigns (if any).
 
     11.15  Entire Agreement. The Transactional Agreements (including Schedules
and Exhibits thereto) set forth the entire understanding of the parties relating
to the subject matter thereof and supersede all prior agreements and
understandings among or between any of the parties relating to the subject
matter thereof.
 
     11.16  No Survival. The representations and warranties contained herein
shall terminate and be of no further force and effect from and after the
Closing. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the agreements
contained in Article 2, Article 3, Sections 8.8, 8.10(a), 8.10(c), and 8.10(d)
and Article 11 shall survive the Effective Time.
 
     11.17  Investigation. The respective representations and warranties of the
parties hereto contained herein or in the certificates or other reports
delivered prior to the Closing shall not be deemed waived or otherwise affected
by any investigation made by any party hereto.
 
     11.18  Original Merger Agreement Superseded. Pursuant to Section 11.12 of
the Original Merger Agreement, the parties hereto hereby amend and restate the
Original Merger Agreement to read in its entirety as set forth in this
Agreement, such that as of the date hereof the Original Merger Agreement is
entirely replaced and superseded by this Agreement.
 
                                      A-40
<PAGE>   401
 
     11.19  Construction.
 
     (a) For purposes of this Agreement, whenever the context requires: the
singular number shall include the plural, and vice versa; the masculine gender
shall include the feminine and neuter genders; the feminine gender shall include
the masculine and neuter genders; and the neuter gender shall include the
masculine and feminine genders.
 
     (b) The parties hereto agree that any rule of construction to the effect
that ambiguities are to be resolved against the drafting party shall not be
applied in the construction or interpretation of this Agreement.
 
     (c) As used in this Agreement, the words "include" and "including," and
variations thereof, shall not be deemed to be terms of limitation, but rather
shall be deemed to be followed by the words "without limitation."
 
     (d) Except as otherwise indicated, all references in this Agreement to
"Sections," "Exhibits" and "Schedules" are intended to refer to Sections of this
Agreement and Exhibits and Schedules to this Agreement.
 
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of Verio, Merger Sub and the Company has caused
this Agreement to be executed on its behalf by its officers thereunto duly
authorized, all as of the date first above written.
 
                                            VERIO INC.
 
                                            By:  /s/ CARLA HAMRE DONELSON
                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Name: Carla Hamre Donelson
                                              Title:  Vice President and General
                                                Counsel
 
                                            PURPLE ACQUISITION, INC.
 
                                            By:  /s/ CARLA HAMRE DONELSON
                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Name: Carla Hamre Donelson
                                              Title:  President
 
                                            BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
 
                                            By:    /s/ ARTHUR L. CAHOON
                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Name: Arthur L. Cahoon
                                              Title:  Chief Executive Officer
 
                                      A-41
<PAGE>   402
 
                                   EXHIBIT A
 
                              CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
 
     For purposes of the Agreement (including this Exhibit A):
 
     ACCOUNTING COMFORT LETTER. "Accounting Comfort Letter" shall have the
meaning specified in Section 6.11 of the Agreement.
 
     ACQUISITION PROPOSAL. "Acquisition Proposal" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 6.6 of the Agreement.
 
     AFFILIATE. "Affiliate" shall have the meaning specified in Section 6.13(a)
of the Agreement.
 
     AFFILIATE AGREEMENT. "Affiliate Agreement" shall have the meaning specified
in Section 6.13(a) of the Agreement.
 
     AGGREGATE TRANSACTION VALUE. "Aggregate Transaction Value" shall have the
meaning specified in Section 3.1(b) of the Agreement.
 
     AGREEMENT. "Agreement" shall mean the Amended and Restated Agreement and
Plan of Merger to which this Exhibit A is attached (including the Disclosure
Schedule and all Exhibits), as it may be amended from time to time.
 
     AGREEMENT OF MERGER. "Agreement of Merger" shall have the meaning specified
in Section 1.2 of the Agreement.
 
     BEST EFFORTS. "Best Efforts" shall mean the efforts that a prudent Person
desiring to achieve a particular result would use in order to ensure that such
result is achieved as expeditiously as possible. An obligation to use "Best
Efforts" under this Agreement does not require the Person subject to that
obligation to take actions that would result in a materially adverse change in
the benefits to such Person under the agreement or arrangement in question or
under this Agreement, the other Transactional Agreements and the Transactions.
 
     BREACH. There shall be deemed to be a "Breach" of a representation,
warranty, covenant, obligation or other provision if there is or has been (a)
any inaccuracy in or breach of, or any failure to comply with or perform, such
representation, warranty, covenant, obligation or other provision, or (b) any
claim (by any Person) or other circumstance that is inconsistent with such
representation, warranty, covenant, obligation or other provision; and the term
"Breach" shall be deemed to refer to any such inaccuracy, breach, failure, claim
or circumstance.
 
     CERTIFICATES. "Certificates" shall have the meaning specified in Section
3.1(a) of the Agreement.
 
     CGCL. "CGCL" shall have the meaning specified in Section 1.1 of the
Agreement.
 
     CLOSING. "Closing" shall have the meaning specified in Section 3.7 of the
Agreement.
 
     CLOSING DATE. "Closing Date" shall have the meaning specified in Section
3.7 of the Agreement.
 
     CODE. "Code" shall have the meaning specified in the Recitals of the
Agreement.
 
     COMMON STOCK EXCHANGE RATIO. "Common Stock Exchange Ratio" shall have the
meaning specified in Section 3.1(b) of the Agreement.
 
     COMPANY. The "Company" shall have the meaning specified in the first
paragraph of the Agreement and shall include, unless the context clearly
indicates otherwise, all subsidiaries of the Company.
 
     COMPANY AUDITORS. "Company Auditors" shall have the meaning specified in
Section 6.11 of the Agreement.
 
     COMPANY CAPITALIZATION NUMBER. "Company Capitalization Number" shall have
the meaning specified in Section 3.1(b) of the Agreement.
 
                                      A-42
<PAGE>   403
 
     COMPANY CLOSING CERTIFICATE. "Company Closing Certificate" shall have the
meaning specified in Section 9.2 of the Agreement.
 
     COMPANY COMMON STOCK. "Company Common Stock" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 3.1(a) of the Agreement.
 
     COMPANY CONTRACT. "Company Contract" shall mean any Contract:
 
          (a) to which the Company is a party;
 
          (b) by which the Company or any of its assets is or may become bound
     or under which the Company has, or may become subject to, any obligation;
     or
 
          (c) under which the Company has or may acquire any right or interest.
 
     COMPANY PLAN. "Company Plan" shall mean any Current Benefit Plan or Past
Benefit Plan.
 
     COMPANY RETURNS. "Company Returns" shall have the meaning specified in
Section 4.13(b) of the Agreement.
 
     COMPANY S-1. "Company S-1" shall have the meaning specified in Section
4.22(b) of the Agreement.
 
     COMPANY SEC FILINGS. "Company SEC Filings" shall have the meaning specified
in Section 4.22(b) of the Agreement.
 
     COMPANY SPECIFIED OFFICERS. "Company Specified Officers" shall mean the
Company's executive officers as indicated in the Company S-1 filed prior to the
date hereof.
 
     COMPANY STOCK OPTIONS. "Company Stock Options" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 8.8 of the Agreement.
 
     COMPANY TRANSACTION EXPENSES. "Company Transaction Expenses" shall have the
meaning specified in Section 3.1 of the Agreement.
 
     CONSENT. "Consent" shall mean any approval, consent, ratification,
permission, waiver or authorization (including any Governmental Authorization).
 
     CONTRACT. "Contract" shall mean, with respect to any Person, any written,
oral, implied or other agreement, contract, understanding, arrangement,
instrument, note, guaranty, indemnity, representation, warranty, deed,
assignment, power of attorney, certificate, purchase order, work order,
insurance policy, benefit plan, commitment, covenant, assurance, obligation,
promise or undertaking of any nature to which such Person is a party or by which
its properties or assets maybe bound or affected or under which it or its
business, properties or assets receive benefits.
 
     CURRENT BENEFIT PLAN. "Current Benefit Plan" shall mean any Employee
Benefit Plan that is currently in effect and:
 
          (a) that was established or adopted by the Company or any ERISA
     Affiliate or is maintained or sponsored by the Company;
 
          (b) in which the Company participates;
 
          (c) with respect to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate is or may
     be required or permitted to make any contribution; or
 
          (d) with respect to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate is or may
     become subject to any Liability.
 
     DAMAGES. "Damages" shall mean the amount of any loss, damage, injury,
Liability, claim, fee (including any legal fee, expert fee, accounting fee or
advisory fee), demand, settlement, judgment, award, fine, penalty, Tax, charge
or cost (including any cost of investigation).
 
                                      A-43
<PAGE>   404
 
     DISCLOSURE SCHEDULE. "Disclosure Schedule" shall have the meaning specified
in Section 4 of the Agreement.
 
     DISCLOSURE SCHEDULE UPDATE. "Disclosure Schedule Update" shall have the
meaning specified in Section 6.4(b) of the Agreement.
 
     DISSENTING SHARES. "Dissenting Shares" shall have the meaning specified in
Section 3.9 of the Agreement.
 
     EFFECTIVE TIME. "Effective Time" shall have the meaning specified in
Section 1.2 of the Agreement.
 
     EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLAN. "Employee Benefit Plan" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 3(3) of ERISA.
 
     ENCUMBRANCE. "Encumbrance" shall mean any lien, pledge, hypothecation,
charge, mortgage, security interest, encumbrance, equity, trust, equitable
interest, claim, preference, right of possession, lease, tenancy, license,
encroachment, covenant, infringement, interference, Order, proxy, option, right
of first refusal, preemptive right, community property interest, legend, defect,
impediment, exception, reservation, limitation, impairment, imperfection of
title, condition or restriction of any nature (including any restriction on the
voting of any security, any restriction on the transfer of any security or other
asset, any restriction on the receipt of any income derived from any asset, any
restriction on the use of any asset and any restriction on the possession,
exercise or transfer of any other attribute of ownership of any asset).
 
     ENTITY. "Entity" shall mean any corporation (including any non profit
corporation), general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability
partnership, joint venture, estate, trust, cooperative, foundation, society,
political party, union, company (including any limited liability company or
joint stock company), firm or other enterprise, association, organization or
entity.
 
     ENVIRONMENTAL LAW. "Environmental Law" shall mean any federal, state, local
or foreign Legal Requirement relating to pollution or protection of human health
or the environment.
 
     ERISA. "ERISA" shall mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974.
 
     ERISA AFFILIATE. "ERISA Affiliate" shall mean any Person that is, was or
would be treated as a single employer with the Company under Section 414 of the
Code.
 
     EXCESS COMPANY TRANSACTION EXPENSES. "Excess Company Transaction Expenses"
shall have the meaning specified in Section 3.1(b) of the Agreement.
 
     EXCHANGE ACT. "Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
 
     EXCHANGE AGENT. "Exchange Agent" shall have the meaning specified in
Section 3.3(a) of the Agreement.
 
     FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. "Financial Statements" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 4.4 of the Agreement.
 
     GAAP. "GAAP" shall mean Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, applied
on a basis consistent with the basis on which the Financial Statements were
prepared.
 
     GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORIZATION. "Governmental Authorization" shall mean any:
 
          (a) permit, license, certificate, franchise, concession, approval,
     consent, ratification, permission, clearance, confirmation, endorsement,
     waiver, certification, designation, rating, registration, qualification or
     authorization that is issued, granted, given or otherwise made available by
     or under the authority of any Governmental Body or pursuant to any Legal
     Requirement; or
 
          (b) right under any Contract with any Governmental Body.
 
                                      A-44
<PAGE>   405
 
     GOVERNMENTAL BODY. "Governmental Body" shall mean any:
 
          (a) nation, principality, state, commonwealth, province, territory,
     county, municipality, district or other jurisdiction of any nature;
 
          (b) federal, state, local, municipal, foreign or other government;
 
          (c) governmental or quasi-governmental authority of any nature
     (including any governmental division, subdivision, department, agency,
     bureau, branch, office, commission, council, board, instrumentality,
     officer, official, representative, organization, unit, body or Entity and
     any court or other tribunal);
 
          (d) multinational organization or body; or
 
          (e) individual, Entity or body exercising, or entitled to exercise,
     any executive, legislative, judicial, administrative, regulatory, police,
     military or taxing authority or power of any nature.
 
     HAZARDOUS MATERIAL. "Hazardous Material" shall mean any substance,
chemical, waste or other material which is listed, defined or otherwise
identified as hazardous, toxic or dangerous under any applicable law; as well as
any petroleum, petroleum product or by-product, crude oil, natural gas, natural
gas liquids, liquefied natural gas, or synthetic gas useable for fuel, and
"source," "special nuclear," and "by-product" material as defined in the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954, 42 U.S.C. sec.sec..sec.sec. 2011 et seq.
 
     HSR ACT. "HSR Act" shall mean the Hart-Scott-Rodino Anti-Trust Improvements
Act of 1976, as amended.
 
     KNOWLEDGE. An individual shall be deemed to have "Knowledge" of a
particular fact or other matter if:
 
          (a) such individual is actually aware of such fact or other matter; or
 
          (b) a prudent individual could be expected to discover or otherwise
     become aware of such fact or other matter in the course of conducting a
     reasonably comprehensive investigation concerning the existence of such
     fact or other matter.
 
     A corporation shall be deemed to have "Knowledge" of a particular fact or
matter only if a director or officer of such corporation has or had Knowledge of
such fact or matter.
 
     LEASED PREMISES. "Leased Premises" shall have the meaning specified in
Section 4.6(d) of the Agreement.
 
     LEGAL REQUIREMENT. "Legal Requirement" shall mean any federal, state,
local, municipal, foreign or other law, statute, legislation, constitution,
principle of common law, resolution, ordinance, code, edict, decree,
proclamation, treaty, convention, rule, regulation, ruling, directive,
pronouncement, requirement, specification, determination, decision, opinion or
interpretation that is or has been issued, enacted, adopted, passed, approved,
promulgated, made, implemented or otherwise put into effect by or under the
authority of any Governmental Body, and, where applicable, shall include any
rule or requirement of the Nasdaq National Market.
 
     LIABILITY. "Liability" shall mean any debt, obligation, duty or liability
of any nature including any unknown, undisclosed, unmatured, unaccrued,
unasserted, contingent, indirect, conditional, implied, vicarious, derivative,
joint, several or secondary liability, regardless of whether such debt,
obligation, duty or liability would be required to be disclosed on a balance
sheet prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and
regardless of whether such debt, obligation, duty or liability is immediately
due and payable.
 
     MERGER. "Merger" shall have the meaning specified in Section 1.1 of the
Agreement.
 
     MERGER SUB. "Merger Sub" shall have the meaning specified in the first
paragraph of the Agreement.
 
     NONCOMPETE AGREEMENT. "Noncompete Agreement" shall mean a Noncompetition
and Solicitation Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit F to the
Agreement.
 
                                      A-45
<PAGE>   406
 
     NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT. "Nondisclosure Agreement" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 6.8(a) of the Agreement.
 
     ORDER. "Order" shall mean any:
 
          (a) order, judgment, injunction, edict, decree, ruling, pronouncement,
     determination, decision, opinion, verdict, sentence, subpoena, writ or
     award that is issued, made, entered, rendered or otherwise put into effect
     by or under the authority of any court, administrative agency or other
     Governmental Body or any arbitrator or arbitration panel; or
 
          (b) Contract with any Governmental Body that is entered into in
     connection with any Proceeding.
 
     ORDINARY COURSE OF BUSINESS. An action taken by or on behalf of the Company
shall not be deemed to have been taken in the "Ordinary Course of Business"
unless:
 
          (a) such action is recurring in nature, consistent with the Company's
     past practices and taken in the ordinary course of the Company's normal day
     to day operations;
 
          (b) such action is taken in accordance with such party's customary
     business practices;
 
          (c) such action is not required to be authorized by the Company's
     shareholders, the Company's board of directors or any committee of the
     Company's board of directors and does not require any other separate or
     special authorization of any nature; and
 
          (d) such action is similar in nature and magnitude to actions
     customarily taken, without any special or separate authorization, in the
     ordinary course of the normal day to day operations of other Entities that
     are employed in businesses similar to Company's business.
 
     ORIGINAL MERGER AGREEMENT. "Original Merger Agreement" shall have the
meaning specified in the Recitals to the Agreement.
 
     OUTSTANDING SHARES NUMBER. "Outstanding Shares Number" shall have the
meaning specified in Section 3.1(b) of the Agreement.
 
     PAST BENEFIT PLAN. "Past Benefit Plan" shall mean any Employee Benefit Plan
(other than a Current Benefit Plan):
 
          (a) of which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate has ever been a "plan
     sponsor" (as defined in Section 3(16)(B) of ERISA) or that otherwise has at
     any time been established, adopted, maintained or sponsored by the Company
     or by any ERISA Affiliate;
 
          (b) in which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate has ever participated;
 
          (c) with respect to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate has ever
     made, or has ever been required or permitted to make, any contribution; or
 
          (d) with respect to which the Company or any ERISA Affiliate has ever
     been subject to any Liability.
 
     PER SHARE CASH AMOUNT. "Per Share Cash Amount" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 3.1(b) of the Agreement.
 
     PER SHARE PRICE. "Per Share Price" shall have the meaning specified in
Section 3.1(b) of the Agreement.
 
     PER SHARE STOCK AMOUNT. "Per Share Stock Amount" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 3.1(b) of the Agreement.
 
     PERSON. "Person" shall mean any individual, Entity or Governmental Body.
 
                                      A-46
<PAGE>   407
 
     PRE-CLOSING PERIOD. "Pre-Closing Period" shall mean the period commencing
as of the date of the Agreement and ending on the Closing Date.
 
     PROCEEDING. "Proceeding" shall mean any action, suit, litigation,
arbitration, proceeding (including any civil, criminal, administrative,
investigative or appellate proceeding and any informal proceeding), prosecution,
contest, hearing, inquiry, inquest, audit, examination or investigation,
commenced, brought, conducted or heard by or before, or otherwise has involved,
any Governmental Body or any arbitrator or arbitration panel.
 
     PROPRIETARY ASSET. "Proprietary Asset" shall mean any patent, patent
application, trademark (whether registered or unregistered and whether or not
relating to a published work), trademark application, trade name, fictitious
business name, service mark (whether registered or unregistered), service mark
application, copyright (whether registered or unregistered), copyright
application, maskwork, maskwork application, trade secret, know how, franchise,
system, computer software, invention, design, blueprint, proprietary product,
technology, proprietary right or other intellectual property right.
 
     PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND INVENTIONS AGREEMENT. "Proprietary Information
and Inventions Agreement" shall mean an agreement substantially in the form of
Exhibit C to the Agreement.
 
     PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS. "Proxy Statement/Prospectus" shall have the
meaning specified in Section 8.1(a) of the Agreement.
 
     REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENT. "Registration Rights Agreement" shall mean a
Registration Rights Agreement in the form of Exhibit G to the Agreement.
 
     REGISTRATION STATEMENT. "Registration Statement" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 8.1 of the Agreement.
 
     RELATED PARTY. Each of the following shall be deemed to be a "Related
Party":
 
          (a) each individual who is, or who has at any time been, an officer of
     the Company;
 
          (b) each member of the family of each of the individuals referred to
     in clause "(a)" above;
 
          (c) any Entity (other than the Company) in which any one of the
     Persons referred to in clauses "(a)" or "(b)" above holds (or in which more
     than one of such individuals collectively hold), beneficially or otherwise,
     a material voting, proprietary or equity interest.
 
     REPRESENTATIVES. "Representatives" of a specified party shall mean
officers, directors, employees, attorneys, accountants, advisors and
representatives of such party, including, without limitation, in the case of
Company, all subsidiaries of Company and all such Persons with respect to such
subsidiaries. The Related Parties shall be deemed to be "Representatives" of
Company.
 
     REQUISITE REGULATORY APPROVALS. "Requisite Regulatory Approvals" shall have
the meaning specified in Section 9.1 of the Agreement.
 
     SEC. "SEC" shall have the meaning specified in Section 4.22(b) of the
Agreement.
 
     SECURITIES ACT. "Securities Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
 
     SHAREHOLDER. "Shareholder" shall mean a holder of shares of the Company's
capital stock.
 
     SURVIVING CORPORATION. "Surviving Corporation" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 1.1 of the Agreement.
 
     TAKEOVER STATUTE. "Takeover Statute" shall mean any fair price, moratorium,
control share acquisition or other similar anti-takeover statute.
 
     TAX. "Tax" shall mean any tax (including any income tax, franchise tax,
capital gains tax, estimated tax, gross receipts tax, value added tax, surtax,
excise tax, ad valorem tax, transfer tax, stamp tax, sales tax, use tax,
property tax, business tax, occupation tax, inventory tax, occupancy tax,
withholding tax or payroll tax), levy, assessment, tariff, impost, imposition,
toll, duty (including any customs duty), deficiency or fee, and any
 
                                      A-47
<PAGE>   408
 
related charge or amount (including any fine, penalty or interest), (a) imposed,
assessed or collected by or under the authority of any Governmental Body, or (b)
payable pursuant to any tax sharing agreement or similar Contract.
 
     TAX RETURN. "Tax Return" shall mean any return (including any information
return), report, statement, declaration, estimate, schedule, notice,
notification, form, election, certificate or other document or information that
is, has been or may in the future be filed with or submitted to, or required to
be filed with or submitted to, any Governmental Body in connection with the
determination, assessment, collection or payment of any Tax or in connection
with the administration, implementation or enforcement of or compliance with any
Legal Requirement relating to any Tax.
 
     TRANSACTIONAL AGREEMENTS. "Transactional Agreements" shall mean:
 
          (a) the Agreement;
 
          (b) the Company Closing Certificate;
 
          (c) the Proprietary Information and Inventions Agreements between the
     Company and its employees and consultants;
 
          (d) the Noncompete Agreements;
 
          (e) the Voting Agreements;
 
          (f) the Affiliate Agreements;
 
          (g) the Registration Rights Agreement;
 
          (h) the Lock-Up Letters; and
 
          (i) the Agreement of Merger.
 
     TRANSACTIONS. "Transactions" shall mean (a) the execution and delivery of
the respective Transactional Agreements, and (b) all of the transactions
contemplated by the respective Transactional Agreements, including, without
limitation, the Merger, and the performance by Company, Verio, the Shareholders,
and the other parties to the Transactional Agreements of their respective
obligations under the Transactional Agreements.
 
     UNAUDITED INTERIM BALANCE SHEET. "Unaudited Interim Balance Sheet" shall
have the meaning specified in Section 4.4(a)(ii) of the Agreement.
 
     VERIO. "Verio" shall have the meaning specified in the first paragraph of
the Agreement.
 
     VERIO COMMON STOCK. "Verio Common Stock" shall have the meaning specified
in Section 3.1 of the Agreement.
 
     VERIO SEC REPORTS. "Verio SEC Reports" shall have the meaning specified in
Section 5.6 of the Agreement.
 
     VOTING AGREEMENTS. "Voting Agreements" shall have the meaning specified in
the Recitals to the Agreement.
 
     WELFARE BENEFIT PLAN. "Welfare Benefit Plan" shall have the meaning
specified in Section 4.15(i) of the Agreement.
 
                                      A-48
<PAGE>   409
 
                                                                      APPENDIX B
 
                      THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF
          THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF BEST INTERNET COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
                    FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
   
                        TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER 29, 1998
    
 
   
     The undersigned shareholder of Best Internet Communications, Inc., a
California corporation (the "Company"), hereby (i) acknowledges receipt of the
Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders and the Proxy Statement/Prospectus
("Proxy Statement/Prospectus"), each dated December 16, 1998, and (ii) appoints
David S. Buzby and James R. Zarley, or any one of them, proxies, with full power
to each of substitution, on behalf and in the name of the undersigned, to
represent the undersigned at the Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Company
to be held on December 29, 1998 at 11 A.M. Pacific Time, at its corporate
offices located at 401 Third Street, San Francisco, California 94107, and at any
adjournment or adjournments thereof, and to vote all shares (the "Shares") of
common stock of the Company which the undersigned would be entitled to vote if
then and there personally present, on the matters set forth below.
    
 
     THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED OR, IF NO CONTRARY DIRECTION IS
INDICATED, WILL BE VOTED FOR THE PROPOSAL SET FORTH BELOW, AS MORE FULLY
DESCRIBED IN THE ACCOMPANYING PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS.
 
   
     Proposal: To approve and adopt an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan
of Merger, dated as of November 17, 1998, by and among Verio Inc., a Delaware
corporation ("Verio"), Purple Acquisition, Inc., a California corporation and a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Verio ("Merger Sub"), and the Company, pursuant to
which Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company, with the Company as
the surviving company.
    
 
<TABLE>
<S>      <C>           <C>
------ FOR ------ AGAINST ------ ABSTAIN
</TABLE>
 
     This proxy also grants to the proxies the authority to vote the Shares in
their discretion on any other matters as may properly come before the Special
Meeting.
 
                                            DATED: , 1998
 
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Signature
 
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Signature
 
                                            This Proxy should be marked, dated
                                            and signed by the shareholder(s)
                                            exactly as his or her name appears
                                            hereon, and returned promptly in the
                                            enclosed envelope. Persons signing
                                            in a fiduciary capacity should so
                                            indicate. If shares are held by
                                            joint tenants or as community
                                            property, both should sign.
 
                                       B-1
<PAGE>   410
 
                                                                      APPENDIX C
 
                  [LETTERHEAD OF BT ALEX. BROWN INCORPORATED]
November 20, 1998
 
Board of Directors
Best Internet Communications, Inc.
345 East Middlefield Road
Mountain View, CA 94043
 
Dear Sirs:
 
     Best Internet Communications, Inc., a California corporation ("BIC"), Verio
Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Verio") and Purple Acquisition, Inc., a
California corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verio (the "Merger
Sub"), have entered into an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger
dated as of November 17, 1998 (the "Agreement"). Pursuant to the Agreement, the
Merger Sub would be merged with and into BIC (the "Merger"), and each share of
common stock of BIC issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective
time of the proposed Merger (the "Effective Time") will be converted into the
right to receive (i) that number of shares of common stock of Verio as equals
the Common Stock Exchange Ratio (as such term is defined in the Agreement) and
(ii) that amount of cash as equals the Per Share Cash Amount (as such term is
defined in the Agreement, the right to receive the applicable number of shares
of common stock of Verio and cash into which each share of common stock of BIC
is to be converted being the "Merger Consideration"). We have assumed, with your
consent, that the Merger will qualify for purchase accounting treatment and will
be treated as a sale of common stock of BIC by BIC shareholders to Verio in
exchange for the Merger Consideration. You have requested our opinion as to
whether the Merger Consideration is fair, from a financial point of view, to the
holders of common stock of BIC. The terms and conditions of the proposed Merger
are set out more fully in the Agreement.
 
     BT Alex. Brown Incorporated ("BT Alex. Brown"), as a customary part of its
investment banking business, is engaged in the valuation of businesses and their
securities in connection with mergers and acquisitions, negotiated
underwritings, private placements and valuations for estate, corporate and other
purposes. We have acted as financial advisor to the Board of Directors of BIC in
connection with the transaction described above and will receive a fee for our
services. In addition, BT Alex. Brown has also served as the lead-managing
underwriter in BIC's proposed initial public offering that constituted an
alternative to the Merger. BT Alex. Brown regularly publishes research reports
regarding the internet service provider industry and the businesses and
securities of publicly owned companies in the internet service provider
industry. In the ordinary course of business, BT Alex. Brown may actively trade
the securities of Verio for our own account and the account of our customers
and, accordingly, may at any time hold a long or short position in securities of
Verio.
 
     In connection with this opinion, we have reviewed certain publicly
available financial information and other information concerning BIC and certain
internal analyses and other information furnished to us by BIC. We have also
held discussions with the members of the senior management of BIC regarding the
business and prospects of BIC. In addition, we have (i) compared certain
financial information for BIC with similar information for companies whose
securities are publicly traded, (ii) reviewed the financial terms of certain
recent business combinations, (iii) reviewed a draft of the Agreement dated
November 17, 1998 and certain related documents, and (iv) performed such other
studies and analyses and considered such other factors as we deemed appropriate.
 
     We have not independently verified the information described above and for
purposes of this opinion have assumed the accuracy, completeness and fairness
thereof. With respect to the information relating to the prospects of BIC, we
have assumed that such information reflects the best currently available
judgements and estimates of the management of BIC as to the likely future
financial performance of BIC. In addition, we have
 
                                       C-1
<PAGE>   411
 
not made nor been provided with an independent evaluation or appraisal of the
assets of BIC or Verio, nor have we been furnished with any such evaluations or
appraisals. We have assumed with your consent for purposes of our analysis that
the value of the common stock of Verio to be received in the proposed Merger is
equal to the closing trading price of the common stock of Verio as of November
19, 1998, and we express no opinion or view on the value of the common stock of
Verio. Our opinion is necessarily based upon market, economic and other
conditions as they exist and can be evaluated as of the date of this letter and
on the information noted above available to us as of the date hereof. We do not
express any opinion as to the price at which the shares of common stock of Verio
that are to be issued pursuant to the proposed Merger will be traded in the
future. In addition, we express no opinion as to the fair market value of common
stock of BIC as of any particular date. It should be understood that, although
subsequent developments may affect this opinion, we assume no obligation to
update, revise or reaffirm this opinion. In rendering this opinion, we have
assumed that the proposed Merger will be consummated substantially on the terms
described in the Agreement, without any waiver of any material terms or
conditions by any party thereto. We have also assumed that the proposed Merger
will be consummated in a manner that complies in all respects with the
applicable provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and all other applicable federal and state
statutes, rules and regulations. We have assumed with your consent that Excess
Company Transaction Expenses (as defined in the Agreement) are $175,212.
 
     We have been retained by the Board of Directors of BIC as financial advisor
in connection with the Merger and for the purpose of rendering this opinion. A
portion of our fee is due and payable upon delivery of this opinion and the
remaining portion of our fee is due and payable upon the consummation of the
proposed Merger.
 
     Our advisory services and the opinion expressed herein were prepared solely
for the use of the Board of Directors of BIC and this opinion is not intended to
be and does not constitute a recommendation to any stockholder of BIC as to how
such stockholder should vote on the proposed Merger. This opinion does not
address the relative merits of the proposed Merger and any other transactions or
business strategies discussed by the Board of Directors of BIC as alternatives
to the proposed Merger, or the underlying business decision of the Board of
Directors of BIC to proceed with the proposed Merger. We are not requested to,
and did not, solicit offers or indications of interest from third parties to
acquire BIC. This opinion may not be published or otherwise used or referred to,
nor shall any public reference to BT Alex. Brown be made, without our prior
written consent. We hereby consent, however, to the inclusion of this opinion in
its entirety as an exhibit to any proxy or registration statement distributed to
the shareholders of BIC in connection with the approval of the proposed Merger
and to any description of, or reference to, this opinion therein in a form and
substance acceptable to us and our legal counsel.
 
     Based upon and subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that, as of the
date of this letter, the Merger Consideration to be received by the holders of
common stock of BIC pursuant to the Agreement is fair, from a financial point of
view, to the holders of common stock of BIC.
 
                                            Very truly yours,
 
                                            /s/ BT ALEX. BROWN INCORPORATED
 
                                       C-2
<PAGE>   412
 
                                                                      APPENDIX D
 
              CHAPTER 13 OF THE CALIFORNIA GENERAL CORPORATION LAW
 
     SECTION 1300. SHAREHOLDER IN SHORT-FORM MERGER; PURCHASE AT FAIR MARKET
VALUE; "DISSENTING SHARES"; "DISSENTING SHAREHOLDER"
 
     (a) If the approval of the outstanding shares (Section 152) of a
corporation is required for a reorganization under subdivisions (a) and (b) or
subdivision (e)or (f) of Section 1201, each shareholder of the corporation
entitled to vote on the transaction and each shareholder of a subsidiary
corporation in a short-form merger may, by complying with this chapter, require
the corporation in which the shareholder holds shares to purchase for cash at
their fair market value the shares owned by the shareholder which are dissenting
shares as defined in subdivision (b). The fair market value shall be determined
as of the day before the first announcement of the terms of the proposed
reorganization or short-form merger, excluding any appreciation or depreciation
in consequence of the proposed action, but adjusted for any stock split, reverse
stock split, or share dividend which becomes effective thereafter.
 
     As used in this chapter, "dissenting shares" means shares which come within
all of the following descriptions:
 
          (1) Which were not immediately prior to the reorganization or
     short-form merger either (A) listed on any national securities exchange
     certified by the Commissioner of Corporations under subdivision (o) of
     Section 25100 or (B) listed on the list of OTC margin stocks issued by the
     Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the notice of meeting
     of shareholders to act upon the reorganization summarizes this section and
     Sections 1301, 1302, 1303 and 1304; provided, however, that this provision
     does not apply to any shares with respect to which there exists any
     restriction on transfer imposed by the corporation or by any law or
     regulation; and provided, further, that this provision does not apply to
     any class of shares described in subparagraph (A) or (B) if demands for
     payment are filed with respect to 5 percent or more of the outstanding
     shares of that class.
 
          (2) Which were outstanding on the date for the determination of
     shareholders entitled to vote on the reorganization and (A) were not voted
     in favor of the reorganization or, (B) if described in subparagraph (A) or
     (B) of paragraph (1) (without regard to the provisos in that paragraph),
     were voted against the reorganization, or which were held of record on the
     effective date of a short-form merger; provided, however, that subparagraph
     (A) rather than subparagraph (B) of this paragraph applies in any case
     where the approval required by Section 1201 is sought by written consent
     rather than at a meeting.
 
          (3) Which the dissenting shareholder has demanded that the corporation
     purchase at their fair market value, in accordance with Section 1301.
 
          (4) Which the dissenting shareholder has submitted for endorsement, in
     accordance with Section 1302.
 
     As used in this chapter, "dissenting shareholder" means the recordholder of
dissenting shares and includes a transferee of record.
 
     SECTION 1301. NOTICE TO HOLDER OF DISSENTING SHARES OF REORGANIZATION
APPROVAL; DEMAND FOR PURCHASE OF SHARES; CONTENTS OF DEMAND
 
     (a) If, in the case of a reorganization, any shareholders of a corporation
have a right under Section 1300, subject to compliance with paragraphs (3) and
(4) of subdivision (b) thereof, to require the corporation to purchase their
shares for cash, such corporation shall mail to each such shareholder a notice
of the approval of the reorganization by its outstanding shares (Section 152)
within 10 days after the date of such approval, accompanied by a copy of
Sections 1300, 1302, 1303, 1304 and this section, a statement of the price
determined by the corporation to represent the fair market value of the
dissenting shares, and a brief description of the procedure to be followed if
the shareholder desires to exercise the shareholder's right under such sections.
The statement of price constitutes an offer by the corporation to purchase at
the price stated any
                                       D-1
<PAGE>   413
 
dissenting shares as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1300, unless they
lose their status as dissenting shares under Section 1309.
 
     (b) Any shareholder who has a right to require the corporation to purchase
the shareholder's shares for cash under Section 1300, subject to compliance with
paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (b) thereof, and who desires the
corporation to purchase such shares shall make written demand upon the
corporation for the purchase of such shares and payment to the shareholder in
cash of their fair market value. The demand is not effective for any purpose
unless it is received by the corporation or any transfer agent thereof (1) in
the case of shares described in clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (1) of
subdivision (b) of Section 1300 (without regard to the provisos in that
paragraph), not later than the date of the shareholders' meeting to vote upon
the reorganization, or (2) in any other case within 30 days after the date on
which the notice of the approval by the outstanding shares pursuant to
subdivision (a) or the notice pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 1110 was
mailed to the shareholder.
 
     (c) The demand shall state the number and class of the shares held of
record by the shareholder which the shareholder demands that the corporation
purchase and shall contain a statement of what such shareholder claims to be the
fair market value of those shares as of the day before the announcement of the
proposed reorganization or short-form merger. The statement of fair market value
constitutes an offer by the shareholder to sell the shares at such price.
 
     SECTION 1302. STAMPING OR ENDORSING DISSENTING SHARES
 
     Within 30 days after the date on which notice of the approval by the
outstanding shares or the notice pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 1110 was
mailed to the shareholder, the shareholder shall submit to the corporation at
its principal office or at the office of any transfer agent thereof, (a) if the
shares are certificated securities, the shareholder's certificates representing
any shares which the shareholder demands that the corporation purchase, to be
stamped or endorsed with a statement that the shares are dissenting shares or to
be exchanged for certificates of appropriate denomination so stamped or endorsed
or (b) if the shares are uncertificated securities, written notice of the number
of shares which the shareholder demands that the corporation purchase. Upon
subsequent transfers of the dissenting shares on the books of the corporation,
the new certificates, initial transaction statement, and other written
statements issued therefor shall bear a like statement, together with the name
of the original dissenting holder of the shares.
 
     SECTION 1303. DISSENTING SHAREHOLDER ENTITLED TO AGREED PRICE WITH INTEREST
THEREON; WHEN PRICE TO BE PAID
 
     (d) If the corporation and the shareholder agree that the shares are
dissenting shares and agree upon the price of the shares, the dissenting
shareholder is entitled to the agreed price with interest thereon at the legal
rate on judgments from the date of the agreement. Any agreements fixing the fair
market value of any dissenting shares as between the corporation and the holders
thereof shall be filed with the secretary of the corporation.
 
     (e) Subject to the provisions of Section 1306, payment of the fair market
value of dissenting shares shall be made within 30 days after the amount thereof
has been agreed or within 30 days after any statutory or contractual conditions
to the reorganization are satisfied, whichever is later, and in the case of
certificated securities, subject to surrender of the certificates therefor,
unless provided otherwise by agreement.
 
     SECTION 1304. ACTION BY DISSENTERS TO DETERMINE WHETHER SHARES ARE
DISSENTING SHARES OR FAIR MARKET VALUE OF DISSENTING SHARES OR BOTH; JOINDER OF
SHAREHOLDERS; CONSOLIDATION OF ACTIONS; DETERMINATION OF ISSUES; APPOINTMENT OF
APPRAISERS
 
     (f) If the corporation denies that the shares are dissenting shares, or the
corporation and the shareholder fail to agree upon the fair market value of the
shares, then the shareholder demanding purchase of such shares as dissenting
shares or any interested corporation, within six months after the date on which
notice of the approval by the outstanding shares (Section 152) or notice
pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 1110 was mailed to the shareholder, but
not thereafter, may file a complaint in the superior court of the proper county
 
                                       D-2
<PAGE>   414
 
praying the court to determine whether the shares are dissenting shares or the
fair market value of the dissenting shares or both or may intervene in any
action pending on such a complaint.
 
     (g) Two or more dissenting shareholders may join as plaintiffs or be joined
as defendants in any such action and two or more such actions may be
consolidated.
 
     (h) On the trial of the action, the court shall determine the issues. If
the status of the shares as dissenting shares is in issue, the court shall first
determine that issue. If the fair market value of the dissenting shares is in
issue, the court shall determine, or shall appoint one or more impartial
appraisers to determine, the fair market value of the shares.
 
     SECTION 1305. DUTY AND REPORT OF APPRAISERS; COURT'S CONFIRMATION OF
REPORT; DETERMINATION OF FAIR MARKET VALUE BY COURT; JUDGMENT, AND PAYMENT;
APPEAL; COSTS OF ACTION
 
     (i) If the court appoints an appraiser or appraisers, they shall proceed
forthwith to determine the fair market value per share. Within the time fixed by
the court, the appraisers, or a majority of them, shall make and file a report
in the office of the clerk of the court. Thereupon, on the motion of any party,
the report shall be submitted to the court and considered on such evidence as
the court considers relevant. If the court finds the report reasonable, the
court may confirm it.
 
     (j) If a majority of the appraisers appointed fail to make and file a
report within 10 days from the date of their appointment or within such further
time as may be allowed by the court or the report is not confirmed by the court,
the court shall determine the fair market value of the dissenting shares.
 
     (k) Subject to the provisions of Section 1306, judgment shall be rendered
against the corporation for payment of an amount equal to the fair market value
of each dissenting share multiplied by the number of dissenting shares which any
dissenting shareholder who is a party, or who has intervened, is entitled to
require the corporation to purchase, with interest thereon at the legal rate
from the date on which judgment was entered.
 
     (l) Any such judgment shall be payable forthwith with respect to
uncertificated securities and, with respect to certificated securities, only
upon the endorsement and delivery to the corporation of the certificates for the
shares described in the judgment. Any party may appeal from the judgment.
 
     (m) The costs of the action, including reasonable compensation to the
appraisers to be fixed by the court, shall be assessed or apportioned as the
court considers equitable, but, if the appraisal exceeds the price offered by
the corporation, the corporation shall pay the costs (including in the
discretion of the court attorneys' fees, fees of expert witnesses and interest
at the legal rate on judgments from the date of compliance with Sections 1300,
1301 and 1302 if the value awarded by the court for the shares is more than 125
percent of the price offered by the corporation under subdivision (a) of Section
1301).
 
     SECTION 1306. PREVENTION OF PAYMENT TO HOLDERS OF DISSENTING SHARES OF FAIR
MARKET VALUE; EFFECT
 
     To the extent that the provisions of Chapter 5 prevent the payment to any
holders of dissenting shares of their fair market value, they shall become
creditors of the corporation for the amount thereof together with interest at
the legal rate on judgments until the date of payment, but subordinate to all
other creditors in any liquidation proceeding, such debt to be payable when
permissible under the provisions of Chapter 5.
 
     SECTION 1307. DISPOSITION OF DIVIDENDS UPON DISSENTING SHARES
 
     Cash dividends declared and paid by the corporation upon the dissenting
shares after the date of approval of the reorganization by the outstanding
shares (Section 152) and prior to payment for the shares by the corporation
shall be credited against the total amount to be paid by the corporation
therefor.
 
     SECTION 1308. RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF DISSENTING SHARES; WITHDRAWAL OF
DEMAND FOR PAYMENT
 
     Except as expressly limited in this chapter, holders of dissenting shares
continue to have all the rights and privileges incident to their shares, until
the fair market value of their shares is agreed upon or determined. A dissenting
shareholder may not withdraw a demand for payment unless the corporation
consents thereto.
 
                                       D-3
<PAGE>   415
 
     SECTION 1309. WHEN DISSENTING SHARES LOSE THEIR STATUS
 
     Dissenting shares lose their status as dissenting shares and the holders
thereof cease to be dissenting shareholders and cease to be entitled to require
the corporation to purchase their shares upon the happening of any of the
following:
 
     (n) The corporation abandons the reorganization. Upon abandonment of the
reorganization, the corporation shall pay on demand to any dissenting
shareholder who has initiated proceedings in good faith under this chapter all
necessary expenses incurred in such proceedings and reasonable attorneys' fees.
 
     (o) The shares are transferred prior to their submission for endorsement in
accordance with Section 1302 or are surrendered for conversion into shares of
another class in accordance with the articles.
 
     (p) The dissenting shareholder and the corporation do not agree upon the
status of the shares as dissenting shares or upon the purchase price of the
shares, and neither files a complaint or intervenes in a pending action as
provided in Section 1304, within six months after the date on which notice of
the approval by the outstanding shares or notice pursuant to subdivision (i) of
Section 1110 was mailed to the shareholder.
 
     (q) The dissenting shareholder, with the consent of the corporation,
withdraws the shareholder's demand for purchase of the dissenting shares.
 
     SECTION 1310. SUSPENSION OF PROCEEDINGS FOR COMPENSATION OR VALUATION
PENDING LITIGATION
 
     If litigation is instituted to test the sufficiency or regularity of the
votes of the shareholders in authorizing a reorganization, any proceedings under
Sections 1304 and 1305 shall be suspended until final determination of such
litigation.
 
     SECTION 1311. SHARES TO WHICH CHAPTER INAPPLICABLE
 
     This chapter, except Section 1312, does not apply to classes of shares
whose terms and provisions specifically set forth the amount to be paid in
respect to such shares in the event of a reorganization or merger.
 
     SECTION 1312. ATTACK ON VALIDITY OF REORGANIZATION OR SHORT-FORM MERGER;
RIGHTS OF SHAREHOLDERS; BURDEN OF PROOF
 
     (r) No shareholder of a corporation who has a right under this chapter to
demand payment of cash for the shares held by the shareholder shall have any
right at law or in equity to attack the validity of the reorganization or
short-form merger, or to have the reorganization or short-form merger set aside
or rescinded, except in an action to test whether the number of shares required
to authorize or approve the reorganization have been legally voted in favor
thereof; but any holder of shares of a class whose terms and provisions
specifically set forth the amount to be paid in respect to them in the event of
a reorganization or short-form merger is entitled to payment in accordance with
those terms and provisions or, if the principal terms of the reorganization are
approved pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1202, is entitled to payment in
accordance with the terms and provisions of the approved reorganization.
 
     (s) If one of the parties to a reorganization or short-form merger is
directly or indirectly controlled by, or under common control with, another
party to the reorganization or short-form merger, subdivision (a) shall not
apply to any shareholder of such party who has not demanded payment of cash for
such shareholder's shares pursuant to this chapter; but if the shareholder
institutes any action to attack the validity of the reorganization or short-form
merger or to have the reorganization or short-form merger set aside or
rescinded, the shareholder shall not thereafter have any right to demand payment
of cash for the shareholder's shares pursuant to this chapter. The court in any
action attacking the validity of the reorganization or short-form merger or to
have the reorganization or short-form merger set aside or rescinded shall not
restrain or enjoin the consummation of the transaction except upon 10 days'
prior notice to the corporation and upon a determination by the court that
clearly no other remedy will adequately protect the complaining shareholder or
the class of shareholders of which such shareholder is a member.
 
                                       D-4
<PAGE>   416
 
     (t) If one of the parties to a reorganization or short-form merger is
directly or indirectly controlled by, or under common control with, another
party to the reorganization or short-form merger, in any action to attack the
validity of the reorganization or short-form merger or to have the
reorganization or short-form merger set aside or rescinded, (1) a party to a
reorganization or short-form merger which controls another party to the
reorganization or short-form merger shall have the burden of proving that the
transaction is just and reasonable as to the shareholders of the controlled
party, and (2) a person who controls two or more parties to a reorganization
shall have the burden of proving that the transaction is just and reasonable as
to the shareholders of any party so controlled.
 
                                       D-5
<PAGE>   417
 
                                    PART II
 
                     INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
 
ITEM 20. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
 
     Reference is made to Section 145 of the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware (the "DGCL"), which provides for indemnification of directors,
officers and other employees in certain circumstances, and to Section 102(b)(7)
of the DGCL, which provides for the elimination or limitation of the personal
liability for monetary damages of directors under certain circumstances. Article
Eight of the Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant eliminates the
personal liability for monetary damages of directors under certain circumstances
and provides indemnification to directors and officers of the Registrant to the
fullest extent permitted by the DGCL. Among other things, these provisions
provide indemnification for officers and directors against liabilities for
judgments in and settlements of lawsuits and other proceedings and for the
advance and payment of fees and expenses reasonably incurred by the director or
officer in defense of any such lawsuit or proceeding.
 
     See also the undertakings set out in response to Item 22 herein.
 
ITEM 21. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
        EXHIBIT
         NUMBER                                  DESCRIPTION
        -------                                  -----------
<C>                      <S>
        2.1++            -- Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated
                            as of November 17, 1998 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and
                            among the Registrant, Purple Acquisition, Inc., and Best
                            Internet Communications, Inc.
                         The schedules and exhibits to the Merger Agreement include
                         (i) the Disclosure Schedules, which contain exceptions to
                         representations and warranties made by Best in the Merger
                         Agreement and certain other information, and (ii) other
                         forms of agreements that are referred to in the Merger
                         Agreement. The Registrant agrees to furnish supplementally a
                         copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit to the Commission
                         upon request.
        3.1**            -- Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant,
                            as amended.
        3.2**            -- Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation
                            of the Registrant.
        3.3**            -- Certificate of Designation Establishing Series D
                            Preferred Stock of the Registrant.
        3.4**            -- Bylaws of the Registrant
        4.1***           -- Form of Old 1997 Note.
        4.2***           -- Form of New 1997 Note.
        4.3***           -- Escrow Agreement, dated as of June 24, 1997, among First
                            Trust National Association (as escrow agent and trustee)
                            and the Registrant.
        4.4**            -- 1997 Indenture (See Exhibit 10.1).
        4.5**            -- 1997 Notes Registration Rights Agreement (See Exhibit
                            10.4).
        4.6***           -- Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 17, 1997, by and
                            among Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner
                            & Smith Incorporated, and Lazard Freres & Co. LLC
                            (collectively, the "Initial 1997 Notes Purchasers"), and
                            the Registrant.
        4.7***           -- Form of Old March 1998 Note.
        4.8***           -- Form of New March 1998 Note.
        4.9**            -- March 1998 Indenture (See Exhibit 10.23).
        4.10**           -- March 1998 Notes Registration Rights Agreement (See
                            Exhibit 10.24).
        4.11***          -- Purchase Agreement, dated as of March 19, 1998, by and
                            among Salomon Brothers Inc., Lazard Freres & Co. LLC,
                            Chase Securities, Inc., and BancBoston Securities Inc.
                            (collectively, the "Initial March 1998 Notes
                            Purchasers"), and the Registrant.
</TABLE>
 
                                      II-1
<PAGE>   418
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
        EXHIBIT
         NUMBER                                  DESCRIPTION
        -------                                  -----------
<C>                      <S>
        4.12++           -- Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 20, 1998, by and
                            among Salomon Smith Barney Inc., Credit Suisse First
                            Boston Corporation, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
                            Securities Corporation and First Union Capital Markets
                            (collectively, the "Initial November 1998 Notes
                            Purchasers"), and the Registrant.
        4.13++           -- November 1998 Indenture (See Exhibit 10.34).
        4.14++           -- November 1998 Notes Registration Rights Agreement (See
                            Exhibit 10.35).
        5.1++            -- Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP together with consent.
       10.1**            -- Indenture, dated as of June 24, 1997, by and among the
                            Registrant and First Trust National Association (as
                            trustee).
       10.2**            -- Warrant Agreement, dated as of June 24, 1997, by and
                            between First Trust National Association and the
                            Registrant.
       10.3**            -- Common Stock Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of
                            June 17, 1997, by and among the Registrant, Brooks Fiber
                            Properties, Inc., Norwest Equity Partners V, Providence
                            Equity Partners, Centennial Fund V, L.P., Centennial Fund
                            IV, L.P. (as investors), and the Initial 1997 Notes
                            Purchasers.
       10.4**            -- Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of June 17, 1997,
                            by and among the Registrant and the Initial 1997 Notes
                            Purchasers.
       10.5**            -- Lease Agreement, dated as of June 20, 1997, by and
                            between the Registrant and Highland Park Ventures, LLC,
                            with respect to the property in Englewood, Colorado,
                            including the First Amendment to Lease Agreement, dated
                            as of December 16, 1997.
       10.6**            -- Lease Agreement, dated as of May 24, 1997, by and between
                            the Registrant and IM Joint Venture, with respect to the
                            property in Dallas, Texas, as amended.
       10.7**            -- Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant
                            and each of its officers and directors.
       10.8**            -- Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, dated as of
                            May 20, 1997, by and between the Registrant, the Series A
                            Purchasers, the Series B Purchasers, the Series C
                            Purchasers and members of the Registrant's management.
       10.9**            -- The Registrant's 1996 Stock Option Plan, as amended.
       10.10**           -- The Registrant's 1997 California Stock Option Plan, as
                            amended.
       10.11**           -- The Registration's 1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as
                            amended.
       10.12**           -- The Registrant's 1998 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended.
       10.13**           -- Form of Compensation Protection Agreement between the
                            Registrant and each of its officers.
       10.14**           -- Master Service Agreement, dated as of August 23, 1996, by
                            and between the Registrant and MFS Datanet, Inc.
       10.15**           -- Agreement for Terminal Facility Collocation Space, dated
                            August 8, 1996, by and between MFS Telecom, Inc. and the
                            Registrant.
       10.16**           -- Bilateral Peering Agreement, dated May 19, 1997, between
                            AT&T Corp. and the Registrant.
       10.17**           -- Master Lease Agreement, dated November 17, 1997, by and
                            between Insight Investments Corp. and the Registrant.
       10.18**           -- Master Lease Agreement, dated October 27, 1997, by and
                            between Cisco Capital Systems Corporation and the
                            Registrant.
       10.19**+          -- Lateral Exchange Networks Interconnection Agreement,
                            dated as of February 3, 1997, by and between the
                            Registrant and Sprint Communications Company L.P.
                            ("Sprint").
       10.20**+          -- Cover Agreement, dated September 30, 1996, by and between
                            the Registrant and Sprint.
</TABLE>
    
 
                                      II-2
<PAGE>   419
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
        EXHIBIT
         NUMBER                                  DESCRIPTION
        -------                                  -----------
<C>                      <S>
       10.21**+          -- Amendment One to Cover Agreement, dated November 7, 1996,
                            by and between the Registrant and Sprint.
       10.22**+          -- Amendment Two to Cover Agreement, dated March 2, 1998, by
                            and between the Registrant and Sprint.
       10.23**           -- Indenture, dated as of March 25, 1998, by and among the
                            Registrant and First Trust National Association (as
                            trustee).
       10.24**           -- Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of March 25,
                            1998, by and among the Registrant, and the Initial March
                            1998 Notes Purchasers.
       10.25**+          -- Capacity and Services Agreement, dated as of March 31,
                            1998, by and among the Registrant and Qwest
                            Communications Corporation.
       10.26**           -- Credit Agreement, dated as of April 6, 1998, by and among
                            the Registrant, The Chase Manhattan Bank (as
                            administrative agent) and Fleet National Bank (as
                            documentation agent).
       10.27**           -- Stock Purchase and Master Strategic Relationship
                            Agreement, dated as of April 7, 1998, by and among the
                            Registrant and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
                            ("NTT"), a Japanese corporation.
       10.28**+          -- Investment Agreement, dated as of April 7, 1998, by and
                            among the Registrant and NTT.
       10.29**+          -- Outside Service Provider Agreement, dated as of April 7,
                            1998, by and among the Registrant and NTT America, Inc.
       10.30**+          -- Master Services Agreement, dated as of June 13, 1997, by
                            and between the Registrant and MCI Telecommunications
                            Corporation ("MCI").
       10.31**+          -- MCI Domestic (US) Public Interconnection Agreement dated
                            as of June 12, 1997, by and between the Registrant and
                            MCI, as amended.
       10.32**           -- The Registrant's 1998 Non-Employee Director Stock
                            Incentive Plan.
       10.33*+           -- Interconnection Agreement, effective as of April 1, 1998
                            by and between the Registrant and UUNET Technologies,
                            Inc.
       10.34++           -- Indenture, dated as of November 25, 1998, by and among
                            the Registrant and U.S. Bank Trust National Association
                            (as trustee).
       10.35++           -- Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of November 25,
                            1998, by and among the Registrant and the Initial
                            November 1998 Notes Purchasers.
       11.1              -- Not applicable.
       21.1**            -- List of Subsidiaries of the Registrant.
       23.1              -- Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP (Denver).
       23.2              -- Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP (Seattle).
       23.3              -- Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
       23.4              -- Consent of DeMeo, Young, McGrath & Company, P.A.
       23.5++            -- Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (contained in Exhibit
                            5.1)
       24.1++            -- Power of Attorney.
       25.1***           -- Form of T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification
                            under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of First Trust
                            National Association.
       27.1****          -- Financial Data Schedule.
       99.1++            -- Consent of Person to Become a Director
       99.2++            -- Consent of BT Alex. Brown Incorporated.
</TABLE>
    
 
---------------
 
*    Incorporated by reference from the Registrant's quarterly report on Form
     10-Q filed with the Commission on August 13, 1998.
 
                                      II-3
<PAGE>   420
 
**   Incorporated by reference from the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of
     the Registrant (Registration No. 333-47099) filed with the Commission on
     February 27, 1198, as amended.
 
***  Incorporated by reference from the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of
     the Registrant (Registration Statement No. 333-47497) filed with the
     Commission on March 6, 1998, as amended.
 
**** Incorporated by reference from the Registrant's quarterly report on Form
     10-Q filed with the Commission on November 16, 1998.
 
  + Document for which confidential treatment has been requested.
 
 ++ Previously filed.
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SCHEDULE:
 
  Financial Statements:
 
     Financial Statements filed as a part of this Registration Statement are
listed in the Index to Financial Statements on page F-1.
 
  Financial Statement Schedules:
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
             SCHEDULE NO.                           DESCRIPTION
             ------------                           -----------
<S>                                    <C>
                  II                     Valuation and Qualifying Accounts
</TABLE>
 
ITEM 22. UNDERTAKINGS.
 
     (a) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act") may be permitted to directors, officers and
controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described in
Item 20 above, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion
of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event
that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the
payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action,
suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person
in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling
precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether
such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
 
     (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:
 
          (1) For purposes of determining any liability under the Act, the
     information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this
     Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form
     of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or
     497(h) under the Act shall be deemed to be part of this Registration
     Statement as of the time it was declared effective
 
          (2) For the purpose of determining any liability under the Act, each
     post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed
     to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
     therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed
     to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
 
     (c) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to respond to requests for
information that is incorporated by reference into the Prospectus pursuant to
Items 4, 10(b), 11 or 13 of this form, within one business day of receipt of
such request, and to send the incorporated documents by first class mail or
other equally prompt means. This includes information contained in documents
filed subsequent to the effective date of the Registration Statement through the
date of responding to the request.
 
     (d) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to supply by means of a
post-effective amendment all information concerning a transaction, and the
company being acquired involved therein, that was not the subject of and
included in the Registration Statement when it became effective.
 
                                      II-4
<PAGE>   421
 
     (e) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
 
          (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
     made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
 
             (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the
        Act;
 
             (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after
        the effective date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent
        post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
        aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth
        in this Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
        increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total
        dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was
        registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
        maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
        with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if,
        in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than
        a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in
        the "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective
        Registration Statement; and
 
             (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan
        of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement
        or any material change to such information in this Registration
        Statement.
 
          (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Act,
     each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration
     statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of
     such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide
     offering thereof.
 
          (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment
     any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the
     termination of the offering.
 
     (f) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
 
          (1) that prior to any public reoffering of the securities registered
     hereunder through use of a prospectus which is a part of this Registration
     Statement, by any person or party who is deemed to be an underwriter within
     the meaning of Rule 145(c), the Registrant undertakes that such reoffering
     prospectus will contain the information called for by the applicable
     registration form with respect to reofferings by persons who may be deemed
     underwriters, in addition to the information called for by the other items
     of the applicable form.
 
          (2) That every prospectus: (i) that is filed pursuant to paragraph (1)
     immediately preceding, or (ii) that purports to meet the requirements of
     Section 10(a)(3) of the Act and is used in connection with an offering of
     securities subject to Rule 415, will be filed as a part of an amendment to
     this Registration Statement and will not be used until such amendment is
     effective, and that, for purposes of determining any liability under the
     Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new
     registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
     offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
     bona fide offering thereof.
 
                                      II-5
<PAGE>   422
 
                                   SIGNATURES
 
   
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
has duly caused this Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in
Englewood, Colorado, on December 16, 1998.
    
 
                                            VERIO INC.
 
                                            By:  /s/ CARLA HAMRE DONELSON
                                              ----------------------------------
                                                     Carla Hamre Donelson
                                               Vice President, General Counsel
                                                        and Secretary
 
   
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment
No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4 has been signed by the following
persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
    
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
SIGNATURE                                                              TITLE                         DATE
---------                                                              -----                         ----
<C>                                                    <S>                                     <C>
 
               /s/ STEVEN C. HALSTEDT*                 Chairman of the Board                   December 16, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------
                 Steven C. Halstedt
 
               /s/ JUSTIN L. JASCHKE*                  Chief Executive Officer and Director    December 16, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------
                  Justin L. Jaschke
 
               /s/ HERBERT R. HRIBAR*                  President and Chief Operating Officer   December 16, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------
                  Herbert R. Hribar
 
                 /s/ JAMES C. ALLEN*                   Director                                December 16, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------
                   James C. Allen
 
                /s/ TRYGVE E. MYHREN*                  Director                                December 16, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------
                  Trygve E. Myhren
 
                 /s/ PAUL J. SALEM*                    Director                                December 16, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------
                    Paul J. Salem
 
               /s/ STEVEN W. SCHOVEE*                  Director                                December 16, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------
                  Steven W. Schovee
 
              /s/ GEORGE J. STILL, JR.*                Director                                December 16, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------
                George J. Still, Jr.
 
                  /s/ YUKIMASA ITO*                    Director                                December 16, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------
                    Yukimasa Ito
 
              /s/ PETER B. FRITZINGER*                 Chief Financial Officer                 December 16, 1998
-----------------------------------------------------  (Principal Accounting Officer)
                 Peter B. Fritzinger
 
            *By: /s/ CARLA HAMRE DONELSON
  -------------------------------------------------
                Carla Hamre Donelson
                  Attorney-in-Fact
</TABLE>
    
 
                                      II-6
<PAGE>   423
 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
        EXHIBIT
         NUMBER                                  DESCRIPTION
        -------                                  -----------
<C>                      <S>
        2.1++            -- Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated
                            as of November 17, 1998 (the "Merger Agreement"), by and
                            among the Registrant, Purple Acquisition, Inc., and Best
                            Internet Communications, Inc.
                         The schedules and exhibits to the Merger Agreement include
                         (i) the Disclosure Schedules, which contain exceptions to
                         representations and warranties made by Best in the Merger
                         Agreement and certain other information, and (ii) other
                         forms of agreements that are referred to in the Merger
                         Agreement. The Registrant agrees to furnish supplementally a
                         copy of any omitted schedule or exhibit to the Commission
                         upon request.
        3.1**            -- Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant,
                            as amended.
        3.2**            -- Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation
                            of the Registrant.
        3.3**            -- Certificate of Designation Establishing Series D
                            Preferred Stock of the Registrant.
        3.4**            -- Bylaws of the Registrant
        4.1***           -- Form of Old 1997 Note.
        4.2***           -- Form of New 1997 Note.
        4.3***           -- Escrow Agreement, dated as of June 24, 1997, among First
                            Trust National Association (as escrow agent and trustee)
                            and the Registrant.
        4.4**            -- 1997 Indenture (See Exhibit 10.1).
        4.5**            -- 1997 Notes Registration Rights Agreement (See Exhibit
                            10.4).
        4.6***           -- Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 17, 1997, by and
                            among Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner
                            & Smith Incorporated, and Lazard Freres & Co. LLC
                            (collectively, the "Initial 1997 Notes Purchasers"), and
                            the Registrant.
        4.7***           -- Form of Old March 1998 Note.
        4.8***           -- Form of New March 1998 Note.
        4.9**            -- March 1998 Indenture (See Exhibit 10.23).
        4.10**           -- March 1998 Notes Registration Rights Agreement (See
                            Exhibit 10.24).
        4.11***          -- Purchase Agreement, dated as of March 19, 1998, by and
                            among Salomon Brothers Inc., Lazard Freres & Co. LLC,
                            Chase Securities, Inc., and BancBoston Securities Inc.
                            (collectively, the "Initial March 1998 Notes
                            Purchasers"), and the Registrant.
        4.12++           -- Purchase Agreement, dated as of November 20, 1998, by and
                            among Salomon Smith Barney Inc., Credit Suisse First
                            Boston Corporation, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
                            Securities Corporation and First Union Capital Markets
                            (collectively, the "Initial November 1998 Notes
                            Purchasers"), and the Registrant.
        4.13++           -- November 1998 Indenture (See Exhibit 10.34).
        4.14++           -- November 1998 Notes Registration Rights Agreement (See
                            Exhibit 10.35).
        5.1++            -- Opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP together with consent.
       10.1**            -- Indenture, dated as of June 24, 1997, by and among the
                            Registrant and First Trust National Association (as
                            trustee).
       10.2**            -- Warrant Agreement, dated as of June 24, 1997, by and
                            between First Trust National Association and the
                            Registrant.
       10.3**            -- Common Stock Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of
                            June 17, 1997, by and among the Registrant, Brooks Fiber
                            Properties, Inc., Norwest Equity Partners V, Providence
                            Equity Partners, Centennial Fund V, L.P., Centennial Fund
                            IV, L.P. (as investors), and the Initial 1997 Notes
                            Purchasers.
       10.4**            -- Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of June 17, 1997,
                            by and among the Registrant and the Initial 1997 Notes
                            Purchasers.
</TABLE>
    
<PAGE>   424
 
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
        EXHIBIT
         NUMBER                                  DESCRIPTION
        -------                                  -----------
<C>                      <S>
       10.5**            -- Lease Agreement, dated as of June 20, 1997, by and
                            between the Registrant and Highland Park Ventures, LLC,
                            with respect to the property in Englewood, Colorado,
                            including the First Amendment to Lease Agreement, dated
                            as of December 16, 1997.
       10.6**            -- Lease Agreement, dated as of May 24, 1997, by and between
                            the Registrant and IM Joint Venture, with respect to the
                            property in Dallas, Texas, as amended.
       10.7**            -- Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant
                            and each of its officers and directors.
       10.8**            -- Amended and Restated Stockholders Agreement, dated as of
                            May 20, 1997, by and between the Registrant, the Series A
                            Purchasers, the Series B Purchasers, the Series C
                            Purchasers and members of the Registrant's management.
       10.9**            -- The Registrant's 1996 Stock Option Plan, as amended.
       10.10**           -- The Registrant's 1997 California Stock Option Plan, as
                            amended.
       10.11**           -- The Registration's 1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, as
                            amended.
       10.12**           -- The Registrant's 1998 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended.
       10.13**           -- Form of Compensation Protection Agreement between the
                            Registrant and each of its officers.
       10.14**           -- Master Service Agreement, dated as of August 23, 1996, by
                            and between the Registrant and MFS Datanet, Inc.
       10.15**           -- Agreement for Terminal Facility Collocation Space, dated
                            August 8, 1996, by and between MFS Telecom, Inc. and the
                            Registrant.
       10.16**           -- Bilateral Peering Agreement, dated May 19, 1997, between
                            AT&T Corp. and the Registrant.
       10.17**           -- Master Lease Agreement, dated November 17, 1997, by and
                            between Insight Investments Corp. and the Registrant.
       10.18**           -- Master Lease Agreement, dated October 27, 1997, by and
                            between Cisco Capital Systems Corporation and the
                            Registrant.
       10.19**+          -- Lateral Exchange Networks Interconnection Agreement,
                            dated as of February 3, 1997, by and between the
                            Registrant and Sprint Communications Company L.P.
                            ("Sprint").
       10.20**+          -- Cover Agreement, dated September 30, 1996, by and between
                            the Registrant and Sprint.
       10.21**+          -- Amendment One to Cover Agreement, dated November 7, 1996,
                            by and between the Registrant and Sprint.
       10.22**+          -- Amendment Two to Cover Agreement, dated March 2, 1998, by
                            and between the Registrant and Sprint.
       10.23**           -- Indenture, dated as of March 25, 1998, by and among the
                            Registrant and First Trust National Association (as
                            trustee).
       10.24**           -- Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of March 25,
                            1998, by and among the Registrant, and the Initial March
                            1998 Notes Purchasers.
       10.25**+          -- Capacity and Services Agreement, dated as of March 31,
                            1998, by and among the Registrant and Qwest
                            Communications Corporation.
       10.26**           -- Credit Agreement, dated as of April 6, 1998, by and among
                            the Registrant, The Chase Manhattan Bank (as
                            administrative agent) and Fleet National Bank (as
                            documentation agent).
       10.27**           -- Stock Purchase and Master Strategic Relationship
                            Agreement, dated as of April 7, 1998, by and among the
                            Registrant and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
                            ("NTT"), a Japanese corporation.
</TABLE>
<PAGE>   425
 
   
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
        EXHIBIT
         NUMBER                                  DESCRIPTION
        -------                                  -----------
<C>                      <S>
       10.28**+          -- Investment Agreement, dated as of April 7, 1998, by and
                            among the Registrant and NTT.
       10.29**+          -- Outside Service Provider Agreement, dated as of April 7,
                            1998, by and among the Registrant and NTT America, Inc.
       10.30**+          -- Master Services Agreement, dated as of June 13, 1997, by
                            and between the Registrant and MCI Telecommunications
                            Corporation ("MCI").
       10.31**+          -- MCI Domestic (US) Public Interconnection Agreement dated
                            as of June 12, 1997, by and between the Registrant and
                            MCI, as amended.
       10.32**           -- The Registrant's 1998 Non-Employee Director Stock
                            Incentive Plan.
       10.33*+           -- Interconnection Agreement, effective as of April 1, 1998
                            by and between the Registrant and UUNET Technologies,
                            Inc.
       10.34++           -- Indenture, dated as of November 25, 1998, by and among
                            the Registrant and U.S. Bank Trust National Association
                            (as trustee).
       10.35++           -- Registration Rights Agreement, dated as of November 25,
                            1998, by and among the Registrant and the Initial
                            November 1998 Notes Purchasers.
       11.1              -- Not applicable.
       21.1**            -- List of Subsidiaries of the Registrant.
       23.1              -- Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP (Denver).
       23.2              -- Consent of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP (Seattle).
       23.3              -- Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
       23.4              -- Consent of DeMeo, Young, McGrath & Company, P.A.
       23.5++            -- Consent of Morrison & Foerster LLP (contained in Exhibit
                            5.1)
       24.1++            -- Power of Attorney.
       25.1***           -- Form of T-1 Statement of Eligibility and Qualification
                            under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of First Trust
                            National Association.
       27.1****          -- Financial Data Schedule.
       99.1++            -- Consent of Person to Become a Director
       99.2++            -- Consent of BT Alex. Brown Incorporated.
</TABLE>
    
 
---------------
 
*    Incorporated by reference from the Registrant's quarterly report on Form
     10-Q filed with the Commission on August 13, 1998.
 
**   Incorporated by reference from the Registration Statement on Form S-1 of
     the Registrant (Registration No. 333-47099) filed with the Commission on
     February 27, 1198, as amended.
 
***  Incorporated by reference from the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of
     the Registrant (Registration Statement No. 333-47497) filed with the
     Commission on March 6, 1998, as amended.
 
**** Incorporated by reference from the Registrant's quarterly report on Form
     10-Q filed with the Commission on November 16, 1998.
 
  + Document for which confidential treatment has been requested.
 
 ++ Previously filed.