Filed by IBS Interactive, Inc.
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
Subject Company:  IBS Interactive, Inc.
Commission File No.  333-46762


Digital Fusion, Inc., together with IBS Interactive, Inc. and Infonautics, Inc.,
filed with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission a  preliminary  joint proxy
statement/prospectus  regarding the proposed  business  combination  transaction
referenced in the following information.  In addition, Digital Fusion, Inc., IBS
Interactive,  Inc.  and  Infonautics,  Inc.  will  prepare  and  file  with  the
Commission a definitive  joint proxy  statement/prospectus  and other  documents
regarding the proposed transaction.  Investors and security holders are urged to
read the definitive joint proxy statement/prospectus, when it becomes available,
because it will  contain  important  information.  The  definitive  joint  proxy
statement/prospectus  will be sent to stockholders of IBS Interactive,  Inc. and
Infonautics, Inc., seeking their approval of the propsed transaction.  Investors
and  security  holders  may  obtain a free copy of the  definitive  joint  proxy
statement/prospectus  (when it is available) and other  documents filed with the
Commission  by  Digital  Fusion,  Inc.  and IBS  Interactive,  Inc.  (as well as
Infonautics,  Inc.) at the Commission's web site at www.sec.gov.  The definitive
joint proxy  statement/prospectus  and other documents filed by IBS Interactive,
Inc.  with the  Commission  may also be obtained for free from IBS  Interactive,
Inc. by directing  such request to Chief  Financial  Officer,  IBS  Interactive,
Inc., 2 Ridgedale Avenue, Suite 350, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927.

The following  communication  contains,  in addition to historical  information,
forward-looking   statements  that  involve  risks  and   uncertainties.   These
forward-looking  statements  may  include  statements  regarding,  for  example,
failure  of the  IBS  Interactive,  Inc.,  Infonautics,  Inc.  or  First  Avenue
stockholders to approve the merger,  completion of the  transactions  related to
it, the risk that the IBS Interactive,  Inc., Infonautics, Inc. and First Avenue
business will not be integrated successfully,  costs related to the transaction,
inability  to further  develop and achieve  commercial  success for the combined
companies'  business strategy,  the number of registered users and reach of each
company's  web sites,  the value of any holdings by the  companies,  the tax and
accounting treatment of the merger and related transactions,  the closing of the
transaction, and the deployment of each company's respective resources following
the merger. Such statements are based on management's  current  expectations and
are  subject to a number of  uncertainties  and risks that  could  cause  actual
results  to  differ  materially  from  those  described  in the  forward-looking
statements.  More information about potential factors which could affect Digital
Fusion,  Inc., IBS Interactive,  Inc. and  Infonautics,  Inc. is included in the
Risk Factors sections of such company's  respective  filings with the Securities
and  Exchange  Commission.  All  forward-looking  statements  included  in  this
document are based on information  available to IBS Interactive,  Inc. as of the
date of this document, and IBS Interactive, Inc. assumes no obligation to update
such forward-looking statements.


THE  FOLLOWING  IS A PRESS  RELEASE  DISSEMINATED  BY IBS  INTERACTIVE,  INC. ON
OCTOBER 25, 2000


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                       IBS INTERACTIVE NAMES NEW PRESIDENT

       CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER ROY E. CRIPPEN, III ASSUMES ADDITIONAL ROLE

Cedar Knolls, NJ - October 25, 2000 -- IBS Interactive,  Inc. (Nasdaq: IBSX), an
e-Business and IT professional  services  provider,  today announced that it had
named Chief Operating  Officer and director Roy E. Crippen,  III to be President
of the Company,  replacing Nick Loglisci,  Jr. Mr. Loglisci will remain Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Mr.  Crippen  became  Chief  Operating  Officer  and a  member  of the  Board of
Directors of IBS  Interactive  in March 2000 through the  acquisition of digital
fusion,  inc., a  Tampa-headquartered  Internet consulting firm he co-founded in
March 1999. Prior to founding digital fusion, Mr. Crippen was the Executive Vice
President and Vice Chairman of PowerCerv Technologies Corporation, an enterprise
software company he co-founded and helped take public in 1996.  Between 1992 and
March 1999, Mr. Crippen held several  positions with PowerCerv,  including Chief
Operating  Officer  and Chief  Technology  Officer.  In 1996,  Mr.  Crippen  was
co-recipient of the Ernst & Young/USA  Today/NASDAQ  Florida Entrepreneur of the
Year Award in the technology division.

"We are pleased with the  leadership Roy has provided IBS  Interactive  since he
joined the company in March,  and believe he will do great job in his additional
role as President," said Mr. Loglisci. "This promotion is the logical first step
to Roy  assuming  his role as President  of Digital  Fusion  Services  after the
completion of our pending merger with Infonautics, Inc. (NASDAQ: INFO) and First
Avenue Ventures, Inc. to form Digital Fusion, Inc."

Mr. Loglisci,  as IBS Interactive's  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,  will
dedicate his attention to leading the company's  strategy and growth initiatives
going forward.

"Prior to  shareholder  approval of the pending  merger,  my  attention  will be
focused on making the company more  efficient and profitable  while  maintaining
our commitment to provide our customers with the highest quality services," said
Mr. Crippen.  "This is a new beginning for IBS," he added, "one where we execute
steadfastly  on a plan to reach our intended  goal of  generating  positive cash
flows in the near future."

ABOUT IBS INTERACTIVE

IBS  Interactive  provides single source  e-Business and information  technology
(IT) solutions to businesses and public sector  institutions  in the Eastern and
Midwestern  United  States.   Professional   services  include  programming  and
applications development,  network services,  consulting and training.  Web-site
hosting  services  include  shared  and  co-location  hosting.  Internet  access
services  include  dedicated  leased  lines and  digital  subscriber  line (DSL)
Internet  access.  Recent  news  releases  and  other  information  are  on  IBS
Interactive's web site at http://www.interactive.net.

ABOUT DIGITAL FUSION, INC.

Digital Fusion,  Inc. is a new company to be formed from the three-way strategic
combination of Infonautics,  Inc. (NASDAQ: INFO), IBS Interactive, Inc. (NASDAQ:
IBSX) and First Avenue Ventures,  Inc. Digital Fusion's business objective is to
create,  acquire,  fund,  develop,  operate and  integrate a network of Internet
focused  technology  companies.  Digital  Fusion also  intends to  continue  the
businesses  currrently  operated  by IBS  Interactive,  Infonautics,  and  First
Avenue. Upon approval by shareholders of Infonautics and IBS Interactive and the
completion  of  the  combination,   the  new  company  will  have  a  successful
professional  services  track record  among blue chip  clients,  an  established
operating  portfolio  of Internet  properties  and a  partnership  with a global
venture capital firm.  Recent news releases and other information are on Digital
Fusion's web site at http://www.digitalfusion.com.

ABOUT INFONAUTICS, INC.

Infonautics,  Inc.  (NASDAQ:  INFO) is a  pioneering  provider  of  personalized
information agents and Internet sites. The Infonautics Network of Web properties
includes the award-winning  Sleuth sites such as Company Sleuth,  Sports Sleuth,
Job Sleuth and  Entertainment  Sleuth.  The  Infonautics  Network also  includes
Search and  Reference  Media  sites  consisting  of Electric  Library,  eLibrary
Tracker,  Encyclopedia.com and NewsDirectory.com.  The Electric Library site was
the first reference site of its type on the Internet,  and is one of the largest
paid  subscription  sites  on  the  Web,  with   approximately   100,000  paying
subscribers.  Infonautics  was founded in 1992 and is  headquartered  in King of
Prussia,  PA. Recent news releases and other information are on Infonautics' web
site at http://www.infonautics.com.

ABOUT FIRST AVENUE VENTURES, INC.

First Avenue Ventures,  Inc. is a private equity and management consulting firm.
First Avenue, in part through Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, a venture capital
firm that manages  First  Avenue's  two largest  stockholders,  has  developed a
network of strategic  relationships with technology  companies  operating in the
United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

CERTAIN  OF  THE  ABOVE   STATEMENTS   CONTAINED  IN  THIS  PRESS   RELEASE  ARE
FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS  THAT  INVOLVE A NUMBER OF RISKS AND  UNCERTAINTIES.
SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS ARE WITHIN THE MEANINGS OF THAT TERM IN SECTION
27A OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, AND SECTION 21E OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,  AS AMENDED.  FACTORS  THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL  RESULTS TO
DIFFER MATERIALLY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:  BUSINESS  CONDITIONS AND GROWTH IN THE
E-BUSINESS  AND  IT  PROFESSIONAL   SERVICES   INDUSTRY  AND  GENERAL   ECONOMY;
COMPETITIVE  FACTORS;  RISKS DUE TO SHIFTS IN MARKET DEMAND;  CHANGES IN SERVICE
MIX;  AND THE RISK  FACTORS  LISTED FROM TIME TO TIME IN THE  COMPANY'S  REPORTS
FILED  WITH THE  SECURITIES  AND  EXCHANGE  COMMISSION,  AS WELL AS  ASSUMPTIONS
REGARDING   THE   FOREGOING.   THE  WORDS   "BELIEVE",   "ESTIMATE",   "INTEND",
"ANTICIPATE", AND SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS AND VARIATIONS THEREOF IDENTIFY CERTAIN OF
SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS,  WHICH SPEAK ONLY AS OF THE DATES ON WHICH THEY
WERE MADE. THE COMPANY UNDERTAKES NO OBLIGATION TO PUBLICLY UPDATE OR REVISE ANY
FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS,  WHETHER  AS A RESULT  OF NEW  INFORMATION,  FUTURE
EVENTS,  OR  OTHERWISE.  READERS  ARE  CAUTIONED  THAT ANY SUCH  FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS  ARE NOT  GUARANTEES  OF FUTURE  PERFORMANCE  AND  INVOLVE  RISKS AND
UNCERTAINTIES,  AND  THAT  ACTUAL  RESULTS  MAY  DIFFER  MATERIALLY  FROM  THOSE
INDICATED  IN THE  FORWARD-LOOKING  STATEMENTS  AS A RESULT OF VARIOUS  FACTORS.
READERS  ARE  CAUTIONED  NOT TO PLACE UNDUE  RELIANCE  ON THESE  FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS.

INFONAUTICS IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF INFONAUTICS,  INC. OR ITS SUBSIDIARIES.
COMPANY  SLEUTH,  SPORTS  SLEUTH,  JOB SLEUTH,  SHOPPING  SLEUTH,  ENTERTAINMENT
SLEUTH,  SLEUTH CENTER, MOBILE SLEUTH,  ENCYCLOPEDIA.COM,  AND NEWSDIRECTORY.COM
ARE TRADEMARKS OF INFONAUTICS, INC. OR ITS SUBSIDIARIES.

ALL OTHER  TRADEMARKS AND SERVICE MARKS ARE THE  PROPERTIES OF THEIR  RESPECTIVE
OWNERS.

MEDIA CONTACT:
JHD ENTERPRISES
JIM DELORENZO, 610-396-3450
JIM@JHDENTERPRISES.COM