EXHIBIT 21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                      NEWS
January 13, 2000                                     Nasdaq National Market/AVRT
                                                            http://www.avert.com


                Avert, Inc. Adds FelonyPlus+ to Its Product Line
            New Product Offerings Aid Employers in the Hiring Process

Fort Collins, CO - Avert, Inc. (Nasdaq National Market/AVRT),  an Internet-based
information  services company  providing  employment  screening and support to a
diverse nationwide  clientele,  announces the addition of a new product known as
FelonyPlus+ to its extensive variety of products and services.

FelonyPlus+ is the newest addition to an ever-growing number of products focused
on reducing an  employer's  exposure to  liability  and  decreasing  the risk of
workplace violence and theft.  FelonyPlus+ reports provide information on felony
crimes as well as any  misdemeanor  information  that might be  available at the
same court.  FelonyPlus+  reports provide  customers with any and all felony and
misdemeanor information existing where the search is conducted.

The product can  identify  applicants  with violent  tendencies  or a history of
theft  and  dishonesty,  as  well as  those  who  are  deliberately  withholding
conviction information from an employer.  Avert can search any of the 3,000 U.S.
counties for access to felony records.  Average price for FelonyPlus+ is $25.00,
and customers receive results of their search in two to four business days.

"As the employment market continues to change,  employers face new challenges in
the hiring process," stated Dean Suposs,  president and CEO of Avert.  "Avert is
meeting  these  challenges  with new and  innovative  products.  The  family  of
criminal  history  products is our largest product base and growing  constantly.
Our goal is to anticipate our customers'  needs,  while developing new solutions
to meet them."

With the  addition of  FelonyPlus+,  Avert has brought a different  angle to the
pre-employment  screening  industry.  By  including  all felony and  misdemeanor
information  existing  where the search is  conducted,  Avert has tapped  into a
product that not only has the ability to weed out  undesirable  applicants,  but
also show trends in criminal behavior.

Avert's current product  offering will be further  extended in late January with
the  introduction  of the Wants and  Warrants  product.  Wants and Warrants is a
nationwide  search that  uncovers  extraditable  wants and  warrants  against an
applicant or employee.  After  obtaining a release and disclosure  form from the
applicant or employee,  customers  receive results of their nationwide search in
two to three business days.  Current price for the Wants and Warrants  search is
$15.00.

In other news, Avert plans to announce 1999 Fourth Quarter and Year-End Earnings
on February 1, 2000.







About Avert

Avert is the leading  provider of Internet  pre-employment  screening  solutions
linked through AVERTnet (Y2K Compliant), a secure network of Internet background
checking  services.  Avert uses  Internet  technology to create  solutions  that
streamline the hiring process.  More than 10,000  companies  nationwide  utilize
Avert and the Web-based  background checking system which incorporates  criminal
court  records,   driving  records,   reference  checks,  workers'  compensation
histories,  credit histories,  education and credential  verification and Social
Security Number validations. AVERTnet is customized to meet the unique concerns,
policies and procedures of companies  nationwide.

Additional  information  about  Avert  background  checking  solutions  and  the
Company's SEC filings is available on the Internet at www.avert.com.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant
to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities  Litigation Reform Act
of 1995.  Factors  that  may  cause  the  company's  actual  results  to  differ
materially from those expressed in the forward-looking  statements include,  but
not limited to, the following:  risks  associated  with  potential  liability to
customers  and/or to the subjects of background  checks for inaccurate or misuse
of  information;  loss of key  personnel'  and intense  competition,  as well as
general economic business  conditions,  changes in laws or regulations and other
factors, many of which are beyond the control of the company.

Contacts:         Kelly Newberg - 800.367.4933, ext. 467
                  Michael Madsen - 800.367.4933, ext. 219