AltaVista Reports Significant User Gains
PR Newswire - January 20, 2000 09:40
Eight Million New Users Since Launch of New AltaVista Network
47 Million Users, Second Fastest Growing Internet Company in December
PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- AltaVista Company, the premier media and commerce network at www.altavista.com, and a majority-owned operating company of CMGI, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMGI), has announced significant growth in users following the launch of its new network of Internet services on October 25, 1999. More than eight million additional users visited the new AltaVista Network in the final quarter of 1999, bringing AltaVista's worldwide base up to 47 million unique users in December, based on the company's traffic data.
AltaVista was the second fastest growing Internet company in December, adding new users 4.5 times faster than the average for all top Internet networks, according to measurement data by Media Metrix. The industry average month-to-month growth for networks competitive with the AltaVista Network was 2.5 percent in December.
"It is clear by our growing popularity that we've launched a world-class and quite special AltaVista Network," said Rod Schrock, president and CEO of AltaVista Company. "We are unique in that we offer Web-wide services such as AltaVista Search, AltaVista Shopping.com, AltaVista Free Access, and AltaVista Instant Messenger that deliver the entire Web to our enthusiastic user audience. By unlocking the entire Internet with our offerings, we are clearly resonating with our users' interests."
The AltaVista Network is designed for Web enthusiasts with services that provide relevant, useful and immediate results by unlocking the potential of the Internet's vast resources. Since the premiere of its new network, AltaVista now provides one of the most advanced destinations for search, shopping, and personalized information services for Internet users.
The AltaVista Network of services includes:
-- AltaVista Search: Enhanced Web searching and a comprehensive index of
more than 250 million pages that cover 90 percent of all Web sites as
well as 25 million multimedia images, audio and video clips.
-- AltaVista Shopping.com: A leading Web-wide comparison shopping guide
that allows users to search quickly across millions of products
throughout the Web, read through in-depth product reviews, view
side-by-side comparisons, and choose from retailers located online or
in cities and towns across America.
-- AltaVista Live!: A premier personalized "megaportal" service with
immediate news, sports, weather, entertainment, free real-time stock
quotes, video, and multiple content channels and community features.
Users Sign-Up for New AltaVista Internet Services
In just five months of service, AltaVista Free Access has signed up more than 1.5 million registered users who have downloaded the application, making AltaVista the leading Internet brand to offer free nationwide and Canadian Internet service. The AltaVista Free Access sign-up rate continues at about 10,000 new registered users each day. Additionally, the overall registration rate for free, personalized services through AltaVista Live! is currently about 500,000 new users per month. Registering with AltaVista is easy, fast and free. By becoming a registered member, users have access to real-time stock quotes, E-mail, AltaVista clubs, photo albums, homepages, a personal stock portfolio, and many other services and features.
Shoppers Increase Use of Shopping.com
Recent measurement data from Nielson/NetRatings shows impressive gains for AltaVista Shopping.com during the final quarter of 1999, which includes numbers for the crucial holiday shopping season. In the fourth quarter of 1999, AltaVista Shopping.com's domain rank among shopping sites improved to 15 from 71, and it showed a 618 percent increase in unique users compared with 57 percent in the total shopping category over the same three-month period, according to Nielson/NetRatings. Moreover, AltaVista Shopping.com outperformed shopping services at its major portal competitors during the holiday season, ringing up a 78 percent increase in unique users compared with 18 percent for MSN's eshop, 24 percent for AOL shopping, and 22 percent for Yahoo! Shopping, according to the recent Nielsen/NetRatings' weekly holiday season data for the week ending November 21 through the week ending December 26.
European Sites Speak Users' Languages
In December, AltaVista launched three new local Internet services in Europe, providing users in the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden with search services in their native languages. In addition to homegrown country specific Web indexes, the sites also have access to AltaVista's comprehensive World Wide Web index. The new AltaVista sites are: AltaVista UK ( altavista.co.uk ), AltaVista Deutschland ( altavista.de ) and AltaVista Sverige ( altavista.se ). AltaVista is planning additional European country sites for early 2000.
Brand Marketing Recognition - Ad Week's "Best Spots"
In its first ever broadcast campaign, AltaVista has garnered recognition from Ad Week magazine for two commercial spots. Ad Week's "Creative Hot Spots" review section highlighted "Chess," a spot that features Grand master champion Gary Kasparov being stumped by an 11-year-old boy who has used AltaVista to research Kasparov's famous opening move in order to beat him. In its "Best Spots" section in the January 10 issue, Ad Week has recognized a holiday spot that features an animated Santa who uses product information from AltaVista Shopping.com to guide his sleigh in poor weather with the help of two f-16 fighter jets. AltaVista's brand advertising demonstrates how people use knowledge obtained from the Internet to better their lives and shift the balance of power in their favor in various situations. The thought-provoking campaign ends with the tagline "smart is beautiful." Wieden & Kennedy created both spots.
About AltaVista Company
AltaVista Company is the premier media and commerce network offering Internet users up-to-the-minute news, live video, content, search and shopping resources. The company integrates unique technology, products and services to deliver relevant results faster for both individuals and businesses. AltaVista is building on its heritage of technology and innovative leadership, offering informative services including AltaVista Search, AltaVista Live!, AltaVista Shopping.com, and AltaVista Free Internet Access combined with the microportal. AltaVista is a majority-owned operating company of CMGI, Inc., Andover, Mass. AltaVista is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif.
NOTE: AltaVista is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Shopping.com, Smart is Beautiful and AltaVista Free Access are trademarks of AltaVista Company or its affiliates. Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
SOURCE AltaVista Company
/CONTACT: David Emanuel of AltaVista Company, 650-617-3496, or
david.emanuel@av.com/
/Web site: altavista.com
(CMGI) |
