Not earth-shattering news, but evidence of continued enhancement of the Verizon relationship...
Dominion Information Services and InfoSpace Announce Five-Year Strategic Alliance Infospace Expands Its Relationship with Verizon Information Services Through Its Canadian Online Directory Service, Superpages.ca
BURNABY, British Columbia and BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct 31, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Dominion Information Services Inc., Canada's second largest directory publisher and creator of online directory service SuperPages.ca(R), today announced a strategic five-year relationship with InfoSpace, Inc. (Nasdaq: INSP), a provider of wireless and Internet software and application services. Dominion is owned by U.S.- based Verizon Information Services, the world's largest directory publisher. Verizon Information Services and InfoSpace announced a similar U.S. agreement in April of this year.
As a result of the alliance, SuperPages.ca's directory listings and future merchant services will be integrated into InfoSpace's leading technology platform and offered across its broad Web network. InfoSpace's network of Web sites in Canada includes MSN.ca, 411.ca, CyberSurf and others. The result is a significant increase in exposure and potential value for Dominion customers. In addition, InfoSpace plans to begin offering SuperPages.ca products, bringing additional value to merchants in Canada and allowing its business partners to further maximize their online presence, promote their business and enable electronic commerce.
"Today's announcement represents a dramatic shift in Canada's online directory services industry by bringing together the unique strengths of two market leaders," said Scott Laver, vice president and general manager of Dominion Information Services. "By partnering with InfoSpace, we are able to develop a new sales channel and reach more potential customers and Internet users."
"Our platform and application services enable merchants to leverage the wired and wireless Internet. Today's announcement with Dominion further expands our relationship with Verizon beyond U.S. borders to Canada. We look forward to working with Dominion to help make their merchants successful," said Naveen Jain, chairman and CEO of InfoSpace, Inc. "Within this alliance, Dominion and InfoSpace will create a comprehensive offering for merchants in the Canadian market, providing them with the opportunity to maximize their online presence and reach the greatest number of potential buyers."
SuperPages.ca is scheduled to go live on InfoSpace and its Canadian affiliates in the first quarter of 2002.
About Dominion Information Services Inc.
Based in Burnaby, British Columbia, Dominion Information Services Inc. is a subsidiary of Verizon Information Services and Canada's second-largest directory information services provider. With approximately 118 different directory titles, Dominion offers print and Web-based advertising solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses in Canada. For more than 70 years, Dominion Information Services has been the official publisher of white pages and classified directories for TELUS (formerly BC TEL) in British Columbia, and since 1967, Les Annuaires du Quebec has been the official publisher for QuebecTel. Dominion Information Services Inc. employs more than 800 people located in Burnaby, Victoria and Kelowna, Calgary and Edmonton, Toronto, and Rimouski, Quebec, and distributes nearly 11 million copies of its print directories. |
