>>>....DUPLICATION...DUPLICATION OF A SUCCESSFUL MODEL.
Excite got this brain storm from AOL....they Duplicated AOL.
Channels backed by Sponsorships & e-Commerce partnerships.
Now Seek is Duplicating Excite who is Duplicating AOL.
The one thing Seek isn't duplicating.....least you all think this is a cake -walk from here....Is they are missing the 'feed from the pipes'
Excite gets traffic, 'feed from the pipes', directly from AOL, Prodigy, & Web/TV, Quicken, thru exclusivity agreement......their portion comming from netscape.com is decreasing as a %....now Seeks' feed from the pipe,... is what netscape.com? Can anybody think of any other feed?
Why...and I guess I'm pointing to a basic concern I have about Seek. Is simply this.....If I were setting up a e-Commerce business or want to advertise...I'd want the greatest exposure to as many 'pipes', traffic sources & eyeballs I could get. Why would I want to partner with SEEK and limit my chances of being successful? Maybe that's why they are not executing, even though they are making the right moves?
The Plan.............................
Operating Highlights
Harry Motro, president and CEO of Infoseek, said, "We are very pleased with our revenue growth from the third to fourth quarter and consider it a signal of a real transformation in our business. The increased revenue and traffic is a result of a number of strategic initiatives undertaken in the fourth quarter including our successful launch of a major new release of our Internet search and navigation service. The Infoseek service now integrates topic-specific channels throughout the entire service.
Additionally, customers can now build shared-interest communities through our chat and instant messaging services. These product initiatives were matched by aggressive steps to increase brand awareness and equity with the launch of a major consumer branding campaign."
Launch of New Infoseek Service
In October, the company launched a new version of its free search and navigation service, adding "intelligent Web channels" that integrate superior search results with relevant content, products, services and communities. Since the successful launch of its new service, the company has concluded new agreements with key advertising and content partners.
Infoseek Partners With Best-of-Class Content, Commerce and Community Sites
The new version of the Infoseek service has fifteen "channels" and gives the company a platform for creating content and marketing partnerships that benefit viewers and expand revenue opportunities. These channels include automotive, computer, Internet, travel, sports, personal finance, and entertainment. During the quarter, Infoseek concluded agreements with Auto-By-Tel, Microsoft's CarPoint, CMP Media, Borders Online, Microsoft Investor, Ameritrade, Datek, and DLJ Direct to be sponsors within these channels, to provide content and in some instances, the potential for commerce related revenue over the terms of the contracts. In addition, Infoseek has begun to provide a richer user experience by partnering with community services providers Talk City and PeopleLink. These agreements augment previous important agreements with Bell Atlantic and United Parcel Service.
Software License Sales
During the quarter, Infoseek's Ultraseek Server Software Division continued to add quality names to its list of customers. Companies such as Boeing, BellSouth and L.M. Ericsson chose the software version of the Infoseek Service for use within their intranet sites. Licensing of Infoseek's Ultraseek Server software accounted for approximately 6% of total revenue in the fourth quarter.
By offering intelligent channels and one of the world's largest directories of Web sites organized by topic, Infoseek provides consumers with a familiar and meaningful search experience in addition to accurate, high-quality search results. Infoseek has commerce and content arrangements with entities including AmeriTrade Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: AMTD), Auto-By-Tel, Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP), CMP Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMPX), Datek Online, Inc., DLJ/Direct, Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq: MSFT), PeopleLink Inc., Bell Atlantic (BEL), UPS, Reuters and Talk City. |
