-EXCITE: Excite goes direct with Dell deal
Presswire - September 24, 1998 14:08
M2 PRESSWIRE-24 September 1998-EXCITE: Excite goes direct with Dell deal (C)1994-98 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD
-- Company teams with PC leader to give Dell customers immediate personalized Internet experience
Excite, Inc. (NASDAQ: XCIT) today announced a relationship with Dell Computer Corporation (NASDAQ: DELL) to provide Excite's personalized start page for
Dell's new ConnectDirect initiative. ConnectDirect will give Dell consumers and business customers fast access to the Internet with a customized experience using
Excite as the portal. With this relationship, Excite is delivering its award-winning personalization, navigation, and community services for Dell's customers worldwide.
As part of the arrangement between Dell and Excite, each individual Dell Dimension desktop personal computer shipped will connect the customer to a personalized
Excite start page at dell.excite.com, giving consumers a fast and easy Internet experience that can be tailored for them. The initiative between the system
manufacturer and the portal is powerful because it provides an immediate relationship with the customer, Dell, and Excite.
"This is a very significant distribution deal for us," said George Bell, CEO of Excite. "Excite is diversifying the ways it reaches consumers, and being allied with Dell at
the consumers' point of entry onto the Internet is an important means to that end. With Dell's leadership in direct sales, we have a unique opportunity to leverage their
understanding of the consumer with our understanding of the Web to create a personalized Excite experience."
"Dell is the world's leading direct-sales PC manufacturer. Excite is one of the fastest-growing portals and has a parallel goal of delivering a personal experience to
each consumer," said Paul Bell, senior vice president and general manager of Dell's Home and Small Business Group. "It makes sense for us to continue our growth
momentum by creating innovative initiatives like ConnectDirect with industry leaders such as Excite. Their expertise in the consumer Web experience gives Dell a
deepened relationship with its consumers."
Dell ConnectDirect To Give Consumers Instant Internet Access
The ConnectDirect program will extend Dell's direct model of selling by also providing customers and large businesses with a fast and easy Internet connection and a
customized Excite online service. For ConnectDirect customers, one of six individual Excite start pages will be offered with their new Dell PC. The user will be able
to select a page that corresponds to their market segment such as home, small business, education, federal government, or state and local government.
About Dell Computer Corp.
Ranked No. 125 among the Fortune 500 companies and No. 363 in the Fortune Global 500, Dell Computer Corporation is the world's leading direct-sales
computer systems company, based on revenues of $15.2 billion for the past four quarters. Dell designs, manufactures and customizes products and services to
customer requirements and offers an extensive selection of software and peripherals. Information on Dell and its products can be obtained through its toll-free
number, 1-800-388-8542 or by accessing the Dell World Wide Web site at www.dell.com.
About Excite, Inc.
Founded in 1994, Excite, Inc. is a global media company offering consumers a personalized Web start page on www.excite.com and a "back to basics" Web search
service on www.webcrawler.com, and advertisers the best one-to-one marketing services available online. The Excite Network consists of two of the largest brands
on the Web, Excite www.excite.com and WebCrawler www.webcrawler.com, and its subsidiaries: Classifieds2000, MatchLogic, Inc., Excite Japan Co., Ltd. and
Excite UK, Ltd. Localized versions of Excite are available in France, Germany, the UK, The Netherlands, Sweden, Japan and Australia. Based in Redwood City,
Calif., Excite, Inc. (NASDAQ:XCIT) has strategic relationships with America Online, Inc., Apple Computer, Inc., CUC Investments Inc., Intuit Inc., Netscape
Communications Corp., Prodigy Internet and Tribune Company. |
