SURPRISE NEWS***** Zdnet to Co-Brand Net2Phone's Services; Leading Technology
Content Site to Provide IP Telephony to its Millions of Visitors
HACKENSACK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 1999--IDT's Net2Phone
(NASDAQ: IDTC) and ZDNet (NYSE: ZDZ) today announced that
Net2Phone's Internet Telephony services will be featured in a new ZDNet
communications center, and that Net2Phone will be the preferred provider of
Internet Telephony services throughout the ZDNet Site.
ZDNet will create an Online Communications Center, where Net2Phone will be
the preferred Internet telephony provider. In addition, ZDNet will integrate
Net2Phone's PC-to-phone, phone-to-phone, and unified messaging on ZDNet's
Web sites. For example, the Net2Phone Download will be offered in the ZDNet
Software Library, and in ZDNet's consumer-oriented sites, including Family
PC, the At Home Channel, and Yahoo! Internet Life. Net2Phone software will
also be provided for free to members of ZDNet's ZD Rewards service for the
next year. According to Media Metrix World Wide Web Audience Rating
Report, ZDNet Sites reached 14.7 percent of the Web population in March with
9 million unique visitors, ranking #14 among all Web properties.
"ZDNet's audience is interested in using new technologies to enhance their
lifestyles," said Dan Rosensweig, President and CEO of ZDNet. "We're excited
to be working with Net2Phone, an Internet telephony leader, to provide our
visitors with the value and convenience of Internet telephony."
Net2Phone launched the latest version of its Internet Telephony software last
December in the popular "ZDNet Launchpad" area of the ZDNet Software
Library. Net2Phone was impressed with the number of downloads off ZDNet's
site, and with the conversion of ZDNet users into Net2Phone customers, which
was above adoption rates Net2Phone had received from other Internet sites.
"ZDNet's rich content and visibility are well known in the high-tech arena, and
we are excited to be working with them to provide our services to their
members," said Howie Balter, CEO of Net2Phone. "Based on our experience,
the ZDNet Audience is technically savvy, and ready to use technologies that
impact their productivity and save them money. We hope that ZDNet visitors
will find great benefits from our IP telephony services, which offer multiple
methods of communications both on and off the web."
IDT is a leading emerging multinational carrier that combines its position as an
international telecommunications operator, its experience as an Internet service
provider and its leading position in Internet telephony to provide a broad range
of telecommunications services to its wholesale and retail customers
worldwide. The company provides its customers with integrated and
competitively priced international and domestic long distance, pre-paid calling
cards, Internet access and, through its Net2Phone product offerings, Internet
telephony services including Net2Phone Direct, Net2Fax, and Click2Talk. For
more information about IDT's Internet telephony services, please visit
www.net2phone.com.
Based in San Francisco, ZDNet (NYSE: ZDZ) develops and maintains the
ZDNet Web site (http://www.zdnet.com), a leading source for technology and
Internet content and commerce. By combining groundbreaking, interactive
technology with editorial from its own award-winning editorial team and from
Ziff-Davis' worldwide network of journalists, ZDNet produces original,
compelling content and communities of common interests in technology.
ZDNet is consistently ranked by Media Metrix as the number-one Web site in
the News, Information and Entertainment category. ZDNet is a division of
Ziff-Davis Inc.
Except for historical information, all of the expectations and assumptions
contained in the foregoing are forward-looking statements involving risks and
uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from such forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited
to, the competitive environment for Internet telephony, changes of rates of all
related telco rates and services, legislation that may affect the Internet
telephony industry, IDT's ability to operate the services described on a large
scale commercial level. For additional information regarding these and other
risks associated with the company's business refer to the company's reports filed
with the SEC.
CONTACT: IDT Public Relations
Sarah Hofstetter
201/928-2882
sarah@net2phone.com
or
ZDNet Public Relations
Martha Papalia
617/225-3340
martha_papalia@zd.com |
