Is OMKT involved with Infoseek/Disney and the GO network?
Infoseek, Bell Atlantic Partner to Enhance Online Shopping
MIDDLETON, Mass. and SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 1999--
Major Portal Teams With Shopping Directory Sales Force; Leading
E-commerce Companies Create More Value for Consumers, Businesses
Infoseek Corporation (Nasdaq: SEEK - news) and Bell Atlantic today announced a three-year agreement to enable small- and medium-sized businesses to conduct commerce on the Web, and provide consumers of GO Network(tm) (www.go.com) and BigYellow(SM) (www.bigyellow.com) with a more fulfilling shopping experience.
The agreement is the first to pair a major Internet portal with the large sales force of a leading shopping media company to provide a fully integrated shopping solution, including storefront and e-commerce site creation, hosting, shopping directory links, Internet marketing resources and unprecedented distribution.
In a revenue-sharing arrangement, Infoseek, home of GO Network, has selected Bell Atlantic's industry-leading BigYellow as its exclusive online Yellow Pages shopping directory for GO Network. In addition, Bell Atlantic will serve as Infoseek's exclusive yellow pages sales agent for electronic storefronts and e-commerce enabled sites on GO Network.
With this new alliance, Web sites sold by Bell Atlantic will now be featured on the shopping areas and pages within GO Network. Also, Bell Atlantic customers will have access to information to manage their sites through the GO Network Small Business Center. Bell Atlantic creates, hosts and links Web sites for businesses under the Web@Once brand (www.webatonce.com).
With today's announcement, BigYellow expands its leadership as the exclusive Yellow Pages shopping service on some of the most visited sites on the Web.
``Combining the integrated commerce platform of GO Network with the experience Bell Atlantic brings in helping businesses attract customers and establish an online presence provides businesses with essential online solutions,' said Harry Motro, president and CEO of Infoseek. ``In addition to delivering more than 20 million users, GO Network provides a comprehensive shopping solution for merchants to run their e-business operations.'
``This partnership is a big win for shoppers and merchants,' said Mat Stover, president of Bell Atlantic Directory Group. ``BigYellow enables people to find shopping information for more than 11 million businesses across the United States. In addition, our Bell Atlantic sales people and affiliated channels will provide merchants with additional shoppers from GO Network and added e-commerce functionality through its GO Stores and GO Small Business Center. For small and medium-sized businesses that have not yet established a Web presence, our partnership will offer the best way to get started.'
Today's announcement benefits consumers and businesses in a
number of ways:
-- More business content for GO Network users
Consumers who use GO Network can search BigYellow's 11 million
national business listings and thousands of advertisers from
almost any relevant page within the www.go.com site. With easy
access to the rich content of BigYellow, GO Network users are
provided with more shopping information than ever before.
-- Significant Online Exposure for Small and Medium Businesses
Business customers will gain unprecedented online exposure
through BigYellow's existing distribution partnerships plus
access to GO Network's 20 million users. Including GO Network,
approximately half of the Internet's users will now be exposed to
the BigYellow listings each month.
-- Easy, Affordable E-Commerce Solutions with More Shopping
Information
For the benefit of both consumers and merchants, Infoseek
technology provides enhanced Web site features and functionality,
industry specific Web site designs, and transaction capability,
providing consumers with more merchant information.
-- Extensive Internet Resources for Businesses
This alliance provides businesses extensive resources to enhance
their online presence via Bell Atlantic's large experienced sales
force, BigYellow and Web@Once online fulfillment, GO Network and
its GO Small Business Center. The GO Small Business Center
provides a gateway for companies to manage their businesses,
providing the online intelligence and tools necessary for
merchants to thrive in their e-business ventures. Features
include:
-- Information to help merchants effectively market their Web
storefront
-- Tools to target their advertising placements
-- Guidance to maximize "back-office" efficiency in Web site
administration.
-- Resources to develop a complete online offering from a
BigYellow listing to sell online through GO Shop, GO
Network's comprehensive shopping solution.
About Infoseek
Infoseek Corporation (Nasdaq: SEEK - news) is the home of GO Network, a premier global media network enriching people's daily lives by combining integrated Internet services with leading consumer brands. GO Network (http://www.go.com) is one of the top five sites on the Internet, according to Media Metrix. GO Network was launched in January 1999 by Infoseek in partnership with The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS - news), and is the online home of leading world brands such as ABCNEWS.com for news, ESPN.com for sports, Disney.com and Family.com for kids and family, Infoseek for search, and Disney.com and ABC.com for entertainment.
In addition, Infoseek licenses its Ultraseek Server search and navigation software to companies for their own intranet, extranet and Internet sites. Infoseek is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. For more information about Infoseek, please visit Infoseek's corporate Internet home page at info.infoseek.com or to request additional information about Infoseek, call our Investor Relations Request Line at (408) 543-6960 or visit our new investor relations Web site at www.ir-infoseek.com.
About Bell Atlantic
Bell Atlantic Directory Group is the world's largest publisher of print and online shopping directories, connecting buyers and sellers in the U.S. and in China, the Czech Republic, Gibraltar, Greece, Poland, and the Slovak republic. It also is a leading provider of Web creation, hosting, and shopping services, including Web@Once(SM) site creation services and BigYellow . BigYellow, combined with GTE SuperPages(TM), is the leading shopping directory on the Internet and is the exclusive online Yellow Pages service for the 17 million members of the America Online Service, AOL.com, and AOL's Digital City.
Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry. With 43 million telephone access lines and nine million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.
INTERNET USERS: Bell Atlantic news releases, executive speeches, news media contacts and other useful information are available at Bell Atlantic's News Center on the World Wide Web (http://www.ba.com). To receive news releases by email, visit the News Center and register for personalized automatic delivery of Bell Atlantic news releases.
Cheers
Frank |
