Next XLA? I knw these guys are real, but who knows. Should pop though regardless.
Tuesday March 14, 8:14 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
infoUSA To Become Incubator of Database Internet Companies
Single Source Provider of B2B e-Commerce, e-CRM and e-Infomediary Solutions
OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 14, 2000--infoUSA (NASDAQ: IUSA - news), www.infoUSA.com, the leading provider of proprietary business and consumer databases and Internet marketing solutions today announced its Internet strategy to be the incubator of Internet database companies, successfully leveraging its proprietary content into multiple vertical market applications and valuable B2B e-commerce, e-CRM and e-infomediary solutions.
Vin Gupta, Chairman and CEO, infoUSA, said, ``infoUSA today is one of the leading single source content providers on the Internet, and its proprietary databases power the directory services of all the leading portals and web sites. We see the Internet and Wireless Web as the preferred way to deliver all of our content to customers worldwide, either directly or through our value-added partners. We are completely dedicated to exploiting this technology and distribution channel, and have positioned our company as an incubator of various information based Internet companies, such as infoUSA.com, VideoYellowPages.com, BusinessCreditUSA.com and ListBazaar.com.'
infoUSA intends to use its powerful database assets and branded distribution to create and develop its Internet database companies. infoUSA's proprietary database of 200 million consumers and 12 million businesses is its core asset, enabling the company to sell information to millions of customers. The database is very dynamic, changing by over 40% per year, and is extremely rich in content. infoUSA is continuously increasing the depth and breadth of the content to include public information, pictures, videos and many other unique data elements. For example, infoUSA has taken digital pictures of businesses in the San Francisco area, and plans to take digital pictures of millions of businesses nationwide and embed them into the database. These pictures will become important content for business credit reports, sales lead products, yellow page directory services and VideoYellowPages. As the owner of the content, infoUSA is uniquely able to use its content for unlimited Internet vertical market applications.
infoUSA is currently incubating the following Internet companies that are targeted at these vertical markets:
infoUSA.com: The exclusive licensor of yellow and white page directory information to the Internet and Wireless Web. Directory Assistance is the third most popular use of the Internet, with a potential of 300 billion annual searches. In addition to license revenues, infoUSA.com generates advertising revenue as well as revenue from selling infoUSA content, products and services over the Internet. infoUSA.com also functions as a small business portal, receiving over 14 million page views per month from small businesses, entrepreneurs and sales professionals. The company recently completed its first round of private financing, totaling $12 million, and is preparing for a second round of financing and/or public offering.
VideoYellowPages.com: The first multimedia yellow page directory with full motion 30-60 second videos, or ``on demand' commercials. More than 1000 advertisers have signed on with VideoYellow Pages since its inception in September 1998. Revenues include production fees, monthly subscription fees, advertising and e-commerce. Joe Montana recently became national spokesperson. Proprietary video content can also be licensed to Internet and media partners.
BusinessCreditUSA.com: The first ``credit portal,' offering free business credit reports, ``watchdog' update service and standardized free online Business Credit applications which can be updated and downloaded by approved vendors. By providing businesses with instantly available and updated credit information online, the site will facilitate B2B e-commerce. Businesses can self-report a variety of information, providing infoUSA with timely, updated data and reducing compilation costs. Revenues generated by ``watchdog' fees, content sales, advertising and e-commerce. Potential market of 50 million businesses and 100 million sales professionals and consumers.
ListBazaar.com: First online ``farmers market' for business and consumer lists, aggregating 650 list owners and 10,000 list titles. Single-source resource for small businesses and end users seeking custom, affordable lists of all sizes. Revenues generated from list sales, and revenue-sharing relationships with list owners and e-commerce partners and advertising. Estimated market of 50 million potential list resellers and ultimate users.
In addition to vertical market applications, infoUSA is working with technology partners to offer value-added e-CRM solutions. Gupta commented, ``infoUSA will leverage its expertise in Internet database compilation and distribution, along with its longstanding relationships with over three million customers, to offer these solutions. For example, our Large Business Group is creating private label e-CRM solutions for Fortune 1000 companies that update and enhance customer databases online and in real-time, downloading this information directly into the customer's unique software. We are the only company that can offer this service for both business and consumer data, along with corresponding visual content.'
infoUSA is also a dominant player in the small business market, which represents a significant growth market for its Internet services. Working with CRM partners such as SalesLogix, infoUSA now offers these small businesses a full range of e-CRM solutions, enabling them to both update and analyze their customer databases online. These small businesses can then use the infoUSA.com web site as their gateway to the Internet, where they can register a domain name, create an e-commerce enabled web site, and implement direct e-marketing programs.
Another important application for infoUSA's e-CRM customers will be the introduction of idUSA(TM), where a unique ID number is assigned for every business, person and location in the database. It will enable infoUSA to track businesses as they change and grow, and accompany individuals as they move location and cycle through important life events. Using this code, infoUSA will be able to provide customers with faster and more accurate record matching and database updates, which will be delivered online. These ID numbers are the foundation for linkUSA(TM), the only database that will link people with both their work and home. Having both a proprietary business and consumer database provides infoUSA with the unique ability to accurately conjoin person, place and profession. The ID's will also link offline behaviors with self-reported online data while protecting identity and privacy with this proprietary code. This codified and linked data, combined with its leading content platform, will position infoUSA as the premier e-infomediary, defining the online standards for client profile presentation and purchaser information.
infoUSA has advanced its development as e-infomediary by using the Internet as a valuable tool for data compilation as well as distribution. The company has introduced Internet opt-in consumer surveys, where consumers can volunteer lifestyle and buyer behavior that can be used to assist web marketers in targeting advertising to best meet their needs. The opt-in feature also allows infoUSA to match online and offline data to form a complete profile of consumer purchase intentions and decisions. This self-reported survey information can be obtained on the Internet with more speed, greater accuracy and at lower cost than mail-based surveys. In this way, infoUSA intends to use the Internet to increase productivity, cut data compilation costs and obtain more relevant real-time information in the database. As with the consumer surveys, the company is adding self-reported options to its incubator company sites in order to enhance the infoUSA database with more unique and valuable information. For example, businesses will be able to update their own database information online, adding content such as names, titles and e-mail addresses of executives, as well as other demographics. Gupta commented, ``We believe that by implementing this strategy, infoUSA will become the leading Internet e-infomediary, collecting and facilitating the most relevant, timely and accurate information between businesses and between consumers and online marketers.'
Gupta concluded, ``Information is power, and the Internet presents our company with a tremendous opportunity to embed and distribute information for multiple applications. Our proprietary content is an essential ingredient for any technology platforms enabling B2B e-commerce, e-CRM and direct e-marketing. We believe that going forward, infoUSA will be the leading provider of value-added information to consumers and small and large businesses worldwide.'
About infoUSA©
infoUSA, (www.infousa.com), founded in 1972, is the leading provider of business and consumer information products, database marketing services, data processing services and Internet marketing solutions. Content is the essential ingredient in every marketing program, and infoUSA has the most comprehensive data in the industry, and is the only company to own a proprietary database of 200 million consumers and over 12 million businesses under one roof. The infoUSA databases power the directory services of the top traffic-generating Internet sites including Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO - news), Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT - news) and InfoSpace (Nasdaq: INSP - news). The company has partnership agreements with several Internet companies, including Mapquest.com (Nasdaq: MQST - news), DoubleClick (Nasdaq: DCLK - news), Network Solutions (Nasdaq: NSOL - news), USWeb/CKS (Nasdaq: USWB - news), Dell (Nasdaq: DELL - news) and MyWay.com (a Majority owned operating company of CMGI, Inc.) Nearly two million customers use the products and services for direct marketing, telemarketing, marketing planning, lead generation, sales planning, customer analysis and credit reference.
Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, recent changes in senior management, the successful integration of recent and future acquisitions, fluctuations in operating results, failure to successfully carry out our Internet strategy or to grow our Internet revenue, effects of leverage, changes in technology and increased competition. More information about potential factors that could affect the company's business and financial results is included in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Contact:
InfoUSA, Omaha, Neb.
Vinod Gupta, 402/596-8900
Fax: 402/339-0265
vin@infoUSA.com
or
Investor Relations
Laurel Gottesman, 402/593-4535
laurel.gottesman@infoUSA.com |
