Spin-off Will Leverage Largest Specialty Golf Retailer's Brand, Expertise
TORONTO, April 4 /CNW/ -- InfoCast Corporation
(OTC Bulletin Board: IFCC), a leading e-Enabling Application Service Provider
(ASP), and Sheridan Reserve Incorporated (CDN: SHRI) today announced a
partnership to create the Web's premiere golfing lifestyle e-commerce portal,
leveraging the brand of the world's largest specialty golf retailer, Nevada
Bob's Golf Inc.
Sheridan Reserve has a prior agreement with Nevada Bob's Golf Inc. to
purchase the worldwide e-commerce rights to the Nevada Bob's brand excluding
the United Kingdom and Europe. The transaction is expected to close
mid-April. Upon a successful closing, Sheridan Reserve will change its name
to NevadaBobs.com.
"As an e-business spin-off of the worldwide Nevada Bob's franchise,
NevadaBobs.com will be the destination of choice for today's golfer, offering
a complete spectrum of products, services, news and information for this
fast-growing lifestyle," says Kevin Baker, vice president of Sheridan Reserve.
"We will leverage Nevada Bob's worldwide brand equity, customer base, and
supplier relationships to make the portal a success. InfoCast will e-enable
the project through its scaleable infrastructure, its Web-enabled customer
contact applications, and its e-business expertise."
As an e-enabling ASP, InfoCast discovers, develops, and delivers Internet
based business solutions for both emerging "dot.com" companies and established
enterprises moving to the Internet. The foundation of the company's offering
is a networked infrastructure of Sun Microsystems servers called i-Hubs, on
which run proprietary e-enabling applications such as InfoCast's virtual
contact center solution for customer care.
Other partners providing technology and expertise in the NevadaBobs.com
project include I-Storm Inc., a California-based incubator specializing in
e-commerce, and Computer Associates International, with whom InfoCast is
jointly developing an Enterprise Delivery Center (EDC) in Calgary, Canada.
The systems architecture for NevadaBobs.com will be designed, developed, and
tested in the EDC before being put into production on InfoCast's i-Hub in
Calgary.
"NevadaBobs.com is the quintessential example of how InfoCast can e-enable
bricks-and-mortar organizations," says Jim Leech, InfoCast's president and
CEO. "In concert with our strategic partners, we bring the right people, the
right technologies, and the most powerful ASP infrastructure available to bear
on our customers' dot.com strategies. Then we build on our customers' most
valuable assets -- their brands, their customer goodwill, and their supplier
relationships."
"The end result is a fully-developed e-business architecture that delivers
the best of both worlds -- the customer intimacy of traditional storefronts,
coupled with the convenience and efficiency of the Web," Leech concludes.
Lyle Edwards, president and CEO of Nevada Bob's Golf, says NevadaBobs.com
will extend brand awareness to consumers who have not yet visited one of the
company's 281 system stores. "We see NevadaBobs.com as an opportunity to
build lifestyle-based, one-to-one relationships with a vast number of new
customers worldwide," Edwards explains. "This in turn will draw more
customers into our specialty golf stores. Our goal is to provide as many
opportunities online and offline for customers to fulfill all aspects of their
golfing lifestyle with Nevada Bob's."
According to the National Golf Foundation, 26 million Americans spend more
than $30 billion annually on golf-related goods and services. While the
average U.S. golfer spends $1,212 on the lifestyle, "avid" golfers spend an
average of $3,339, accounting for $18 billion of the total U.S. market.
About InfoCast
InfoCast Corporation is a leading e-Enabling application service provider
(ASP), providing secure, scalable infrastructure-on-demand for enterprises to
build closer relationships with customers, partners, and employees. Core
InfoCast offerings include virtual call center (VCC), telework, and e-Learning
applications coupled with related best-of-breed offerings for customer care,
data warehousing, and e-commerce. More information about InfoCast Corporation
can be found on the Web at www.infocast-corp.com.
About Sheridan Reserve Incorporated
Sheridan Reserve Incorporated (CDN: SHRI) is the acquirer of the world
wide e-commerce rights to the Nevada Bob's brand excluding the UK and Europe.
The Nevada Bob's system is the world's largest chain of retail specialty golf
stores. The Nevada Bob's system of stores consists of 281 stores worldwide.
Upon successful closing of the acquisition Sheridan Reserve will change it's
name to NevadaBobs.com Inc. NevadaBobs.com's goal is to be the leading
Internet retailer of brand name golf products and services by combining one of
the world's most recognizable brands and unparalleled expertise in the golf
specialty industry with a unique online shopping experience that is second to
none. NevadaBobs.com will offer thousands of products in a wide selection of
brand names.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements are dependent on a number of factors, which could
cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in
the forward-looking statements.
-0- 04/04/2000
For further information: Christopher Rouse, crouse@infocast-corp.com,or Cliff Jones, Investor Relations, cjones@infocast-corp.com, both of InfoCast Corporation, 877-338-8889; or Kevin Baker, QC, Sheridan Reserve Incorporated, 403-294-0600, baycor@telusplanet.net; or Lyle Edwards of Nevada Bob's Golf Inc., 403-217-2342, ledwards@nevadabobs.ca /Web site: nevadabobs.com /Web site: infocast-corp.com |
