To: Bandit19 who wrote (71117 ) 4/24/2000 7:51:00 AM From: William Hunt Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 152472
QUALCOMM Invests $144 Million in NetZero - Investment Offers Increased Access to Internet Market - SAN DIEGO, April 24 /PRNewswire/ -- QUALCOMM Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM - news), pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, and NetZero, Inc. (Nasdaq: NZRO - news), the nation's largest provider of free Internet access based on registered users, announced today that QUALCOMM has invested $144 million in NetZero. As a result of the transaction, QUALCOMM now owns approximately 10 percent of NetZero's outstanding common stock, or approximately 11.5 million shares purchased at a price of approximately $12.50 per share. ``QUALCOMM is focused on the convergence of CDMA and the Internet. Through this investment, QUALCOMM's core wireless and Internet competencies can be combined with the innovative technologies, business models and revenue streams that NetZero has developed to drive wireless Internet adoption,' said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, executive vice president of QUALCOMM. ``QUALCOMM will immediately benefit from NetZero's distribution of QUALCOMM's Eudora as its preferred e-mail client software solution.' ``NetZero has already demonstrated its ability to achieve a dominant market position in the narrowband dial-up arena, becoming the nation's largest free Internet service provider with more than three million registered users,' said Mark R. Goldston, chairman and CEO of NetZero. ``The next step in our evolution involves executing on our vision to become a leading provider of universal Internet access across a wide range of connectivity platforms, including narrowband dial-up, high-speed wireless, broadband and cellular. NetZero's goal is to provide its subscribers access to the Internet, allowing them to navigate and receive email across a variety of devices, including laptop and desktop computers, Internet appliances, mobile phones and Personal Digital Assistants.' ``We are extremely pleased to have QUALCOMM as an investment partner,' Goldston added. ``QUALCOMM's investment reinforces NetZero's already strong capital position and gives us an incredible platform for growth.' NetZero will also distribute QUALCOMM's award-winning Eudora email management software as the preferred email program for NetZero's users. QUALCOMM released Eudora 4.3 on Feb. 15, 2000, making the full, industrial-strength email program available to users free of charge when they use the product in Sponsored mode, which displays advertising in a small window in the user interface. Eudora will be included on NetZero CDs and will be part of the standard install program for NetZero's client access software. Eudora, as distributed by NetZero, will install in Sponsored mode and will be co-branded with NetZero. The two companies will share the revenue generated by advertising in copies of Eudora distributed by NetZero. Terms of the ad revenue sharing agreement were not disclosed