Microsoft and Infoseek Reach Agreement for Online Content
and Transactions
PR Newswire - November 06, 1997 18:54
Infoseek to Integrate Microsoft Investor, Money Insider, Expedia.com, CarPoint
And MSNBC on the Internet in Revamped Service
REDMOND, Wash., and SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft
Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Infoseek Corp. (Nasdaq: SEEK) today announced
agreement on the principal terms of several promotional and revenue-sharing
arrangements that will integrate Microsoft(R) Investor, tools and content from
Microsoft Money Insider(TM) interactive financial guide, Microsoft
Expedia(TM).com travel services, Microsoft CarPoint(TM) online automotive
service and MSNBC on the Internet with Infoseek's award-winning Internet
service. Infoseek consumers will benefit from quick access to Microsoft's
leading online content and transaction-capable sites, while Microsoft will
significantly widen its Internet audience reach. Both companies expect to
gain from additional advertising and transaction-related revenue
opportunities.
Through the arrangements, Infoseek will feature Microsoft's leading
Internet news, personal investment, travel and automotive sites as Anchor
Channel Partners within Infoseek's new intelligent channel format. "MSNBC,
Expedia.com, Investor, Money Insider's financial tools and CarPoint all
provide top-of-the-line content and services," said Infoseek President and CEO
Harry Motro. "Infoseek is committed to working with the best of the best, and
each of Microsoft's products will make important additions to our intelligent
channels by providing fast, easy access to resources and services that will
enhance the quality of the Infoseek consumer's online experience."
These arrangements with Infoseek represent Microsoft's broadest move to
date to increase online presence. "Infoseek is consistently ranked as one of
the most popular navigation hubs on the Net," said Pete Higgins, group vice
president of the interactive media group at Microsoft. "Expanding the reach
of our leading online services with content aggregators such as Infoseek will
help grow our online businesses by exposing our brands to more and more
people, making it easier for online users to take advantage of the best of the
Internet." Higgins and Motro indicated that Microsoft and Infoseek will work
as quickly as possible to finalize these agreements.
The distribution and commerce arrangements are part of a series of similar
relationships Infoseek has announced since unveiling its intelligent channel
format just two weeks ago, and are another indication of industry acceptance
of Infoseek's new channel strategy. Further terms were not disclosed.
The newly redesigned MSNBC on the Internet (http://www.msnbc.com/), rated
the No. 1 online news source for reach, frequency and gross audience by Media
Metrix, will be a key news content provider for Infoseek's News and Sports
channels. Infoseek users will receive MSNBC's free, up-to-the-minute,
in-depth coverage of news events. MSNBC's ease of navigation and enhanced
personalization tools make MSNBC on the Internet the world's leading provider
of news made for the Net.
Microsoft Investor (http://investor.msn.com/), an Internet resource
created to help users easily track their investments and make investment
decisions, will go live as the Anchor Channel Partner on Infoseek's Personal
Finance Channel. Microsoft Investor is a free, Web-based service, providing
personal investors with portfolio tracking, original editorial content,
business news, stock quotes, historical data and access to online trading. In
addition to its broad range of free services (connect-time charges may apply),
Microsoft Investor now offers subscribers unlimited access to valuable premium
services for a monthly charge of $9.95 (members of MSN(TM), The Microsoft
Network pay only $6.95).
The Microsoft Money Insider (http://moneyinsider.msn.com/) interactive
financial guide will also offer its financial planning tools and content
through Infoseek's Personal Finance Channel. Microsoft Money Insider helps
consumers make smart financial decisions by providing current information on a
variety of financial topics, directories of financial planners and online
banking services, and answers to frequently asked personal finance questions.
Microsoft's leading travel site, Microsoft Expedia.com, will be the Anchor
Channel Partner and exclusive travel booking engine on Infoseek's new Travel
Channel. Microsoft Expedia.com (http://expedia.com/) is the place to go on
the Web to plan and purchase travel, and to make air, car and hotel
reservations. Expedia.com offers in-depth destination content and travel news
as well as mapping, address finding and direction services. By its first
anniversary in October, Expedia.com had become one of the Web's most
successful electronic-commerce sites in the travel category, consistently
topping $2 million in weekly travel sales.
Microsoft CarPoint (http://carpoint.msn.com/), one of the most heavily
trafficked automotive sites on the Web, is now a co-anchor on Infoseek's new
Automotive Channel. CarPoint version 2.0, announced Oct. 23, is the
Internet's first automotive supersite, offering users a comprehensive source
for car-buying information, including Kelley Blue Book information, used-car
reliability ratings, dynamic side-by-side comparison tools and up-to-date
interest rate information. CarPoint offers new- and used-car shoppers support
throughout the entire car-buying process.
This press release contains forward looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties. Actual results of Infoseek's arrangements with Microsoft
may differ materially as a result of a number of factors, including Infoseek's
ability to successfully finalize and execute the agreements with Microsoft,
integrate third-party services into Infoseek's services, and gain from
additional advertising and transaction-related revenue opportunities. |
