Switchboard Inc. Acquires Maps On Us From Lucent Technologies
Business Wire - May 18, 1998 09:11
WESTBORO, Mass. & MURRAY HILL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 1998-- Switchboard Incorporated, the majority-owned Internet directory service subsidiary of Banyan Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:BNYN), announced today that it has acquired the assets, technology, and Web site of Maps on Us(sm) (www.mapsonus.com) from Lucent Technologies.
Maps on Us features will be integrated with Switchboard (www.switchboard.com), providing Switchboard users with advanced mapping and driving directions throughout the United States. In addition, Switchboard will assume the operation of the Maps on Us Web site. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Switchboard was recently ranked the 11th most active Web destination according to Media Metrix, the PC Meter Company. Maps on Us was ranked as one of the top ten travel and tourism sites on the web by Media Metrix.
"Maps on Us is the ideal complement to Switchboard because of its unique technology and superior user experience," said Dean Polnerow, President of Switchboard. The mapping and routing features on Maps on Us are second to none. The integration of Maps on Us with our yellow pages capabilities strengthens our position as the leading directory portal on the Internet," he said.
The acquisition introduces a new source of traffic which will extend the reach of Switchboard, and provides Switchboard with an opportunity to extend its business by offering new mapping products and services along with its advanced yellow pages advertising products.
Maps on Us was created by the Database Systems Research Department at Bell Labs, the research and development arm of Lucent Technologies. The service uses advanced algorithms that minimize the large amount of data processing involved in searching a database. The Maps on Us database uses customized technology to match listings to their geographic locations, and provides unique mechanisms for offering long distance, door-to-door driving directions. This allows Maps on Us users, for example, to get turn-by-turn driving directions to a new restaurant in a distant city, or to print out a detailed map of their area, marking business locations and suggested routes to a particular destination.
"Lucent has capitalized on the tremendous resources of the Bell Labs community in bringing innovative products, such as Maps on Us, to the Web market," said Tom Uhlman, president of Lucent's New Ventures Group. "Switchboard is the premier Internet directory service and now they have taken another critical step in ensuring that their users have the best-of-breed mapping technology. Maps on Us extends the Switchboard service into an even greater one- stop resource for people who want to know where something or someone is and how to get there."
Maps on Us customers include AT&T WorldNet, Nintendo, and USA Today.
Maps on Us unique features allow users to:
-- create turn-by-turn directions with multiple intermediate route locations -- work with sophisticated interactive mapping functions -- set user preferences and build a "Hot List" of favorite places to visit -- set a home, work, start and end marker to ease route planning
-- save and add map and route images to the users' Web sites -- set general, security, map, and route preferences -- e-mail maps, routes or yellow page results to friends
Switchboard is the leading white and yellow pages directory on the Web. More than 40 million times each month, Switchboard helps consumers find the information they need, whether it is locating a long lost friend or the nearest restaurant, hotel, or automobile dealer. Offering comprehensive information, unmatched speed and innovative features, Switchboard is the online directory selected by America Online for its more than 10 million members, and Alta Vista. Switchboard Inc. is a subsidiary of Banyan Systems Inc. (NASDQ: BNYN). The name and address listing information in Switchboard is provided by American Business Information. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, NJ, designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, data networking systems, business telephone systems and microelectronic components. Bell Labs is the research and development arm for the company. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit our web site at lucent.com. |
