VNE TO APPEAR ON INVESTORS ON-LINE THIS WEEKEND; UPDATE AND PRESS RELEASE
Good afternoon to you all. We are pleased and proud to announce that Valu-net Corporation, (VNE.ASE) will be appearing on this week's television broadcast of Investors On-Line ("IOL"). IOL is the premiere television show with respect to showcasing the best Canadian investment opportunities available to investors. The fact that VNE has been selected to appear is a testimonial to the quality of this company and their prospects for success. Naturally, IOL neither recommends the stock of companies which appear on their show, nor should appearances be taken as an offer to buy or sell securities. However, IOL does identify business excellence and VNE has received that consideration. We are pleased to see this high-level third party acknowledgement of VNE.
This television show is broadcast coast-to-coast in Canada every Saturday afternoon, so please check your local listings for the specific time and station in your city.
Secondly, pursuant to our report filed last week, VNE has officially announced the list of Internet Service Providers (ISP's) and Online Services which are participating in their ESP program. We have enclosed the press release containing those names, as well as, other pertinent information. That list includes household names such as AOL Canada, Mpact Media ($2 to $12 on MSE), iStar Internet and our very own Interlog Internet Services. That list of names can now be added to the list of retail participants announced last week including Allstate Insurance, Business Depot, Canadian Tire, Liberty Health, Scotiabank, and the Microsoft Network Canada.
Thirdly, we wish to provide the following update with respect to VNE affairs. For the sake of convenience, we have broken down the report by sub-heading.
1] FINANICALS
Pursuant to the request of several VNE shareholders, we asked VNE specific questions with respect to their financial performance this year. The company advised their latest quarter was officially completed on June 30th (Tuesday) and that statements will be available for public review, in accordance with securities regulations, within the next 60 days. Due to rules of public disclosure, VNE can not announce specifics with respect to financials, unless it is in the form of a press release. However, VNE was able to comment that "initial indications are that financial statements will be positive for shareholders". As soon as the quarterly statements are made available to the public, we will forward them to you immediately.
On a related note, we asked VNE to comment on shareholder concerns with respect to the recent price of VNE stock. The company advises that fundamentals are solid and knows of no reason for the recent weakness in the price of the stock. As you will see below, fundamentals are not only stable, they continue to grow at an impressive rate. The company also points to their invitation to appear on Investors On-Line, as well as, ESP partners as another indication of their stability.
2] ESP PROGRAM UPDATE
For those of you who have not yet participated in the ESP (Enhanced Service Program) the above information should now provide the requisite motivation, so go to the siteJ!!!!
Once again, the URL is: www.webthisweek.com
Customized ESP
In our last update, we reported the real power behind the ESP program was the ability to customize your very own WebThisWeek page. We also reported the personalized version would be available in September. We can now update that information and tell you the personalized version will be available in AUGUST. The company also reports that 51% of all consumers visiting WebThisWeek are actually completing the information required to receive their own version of WebThisWeek. This alone should serve as a testimonial to the level of content and security offered by ESP.
Secondly, as of June 29, WebThisWeek will be available through the list of ISP partners listed above. In our last report, we stated that VNE had initially estimated 350,000 Internet users in the June rollout. However, at their launch on June 9, VNE was able to account for 500,000 + users, making WebThisWeek Canada's largest ISP gateway. We now have early indications this number will once again be revised upwards to 755,000, or 215% higher than original rollout estimates, due to expectations of additional Canadian ISP's getting involved.
Finally, in addition to the media coverage from Investors On-Line, we are also anticipating an appearance in a major Canadian newspaper in the week of July 15.
3] FUNDAMENTAL BUSINESS
Valu-net has advised that, as of June 30, all secondary programs outside of ESP will be discontinued. As a result of the success of ESP, Valu-net has been forced to maximize their resources by reallocating them to their highest and best use - ESP. Specifically, this means all programs with respect to the Telco and Sports programs. To date, these programs have been very successful in proving the e-commerce model and providing both revenues and exposure for Valu-net. The ESP program is very much a by-product of these initiatives and will now takeover as the sole focus of this company. Naturally, web-hosting and e-commerce payment programs will play an important role in ESP and will continue to be a core focus for Valu-net.
CONSLCUSION
The early and meaningful successful launch of ESP has given Valu-net the number one ISP gateway in the country. Portal web sites and gateways have been identified as a key to success in the e-commerce industry. To date, there is no better proof than the success of companies such as Yahoo! However, highly successful services such as those offered by Yahoo! only incorporate the business enterprises willing to sell the merchandise. VNE, on the other hand, incorporates both the enterprises and the entities which have the greatest control over the e-consumer - the ISP.
By incorporating the Internet Service Providers into the equation, Valu-net has now taken the portal/gateway model to the next level. This will provide a big advantage to VNE, in their quest to grow ESP in North America. We say North America because there are now indications that ISP's from the United States are looking to become involved in the program. As a result, VNE now has the gateway necessary to join the portal industry and generate significant revenues in a short period of time. Make no mistake about it, this is a highly competitive industry but the advantages of ESP should provide the means necessary for VNE to carve out its own market share. To this end, there is no better indication then the impressive list of enterprises and ISP's which have already joined the ESP program.
We look forward to the next few quarters with great anticipation and will continue to keep you updated on company affairs. Please find enclosed the latest VNE press release for your review.
Regards,
Agora Internet Relations Corp.
------------____________________________________________________________________
Valu-net teams up with Internet Service Providers and Interactive Online Service to launch business strategy plan for Web-this-Week
Markham, Ont., -- June 24, 1998 - Valu-net International Ltd., a division of Valu-net Corporation (ASE:VNE) today announced partnerships with five Canadian Internet Service Providers and one Interactive Online Service who will participate in a cooperative branding, marketing and revenue program for the newly launched Web-this-Week. (www.webthisweek.com). Valu-net's new partners include:
AOL Canada (an Interactive Online Service); and the following ISPs:
Interlog Internet Services;
TotalNet (a division of MPACT Immedia Inc.).
GlobalServe Communications Inc;
Internet Direct; and
i-STAR/PSINet;
"Strong partnerships with AOL Canada and these ISPs will enable us
to access an estimated 575,000 unique members, making us the
number one ISP gateway in Canada," said David Lucatch, President
and CEO of Valu-net Corporation. "AOL Canada and the ISPs will
cooperatively market themselves and Valu-net's Web-this-Week."
Valu-net partners with AOL Canada and ISPs to launch business plan/2
Web-this-Week, launched June 9, 1998, provides Canadian internet consumers with a premiere gateway to useful and interesting web sites. It works as a marketing vehicle for Valu-net's Enhanced Service Program, which is a fully integrated platform for information transmission, direct marketing and electronic commerce. The goal of Valu-net's ESP is to drive consumers to selected company websites and increase the volume of consumer interaction as well as purchases that are made over the Internet.
In support of Web-this-Week an extensive radio campaign will be used to increase market awareness of www.webthisweek.com. Based on a 60 second "expert view" format, radio listeners will be given a review of a popular web site. These spots will be broadcast on 680News Toronto, and CKWX News 1130 regularly. The spots will also be broadcast during syndicated shows including "Lovers and other Strangers" (targeting ages 35 to 54) from Vancouver to Halifax, and "Rhona at NIGHT" (targeting ages 18 to 34) from Victoria to Montreal.
Valu-net has secured six new clients for the launch of Web-this-Week including Allstate Insurance, Business Depot, Canadian Tire, Liberty Health, Scotiabank, and the Microsoft
Network Canada. The companies will have their web sites posted and reviewed on Web-this-Week. Reviews will consist of an overview of the site and a rating based on Valu-net's standards of content, ease-of-use and good taste.
Web-this-Week will also feature contests, customized internet surveys, banner advertising and link buttons. Companies who provide web sites with exceptional value to consumers will be offered the chance to participate in Valu-net's sponsorship program. Sponsorships will provide companies with the opportunity to post permanent destination buttons which link to their home sites, and develop customized consumer contests and surveys.
Another important step in Valu-net's business campaign is establishing reciprocal relationships with exceptional, frequently visited web sites that provide value to businesses and consumers. Their first link will be with www.tucows.com (the ultimate collection of winsock software) who will provide reciprocal banners and a destination button, with estimated monthly impressions of 4,000,000 plus globally.
In addition, Valu-net has appointed ClickThrough Interactive as its exclusive agency in Canada for Banner Advertising on Web-this-Week. Valu-net will round out their campaign by producing a printed version of Web-this-Week which will be available to ISP customers. They will also be participating in trade shows and industry exhibitions, and launching a print advertising campaign in computer publications across the country.
About ClickThrough Interactive (www.clickthrough.ca)
ClickThrough Interactive is a Canadian company devoted to making web sponsorship and advertising easy and effective for Canadian marketers. Through its exclusive sales partnerships with many well-known and popular web sites across Canada and around the
world, ClickThrough provides advertisers with one-stop shopping for unique web advertising and sponsorship. ClickThrough sites include Canada NewsWire, The Life Network, The Weather Network, toronto.com and Vancouver Television. ClickThrough is powered by NetGravity, a sophisticated targeting and ad serving technology.
A publicly traded company listed on the Alberta Stock Exchange, Valu-net Corporation (ASE:VNE) is a leading marketing and technology company providing a complete range of services designed to help clients meet the growing demand for Internet marketing and
electronic commerce. Valu-net specializes in providing integrated Internet marketing programs, electronic commerce and transactiontechnologies to organizations wanting to advance their business goals via the Internet.
For Investor Relations, please contact Gary Perkins:
Tel: (905) 479-2800 or 1-800-225-2744
Fax: (905) 479-8608
We invite you to visit our web site at www.webthisweek.com
Regards,
Agora Internet Relations Corp.
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
AGORA INTERNET RELATIONS CORP. receives a monthly monetary fee from Valu-net Corporation. for the purposes of communicating with Internet shareholders - both current and prospective - to increase awareness of and interest in Valu-net Corporation. AGORA INTERNET RELATIONS CORP activities are aimed purely at keeping their clients' shareholders and prospective shareholders informed about their company. These activities consist of providing investors with previously disclosed factual information concerning the company, comments from company principals, copies of material that has been filed with regulatory authorities, comments prepared by registered brokers or investment dealers and material published in newspapers, magazines or journals.
AGORA INTERNET RELATIONS CORP does not participate in the maintenance of an orderly market in their client's securities, nor is required, or receives an incentive for, the maintenance or achievement of a price or trading volume for their client's securities at a certain level, for a specified period of time or by a certain date. AGORA INTERNET RELATIONS CORP. may, at any time, own shares in the company.
|
