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To: STEAMROLLER who wrote (16151)	11/24/1998 9:05:00 PM
From: STEAMROLLER	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 119973

Switchboard to be Exclusive Provider of White Pages and Maps on GeoCities Community Site Strategic Partnership Leverages Popular Directory to Promote Member Web Sites WESTBORO, Mass. (November 12, 1998) — Switchboard Incorporated®, the majority-owned subsidiary of Banyan Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:BNYN), today announced the formation of a strategic partnership with GeoCities (NASDAQ: GCTY) to be the exclusive provider of white pages directory services and mapping services on the GeoCities on-line community of personal web sites. Every industry barometer measures Switchboard and GeoCities as respected industry leaders. This strategic partnership delivers some of the best tools on the web to Internet consumers. Since its launch in 1996, the Switchboard white pages have focused on giving users complete control of their identity, as well as the ability to integrate their residential information with their e-mail address and other personal data and business credentials. As the largest and fast growing community of personal Web sites, GeoCities attracts members who build their own Web sites. These members will be able to take full advantage of Switchboard's patented registration feature to add their GeoCities home page URL to their directory listing, providing a direct link to their home page anytime their listing is accessed. Once their e-mail address is published in the directory, GeoCities users will also be able to secure the address from spamming, with Switchboard's patented Knock-KnockTM feature. Knock-Knock allows users to place a privacy shield over their e-mail address so that they can control access to it. "One of our top priorities is developing partnerships with companies that can help us deliver 'best-of-the-Web' tools to our membership. This alliance with Switchboard delivers on this promise," said Thomas R. Evans, GeoCities' President and CEO. "We are in the middle of a 'land-grab' on the Internet. The winners will separate themselves from the 'also-rans' by providing consumers with top-shelf tools and outstanding content. Building strategic partnerships with companies like Switchboard will keep GeoCities at the head of the pack," Mr. Evans said. Mapping services will be delivered to GeoCities via Switchboard's MapsOnUs site, recently ranked as the 10th most-visited travel site on the web by Media Metrix. The full color, clickable maps delivered by MapsOnUs offer the highest level of interactivity on the web. Sophisticated point-to-point driving directions include support for multiple intermediate destinations. "This partnership represents a showcase example of how two powerhouse Internet sites can leverage their respective user communities and services to benefit each other," said Dean Polnerow, president of Switchboard Incorporated. "We will be working closely with GeoCities to integrate and customize the Switchboard services for their members, and in turn, GeoCities will provide us with the positioning on their site and the branding to contribute to our traffic and further build the Switchboard brand. It's a strong win-win for both sides. We are very pleased to add GeoCities to Switchboard's roster of top tier Internet business partners." # # # About Switchboard, Inc. Switchboard (http://www.switchboard.com) is the leading white and yellow pages directory on the Web and among the 15 most active Web destinations according to Media Metrix, the foremost Internet traffic monitoring service. More than 60 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. Switchboard is the 1998 winner of the Local Internet Service Award for best national directory service. Offering comprehensive information, unmatched speed and innovative features, Switchboard is the on-line directory selected by Alta Vista, Bell Atlantic and GeoCities. Switchboard Incorporated is a majority held subsidiary of Banyan Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:BNYN). Switchboard is a registered trademark of Switchboard Inc. About GeoCities Based in Santa Monica, Calif., with advertising sales offices in New York and San Francisco, GeoCities (NASDAQ:GCTY) is the world's largest and fastest growing community of personal websites on the Internet. GeoCities homesteaders (consumers who have created personal Internet sites) have created an estimated 22 million pages of personalized content. In August 1998, the GeoCities website generated more than 1.2 billion page views according to Nielsen I/PRO, and in August 1998, the site attracted over 16.7 million unique visitors, according to Media Metrix. GeoCities was the fifth most trafficked website on the Internet in August 1998, according to Media Metrix. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Among the important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are: the limited operating history and early development stage of GeoCities; its lack of profitability and anticipation of continued losses; the unpredictability and potential fluctuations in future revenues due to factors beyond GeoCities' control, including acceptance of the Web as an advertising medium, the level of traffic on GeoCities' Web site, the uncertainty of revenues from e-commerce revenue-sharing relationships, and the possibility of future government regulation; the unproven nature of the GeoCities' Web-based community business model; dependence on member-generated content; GeoCities' substantial reliance on advertising revenues; the limited experience of the Geocities' management in the Internet industry; dependence on key personnel; intense competition by other Web communities and businesses; and other factors detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its filing on Form S-1. Switchboard Contact Elaine Haney Director, Product Marketing Switchboard Incorporated (508) 898-1746 ehaney@switchboard.com Geocities Contact Bruce Zanca Vice President of Communications GeoCities 212-624-4430 bzanca@geocities.com