Silverberg walks away from Microsoft
Maybe they don't really need him that badly anyways. Check out the numbers on MSN. It got lost in all that conference call coverage.
biz.yahoo.com
Thursday March 11, 4:04 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Microsoft Corp.
MSN Network Reaches Record 44 Percent of Users on Web
MSN Sites Rank No. 1 in Several Key Web Categories; Combined Portal and Services Make MSN Network Premier Marketing Vehicle For Advertisers on the Web
REDMOND, Wash., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - news) today announced that the MSN(TM) network of Internet services has grown to reach more than 44 percent of all consumers on the Web -- its highest levels ever.(a) In addition, the MSN LinkExchange ad network reached more than 66 percent of the online population.(a) As a network of popular commerce, communications and content sites on the Web, MSN also topped the January charts, taking first place in individual categories with the MSN Hotmail(TM) Web-based e-mail service, MSNBC and the MSN CarPoint(TM) online automotive service.(a)
As an integrated network, MSN is experiencing sustained growth, as shown by the gross day point rating (average days per month multiplied by reach) where MSN ranked 273.4 compared to America Online at 221.4. Consolidated numbers also show that the number of unique monthly users on MSN.COM ( msn.com ) grew from 11 million to 20 million since the redesign of MSN in October 1998.(a)
MSN continues to expand its service offerings for consumers and is experiencing continued growth across these services. In January, the MSN MoneyCentral(TM) personal finance online service increased 11 percent in reach, the MSN Sidewalk® online guide and the MSN Expedia(TM) travel service grew 25 percent and 29 percent respectively, and the MSN HomeAdvisor(TM) online real estate service experienced a 40 percent increase in reach.(a)
''Consolidating our Internet services into one network offering at MSN.COM is paying off for our customers, our content providers and our advertisers,'' said Dennis Tevlin, general manager, MSN Marketing. ''The growth MSN has experienced is wholly organic. Since the inception of the MSN network of services, word of mouth and positive experience has drawn people to the site. We are growing because it is a good service and people like it, and this growth gives our advertisers an increasingly attractive demographic.''
The network integration of MSN, Microsoft's recent investments in the MSN sales force and the creation of flexible advertising products have made MSN the choice for numerous marketers making major advertising buys. MSN revenues have increased by 400 percent in the last year.
MSN Leads in Individual Consumer Services
* MSN Hotmail. Hotmail is the most popular free e-mail service available today, with more than 35 million members.(b) Hotmail reaches 18.5 percent(a) of the Web population, signing on more than 150,000 new members each day.
* MSNBC. No. 1 in the general news category for January, MSNBC increased 12.5 percent in reach, with more than 9 percent of the online population turning to MSNBC for online news.(a)
* MSN LinkExchange. LinkExchange delivers services to help small businesses and Web site owners promote, improve and earn money from their Web sites. With more than 1.1 million customers(b) using the LinkExchange network, the service reaches more than 66 percent(a) of the online population.
* MSN CarPoint. MSN CarPoint topped the online auto-buying category by increasing its reach 33 percent(a) and reaching 2.4 percent(a) of Web users. Currently, MSN CarPoint generates more than $450 million in car sales(b) and 110,000 leads(b) every month for its affiliated dealers. More than 3 million unique users visit MSN CarPoint each month.(b)
* MSN MoneyCentral. Considered one of the ''stickiest'' sites on the Web, MoneyCentral rated third among all Web sites, and its reach increased 11 percent during January.(a) Traffic on MoneyCentral increased every month for the last six months and as of February, reached an average of 4 million users monthly.(b)
* MSN Sidewalk. Traffic has grown fourfold since MSN Sidewalk launched nationwide in October 1998, with the introduction of buyer's guides and yellow pages. Sidewalk grew 25 percent(a) in January.
* MSN Expedia. MSN Expedia continues to grow in terms of both customers and sales in the online travel category. In February, Expedia announced more than 5 million registered users, as well as 4.5 million visitors each month.(b) Expedia and its affiliates sell more than $10 million weekly in car, hotel and airline travel.(b)
* MSN HomeAdvisor. The reach of MSN HomeAdvisor increased more than 40 percent in January(a) and continues to experience tremendous growth. HomeAdvisor recently added listings for apartments and home improvement resources, expanding the value of HomeAdvisor beyond home buying and into home ownership.
New Initiatives Extend MSN Momentum
MSN announced several new initiatives in February, including a multimillion-dollar national advertising campaign to boost awareness of the MSN network of Internet services. The campaign is designed to build awareness of MSN as a consumer productivity service, with 1 billion impressions planned across multiple media targets. Microsoft announced a five-year agreement with LookSmart Ltd., the Internet's leading category-based Web directory, as the primary provider of Web directory content for MSN. Microsoft also announced it has acquired CompareNet Inc., one of the leading comparison-shopping services on the Internet with more than 1.5 million unique users per month. CompareNet will be incorporated into MSN Sidewalk, enabling MSN to more rapidly expand its interactive comparison-shopping capabilities.
MSN recently introduced MSN WomenCentral, a new online resource dedicated to providing women with useful tools and expert advice on daily living in nine key areas: women, relationships, family, home life, career, style, health, fitness and community. Leading consumer- products company Unilever PLC is a multimillion-dollar premier sponsor of WomenCentral, as MSN expands to better serve women, the fastest-growing Web segment.
MSN delivers specialized services through the MSN Insider channel. MSN Insider brings consumers and advertisers thematic programs, such as February's ''Love Month'' and specialized content for Black History Month, which draw consumers in and around the MSN network to help them get timely, relevant information. March features the MSN Tax Time '99 to provide consumers and advertisers with relevant content from throughout MSN that's important to them.
About MSN and Microsoft
MSN is the network of Internet services from Microsoft that helps people better organize the Web around what's important to them. The network of MSN services, located on the Web at MSN.COM ( msn.com ), helps people easily stay in touch with friends and colleagues, make smart and secure purchasing decisions, and get more done. MSN offers award-winning e-mail functionality; personal communications services and small business; customizable access to news; popular sites for travel, investing, automotive services, shopping and more; an online community; a Web search engine and directories; and top-rated Internet access.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
(a) According to Internet audience measurement service Media Metrix, January 1999 data
(b) According to Microsoft Web statistics
NOTE: Microsoft, MSN, Hotmail, CarPoint, MoneyCentral, Sidewalk and Expedia are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
SOURCE: Microsoft Corp.
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