NSOL <news>
Headline: Network Solutions And Looksmart Enter Strategic Alliance
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Herndon, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 1999--
Companies to Offer Suite of Web Site-Building Tools
Network Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:NSOL), the world leader in Web
address registration, and Looksmart(sm), the Internet's largest
directory of quality Web sites, today announced a strategic alliance
to offer domain name registration services and Web site-enhancing
tools to businesses.
As part of the agreement, businesses will be able to access
Network Solutions' domain name registration and other services,
including its Affiliate Program, from Looksmart's Web services area.
Network Solutions' customers will be able to download Looksmart's free
suite of site-maker tools, including its industry-leading Web
directory, from a co-branded Web site accessible from Network
Solutions' dot com toolkit(tm) resource center. An advertising and
direct marketing campaign will be launched to raise awareness about
the companies' one-stop shopping capabilities.
"Looksmart is a young, aggressive company that is very well known
by key industry players," said Doug Wolford, Network Solutions' senior
vice president, marketing and sales. "Its partnerships with leading
Internet sites will help extend Network Solutions' services beyond our
current reach."
"Network Solutions is a premier brand among Web masters and we're
excited to work with them to distribute our site-building products,"
said Evan Thornley, co-founder and CEO of Looksmart. "This agreement
gives us unparalleled access to Web site owners and tremendous
opportunities to distribute our directory to this audience."
Network Solutions provides online domain name registration in
five easy steps. In addition to registration services, Network
Solutions also offer the dot com mail(tm) personal, portable email
service and the dot com biz card(tm) service, designed to provide
personalized business solutions that enhance online identity. These
services are also available through Network Solutions' Affiliate
Program.
The agreement is part of Looksmart's unique distribution strategy
that focuses on displaying its Web directory on the screens of as many
users as possible through syndication and licensing agreements with
other Web sites and properties, partnerships with ISPs and viral
marketing. In addition to its directory, Looksmart currently provides
free Web services including hit counters, chat rooms and message
boards, to thousands of Webmasters. The company currently distributes
its directory of more than 1,000,000 Web site listings to top Web
properties including MSN, Netscape, HotBot, @Home, AltaVista and
Bluemountainarts.com.
About Looksmart
Looksmart, a leading Web directory and search tool and top 25 Web
property, creates and maintains the largest editorially reviewed
directory of Web sites on the World Wide Web. Looksmart's directory is
distributed through multiple channels, including a global network of
ISPs, major Web sites, portals and viral marketing. Through its
partnership with Cox interactive Media, Looksmart also offers the
largest collection of quality local Web content in more than 65 U.S.
markets. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and can be
contacted at (415) 597-4850. To see why more and more partners,
advertisers and consumers are turning to Looksmart, visit them at
looksmart.com .
About Network Solutions
Founded in 1979, Network Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:NSOL) pioneered
the development of registering Web addresses ending in .com, .net,
.org and edu. Network Solutions also provides Internet Technology
Services that assist large commercial organizations in the evolution
and management of their Internet technologies. For more information,
see networksolutions.com Web site. Network Solutions
registers the majority of Web addresses through agreements with
Internet companies around the globe, including more than 70 domestic
and almost 100 international companies in its Premier program. Network
Solutions has created value-added small business solutions through
agreements with leading companies such as American Express (NYSE:AXP). Through
its Alliance Program, Network Solutions works closely
with EarthLink 1/4 (NASDAQ:ELNK), MindSpring Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:MSPG),
Interliant, Inc. (formerly Sage Networks, Inc.) and ValueWeb
(NASDAQ:ESPI). Network Solutions has also entered into marketing
agreements with companies including Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) and
Netscape Communications Corporation.
Statements in this announcement other than historical data and
information constitute forward looking statements that involve risks
and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The
potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, uncertainty
of Internet governance and regulation, increased competition in the
domain name registration business, customer acceptance of new products
and services offered by the company in addition to or as enhancements
of its registration services, risks associated with the company's
international business, uncertainty of future revenue and
profitability and fluctuations in its quarterly operating results.
More information about potential factors that could affect the
company's business and financial results is included in the company's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, especially in the
company's Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed on January 4, 1999,
as amended, Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
1998 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March
31, 1998, June 30, 1998 and September 30, 1998.
CONTACT: Network Solutions, Herndon
Media: Nancy Huddleston, 703/742-4852
nancyh@netsol.com
Investor Relations: Sean McClorey, 703/326-6090
smcclorey@netsol.com
Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations for Looksmart
Ashley Hughes, 415/923-1660 x 136,
ahughes@alexanderogilvy.com or
Looksmart
Liz Connaghan, 310/375-6629
lconnaghan@looksmart.net.
KEYWORD: VIRGINIA CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED
INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET
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