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To: Michael P. Michaud who wrote (3146)	5/7/1999 3:15:00 PM
From: Technologyguy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5843

EC Direct and @Once Partner Using RealNetworks Media to Create First Purchase-Enabled Streaming E-mail PR Newswire - May 07, 1999 10:15 SEATTLE, May 7 /PRNewswire/ -- EC Direct, the Web-centric ecommerce company, and @Once, a leading online direct marketing company, today announced that they will use RealNetworks, Inc. (Nasdaq: RNWK) technology to provide the first purchase-enabled e-mail with streaming media content. Internet merchants have faced major issues in attempting to convert Web surfers into buyers. Buy@Once combines EC Direct's EConductor Direct transaction management solution with @Once's targeted online direct marketing system to create highly personalized e-mail offers that include direct purchasing opportunities. Paired with RealNetworks' streaming media capabilities, Buy@Once gives Web merchants the ability to present compelling product experiences, and convert browsers to buyers. For example, merchants selling Mother's Day gifts can now send personalized e-mails that give buyers a real taste of the product for sale, by including streaming audio from a compact disc or video from a newly released film. In addition to streaming media, emails can offer related products like flowers or chocolates -- and all of these choices can be made available for immediate purchase through embedded 'Buy@Once' buttons so consumers never have to leave the e-mail application. "This application enables merchants to take the store to the customer and use every direct contact as an opportunity to reinforce their branding and convert looks to buys," said Julia Adamsen, vice president of marketing for @Once. Buy@Once enables merchants to establish distributed points of sale, providing purchase opportunities to consumers in the context of their Internet travels -- on banner ads, at affiliate Web stores and in e-mail. Buy@Once offers targeted selling with up-sell/cross-sell capabilities and tracks ROI so merchants can better understand response rates for online direct marketing campaigns and measure effectiveness of offers. "@Once and Real Networks have delivered on the promise of the Internet, by presenting compelling content directly to consumers, enabling people to really experience products before they make a purchase," said Dave Mullan, president and CEO of EC Direct. "Buy@Once is a powerful example of Web-centric ecommerce at work because it allows Web merchants to deliver the right offer at the right place at the right time." About EC Direct EC Direct(TM) is the first Web-centric ecommerce company enabling online merchants to "take the store to the customer." EC Direct's EConductor(TM) family of solutions serves as the ecommerce infrastructure for both Fortune 1000 companies and Internet-only brands. Through its modular architecture and outsourced service model, EConductor enables companies to build highly flexible and robust online businesses without incurring the costs and technological burdens that accompany in-house built ecommerce sites using packaged software tools. EC Direct is a privately held company headquartered in Seattle with offices in San Francisco, Chicago and San Diego. For further information, visit the EC Direct website at www.ecdirect.com. About @Once @Once is a leading online marketing company that is built on establishing a learning relationship with online customers. @Once is a privately held company with headquarters in San Francisco and an additional office in Portland, Ore. @Once helps companies convert website visitors into prospects, and those prospects into retained customers by dynamically delivering meaningful messages through e-mails and Web content. From the first time a person visits a website, @Once builds a relationship based on customer acquisition/conversion and retention. For further information, visit the @Once website at www.once.com.