Microsoft Announces Additional Cities for Sidewalk, Its Online City Guides to Entertainment

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 12, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that its city guides to entertainment will be called

Sidewalk
™,”
and that additional sites have been added to the 1997 rollout schedule. D.C. Sidewalk, San Diego Sidewalk, Twin Cities Sidewalk and Sydney Sidewalk are among those scheduled to be online by the end of next year.

In September, Microsoft announced that it was developing online sites for Seattle, New York, San Francisco and Boston. Ten to 15 cities worldwide are expected to be online by the end of 1997.

“Sidewalk is the online avenue to getting the most out of your city,”
said Michael Goff, Sidewalk editor in chief.
“It evokes the energy, pace and entertainment possibilities that await. You choose the directions that interest you and Sidewalk provides personalized ideas, articles, reviews and listings. It’s the next generation of city media, combining distinctive local editorial with new technologies to deliver timely, comprehensive and customized insights that capture the essence of each city.”

“Sidewalk will be produced by local editorial teams that include print, broadcast and online journalists who will work together to deliver on our promise of providing the next generation of city media,”
said Frank Schott, Sidewalk publisher.
“We’re hiring some amazingly talented people, giving them powerful tools and technology, and setting them loose in their cities to create something entirely new. Great hiring is vital to our long-term success and our commitment to our customers.”

The newest team members of Sidewalk include Anne Karalekas, general manager of D.C. Sidewalk and formerly director of marketing of The Washington Post and publisher of The Washington Post Magazine; Moya Gollaher, general manager of San Diego Sidewalk, who previously ran a variety of programming and marketing areas for Cox Communications; Doug Henrich, general manager of Twin Cities Sidewalk, whose previous Microsoft teams published CD-ROM titles, developer magazines and online sites; and David Fryxell, executive producer of Twin Cities Sidewalk, who was business and technology editor for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and previously served as managing editor of TWA Ambassador magazine.

Also joining the team is David Harrington, general manager of Sydney Sidewalk, who was on the Sidewalk development team in Redmond, Wash., and previously worked for McKinsey and Co. He is co-author of a new book called
“The Clever Country? Australia’s Digital Future.”
The executive producer of Sydney Sidewalk is Horacio Silva, former owner and manager of Media Baby, an Australian syndication agency, and creator of Supermodel and Black+White magazines.

Sidewalk city guides will be advertiser-supported, available free on the World Wide Web, and a featured offering on MSN
™
, The Microsoft Network.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) 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.

Microsoft, Sidewalk and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The Microsoft Network is operated by Microsoft Corp. on behalf of Microsoft Network LLC.

For information in Australia, press only:

David Harrington, Sydney Sidewalk, 61-2-9870-2580 or 61-2-9870-2671, [email protected]

For online product information:

Visit the Sidewalk Web page at http://www.sidewalk.com/

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.

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