REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 30, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that Microsoft® Investor, (http://investor.MSN.com/) , a leading online personal investment resource, was chosen as the No. 1 Web site for financial information and investing on the Web by Barron’s magazine.
“Microsoft’s package of news, analysis, data and tools, all for less than $10 a month, makes it the best all-around site for investors on the Web today,” Barron’s wrote. “And, as you might expect, the site looks great and is easy to use.”
In putting together this survey, Barron’s performed its most rigorous testing to date of financial Web sites. First it went back to every Web site it had reviewed, added every other investment Web site it had heard of and did a broad search for even more. This yielded a list of 50 sites, which were then rated using Barron’s point system, from which the top 20 were chosen. Investor was selected as the leading site for its complete package of data, analysis and advanced tools that help investors make the best investing decisions.
Consumers also confirmed the value of Investor as they flocked to it in record numbers when the stock market plummeted earlier this week. On Monday, Oct. 27, Microsoft Investor saw a 50 percent increase in site traffic and obtained nearly twice as many requests for stock quotes from consumers as it usually does. The Investor site handled the increased traffic smoothly, as all of the servers remained online and active during the day.
“This has been an award-winning week for Investor,” said Lewis Levin, vice president of the desktop finance division at Microsoft. “The increased traffic on the site, coupled with the fact that Investor was just named the No. 1 Web site for investors by Barron’s, is the best vote of confidence from those that matter most – the consumers and the industry.”
To demonstrate the power of Investor, Microsoft is now offering a 30-day free trial* to its premium service. This service includes company and mutual fund research and an Investment Finder to find the mutual funds and stocks that best fit users’ needs. To sign up for the free trial, visit (http://investor.MSN.com/free.asp) .
“Personally, I would encourage anyone interested in investing to sign up for Investor’s premium service even if it wasn’t offering this free trial,” said Marc L. Edwards, a San Francisco attorney and regular Investor user. “With its price of only $9.95, which has paid for itself many times over, I believe Investor is one of the best deals around. I’m hooked on this site, and I am confident that other investors will feel the same way once they discover the depth and breadth of Investor’s first-rate investment news, analysis and commentary together with its powerful but easy-to-use software tools.”
About Microsoft Investor
Microsoft Investor is an Internet resource created to help users easily track their investments and make investment decisions. Designed for both the novice and experienced investor, Microsoft Investor is a free, Web-based service, providing personal investors with portfolio tracking, original editorial content, business news, stock quotes, historical data and access to online trading (connect-time charges may apply). In addition to its broad range of free
services, Microsoft Investor now offers unlimited access to its valuable premium service for a monthly charge of $9.95 (members of MSN
™
, The Microsoft Network pay only $6.95).
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.
* Note: This offer is valid only for new subscribers to Microsoft Investor who are residents of the United States or Canada. You will need to input your credit card, but Microsoft Investor will not charge your card. At the end of 30 days, your account will automatically be canceled. You may choose to resubscribe at that time. Connect-time charges may apply.
Microsoft and MSN 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.
The Microsoft Network is operated by Microsoft Corp. on behalf of Microsoft Network LLC.
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.
