Microsoft Online Sites Win Acclaim in Industry Ratings
REDMOND, Wash., Feb. 9, 1998 — Three sites from the Microsoft Network of online services ranked among the Internet’s top 50 fastest growing Web sites by the leading new media audience measurement firm, Media Metrix – The PC Meter Company. The Media Metrix “1997 Web in Review” report rated Microsoft® Investor, the Expedia
™
.com travel service, and the CarPoint
™
online automotive service the “fastest growing” sites in their respective categories.
In related news, PC Magazine recognized CarPoint, the Sidewalk
™
city guide, Investor, Expedia.com, and MSNBC in its recently published “100 Best Sites of 1997” (Feb. 10, 1998).
“It’s exciting that our services, each less than two years old, are achieving competitive rankings with other sites that have been online much longer,” said Pete Higgins, group vice president of the interactive media group at Microsoft. “We’re pleased that the work we’ve been doing to offer consumers best-of-breed online content and technology tools is paying off with increased traffic to our sites. This is especially good news for our advertisers who are investing in the Web as a vehicle to reach targeted consumers at the right time – when they are ready to buy.”
Overall, Media Metrix ranked the Microsoft Network of online services in the top five of all aggregate sites consumers access from work and from home.
About the Recognized Sites
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Microsoft Investor is an Internet resource that helps 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 that provides personal investors with portfolio tracking, original editorial content, business news, stock quotes, historical data and access to online trading (connect-time charges may apply).
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Microsoft CarPoint is a comprehensive automotive Web site offering users complete car buying information. Available since August 1996, CarPoint gives users access to detailed specifications, reviews from the world’s leading automotive writers, detailed pricing and interactive decision-management tools.
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Microsoft Expedia.com is the place to go on the Web to plan trips and to make air, car and hotel reservations. Expedia.com offers in-depth destination content and travel news as well as mapping, address finding and direction services. Since its inception in October 1996, Expedia.com has become one of the Web’s most successful electronic-commerce sites in the online travel category, consistently topping $2 million in weekly travel sales.
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Microsoft Sidewalk offers residents a way to make better decisions about what to do, where to go, what to see and when to see it. Sidewalk launched in nine cities in 1997: Seattle; San Francisco; San Diego; Houston; Denver; Twin Cities; Boston; New York; Washington, D.C.; and one international city, Sydney, Australia. In 1998, Sidewalk plans to expand its service to the top 50 cities nationwide.
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MSNBC is a joint venture between NBC (NYSE “GE”), a leading provider of news and information, and Microsoft Corp., a leader in personal computer software and a major provider of Internet online services. Built on the worldwide resources of NBC News, MSNBC is a 24-hour cable news network and an Internet news service.
About the Interactive Media Group and Microsoft
The mission of the Microsoft Interactive Media Group (IMG) is to engage computer users with products and services that make the PC an integral part of people’s everyday lives. The Interactive Media Group’s businesses comprise the Microsoft Network of online services, including interactive sites such as Expedia.com, CarPoint, Investor, and Sidewalk city guides; news and commentary products MSNBC-on-the-Internet and the Slate® online magazine; the Internet Gaming Zone; and the MSN
™
Premier online service, including free content from sites
such as the Computing Central
™computer user’s information service, Encarta® Online encyclopedia and Expedia Maps. IMG also offers a host of consumer CD-ROM titles in the kids, reference and mapping categories; multimedia games; desktop finance products such as award-winning Money 98 Financial Suite; and a variety of hardware offerings, including the ActiMates
™
interactive Barney
™
toy.
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, Expedia, CarPoint, Sidewalk, Slate, MSN, Computing Central, Encarta and ActiMates are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Barney is a trademark of the Lyons Group LLC.
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.
