Switchboard Signs Microsoft to One-Year Sitewide Sponsorship
WESTBORO, Mass., and REDMOND, Wash., June 8, 1998 —
— Switchboard Inc., the majority-owned Internet directory service subsidiary of Banyan Systems Inc., and Microsoft Corp. today announced the signing of a one-year, comprehensive sponsorship deal that calls for the purchase of sitewide advertising positions on the Switchboard Internet site for four major Microsoft Internet properties: the Microsoft® CarPoint
™
online automotive service, the Expedia
™
.com travel service, Microsoft Investor and the soon-to-be-launched Microsoft HomeAdvisor
™online real estate service. Each property will be a sitewide Switchboard® sponsor in its respective category – Auto, Travel, Finance or Real Estate.
Microsoft will have sitewide exposure to millions of visitors who visit http://www.switchboard.com/ weekly to find people, information about business and other facts. In addition, Microsoft advertisements will fill a number of highly targeted, category-specific ad spots in both the Switchboard Yellow Pages and SideClick
™
, Switchboard’s innovative Web searching service.
“Switchboard is one of the strongest buys on the Internet because of its tremendous reach, audience demographics and breadth of advertising options,”
said Marty Taucher, network communications manager, interactive media group, Microsoft.
“It’s a great fit for our broad range of consumer services.”
Switchboard offers the most comprehensive set of advertising solutions available to address the varied needs of Internet advertisers. From the easy-to-use Ad Studio
™
self-publishing tool for small businesses to inventive national advertising offerings such as Switchboard sponsorships and its Yellow Pages Dealer Locator ads, Switchboard delivers solutions that consistently generate strong results.
“Microsoft is a powerful addition to our site and sends a clear message to future prospects regarding the value of advertising on Switchboard,”
said Dean Polnerow, president of Switchboard.
“Directories are one of the most effective ways to target advertising on the Web. We are pleased that Switchboard’s advertising business model continues to be reinforced by top-tier companies like Microsoft.”
About Switchboard Inc.
Switchboard ( http://www.switchboard.com/ ) is the leading white and yellow pages directory on the Web. More than 40 million times each month, Switchboard helps consumers find the information they need, whether it is locating a long-lost friend or the nearest restaurant, hotel or automobile dealer. Switchboard is among the 12 most active Web destinations, according to Media Metrix, the PC Meter Co., the foremost Internet traffic-monitoring service. Offering comprehensive information, unmatched speed and innovative features, Switchboard is the online directory selected by America Online Inc. for its more than 10 million members, and is also the directory used by AltaVista. Switchboard Inc. is a majority-held subsidiary of Banyan Systems Inc. (Nasdaq
“BNYN”
).
About Microsoft Corp.
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, CarPoint, Expedia and HomeAdvisor are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Switchboard is a registered trademark and SideClick and Ad Studio are trademarks of Switchboard Inc.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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.
