REDMOND, Wash., July 15, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that more than 250 of the world’s top content providers, including Warner Bros. Online, THE NEW YORK TIMES, Disney Online, CBS Sportsline, Discovery Channel, ESPN SportsZone, MTV and National Geographic are developing Active Channel
™based content for Microsoft ® Internet Explorer 4.0. More than 130 Active Channel partners representing 32 countries will be preconfigured in international versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 With these relationships, Microsoft offers its Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 customers worldwide the leading selection of top-quality content, including sports, entertainment, news, travel, business and financial information, as well as services optimized for automatic delivery to users’ PC desktops.
“Early reviews of Microsoft Internet Explorer Preview 2 have heralded the innovations it provides to today’s Web user,” said Brad Chase, vice president in the applications and Internet client group at Microsoft. “Today’s announcement means that Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 users will also be able to choose Active Channel-based content from the worldwide leaders for business and consumer content on the Web.”
Active Channel-Based Content Preconfigured With Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0
Disney Online and Warner Bros. Online are among the more than 25 providers of preconfigured Active Channel-based content in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. This content will be prominently displayed and instantly accessible from the new Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Channel Bar, available on the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Active Desktop
™
interface.
“As the world’s leading entertainment company, our success depends upon consumers interacting with our content,” said Jim Moloshok, senior vice president of Warner Bros. Online. “Now, with the Warner Bros. Online Active Channel-based content and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, we are able to extend this relationship to the Web, taking our Web content to a new level of motion, sound and interaction and giving our audience the best Internet experience ever.”
“At Disney Online, we’re excited about working with Microsoft to bring such great family content as Disney.com and Disney’s Daily Blast
™
to the fast-growing community of Microsoft Internet Explorer users,” said Jake Winebaum, president of Disney Online.
Microsoft’s preconfigured premier Active Channel technology has broad reach and appeal.
“Based upon our May 1997 survey of home PC users, just the 30-plus sites that come preconfigured with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 reach over 70 percent of Web users,” said Doug McFarland, senior vice president and general manager of PC Meter.
Active Channels announced today that are preconfigured with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 include AudioNet, CBS SportsLine, CMPNet, CNET, CNN Interactive, CNNSI, Condenet, Discovery Channel Online, Disney Online, Dun & Bradstreet’s and Lycos’ Companies Online, ESPN SportsZone, Forbes, Fortune Online, Hollywood Online, Intuit-Quicken Financial Network, iVillage, Microsoft Investor, MSN, MSNBC, MTV Networks, National Geographic, THE NEW YORK TIMES, People, PointCast, Snap Online, Time Online, Universal Press Syndicate, Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition, Warner Bros. Online, Wired Digital, and ZDNet.
In addition, many other top content providers, such as Fox News, Mayo Clinic, Lifetime TV, Paramount Digital Entertainment, Rolling Stone Magazine and Sony Music also announced they will provide premier Active Channel content for Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. These and other premier content providers will be showcased in the Internet Explorer 4.0 Channel Guide, an online directory of Active Channels for Internet Explorer 4.0.
In the Internet Explorer 4.0 Channel Guide, located at (http://channels.microsoft.com/guide/chguide.asp) , users can see previews of Active Channel-based offerings, search for channels, and easily add new premier Active Channel-based content to their Active Desktop Channel Bar with a single click.
Partners who will be available in the Active Channel Guide include @Computer Weekly, ATI, Better Homes and Gardens, Black Entertainment Television – MSBET, Connected Health.Net, Corbis, Desktop Data Inc., Developer.com – Earthweb, Dow Jones Markets, E!Online, Entertainment Drive, Entertainment Marketplace Headlines, Excite, Financial Times, First Call, Fox News, Gartner Group, GolfWeb, Happy Puppy, Hollywood Online, Home Arts – Hearst New Media and Technology, Individual, Inc., Interactive Imaginations, InvestorsEdge, Kaplan Educational Centers, LEXIS-NEXIS, Lifetime TV, Mayo Clinic, Mercury Mail, NBC, New Scientist, Nickelodeon, Official Airline Guide, Paramount Digital Entertainment, Prevue Networks, Reuters, Rolling Stone Magazine, SonicNet, Sony Music, Steve Oedekerk, Tales From the Crypt Holdings, The Science Channel, Thrive, Traffic Station Group, United Media, USA Today, Woman’s Wire.
Unprecedented Worldwide Support for Internet Explorer 4.0
Virgin, Stern and the South China Morning Post are among the more than 130 Active Channel partners representing more than 30 countries preconfigured in international versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0. These more than 130 premier Active Channel partners included in the Preview 2 release of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 are 2FM Ireland, Agence France-Presse, Agencia Estado, APN Computing Group, ArthaNews, Astro (MBNS), Austria OnLine, Banco Bradesco, Banco Comercial, Bauer Verlag, Cadena 40, Cadena Cope, Canal +, Canal 4 Montecarlo, Canal Unibanco, Caracol, Centaline Property Agency Ltd, China Computer World, China Economic Information Network (CEINet), China Net, CHIP, Chosun Ilbo, Clarin, CNI Canal 40, Compulink Network , CompuServe interactive, Compuserve Mexico, Creative Online Media, CTS(Chinese Television System), DBS Internet Services Pvt. Ltd., DBS Internet Services Pvt. Ltd., Diario de Noticias, Dreams Factory, El Colombiano, El Espectador, El Observador, El Pa
í
s Digital, Elender, Internet Studio, ERA/TVBS, Euroweb, Excel Economico, Expansi
ó
n Directo, Expo 98, Fornax, France Pratique, Fundacao G.Gubelkian.(Tinta Invisivel), Fusio, Gaumont, Gazeta Mercantil, Global Technology, HKStar Internet, iafrica.com, IDG Brasil, Indiaworld, Indonesian bookinfo, Infocentre Corporation Sdn, Infordesporto, Informatio Technology, Informatique Actualit
é
, Informatique Emplois, Infosel, Internet Technologies Polska, Internetowy Telemagazyn, Internetto, Ireland On-Line, Itau, IXChange, Joongang llbo, Jornal de Noticias Kabi D.O.O., KLUB, Kompas, La Magia del Chine, La Nacion Online, Les Echos, Marca Digital, Mega Channel, MotoMedia, MSN Australia, MSN Canada, MSN France, MSN Germany, MSN UK, Naspers, Netgate, News Limited, Newstand, Newzdesk(Primedia), Nownuri channel, O Globo, Optimus Biznes, Optimus Rozrywka, Planet Internet, PointCast Autralia, PointCast Canada, Pointcast UK , Portugalnet, Pro7, Prodigy Mexico, PT. Indosat, Publico, Radio Activo, Radio Centro, R
á
dio Comercial, Radio Renascenca, Radio Sarand
í
, Rediff On The Net, Sayrolls Net, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), Sojornal, Solvit Eduland, South China Morning Post, Sprinx, Stern, Stopklatka., Supermedia, SWA Business channels, Televisa, Times Media Limited, Turystyka – Transport, Universo Online, Voice of Taipei, Worldsports, ZAZ.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Delivers the Web the Way You Want It
The Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Active Channel technology is a key component of the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 vision – delivering “The Web the way you want it.” Active Channel-based content offer a leap beyond today’s static Web pages, providing personalized delivery of interactive, exciting content.
Microsoft’s Active Channel partners are leading Internet content providers designing their content and Web sites to take advantage of innovative new standards-based functionality in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, including Dynamic HTML and webcasting based on the channel definition format (CDF), a proposed industry standard. With Dynamic HTML, publishers of Active Channel-based content can create more interactive Web pages whose colors, images, text styles, data and 2-D positioning can change and animate quickly based on user interaction. Corporations can also build Active Channel-based content for use on corporate Intranets or extranets. Active Channel-based content is optimized for delivery using CDF, enabling users to easily choose the content they want delivered to their Active Desktop, screen saver, e-mail and more. The extensive list of Active Channel partners announced today includes the previously announced business partners that will be included in the Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit.
New Opportunities for Content Providers
Microsoft Internet Explorer, the world’s fastest growing browser, is providing a new opportunity for content providers. Publishers of Active Channel-based content cite Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0’s support for the broadest range of Web publishing technologies, including HTML 4.0, Java
™
, CDF, Dynamic HTML and ActiveX
™
technologies as well as the wide availability of development tools and support, as reasons for working with Microsoft. Offering personalized Active Channel-based content allows Web content developers to build a continual relationship with their customers. New information is webcast directly to users regularly, keeping the content developer constantly in touch with the customer.
Availability
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 is currently available for free download (connect-time charges may apply) in a Preview 2 edition announced today. (Please see accompanying press release for additional details).
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, Active Channel, Active Desktop and ActiveX are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems 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.
Audio and video clips, partner logos and links to Active Channel partner press releases and Web sites are located at (http://www.microsoft.com/ie/press/ie4mm.asp). *** this page will be available later today ***
ADDENDUM:
U.S. Premier Active Channel-Based Content And Descriptions
