REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 25, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that just three months after extending Microsoft® Investor to include premium subscription-based content and services, the award-winning site has registered more than 18,000 paying subscribers. With over 100,000 users visiting its broad array of no-charge services each day as well, Investor (http://investor.MSN.com/) continues to lead the growing trend in online investing. As part of an initiative to further expand its offerings, Microsoft also announced that Investor has been selected as a premier Showcase Portal in the Money channel on Snap! Online, CNET’s new Internet online service scheduled to launch in September.
A Growing Investing Medium
“Jupiter sees the potential for the online investment market to be large and grow rapidly,”
said Nicole Vanderbilt, senior analyst at Jupiter Communications.
“Increasingly, consumers are using the Web to seek information and make informed financial transactions. Aggregators such as Microsoft Investor are playing an important role in providing online users critical market information on a timely basis and the ability to track their investments across multiple financial institutions.”
Harold Cross, an ophthalmologist and investor in Arizona, uses Microsoft Investor daily to monitor his investments and manage his portfolio.
“I am a recent subscriber to Microsoft Investor, and I’ve found it to house the best commentary on the market,”
he said.
“The information is presented in a way that directly impacts my investment activities. The versatility and depth of features are head and shoulders above anything else available.”
Furthering Industry Relationships
Investor’s participation in Snap! Online will give more users greater access to Investor’s broad array of offerings. The Investor Showcase Portal will feature articles from Investor’s team of editors and reporters with links directly to the site. Topics covered will include mutual funds, market summaries, investment strategies, and interviews and analysis. Investor will also provide Snap! users with access to its rich investing tools including charting, research, online trading through leading financial institutions, and its acclaimed Portfolio Manager.
In addition to its new relationships, Microsoft continues to build upon Investor’s existing relationships with brokerage houses. For example, this month customers of Charles Schwab & Company Inc. will be the first to use the new statement download functionality within Investor. Statement download allows customers to import their account information directly from their financial institution into their Investor Portfolio Manager. This reduces tedious data entry and allows for the consolidation and analysis of multiple accounts in one convenient location. Furthermore, Discover Brokerage Direct and National Discount Brokerage are now online in Investor, adding to the site’s access to leading online brokers and allowing users to act on their investment decisions immediately.
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 is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
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.
