REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 23, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. and the Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA) announced today that the Microsoft® CarPoint
™
online automotive service (http://www.carpoint.com/) has been selected as the official Internet site for the 1998 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). CarPoint is the Internet’s most comprehensive automotive destination, designed to facilitate every step of the new- and used-car buying process.
Microsoft CarPoint will be the online destination site for members of the media, consumers, show attendees and members of the World Wide Web audience who want to experience the events taking place at Detroit’s Cobo Center Jan. 5-19, 1998.
As with last year’s show, notable new-car unveilings will be webcast in real time. Comprehensive coverage of the show will be updated several times each day and will include all new-car launches and press conferences.
One featured area of the site will be the Digital Showcase, an interactive system that will highlight new-car launches with internal and external surround video, audio and video clips, and make and model histories.
“The showcase will allow manufacturers the opportunity to buy a virtual show space in a specially designated section of the Show Site within CarPoint,”
said Lindsay Sparks, general manager of the automotive unit at Microsoft.
“We will be offering this nonexclusive feature to all manufacturers, giving them a forum in which to articulate their own consumer marketing messages.”
“The North American International Auto Show is constantly seeking new ways to continue the show’s exciting growth and success,”
said Pete Rosenau, co-chairman of NAIAS.
“This relationship with Microsoft CarPoint allows us to extend the reach of the show to the ever-growing Internet audience. It also provides additional benefits to the manufacturers participating in NAIAS and to the consumers who want more news, information and photos of the exciting vehicles introduced at the show.”
Founded in 1907 as the Detroit Auto Show, NAIAS is the longest-running auto show in the country and is considered one of the five premier shows in the world, along with events in Frankfurt, Tokyo, Geneva and Paris. The NAIAS is the only American show sanctioned by the prestigious Organization Internationale des Constructeurs des Automobiles. Today, more than 40 automotive manufacturers exhibit more than 700 cars and trucks at the NAIAS.
Microsoft CarPoint is a comprehensive automotive Web site, offering users complete car-buying information. First available in August 1996, CarPoint gives users access to detailed specifications, reviews from the world’s leading automotive writers, detailed pricing information, and interactive decision-management tools.
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 and CarPoint 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.
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.
