Microsoft Expedia Travel Service to Be Premier Provider Of Active Channel Content for Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0

REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 1, 1997 — Microsoft® Expedia
™
travel service today announced it will be a premier provider of Active Channel
™
content for Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, the highly anticipated new version of Microsoft’s Web browser. Expedia, a free online travel planning service located at (http://expedia.MSN.com/) (connect-time charges may apply), will be featured as a preconfigured Active Channel shipping with Internet Explorer 4.0.

The Expedia Active Channel offers users a direct link to Expedia along with functionality available exclusively with Internet Explorer 4.0. The Expedia Active Channel takes full advantage of Dynamic HTML, providing users with travel planning tools where images and data change and animate quickly based on user interaction. For example, by clicking two cities on an interactive world map, users can quickly obtain current pricing for airline routes, simplifying travel planning.

“We are continually focused on improving the customer experience for users of Expedia by delivering the easiest-to-use interface, most robust software and comprehensive content,”
said Rich Barton, manager of the travel business unit at Microsoft.
“And now, with Internet Explorer 4.0, we are able to complement Expedia.com with an Active Channel that delivers useful and interesting content directly to customers’ desktops.”

As part of the monthlong Internet Explorer 4.0 launch promotion scheduled to begin Sept. 30, 1997, Expedia will award a travel Shopping Spree grand prize worth up to $25,000. Between Oct. 25 and Oct. 31, 1997, Internet Explorer 4.0 customers can enter to win the Expedia $25,000 Shopping Spree by visiting the Expedia Active Channel. For a complete list of terms and conditions, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/ .

“We’re very pleased to have Expedia as a Premier provider of Active Channel content for Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0,”
said Brad Chase, vice president of the application and Internet client group at Microsoft Corp.
“Together, Internet Explorer 4.0 and Expedia empower Internet users by giving them tools that make planning and purchasing travel easier and more convenient.”

Microsoft Expedia, launched in October 1996, is already one of the Web’s most successful electronic-commerce sites. Expedia consistently tops $2 million in weekly travel sales and is on track to become a $100 million travel service by the end of 1997.

Microsoft Expedia online travel planning services (http://expedia.com/) anchor the Microsoft Expedia family of travel-related products and services. These include the Microsoft Expedia Streets 98, Streets Deluxe 98 and Trip Planner 98 CD-ROMs http://www.microsoft.com/expedia/ and the Expedia Mungo Park
™
online travel magazine, dedicated to the spirit of adventure in travel (http://mungopark.com/) .

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Active Channel content reinforces the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 goal of delivering
“the Web the way you want it”
– premier content optimized for easy, fast and personalized delivery. Providers of Microsoft Active Channel content are some of the leading Internet content providers and are designing their channels to exploit the new functionality in Internet Explorer 4.0 such as Dynamic HTML and channel definition format (CDF)-based webcasting. With Dynamic HTML, publishers of Active Channel content can create highly interactive Web pages whose colors, images, text styles, data and even 2-D positioning can change quickly based on user interaction. Active Channel technology will also support CDF-based webcasting, which enables customers to define and schedule automatic downloading of their favorite content easily. CDF-based webcasting offers customers a more convenient and personalized Web browsing experience.

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, Active Channel and Mungo Park 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.

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