REDMOND, Wash., July 21, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. and InfoSpace Inc. today announced that the companies have signed a distribution agreement that will simplify InfoSpace users’ access to travel and booking information on the Microsoft® Expedia
™
.com online travel service ( http://www.expedia.com/ ). In addition, InfoSpace ( http://www.infospace.com/ ), one of the largest information directories on the Internet, will provide users of Expedia with more localized travel destination information.
This agreement will give users of the InfoSpace network direct access to the powerful booking engine in Expedia.com, putting the ability to plan and purchase air, car, hotel and other travel options at users’ fingertips. Users can now enter Expedia.com through links within the InfoSpace White Pages, Yellow Pages, City Guide, and e-Shopping section. InfoSpace customers linking to Expedia will see the InfoSpace and Expedia brands appearing jointly within the travel booking pages in Expedia.
“InfoSpace is known for bringing consumers and vendors together through its yellow pages, classifieds and electronic-commerce directories,”
said Naveen Jain, president and CEO of InfoSpace.
“Having Expedia provide travel services within our site ensures our consumers are brought together with the best travel planning and booking available, no matter where they are.”
“Now, Expedia customers, care of InfoSpace, can instantly gather additional destination information from our World Guide and Resources areas of the site,”
said Simon Breakwell, group product manager at Microsoft.
“At the same time, InfoSpace customers can easily book travel through integrated links on InfoSpace to the proven booking engine technology in Expedia.com.”
About InfoSpace
InfoSpace is a leading
“aggregator and syndicator”
of content on the Internet. Formed in April 1996, InfoSpace has grown from an unknown start-up into one of the top 10 sites on the Internet today. InfoSpace is continually adding content and forging partnerships with independent yellow pages publishers, newspapers, television stations, search engines, ISPs, information appliances and popular Web sites. Additional information about InfoSpace can be found at http://www.infospace.com/ .
InfoSpace directory services are licensed by Netscape Communications Corp. (Nasdaq
“NSCP”
), ABC News Internet Ventures (NYSE
“DIS”
), CBS Corp. (NYSE
“CBS”
), Lycos Inc. (Nasdaq
“LCOS”
), The Microsoft Network, The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition, CompuServe (Nasdaq
“CSRV”
), Playboy Enterprises Inc. (NYSE
“PLA”
), AT & T Worldnet Service (NYSE
“T”
), go2net Inc.’s MetaCrawler (Nasdaq
“GNET”
), BarnesandNoble.com (NYSE
“BKS”
), Alaska Air Group Inc. (NYSE
“ALK”
), CommerceNet, Maine Network, Data Channel and several others. InfoSpace also has strategic working relationships with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
), Intel Corp. (Nasdaq
“INTC”
), Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq
“ORCL”
), DIBA, Sega Entertainment Inc. and Bandai Digital Entertainment Corp. Through its relationships with WolfeTech Corp. and Unwired Planet Inc., InfoSpace directories will be available on cellular phones and pagers from Motorola Inc. (NYSE
“MOT”
), GTE Mobilnet (NYSE
“GTE”
), Bell Atlantic/Nynex and other telecommunications companies. InfoSpace’s services are also available on AT & T’s cellular phones and pagers.
About Expedia.com
Microsoft Expedia.com is the place to go on the Web to plan travel, purchase tickets, and make hotel and car reservations. Expedia.com offers in-depth destination content and travel news as well as mapping, address finding and direction services. Since its inception in October 1996, Expedia.com has become one of the Web’s most successful electronic-commerce sites, with travel sales for January 1998 exceeding $12 million. A recent study by new-media audience-measurement firm Media Metrix, The PC Meter Company, ranked Expedia.com as the fastest-growing online travel service for 1997.
The Microsoft Expedia.com online travel planning service is part of the Microsoft Expedia family of travel and mapping products and services. These include the Microsoft Expedia Streets 98, Streets Deluxe 98 and Trip Planner 98 CD-ROMs and the Expedia Travel Network, a one-stop travel shopping mall offering vacation packages, cruises, resorts and travel merchandise from leading suppliers.
About Microsoft
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 Expedia 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.
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