MSN Carpoint and iCARumba.com Team to Create One-Stop Service Center For Online Car Maintenance and Repair

REDMOND, Wash., April 30, 2001 — MSN® Carpoint™
online automotive service, the most-visited car-buying and -ownership site on the Web, today announced an agreement with iCARumba.com, a developer of the leading automotive services portal. Through this new relationship, the 7 million monthly visitors to Carpoint now have the ability to make online service appointments on Carpoint.com through a national network of more than 17,000 service centers.

Users can simply log onto Carpoint.com and select
“Service/Repair”
to schedule appointments for services ranging from oil changes and tire alignments to tuneups and general car maintenance, in just minutes. After inputting information about their car and location, users are directed to a local service center to schedule an appointment. In addition, consumers can receive expert advice regarding car care and news about common service questions, from determining if tires are properly inflated to tips on tuneups. To launch the new service center, Carpoint is offering consumers the opportunity to win a
“Personal Mechanic for a Year.”
*

“We’re excited to add the iCARumba service to our suite of ownership features and will continue to expand our leadership as the most comprehensive auto destination for consumers,”
said Ryan Hamlin, general manager for MSN Carpoint at Microsoft Corp.
“This alliance further demonstrates our commitment to providing our 7 million monthly visitors with the broadest range of services to make it easier to buy and own a car every day.”

According to recent Automotive Service Association research, 75 percent of Internet users would like to schedule appointments online if they could.
“This is the wave of the future, because it frees up telephone time and is quick and easy for both the customer and the service shop,”
said Scott Parker, owner of Scott Parker Motorsports in Pleasanton, Calif.

“We’re thrilled to have been selected by Carpoint to deliver value-added services and online appointment scheduling that will benefit its users and iCARumba member shops,”
said Bob Allison, executive vice president of corporate development at iCARumba Inc.
“It is our goal, on behalf of our member shops, to provide consumers with the best possible automotive service experience.”

The ownership features of Carpoint are designed to help consumers maintain detailed information relevant to their car-care needs. Consumers using these services have access to local traffic reports, used-car lemon checks, consumer ratings and reviews, recall and service reminders, Kelley Blue Book values, and the repair estimator tool.

About iCARumba.com

iCARumba is a Seattle-based corporation founded in 1999 to serve the automotive service value chain, with an emphasis on improving the productivity and profitability of service facilities. iCARumba’s mission is to thoughtfully apply the Internet and related technologies to reinvent, enhance and integrate the entire automotive services value chain, driving more informed customers to service facilities and providing those shops with more information regarding their supplier choices. iCARumba was founded based on the belief that the automotive services value chain can be made stronger by embracing the use of new technologies that will dramatically enhance efficiency and profitability. As such, iCARumba.com has been designed to act as a vital link between shops, their customers and their suppliers. iCARumba’s Web site is located at http://www.icarumba.com/ .

About Carpoint

Launched in October 1995, Carpoint ( http://www.carpoint.com/ ) is the leading online automotive marketplace, visited by more than 7 million consumers each month. From product reviews and surround video features to new- and used-car pricing, Carpoint helps consumers find the car they love, at a price they can afford. With details on more than 10,000 car models and 100,000 used vehicles, visitors can research and compare cars of virtually every make and model, identify local dealers, and receive instructions for post-purchase service and maintenance. With a network of more than 5,000 affiliated dealers nationwide, Carpoint generates more than $8 billion in auto sales each year and is exclusively endorsed by the American International Automobile Dealers Association.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.

* No purchase necessary. Game ends June 25, 2001. Open only to residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia. For full rules see site.

Microsoft, MSN and Carpoint are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the 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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