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E-mail Industry Leader InfoBeat Purchased By Sony Music Entertainment

Consumer operations remain same while InfoBeat Express will change name to Exactis.com
 

Sony Music Entertainment has purchased the rights to the InfoBeat brand and InfoBeat's popular line of free, e-mail consumer newsletters. Over four million InfoBeat newsletters are distributed daily to subscribers who have designed individual profiles governing the information they receive. The service will continue to be known as InfoBeat.

With the sale of its consumer operation, InfoBeat's remaining business, InfoBeat Express, will change its name to Exactis.com, Inc. This business will focus on providing e-mail services to businesses. As part of the agreement, Sony Music has formed a long-term strategic partnership with Exactis.com to distribute the InfoBeat newsletters.

"InfoBeat has been the true innovator and leader in customized, personalized e-mail offerings," said Fred Ehrlich, senior vice president and general manager, New Technology and Business Development for Sony Music Entertainment. "We look forward to maintaining the highest level of service that InfoBeat has provided its subscribers, and can't wait to add exciting new service offerings over the next few months." With the addition of Sony Music Entertainment as its newest client, Exactis.com provides marketing and customer communication services to more than 30 category leaders in online retail, publishing and financial services. Using its patented technology and unmatched expertise, Exactis.com is the leader in corporate e-mail communications, delivering over 100 million e-mails per month.

"This agreement with Sony Music is great for both parties," declared Tom Detmer, president and CEO of Exactis.com. "InfoBeat subscribers will enjoy enhanced news and information services thanks to Sony Music's vast resources. And Exactis.com can focus on our core competency--providing
a range of high-volume, personalized e-mail services that enable companies to strengthen their online marketing and customer communication programs."

Exactis.com conducts a wide range of opt-in (customer requested) e-mail communication programs for more than 30 corporate clients including online retailers, media firms, and financial services providers. In addition to Sony Music, clients include Charles Schwab, American Express, Amazon.com, CMP Inc., Forbes, MSNBC and Tribune Media Services. On a typical day, Exactis.coms sends out more than 6 million messages for its clients and has developed the capability to distribute as many as 6 million messages per hour in the broadcast mode and 500,000 unique messages per hour through its patented technology.  Founded as Mercury Mail in 1995 and operating as InfoBeat from 1997 until January 1999, the privately-held company offers customers a complete outsourcing solution for their e-mail communications needs. The company is headquartered in Denver, Colo., with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York.
 

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