WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., April 1, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- NetZero, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTD), today announced the official launch of NetZero HiSpeed, a next generation dial-up Internet access service delivering up to five times faster Web surfing. NetZero HiSpeed works from any phone jack using a standard dial-up connection, does not require any new hardware and can be downloaded in five minutes at www.netzero.com. The price for NetZero HiSpeed is $14.95 per month, which includes the NetZero Platinum Internet service.
NetZero HiSpeed utilizes compression and caching technologies to create a long-awaited technological advancement of dial-up Internet access. By compressing the various text and graphics before a Web page is sent to a user, NetZero HiSpeed significantly accelerates the loading of Web pages. In addition to this compression technology, NetZero HiSpeed "caches" or stores elements of Web sites that users visit, eliminating the need for the computer to re-download the data every time a site is visited. Hence, the longer NetZero HiSpeed is in use, the faster these Web pages will load. Aside from the obvious advantage of enabling Web sites to load at speeds up to five times faster than conventional dial-up, NetZero HiSpeed also places a small "speedometer" on the user's screen which lets them know their dial-up session is being accelerated.
"As a leader in value-priced Internet access, we are excited to be offering consumers yet another exceptional value -- high-speed Web surfing at only $14.95 per month," stated Mark R. Goldston, chairman, CEO and president of United Online. "Not only is new NetZero HiSpeed priced significantly less than broadband offerings that can cost three to five times the price of this service, but it is also far cheaper than the conventional premium-priced dial-up brands of Internet service, which charge between $21.95 and $23.90 per month without the benefit of this enhanced speed. Dial-up is the dominant platform that people use to access the Internet. Unlike broadband offerings, which are very expensive and not available to all consumers, NetZero HiSpeed requires nothing more than a phone jack in your home. New technologies such as NetZero HiSpeed continue to make us even more attractive to budget-conscious consumers by bringing them the type of speed they may crave in a very affordable product over a dialup connection they can get today!"
NetZero HiSpeed includes NetZero Platinum Internet access, which offers easy-to-use, reliable Internet service with thousands of access numbers nationwide, feature-rich email and WebMail, compatibility with all of the popular instant messaging products and serves no banner ads.
United Online licensed the core compression and certain caching technologies used in its NetZero HiSpeed product from SlipStream Data, Inc.
To sign-up and install NetZero HiSpeed in less than five minutes, go to www.netzero.com.
NetZero HiSpeed is not currently available for Mac.
About United Online
United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTD), is a leading provider of value-priced Internet access through its NetZero, Juno and BlueLight Internet consumer brands. The company's high-quality services are offered at less than half the standard prices of its major competitors and are available in more than 6,000 cities across the United States and in Canada. United Online is headquartered in Westlake Village, CA, with offices in New York City, San Francisco and Hyderabad, India. For more information about United Online and its Internet access services, please visit www.untd.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the price, quality and performance of our Internet service and the new product and quotes from management in this press release. These statements are based on the company's current expectations or beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, technological, performance and other risks associated with introducing and commercializing a new product. More information about potential factors that could affect the company's business and financial results is included in the company's Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (http://www.sec.gov/) including (without limitation) information under the captions "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors."
References to pricing and savings amounts based on US standard monthly rates as of 04/01/03.