FreeLoader signs distribution agreements with HotWired, Playboy and GeoCities

Business Wire, April 8, 1996

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 8, 1996--FreeLoader, Inc. (http://www.freeloader.com), the creator of the first off-line World Wide Web delivery service, today announced distribution partnerships with HotWired, Inc. (http://www.hotwired.com), one of the most successful on-line publishers of original content, Playboy, Inc. (http://www.playboy.com), one of the Web's most frequently accessed sites and GeoCities (http://www.geocities.com), which builds and operates themed communities on the World Wide Web.

The agreement provides for FreeLoader's software to be distributed free of charge from each of these sites. The FreeLoader software enables end-users to access Web sites off-line and avoid the wait associated with surfing.

"HotWired, Playboy and GeoCities are just the latest Web sites to recognize the enormous benefit offered by FreeLoader's off-line downloading capability," said Mark Pincus, president and COO of FreeLoader. "Partnerships like these continue to validate off-line World Wide Web delivery which promises to make the Internet a more accessible, user-friendly environment."

"With the addition of these three sites to our list of distribution partners, FreeLoader has secured some of the most exciting and frequently visited sites on the World Wide Web," said Sunil Paul, Chairman and CEO of FreeLoader. "With more than a dozen prominent Web sites including Yahoo! and Infoseek already on board, we anticipate announcing additional distribution and content partners in the weeks to come."

FreeLoader is pioneering an entirely new way to experience the Internet that addresses the number one problem users face -- the waiting time associated with retrieving and viewing high-bandwidth content, such as high-resolution graphics, videos and audio clips. FreeLoader's unique off-line downloading service "surfs the Web while you sleep," collecting information from pre-selected sites at user- defined times and storing it on a hard-disk for later retrieval and viewing, thus turning users into subscribers rather than surfers. "FreeLoader's software answers the needs of our subscribers who may be waiting each time they go to our site," said Andrew Anker, CEO of HotWired. "We want to encourage our subscribers to experience the Web without delay, and FreeLoader is the best solution we have seen thus far to the problem of slow download times."

"I believe FreeLoader is the first generation of intelligent agents," said Eileen Kent, vice-president of new media for Playboy Enterprises, Inc. "Playboy is happy to continue to be on the cutting edge and offer this piece of new technology to our users."

"We are delighted to be distributing the FreeLoader software from our site," said Dave Bohnett, CEO of GeoCities, Inc. "With our unique video content, our users are sure to benefit by scheduling and downloading updates off-line using FreeLoader's software."

FreeLoader promotes the creation and development of bandwidth-intensive Internet sites by encouraging users who usually bypass these sites to schedule visits and, by spreading out usage patterns, helping to eliminate "gridlock" at popular sites during hours of peak demand.

In addition to end-users and distribution partners, advertisers also benefit from FreeLoader's off-line delivery service. Advertisers can now provide high- bandwidth ads with links that are already stored on the user's hard disk. Plus, usage reports generated by FreeLoader's software allow advertisers to more effectively target media buys. Reports can detail the number of downloads, clicks and impressions for each Web site and track end-users by zip code.

Recently, FreeLoader launched a 3-month public beta test of its off-line delivery service. Users can download the software from the company's home page or from one of FreeLoader's distribution partners including ZDNet (http://www.zdnet.com), TV1 (http://www.friendly.tv1.com),Match.com (http://www.match.com), MovieLink (http://www.movielink.com), Software.net (http://www.software.net), SALON (http://www.salon1999.com), Bulletproof.com (http://www.bulletproof.com) and Internet Media (http://www.internetmedia.com).

Founded in October 1995 and based in Washington, DC, FreeLoader, Inc. is the creator of world's first off-line World Wide Web delivery service. The company's marquee product, FreeLoader, is an advertiser supported, user- friendly software application which retrieves Web sites and stores them on an end-user's hard disk for later viewing. FreeLoader recently received financing from SOFTBANK Corporation's venture capital arm, SOFTVEN, and Euclid Partners who, together, invested a total of $3 million in the company.

Launched in October 1994, HotWired is the premier site for original content on the World Wide Web. By adding graphics, sounds, video, and interactivity to sharp reporting, HotWired is developing a new means of storytelling, with an excitement and immediacy shaped by the Net. HotWired members are linked in a planetwide conversation, a model of the discourse that will transform our world in the next millennium.