Xoom Software Forms "On-Demand Software Network" Over Internet; Former Lycos Executive Chris Kitze and Softkey Executive Laurent Massa Form New Company to Distribute Productivity Products for Consumer and SOHO Markets Over the Internet

Business Wire, Dec 11, 1996

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 11, 1996--San Francisco-based Xoom Software has opened its virtual doors for business with the launch of the world's first "on-demand software network," providing a full suite of office and personal productivity software and content for one, low annual subscription price. The Xoom Software Network will provide subscribers with unlimited access to download such applications as an email filtering robot, a high-end Word-compatible word processor, Excel-compatible spreadsheet, Personal Information Manager, photo retouching program, 24 CD-ROMs worth of clip art, sounds and videos, audio tutorials using Real Audio(TM) and more, for an annual subscription price of $29.95, according to Xoom Software chairman Chris Kitze.

"More than two-thirds of all new computers do not come with office software suites, yet most are bundled with Internet access," said Kitze. "This allows PC users to obtain a high-quality suite of productivity software and upgrades for one extremely low cost. Because it is available exclusively over the Internet, there really is no reason in this day and age for anyone to pay retail prices for software."

Xoom Software currently features what it calls an "all you can eat" model of distribution, providing access to download nine complete software packages and 24 CD-ROMs of Clip Media.

Xoom's distribution strategy is to quickly gain coverage of the widest selection of on-line software stores operated by ISPs, high traffic sites, on-line retailers and OEMs. "The first of such partnerships have been signed by the company," said CEO Laurent Massa. These include C/net (NASDQ: CNWK), one of the world's leading Internet publishers and technology television programmers; software.net, a division of CyberSource and the leading Internet electronic software distribution company; and Infospace, the premiere people to people directory on the Internet.

Xoom Software is located at 433 California Street, Suite 910, San Francisco, CA 94104. Telephone: 415/445-2525, fax: 415/445-2526, email: laurent@xoom.com and chris@xoom.com, Website: www.xoom.com .

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