America Online to place AT1 from PLS in Internet search area

Business Wire, Dec 12, 1996

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 1996--

New AT1 service allows AOL members to search "The Invisible Web"

America Online Inc., the world's largest consumer online service, and Personal Library Software Inc. (PLS), a leading provider of information retrieval technology, Thursday announced details of an earlier agreement that places PLS' new AT1 search service in the Internet search area used by AOL members.

Earlier this year, AOL made an equity investment in PLS in August and is now extending its previous technology relationship to provide its members enhanced access to AOL's rapidly growing base of content and to content and data not found by other AOL search features.

Stated Bob Pittman, president and chief executive officer of AOL Networks, "The new AT1 service is a terrific complement to existing AOL search capabilities, including our existing relationships with PLS, Switchboard and Excite, and greatly advances our overall strategy of providing AOL members the best tools to understand, navigate and get the most from the World Wide Web.

"With this new PLS technology, we will enable our members to access content on the 'invisible Web' -- nearly six terabytes of branded data that is not currently accessible by other Internet search engines."

"AOL has proven that it is an innovator in the online world," said Dr. Matthew Koll, president of PLS. "Providing the capability to search the AT1 Invisible Web is the next logical step in their aggressive strategy to use the best search tools and services to provide the best functionality to their members," said Dr. Koll. "We look forward to working with AOL to provide the best search capability in the marketplace on one page."

AOL uses PLS technology to provide access to over 600 content areas within its online service including such popular areas as Compton's Encyclopedia, the New York Times, AOL's Member Directory and Today's News.

AOL is also utilizing PLWeb, PLS's Internet publishing system to integrate the best of the World Wide Web into its own community-style service. AOL subscribers currently use PLWeb to search content areas such as Grolier's Encyclopedia, Medline and Pro-CD White Pages.

America Online Inc. (NYSE: AOL), based in Dulles, Va., is the world's most popular Internet online service, with more than 7 million members worldwide and the fastest growing with more than one million new members in the last six months.

AOL offers its subscribers a wide variety of services including electronic mail, conferencing, software, computing support, interactive magazines and newspapers, and online classes, as well as easy and affordable access to services of the Internet.

Founded in 1985, AOL today has a global workforce of more than 5,500 people. Personal computer owners can obtain America Online software at major retailers and bookstores or by calling 800/827-6364.

PLS, a privately owned company, is headquartered in Rockville, Md. with satellite offices in California, Chicago, Seattle, New Jersey as well as Europe. PLS is the leading supplier of search and retrieval software to the online publishing industry. The company can be reached at 301/990-1155 or www.pls.com .

CONTACT: PLS, Rockville

Joe Haley, 301/990-1155, fax: 301/963-9738

Email: joeh@pls.com

http://www.pls.com