Connect Announces Nationwide Interactive Commerce Seminar Series; Seminar Series to Feature Release of Groundbreaking IDC Market Study That Uncovers Real Costs of Online Interactive Commerce

Business Wire, Jan 16, 1996

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 1996--CONNECT, Inc. today announced the company will conduct a nationwide seminar series that provides an exclusive preview of the results from the first study on the costs and requirements of interactive commerce development on the Internet.

The seminars are for company executives chartered with development of emerging media and corporate Internet initiatives, as well as the press and analysts. Admission is free but reservations are required.

The seminars will include a presentation by executives from International Data Corporation (IDC) on data gleaned from a recent study of corporate Internet application development. The study discovered that the cost of establishing an interactive commerce business channel is typically four times greater than expected, and that twice as much time is spent on customizing sites as anticipated.

Cities, Dates and Times

The CONNECT Seminar Series titled, "The Marketeer's Internet: Motivation, Cost & Customization," begins in Atlanta on January 17, with presentations in New York on January 18, Boston on January 19, Washington D.C. on January 23, Chicago on January 24, Dallas on January 25 and San Francisco on January 26.

CONNECT will also provide live demonstrations of interactive commerce applications based on its OneServer solution. These demonstrations will focus on OneServer's advanced functionality including rapid interactive commerce channel development, one-to-one marketing, access control and usage tracking and the overall reduction in the quantity of custom CGI code necessary to create a successful interactive business.

The Motivation Behind Interactive Commerce

According to the survey data, key to competing in interactive commerce is end-to-end Internet server software technology that dramatically reduces time-to-market and provides enhanced features and flexibility, while minimizing custom code development.

Survey respondents are motivated by the enormous revenue potential expected from interactive commerce transactions. Smaller companies believe this new complementary sales channel will allow them to stay competitive, while Fortune 500-type companies are really motivated by the "fear of being left behind" and marketing to a broader worldwide customer base.

About CONNECT, Inc.

CONNECT, Inc. is the first company to develop and market flexible and scalable integrated online server software solutions. With a decade of online experience, the company is at the forefront of providing high-end software and services for Fortune-class enterprises wishing to conduct complex business transactions securely on the Internet or other data networks. CONNECT is a private company, founded in 1987 and headquartered in Mountain View, Calif.

For more information, telephone 1-800-262-2638 or access CONNECT's World Wide Web site at http://www.connectinc.com.

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Note to Editors: To receive a data sampling of the survey or register for the multi-city National IDC Seminars, visit CONNECT's World Wide Web site. CONNECT is a registered trademark of CONNECT, Inc. OneServer and OneServer DPDS are trademarks of CONNECT, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective holders.

CONTACT: CONNECT Inc., Mountain View

James Strohecker, 415/254-4016

JamieS@connectinc.com

or

Miller/Shandwick Technologies

Peter Ross/Anne Gowan, 415/962-9550

pross/agowan@millerwest.com