Banyan names Douglas McIntyre as president of Switchboard

Business Wire, May 12, 1997

WESTBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 1997--

Experienced Media Executive to Head Leading Internet Directory

Company

Banyan Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:BNYN) today announced that Douglas A. McIntyre, a highly regarded media executive, has joined its Switchboard Inc. subsidiary as its first president. McIntyre brings 20 years of publishing, broadcast and advertising experience to Switchboard Inc., the market-leading Internet white and yellow pages directory company. Switchboard Inc.'s flagship offering, Switchboard (www.switchboard.com), is ranked as the number one overall directory and the number one yellow pages site by PC Meter, the web measurement service.

McIntyre, 42, has defined his career by creating and successfully positioning print and broadcast media properties to capitalize on their commercial potential. As president of Switchboard Inc., he will apply this expertise to the competitive Internet directory market. McIntyre will report to William P. Ferry, who became Banyan's President and CEO in February 1997.

At Switchboard, McIntyre will direct the company's planned expansion, which includes new product development and strategic relationships with the industry's foremost advertising agencies. Many advertisers and agencies have discovered that leading directories, such as Switchboard, are an extremely effective on-line advertising buy because the sites attract a large and steady stream of ready-to-buy consumers who are seeking specific products and services.

"With this appointment, Banyan continues to aggressively build an experienced senior management team," said Ferry. "Doug's arrival is a major milestone for Switchboard Inc. Doug will leverage his broad business expertise in print and broadcast media and his understanding of the advertising industry to fully realize Switchboard's business potential. Switchboard is an excellent example of how Banyan is successfully creating new value from its core technology assets in directories and messaging."

Switchboard is the only directory handling upwards of one million searches for information each day. The site also offers the industry's only interactive yellow page display advertising with detailed information that helps advertisers close sales.

"It's very clear that Switchboard is one of the great 'content successes' on the Internet - drawing nearly eight of every 100 Internet users each month," said McIntyre. "This valuable audience reach provides a broad and loyal market for advertisers, who are clamoring for effective ways to bring their offerings on-line."

McIntyre, most recently at Business News Network, managed the advertiser base for the country's only 24-hour radio network devoted to business news. The network quickly expanded its reach and now serves more than 150 markets.

As president and editor-in-chief of Financial World, one of the country's largest consumer business magazines, McIntyre revamped the editorial content and developed several strategic marketing campaigns, creating a publication that rapidly became a must-read for the industry. Circulation grew more than 500% in six years, reaching 500,000, and the magazine was voted one of the Ten Hottest Magazines by Adweek in 1990 and 1992.

Earlier in his career, McIntyre was one of the original employees of Veronis, Suhler & Associates, now recognized as the leading investment bank for media properties. He began his career at Time, Inc., where he held management positions with several publications, including Time, Sports Illustrated and Fortune.

Since Switchboard's launch 15 months ago, it has consistently been one of the Internet's 25 most popular sites, driven largely by positive word-of-mouth. It handles nearly 7 million searches each week from consumers and corporate users who want to locate the addresses and phone numbers of friends, colleagues and businesses that offer products and services of interest.

About Banyan Systems Incorporated:

Banyan Systems Incorporated is a pioneer and leader in enterprise directory and messaging services. These products make it easy to find, share and manage information and resources in enterprise networks. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Westboro, Massachusetts, U.S.A., the company markets products worldwide through authorized network integrators, resellers and international distributors. Banyan can be reached on the World Wide Web at www.banyan.com .

About Switchboard Incorporated:

Switchboard (www.switchboard.com) is the leading white and yellow pages directory on the Web. Nearly 1 million times each day, Switchboard helps consumers and corporate users find the information they need, whether it is locating a long-lost friend or the nearest restaurant. It is among the 20 most active Internet destinations according to PC Meter, the foremost Internet traffic monitoring service. Offering comprehensive information, unmatched speed and innovative features, Switchboard is the on-line directory of choice for putting people and business in touch with one another while maintaining individual privacy. Switchboard has won numerous awards and is linked to by more than 18,000 sites. Switchboard is a premier offering of Switchboard Inc., a subsidiary of Banyan Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:BNYN). -0-