Packard Bell Adopts Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 to Seamlessly Deliver Personalized, Interactive Information and Support to Its Home PC Users; Individualized Customer Service A Key Feature For Packard Bell Customers

Business Wire, Sept 15, 1997

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 15, 1997--Packard Bell, the world's number one supplier of home PCs, will bring the vast world of the Internet and up-to-the-minute personalized information directly to the desktop of its home PC users through the adoption of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 (IE 4.0) as its preferred Web browser.

IE 4.0, the innovative new version of Microsoft's Internet technology, is a unified Windows Explorer that propels users, at the click of a mouse, onto the Web or into Active Channels, including channels customized by Packard Bell for its PC customers. IE 4.0 also features "push" technology to deliver timely, interactive managed content directly to a user's desktop seamlessly.

IE 4.0 and custom Packard Bell-specific IE 4.0 Active Channels will be available through the Packard Bell Web site, www.packardbell.com, beginning Sept. 30, 1997. Future PC offerings will include IE 4.0 preloaded.

Internet Explorer 4.0 merges online and personal computing through a single, seamless user interface, providing a unified way to access channels, the Internet or folders on the PC's hard drive. Packard Bell has customized and optimized IE 4.0 with Active Channel technology and Active Desktop applications to provide timely, managed, useful and entertaining Web content, including support tailored specifically for its Packard Bell PC customers. For example, consistent with the company's goal to be the industry leader in customer satisfaction, the Customer Support channel provides a highly personalized approach to customer service that gives customers a direct link to the latest product and support information that applies to their specific model of computer.

Packard Bell multimedia PCs are sold to home and home office users with varying degrees of computing sophistication. Packard Bell, along with Microsoft, is making it easier than ever before, more efficient and more fun for those users to start exploring and understanding the Internet with IE 4.0.

"To some of our PC users, the Internet can be overwhelming," said Mal Ransom, senior vice president, marketing, Packard Bell NEC. "Now, users can access key information from the Internet in the same way they access folders on the desktop. Also, the innovation built into Microsoft's IE 4.0 allows us to easily provide individualized customer service and support through Active Channel technology, a true enhancement to customer satisfaction."

Active Channels

The Packard Bell Active Channel, called "Lifeline," is accessed through an icon on the channel menu bar on the PC desktop where users will find a wealth of information in the following sub-channels:

-- Planet Oasis - Planet Oasis launches users into a virtual online community where they can easily access more than 500 information and entertainment web sites.

-- Customer support channel - Here, users can get helpful information on how to make the most out of their computers, access frequently asked questions and answers, read up on technology, link to the latest product update information and download software.

-- News channel - This channel can "push" onto the user's desktop the latest news of the world, nation, business, science, technology, sports and entertainment.

-- Entertainment channel - The entertainment channel offers stories, links and a host of information on art, books, television, movies, music and games.

-- Magazine channel - The magazine channel provides easy access to more than 50 online publications, such as The New York Times, USA Today, Family PC, Popular Mechanics, Atlantic Monthly and Elle Magazine.

-- "ifind" channel -- A resource for "resources," "ifind" provides sophisticated search capabilities and other helpful reference tools.

Active Desktop Applications

To make the user's experience even easier, Packard Bell has built Active Desktop applications. Channel Master, for example, makes Packard Bell "Lifeline" sub-channels even more accessible by bringing the icons onto the desktop rather than being accessed through the channel menu bar. Additionally, Channel Master can deliver the latest headlines, sport scores, weather and stock quotes in a ticker format directly to the user's PC screen.

"We're very excited that Packard Bell has chosen to offer its customers Internet Explorer 4.0," said Bud Chase, vice president in the application and Internet client group at Microsoft Corp. "By taking advantage of the new Active Channel and Active Desktop technologies in Internet Explorer 4.0, Packard Bell is offering its customers a more personalized service and unique Internet experience."

More Groundbreaking Technology

IE 4.0 offers even more groundbreaking technology. Users gain a complete set of communication and interactive tools, including Outlook Express e-mail, industry standards-based Internet telephony and videoconferencing capabilities. Additionally, new Security Zones take the worry out of surfing the Web.

About Packard Bell NEC

The Consumer Products Division of Packard Bell NEC markets a broad range of desktop PCs, designed to meet the diverse needs of the home and home office consumer. Based in Sacramento, Calif., Packard Bell NEC, Inc. is the second largest computer manufacturer in the United States and the third largest in the world. The company designs, manufactures and markets a wide variety of desktop, notebook and mobile computers and network servers to consumers and commercial users under the Packard Bell, NEC and Zenith Data Systems brands. The company's major manufacturing operations are in Sacramento; Fife, Washington; Angers, France; Penang, Malaysia; and Sydney, Australia. For more information on the Packard Bell brand, customers can access www.packardbell.com on the Internet.