CMGI Acquires Instant Messaging Leader, Tribal Voice

Business Wire, Dec 1, 1999

ANDOVER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 1, 1999--

CMGI Network Expands Internet Communications Capabilities to Offer Instant Messaging and Real-Time Communications Solutions For Consumer

and Enterprise Markets

CMGI, Inc. (Nasdaq:CMGI), the world's largest and most diverse network of Internet companies, announced today that it has acquired Tribal Voice, Inc. as a majority-owned operating company. Founded in December, 1994 by anti-virus software guru John McAfee, Tribal Voice (http://www.tribalvoice.com), is a leading provider of instant messaging, interactive communications software and online community solutions. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Simultaneously, CMGI announced that it plans to merge its previously acquired communications software company, Activerse, into Tribal Voice to form a single corporation offering real-time communications software and instant messaging tools to both the consumer and enterprise markets.

PowWow(TM), Tribal Voice's client-based communications platform, will continue to focus on the consumer market with instant messaging tools and `one-to-many' community features such as community hosting and group chat. Under the Tribal Voice name, the server-based technologies of the Activerse client will be expanded to deliver new communications products for the enterprise market. The Activerse product, Ding!, provides instant messaging and interactive collaboration capabilities to enterprise intranets and Internet-connected workgroups.

Tribal Voice's PowWow(R) currently powers the instant messaging services for both AT&T (NYSE: T) WorldNet Service and Freeserve (NASDAQ: FREE), the U.K.'s leading Internet Service Provider (ISP), making PowWow(R) instant messaging and interactive communications technology the choice of two leading ISPs worldwide. CMGI's AltaVista unit will also be licensing the Tribal Voice technology for its own instant messenger client, expected to launch in January 2000.

More than five million users worldwide have downloaded the PowWow client, and today there are more than 18,000 active communities using the company's PowWow software. Tribal Voice has also been a strong supporter of the movement to adopt a Web-wide standard for instant messaging technologies; the PowWow client is already able to communicate with AOL's AIM and Microsoft's MSN Messenger Service through the previously published public protocols.

"We view instant messaging technology and person-to-person communications tools as core Web features that deliver on the Internet's promise of rich, dynamic interactivity," said David Andonian, CMGI's President of Corporate Development. "We also see the need for market-specific technologies, and the merger of these two properties will give us the best of both worlds - meeting both consumer and enterprise demands for real-time communications."

"The integration of Tribal Voice's real-time communications tools will help facilitate communication and build cohesion among CMGI's many Web users, Web sites, and Web access platforms. A number of companies in the CMGI family can benefit from this technology immediately--including MyWay.com, AltaVista, and 1stUp.com," added Andonian.

"We're very excited about becoming part of the CMGI family and believe that CMGI will help to accelerate Tribal Voice's partner distribution strategy to gain millions of new active users," said Nigel Thompson, Chief Technology Officer, Tribal Voice.

Instant messaging has emerged as one of the fastest growing segments of the digital economy. International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that end-user generated revenues earned globally from this space will increase from $7.6 million in 1998 to $1.9 billion by 2003.

About Tribal Voice(TM)

Tribal Voice is the leading provider of instant messaging, interactive communications and online community solutions based on its PowWow technology. Founded in December, 1994, by anti-virus software guru John McAfee, the company operates offices in Scotts Valley, Calif. and Woodland Park, Colo. More than five million worldwide users participate in over 18,000 communities via the company's PowWow software. For more information on Tribal Voice and to download its PowWow client software, please visit http://www.tribal.com or call (831) 461-3100. Companies interested in working with Tribal Voice to develop their own instant messaging/interactive communications solutions should visit http://www.tribal.com/isps/, e-mail sales@tribal.com or call 1-877-4POWWOW. If you are outside North America, please call 831-461-3100.

About CMGI

With more than 50 companies, CMGI, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMGI) represents the largest, most diverse network of Internet companies in the world. This network includes both CMGI operating companies and a growing number of synergistic investments through its venture capital affiliate, @Ventures. CMGI leverages the technologies, content, and market reach of its extended family of companies to foster rapid growth and industry leadership across its network, and the larger Internet Economy. Compaq, Intel, Microsoft and Sumitomo hold minority positions in CMGI.