NaviNet Exceeds 72% US Major-Market Coverage; Month-to-Month Revenues Up 70%

Business Wire, Dec 23, 1999

Business/Technology Editors

ANDOVER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 23, 1999

CMGI's Private-Label Internet Access Provider Expands Coverage, Gains

Important New Customers As It Exceeds Growth Goals

NaviNet, a provider of high-performance, private-label Internet access solutions and majority-owned operating company of CMGI (Nasdaq: CMGI), today announced it has exceeded 72% US major-market online user population coverage with its GeoDial access product. NaviNet also announced today that its revenue increased 70% for the month of November over October, 1999.

NaviNet's coverage growth was due to the expansion of the NaviNet network into twelve new markets during the last month. Additionally, NaviNet has completed over 92% of its facilities build-out and expects to bring its new facility online in the 1st quarter of 2000.

Revenue growth was due to the signing of significant new customers, including 1stUp and Prodigy, as well as continued growth from NaviNet's existing customer base, including NetZero and IDT. NaviNet's new customer base grew 25% over the last month.

"We anticipated the need for low cost dial-up access years ago, and it is gratifying to see NaviNet's Network and customer base growth exceed our expectations," said David Wetherell, Chairman and CEO of CMGI. "NaviNet is a crucial component of our expansion plans for the Free ISP market, along with 1stUp, AltaVista and Engage. NaviNet also supports MyWay.com's increasing number of ISP partners."

In addition to its GeoDial dial access products, NaviNet is focused on providing products and services for the rapidly emerging Virtual ISPs, including financial institutions, affinity groups, and other mass marketers who are using Internet access to extend their customer reach.

"Meeting our year-end growth objectives is an important step for us as we launch our additional product initiatives over the next two quarters," said TC Browne, CEO of NaviNet. "We believe that the virtual ISP products and services, coupled with our wholesale access products, will yield strong revenue growth for us moving forward."

On October 22nd, NaviNet's state-of-the-art nationwide Internet access network became available to CMGI sister-company 1stUp.com and its free access partners. AltaVista Company, also a CMGI company, delivers a leading FreeAccess offering powered by 1stUp.com's technology which recently reached the million subscriber mark. AltaVista is the first 1stUp.com partner to benefit from NaviNet's network. NaviNet's innovative switch-bypass and private-transit Internet connectivity technologies expand the premium network available to 1stUp's affiliated free access users and helps improve network performance.

In late October, NaviNet also announced the release of GeoDial SP v.3, the latest version of its flagship dial-up access product. GeoDial v.3 includes significant new features that allow ISPs to increase customer satisfaction while expanding their coverage, capacity, and capabilities. GeoDial allows ISPs to selectively expand their local dial-up coverage while significantly lowering their cost per subscriber. GeoDial runs on the NaviNet Technology Platform, a unique network architecture that provides the best price/performance ratio available for Internet access. The NaviNet Technology platform employs switch bypass technology and private transit Internet connectivity to avoid congestion for modem calls on the Internet, resulting in an efficient and robust network with very high call completion rates.

About NaviNet

Focused on organizations that want to extend customer reach through the Internet, NaviNet provides a portfolio of private-label Internet access services supported by a leading-edge, high-availability national network. Through a combination of superior technology and strategic partnerships, NaviNet delivers flexible Internet solutions enabling organizations to expand without investing in infrastructure and technology.

NaviNet's current network coverage reaches over 50% of the U.S. online population and will reach more than 80% by year's end.

NaviNet is a majority-owned operating company of CMGI, Inc. (Nasdaq: CMGI). For more information, visit NaviNet's website at http://www.navinet.net or call 877-NAVINET (877-628-4638).

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, Pacific Century CyberWorks and Sumitomo hold minority positions in CMGI.

CMGI's majority-owned operating companies include Engage Technologies (Nasdaq: ENGA), NaviSite (Nasdaq: NAVI), 1ClickBrands, 1stUp.com, Activate.net, Activerse, Adsmart, AltaVista, CMGI Solutions, iCAST, Magnitude Network, MyWay.com, NaviNet, SalesLink, Tribal Voice and ZineZone. The company's @Ventures affiliates have ownership interests in Lycos, Inc. (Nasdaq: LCOS), Critical Path (Nasdaq: CPTH), Silknet (Nasdaq: SILK), Chemdex (Nasdaq: CMDX), MotherNature.com (Nasdaq: MTHR), Asimba.com, AuctionWatch.com, Aureate Media, blaxxun, BizBuyer.com, Boatscape.com, buyingedge.com, CarParts.com, CraftShop.com, eCircles.com, eGroups.com, EXP.com, FindLaw, Furniture.com, HotLinks, INPHO/HomePriceCheck.com, Intelligent/Digital, KOZ.com, Mondera.com, MyFamily.com, NextMonet.com, NextPlanetOver.com, Oncology.com, OneCore.com, PlanetOutdoors.com, Productopia, Raging Bull, SnapFish.com, Speech Machines, ThingWorld.com, Vicinity, Virtual Ink, Visto, Vstore and WebCT.