HotData and Experian Integrate Business Profiles Into Desktop Software via the Internet

Business Wire, May 17, 1999

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 17, 1999--

HotData Inc. and Experian today announced an agreement to integrate business data directly into desktop software via the Internet. HotData is the first company to enable desktop software to add business data and other types of information to existing customer and prospect data in real time.

Users of HotData-Enabled software can append SIC code, line of business description, key contacts, sales volume, number of employees, year established and several other data items to new or existing records in a customer database. Sales and marketing professionals can use this information to improve decision making, increase return on promotional activities, and boost suspect-to-prospect and prospect-to-customer conversion rates. The information from Experian's data warehouse of over 13 million public and private United States companies is also used to complete, correct, and standardize existing contact information, including telephone and fax numbers.

"Our service really levels the playing field," says HotData CEO Johnny Anderson. "HotData provides the unique ability to perform interactive lookups on our data, providing user access to single records, not simply to large batches. This is leveraging the Internet to the hilt."

"Users of this service will have real-time access to Experian's industry-leading business information -- the best source of information to link b-to-b marketers with their markets," said Tim Dolan, director, file development process, Experian.

HotData also has contractual agreements to resell data from another premier business data provider, plus Claritas Inc. (Arlington, Va.), Group 1 Software (Lanham, MD), InfoSpace.Com Inc. (Redmond, Wash.), MAILER'S Software (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), The United States Postal Service, Westminster International (Richmond Hill, Ont.), WhoWhere? (a division of Lycos, Mountain View, Calif.), and other data providers.

Experian ( www.experian.com ) is a global information solutions company, which specializes in helping organizations to make more informed business decisions. The company is one of the world's leading suppliers of information on consumers, businesses, motor vehicles and property. By combining its databases with advanced technology and consultancy services, Experian assists its clients in targeting and acquiring new customers, building successful customer relationships and managing financial risk. The company employs 11,000 people in the UK, USA, Continental Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Annual sales are in excess of $1.5 billion. The company's headquarters are in Nottingham, UK, and Orange, California. Experian is a subsidiary of The Great Universal Stores P.L.C., a UK-based holding company that includes home shopping, retailing, property investment, finance and information services.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, HotData provides software products and services for interactive Internet-based data delivery and cleansing, resulting in timely and accurate information for a wide range of commercial applications, including marketing automation, sales force automation, help desk, E-Commerce and ERP solutions. For information visit the HotData Web site at: www.hotdata.com.