RealNames Policy Advisory Board Adds Saul Klein to Team of Internet Policy Experts; Klein is a Founding Member of TRUSTe, Former Firefly and MSN Executive

Business Wire, Oct 5, 1999

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 5, 1999--

Leading Internet and media expert Saul Klein has joined the Policy Advisory Board created by RealNames Corporation and made up of leading Internet policy experts. RealNames, creators of the Internet Keyword Web addressing and navigation service, formed the Policy Advisory Board (PAB) in July 1999 to ensure the company is held accountable for its decisions to the Internet community as a whole, and to introduce an element of self-regulation into the Internet Keyword review process.

Klein joins the ranks of a prestigious set of PAB members. The founding members of the Board include: Christine Varney, an attorney with the Washington, D.C. law firm Hogan & Harston and a former senior advisor to President Clinton; Andrew Bridges, an Internet and intellectual property attorney with the Palo Alto law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; Lori Fena, chairman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and chairman and founder of TRUSTe; and Bill Washburn, chief policy officer, RealNames Corporation.

"Saul has been instrumental in the evolution of the Internet in regards to privacy and naming issues," said Keith Teare, CEO of RealNames Corporation. "His expertise represents a crucial area for the Policy Advisory Board to explore and address."

Klein is a founding member of TRUSTe and serves on their Board of Directors. TRUSTe is an independent, non-profit privacy organization whose mission is to build users' trust and confidence on the Internet and, in doing so, accelerate growth of the Internet industry.

"The Policy Advisory Board is an important step in laying the foundation for an open approach to the creation of more intuitive addressing standards and conversational navigational experiences on the Internet," said Klein. "I'm excited to be contributing to RealNames' drive to be fully accountable for its Internet Keyword process."

Klein most recently served as Group Program Manager for Web Platform Services at Microsoft. Klein was responsible for leading Microsoft's company-wide privacy initiatives, managing relationships with TRUSTe, the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Commerce Department and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, as well as leading the development of the MSN Privacy Wizard and Microsoft's relationship with the W3C on the evolution of P3P.

Beginning in February 1996 until its acquisition by Microsoft in April 1998, Klein was senior vice president of brand and strategy at Firefly Network. In this capacity, Klein had overall responsibility for managing marketing, business development and communications. He also led Firefly's pioneering P3P and ICE Internet standards initiatives with Microsoft, Netscape, Oracle, Procter & Gamble and Mastercard. While at Firefly, Klein was recognized by Advertising Age as one of their Top 25 Digital Marketers.

Prior to joining Firefly, Klein served as director of digital communications at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide where he established and managed their digital media and e-branding business.

Klein earned his bachelor's degree in English Literature from Cambridge University in the U.K.

About the Policy Advisory Board

The Policy Advisory Board is committed to four goals: advise RealNames on fair and equitable naming and Internet Keyword policy; review disputes between companies if there is a naming conflict; advise government and Internet decision-makers on Web naming conventions; and identify an external agency to act as the final authority for resolving disputes concerning Internet Keywords.

"RealNames formed the Policy Advisory Board in response to the increasing need for an advisory council working to protect the interests of Web users. Additionally, the Board acts as a voice of authority for naming, policy refinement, and dispute resolution guidance respecting Internet Keywords," said Bill Washburn, chief policy officer, RealNames Corporation.

About Internet Keywords

The simple proposition behind Internet Keywords is to get Web users where they want to go quickly and easily. Internet Keywords are generally simple and intuitive words or phrases that allow users to get where they want to go on the Internet using familiar identities. A consumer generally requires no additional knowledge of a company's location on the Web other than its company, brand or product name. Similarly, an Internet user can navigate directly to a person's Web page by simply knowing the person's Internet Keyword, which can be his or her name.

About RealNames Corporation

Founded in 1997, RealNames Corporation has developed a new addressing system based on Internet Keywords that simplifies navigation on the Internet. Internet Keywords are generally intuitive, familiar names, such as company, product, brand and personal names. Internet Keywords are used instead of lengthy Web addresses to navigate from any point on the Internet that recognizes Internet Keywords. The use of Internet Keywords is designed to make Web navigation easier for users and to allow companies to leverage and promote their brands as direct connections to their Web pages. Internet Keyword users may now type intuitive phrases such as "Ford Explorer" rather than lengthy Web addresses such as http://www.fordvehicles.com/explorer/index.html.>