Switchboard Ad Serving System Awarded Patent Recognition; CBS Switchboard.com Leverages Ad Serving Technology to Expand Internet Presence of Local Merchants

Business Wire, Sept 28, 1999

WESTBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 1999--

Switchboard, Inc., the popular Internet subsidiary of Banyan Worldwide (NASDAQ:BNYN), today announced that the Company's patent application for key advertisement serving techniques has been issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The patent application relates to a system and method for controlling the frequency of advertisement serving in an Internet environment based upon a number of factors such as serve history and relevance to content.

"One of CBS Switchboard.com's most valuable assets is our senior staff of software professionals who continue to produce highly sophisticated, scalable systems which support our large, growing base of users, merchants and partners," said Dean Polnerow, president of Switchboard, Inc. "Securing patent recognition protects our intellectual capital for key technologies that provide the fundamental building blocks of our products and services, and is important in maintaining our technology leadership role in the extremely competitive Internet market."

The invention is a result of research and development done by Switchboard to display directory content and advertising with minimal latency. Such technology is significant to providing extremely fast response to users while providing flexible ad serving solutions to both local and national advertisers.

"Extending visibility to consumers is essential in helping merchants generate leads through their Internet investments," said Polnerow. "Our unique ad serving system is designed to optimize merchant presence across the CBS Switchboard.com site and is a key differentiator in our popular suite of local merchant offerings."

About Switchboard, Inc.

Switchboard, Inc. is a leading on-line directory company focused on connecting people, businesses and information. Its flagship website, CBS Switchboard.com (www.cbs.switchboard.com) is visited more than 50 million times each month by consumers who find what they need utilizing Switchboard's rich suite of on-line services including yellow and white pages, E-mail and Web site directories, and interactive maps and driving directions provided through Switchboard's popular travel destination site - MapsOnUs.com. Switchboard is highly focused on providing small and medium size businesses with cost-effective solutions to reach consumers and compete with larger on-line retailers. Switchboard is rapidly expanding its local merchant base through relationships with strategic partners including CBS, Discover Financial Services, AltaVista, Comcast, the At Hand Network, Advance Communications, Bell Atlantic's Big Yellow, Cox Interactive Media, and the Ask Jeeves search engine. CBS Switchboard.com is consistently ranked among the most popular 50 Web sites by Media Metrix and has won numerous awards since its launch, including recently capturing two positions in Yahoo Internet Life's July '99 list of The 10 Supremely Useful Sites on the Web. Headquartered in Westboro, Mass., Switchboard, Inc., is a majority held subsidiary of Banyan Worldwide (NASDAQ:BNYN) with a minority ownership stake held by CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS). Switchboard is a registered trademark of Switchboard, Inc. "CBS" and the CBS eye device are registered trademarks of CBS Broadcasting Inc.