Microsoft and Monster.com Announce .NET-Based Strategic Alliance

Business Wire, Dec 19, 2001

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

REDMOND, Wash., & MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 19, 2001

Monster.com to Incorporate .NET Platform Into World's Largest Online

Careers Site; Adoption of .NET Passport and .NET Alerts to Provide

Single Sign-In and Real-Time Updates for Employers and Job Seekers

Microsoft Corp. and Monster.com(R) today announced a broad strategic alliance to deliver superior richness and personalization to Monster.com's online job search functions and offer customers access to real-time, customized job search information. Monster.com, the leading global careers network and the flagship brand of TMP Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ:TMPW), will deploy Microsoft(R) .NET technologies, including .NET My Services such as .NET Passport authentication and single sign-in service as well as .NET Alerts, an easy and seamless way for users to choose to receive relevant information that they can act on any time, any place and on any device. The combination of Microsoft .NET technology and Monster.com's industry-leading services will provide a rewarding experience for job seekers and corporate clients.

The adoption of .NET Alerts will make it possible for Monster.com to send customers pertinent, real-time information such as new job openings and resume hits when they want to receive them and in the format they choose. Users who opt to take advantage of the .NET Alerts service will receive a pop-up alert, via Windows(R) Messenger, on whichever Internet-enabled device they choose.

Monster.com will also offer users the ability to register and log into its Web site using .NET Passport single sign-in, reducing the amount of information to be remembered or retyped. Once signed into Monster.com through .NET Passport, Monster.com users can view important account information or create new My Monster accounts, without having to re-enter their login ID and password. .NET Passport also protects the security of users' personal information by using powerful encryption technologies.

To obtain a .NET Passport at http://www.passport.com, all that is required is an email name and a password. Any information Monster.com collects beyond what can be stored in the .NET Passport profile is not shared with Microsoft.

By using .NET Passport, which has more than 200 million accounts worldwide, Monster.com will make the online authentication process and creation of My Monster accounts more convenient and also improve the security of consumer information.

"Our alliance with Microsoft marks another milestone in Monster.com's long-term commitment to utilize the world's best technologies to deliver the

most relevant, useful and interactive experience to our customers," said Brian Farrey, Chief Technology Officer. "By harnessing Microsoft's innovative software services and technologies, we further increase the distance between Monster and its competitors while significantly enriching the overall experience of our customers as they go through the job searching process."

"As the premier online careers site, Monster.com recognizes the inherent value proposition associated with XML Web services," said Sanjay Parthasarathy, corporate vice president of the .NET Platform Strategy Group at Microsoft. "Monster.com's hugely successful and world-class online job search community combined with Microsoft .NET technologies and services will provide useful, timely and personalized information that enhances the online experience for Monster.com customers worldwide."

With the deployment of .NET My Services, Monster.com will begin utilizing various .NET technologies such as Visual Studio(R) .NET, Microsoft's rapid application development (RAD) tool for building next-generation Web applications and XML Web services, as well as the .NET Framework, a platform for building, deploying and running XML Web services and applications. Monster.com will use the Microsoft .NET Framework to deliver four of its leading Web services, Job Seeker Notification, Job Posting, Job Searching and Resume Posting, based on SOAP, UDDI and XML, and expects this component to be completed by early 2002.

Additionally, Monster.com will adopt and deploy members of the Microsoft .NET Enterprise Server family including Windows 2000 Server, SQL Server(TM) 2000, BizTalk(TM) Server 2000 and Application Center 2000. Monster.com's deployment of the .NET Enterprise Servers will provide the company with a reliable foundation for XML Web services, allowing Monster.com to quickly adapt to its changing business requirements.

About Monster.com

Monster.com, headquartered in Maynard, Mass., is the leading global careers website, recording over 30.2 million unique visits during the month of October 2001 according to independent research conducted by I/PRO. Monster.com connects the most progressive companies with the most qualified career-minded individuals, offering innovative technology and superior services that give them more control over the recruiting process. The Monster.com global network consists of local content and language sites in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Luxembourg, India, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, and Finland. Monster.com is the official online career management services sponsor of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and 2002 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Teams. More information about Monster.com is available at www.monster.com or by calling 1-800-MONSTER.