Internet Access: AOL Takes Major Equity Stake in Digital Courier Technologies in Expanded Video Marketing Relationship to AOL.COM

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, July 13, 1998

In an expansion of their marketing agreement announced on June 24, America Online (NYSE:AOL) and Videos Now, a division of Digital Courier Technologies Inc. (formerly DataMark Holding Inc.) Monday announced that Videos Now will receive prominent and extensive placement throughout AOL.COM, AOL's Website and the most popular Web destination among home users, in exchange for an increased equity stake in DCTI.

As allowed for under the terms of the original agreement announced last week, AOL exercised its option to give Videos Now additional promotional carriage on AOL.COM in exchange for approximately 12% of DCTI's total outstanding common stock.

"The hundreds of millions of impressions that AOL has guaranteed Videos Now will enable us to immediately realize significant revenues," said Mitchell Edwards, CFO of Digital Courier. "Furthermore, we expect the massive exposure to propel Videos Now into a leading position in the global video retailing market."

This agreement makes AOL one of largest shareholders in DCTI and gives the company a boosted strategic and competitive advantage. Timing couldn't be better as Digital Courier aggressively unfolds its broader content and e-commerce offerings to the major portals on the Internet and to the wireless communications market.

Digital Courier Technologies Inc. (www.dcourier.com), supplies businesses and major web portals with online content and commerce products based on a powerful matrix of server-side Java software components.

The company's current content offerings include: WeatherLabs, the premiere online weather information service (www.weatherlabs.com), Videos Now (www.videosnow.com), Books Now (www.booksnow.com), and WorldNow (www.worldnow.com). The company has also launched netClearing, an electronic commerce service for Internet payment processing, clearing, and settlement.

America Online Inc., based in Dulles, Va., is the world's leader in branded interactive services and content. America Online Inc. operates two worldwide Internet online services: America Online, with more than 12 million members; and CompuServe, with approximately 2 million members. America Online Inc. also operates AOL Studios, the world's leading creator of original interactive content.

Other branded Internet services operated by America Online include AOL.COM, the world's most accessed Web site from home; AOL NetFind, AOL's comprehensive guide to the Internet; AOL Instant Messenger, an instant messaging tool available on both AOL and the Internet; and ICQ, an instant communications and chat technology on the Internet.