Newly Released MSN Premium Available to Verizon Online's
DSL Customers at No Additional Charge
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Later this month, Verizon
Online high-speed Internet customers will be able to slam spam, vanquish
viruses, wipe out worms, pulverize pop-up ads and power up their online
protection with MSN(R) Premium, the premier all-in-one Web service offering
from MSN, which became broadly available today.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO )
All the advantages of MSN Premium -- continuous online protection,
advanced communication tools, digital lifestyle management and rich
information services -- will be given to current and new Verizon Online DSL
customers at no additional charge.
"Through our business relationship with MSN, Verizon Online is able to
deliver the most advanced broadband experience available by offering MSN
Premium to our customers at no additional charge," said Judy Verses, senior
vice president for Verizon Retail Markets Group. "Today, we're adding powerful
online protection, advanced communication tools, cool video content and more
personalization options to the mix of existing Verizon Online services that
bring the Internet to life."
"One of our goals at MSN is to help broadband customers be more efficient
online," said Richard Bray, vice president for MSN at Microsoft Corp.
(Nasdaq: MSFT). "MSN Premium delivers this by bringing the tools customers
told us they need together in one place. We're thrilled to work with Verizon
to deliver tremendous value to its broadband customers in one convenient
package that helps customers make the most of their broadband connection."
MSN Premium was designed to meet the following Verizon Online DSL
customers' needs:
-- Persistent protection with industry-leading technology to provide
proven security solutions including these:
-- Desktop anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware protection powered by
McAfee(R) Security
-- Multiple levels of junk e-mail filtering including Microsoft(R)
SmartScreen Technology
-- Smart pop-up management
-- Better parental controls
-- Comprehensive e-mail offerings for broadband homes with multiple users,
with support for 11 e-mail accounts and 25 MB (megabytes) of storage
for the primary customer and 10 MB for each additional account
-- Advanced communication capabilities that provide e-mail management and
creation tools, introduce innovative and seamless ways of sharing
digital photos, enable customers to easily manage multiple e-mail
accounts, and help customers jointly manage their work and personal
information with the Microsoft Office Outlook(R) Connector
-- Digital lifestyle management with information services and productivity
applications such as a dynamic dashboard, Web logging capabilities,
photo-editing and organization tools with MSN Photos Plus, personal
finance tools with MSN Money Plus, and learning and resource tools from
MSN Encarta(R) Premium
MSN Video, available through the MSN network at MSN.com, will bring
Verizon Online customers free, high-quality streaming video news, sports and
entertainment from content providers NBC, Showtime, Discovery, NHL.com and
many others.
Current Verizon Online DSL customers can download MSN Premium at
http://www.verizon.net/betterway/ when the service is launched later in
January. New DSL customers will receive the service as part of their free,
do-it-yourself DSL modem and CD installation kit.
Verizon Online and MSN History
On May 13, 2003, Verizon Online and MSN introduced a new co-branded DSL
Internet access service -- Verizon Online with MSN 8. At the same time,
Verizon Online announced lower DSL prices of $34.95 a month for stand-alone
service and $29.95 a month for DSL as part of a qualified Verizon local and
long-distance bundle.
Verizon Online is a full-service Internet service provider, offering a
complete selection of dial-up, DSL and dedicated Internet access services for
residential consumers and businesses. By the end of 2003, approximately 80
percent of Verizon's lines were capable of delivering DSL service.
About Verizon
A Fortune 10 company, Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) is one of the
world's leading providers of communications services, with approximately
$67 billion in revenues. Verizon companies are the largest providers of
wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with more than 139
million access line equivalents and 36 million Verizon Wireless customers.
Verizon is the third-largest long-distance carrier for U.S. consumers, with
nearly 16 million long-distance lines. The company is also the largest
directory publisher in the world, as measured by directory titles and
circulation. Verizon's international presence includes wireline and wireless
communications operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and
Europe. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com/ .
About MSN
MSN attracts more than 350 million unique users worldwide per month. With
localized versions available globally in 38 markets and 18 languages, MSN is a
world leader in delivering Web services to consumers and ad sales to
businesses worldwide. MSN 8 is the first Internet software product to have
earned the trusted Good Housekeeping Seal. The most useful and innovative
online service today, MSN brings consumers everything they need from the Web
to make the most of their time online. MSN is located on the Web at
http://www.msn.com/ . MSN worldwide sites are located at
http://www.msn.com/worldwide.ashx .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services
and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company
offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people
through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.
NOTE: Microsoft, MSN, Outlook and Encarta are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other
countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches
and biographies, media contacts and other information are available at
Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at http://www.verizon.com/news/ .
To receive news releases by e-mail, visit the News Center and register for
customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
SOURCE Microsoft Corp.
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Related links:
http://www.microsoft.com
Photo Notes:
NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Briana Gowing, of Verizon Communications,
+1-972-718-6202, or briana.gowing@verizon.com, or Malina Johnson,
+1-503-443-7000, or malinab@wagged.com, or Rapid Response Team,
+1-503-443-7070, or rrt@wagged.com, both of Waggener Edstrom for
Microsoft Corp.
NOTE TO EDITORS: If you are interested in viewing additional
information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft's corporate
information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were
correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For
additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact
Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts
listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.asp .
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