GoTo.com Inc. Monday landed a deal to
provide CompuServe Interactive
Services Inc. with integrated search results across its branded Web
services.
CompuServe will have the ability to leverage GoTo’s
search results, while maintaining the look, feel of each of its various Web
properties.
Ted Meisel, GoTo chief executive officer, said it was glad to bring
CompuServe, a leading Internet access provider, into its fold.
“We are thrilled to add this important player to our growing network of
affiliate partners,” Meisel said. “By partnering with CompuServe, we will
be able to extend our reach to CompuServe’s 2 million-plus value-conscious
members.”
Audrey Weil, CompuServe general manager said CompuServe 2000 continues to
lead the charge in the value ISP arena.
“We added 1.3 million new members last year, bringing the combined
membership of CompuServe 2000 and Classic programs to 2.8 million,” Weil
said. “The GoTo Search product is just one more way that we continue to
enhance the CompuServe Search experience for our members and users of our
custom ISP offerings.”
GoTo provides a set of e-commerce services to partners, including general
Web search functions, comparison shopping, and auction searches. It reaches
an estimated 22 million unique users through its affiliate partners, which
include EarthLink Inc., CompuServe sibling Netscape and Go2Net Inc.
GoTo has deals in place with more than 25,000 advertisers, who place their
product, service and information offerings through each of GoTo’s Web
properties. During the first quarter of this year, GoTo completed 88
million paid introductions, each of which represents the successful match
of a user need with an advertiser offering.
Founded in 1969 as a computer time-sharing service, Columbus, Ohio-based
CompuServe was a pioneer of the online service industry. In 1979,
CompuServe became one of the first Internet service providers to offer
e-mail as a basic feature. Since February 1998, CompuServe has operated as
a wholly-owned subsidiary of America Online
Inc.