CNET Inc. signed a three-year strategic partnership with iName, a provider of e-mail technology and solutions.
The companies will jointly develop a new, free, ad-backed Snap!-branded HTML e-mail service as part of Snap!’s selection of portal features.
Set to launch in mid-June, the Snap! e-mail service, powered by New York City-
based iName, is being designed to provide users with a comprehensive free e-
mail solution. Snap! currently offers chat, classifieds, maps and driving
directions, yellow and white pages, e-mail addresses and customizable features
including stock quotes, horoscopes, sports scores, local weather and movie
listings.
CNET will also provide links and marketing support from its network of sites,
including CNET.com and NEWS.com. Advertising will be sold by iName, with
revenues being shared by the two companies. In return for user registrations,
CNET will also earn an equity position in iName.
“The vision for Web-based messaging surpasses the e-mail correspondence we’re
familiar with today,” said Tom Melcher, general manager of Snap!. “Our highly
competitive e-mail service will be the communications cornerstone of Snap!,
allowing users the freedom to have one e-mail account for life. We selected
iName for its technical superiority, reliability and OEM business model and
expect e-mail to be a tremendous traffic builder for Snap!.”
