USA.NET, a provider of e-mail and messaging
services, launched a new e-mail service called USA.NET Ad Mail that
integrates e-mail with traditional classified advertising.
The Ad Mail service enables newspapers to add a temporary e-mail address to
each classified advertisement, giving advertisers an interactive method for
receiving responses without revealing personal contact information.
USA.NET said it has signed strategic marketing agreements with three
classified advertising software vendors that serve more than 60 percent of
the top 100 newspapers in the country.
“USA.NET Ad Mail spearheads the next generation of interactive, Web-based
classified advertising,” said John Gerdelman, company president and CEO. “Ad
Mail enables readers to respond to classified ads, anywhere, anytime, which
helps increase reader response rates. At the same time, the new service
offers newspapers a vehicle for increasing advertising revenues without the
investment of time, money and resources to set up and maintain an in-house
e-mail system.”
The strategic marketing agreements are with Atex Media Solutions, Advanced
Technical Solutions and Ctext. Each has agreed to develop an interface
between their advertising system and USA.NET. The interface will allow
newspapers to offer temporary, Web-based e-mail addresses to their classified
advertisers through Ad Mail.
“USA.NET Ad Mail enables our newspaper customers to add significant value to
their classified packages, without incurring additional administrative
costs,” said Ron Stephens, vice president, North American sales at Atex Media
Solutions. “It also providers them the ability to offer a secure,
confidential response mechanism.”
USA.NET manages more than 10 million consumer and business mailboxes a day
and operates the consumer service Net@ddress.