Verizon Information Services Announces Strategic Alliance with MSN

MSN Selects SuperPages.comsm As Its Premier Yellow Pages Provider

DALLAS, Tx. (May 24, 2001)-- Verizon Information Services, the world's leading directory publisher and creator of SuperPages.com, and the MSN network of Internet services, the most popular destination on the Internet with 230 million worldwide unique visitors, have joined forces to provide more comprehensive Yellow Pages information to MSN users.

SuperPages.com will become MSN's online Yellow Pages service, providing the most complete directory and local business information across the MSN network.

"This relationship with MSN spells value for our customers whose business information will now be accessible to MSN's millions of online users," said Patrick Marshall, group vice president - marketing for Verizon Information Services. "As MSN is one of the most popular destinations on the Internet, SuperPages.com will be able to significantly increase its online directory usage."

The expected increase in SuperPages.com traffic due to the MSN agreement translates into increased exposure and value to its online advertisers.
"MSN is committed to providing our users with premium content and services," said Jim Barr, general manager for commerce services for MSN. "Teaming up with an industry leader like Verizon and their SuperPages.com service allows us to offer MSN users the most comprehensive Internet yellow pages information available."

A co-branded version of SuperPages.com Yellow Pages will be integrated into MSN later this summer.

About Verizon Information Services and SuperPages.com

Verizon Information Services is a world leading print and online directory publisher and a content provider for communications products and services. The largest directory publisher in the world, Verizon has annual revenues of more than $4.1 billion and employs more than 11,000 people.

Verizon Information Services provides sales, publishing and other related services for nearly 2,300 directory titles in 48 states and the District of Columbia and 16 countries outside the U.S. This includes nearly 1,600 Verizon directory titles with a total circulation of approximately 107 million copies in the U.S. and 37 million copies internationally.

Verizon Information Services also produces and markets SuperPages.com, the Internet's preeminent online directory and shopping resource. SuperPages.com receives as many as 8.1 million visits and completes as many as 19.9 million searches per month. SuperPages.com also powers directory services on InfoSpace, Excite, Lycos, Ask Jeeves, HotBot, BigFoot, AOL Service, AOL.com, and Digital City.

Based in the Dallas area, Verizon Information Services is a unit of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), which was formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE. Verizon is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. For more information on Verizon Information Services, visit www.verizonyellowpages.com

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