Verizon Information Services Introduces SuperPages.com en Español

Leading Directory Publisher Launches First National, Spanish-language Directory Online

DALLAS, Tx. (October 25, 2001)-- Recognizing the importance of the Internet to more than 14 million Hispanic Internet users in the United States, Verizon Information Services, the world's leading directory publisher and creator of SuperPages.com, today launched SuperPages.com en Español (http://www.superpages.com/espanol), a Spanish-language version of its #1 online directory and shopping resource.

Verizon is the first major telephone directory publisher to launch a comprehensive Spanish-language online directory for U.S. Hispanic Internet users, of which nearly 50 percent are Spanish-dominant speakers.

"The Hispanic market is a growing and powerful segment of the U.S. economy," said Patrick Marshall, group vice president - marketing for Verizon Information Services. "SuperPages.com en Español supports that growth by putting the Internet at the fingertips of Hispanic consumers and entrepreneurs."

SuperPages.com en Español gives the Hispanic population a new and easy way to meet their shopping and business needs online by offering Spanish-language search options previously not available, as well as the most extensive national online yellow and white pages directory information. The site is being implemented in a three-phase approach to be completed during the second quarter of 2002, with each phase adding more tools, content and value.

More than 40 percent of U.S. Hispanics have access to the Internet - and most of them choose Spanish as their preferred language at home. However, currently less than three percent of all Internet content is offered in Spanish, according to Dr. Harry Pachon, president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI), a nonprofit, policy research organization credited as the nation's premier Hispanic think tank and Internet analyst.

"Internet content in Spanish fills a void and provides U.S. Hispanics a Spanish-language alternative for searching for businesses, family and friends," said Pachon. "Clearly, Hispanics are active participants in the digital world. As the Internet increasingly penetrates every aspect of our world through education, business, entertainment, and shopping, the Hispanic community is in turn, increasing participation in the revolution that the Internet brings."

SuperPages.com en Español Serves U.S. Hispanics
The yellow pages (Páginas Amarillas) section allows a variety of search capabilities including nationwide search, category search, distance search, as well as search by business name or phone number. With PeoplePages (Páginas de Personas), users can search the white pages nationally by name or phone number.

The Spanish-language online directory offers a number of unique features such as My Directory (Mi Directorio), which allows users to maintain a directory of relevant personal and commercial contacts in Spanish. The site also offers other features in Spanish including city pages, maps and driving directions.

The Global Directories (Directorio Mundiales) section provides links to directories from around the world, including many of the areas from where U.S. Hispanics have roots or relationships - Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and others.

Verizon Helps Reach U.S. Hispanics Online
In addition to the consumer benefits of SuperPages.com en Español, Verizon is offering small- to medium-sized businesses a new online marketing opportunity - Spanish-language Web site services, including Web development and design, translation services, hosting services and premium positioning on SuperPages.com en Español. Verizon Launches SuperPages.com en Español.

In addition, national advertisers can place Spanish-language banner advertisements on SuperPages.com en Español. As these Spanish-language features are sold to businesses throughout the U.S., SuperPages.com en Español will include Spanish-language content and search capabilities as well as links to Spanish-language Web sites.

Hispanic Population & Buying Power Expands
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Hispanic population has increased 60 percent over the past decade. By 2010, Hispanics are forecasted to be the United States' largest ethnic group. Hispanic buying power is valued at $452.4 billion for 2001 and has increased 118 percent since 1990.

"Many small business owners see the growing importance of the Hispanic market, but until now haven't been able to effectively target Hispanic consumers on the Internet," said Marshall. "Spanish-language advertising on SuperPages.com en Español allows businesses to directly reach the U.S. Hispanic population in their preferred language."

About Dr. Harry Pachon and the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI)
Founded in 1985, the Tomás Rivera Policy Institute, located in Claremont, Calif., and an affiliate of the Claremont Graduate University, was established as a non-profit organization to conduct and disseminate objective, policy-relevant research and its implications to decision makers on key issues affecting Latino communities. TRPI has evolved into the country's premier research institute on Latino issues garnering national recognition for its work in the fields of education, immigration policy, information technology and civic and social research.

About Verizon Information Services and SuperPages.com
Verizon Information Services is the world's 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 publishes nearly 1,600 Verizon directory titles with a total circulation of approximately 144 million copies worldwide.

Verizon Information Services produces and markets SuperPages.com, the Internet's preeminent online directory and shopping resource. SuperPages.com receives as many as 10 million visits and completes as many as 38 million searches per month. SuperPages.com provides Yellow Pages and directory services to AltaVista, MSN, Lycos, Excite, InfoSpace, Ask Jeeves, BigFoot, HotBot, Tripod, and Angelfire.

Based in the Dallas area, Verizon Information Services is a unit of Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), 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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