DEALTIME TO SPEED DELIVERY OF POPULAR COMPARISON SHOPPING SERVICES THROUGH AGREEMENT WITH EQUINIX
Aggregation of Networks at Equinix`s Center Enables DealTime to Reduce Connectivity Costs, Enhance Performance and Expand Operations
FOSTER CITY, CA, August 27, 2003 — Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the leading provider of network-neutral data centers and Internet exchange services, and DealTime, Inc., the leading shopping search engine and premier consumer reviews platform, today announced that DealTime has partnered with Equinix to enhance the delivery of its online shopping services. As part of the agreement, DealTime will extend its IT operations, currently located in a proprietary data center, to the Equinix Silicon Valley Internet Business Exchange™ (IBX®) center.
DealTime, Inc. is the fourth largest shopping service in the world, according to comScore Media Metrix (July 2003). Through its extensive network of branded and co-branded Web sites, including www.dealtime.com, www.shopping.com and www.epinions.com, the company reaches 15 percent of U.S. online shoppers worldwide each month, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, and it serves 1.5 million unique visitors each day.
By moving to Equinix`s neutral Internet hub, DealTime will have immediate and direct access to every major U.S. network. This direct access to providers, such as their service provider Internap, within the same center will enable DealTime to reduce the telecommunications costs of connecting to strategic partners in multiple locations and across significant geographic distances. Additionally, Equinix`s high performance data center environment provides DealTime with the flexibility to scale operations to accommodate continued growth.
"As an online business, we have the highest standards for our IT infrastructure, so we have previously managed much of this function internally," said Jeff Whitehead, director of operations for DealTime. "However, the cost and performance benefits that we gain from outsourcing to an Equinix IBX center do not compare to operating our own data center. Equinix`s rich diversity of networks within its centers make it an ideal common ground on which to interact with our strategic partners."
"Leading e-commerce companies, such as DealTime, are finding Equinix to be a critical partner in their IT infrastructure and global connectivity," said Peter Van Camp, CEO of Equinix. "In addition to reducing the costs of connecting to their strategic network partners, these companies can leverage their presence within Equinix`s centers to enhance the delivery of their content to end-users. By moving its content closer to users, DealTime now has a more streamlined path to its millions of monthly visitors."
About Equinix
Equinix is the leading global provider of network-neutral data centers and Internet exchange services for enterprises, content companies, systems integrators and network services providers. Through the company`s 14 Internet Business Exchange™ (IBX®) centers in five countries, customers can directly interconnect with every major global network and ISP for their critical peering, transit and traffic exchange requirements. These interconnection points facilitate the highest performance and growth of the Internet by serving as neutral and open marketplaces for Internet infrastructure services, allowing customers to expand their businesses while reducing costs.
Equinix and IBX are registered trademarks of Equinix, Inc. Internet Business Exchange is a trademark of Equinix, Inc.
About DealTime
DealTime`s uniquely helpful shopping service enables consumers to compare products, prices and merchants while using Epinions` trusted consumer reviews and ratings to make smart buying decisions. It`s The Smart Way to Shop the Web. The company is also a premier provider of targeted direct marketing services, connecting merchants and manufacturers with pre-qualified buyers and partnering with search engines, portals and service providers to effectively monetize Internet traffic.
DealTime was founded in 1998 and agreed to acquire Epinions, the Internet`s premier consumer reviews and ratings platform, in March of 2003. DealTime Ltd. is privately-held and backed by key strategic and financial partners including August Capital, Bain Capital, Benchmark Capital, Bertelsmann, Goldman Sachs, Israel Seed Partners and others. DealTime, DealTime.com, Epinions, Epinions.com and the DealTime and Epinions logos are registered trademarks of DealTime Ltd. and its subsidiaries.
For more information about the merger of DealTime and Epinions please see: http://www.dealtime.com/dealtime2000/Pages/About/1,2751,36361,00.html.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the challenges of operating IBX centers and developing, deploying and delivering Equinix services; competition from existing and new competitors; the ability to generate sufficient cash flow or otherwise obtain funds to repay outstanding indebtedness; the loss or decline in business from our key customers and other risks described from time to time in Equinix`s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see Equinix`s recent quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available upon request from Equinix. Equinix does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
Contacts:
Equinix Contacts::
David Fonkalsrud
K/F Communications, Inc.
(650) 255-6506
dave@kfcomm.com
DealTime Contact:
Krista Thomas
DealTime, Inc.
(650) 616-6577
krista@dealtime.com
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