YesMail(TM) Powers Permission Email Marketing with ITXC Push to Talk(SM) Service
Contact:
Frances Ianacone
Jennifer Cannell
ITXC Corp
+1.609.750.3388/3276
fianacone@itxc.com
jcannell@itxc.com
Stephanie Walsey
yesmail.com
312.423.5247
stephaniew@yesmail.com
Email Solutions Provider Embraces Internet Voice Services as Essential Customer Acquisition Tool
PRINCETON, NJ and CHICAGO, IL - May 2, 2001 - ITXC Corp (NASDAQ:ITXC), the leading provider of worldwide Internet voice services, and yesmail.com, a leading permission email marketing solutions provider, jointly announced today that YesMail(TM) is now offering its clients the ability to add voice capabilities to their email campaigns using ITXC`s patented Push to Talk(SM) service. YesMail will resell the Push to Talk service to email marketers on a cost-per-thousand (CPM) basis.
In addition to YesMail`s extensive brokered reach and managed list inventory, YesMail maintains a permission email network of more than 16 million individuals who have opted-in to receive email offers, promotions and other information related to their interests. By combining Push to Talk with YesMail`s marketing and email services, marketers can give email recipients a unique, immediate and more comfortable way to respond, strengthening the power of email as a customer acquisition tool.
A Push to Talk button included within the email message lets consumers communicate with marketers in a more personal, interactive manner than traditional email. With one push of a button, recipients can establish a voice call and speak with a company representative through any available phone or directly from a computer. YesMail reports that in a recent trial campaign, 23 percent of recipients who opened the email message and clicked through for more information, used Push to Talk to respond.
"By integrating Push to Talk with our services, marketers allow Internet users to choose how they respond, whether by email or voice, to a special offer. Many Internet users want that choice. Some won`t even buy online until they can experience the personal, live assistance they get from brick-and-mortar companies," said Scott Stephen, Sr. Vice President of Client Services and Operations, YesMail. "Push to Talk is an easy-to-implement, cost-effective service that helps companies convert those users into customers by giving them the option to speak with a service representative directly and take action immediately."
The live one-to-one interaction made possible by ITXC Push to Talk service not only leads to greater customer satisfaction, but also allows more cross-sell and up-sell opportunities to increase profitability. Because Push to Talk is offered under an application service provider pricing model, companies can add the intimacy of voice to email campaigns, Web sites and banner ads without any capital investment. Push to Talk calls are routed via ITXC.netSM, the largest global network for voice on the Internet with a presence in more than 95 countries. ITXC assures consistent carrier-grade quality by routing calls around Internet congestion with its patented BestValue Routing(TM) technology.
"YesMail is the largest email solutions provider to embrace Internet voice services as an essential customer acquisition tool," said Jeff Gaus, ITXC Marketing Vice President, E-commerce. "By the end of the year, ITXC believes that voice call capabilities will be integrated with all of the most common and significant Internet functions. By joining forces with companies like YesMail, ITXC is leading the way in making voice a natural, everyday part of email marketing - and the e-commerce experience, in general."
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About ITXC:
ITXC Corp (NASDAQ: ITXC) established and operates ITXC.net(SM), the largest global network for voice on the Internet with 466 points of presence in more than 263 cities and 96 countries, as of March 31, 2001. The Company is the leading provider of worldwide Internet voice services with more than 1.5 billion minutes of use since the inception of ITXC.net in 1998. ITXC`s patented BestValue Routing(TM) technology provides such high voice quality over the Internet that Tier 1 carriers use ITXC for worldwide phone-to-phone traffic without indicating that the calls are actually going over the Internet. Customers include major traditional carriers and RBOCs who achieve lower costs for phone-to-phone calls while maintaining carrier quality, Web merchants who increase sales with Push to Talk buttons on Web sites and e-mail, as well as Internet-based Web-to-phone providers and voice portals. For more information, visit www.itxc.com.
About yesmail.com:
yesmail.com is a leading email marketing solutions provider and a pioneer of permission-based email marketing. YesMail`s innovative email marketing solutions and expertise enable companies to acquire and retain customers, sell products and services and drive loyalty by targeting prospects and delivering personalized messages via email- one of the most cost-effective mediums available in the industry. YesMail delivers to its members offers, promotions and information about the products and services that match their interests, while protecting their personal information. YesMail is a majority-owned operating company of CMGI, Inc. For more information about Chicago-based YesMail, visit www.yesmail.com or call 1-877-YESMAIL.
Forward looking statements: ITXC may not meet the projections reflected in its forward looking statements due to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, among other factors, the volatile and competitive environment for Internet telephony, changes in domestic and foreign economic, market, and regulatory conditions and other risks detailed in ITXC`s reports filed from time to time with the SEC.
ITXC is a registered trademark of ITXC Corp. ITXC.net, Push to Talk, and BestValue Routing are service marks and trademarks of ITXC Corp. Yesmail is a registered trademark of yesmail.com, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
This release contains forward-looking statements which address a variety of subjects including, for example, the expected benefits of the agreement between YesMail and ITXC and the expected interoperability of the technologies and products of YesMail with those of ITXC and other third parties. The following important factors and uncertainties, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: YesMail`s products and technologies may not successfully interoperate with those of ITXC`s or other third parties; adoption of new laws and regulations affecting the provision of Internet advertising services, including laws and regulations covering privacy, pricing and content; YesMail`s success depends on the advertising needs of its customers and the continued demand for Internet advertising in general; YesMail`s success depends on the continued and increased acceptance of its website and the Internet as a medium; and increased competition and technological changes in the markets in which YesMail competes. For a detailed discussion of these and other cautionary statements, please refer to CMGI`s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including CMGI`s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.
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