ASO Unveils New PhotoZOOM Feature with Up to 8 Times Magnification, Adding New Benefit to Online Aircraft Ads.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

CORTE MADERA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 11, 2003

Aircraft Shopper Online (ASO) has launched a new feature called PhotoZOOM, enabling portions of photographs of pre-owned aircraft advertised for sale to be magnified up to eight times in order to aid purchasing decisions. PhotoZOOM's new zoom and pan technology provides high resolutions, up to four zoom levels, fast load times, and easy panning for clear views and rapid navigation.

With this new capability, prospective aircraft buyers can see closeups of leather texture, woodwork, instrument gauge and dial placement, and other elements without losing resolution or waiting for photos to reload. Shoppers can zoom in and out with a click, and pan to the desired spot on a given photo simply by dragging the mouse.

This approach provides a level of detail unavailable with print ads or with online video and 360-degree views. It also eliminates the need for special photography and plug-ins.

The PhotoZOOM feature is included with all ASO turbine listings with adequate photo quality at no additional charge to the advertiser, and on non-turbine equipment for a modest fee. Ads equipped with the feature are denoted with a binocular icon. A demo is available at http://www.aso.com/howtoadv/adsamples/zoom_sample/main.htm

"Our market research clearly shows that Internet aircraft listings are surpassing print ads in popularity and effectiveness, and features like PhotoZOOM will help accelerate that trend," said Tony Friend, President of ASO. "The Web's point-and-click searches, real-time information, and lack of space limitations overcome many of the inherent deficiencies of print, and the ability to examine aircraft photographs in zoom mode gives online ads an even greater edge."

In a recent survey conducted for ASO by independent market research company Erdos and Morgan, private aircraft owners reported that they consult Web listings of aircraft for sale at least as frequently as ads in print publications and that they prefer Web to print in all six categories examined. Survey respondents also reported that Internet listings lead to aircraft purchases 61% more frequently than print ads.

In the survey, 83% of buyers preferred Internet sources for up-to-dateness, 66% for the speed of locating aircraft of interest, 63% for the ability to ensure that a desirable aircraft will not be overlooked, 63% for the ability to assist in purchasing decisions, 60% for the breadth of selection, and 58% for ease of use.

About Aircraft Shopper Online

ASO is a leading online source for used transport, business and personal aircraft. Since the inception of the ASO.com site in 1995 as the first comprehensive Web-based listing of pre-owned aircraft for sale, the company has helped bring about a fundamental change in the way that used airplanes are bought and sold by allowing shoppers to search up-to-date listings in their specific area of interest rather than pore through outdated print magazines. A tool on the site, i.aso.com, further streamlines the process by proactively matching aircraft buyers with the planes of their choice.