AT&T Acquires Interchange Online Network from Ziff Communications Company.BASKING RIDGE, N.J., December 22, 1994--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AT&T Corp. and Ziff Communications Company Communications Company is a communications unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are part of Combat Logistics Regiment 37 , 3rd Marine Logistics Group (3MLG) and III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF). The unit is based out of the Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. announced that AT&T has purchased the Interchange(tm) Network Company, L.P., the developer of Interchange Online Network, a pioneering online information service that makes it easy to create and access electronic information. As a next-generation publishing platform, the Interchange Online Network is providing pilot publishers with an advanced architecture and editorial tools that enable them to build attractive franchises and control every aspect of online publishing -- including presentation of their brand identity, layout of their content, pricing and advertising. For users, Interchange provides a collection of online services, each focused on a particular special interest topic. Interchange makes it easy for users to find and use information on the service and to participate in active communities drawn together by special interests. Interchange is in beta testing (programming) beta testing - Testing a pre-release (potentially unreliable) version of a piece of software by making it available to selected users. This term derives from early 1960s terminology for product cycle checkpoints, first used at IBM but later standard throughout the with thousands of users and commercial availability is planned in 1995. Pilot publishers who have announced plans to develop special interest services on Interchange include Ziff-Davis, The Washington Post, the Washington Post, The Morning daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the dominant paper in the U.S. capital and one of the nation's leading newspapers. Established in 1877 as a Democratic Party organ, it changed orientation and ownership several times and faced Minneapolis-based Star Tribune For the Wyoming newspaper, see . The Star Tribune (also Star trib or Strib, as it is often referred to) is the largest newspaper in the U.S. and Cowles Business Media. The acquisition of Interchange complements and advances AT&T's strategy of providing open and intelligent "hosting" networks in which publishers, software companies, information providers and others can offer their products and services to their customers. "With its advanced architecture and new business model for online publishing, Interchange is clearly leading the next generation of online information services See Information Systems. ," said John C. Petrillo, president of Business Communications Services at AT&T. "Bringing this product to market represents our continuing commitment to provide AT&T customers with easy access to valuable content, as well as innovative and sophisticated ways of communicating." "AT&T brings enormous advantages to Interchange Online Network and to its publishing partners," said Michael E. Kolowich president of Interchange Online Network. "This is true not only in the obvious things like telephony Meaning "sound over distance," it refers to electronically transmitting the human voice. In the beginning, telephony dealt only with analog signals in the circuit-switched networks of the telephone companies. and global data networking, but also in transaction processing Updating the appropriate database records as soon as a transaction (order, payment, etc.) is entered into the computer. It may also imply that confirmations are sent at the same time. Transaction processing systems are the backbone of an organization because they update constantly. and in the art of caring for millions of customers. We'd already planned 1995 introductions online, on the Internet and on CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). . AT&T allows us to raise our sights and gives our customers access to entirely new informat ion delivery channels." Kolowich will report to Petrillo under the new ownership of Interchange, which will continue to be based in Cambridge, Mass. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "The Interchange team did a great job creating a compelling platform that's a significant leap forward in electronic publishing An umbrella term for non-paper publishing, which includes publishing online or on media such as CDs and DVDs. technology," said Robert Ziff, speaking on behalf of the Ziff family. "We have been proud to sponsor this effort to date. Our goal was to find a great home for Interchange where it could reach its full potential. With its vast resources and strong commitment to this business, AT&T will certainly help Interchange achieve that potential and much more." AT&T and Ziff-Davis also announced a long-term strategic agreement by which Interchange Online Network will serve as a key platform for Ziff-Davis online services. Ziff-Davis is developing Interchange Computing computing - computer , the first special interest online information service on Interchange Online Network. AT&T is the world's networking leader, providing communications services and products, as well as network equipment and computer systems, to businesses, consumers, telecommunications services In telecommunication, the term telecommunications service has the following meanings: 1. Any service provided by a telecommunication provider. 2. providers and government agencies. -0- Interchange is a trademark of Interchange Network Company. CONTACT: Ed Lopez, AT&T, 201-331-4136 (office), 201-989-5856 (home)
Lisa Landa, Interchange Online Network, 617-252-5211
Greg Jarboe, Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 617-393-3313
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