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Jingle Networks Dials up Venture Financing Following Rapid Growth of Its 1-800-FREE411 Service; First Free Nationwide Consumer Telephone Directory Assistance Service Raises Series A Funding from Leading Investors.


BOSTON and SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden  -- Jingle Networks Jingle Networks, Inc. is an American media network offering a free directory assistance service called 1-800-FREE411.

Consumers dial 1-800-FREE411 (1-800-373-3411) from any phone in the United States to use the toll-free service, which allows callers to obtain any
, Inc., operator of 1-800-FREE411, the first free nationwide consumer telephone directory assistance service, today announced that it has closed it's first round of equity financing Equity Financing

The act of raising money for company activities by selling common or preferred stock to individual or institutional investors. In return for the money paid, shareholders receive ownership interests in the corporation.
. The Series A funding was provided by First Round Capital, IDG IDG International Data Group
IDG Integrated Drive Generator
IDG Installation Design Guide
IDG Internet Discussion Group
IDG Inset Dielectric Guide
IDG International Dangerous Goods (mail, shipping) 
 Ventures, Liberty Associated Partners and Lead Dog Ventures. As part of the funding, Josh Kopelman, managing director of First Round Capital, has joined the Company as Chairman; David J David J. Haskins (b. April 24, 1957, in Northampton, England) is a British alternative rock musician. He was the bassist for the seminal gothic rock band Bauhaus. Life and work . Berkman, managing partner of Liberty Associated Partners, and Chip Hazard, general partner of IDG Ventures, have joined the Company's Board of Directors. John Landry, managing director of Lead Dog Ventures has joined the Company's Board of Advisors.

The 1-800-FREE411 service from Jingle Networks, Inc. revolutionizes the 411 directory assistance marketplace by offering consumers a free alternative to the high cost service provided by traditional carriers. The service is supported by advertising sponsorships from national and local merchants. In less than six weeks of availability, 1-800-FREE411 has already received hundreds of thousands of calls from nearly every state in the country, saving consumers an average of $1.25 per call. The service has also attracted nearly 40,000 merchants who have been able to cost effectively acquire new customers over the phone with little or no risk.

"When consumers are faced with choosing between getting directory assistance for free or paying $1.25, their decision will be an obvious one," said Kopelman. "With over 6 billion directory assistance calls made each year, we believe that Jingle Networks has the opportunity to reinvent re·in·vent  
tr.v. re·in·vent·ed, re·in·vent·ing, re·in·vents
1. To make over completely: "She reinvented Indian cooking to fit a Western kitchen and a Western larder" 
 an industry."

"We're thrilled thrill  
v. thrilled, thrill·ing, thrills

v.tr.
1. To cause to feel a sudden intense sensation; excite greatly.

2. To give great pleasure to; delight. See Synonyms at enrapture.
 to join in the dramatic expansion of the 1-800-FREE411 service. We believe the company is well positioned to fundamentally alter the existing $8 billion per year 411 marketplace," said David Berkman of Liberty. "They've achieved significant adoption in a short period of time, consumers clearly love the service and advertisers are enthusiastically leveraging this new form of marketing. Our capital and support will help them further accelerate their leadership position in the marketplace."

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Scott and his team at Jingle Networks," said Chip Hazard of IDG Ventures. "Having made investments in companies that Scott has founded in the past, I know the value and talent he brings to the company and look forward to helping the company re-define how companies and consumers connect to one another."

"To have the support of IDG Ventures and Liberty as well as the experience and guidance of successful entrepreneurs like Josh Kopelman and John Landry open many doors for our company, enabling significant strategic relationships and opportunities," said Scott Kliger, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board.  & founder of Jingle Networks, Inc.

The proceeds of this round of equity financing will be used to fund a nationwide marketing campaign, further expand the team and fund ongoing operations as the business continues to grow.

About 1-800-FREE411

The 1-800-FREE411 service from Jingle Networks, Inc. revolutionizes the 411 (directory assistance) marketplace by offering consumers a FREE alternative to the high cost service provided by traditional carriers. 411 service was an $8 billion market in 2004. In addition, FREE411.COM (1) (Computer Output Microfilm) Creating microfilm or microfiche from the computer. A COM machine receives print-image output from the computer either online or via tape or disk and creates a film image of each page.  on the Internet provides consumers with an easy to use Web-based destination for telephone number lookups. National and local merchants sponsor this service with a 10 second audio offer to consumers that is targeted to their specific lookup A data search performed within a predefined table of values (array, matrix, etc.) or within a data file.  request. For more information, visit: http://www.free411.com.

About First Round Capital

First Round Capital is an early stage venture capital firm managed by Josh Kopelman, founder of Half.com and Howard Morgan Howard Morgan (19?? - ) is a retired weather forecaster for Albuquerque, New Mexico television station KOAT-TV, Holdrege, Nebraska station KHOL-TV, and other stations in Kansas and Utah. He was known as "Uncle Howdy" during children's programming in all four states. , a founder of Idealab. First Round Capital provides seed-stage investment for innovative technology companies, often providing a company's first outside capital. As former entrepreneurs, the principals understand the challenges of launching a new enterprise and look to take an active role in portfolio companies.

About IDG Ventures

IDG Ventures Boston is a leading venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage information and healthcare technology companies. With $280 million under management, the firm is an independent partnership making investments on behalf of its limited partners. The fund is affiliated with IDG Ventures, a global $1 billion network of funds spanning Asia, Europe and North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. . International Data Group, the world's largest IT media, research, and event company, is the flagship limited partner for IDG Ventures Boston. Through the IDG global network, IDG Ventures Boston is able to uniquely add value to its portfolio companies by facilitating revenue acceleration and global expansion and establishing relationships with key strategic partners. For more information, visit www.idgventures.com.

About Liberty Associated Partners

Liberty Associated Partners, LP is a private investment partnership focusing on investments in communications, media, Internet and related technology companies. Liberty Associated is managed by Associated Group, LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol.

LLC - Logical Link Control
, whose principals have extensive experience investing in, advising and operating emerging and established companies in numerous industries, including cable, local telecommunications Communicating information, including data, text, pictures, voice and video over long distance. See communications. , power line communications, Internet, radio and wireless communications wireless communications

System using radio-frequency, infrared, microwave, or other types of electromagnetic or acoustic waves in place of wires, cables, or fibre optics to transmit signals or data.
 and wireless location systems.

About Lead Dog Ventures

With 30 years of experience building world class software and software companies, John Landry manages Lead Dog Ventures, a disruptive new-age business accelerator, providing emerging technology enterprises access to a well-developed network of intellectual, relationship and financial capital. Landry has been the senior technology executive at Lotus Development, Dun & Bradstreet, Cullinet Software, Distribution Management Systems and McCormack & Dodge Corporation and was VP of Technology Strategy at IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries)  credited with creating the IBM's e-Business strategy.

Jingle Networks and FREE411 are trademarks of Jingle Networks, Inc. All other names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Business Wire
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2005, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Publication:Business Wire
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:Dec 7, 2005
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