GTE's SuperPages Interactive Service Is Named the Best Directory Site on the Internet and Announces a New and Improved Design.

DALLAS -- On the heels of being named the Best Directory Site on the Internet, GTEs SuperPages Interactive Service (superpages.GTE.net) today launched a redesigned site to make it even easier for consumers to research, find and purchase products and services from thousands of SuperPages advertisers.

The Web Marketing Association (WMA) yesterday selected GTEs SuperPages service as the Best Directory Site on the Internet. SuperPages won the Best of the Web award in the directory or search engine category. WMAs award program was sponsored by NetEvents, PRNewswire and BroadVision. Over 200 entries were judged in the areas of design, innovation, content, use of technology, interactivity, navigation, ease of use and usefulness to target audience. Judges included members of the media, site designers, advertising executives, webmasters and content providers.

"Winning this award reinforces SuperPages as a premier information resource for all levels of Internet users. Our service is more than just an online directory, it also provides a wealth of consumer-oriented information on hundreds of products and retailers, said Pat Marshall, vice president - New Media Services of GTE Directories Corporation. Coupled with our outstanding electronic commerce capabilities that are showcased through Shop OnLine, SuperPages is fast becoming a popular, online shopping tool.

In addition, Media Metrix, The PC Meter Company, ranked the GTE.net web domain, which includes the SuperPages site, as the 14th fastest growing web site in 1997 -- before aol.com and infospace.com. In 1997, SuperPages received more than 28 million visits, and in December received 4.1 million visits.

By comparison, more people visited GTEs SuperPages site last year than attended all the 1997 NFL football games combined. In the month of December alone, we had more visitors than the Empire State Building had all year, said Marshall.

Already a popular vehicle for linking buyers and sellers on the Internet, SuperPages continues to implement changes designed to enhance the Internet users experience.

The newly-enhanced SuperPages service includes changes based on feedback from consumers, advertisers and business associates. These changes make the Yellow Pages services of the site even easier to use and encourage more customers to visit and use the shopping-related services such as Shop OnLine and Consumer Guide.

We are always refreshing SuperPages to keep consumers coming back to our advertisers, said Marshall. Im excited to say that weve already started to receive some positive feedback on the redesigned site.

Benefits of the redesign include a more intuitive design which makes navigation easier, an increased focus on Shop OnLine and the Consumer Guide, several new advertising opportunities, and increased exposure for current advertisers.

For those interested in online advertising, GTE has developed a new section of SuperPages that exposes businesses to the rich array of services available to them. It is designed to help business owners understand how to use the SuperPages and the Internet to attract new customers.

With over 11 million businesses listed and thousands of advertisers, the SuperPages service, offered by GTE Directories Corporation, is a rich, comprehensive shopping tool designed for people who want the convenience of finding information and purchasing products and services online.

GTE Directories is a leader in linking buyers and sellers through a spectrum of multi-media, multi-product advertising solutions, ranging from traditional Yellow Pages advertising, to interactive web-based services, to cable TV advertising. The company provides sales and other directory-related services for more than 2,500 directories in 17 countries, with a circulation of 94 million. GTE Directories is a part of GTE Corporation, Stamford, Conn., one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and a leading provider of integrated telecommunications services.

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