GTE's SuperPages service marks major milestone by offering enhanced site featuring Shop OnLine, an electronic commerce capability that gives consumers a new and easier way to shop on the World Wide Web.

DALLAS -- GTE today marked another milestone for its innovative GTEs SuperPages service as it introduced a number of site enhancements,including Shop OnLine, which offers users the ability to conduct secure electronic commerce transactions.

Shop OnLines electronic commerce capability allows users to make secure purchases from a wide selection of merchants directly from GTEs SuperPages site (http://superpages.GTE.net.). Users also benefit from other site enhancements when they visit the site, including a new advertiser section, Bring Business to Your Business, and a streamlined Yellow Pages search interface.

GTEs SuperPages service is already recognized as one of the best online Yellow Pages directories, linking buyers to sellers. This added e-commerce capability is elevating the bar by which directories are being judged, said Pat Marshall, vice president of New Media Services for GTE Directories. And our advertisers realize the added value of being associated with us as a resource as well.

Today, GTEs SuperPages service includes listings for more than 11 million U.S. businesses. It also offers Consumer Guide with consumer product information and ratings for Best Buys, mapping, door-to-door driving instructions, classified ads and the Lycos City Guide to more than 400 U.S. cities, giving consumers a comprehensive one-stop site for finding information.

Shop OnLine Makes Electronic Purchases Easier for Consumers

The Shop OnLine capability transforms GTEs SuperPages service from a Yellow Pages directory, where buyers and sellers may be connected, to a complete tool for searching, finding and purchasing products electronically.

GTE is partnering with selected shopping sites that fulfill users desire to buy online in an easy and secure environment and put the sites all in one place, eliminating the frustration often encountered when trying to shop and buy electronically.

When users visit GTEs SuperPages service home page, they may select the Shop OnLine icon and will be taken to a screen where they interface with advertisers and make secure purchases. Products and services are sorted by categories. There are currently 13 categories for goods, including books, toys, and electronics, and six categories for services, including dining, travel and financial.

From these category listings, users will find a wide selection of merchants with online catalogues and electronic commerce transaction capabilities. Some of these advertisers include Barnes & Noble, Travelocity, FAO Schwarz, Spiegel, Bank of America, J. Crew and Signature Group's Shop4.com. An array of GTE products and services are also available for purchase from the site.

Site Enhancements Improve GTEs SuperPages Service Interface

Additional site enhancements were based primarily on customer feedback submitted by users. GTE also researched how consumers are using online services today. The streamlined Yellow Pages search form, now available directly from the home page, was enhanced to include the fields used most often and eliminates fields that are rarely used.

Businesses interested in advertising with GTEs SuperPages service may now access the Bring Business to Your Business section directly from a large, colorful hyperlink featured on GTEs SuperPages services home page.

Merchants Maximize Internet Exposure with GTEs SuperPages Service

The Internet has given businesses a dynamic means for reaching their target markets through interactive web sites, but without a guide to their site, merchants limit the amount of traffic that may potentially reach their URL. GTEs SuperPages service recently was voted one of the top three directory sites on the Web by Ketchum Directory Advertising.

Users are looking for a leader and a Yellow Pages service that may enhance their use of online services. GTEs SuperPages continues to pay attention to the market and how consumers use the Internet, said John Joseph, president of Ketchum Directory Advertising. Leveraging the capabilities available on the Internet with how consumers use the Internet will determine who will continue to prosper in this competitive business.

SuperPages Interactive Service is offered by GTE Directories Corporation, a leader in linking buyers and sellers through effective advertising and information media. The company provides sales and other directory-related services for more than 2,400 directories in 16 countries, with a circulation of 84 million. GTE Directories is a part of GTE Corporation, Stamford, Conn., one of targest publicly held telecommunications companies in the world.

###