INTRODUCING HOTBAR.COM: "THE DASHBOARD TO THE INTERNET"
Hotbar's Free Plug-in Integrates Communication, Content, Commerce, Creativity and Color Into One Free Toolbar
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 11, 2000 The Web's best sites and services now have a better chance than ever of being seen. Today, Hotbar.com, Inc. officially introduced its free plug-in, designed to take advantage of existing Web browser real estate to offer Hotbar's users access to the best of the Web via one, unobtrusive toolbar.
Using Hotbar - the dashboard to the Internet - more than 7.5 million users already have instant transportation to the Web's most useful and popular sites, the latest in leading-edge ecommerce deals and access to time-saving services such as search from Alta Vista, shopping content from MySimon and expert advice from Keen.com.
Hotbar offers ebusinesses a new and creative way to cut through Web clutter and effectively reach their target audiences. By partnering with Hotbar, these Web sites can integrate their content into millions of customized browsers and fully leverage the Hotbar plug-in's extensive, already-established user-base. With its powerful, first-to-market platform, the company provides tremendous ecommerce incentive, and effectively converts casual Web surfers into active participants. For the individual Hotbar user, this translates into a more personalized surfing experience - for the ebusiness, a more profitable Internet.
"Hotbar is committed to partnering with the best sites on the Web, enabling them to stand out and be visible on a user's browser every day," said Oren Dobronsky, Hotbar's co-founder and CEO. "The Internet is an incredibly vast place. Our goal is to streamline
the surfing process, immediately connecting our users with the best content and ecommerce deals available anywhere."
Hotbar's toolbar has already proven to be incredibly popular with its users. In the 8 months that Hotbar's beta version has been available for download, the light, 140-kilobyte plug-in has amassed over 7.5 million users.
The Beauty of the Bar is More than Skin Deep
While Hotbar's "skins" - graphical images first introduced to the Internet by Hotbar that can be instantly applied to the browser's existing gray-top toolbar - have undoubtedly fueled the toolbar's popularity, Hotbar also provides ebusinesses with a method to quickly and dramatically increase both their online visibility and profitability.
Hotbar has formed partnerships with some of the Internet's highest-profile providers of content, ecommerce and Internet services, including Alta Vista, Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), MySimon shopping content, CNET (Nasdaq: CNET), Keen.com, OnAir.com, and McAfee (Nasdaq: MCAF) virus protection software, among others. Leveraging its partnerships with companies including Quios.com, Hotbar also provides its users with access to a range of services such as free PC-to-Mobile MS Messaging and chat. The extraordinary interactive capabilities available to Hotbar's users demonstrate the company's commitment to using strategic alliances to place the timeliest information and most wanted services on the Web at its users' fingertips through the Hotbar platform.
Adding Pizzazz to the Browser
Hotbar does much more than add functionality to a user's Web browser. The company is also focused on jazzing-up users' Web journeys. Hotbar offers users the option to "skin" the browser, introducing a splash of color and personality to an otherwise gray browser.
"Adding color and life to the browser through Hotbar's skins is a way to make the Internet a more warm and human place," said Gabriella Karni, president of Hotbar.com and a licensed psychotherapist. "We encourage people to create their own skins and add familiar personal photos or images to their toolbar. This way, people won't be sitting alone while surfing the Web."
Companies including AskJeeves Kids (Nasdaq: ASKJ), Capitol Records, FortuneCity, HeadBone.com, Hollywood Records (a part of the Go.com network), UpRoar.com.uk (Nasdaq: UPRO) and National Lampoon have all partnered with Hotbar to create Skin Centers, or areas on the site containing branded skins relevant to their respective companies. Individuals and companies can create skins in standard bitmap format using their own artwork and photographs. Users can also email skins to friends and family, post them on personal Web sites, and submit them to Hotbar's Skin Gallery for anyone to use.
System Requirements
Hotbar is compatible with Internet Explorer and has recently announced a Netscape-compatible version as well. The plug-in can be downloaded for free at www.hotbar.com.
About Hotbar.com
Hotbar is the dashboard to the Internet, integrating communication, content, commerce, color and creativity all in one free toolbar. Hotbar is a privately held company with sales and marketing based in New York City and research and development in Tel Aviv, Israel.
The company was founded in 1999 by chief executive officer Oren Dobronsky and president Gabriella Karni. Thousands of Hotbar Skin centers exist on the Web to date, featuring personal skins created by Hotbar.com users. For more information, please visit www.hotbar.com.
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