Press
Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EBOT 'ELECTRONIC ROBOT' REVOLUTIONIZES THE WAY DIGITAL
PRODUCTS ARE FOUND AND DELIVERED OVER THE INTERNET
Service Offers Free Software Updates Along
With Free Retail Software
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., September 2, 1999 -- Imagine a personal wardrobe
service that came to your house immediately when called and brought you
a rack of clothing featuring all the latest styles, perfectly tailored
to your size and complementing your current wardrobe. Better yet, most
of the clothes on the rack were free and those that were for sale were
at substantial discounts. Now imagine if this service did the same thing
but this time with software and digital products for your personal computer.
Introducing eBot, the world's first complete digital product assistant
that helps keep your computer up-to-date and loaded with the latest technology.
EBot, a free subscription service from Digital River, Inc., the world's
leader in digital product delivery over the Internet, is an 'electronic
robot' that sits on a subscriber's PC desktop. When the subscriber requests
it, eBot gets the latest software releases, patches and bug fixes perfectly
relevant for the subscriber's computer system. Then, just by clicking
the button, subscribers can download their selected products and instantly
install them. The relatively small eBot utility is available for free
at http://www.ebot.com or through a number of Digital River partners who
offer downloadable products.
"There are literally hundreds of thousands of software products, upgrades,
bug fixes, add-ons and patches available for consumers to load on their
computer," said Joel Ronning, Digital River CEO. "How do you know which
ones are right for you? You could comb the Web for hours or you could
just use eBot and in minutes take the guesswork out of keeping your computer
on the cutting edge and loaded with the latest cool digital products."
How EBot Works
Once a subscriber installs eBot, they can enable eBot's Updates feature,
which then determines what applications are installed on the subscriber's
PC. EBot then searches the eBot database for updates and sends the subscriber
only the free updates applicable to his or her system. At the same time,
eBot notifies subscribers of digital product offers and promotions relevant
to their computer. For example, a subscriber who enjoys sports games might
be offered a free graphics patch plus the newest PC football game at a
large discount.
Each database entry includes a brief file description, so users know what
each update does prior to downloading. When a subscriber selects a product,
eBot helps manage the download process with tools such as download pausing,
scheduling and download recovery if Internet access is ever cut. EBot
will help the user install the product and archive all of a subscriber's
downloads, so if there's ever a need to re-download a product or check
on the status of an order, all the information is available for instant
access through eBot.
Free Software and Other Digital Products
More than 95 percent of the products offered via eBot are free to subscribers.
In addition, eBot offers free retail versions of digital products through
Subscriber Bonuses in eBot or at http://www.ebot.com. The Bonuses include
games, music players and files, utilities, graphics programs, and more.
For eBot's launch, subscriber bonuses include:
| Y2K Hardware Adviser This is the new Y2K Hardware Adviser from Ontrack Data International and normally sells for $20. This utility helps determine how a user's computer handles the Year 2000 bug. |
|
| Anti Viral Toolkit Protect your computer from the latest viruses with this easy-to-use virus protection program from Central Command, a $19.99 retail value. |
|
| MusicMatch Audio Player/EMusic Bundle MusicMatch Jukebox, just named the Best Music Jukebox by The Wall Street Journal, teams with Allied Chemical Music Division to deliver a unique CD-quality music bundle that includes songs from Twin Tone Records. |
|
| Career Assessment System An exclusive offer from eBot and The International Assessment Network, the MAPP™ Assessment System can be used for personal career development, hiring of new employees, promotion of existing employees, work team analysis, outplacement, succession planning, morale and productivity, and training and reorganization. |
|
| Mahjongg Master This popular tile-matching game normally sells for $17.99 and comes from, eGames, one of the world's top manufacturers of family-friendly PC games. |
"Digital River has more than 5,000 publisher and retail partners, and
more than 100,000 digital products in its library," said Sam Richter,
eBot product manager and Digital River senior marketing director. "Any
offer made via eBot will be free or at reduced prices because we've been
able to eliminate the need for packaging and marketing, allowing our partners
to pass on the savings to eBot subscribers. And to ensure subscribers
always have a great eBot experience, we'll also provide free software
updates for subscribers, whether those updates are from Digital River
partners or not."
Total User Control
EBot goes to work only when the subscriber gives it permission to do so.
EBot offers direct online access to around-the-clock customer service
team via email and telephone support, and also features one-click access
to an extensive online help system, designed to make customers feel more
comfortable with ordering and downloading software from the Internet.
In addition, Digital River's proprietary security system and safe shopping
and virus-free guarantees cover all product orders via eBot, so consumers
never have to worry about purchasing products online.
About Digital River*
Digital River, Inc. (NASDAQ: DRIV), is the largest online source of software
and a leading outsource provider of Web-based commerce solutions. The
company, based in Minneapolis, provides more than 5,000 software publishers
and online retailers with its proprietary technology for Internet delivery
of more than 100,000 digital products, including 30,000 software products
and applications. For more information, visit Digital River's Web site
at http://www.digitalriver.com.
* Except for the historical information contained herein,
this press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements
containing the words, "believes," "anticipates," "expects" and similar
words. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance
or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among
others: the Company's limited operating history and variability of operating
results; market acceptance of electronic software delivery; the Company's
ability to maintain relationships with software publishers and online
retailers; competition in the electronic commerce market; and other risk
factors referenced in the Company's public filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.
