DENVER, Colo., October 2, 2006 - Yellow Pages Group has contracted a leading developer of online directory services in a step that will help revolutionize local find-it services for New Zealanders and New Zealand businesses.
Colorado-based Local Matters, Inc. will work with Yellow Pages Group to boost the power of its online search engine and give New Zealand businesses the opportunity to have a website presence on Internet Yellow Pages and establish additional revenue opportunities for its business.
Local Matters provides software and media services that allow Yellow Pages publishers and directory providers to expand their traditional service offerings online. Yellow Pages Group will use Local Matters´ Destination Search platform, to deliver an improved local search experience by providing feature-rich search capabilities for a broad database of local content as well as offering decision-support, activity-planning and other tools to site users.
Yellow Pages Group General Manager Dudley Enoka said Yellow Pages print directories were at the heart of so many kiwi businesses, and there was increasing demand for online representation. “Our goal is to complement our print directories with online listings for every business, providing rich information for their customers. Yellow Pages Group is uniquely able to give businesses an online profile, along with deep local information for New Zealanders.”
“The collaboration with Yellow Pages Group is a reflection of our commitment to enable our customers to deliver improved local search services,” said Perry Evans, CEO, Local Matters.
“To be the leading local find-it resource for New Zealanders we need to work with the world´s leading service provider in this area, and we believe Local Matters will significantly boost our capability,” said Enoka.
The public launch of the new website will be in 2007. The site will include features from Local Matters´ Destination Search platform such as interactive maps and map-based search, comparison-shopping pages, user-generated itineraries for multi-stop shopping, and personal contact lists to help consumers build personalized online pages.
Mr. Enoka said the agreement with Local Matters was a catalyst for a significantly extended local find-it service, and expected this agreement would be supplemented by Yellow Pages Group purchasing a range of leading directory-based sites.
Yellow Pages Group recently announced the purchase of award-winning tourism directory New Zealand Tourism Online (www.tourism.net.nz) and also said that it was seeking other acquisitions.
About Local Matters
Local Matters, Inc., with more than 40 customers in 18 countries, provides specialized technology products and media services that enable Yellow Pages publishers and 411 service providers to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the local search market. Local Matters' products and services are designed to enable its clients to deliver improved online and voice-based local search services, creating expanded advertising and other revenue opportunities. Visit the company at
www.localmatters.com
