Verizon Wireless Selects Vicinity BrandFinder--SM-- and MapBlast!--R-- For Its Mobile Web Service

Vicinity's Mobile Location-Based Services Now Available Across Majority of Wireless Web-Enabled Services

Vicinity Corporation (Nasdaq: VCNT), a leading provider of wireless and Internet-based marketing infrastructure services, today announced an agreement with Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest wireless communications provider. Under terms of the agreement, customers of Verizon Wireless' new Mobile Web service can access Vicinity BrandFinder(SM) for information on millions of retailers, restaurants and service providers in the U.S. and MapBlast!(R) for door-to-door driving directions to any address in the United States.

"This agreement represents our commitment to introduce a complete range of customized information services for our Mobile Web customers. Vicinity's services add real value to the service, driving users to rely on their mobile phone as an indispensable source of information that follows them anywhere," said Marc Lefar, Verizon Wireless' staff vice president, e-Business, Wireless Internet and Data Services. "Mobile Web users have the ability to completely customize their wireless Internet experience based on their personal interests and needs, so if finding the store with their favorite brands, then obtaining driving directions is important to a user, they can easily configure their service to quickly access and receive that type of information via their wireless handset."

With BrandFinder, users can easily select from a number of categories including "Food," "Clothing/Shoes," and "Banking." By selecting a category, the user is provided with a list of top brands from which to select. Users then have the option of searching for the closest location of a selected brand or looking for a provider in a selected category without specifying a particular brand. Once a desired location is found, users may obtain driving directions at the click of a button. In the future, Vicinity plans to include attribute information for various brick-and-mortar locations, such as identifying McDonald's restaurants with childrens' Playlands or indicating the last pick-up time at particular FedEx drop-off locations.

With MapBlast!, users can enter a street address (or starting and ending addresses) and receive a detailed map of the area and door-to-door driving directions. MapBlast! is an ideal resource for Verizon users, helping them find their destinations wherever and whenever they need assistance.

"Web-enabled digital phone users are demanding a comprehensive and meaningful wireless Internet experience, and Vicinity's services are making this experience available today," said Emerick Woods, president and CEO of Vicinity.

Verizon Wireless today launched its nationwide Mobile Web service, which combines the convenience and mobility of wireless communications with popular content from the World Wide Web. The Mobile Web service, which runs on Verizon Wireless' robust and reliable, coast-to-coast CDMA network, gives users access to the Web-based information they want via their wireless handset.

Vicinity is a leading provider of Internet-based marketing infrastructure services for approximately 350 Global 2000, brand-name companies. It developed Vicinity BrandFinder for Web-enabled phones and devices, to distribute highly accurate, up-to-date information on hundreds of companies and millions of locations to the consumer. Its recent wireless announcements include:

-- OmniSky, the provider of a complete wireless Internet service for handheld devices such as the Palm V, will distribute Vicinity BrandFinder's comprehensive location information on its most-recognized brand-name customers over the Palm V and, later this year, over Windows CE devices and other handheld devices.

-- XYPoint, the nation's largest provider of phone location and wireless Internet services, will enable consumers to receive retail and service provider locations and driving directions on any wireless phone. The service works on any analog or digital handsets used by the nation's 85 million wireless consumers.

-- Palm, the leading provider of handheld computers (IDC personal companion devices category, 1999), including the Palm III, V and VII series of handheld computers, announced the availability of Vicinity BrandFinder(SM) and MapBlast!(R) applications on certain future Palm(TM) handheld computers.


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