Switchboard Increases Online Presence With Addition of Seven Newspaper Partners

Switchboard to Power Directory Platform for Regional Online Newspapers

WESTBORO, Mass., Jan. 16-- Switchboard Incorporated (Nasdaq: SWBD - news), the leading provider of directory technology and locally targeted e-marketing solutions, today announced partnerships with seven newspaper and regional portals across the nation to feature Switchboard's directory platform on the papers' Web sites. Switchboard will power directories on the Web sites of leading regional newspapers including Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wis.), Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio), News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.) and Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.). Additionally, Switchboard's regional portal partnerships include STLtoday.com, featuring content from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Suburban Journals and other media outlets, (St. Louis, Mo.), NewsOK.com, Web site of the Daily Oklahoman, co-powered with CBS affiliate KWTV (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and TBO.com, the interactive service of the Tampa Tribune, NBC affiliate WFLA-TV (Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota) and other , Inc. newspapers in West Central . With these partnerships, and a deal with three of Tribune Publishing's newspaper sites (see announcement, "Tribune Newspaper Sites to Feature Switchboard- Powered Yellow Pages," Jan. 16, 2002), Switchboard's platform will power the online yellow pages for major newspaper outlets in 14 out of the top 25 markets in the country.

All seven Web sites will feature private-labeled versions of Switchboard's yellow pages, white pages, e-mail directory and product search function. Additionally, the sites will carry Switchboard's Maps On Us™ to supply users with advanced mapping and driving directions throughout the United States.

Switchboard will provide the newspaper partners with a variety of tools and support services to help facilitate their yellow pages sales efforts, including inbound and outbound telemarketing, as well as ad management interfaces which enable each partner to securely manage their advertiser content within the Switchboard platform. All advertisements displayed in the partners' yellow pages directories will also appear on the award-winning Switchboard.com Web site, viewed more than 90 million times each month.

"STLtoday.com, provides site visitors with information that enriches their lives and tools that help them make informed decisions," said Paul West, director of business development at STLtoday.com. "With this in mind, we looked for an online directory solution to help local merchants connect with STLtoday.com's loyal and growing audience. Switchboard was the ideal technology partner, offering comprehensive directory tools and a variety of sales support services."

"These new partnerships exemplify the newspaper industry's rapidly growing need for effective online promotional tools to attract and retain local advertisers," said Dean Polnerow, president and founder of Switchboard.

The new Switchboard-powered directories can be found at the following URLs: www.stltoday.com, www.newsok.com, www.TBO.com, www.jsonline.com, www.dispatch.com, www.news-record.com, and www.roanoke.com.

About Switchboard Incorporated

Headquartered in Westborough, Mass., Switchboard Incorporated is the leading provider of directory platforms to partners interested in developing an online Yellow Pages business to promote local and national businesses across a full range of Internet and wireless platforms. Viewed more than 90 million times each month, Switchboard.com is a showcase for Switchboard's superior directory technology and breadth of product offerings. Switchboard's directory platform offers a broad range of functions, content and services including yellow and white pages, product searching, and interactive maps and driving directions. To businesses of all sizes, Switchboard delivers the technology, content and services that drive consumers into local brick-and- mortar stores. Switchboard's proven directory platform powers the online directories of major Internet destinations, leading newspaper and yellow pages publishing companies, and wireless device manufacturers and carriers. ePresence (Nasdaq: EPRE - news) owns approximately 54% of the outstanding shares of Switchboard. "Switchboard" is a registered trademark, and "Nearbuy", "Deals Nearbuy" and "What's Nearby" are service marks of Switchboard Incorporated.

This release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events, and these statements are subject to important factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this release address a variety of subjects including, for example, the economic value and utility of the products and services offered by Switchboard to Switchboard's alliance partners and customers. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: Switchboard's alliances with StLToday.com, Tampa Tribune, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Columbus Dispatch, News & Record, NewsOK.com, and Roanoke Times may fail to produce the expected benefits; local merchants may not view the alliances as effective advertising vehicles for their products and services; if Switchboard cannot demonstrate the value of its local merchant services, local merchant customers and consumers may stop using these services; the attractiveness of Switchboard's services would diminish if it is not able to license or otherwise collect accurate database information from third-party providers; and if Switchboard and its business partners are unable to remain attractive media for online advertising, its revenue will substantially decline. For a detailed discussion of these and other cautionary statements, please refer to Switchboard's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Switchboard's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-90013) and Switchboard's most recent 10-Q filed November 14, 2001.

Contact: Allie Burns For Switchboard PR (617) 692-3285 [email protected]