Protea and AOL UK to Bring AOL and the Internet to More UK Homes Submitted By: Elaine Mercer Wednesday, 1 December 1999

Protea and AOL UK to bring AOL and the Internet to more UK homes Submitted by: Elaine Mercer Wednesday, 1 December 1999

Protea, the specialist PC installation company, has signed a deal with AOL UK, a division of AOL Europe, the leading pan-European online, Internet and e-commerce services provider, to install its AOL 5.0 software on new PCs by appointment in consumers' homes. Thousands of new PC owners will benefit from this programme in the run-up to Christmas. Each customer will receive the first 10 hours of AOL completely free, giving them the opportunity to try out the service without incurring any subscription or telephone costs. Under the revolutionary new 'AOL Off-Peak All The Time' pricing plan, AOL UK members pay a £9.99 monthly subscription for unlimited Internet access plus just 1p a minute for telephone access, whatever the time of day or day of the week. With Internet telephone calls costing up to 4p a minute for day-time access, AOL's unrivalled 0800-based scheme can offer UK families considerable savings. Welcoming the partnership, Head of Partner Marketing for AOL UK, Chris Ellis, said "AOL is designed to meet the needs of UK families, especially home PC users looking for simple and safe access to great content and vibrant online communities. We're delighted this partnership with Protea will help guide first time Internet users through their first online experience " Chris Varley, managing director of Protea, said, "We are delighted to be working with AOL UK. Although approached by several ISPs, Protea chose AOL UK because, quite simply, the Internet is their business. As our Associates install by appointment they are often installing PCs at weekends or in the evenings. The new owners want to get online immediately. AOL enables them to do just that - quickly, easily and cost-effectively." Notes to Editors and CSEs About Protea Protea Personal Productivity has installed over a quarter of a million PCs in homes and offices across the UK since the company was formed in 1995. Protea has installed home technology bought in Tesco, Harrods, John Lewis Partnership, Sainsbury, as well as via many catalogue companies, and has installed therefore tutored many different types of computer user. Because Protea is used to installing in the domestic environment, they are particularly customer-focussed. In many cases Protea combines

Page 1 installations with training and troubleshooting. This means that any 'early-life' problem can be resolved on the spot, and the customer is familiar with the machine before the associate leaves. About AOL AOL UK is a division of AOL Europe, Europe's multinational leader in Internet, online and e-commerce services. Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany with executive offices in London, AOL Europe employs nearly 2,000 people. Through its successful multiple-brand strategy, AOL Europe operates the leading AOL, CompuServe and Netscape Online services, AOL Instant Messenger, AOL and CompuServe Portals in nine countries and four languages across Europe. AOL is the service for the whole family, providing its members with interactive education, entertainment, financial and information content while giving access to a global online community. CompuServe is aimed at the corporate customer and 'new professional' user offering specialised information, large-scale databases, matchless forums and professional communication tools. Netscape Online, AOL Europe's subscription-free online service, is targeted at the UK 'value' sector and provides pure, high-performance Internet access. From the first service launch in 1996, AOL Europe's multiple brands now reach a total of 2.8 million households across Europe. AOL Europe is a joint venture between America Online Inc. and Bertelsmann AG. In headlines and stories, the proper usage of our corporate name is: "AOL UK, a division of AOL Europe". We appreciate strict adherence to this usage guide and to the "AOL UK" and "AOL Europe" corporate name. For a comprehensive archive of AOL press releases, please visit AOL's Web site at: http://www.aol.co.uk/press/ ** Additional note ** In headlines and stories, the proper usage of our corporate name is: "AOL Europe, a venture between America Online, Inc. and Bertelsmann AG," or "AOL UK, a division of AOL Europe." We appreciate strict adherence to this usage guide.

Page 2 For further information please contact: Protea: Elaine Mercer: [email protected] Tel: 0208 567 2513 / 07654 586 798 or AOL UK: Joss Cole: josscole@aol.com Tel: 0171 348 8353 Mobile: 07801 206 159

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Distributed via Press Release Wire (https://pressreleases.responsesource.com/) on behalf of Elaine Mercer