Five hundred thousand Viewpoint Toolbars have been installed by U.S. consumers on their computers. The half-million install milestone was surpassed on April 30th, only 44 days after the Viewpoint Toolbar’s introduction on March 17th of this year and merely 14 days after the distribution campaign emerged from its limited testing phase on April 15th.
Following the beta release of the Viewpoint Toolbar on March 17th via Viewpoint’s Corporate website, Viewpoint commenced a test on March 23rd to a limited group of users connected to its distribution network. Measuring acceptance rates and consumer feedback, the Company methodically tested alternative opt-in messages and install experiences in order to maximize performance during wide distribution scheduled for April 15th.
On April 15th, wide distribution began and achieved acceptance rates on average of 25%, far greater than the standard 7-12% acceptance rates for opt-in messages offered by other software providers. Performance of installed toolbars by other measures also surpassed rates for other providers. Additionally, on April 21st, the Company released its first set of “skins” allowing users to customize the look and feel of their toolbars.
“For a company that only late last year began contemplating an initiative in the Search industry, these results are fantastic,” says Larry Allen, Viewpoint’s vice president of technology. “We have delivered a great product in record time that provides a groundbreaking experience for users. The Viewpoint Toolbar team has every reason to be proud.”
On May 26, 2004, Viewpoint plans to release the next version of its toolbar. This version will provide new features and will be further optimized for speed and functionality.
“We believe we’re offering users what they cannot get anywhere else,” adds Mr. Amato. “A way to search the Internet that’s fun and entertaining while still providing improvements in productivity and ease-of-use. And given that we’re getting such valuable feedback from our users and that we are committed to being a responsive and nimble company, we believe our product will continue to adapt and improve quickly.”
