SWBD Switchboard Incorporated (MM)

Houston Chronicle Selects Switchboard to Promote Texas Businesses HoustonChronicle.com and Switchboard Yellow Pages Connect Readers With Advertisers WESTBOROUGH, Mass., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Switchboard Incorporated , a leading provider of local online advertising solutions and Internet-based yellow pages, today announced that the Houston Chronicle, the 7th largest daily newspaper in the nation, has chosen Switchboard Incorporated as its source for online yellow pages. The alliance creates new opportunities for businesses to advertise locally and nationally on the newspaper's online property HoustonChronicle.com (http://www.chron.com/). A customized version of the leading yellow pages platform was developed by Switchboard and is currently accessible on the HoustonChronicle.com homepage, which attracts more than 1.6 million unique users each month. The directory will be further integrated into vertical content areas across the site, allowing users to easily locate businesses in the Texas area and across the country that meet their business and service needs. Switchboard has also launched Chronicle-branded versions of its white pages directory and maps and directions services on the highly trafficked newspaper site. "As the most visited local website in the Houston area, HoustonChronicle.com commands a strong influence on the Texas marketplace," said Mark Canon, Vice President of Business Development of Switchboard. "Our online yellow pages is the perfect vehicle to help them expand their online local advertising capabilities, offering businesses new and innovative ways to connect to their readers." "The addition of Switchboard to HoustonChronicle.com is part of our continuing effort to expand the features of our site for both readers and advertisers," said Scott Clark, Vice President, HoustonChronicle.com. "Elements of Switchboard will be incorporated into many areas of our site." About Switchboard Incorporated Switchboard is a leading provider of local online advertising solutions for merchants and national advertisers, enabled by our innovative, consumer-oriented, online yellow and white pages directory technology. A pioneer of locally-oriented business searching, Switchboard.com and the sites of its many directory affiliates connect nearly 9 million unique, ready-to-buy consumers each month with the businesses that have what they need, driving local commerce through online innovation. Switchboard is headquartered in Westborough, MA. For more information, visit http://www.switchboard.com/. ePresence (NASDAQ:EPRE) owns approximately 51.1% of the outstanding shares of Switchboard. About The Houston Chronicle The Houston Chronicle, one of the largest newspapers in the United States, was founded more than 100 years ago in 1901, and was acquired by the Hearst Corporation in 1987. In addition to delivering in-depth coverage of local issues, the Houston Chronicle is equally committed to covering, state, national and international news. The Houston Chronicle is the nation's seventh largest daily paper with daily circulation totals of 553,018 and the ninth largest paper on Sundays with circulation totals of 747,404. The newspaper's online service, HoustonChronicle.com, is widely regarded as one of the top newspaper Web sites, receiving over 1 million page views, on average, every day. Forward-Looking Statements Statements used in this press release that relate to future plans, events, financial results or performance are 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 following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements: Switchboard may fail to achieve long-term growth and may fail to achieve improved operating results over the next several quarters; Switchboard's alliance with the Houston Chronicle may fail to produce the expected benefits. 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 28, 2003 and most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on November 14, 2003. Switchboard cautions readers to consider carefully the foregoing factors and other such factors. Further, Switchboard's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which such statements are made. Switchboard disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release. Contact: Elaine Haney Switchboard Incorporated Phone: 508-898-8146 Email: DATASOURCE: Switchboard Incorporated CONTACT: Elaine Haney of Switchboard Incorporated, +1-508-898-8146, Web site: http://www.switchboard.com/ http://houstonchronicle.com/ http://www.chron.com/

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