Company Press Release: Internet Pictures Corporation
March 23, 2000
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. and PALO ALTO, Calif., -- Internet Pictures Corporation (Nasdaq: IPIX; ``iPIX''), a leader in
visual content infrastructure solutions for the Internet, today announced that iPIX will provide an integrated
end-to-end visual content solution to Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), owner of the Westin,
Sheraton, Four Points, St. Regis, Luxury Collection and W brands. Through the power of iPIX(TM) images, business
and consumer travelers will experience the amenities of Starwood Hotels & Resorts around the world at the respective
branded Web sites.
``The Internet has emerged as a mission-critical medium for hotel and resort marketing and e-commerce,'' said Doug
Stone, Vice President Interactive Marketing of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. ``iPIX enables us to leverage the
power of the Internet by adding rich visual content to our Web site, travel portals, and as well as sending the
content in emails to our customers and travel agents. Through iPIX's scalable and reliable digital media infrastructure,
Starwood Hotels & Resorts will be able to significantly improve our online presence and drive online reservations.''
iPIX will provide Starwood the iPIX e-commerce services, which currently include an integrated visual content solution
for its online and direct marketing initiatives. iPIX's turnkey service will include the creation of 360 x 360
images of hotel common areas, guest rooms and surrounding areas allowing travelers to look in any direction just
as if they were standing there. iPIX will also host the digital media content on iPIX's high-volume server architecture
and seamlessly distribute the images and other digital media to the full complement of Starwood Web sites, as well
as travel portals. Starwood anticipates that this partnership will enable Starwood to enhance its online marketing
and accelerate online booking transactions with high-quality Web-based and email-able visual content.
``iPIX visual content helps to drive e-commerce on travel and hospitality Web sites,'' said Jim Phillips, CEO of
iPIX. ``Starwood's industry-leading collection of popular business and leisure properties provide an incredible
platform for online and email bookings using iPIX e-commerce services. We are thrilled to be working with such
an Internet savvy corporation that shares our vision of accelerating e-commerce by providing consumers with visual
content of hotels and resorts around the world.''
To ensure that Starwood's visual content is available to the maximum number of online viewers around the world,
iPIX will provide its ViewAlways(TM) technology which automatically senses the viewer's Internet platform, and
optimizes the content for a PC, Macintosh, set-top box or wireless personal digital assistant. In addition to high-speed
and reliable delivery of images across the Web, iPIX will also enable Starwood to send customized email-able virtual
tours that allow users to discover more about the Starwood Preferred Guest Programs, investigate new properties,
email hotel recommendations to friends and business colleagues and even book their reservation with iPIX's one-click
e-commerce button.
About Starwood
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., through its Westin, Sheraton, Four Points, St. Regis, Luxury Collection
and W brands, is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 700 hotels in 80 countries
and 120,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. For more information about Starwood Hotels, please visit
www.starwood.com.
About iPIX
iPIX provides global visual content infrastructure solutions for leading e-commerce and new media Web sites. The
iPIX end-to-end solutions enable the creation, hosting and distribution of rich visual content to thousands of
Internet sites. A broad array of industries, including real estate, e-retail, automotive, travel, publishing and
entertainment, are capitalizing on iPIX visual content to give viewers more information, more interaction and a
richer online experience. The company is headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee with co-headquarters in Palo Alto,
California.
NOTE: Internet Pictures and iPIX are trademarks and service marks of Internet Pictures Corporation.
This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the safe harbors created by those
sections. Statements concerning the implementation of Internet Pictures Corporation's services and the benefits
expected to result from those services constitute forward-looking statements and are based on current expectations.
Actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could
cause actual results to differ include failure of Internet Pictures Corporation to integrate its services with
the Web sites of Starwood Hotels & Resorts and the failure of properties owned or managed by Starwood to adopt
and utilize such services. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties described
from time to time in Internet Pictures Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
In particular, see ``Risk Factors'' in the prospectus included in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC
on March 17, 2000 (www.sec.gov).
SOURCE: Internet Pictures Corporation