Dawson Rorick, USWeb/CKS, 415/369-6719
[email protected]
Chris Thomas, USWeb/CKS, 801/860-4840
[email protected]
ServiceMaster Selects USWeb/CKS To Build WeServeHomes.com
Internet Professional Services Market Leader Selected to Help Create a New E-Commerce Division for Home Service Company
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - February 1, 2000 - USWeb/CKS (Nasdaq: USWB) announced today that ServiceMaster, the parent company to well-known brands, Terminix, TruGreen-ChemLawn, Merry Maids and others, has tasked the company with building several aspects of WeServeHomes.com, the new e-commerce company backed by Kleiner-Perkins and ServiceMaster. Services to be provided by USWeb/CKS include digital strategy, naming, branding, advertising, customer relationship management, e-commerce process design, and site development.
The new site, expected to be fully operational in the first half of this year, will allow homeowners to schedule and purchase home maintenance services and related products online. The site, in addition to offering valuable content related to managing the home, will make it easy for customers to schedule multiple services to be delivered simultaneously, at a date and time that is convenient for them.
"I view the USWeb/CKS team as one of our operating units. They've shown that they have the required expertise, experience and scale and because of those elements, we have entrusted them to help build our business," said Charles McCusker, COO of WeServeHomes.com.
"This project is one that can truly showcase the breadth of services that we offer. We are helping to build a .com company from inception. We believe ServiceMaster selected USWeb/CKS because they realized few companies could bring together the necessary skills and resources to execute this task as quickly as we can," said Craig Collins, USWeb/CKS Partner.
About USWeb/CKS
USWeb/CKS seeks to transform businesses in the digital economy and create sustainable market leadership for its clients. As the leading Internet professional services firm, USWeb/CKS has created a new standard for success in the digital economy -- Time-to-Value. Time-to-Value means USWeb/CKS applies its extensive insight, experience and scale to deliver breakthrough results quickly. The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with more than 4,000 professionals in 13 countries around the world. USWeb/CKS recently announced its intention to merge with Whittman-Hart, Inc. Additional information about USWeb/CKS is available by calling 415/284-7070.
About ServiceMaster
ServiceMaster provides outsourcing services to more than 10.5 million customers in the United States and in 41 countries around the world, with customer level revenue of $6.4 billion. The core service capabilities of the Company include lawn care and landscaping, termite and pest control, plumbing, heating and air conditioning maintenance and repair, appliance maintenance and repair, cleaning, plant maintenance and supportive management services.
These services are provided through a network of over 5,800 company-owned and franchised service centers and business units, operating under leading brands which include TruGreen-ChemLawn, TruGreen-LandCare, Terminix, American Home Shield, Rescue Rooter, American Residential Services, ServiceMaster Residential and Commercial Services, Merry Maids, AmeriSpec, Furniture Medic and ServiceMaster Management Services.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" (as defined under securities law) regarding the relationship between USWeb/CKS and ServiceMasters, and the development of ServiceMasters's WeServeHomes.com Web site. There can be no assurance that this project will be successful or that it will contribute positively to USWeb/CKS' results of operations. Further, this project does not necessarily indicate that the company will be able to secure additional similar projects. For additional information about factors that could affect the business of USWeb/CKS, see the documents filed by the company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.