iVillage Receives Investment From Intel

Investment to Support Internet-Based Personal Health Management at Better Health Web Site

SANTA CLARA, Calif., and NEW YORK, N.Y., June 24, 1998 -- Intel Corporation has invested in iVillage, whose Better Health online community offers resources for people to manage their health. Better Health, located at www.betterhealth.com and AOL keyword: betterhealth, is one of the most popular consumer health communities online, according to industry analyst firm Media Metrix.

Better Health intends to add new features, including a health profiling tool, by which Better Health members may assess health risks based on lifestyle and hereditary information; personal home health pages; and a ranking of health organizations.

"The Intel-iVillage relationship is indicative of the sweeping changes now taking place in online healthcare," said Tom Ferguson, M.D., senior associate at Boston's Center for Clinical Computing, author of Health Online, and Editor of The Ferguson Report, the forthcoming industry newsletter of online health. "Millions of online self-helpers are already using resources on the Internet to learn about and manage their own medical problems. They are finding information, conversation and community online. Patients, not doctors, are the driving force in this online health revolution."

New Features
The first new feature is an easy-to-use health profiling tool. This Personal Health Report allows Better Health members to assess potential health risks by entering lifestyle and hereditary information. Customized information, from risk rankings to a disease screening guide to tips for improving one's "Health Quotient," is bundled with a Reuters news feed tailored to specific conditions and health interests. In coming months, iVillage plans to provide Better Health members with their own password-protected sites that will provide each user timely, comprehensive information on issues that directly impact her or his personal health. In addition, the Better Health site now lists health plan quality rankings by J.D. Power & Associates. This report presents consumer satisfaction rankings for over 180 health plans in 20 major U.S. markets.

"In the same way consumers use Internet-connected PCs to manage their finances, buy books and order tickets, they can help monitor their well-being. We envision people relying on Better Health as a central health information resource, and to gather customized information on health management programs such as smoking cessation, weight programs, chronic disease programs, physical fitness and much more," said Steve McGeady, vice president and director, Health Technology Initiative, Intel. "We look forward to working with iVillage as they enable the online features and tools that will help consumers transcend the limitations of conventional healthcare."

"With Intel's investment and technical expertise, Better Health will advance its mission of empowering people to be better healthcare decision-makers," said Robert Levitan, Better Health president and co-founder of iVillage. "We believe this relationship will accelerate the evolution of healthcare online from information retrieval, to online community, to personalization and individual relevance."

About Better Health, Intel And iVillage
iVillage's Better Health, established in 1993, currently comprises some 50 targeted sub-communities ranging from heart disease and cancer to smoking cessation and heartburn management. On a monthly basis, Better Health hosts more than 800 live mutual support groups, and its members post more than 90,000 messages to discussion areas on specific health subjects. Better Health offers 24-hour access to disease-specific information and industry-recognized interactive resources.

Established in 1995 and headquartered in New York City, iVillage is an independent new-media content provider with the mission of humanizing cyberspace for women. The company is widely recognized as a forerunner in developing innovative sponsorships that match the desire of marketers to reach women with the needs of members for relevant information. iVillage.com: The Women's Network (www.ivillage.com and AOL keyword: ivillage) is the number-one women's network online with more than 65 million page views per month.

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