CNET Continues Asian Expansion

Posted on August 28, 1998

CNET Inc., in collaboration with Tricast Pte Ltd., announced the launch of CNET Briefs Hong Kong, a Chinese language website. CNET Briefs Hong Kong combines CNET's content with regional news, information, and services to create a local CNET community built specifically to serve the needs of Hong Kong's Chinese-speaking Internet users.

Tricast, publisher of CNET Briefs Hong Kong, has entered into partnership with Hongkong Telecom's NETVIGATOR, the leading ISP in Hong Kong, who will host and co-market the new CNET site. The launch of CNET Briefs Hong Kong further extends CNET's growing Asian network, which includes English sites in Hong Kong and Singapore, with a Chinese site in Taiwan soon to be launched. In cooperation with local partners, CNET operates other localized versions of its websites in Australia, Japan, and Korea.

"Chinese speakers are among the most technically-sophisticated Internet users today, and the greater Chinese economy seems largely immune to the Asian Flu, said Tom Melcher, CNET's Senior Vice President of Business Development. "These factors are driving our aggressive push into Asia, which is anchored with our latest Chinese-language site. International markets are tremendous growth opportunities for CNET, and by working with strong and savvy local leaders, like Tricast, we can turn a foothold into dominance quickly."

"With the launch of CNET in Chinese, Tricast will broaden the appeal of CNET sites to the fastest growing segment of Internet users, the Chinese-speaking population," says Peter Schoppert, Tricast's Publisher and Director of Business Development. "There are at least four million Chinese-speaking users online right now, and research suggests that more than one million people will be online in Hong Kong alone by year-end. The Chinese edition of hongkong.cnet.com allows us to deliver need-to-know technology news and information to these users in their native tongue."