Recent Maritz Poll Shows Explosion in Popularity of Genealogy

Genealogy.com Enables Budding Genealogists to Tap Historical Data Sources Online and to Gather Advice for Tracing Family Tree

May 16, 2000 (FREMONT, CALIFORNIA) — Genealogy.com, LLC, has grown to be a trusted and valuable genealogy resource by providing valuable online tools for building family trees, as well as enabling users to do actual genealogy research online.

The popularity and growth of Genealogy.com is evidenced in the results of the latest "Maritz Poll," released today by Maritz Marketing Research Inc., one of the world's largest marketing research firms. According to the poll, approximately 60 percent of the U.S. population is interested in family history, up from 45 percent just five years ago. Beyond that, the poll also showed that about 35 million people have used the Internet for family history research. This means that nearly half of all Internet users have done genealogy online.

"For more than 10 years, we have been the leading developer of software and Internet tools that enable people to discover and preserve their family history more quickly, said Rob Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer of Genealogy.com. "The results of the Maritz poll parallel what we've seen: a tremendous surge in interest in genealogy over the past several years, coupled with a move online as people try to save time while learning more about their history."

Genealogy enthusiasts have been aided tremendously with the advent of the free Internet FamilyFinder, available only at www.genealogy.com. This proprietary genealogy search engine has electronic "robots" constantly searching the Internet, looking specifically for names that are in a genealogy context. In addition to millions of names gathered from genealogy sites all across the Internet, it also indexes names from Genealogy.com's collection of databases encompassing immigration records, hundreds of thousands of actual family trees, vital records, family histories, and more. A single search can point users to valuable family information found on Web sites and databases all across the Internet.

Another valuable way to save time on family tree research is to share information and get advice from other family history enthusiasts. Genealogy.com's message boards, located at GenForum.com, are the largest and most popular genealogy boards online. More than four million messages are posted on topics ranging from specific surnames, to ethnic and regional genealogy questions, to general genealogy information. Utilizing GenForum allows users to get advice and leads targeted to their specific family name and interests.

Genealogy.com provides budding genealogists with simple instructions and family tree tools in the Family Explorer. It shows users how to gather family information from their relatives, then it allows them to create their own family home page so that they can start collaborating with others right away. It gives them access to free online resources like the Social Security Death Index and the Genealogy SiteFinder. And it helps them find others who share their genealogy interests, whether online or in their local area.

About Genealogy.com, LLC

Genealogy.com, LLC was launched with $37.5 million in funding from major media corporations in November 1999. Genealogy.com, which previously operated under the corporate umbrella of Broderbund Software, is acknowledged as a decade-long leader in the genealogy technology space. The company is based in Fremont, California, and has approximately 90 employees. Information on Genealogy.com and its services and resources can be found at www.genealogy.com. All of its award-winning products and services are offered online and through direct sales; its software programs are also distributed at retail by the Broderbund Software unit of Mattel Interactive.

###

Note: All trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Contact Genealogy.com