BusinessWire
October 19, 2005 05:30 AM US Pacific Timezone

Jambo Introduces First True Pay Per Call Solution; Successfully Integrating the Telephone and the Internet, Jambo Extends Pay-for-Performance Advertising From the Click-Through to the Telephone Call

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 19, 2005--Jambo (www.jambo.com), the innovator and leading provider of solutions that effectively connect people and businesses from the Internet to the telephone, today launched the industry's first patent-pending Pay Per Call solution, extending pay-for-performance advertising -- previously available only on a cost-per click (CPC) basis -- to the phone.

Jambo's announcement brings true performance-based advertising to millions of local merchants who want calls, not clicks. The vast majority of local businesses still aren't online and are not in a position to change the way they conduct business -- the telephone continues to be their primary source of leads.

For online lead generators (that is, search engine publishers), Jambo's Pay Per Call solution brings the world of local merchants to the Internet's fastest-growing advertising medium, pay-for-performance -- the same medium that has built Internet powerhouses Yahoo and Google.

Jambo's innovative approach to pay-for-performance advertising combines powerful telecommunication assets with compelling Internet technology, enabling consumers to connect directly from search result listings to a business via the telephone. The result: merchants with no web presence gain access to local search results, the most dynamic advertising tool available online; lead generators can expand the successful pay-for-performance advertising model from the keyword/banner click-through to the telephone call; and consumers get convenient connection to the businesses for which they're already searching.

"The value of a telephone lead is as much as 25 times the value of a click," said John Melideo, CEO of Jambo. "Merchants recognize that value and are willing to pay for these phone leads. Our solution successfully integrates the telephone and the Internet to capture and monetize those calls. Search engines and other lead generators that have traditionally had an arm's length relationship with consumers can now get credit for delivering qualified consumers to the right merchant via the phone -- significantly expanding their pay-for-performance revenue potential."

"There are an estimated 11+ million local merchants who don't have an online presence -- a previously inaccessible, but potentially lucrative, audience that is currently spending $20+ billion dollars annually via 'spec-based' solutions like the Yellow Pages, newspapers and local radio," said Ronald Burr, Jambo chief strategic officer and founder of NetZero. "To date the Internet has not had an effective offering for local merchants who primarily do business over the phone. Jambo answers that need with a true performance-based solution."

Merchants Automatically Included

Instead of putting the burden on the merchants -- forcing them to take the initiative to sign up with a Pay Per Call program -- Jambo is taking the opposite approach. Using "automatic inclusion" -- much like the Yellow Pages did in its early days -- all merchants already listed on one of Jambo's Lead Network partners will be automatically included on the Pay Per Call playing field.

With or without a web presence, merchants can gain access to pre-qualified consumers, expand their advertising reach and receive automatic leads -- they simply have to pick up the phone. Merchants automatically receive calls from consumers who found them via participating Lead Network partners. Jambo also provides detailed information about each call through its embedded Jambo Call Event Capture(TM) -- including demographic and geographic data -- enabling merchants to capture and analyze the metrics of every single lead.

Jambo is making its turnkey solution available to both online and traditional media lead generators through its Lead Network -- giving them unprecedented access to merchants not yet taking advantage of online search.

Jambo manages all calls and the billing, providing an end-to-end solution from lead capture to monetization. Jambo is an aggregated sales channel, enabling lead generators to leverage multiple sources to deliver critical mass to their merchant advertisers. In addition, Jambo's Embedded Sell(TM) offers merchants who are not yet using Jambo, but have received calls generated from a specific Jambo Lead Network partner, the opportunity to sign up with that partner- proactively helping that lead generator build its own business.

About Jambo

Founded by a team of seasoned telecom professionals, entrepreneurs, and technologists, Jambo (www.jambo.com) has developed a solution to accommodate local business exposure on the Internet. Its proprietary solution enables local merchants without a web presence to maximize their ROI for advertising dollars spent on the Internet.