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Excite dials up AT&T
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May 6, 1998: 1:53 p.m. ET
Companies to take on Yahoo! with launch of joint online service
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - AT&T Corp. and Excite Inc. said Wednesday they will join forces to launch a new online service.
As part of a three-year agreement, the companies will introduce Excite Online Powered by AT&T WorldNet Service.
The service is expected to compete against Yahoo! Online, the joint venture of Yahoo! Inc. and MCI Communications Corp., which was announced in March.
As part of the agreement, Excite and AT&T will offer Internet-based, multimedia communications services such as anonymous voice chat and conference calling controlled from the Web.
The companies didn't disclose the deal's financial terms.
Excite Online will launch in June with nationwide dial-up access and will prominently feature Excite's Web site when users log on.
Pricing for Excite Online hasn't been set.
AT&T said it also will offer Excite users a selection of AT&T long-distance and wireless services through a co-branded Personal Communications Center on Excite's home page in the near future.
Wednesday's agreement is the latest move by an Internet company to dethrone Yahoo! as the top Web site.
On Monday, Excite entered a two-year agreement with Netscape Communications Corp. in which Excite will provide its search-engine technology to power Netscape's Netcenter Web site. Excite also will sell all advertising for co-branded Netcenter content channels.
Also on Monday, AT&T and Lycos Inc. signed a deal in which Lycos will offer AT&T hybrid telephone services on its Web site.
Shares of AT&T (T) fell 7/16 to 60-3/4 in midday trading. Excite (XCIT) shares dropped 1/8 to 66-5/8. 
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Excite
AT&T WorldNet
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