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Yahoo! Canada signs first Enterprise Solutions customer with the Smart Choices Society of British ColumbiaPortal will provide the tools and content to build an eCommunity that will connect, engage and empower the citizens, businesses, and municipal governments within Coquitlam and Port Moody, B.C.TORONTO, CANADA - January 24, 2002 - Yahoo! Canada (www.yahoo.ca), a division of Yahoo! Inc (Nasdaq: YHOO), announced today its first portal solutions agreement in Canada, with Smart Choices Society of British Columbia. Smart Choices Society of British Columbia is part of the Smart Communities program, which is a three-year federally funded program created by Industry Canada to enable Canada to become a world leader in the development and use of information and communication technologies for economic, social and cultural development. The Smart Choices Community Portal, which will serve the communities of Coquitlam and Port Moody, British Columbia, will be built using tools from Yahoo!'s business communications and corporate portal division, Yahoo! Enterprise Solutions (http://enterprise.yahoo.com). This agreement and eventually deployment is another example of how Yahoo! is helping organizations and businesses improve communications and manage information through the Internet. As the world's leading Internet destination, Yahoo! and its Enterprise Solutions division can help companies and organizations such as Smart Choices more effectively organize, present and distribute information to consumers and employees in a user-friendly format. Yahoo! Enterprise Solutions' services are used by leading companies such as Honeywell, Bayer AG, Seagate Technology and Network Appliance. "Yahoo!'s portal solution for Smart Choices exemplifies the leadership position that Yahoo! Canada has in the Canadian online market, not only in our capacity to serve consumers but also our ability to meet the Internet communications needs for Canadian businesses and organizations," said Michael Zahra, General Manager for Yahoo! Canada. "Building this eCommunity with The Smart Choices program is a great way to unite Canadians through an Internet based communications solution. Canadian companies and organizations are increasingly expected to have a comprehensive but easy to use online presence and Yahoo! Canada's Enterprise Solutions offering meets this need." The Smart Choices project was created to drive the development of an eCommunity for residents of the cities of Port Moody and Coquitlam, British Columbia. The initiative includes a comprehensive Internet gateway to local information and services. To facilitate use of this online community, Internet access will be provided through community access points (CAPs) and through a Smart Community and Business Centre. Education programs will also be provided for new computer users. Citizens accessing the Community Portal will be able to connect and interact with community organizations, businesses and public/government offices. By organizing this information in one location, people will be able to better access public and private services offered in their community. This will eventually include things such as registering for swimming lessons, renewing business licenses, sourcing volunteer opportunities, paying parking tickets and even finding a new job. "We are proud to have been selected to participate in the Smart Choices initiative for B.C. This is truly a remarkable project that brings private enterprise together with local governments, educators, businesses and community organizations in order to better serve the community," said David Gee, vice president of Portal Solutions for Yahoo!. "Our goal is to deliver a leading-edge portal solution for the Smart Choices program so that individual users will feel more directly connected and empowered within their communities." "Smart Choices is very much an active partnership between members of the community, government and business where everyone contributes to the shape and success of the eCommunity," said Honourable Jon Kingsbury, Mayor, City of Coquitlam. "Working with the Yahoo! team, we are looking forward to building a comprehensive local gateway to information and services that will give residents more ways to be a part of their community." "When our residents want information about our communities, they will have a home-page that starts at home," said Honourable Joe Trasolini, Mayor, City of Port Moody. "The Smart Choices home page will truly be their home page. Continued collaboration and co-operation within the community will ensure that the levels of service required by our residents and customers will be met." About Smart Choices About Yahoo! Canada About Yahoo! Media Contact: |