The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc. (PREA) has announced that its extranet site, a site that is private but password accessible by chosen outside parties, PREA CENTER, has been selected as one of the top fifty Intranet sites in the second annual CIO Web Business 50/50 Awards. The annual award recognizes innovative Internet and intranet initiatives by organizations around the world.

"Fifty sites in each of the two categories emerged as standards of excellence worthy of emulation by the next generation of Web developers," says CIO editorial director, Lew McCreary, who oversees the judging process for the program each year. The judging process involved a lengthy deliberation by a panel of CIO magazine editors, designers, and Web development experts who evaluated the business value delivered by the nominated sites. The judges specifically focused on how the design, technical attributes of the site, the blend of technology built into the site and how it matched the needs of the site's target audience. Overall they judged the ability of each component to work in concert to contribute to the overall business objectives of the site.

"We are very proud to have received this distinguished award. Our extranet site is an outbound communication tool that channels valuable information to our Network about our suppliers, products and services. The growing importance and success of extranet sites as formidable business communication vehicles is a reality," said Lyle Fuller, vice president of eCommerce for Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Solutions.

"We know the site is successful in equipping our Network of real estate professionals with cutting-edge, competitive tools enabling them to deliver a more effective transaction to the customer, and we also know that the sheer growth of the technology as an accepted medium is expanding our opportunities to design a much more robust communication and transaction-oriented site," continued Fuller.

More and more businesses are turning to the use of an internal communications platform in order to reinforce business objectives, increase the accuracy and accessibility of information and provide larger companies an opportunity to foster a virtual community among peers, soliciting valuable feedback as new innovations are launched. More than 87 percent of companies in the Prudential Real Estate's Network log on to share ideas, download information, participate in electronic financial reporting and ultimately, stay in touch. The underlying goal is to cultivate an online community that communicates and works together to grow and deliver the best products and services to our customers. With a dedicated team of experts who continually refresh the site, injecting it with cutting-edge business tools and information, the site remains a 'live' communications vehicle.

"In its first year, PREA CENTER has become a main information channel that provides resources to our Network while reinforcing our business philosophy to deliver the tools and information our sales associates need to deliver the most effective real estate transaction to our customers. Keeping our Network of professionals in touch with the best-in-class quality and service innovations cultivates a Network of real estate professionals who can easily navigate homebuyers and sellers all types of transactions," commented Steve Ozonian, vice chairman of Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Solutions, parent company of The Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc."

The Internet offers business a cost-effective way of communicating to employees, suppliers and entire networks of business partners. CIO recognizes the rapid pace at which technology is transforming the culture and operating methods of businesses. CIO honors the top one-hundred pioneering sites, those that are setting the benchmarks in a constantly changing technology environment. Complete coverage of the 1998 CIO Web Business 50/50 Awards is featured in the July 1st issue of CIO and can be viewed online at http://www.cio.com.

PREA is a leading full-service real estate brokerage franchisor which awarded its first affiliation in 1988. The Prudential Real Estate network comprises 37,000 sales associates and brokers in more than 1,400 offices throughout the United States and Canada, most of which are independently owned and operated. PREA, with headquarters in Irvine, Calif., is a subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America and generated sales of $67.6 billion in 1997.

CIO Communications, Inc. was formed in 1987 to help CIOs, IT executives and other senior management executives succeed in their enterprises through the use of information technology. The company publishes CIO magazine, produces the award-winning www.cio.com Web site, and develops and produces CIO Executive Programs -- a series of conferences that provide educational and networking opportunities for corporate and government executives who want to expand their knowledge of technology, business management issues and innovative products and services.

Published: July 8, 1998

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