BASKING RIDGE, N.J. -- Beginning today, AT&T WorldNeta Service members will be among the first Netizens who no longer need to keep multiple buddy lists to message people using other instant messaging programs.

AT&T I M Here (SM) Service, powered by Tribal Voice's PowWowa technology, now gives AT&T WorldNet Service members the ability to instantly message others using one list to see which of their buddies are online. This is the first service that is interoperable with multiple instant messaging services, providing complete and seamless connection with users of America Online Instant Messenger and Microsoft's MSN Messenger Service. In addition, AltaVista and Freeserve plc will soon offer instant messengers based on Tribal Voice's PowWow technology.

"The Internet should allow open, easy and instant online communication among everyone," said Ed Chatlos, AT&T WorldNet Service vice president and general manager. "We are giving our members the ability to send messages anytime to anyone from their one-and-only buddy list. The Internet is no place for artificial communications boundaries."

In addition to allowing Internet users to communicate quickly and easily with friends and family online and eliminating the need to maintain multiple buddy lists, the new AT&T I M Here Service puts an end, once and for all, to the need for multiple configurations and running several resource-hogging programs to keep in touch.

AT&T I M Here Service was developed using Tribal Voice's market-leading PowWow instant messaging and interactive communications technology and has been integrated within the AT&T WorldNet Service environment.

"Tribal Voice is proud to work with AT&T to provide best-in-class instant messaging solutions based on the PowWow technology platform," said Tribal Voice Vice President, Lee Finck. "Our partnerships with companies such as AT&T WorldNet, AltaVista, Freeserve, and CMGI bring Tribal Voice closer toward our goal of managing the largest network of interoperable messaging clients."

AT&T I M Here Service also provides new features including an enhanced graphical user interface, built in Web searching, customized Web content, and much more. Longstanding features AT&T I M Here Service users are accustomed to remain an integral part of the new version -- instant voice and text messaging, real time voice and text chatting, multi-user games, and file sharing.

The new AT&T I M Here Service is available free today to AT&T WorldNet members and other Netizens, and can be downloaded at http://www.att.net.

AT&T WorldNeta Service (http://www.att.net/) is the number one direct Internet Service Provider in the U.S., serving 1.8 million consumer members. It provides reliable, easy Internet access across the nation, 6 e-mail addresses, chat, 60-megabytes of free Web space (10mb per e-mail ID,) anti-spam feature, instant messaging, online communities and games. Additionally, AT&T WorldNet Service members can consolidate their Internet access, AT&T long distance and AT&T wireless charges on a single bill with AT&T Personal Network. AT&T WorldNet Service members who "refer-a-friend" to the Internet service can earn a $25 reward for every referral through December 31, 1999. AT&T WorldNet Service was recently named "Best Buy" in PC World Magazine (March 1999), won PC Magazine's "Editor's Choice" award (April 1999), and was praised as the top ISP in SmartMoney (April 1999).

AT&T WorldNet Service consumer software for Windows 95/98/NT, Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11 for Workgroups and Macintosh is available by download free-of-charge from the public AT&T WorldNet Web site (http://www.att.net/).