New York, NY (June 13, 2006) - Nielsen BuzzMetrics, which specializes in aggregating and analyzing online consumer-generated content and word of mouth, today announced that TechRepublic, a leading online community for IT professionals and a property of CNET Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNET) is the first Web site to use a series of publisher applications by BuzzMetrics that provide "buzz" data on up to 100 software and hardware products on the market.

TechRepublic provides information, tools, and services created by IT professionals for IT professions that help members get their jobs done.  Based on the success of a pilot project, BuzzMetrics is now providing TechRepublic weekly data from its vast index of online consumer discussions about products and services for one of the site's most popular services, the Peer Product Reviews. The data are culled from millions of public comments, reviews, and opinions from thousands of consumer forums, discussions, Usenet groups and blogs, and are automatically structured into two charts that are integrated into the TechRepublic reviews – the "Buzz Score" and "Slant Score." 

The "Buzz Score" measures the volume of online consumer discussion, based on the number of consumer-generated posts in blogs, Internet forums, online discussions and Usenet newsgroups, about each product reviewed. The "Slant Score" tracks the percentage of positive posts for each product among online discussions.  Each chart is featured along with commentary from TechRepublic’s members, as well as links to discussions, whitepapers and articles about each product. 

According to a 2005 study of technology decision makers*, 83 percent rated advice and recommendations from peers as among the three most important sources of information collected during the purchase decision process.  The addition of the BuzzMetrics data gives IT professionals, who depend on input from their peers to make mission-critical purchase decisions, the ability to gain insight into differing opinions and viewpoints, as well as hear about successes and failures from millions of peers who face the same challenges.

"Readers today are looking for deeper, broader commentary on key issues, one reason that blogs and message boards have exploded in popularity," said Karthik Iyer, BuzzMetrics' senior vice president of business development. "Working with TechRepublic, we were able to help them incorporate fresh and compelling consumer-generated content that deepens their users' experiences."

"By its very nature, TechRepublic is based on the opinions and experience of IT professionals," said Peter Spande, director of TechRepublic.  "By incorporating this additional data from BuzzMetrics into our reviews, we are further improving that sense of community, and giving our members access to even more information from their peers that will help them make educated decisions about what to try and what to buy and what to avoid."

Nielsen BuzzMetrics' publisher market applications provide data that can be used by advertisers to make informed decisions about when and where to advertise and by media companies interested in the added dimension of consumer-generated media and "buzz."  The applications also include category- and issue-specific blog data from the company's BlogPulse.com search engine and analysis portal.

About TechRepublic
TechRepublic, a property of CNET Networks, Inc, is a leading community for IT professionals that offers the ultimate peer-to-peer experience. TechRepublic provides information, tools, and services created by IT Professionals for IT Professions that help members get their jobs done. TechRepublic’s members, representing all segments of the IT industry, turn to the site for IT decision support and professional advice.

Media Contacts: Sue MacDonald, 513-618-6716 (Nielsen BuzzMetrics); Sarah Cain, 415-344-2218 (CNET)

* Technology and Decision Making: The Players and the Process, CNET Networks, Inc., 9/2005

Press Contact: Sandra Parrelli; Sandra.Parrelli@nielsen.com; 646-654-7772

Sales Inquiries: sales@buzzmetrics.com; 1.877.999.7335

About Nielsen Online:

Nielsen Online, a service of The Nielsen Company, delivers comprehensive, independent measurement and analysis of online audiences, advertising, video, consumer-generated media, word of mouth, commerce and consumer behavior, and includes products previously marketed under the Nielsen//NetRatings and Nielsen BuzzMetrics brands. With high quality, technology-driven products and services, Nielsen Online enables clients to make informed business decisions regarding their Internet, digital and marketing strategies. For more information, please visit www.nielsen-online.com.

About The Nielsen Company:

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings and BuzzMetrics), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.