Hoover's, Inc. Announces Improvements To Its Hoover's Online Service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Improved Search Technology Delivers Fast, Integrated Results On More Than 12 Million Companies Worldwide

AUSTIN, TEXAS - December 18, 2001 - Hoover's, Inc. (Nasdaq: HOOV) today announced improvements to its Hoover's Online (www.hoovers.com) service, which now allows business professionals to find the information they need faster and more effectively. The most significant improvement is new search functionality that quickly integrates and delivers results on more than 12 million public and private companies worldwide.

The new search technology gives Hoover's Online users rapid, comprehensive results from Hoover's proprietary database, plus non-U.S. companies from Mergent, as well as company, subsidiary and branch locations covered by D&B. Hoover's new search technology also paves the way for future enhancements, including additional advanced search fields and capabilities.

"I have been a long-time Hoover's Online subscriber, and the new Hoover's search gives me much more accurate, inclusive results and helps keep me one step ahead of my peers and competitors," said human resource consultant Mark Turvin. "The increased speed, organization and volume of results with this new search feature put me even further ahead. I've used it for hours at a time, and it flies."

"In ongoing efforts to improve service for our customers, our technology team has created a faster, more thorough and easier-to-use search function for delivering integrated results on more than 12 million companies," said Russell Secker, Hoover's senior vice president of product management. "Results are now better organized and more intuitive."

Hoover's new search technology allows Hoover's Online users to search for companies using a number of criteria, including company name, ticker symbol, keyword, and D&B D-U-N-S Number.

"We're excited to provide new, flexible search enhancements. Now Hoover's Online users can access client and contact information using the same search criteria they use in their existing customer relationship management (CRM) or sales tracking systems, improving processes and ensuring consistency throughout the enterprise," Secker added.

Additional improvements to Hoover's Online include a more streamlined site with better usability, as well as the introduction of new features such as the "Newly Updated Records" section, which offers links to the companies most recently updated by the Hoover's Online editorial staff.

About Hoover's, Inc.
Hoover's, Inc. (Nasdaq: HOOV) provides online business information and tools to help businesspeople get their jobs done. Hoover's information is available through its destination site Hoover's Online (http://www.hoovers.com); through co-branding agreements with other online services; and through enterprise information portals. Hoover's investors include AOL Time Warner (NYSE: AOL), Media General (NYSE: MEG), and Knowledge Universe, through its Knowledge Net Holdings and Nextera Enterprises (Nasdaq: NXRA) units. Hoover's is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and has offices in New York City and San Francisco.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release may contain forward-looking statements relating to future events or results that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the expected benefits of strategic relationships, future services and new products. Among the important factors which could cause actual results of Hoover's to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are the market demand and acceptance of new and enhanced services, the success of new features and search technology tools from Hoover's Online, competition, economic conditions specific to the Internet, as well as general economic and market conditions and other factors described in Hoover's reports and documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its prospectus and recent 10-K and 10-Q filings.

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