Madefromnewzealand.com launches at 8:20pm

From tonight New Zealand will have its own globally connected online
business community.

Made from New Zealand (madefromnewzealand.com) is New Zealand's global
online business community, designed to connect and promote businesses and
entrepreneurs with the "Kiwi DNA".

The Made from New Zealand concept was launched last year on Waitangi Day
by entrepreneur Steve Adams, who organised more than 1,000 Kiwis to build
a 100 meter long silver fern sand sculpture on Santa Monica beach, Los
Angeles.

Part research project, part television commercial shoot, the fern
attracted the interest of New Zealanders in businesses all over the world
who were keen to connect with each other as Kiwis to help grow their
businesses.

With the concept tested and the Made from New Zealand brand name launched,
entrepreneurs Tim Norton (planhq.com), John Clegg (zoomin.co.nz) and Pat
Macfie (startup.co.nz) partnered with Adams to build an online community
to connect the tens of thousands of Kiwi businesses in New Zealand and
around the world.

"New Zealand's web presence is tiny by global standards; we have thousands
of isolated websites that search engines just doesn't see,” says Mr
Norton.

Made from New Zealand has been designed from the ground up to give Kiwis
all over the world more exposure, more profile, more web traffic and more
opportunities to grow.

Made from New Zealand has chosen Telecom as their principal partner.

“In terms of who we are partnering with to help businesses grow, we want
to work with a partner who takes New Zealand seriously, and no one is
investing more in New Zealand business success right now than Telecom.
It's a perfect fit" says Steve Adams.

Victoria Crone, Telecom Head of Business Marketing, comments that "we see
the Made from New Zealand business community as a critical piece of online
infrastructure for New Zealand, one that will create an increasingly
connected and well promoted global network of kiwi businesses.

“Telecom is passionate about enabling our businesses community to succeed.
When the Made from New Zealand team approached us to partner with them, we
didn't hesitate to get involved.”

Made from New Zealand will be launched to all New Zealanders at 2020 (8.20
pm) on October 20th 2008, with a two minute television commercial across
all channels telling the story of the fern on Santa Monica beach.

***

madefromnewzealand.com is a free, open, global community for entrepreneurs
and businesses with the "Kiwi DNA". The site enables members to:

• identify themselves as a business which contains the "Kiwi DNA";

• be found more easily by Google and other search engines;

• get increased traffic to their websites;

• build a fan base around their businesses;

• get stories written about them and their successes;

• understand what's happening in their industries;

• and connect with like-minded businesses.