UK Press Room: 2008

Keynote Systems Releases UK Retail Holiday Study

• Tesco Direct tops overall online UK retail performance
• BBC Shop most reliable UK retail site

LONDON, ENGLAND, — February 4th, 2008 — Keynote Systems (Nasdaq: KEYN), the global leader in on-demand mobile and Internet test & measurement solutions for continuously improving the online experience, today announced the release of a new competitive research study examining UK retail site performance during the holiday period. The study provides an in-depth examination of online service levels (site responsiveness and reliability) of 16 leading UK retail sites between 7th December 2007 and 7th January 2008, including Argos, Amazon, HMV, Tesco Direct, Woolworths, Virgin and Play.com.

The BBC Shop topped the overall reliability chart with a staggering availability average of 99.9% throughout the study period. This was followed closely by Play.com with an equally impressive average availability of 99.6%. The industry average is 97.7%, a performance exceeded by Pixmania, Tesco Direct, ASDA and Comet, which points to a generally good level of site management by some of the leading UK players.

Argos beat John Lewis to top spot in the best overall responsiveness ranks with an average load time of 0.74s per page, with John Lewis recording a load time of 1.04s per page, compared to the industry average of 1.5s (with the poorest sites averaging over 4s). The best overall performing site was Tesco Direct, which finished fourth in both responsiveness and reliability, demonstrating its commitment to serving its online customers. Tesco Direct is also the only site to appear in both top five rankings at a time when Web sites are often at their busiest, which is a credit to Tesco Direct’s preparation.

Ben Rushlo, senior consulting manager at Keynote System and regarded as one of the world's leading Internet performance experts said, “Unfortunately basic load testing alone is no longer adequate to determine how well your site will perform on the internet. Sites need to simulate the dynamic nature of the internet, using actual web logs and comprehensive research to accurately and realistically model varying number of users, including flash crowds, which are inevitable at certain points during the year.”

“Christmas is a time when most websites peak and traffic increases dramatically, so you would expect large retailers to fully test their sites in preparation, but it seems some do not. In a competitive market such as this, website performance can be the difference between retaining a customer and losing them to a rival. Sites such as the BBC Shop, Play.com, Argos and John Lewis all deserve to be credited for their individual performance achievements but it is not just important to top one of our rankings. A site like Tesco Direct, may not hold top place in either of the rankings but overall it is the site providing its users with the best online experience. As a company’s website ultimately represents the company, it should be given the same care and attention as a member of staff, as it can be the first port of call for both potential and existing customers,” continued Rushlo.

The Keynote Competitive Research study examines the technical performance of the leading UK retail Web sites. The study uses Keynote Transaction Perspective, the most accurate product in the market for measuring and monitoring Web site performance enabling companies to measure and benchmark their site responsiveness and reliability. Transaction Perspective mimics the actions of consumers using an actual IE7 browser and examines performance from multiple geographic locations in the UK, collecting more than 3,000 data points for each site during the study period to detail online technical performance. The study offers online UK retail sites insight into their technical performance relative to their competitors, and provides detailed data on their site’s performance across seven key measures critical to the operational health of an online retail site.

Companies Includes in the Study

Argos, Amazon, ASDA, BBC Shop, Boots, Comet, Curry’s, HMV, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Next, Pixmania, Play.com, Tesco Direct, Virgin Megastores (Zavvi) and Woolworths were included in the UK study. The sites were monitored between 8am and Midnight from the 7th December 2007 until 7th January 2008.

About Keynote

Keynote Systems (Nasdaq “KEYN”) is the global leader in on-demand test & measurement solutions for continuously improving the online experience. As an independent and trusted third-party, Keynote provides IT and marketing executives with an unbiased view into their Internet services from around the world. For over a decade, Keynote has been providing measurement data and testing capabilities that allow companies to understand and improve their customer’s online and mobile experience. Keynote has four test and measurement businesses: Web performance, mobile quality, streaming & VoIP, and customer experience/UX. In addition, Keynote’s industry analysis group called Keynote Competitive Research publishes proprietary studies measuring customer experience and service levels across a wide range of industries.

Known as The Mobile and Internet Performance Authority™, Keynote has a market-leading infrastructure of 2,400 measurement computers and mobile devices in over 240 locations around the world. Keynote also maintains one of the most representative panels of online users consisting of 160,000 consumers. Keynote’s on-demand, hassle-free infrastructure allows businesses to access services they need, when they need them to pinpoint and fix mobile quality and Internet problems before they impact customers.

Keynote helps over 2,600 corporate customers become “the best of the best” by helping them improve online business performance and mobile communications quality. Keynote’s customers represent top Internet and mobile companies including American Express, BP, Caterpillar, Dell, Disney, eBay, ESPN Mobile, E*TRADE, Expedia, FedEx, Microsoft, SonyEricsson, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and Vodafone.

Keynote Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Mateo, California and can be reached at www.keynote.com or by phone in the U.S. at (650) 403-2400.

Keynote, The Internet Performance Authority, Perspective and Customer Experience Rankings are registered trademarks and The Mobile and Internet Performance Authority and True Experience are trademarks of Keynote Systems, Inc. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2007 Keynote Systems, Inc.

Editorial Contacts:

Ryan Whelan & Andy Chatterton, Johnson King, +44 (0) 20 7401 7968, keynoteteam@johnsonking.co.uk