Verizon Communications announced Sunday that it was considering a spinoff or sale of its directories publishing business, Verizon Information Services (VIS), which includes SuperPages.com, a competitor in the local search and pay-per-click market, reports InternetNews. A redesign in February added pay-per-click ads on the site's pages in partnership with FindWhat. SuperPages.com also syndicates listings to MSN and InfoSpace.
In November, the site introduced community features, including product comparisons and consumer ratings of businesses and the ability to buy products via the site.
In a statement, Verizon Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg said "divestiture would provide VIS with more flexibility to maneuver in the fast-changing environment of content providers. VIS could then more easily seek partnerships, meet customer requirements and create its own growth opportunities."
