Tech Bytes: Bank One in Exclusive Contract with Excite

Bank One Corp. has signed a contract worth up to $125 million to be the exclusive provider of financial services on the Internet gateway site Excite. More than 17 million consumers use the "portal" site every month to gain access to the Internet.

The deal follows similar ones made by institutions hoping to attract Internet users. Citigroup entered an agreement to become part of Netscape Communication Corp.'s NetCenter site, and Merrill Lynch did the same with Microsoft on its MoneyCentral site.

Bank One officials expect to take advantage of Excite's personalization capabilities. "Excite's personalized start page reinforces Bank One's goal to become the most personal big bank in the country," said Kenneth T. Stevens, chairman of Bank One Retail Group.