ChinaNet Online Holdings Announces Strategic Alliance With Gridsum Technology Co., Ltd.

BEIJING, April 2, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:CNET) ("ChinaNet" or the "Company"), a leading B2B (business to business) Internet technology company providing online-to-offline (O2O) sales channel expansion services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurial management and networking services for entrepreneurs in the People's Republic of China, announced today that it has entered into an exclusive partnership with Gridsum Technology Co., Ltd. ("Gridsum") to develop an all-around O2O internet and mobile search engine marketing and search engine optimization solution for SMEs in People's Republic of China.

Gridsum is one of the leading corporate software solution providers specialized in cloud computing and big data analysis technology. It has attracted investments from Disney Group and Nokia and has established a strategic partnership with the Chinese State Information Centre to serve over 3,000 government websites. It has provided services to over 600 clients, which include multi-national corporations in different industries such as Coca-Cola, P&G, Hilton Hotel & Resorts, Microsoft, HP, Paypal and AIG.

The exclusive strategic alliance represents the collaboration between ChinaNet and Gridsum in 5 areas for serving SMEs. These include (1) the mutual development of search engine optimizing and analytical tools and products for SMEs; (2) establishing an internet and mobile development O2O solution; (3) provision of service and the architecture of a new value added service through Baidu Branding Zone and Baidu Forum; (4) a 360 search engine marketing service and extended value added service, and (5) potential joint funding of an internet and mobile marketing and advertising technology research centre for SMEs in China. In addition, the two companies will also collaborate on using ChinaNet's cost per lead (CPL) and cost per sales (CPS) technologies to serve Gridsum's clientele. With this alliance, ChinaNet can share Gridsum's cutting edge technology on cloud computing and big data analysis to develop one-on-one precision marketing for each of its clients, while Gridsum aims to improve its penetration into the SMEs market through ChinaNet's data, influence and experience on the SMEs market.

"The strategic alliance with Gridsum is an important part of ChinaNet's development plan," said George Kai Chu, Chief Operating Officer of ChinaNet Online Holdings. "Gridsum is concentrating on cost per click (CPC) and cost per impression (CPI), while we are more focused on CPL and CPS, so our alliance makes a great complement to each other. This partnership will also help our clients to expand their business more easily and at a lower cost. It is a very good example of the 'Internet Plus' concept mentioned by Mr. Li KeQiang, the Premier of the State Council, in the 2015 Report on the Work of the Government, in which he discusses using big data, knowledge and user innovation to shape a better form to our traditional industry. This partnership will be a perfect complement to ChinaNet's newly launched 'Business Direct 3.0' solution which helps our clients to expand their franchise and chain stores in a more effective way through mobile service and marketing."

About Gridsum Technology Co., Ltd.

Gridsum is one of the leading corporate software solution provider based on cloud computing and big data analysis technology. It focused on providing all-around data analysis service for clients in online businesses, new media, e-government and telecommunication industry with its self developed high functioning parallel data warehouse technology. It has over 600 customers in 18 industries. To learn more please visit http://www.gridsum.com/en/.

About ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc.

The Company, a parent company of ChinaNet Online Media Group Ltd., incorporated in the BVI ("ChinaNet"), is a leading digital B2B (business to business) Internet technology company focusing on providing O2O sales channel expansion service for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurial management and networking service for entrepreneurs in China. The Company, through certain contractual arrangements with operating companies in the PRC, provides Internet advertising and other services for Chinese SMEs via its portal websites, 28.com, Liansuo.com and Chuangye.com, TV commercials and program production via China-Net TV, and in-house LCD advertising on banking kiosks targeting Chinese banking patrons. Website: http://www.chinanet-online.com.

Safe Harbor

This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of ChinaNet Online Holdings, Inc., which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including business uncertainties relating to government regulation of our industry, market demand, reliance on key personnel, future capital requirements, competition in general and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are or will be described in greater detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on ChinaNet's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the Company. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting ChinaNet will be those anticipated by ChinaNet. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond the control of the Company) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. ChinaNet undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

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