Looking to do some online shopping, create a web page, check the news, search the Internet, or get a free e-mail address? Now you can do all those things and benefit Mississippi State University at the same time.

By making zMSUbulldogs.com your start page on the Internet, you'll get a daily dose of campus news and the latest on the Bulldogs while helping support various academic programs at the university. You also can check your stocks, view your weather forecast, see what's showing on TV or at your local movie theater, get up-to-the-minute national and international news, and chat with your friends and classmates. Mississippi State benefits every time you visit the site and if you shop through zMSUbulldogs.com at any of nearly 200 online retail stores, State benefits even more through a "commission" on sales.

"We're offering Mississippi State graduates and friends an Internet portal that is specific to their interests," said Bill Dabney, a senior manager of university relations for zUniversity. "We are basically a technology partner with the university and the alumni association in the .com arena. By providing numerous features and links to the university, alumni and friends gain the best of both worlds."

Sponsored by the Mississippi State Alumni Association, zMSUbulldogs.com brings the university and its constituents together. John Correro, executive director of the Alumni Association, sees the site as an ideal way to make a connection with State's supporters and fans.

"It's convenient and it provides a variety of services that graduates and friends can use to keep in touch with the university, with each other, and with the rest of the world," he said. "The site gives us a cutting-edge presence on the Internet while benefiting Mississippi State. We encourage all of our alumni and friends to make zMSUbulldogs.com their home on the Internet."

A percentage of sales that occur through the e-commerce site is shared with the university to help promote priority programs, and a portion of the advertising proceeds produced through ad banners also is returned to the institution.

"The site will be changing and improving constantly. As we add alumni merchandise and other features to the site, we hope to see an increase in revenue so important MSU programs will benefit," said Correro.

zUniversity is an Internet-based company working in collaboration with alumni associations, universities, and athletic departments to provide full-service .com Internet solutions. As a partner to the nation's leading institutions, zUniversity connects students, alumni, fans, parents, faculty, staff, and friends on customized Web platforms.

The company, which began in November 1999, currently administers more than 90 university sites, including Texas A&M, Florida State, and Arizona State universities. The potential audience from these alliances is more than 15 million university constituents.