MetLife, Inc., has launched its first Spanish-language Web site in the U.S., which is available at www.metlife.com/ espanol. The site provides product information, agency locations, life advice brochures, and career opportunities as well as a phone number for its Spanish-speaking customer service line. In addition, the site offers information regarding MetLife Auto & Home's products and services.

According to MetLife market research, Spanish-speaking consumers are relatively new to the online community but are showing a large interest in using the Web–with 79 percent of Spanish-speaking Hispanic people having used the Internet for five years or less. In addition, Spanish-language sites are the preferred channels among Hispanic online users: Sixty-nine percent of Spanish speakers visit sites in Spanish to buy and research products, and 49 percent are more likely to buy from a Spanish-language site when shopping online, according to MetLife research.

"For the past 20 years, the company has focused on multicultural marketing through advertising, consumer education programs, and event sponsorship," says Phil Salis, vice president, individual business consumer marketing. "These new additions to our Web site affirm our dedication to the Hispanic community as well as to diversity itself."