Hughes is really doing everything right with the DirecPC product. Hurry up Cyberstar!!!
DirecPC(TM) to Offer Bundled ISP Service From Epoch Internet; DirecPC-branded ISP Service Makes Sales, Installation And Customer Billing Process Even Simpler
LOS ANGELES (Spring Internet World), March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- DirecPC(TM), the award-winning satellite Internet service, announced today it would begin giving its customers the option of receiving their ISP service from DirecPC, rather than having to purchase and be billed for those services separately. The new program, slated to begin in the second quarter of 1998, was made possible thanks to a multi-year ISP bundling agreement with Epoch Internet.
When asked why DirecPC took this step, Paul Gaske, senior vice president of Broadcast Products and Services at Hughes Network Systems (HNS) said, ''I can give you our rationale for this decision in just a few words: simplicity, ease-of-use, greater convenience, seamless service and one bill.''
According to Gaske, DirecPC customers and retailers have been extremely impressed with the level of speed and performance the DirecPC service delivers. ''What people have been looking for,'' said Gaske, ''is greater convenience -- and that's what this new service is all about.''
DirecPC extensively researched the ISP market and ultimately selected Epoch for their quality of service, national coverage and rapid rollout capability. Under terms of the agreement, HNS will bundle Epoch's Internet service with its DirecPC Turbo Internet(TM) packages, under the DirecPC brand.
This new arrangement means users will be able to receive both their Turbo Internet and their ISP services from DirecPC, simultaneously configure both services using the DirecPC set-up software and receive one bill from DirecPC. DirecPC customers who wish to use non-DirecPC ISP services will still have that option.
''This enhancement underscores our commitment to provide customers with a simple, easy-to-understand purchase and installation experience,'' said Gaske. ''In addition, by selecting Epoch as our ISP partner, we've chosen a company that complements our nationwide availability. Unlike cable modems and DSL alternatives, DirecPC is available in every corner of the U.S. -- so we needed an ISP that could handle that kind of business.''
''We are pleased that we can provide a highly customized solution for HNS by bundling our Internet services with DirecPC,'' said Scott Purcell, president & CEO of Epoch Internet. ''Our Branded Reseller Program is designed exactly for situations like this and we look forward to expanding our relationship with HNS so we can continue to deliver flexible solutions to the market place.''
DirecPC hardware and software retail for as low as $299, putting the product well within the reach of consumers considering a 56K or cable modem purchase. All DirecPC Turbo Internet subscriptions also include two free push services, Turbo Webcast(TM) and Turbo Newscast(TM). Turbo Webcast delivers the most popular sites on the Internet straight to the subscriber's PC hard drive by satellite -- without using the phone line. Turbo Newscast does the same
with the user's favorite Usenet newsgroups.
With the new ISP-inclusive offering, DirecPC is clearly a more compelling service than its competitors, according to Gaske. ''The services we provide for one low price -- Turbo Internet, bundled ISP, Turbo Webcast and Turbo Newscast -- make us stand head and shoulders above our competition. In addition, all DirecPC services are available nationwide today -- which is certainly not the case with cable modems or XDSL.''
The Internet access portion of the DirecPC service is only required to dial out to the Internet and handle low-bandwidth information, i.e. Web page requests. However, with DirecPC, consumers bypass the phone system for the high-volume part of using the Web -- receiving data. By using DirecPC, Internet content is delivered by satellite to a 21-inch elliptical antenna installed at the user's house or place of business.
Hughes Announces Plans for DirecPC(TM) Global Digital Package Delivery Service; New Service Will Use Satellite Platform for Rapid, Secure Worldwide Data Delivery
LOS ANGELES (Spring Internet World), March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine that you operate a consulting firm with offices in San Francisco, Mexico City, Edinburgh, Tokyo and New Delhi. To prepare your staff for a morning conference call, you need to distribute a large multimedia report containing graphics, video and animation to each of your remote offices so they receive it within a few hours.
Is there a technology that can accomplish this efficiently, securely and cost effectively? Absolutely -- DirecPC(TM), a satellite-based Internet and data delivery service from Hughes Network Systems (HNS).
This scenario will soon become a reality with the imminent launch of a new service from DirecPC -- Global Digital Package Delivery. This new service will enable users to send any type of data file -- from heavy graphics and text to video -- from one site to any number of sites, anywhere in the world. These files will be received by DirecPC dishes, (which utilize the same hardware configuration worldwide) and forwarded directly to the recipient's
server or straight into individual PCs.
Applications for Global Digital Package Delivery are virtually limitless. For example, one company might distribute its new human resources manual -- including a video message from the CEO -- to desktops at all of its regional and remote offices throughout the world. Another might use the service to distribute updated parts catalogs to its field offices. It's a service the global business community has been waiting for.
Since DirecPC's inception in 1995, HNS has licensed operators to provide service in Canada, Mexico, Western and Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, India, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and numerous other Pacific Rim nations. By the end of 1998, DirecPC's global rollout will be complete, with service available in every corner of the world.
''The fact is, businesses large and small -- no matter where they are located -- will be able to use satellites in this fashion before the end of this year,'' said Paul Gaske, senior vice president of Broadcast Products & Services at HNS. ''There is a common and unfortunate misconception that affordable, global delivery of data by satellite is something the world won't see until we're well into the 21st century.''
According to Gaske, many businesses, especially small ones, currently rely on overnight delivery services that can be costly and impractical if the same digital package must be sent to multiple sites. Alternatively, many companies use terrestrial networks for information distribution, which, can often be slow, unreliable and insecure. Fast, proprietary satellite transmission eliminates all of these hurdles, and at a considerable savings.
What Makes Global Digital Package Delivery Possible
The heart of every DirecPC operation -- no matter where it's located -- is the Network Operations Center (NOC). From the NOC, all direct communications with the satellite take place. To make Global Digital Package Delivery a reality, all existing and future NOCs will be operationally interconnected -- i.e., they will share common billing and delivery prioritization standards. Gaske explains: ''Essentially, the technology already exists for global
digital package delivery. What remains to be accomplished is quite modest: a common set of delivery and billing standards by which all our global DirecPC partners will operate when delivering information internationally. Clearly, this standardization is in everyone's interest, and we expect a smooth implementation process over the course of 1998.''
DirecPC is HNS' award-winning satellite-based information service for businesses and consumers. Through the DirecPC hardware platform, businesses receive three primary services: Turbo Internet(TM) service, which provides Internet access at up to 400 Kbps; Package Delivery(TM), which allows point- to-multipoint distribution of data at up to 3Mbps; and DirecPC Multimedia, which allows point-to-multipoint distribution of full-screen, MPEG-l quality
video straight to the desktop.
DirecPC(TM) Strikes Distribution Agreement With Tech Data; Relationship Greatly Expands DirecPC(TM) and DirecDuo(TM) Presence Nationwide
LOS ANGELES (Spring Internet World), March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Hughes Network Systems (HNS), a leading provider of satellite-based multimedia and data products and services, announced today a distribution agreement with Clearwater, Fla.-based Tech Data Corporation [Nasdaq:TECD - news], a leading international distributor of technology products. Under the terms of the agreement, Tech Data will distribute HNS' award winning DirecPC(TM) and DirecDuo(TM)
products to its customers nationwide. Through this agreement, Value Added Resellers (VAR) can provide these valuable services to their customers faster and easier, which, in turn, will create new end-user applications.
The satellite-based DirecPC Turbo Internet(TM) service provides up to 400 kbps Internet download speeds and, unlike cable modems and ADSL, is available nationwide. DirecDuo, introduced in July 1997, enables customers to receive both the DirecPC and DIRECTV(R)/ USSB(R) digital satellite television services on one satellite antenna.
''We are pleased to partner with a major distributor like Tech Data,'' said Paul Gaske, senior vice president of Broadcast Products & Services at HNS. ''This is another step in making our product line readily available across the country. It also helps us reach vertical markets through Tech Data's strong relationships with VARs. In addition, Tech Data provides marketing muscle that meshes well with our nationwide offerings.''
According to executives from both companies, it's likely many resellers would bundle the products for new, innovative applications. ''Many resellers in vertical sectors such as healthcare and government, have expressed a great deal of interest in products like DirecPC and DirecDuo,'' said Roy Appelbaum, vice president of Product Marketing for Tech Data's networking division.
HNS will leverage Tech Data's marketing capabilities such as its tremendous sales force and well-trained customer service representatives. This includes a dedicated representative for DirecPC and DirecDuo. In addition, HNS will participate in Tech Data's training programs. Tech Data also will include DirecPC and DirecPC in its telemarketing and direct mail |
