NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 2, 1999--CATHAYONLINE INC.
(OTC BB:CAOL) announces the launch of the English version of the
TorchMail.com service ahead of schedule.
The service is now available at torchmail.com or via
cathayonline.com. The target market for the product is both
individual consumers and corporate customers throughout the
Chinese-speaking world. As stated in previous releases, the
first-to-market Chinese version will be announced early in the Year
2000.
Following CATHAYONLINE's recent acquisition of TorchMail.com,
CATHAYONLINE INC. and USA.NET, a leading global provider of email and
advanced messaging services, announced their strategic partnership to
provide USA.NET's world-class business email outsourcing solutions to
the People's Republic of China. CATHAYONLINE will bundle USA.NET
Professional Messaging with Internet access service for individual
consumers, as well as provide value-added e-mail service to corporate
consumers.
"We are extremely pleased with USA.NET's success in delivering
the TorchMail.com service ahead of schedule," stated Brian Ransom,
President, CATHAYONLINE INC. "Our strategic partnership with USA.NET
has already been highly productive, allowing us to meet - and even
exceed - our first phase expectations."
USA.NET Professional Messaging offers TorchMail.com customers
standard features including: Junk Mail Blocker, Read Receipt, Mail
Priority, Email Collecting and Forwarding, and Signatures; mail
management features including user management, alias management,
branded and customized interface and administrative reports; and will
soon incorporate premium features including Paging. TorchMail.com
Professional Messaging is accessible from virtually anywhere
worldwide, connecting travelling employees, branch offices and
dealer/distributor networks.
TorchMail.com anticipates that revenue opportunities to be
twofold: (1) consumer markets; and, (2) corporate markets. In the
consumer markets, the strategy of free e-mail service is expected to
create a user base with which to attract advertisers, and,
subsequently, advertising revenue. Consumers will also be offered
optional, attractive fee-based services.
Revenue from corporate markets will be sourced from fee-based
advanced messaging services and premium services billed on a monthly
basis.
Among the most popular Internet applications today, e-mail and
advanced messaging services will drive Internet usage and growth. The
number of people using the Internet in China has increased 30-fold in
five years, with projections for the year 2000 hitting 13 million.
This year alone, the number of online users is expected to increase
more than 300%.
The launch of the English version of TorchMail.com propels
CATHAYONLINE INC. toward its goal of becoming a leading,
fully diversified Internet company targeting Chinese-speaking markets
in the People's Republic of China.
For more information, please visit our updated websites at:
torchmail.com and cathayonline.com
CATHAYONLINE INC.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Brian Ransom, Director |
