Beyond.com Selects NorthPoint as Its
Premier DSL Provider 'Beyond DSL' Provides Shoppers With Speedier Software Downloads
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Internet Software Superstore Beyond.com (Nasdaq: BYND - news) and digital subscriber line (DSL) provider NorthPoint Communications (Nasdaq: NPNT - news) today announced a partnership to offer broadband services to Beyond.com customers. By partnering with one of the Internet's popular
shopping sites, NorthPoint has secured a new channel to expand the availability of DSL-based broadband services to more businesses and individuals.
Under the terms of the agreement, Beyond.com has selected NorthPoint as its premier DSL provider and will feature NorthPoint DSL -- including a link to NorthPoint's DSL service qualification tool -- on its website at beyond.com. The DSL service qualification tool will allow potential DSL subscribers to determine which type and speed of DSL suits their needs, then place an order for NorthPoint DSL. NorthPoint's website northpointdsl.com will also
feature links to Beyond.com. NorthPoint and Beyond.com expect to launch their joint marketing initiatives later this month.
''NorthPoint DSL dramatically accelerates download speeds, making software buying at Beyond.com an even more compelling proposition,'' said Liz Fetter, president and chief operating officer of NorthPoint. ''For example, using a 56K modem it would take about five minutes to
download a 2-megabyte software program. Meanwhile, with a 1.5 Mbps NorthPoint DSL connection, the same program can be downloaded from Beyond.com in ten seconds. The ability to quickly download software from the Internet is one of the best examples of how DSL is enhancing
the way we live and work.''
''A growing number of our customers prefer downloading their software because it is a cheaper, faster and more convenient way to buy software,'' said Mark Breier, president and chief executive officer of Beyond.com. ''Downloaded products are immediately available for use with no delay for delivery and users avoid paying delivery fees. Additionally, downloadable products are environmentally friendly and require no use of paper or cardboard packaging. DSL expedites the
download experience, giving customers even more reason to download software off of our site.''
Beyond.com's proprietary digital download system includes innovative features such as voice-assisted messages that guide customers through the download process, software icons that appear directly on the users' desktop so that the downloaded software is easy to find and recovery features that allow customers to continue their digital download if their computer has crashed and/or they have lost their Internet connection.
NorthPoint DSL is an affordable, always-on Internet access solution that allows subscribers to connect to the Internet at speeds up to 1.5 Mbps, more than 25 times faster than the common dial-up modem. NorthPoint offers DSL service over the nation's most expansive DSL network, spanning more than 1,100 cities and towns across 32 major metropolitan regions. NorthPoint's DSL service will allow shoppers to quickly download any of Beyond.com's 1.6 million software products
and digital images available at the Beyond.com Download Center.
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