ZD NET article today IDT To Launch Portal
By Kathleen Cholewka
January 20, 1999 5:42 PM ET
IDT, an Internet telephony service provider
and software developer, will launch a portal
on Feb. 1 that aims to make e-commerce
easier for international Internet users via
Internet telephony.
The site, EZsurf.com, which is be launched by
IDT's Net2Phone Interactive division, will
enable international customers to interact with
e-commerce companies via IDT's Net2Phone
Internet telephony application.
"We give users resources that they wouldn't
be able to get easily on their own," said
Sarah Hofstetter, vice president of corporate
communications at IDT. For example, with 800
Flowers, if users do not live in the U.S. they
can't contact the company toll-free, because
they can't access 800 numbers
internationally. EZsurf.com gives users the
option of reaching the company via the
Net2Phone, which is available on the site.
Other informational portals, such as Excite
and Yahoo!, have already integrated IDT's
Internet telephony applications into their
directories, but EZsurf.com users can contact
retailers directly via telephony means without
having to visit each company's site while
online.
EZsurf.com also will include information on
companies that sell goods and services via
the Internet that is specifically useful to
international users. For example, the site will
list a company's phone numbers, whether it
accepts money orders, where to send
payment, whether it has a bilingual site,
whether it is publicly traded, whether it ships
internationally and whether the company
conducts secure transactions via encryption.
"These are really important value adds,"
Hofstetter said.
Another advantage to the site is the time is
saves. "On Dell Computer's Web site you
can spend up to an hour to find out if Dell
does international shipping. They don't, and
we list that information on the site," she said.
The site, which will be available in six
languages, also will provide links to
multilingual sites. "It's part of the move we're
making globally," Hofstetter said.
The categories of companies include Books,
Music, & Video, which features details on
Amazon.com; to Money & Investing, which
includes E-Trade details; Computers, which
features Gateway information; and Toys,
where users can get information on shopping
Disney online.
IDT hopes the site promotes Internet
telephony, and make money on advertising
on the site. "The more people that use IP
telephony, the better it is for us," Hofstetter
said.
EZSurf also will integrate voice, speed
dialing, graphics and eventually video and
push technology to enhance the online
shopper's experience.
Future releases of IDT's Net2Phone app,
which is distributed via agreements with
major Internet service providers and other
portals, will include embedded links to
EZsurf.com. |
