Net2Phone Announces Agreement with RealNetworks; Ideal Synergies Apparent Between Leading Media Streaming Company and Leading Internet Telephony Provider
BusinessWire, Monday, February 08, 1999 at 08:46
HACKENSACK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 8, 1999--IDT's (NASDAQ:IDTC) Net2Phone today announced that it has entered into an agreement
with RealNetworks, Inc. (NASDAQ:RNWK), the recognized leader in
streaming media, where Net2Phone, the first PC-to-phone service, will
be offered to Real Networks' global customer base of more than 50
million users.
Beginning today, RealNetworks will market Net2Phone, which enables
users to make phone calls from their PCs to any telephone in the world
at reduced rates, in the "RealStore" (www.realstore.com) and on the
RealNetworks international web pages.
"RealNetworks is an ideal partner for Net2Phone, especially since
all of their customers have multimedia PCs and are very Internet
savvy," said David Greenblatt, Chief Operating Officer of Net2Phone.
"We believe RealNetworks' customers will find value-added benefits by
using Net2Phone, such as two-way audio streaming, backchanneling, and
low-cost phone calling."
"IDT's Net2Phone is a compelling, easy to use product," said Mike
Eisenberg, General Manager of RealNetworks' E-Commerce Division.
"Making phone calls using multimedia capable PCs connected to the
Internet and reaping major cost savings makes sense."
Net2Phone has already established relationships with Yahoo!
(NASDAQ:YHOO), Excite (NASDAQ:XCIT), IBM Global Services (NYSE:IBM), Creative Labs (NASDAQ:CREAF), and broadcast.com (NASDAQ:BCST),
and is continuing to develop new offerings for the consumer through
Net2Phone's value-added applications such as Click2Talk, Click2Call
Me, and easysurf.com.
Net2Phone enables voice data to be carried over the Internet's
packet switched network until it reaches traditional telephone
infrastructure. There the signal is converted to the circuit switched
network used by telephones, enabling the signal to be received by any
phone worldwide.
IDT is a leading emerging multinational carrier that combines its
position as an international telecommunications operator, its
experience as an Internet service provider and its leading position in
Internet telephony to provide a broad range of telecommunications
services to its wholesale and retail customers worldwide. The company
provides its customers with integrated and competitively priced
international and domestic long distance, pre-paid calling cards,
Internet access and, through its Net2Phone product offerings, Internet
telephony services including Net2Phone Direct, Net2Fax, Click2Talk,
and easysurf.com. For more information about IDT's Internet telephony
services, please visit www.net2phone.com.
Except for historical information, all of the expectations and
assumptions contained in the foregoing are forward-looking statements
involving risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking
statements, include, but are not limited to, the competitive
environment for Internet telephony, changes of rates of all related
telco rates and services, legislation that may affect the Internet
telephony industry, IDT's ability to operate the services described on
a large scale commercial level. For additional information regarding
these and other risks associated with the company's business refer to
the company's reports filed with the SEC.
CONTACT: IDT Public Relations, Hackensack
Sarah Hofstetter, 201/928-2882
sarah@net2phone.com
or
IDT Investor Relations, Hackensack
Janine Kutliroff, 201/928-4391
janinek@corp.idt.net |
