More NPEC news again today ! *** Thursday June 3, 6:30 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
MetroPlus Enters Into Agreement For Distribution of a New Phone Card
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 3, 1999--MetroPlus
Communications Technology, Inc., a division of NP Energy Corporation
(OTC BB:NPEC - news), is pleased to announce the signing of a marketing
agreement with The Ultimate Cigar Company (OTC BB:ULTC - news).
Ultimate announced today the launching of its Web Access Card program
for the United States and Canada. Web Access Cards are a direct
marketing tool distributed through convenience stores. It allows
Internet based companies to market in the real world in a measurable and
cost-effective manner. Customers purchase the Web Access Card and
register for fulfillment on the Internet through a Web site called Red
Hot Access.com. After registering the customer is hyperlinked to the
participating Internet company's Web site. Offers can be price
discounts, savings or special access to selected areas of a Web site.
MetroPlus, based in Vancouver, BC, is building its own marketing and
licensing system for phone-to-phone Internet Telephony. Internet
Telephony uses the Internet to send audio between two telephones in real
time. MetroPlus has signed a Letter of Intent for a sixteen-city network
with IPVoice.com (OTC:BB:IPVC), a developer and producer of unique
proprietary state of the art software and hardware solution for use in
IP Telephony. IPVoice.com's premier product is an Internet Gateway named
''TrueConnect(TM)'', a fully Y2K compliant gateway that allows users to
conduct real time full duplex, high quality two-way voice communication
over the Internet.
Using the IPVoice.com system, MetroPlus will be able to generate its own
prepaid Internet Telephony phone card. Marketing and distribution of the
phone card is critical to the Company. The Web Access Card program has
the potential to reach thousands of convenience stores through
distribution with Ultimate and its partners. Ultimate is underway with
marketing the program to convenience store chains in the United States
and Canada.
MetroPlus will have the opportunity to market Internet Telephony to 30
major markets across the United States and Canada. MetroPlus will begin
marketing in the cities as soon as a final agreement is reached with
IPVoice.com and the 30 gateways in place.
''In developing our Internet Telephony strategy, we felt two aspects
were very critical to its success. First, we needed to partner with a
company providing superior technology. IPVoice.com is that company.
Secondly, we needed to have a marketing plan that was measurable and
effective. We feel the Web Access Card program has the potential to be a
huge success in the market place. We wanted to get our marketing plan
together and feel we can offer a viable program,'' said Mark Jensen,
Marketing Director for MetroPlus.
MetroPlus has a Letter of Intent with IPVoice.com to be a TruePartner
Master Distributor, a license program for operating Internet gateways
through IPVoice.com. MetroPlus is granted exclusive territories in
Canada, Washington and Oregon. There are 16 primary cities involved in
the agreement. MetroPlus will have active gateways in the next twelve
months in Canada in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto,
Montreal and Halifax. In Washington State, MetroPlus will operate
gateways in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, the Tri Cities and Vancouver. In
Oregon, the company will be in Albany, Beaverton, Eugene and Portland.
Signing of the final agreement between MetroPlus and IPVoice.com will
take place in June.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
Per: Ray Lazo, President
''Safe harbor for Forward Looking Statements: Excerpt for historical
information contained herein, the statements in this Release are
forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor
provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements involve unknown risks and uncertainties that
may cause the Company' actual result in future periods to differ
materially from forecasting results. These risks and uncertainties
include, among other things, volatility of prices, product demand,
market competition and risks inherent in the Company's operations.''
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Contact:
MetroPlus Communications Technology Inc., Lake Elsinore
Investor Relations, 1-888-423-6993 |
