Two stories on X-Stream's expansion in to Europe. Jeff
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PRECISION MARKETING: TECHNOLOGY: X-STREAM PLAYS EUROPEAN CARD WITH FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% match; Precision Marketing ; 02-Aug-1999 03:44:13 pm ; 214 words
X-Stream Network, the UK ISP which claims to be the first to have launched a free subscription service here, is to launch similar models in five European countries before the year end.
X-Stream UK managing director, Paul Myers, says that the ISP will be exploiting the metered calls telecomms systems of other European countries by offering new customers a free subscription service, as it has done in the UK.
Such models are not common on the continent and X-Stream believes this will boost rapid expansion.
There are around 95 free ISPs in the UK at present, a number which is expected to rise to around 200 before the end of the year.
Myers says: 'We would not be entering these markets if we didn't think we could become number one or at least in the top three.'
X-Stream will be confirming details of the specific territories in the next few weeks with the first operations kicking off later this month.
The overall European launch strategy is based on building alliances with strong national and global brands.
X-Stream launched a free subscription service in March 1998 but had its thunder stolen by Dixons' September 1998 launch of Freeserve, which went to become the number one player in the market.
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NEWSBYTES: X-STREAM FREE UK ISP ANNOUNCES EUROPEAN PLANS
100% match; Newsbytes - Asia ; 27-Jul-1999 03:41:01 pm ; 554 words
LONDON, ENGLAND, 1999 JUL 27 (NB) -- By Steve Gold, Newsbytes. X-Stream, the UK's first free-to-subscribe Internet service provider (ISP), which started the "free Internet" ball rolling early last year, is planning to launch its services in Europe.
The move is an interesting one, because, while call revenue sharing between telephone companies and ISPs has allowed UK ISPs to abolish the need for monthly subscriptions to their service, relying instead on call revenue, this situation has not been mirrored in Europe.
Until now, that is. Paul Shallitt, X-Stream's marketing director, told Newsbytes that it has been possible for the ISP to negotiate call revenue sharing deals with many of the new competitive telecommunications carriers across Europe, rather than the old state incumbents.
"We now have deals (with carriers) across Europe in place. The only thing that is holding us back is getting the people in place to offer local support in a user's home language," he said.
Shallitt went on to say that, rather than copy the call center model of America Online (which routes its calls to one giant call center in Ireland), X-Stream plans to operate local call centers for each country where the X-Stream service is available.
"Using this approach means that we can offer a high level of customer support, something that we know users will appreciate," he said.
Initially, X-Stream's free-to-subscribe ISP operation will go live in Sweden from the middle of next month, closely followed by operations in Norway and Denmark. After that, Shallitt said, the ISP plans to launch free-to-subscribe ISP operations in most European countries.
As reported previously by Newsbytes, X-Stream was the first free-to- subscribe ISP to launch in the UK last year, since when it has become the third largest ISP of its type with 400,000 users.
The ISP now offers "free weekends" to its subscribers, where, instead of users dialing the usual access number (at local calling rates), they can call toll-free numbers.
Shallitt said that the ISP plans to offer the same levels of guarantee to its European subscribers as offered to its UK users.
"We have a 25 percent headroom on Internet access ports, which means it's very unlikely that users will get a busy tone when using our standard service. Obviously, this guarantee doesn't extend to our toll-free service, but we try to offer the best service all the time," he said.
Gregory Sukornyk, X-Stream's chief executive officer (CEO), meanwhile, said that the move into Europe is an important strategic move for the firm.
"The European Internet market is crying out for the quality of free service that X-Stream offers," he said, adding that, for international travelers it's something of first and means that X-Stream's free service will be available as users move between European countries.
Paul Myers, X-Stream UK's managing director, said that, the ISP has seen its user base double in size in the last four months.
"Our research shows that Internet users are increasingly loyal to our service because we are innovative and offer a top notch product," he said, adding that "the lack of busy tones even at the busiest times is something we pride ourselves on," he said.
X-stream's Web site is at x-stream.com .
Reported by Newsbytes.com, newsbytes.com .
(19990727/Press Contact: Kate Webb, Diversion PR +44-1628-676727; Paul Myers, X-Stream Network +44-870-730-6466 /WIRES TELECOM, BUSINESS, ONLINE/)
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