Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Aware, Inc. - Hot or cold IPO? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Joseph Colombo who wrote (2452)	1/22/1998 7:05:00 PM
From: emichael	Respond to of 9236

Ameritech and Compaq Partner to Make Computers Ready for High-Speed Internet Access PR Newswire - January 22, 1998 12:57 AIT CPQ %TLS %CPR %MLM V%PRN P%PRN Companies Will Make ADSL Internet Access Readily Available in New PCs CHICAGO, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Making it easier than ever for customers to get high-speed Internet access, Ameritech (NYSE: AIT) today announced it is partnering with Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) to install the equipment needed for ADSL-enabled Internet access into future Compaq Presario personal computers. Compaq will test the modems and network interface cards Ameritech is using for Ameritech.net High Speed Internet Service. This means that later this year customers will be able to purchase select Compaq Presario computers and have them configured by some retailers in parts of Michigan to run Ameritech.net High Speed Internet Service. The Compaq Presario computers are expected to be available by spring of 98. Ameritech last month announced it is offering ADSL-enabled Internet service in Ann Arbor, Mich., and will be deploying the service in several other Midwestern cities in the coming months. Ameritech.net High Speed Internet Service uses Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology to enable customers to connect to the Internet at speeds up to 50 times faster than a standard telephone line and modem. ADSL is a modem technology that enhances the existing copper wiring serving virtually all homes and businesses. Certification up front "Ameritech is committed to making high-speed Internet access more widely available," said Tim Waters, vice president of data product management. "By working with Compaq, our customers will have access not only to high-speed Internet access, but to computers from the No. 1 PC manufacturer that will readily accommodate their need for speed." By assuring that the ADSL equipment used by Ameritech will work with its computers, Compaq demonstrates its commitment to seamless high-speed Internet access for consumers and small businesses. "Compaq is a leader in the personal computing industry and is committed to taking a leadership role, along with Ameritech, in making high-speed Internet access easy for our customers to get and use," said Michael Rubin, director of product marketing for Compaq's Presario line of PCs. "This alliance represents a tremendous opportunity for all of us. As the leader in the PC industry, we understand the need to provide the customer with the ability to communicate via the computer at speeds not normally reserved for the home user. This alliance is based not only on a sharing of technology, but a mutual vision of greater things to come." Ameritech.net High-Speed Internet Access enables users to download materials from the Internet at speeds of up to 1.5 megabits per second and send materials at speeds up to 128 kilobits per second. That means using ADSL, a customer could download the entire Encyclopedia Britannica in 31 minutes. Using a standard 28.8 modem, downloading the same information would take 27 hours. "It has always been Compaq's belief that technology is only truly useful when it provides a better experience for the consumer. This technology will enhance our customers' ability to utilize the Internet as both an information and entertainment medium and increase its effectiveness for communications," said Rubin. "By working with Compaq, Ameritech.net High Speed Internet Access customers are ensured quality service from both their computer vendor and service provider," said Waters. "Ameritech will continue to work with Compaq so our services are compatible with all of Compaq's quality line of PCs." The agreement with Compaq follows an agreement announced last month with Microsoft under which Ameritech will package future Ameritech.net High Speed Internet Service with software from Microsoft to ensure that a user's MS Windows operating system is ready to connect to the Internet using ADSL. To use Ameritech.net High Speed Access Service, customers need to have a personal computer with Pentium processor, the Windows 95 operating system, CD-ROM, 16 MB random access memory, and 32 MB hard drive capacity. Ameritech.net is available with Microsoft Internet Explorer for using the World Wide Web, e-mail and newsgroups; personalized web pages; CyberPatrol (parental control software); and chat software for joining on-line discussions. Compaq Computer Corporation, a Fortune 100 company, is the fifth largest computer company in the world and the largest global supplier of personal computers, delivering useful innovation through products that connect people with people and people with information. The company is an industry leader in current and future needs of its customers, offering Internet and enterprise computing solutions, networking products, commercial PC products and consumer PCs. As the leader in distributed enterprise solutions, Compaq has shipped over a million servers. In 1997, the company reported worldwide sales of $24.6 billion. Compaq products are sold and supported in more than 100 countries through a network of authorized Compaq marketing partners. Customer support and information about Compaq and its products can be found at compaq.com or by calling 800-OK-COMPAQ. Product information and reseller locations can be obtained by calling 800-345-1518. Ameritech serves millions of customers in 50 states and 40 countries. Ameritech provides a full range of communications services, including local and long distance telephone, cellular, paging, security monitoring, cable TV, Internet services and more. One of the world's 100 largest companies, Ameritech (www.ameritech.com) has 74,000 employees, 1 million shareowners and more than $25 billion in assets. S

To: Joseph Colombo who wrote (2452)	1/22/1998 10:45:00 PM
From: Steve Morytko	Respond to of 9236

One thing to keep in mind Joe is that with xDSL you'll be "online" constantly. You'll leave your workstation on all the time and you'll be able to contact it from anywhere else in the "network". Some thoughts ... - Monitor activity at remote locations. Check your cat's food dish while you're on vacation and talk to it offering reassurance that you'll be home real soon now - via the A/V device attached to your workstation. - Listen to voice/video messages your workstation is collecting. With the added bandwidth this becomes a real possibility. - Everyone will have a home page - at home. This iteration of xDSL won't let you run a service that requires significant outbound capacity because of the limited upstream capabilities. Of course you can put heavily used services on your ISP's server like many do today. - Applications like Netscape's Netcaster and Conference benefit. You'll be able to attached voice/video to all your e-mail. Imagine the possibilities for SI - you could listen to some of crap on the ASND thread - yeah right. - I'd expect software firms and information distributors (news services, catalogue merchants, magazines, stock data, radio, ...) to be able to multicast you the latest versions of their software/data/etc. (while you sleep or in real time) - for a subscription fee of course. Multicasting is a protocol that sends data to many "subscribed" users all at once (as opposed to sending the same data separately to each user). However, multicasting will come into wider use with or without xDSL. Who benefits? PC makers I'm sure (gotta have that Pentium II with the additional MM functions - right?); lots of periperal device makers too (more storage to handle the wavelet compressed MM files <G>); obviously your ISP but also the xDSL equipment makers and companies providing core Internet communications equipment. I'll name a couple of companies I think will benefit - ADI, AWRE, ASND, and COMS. Everybody is going to think it's real easy to be a graphics designer or movie producer (which of course it isn't) so they'll be buying A/V equipment, scanners, software to manipulate images/movies, etc. It may be practical to work at home for a larger number of people. There will probably be many new killer apps that only a few out there have even imagined (that will make them millions!) we'll want/need. You might also want to think about who won't benefit when xDSL is in widespread use. There are bound to be some losers.