8/29/00
Web-based E-mail and Aggressive Domain Pricing Enhance the ConcentricHost Solution to Help Small- and Medium-sized Businesses Get on the Web
ConcentricHost is Now Integrated with Web-Based E-Mail Capabilities
SAN JOSE, CA - Concentric Network, a NEXTLINK Communications Company (NASDAQ: NXLK) and a leading provider of e-business solutions for growing companies, is enhancing the features and pricing structure of ConcentricHost™ to aid small- and medium-sized business (SMB) customers in establishing and maintaining a Web presence. Concentric is now offering integrated Web Mail capabilities as well as competitive pricing on domain name parking and Web hosting to lower the cost of entry for SMBs migrating to the Web.
Web Mail - free with any e-mail or Web hosting plan - allows hosting customers to access their e-mail account from any Web browser or through their POP3 client. E-mails are branded by domain name, giving customers the flexibility to use Web-based e-mail while constantly reinforcing their company name. Eventually, domain parking customers will have limited Web Mail capabilities, enabling them to start branding their Web site even before it is operational. Web Mail has several distinct advantages over other Web-based e-mail services, including providing the same level of disk storage as the customer's hosting plan, instead of limiting storage space like other Web-based e-mail services. Web Mail has Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption to increase browser security on open or untrusted networks such as hotels and remote offices. Web Mail is not supported by advertisers, so customers download only critical data. Plus, customers can count on the reliability of their Concentric account to receive attachments and large files.
The addition of Web Mail is in direct response to customer feedback requesting the flexibility to access e-mail using both a POP3 client and Web-based e-mail. Early customers are already raving about the service: "WebMail is an incredibly convenient addition to the ConcentricHost service! Excellent idea!" said Brian Buckstiegel of Aero Web Development. Another customer, Michael Ferris of Brynmair Irish Wolfhounds, commented, "Thanks for adding the Web Mail feature; it really comes in handy when I'm out of town or I'm working on my Unix workstation."
Concentric is also challenging the established price ranges for Web hosting and domain registration. Web hosting is available for only $19.95 per month with a one-year pre-payment, and domain name reservation is just $125 for a ten-year contract, which eliminates the need to re-register in the near future. Additionally, recent deregulation in the domain name registration industry allows Concentric to register an increased number of foreign top level domains to serve its increasing international presence. Existing ConcentricHost customers can also take advantage of the new low pricing of $20 for one year or $35 for two years for .com, .net and .org domain names by using Concentric's domain aliasing feature. A customer with a .com extension on his/her URL can also register a .net domain and have it redirect to the customer's official site for only the one-time domain registration fee and $5 per month for the alias.
"Concentric serves small- and medium-sized businesses in varying stages of Web adoption, so we tailor our offering to fit their unique needs," said Barbara Branaman, director of product management for SMB Web hosting services at Concentric. "Some customers are travelling professionals that greatly benefit from using branded, Web-based e-mail, while other customers are still ramping up to a full-fledged Web presence. Concentric aims to serve this broad range of needs with a full-featured, value-priced solution in ConcentricHost that helps customers graduate from one step to the next."
These services are backed by Concentric's money-back guarantee; free, 24x7 technical support; a powerful, redundant network; as well as access to a collection of more than 50 best-of-breed services within Concentric Gateway. For details about these terms and more information about ConcentricHost, or to register a domain name, please visit www.concentric.com or call toll-free 1.877.932.2629.
About Concentric Network Corporation Concentric Network, an operating unit of NEXTLINK Communications, is a global provider of leading data and Internet services. NEXTLINK offers local and long distance voice, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) access, Web hosting and e-commerce, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), dedicated access, global transit and application infrastructure services for delivering applications over the Internet or a VPN.
NEXTLINK has assembled an unrivaled set of facilities-based broadband networks that, when complete, will serve much of the United States, Canada and Europe. In the United States, NEXTLINK has more than 430,000 fiber miles in operation and a 384,000 fiber-mile inter-city network under construction. The Company is also North America's largest holder of fixed broadband wireless spectrum, with licenses covering 95 percent of the population of the 30 largest U.S. cities and a partnership with licenses covering all of the top cities in Canada. NEXTLINK has also agreed in principle to acquire more than 80,000 metro fiber miles in Europe to serve the London, Frankfurt, Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris markets and an 88,000 fiber-mile pan-European fiber network connecting 21 major European cities and transatlantic capacity that will eventually expand to 10 Gbps.
Publicly traded NEXTLINK (NASDAQ:NXLK) is headquartered in McLean, Virginia and Concentric is located in San Jose, California. For more information visit www.NEXTLINK.com or www.concentric.net or contact Public Relations at publicrelations@concentric.com.
For more information contact:
Rachel Brant
XO Communications
408.794.2119
