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Internet Considering New Naming Scheme 03/02/95 LONDON, ENGLAND, 1995 MAR 2 (NB) -- Internet users struggling to get their minds around the often complicated addresses used on the global computer network may have a new problem soon - most of the advertised addresses could change. As the Internet grows rapidly, companies are registering domain names. These are often the last two or three parts of an electronic-mail address that include the company name and type of organization, such as newsbytes.com or compuserve.com. Currently each country around the world tacks a two letter country code on the end of addresses except the United States which uses seven "top level" domains, such as "com" for commercial organizations and "edu" for universities. Multinational companies, defined as those with offices in more than one country, are also allowed to use the US domains so they don't have a country code in their e-mail address. This has lead to massive expansion in the "com" domain as more and more companies register names. Some may not even be connected to the Internet, but they want to register now to avoid someone else snapping up the name they want, as has happened recently with "mcdonalds.com" and "mtv.com." Even though the addresses can often look complicated, the computers on the Internet don't use them -- they convert them into a numerical format and use that to route packages of data around the world. This means that before any message is sent or connection made, your computer must connect to a computer known as a "name server" than returns the numerical code needed. There are a lot of codes to be searched through. The full number of Internet domains just passed 32,000 but the more significant number is the amount of host computers on the Internet. This is a count of the individually numbered computers connected through the 32,000 companies. That figure is 1,316,966 - - a 132% increase in 1994 and a 25% increase in the final quarter of last year. All this has led to the "com" part of the name servers getting overloaded and this has slowed up the system -- not by much, but the delay is growing each day. Now Internet users are considering splitting the "com" domain into two or more to ease the load. Options include a "com.us" domain for companies with offices in the United States only or even a simple halfway split into a "com1" and "com2" domain. European Internet users are considering a transnational "eu" domain for companies that span Europe, but have offices nowhere else. Spokesmen at leading UK Internet providers Pipex and EUnet told Newsbytes that discussions were at an early stage and no decisions had been made yet, but they were confident that any change would be technically easy even if users took a while to get used to it. (Martyn Williams/19950302) Baby Bells Lobby Over Internet 02/22/95 WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A., 1995 FEB 22 (NB) -- The regional Bell operating companies are taking their lobbying campaign for telecommunications law reform to the Internet. The Alliance for Competitive Communications has a World Wide Web home page that is a doorway to be group's Internet site, known as "bell.com." The home page features updates on the policy debate, copies of the relevant bills, including both the Pressler Republican draft and the Hollings Democratic draft in the Senate, news releases and press information, and other legislative information. The site also has pointers to other government and communications-related internet sites, including the Library of Congress's Thomas home page of legislative information and the home pages for the House and set. "The Internet is the town hall of the 90s," says Gary McBee, chairman of the alliance, made up of the seven Baby Bells. "We believe bell.com provides a convenient place for all Internet users -- including journalists, government employees and others -- to quickly find documents relevant to this important debate." McBee says he believes that the Internet will become a major source of online information for press and policy makers. The alliance began its Internet site last year. "Interest in bell.com was much greater than we expected last year," says Jeff Richards, project director for the alliance. "More than 150,000 documents were downloaded from bell.com and many users sent us messages about how useful it was to them." For this year, the site not only offers a Web home page, but also a listserver, or electronic mailing list, that will enable subscribers to get timely updates. To subscribe, send and e-mail message to listserver@ bell.com with this message: SUBSCRIBE BELL YOUR FIRSTNAME YOUR LASTNAME. The site is also available by gopher or through anonymous ftp (File Transfer Protocol). To reach the web site, type http://bell.com. (Kennedy Maize/19950222/Press Contact: Bill McCloskey, 202-463- 4129, Internet e-mail mccloskey@bell.com) Survey - E-Mail Here, But Fax Lives 03/01/95 NORWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1995 MAR 1 (NB) -- Electronic-mail is here to stay, but fax will live on, too -- and increasingly, the two forms of messaging will be integrated with voice in "universal mailboxes," according to a new survey from BIS Strategic Decisions. At present, almost three-quarters of users say that "intracompany e- mail" does not impact their fax traffic, and more than 85 percent report that e-mail with other companies do not affect the amount of faxes sent and received, explained Judy Pirani, director of Image Communications Systems for BIS, in an interview with Newsbytes. Soon, concepts like faxing and e- mail will start to be replaced in users' minds with the more generalized notion of "messaging," Pirani predicted. Microsoft Exchange will incorporate a "unified" messaging interface, and Apple has rolled a similar capability into System 7.5 through PowerTalk, she pointed out. "A few years ago, the Electronic Mail Association showed a lot of foresight in changing its name to the Electronic Messaging Association," the researcher observed. The BIS study also showed that, in the fax arena, users are moving more into computer-based fax, even though they are continuing to buy fax machines, according to Pirani. In fact, people are sending more faxes than ever before, as well as slightly longer faxes, she added. Moreover, about 44 percent of the survey respondents said that they intend to purchase additional fax machines, with the price of the machine ranking as the most significant consideration in the choice of the model. "Fax machines and computer fax are being used for different purposes," the BIS analyst noted. Fax machines are being utilized for fax broadcasting, as well as for sending documents that are not computer- generated, she maintained. As might be expected, inter- company (between company) faxes accounted for nearly two-thirds of all faxes sent, according to the survey. "We also looked into new technologies like {SHIFT-*}multi-functional fax machines,' or fax machines that can also copy or print," Newsbytes was told. For these newer kinds of machines, BIS found the greatest degree of interest among users in the SOHO (small office/home office) market, the analyst noted. Pirani added that most users of computer fax who took part in the BIS survey were users of PC fax boards, as opposed to networked fax servers. The respondents included 150 individuals in three market segments: small businesses (under 100 employees); medium-sized businesses (100 to 499 employees); and large businesses (over 500 employees). (Jacqueline Emigh/19950301/Reader Contact: BIS Strategic Decisions, 617-982-9500; Press Contact: Martha Popoloski, BIS, 617-982-9500) CompuServe Revenues Up 35.5%; 2.7 Million Members 03/01/95 COLUMBUS, OHIO, U.S.A., 1995 MAR 1 (NB) -- In a report of its third quarter earnings, CompuServe announced its revenues were $154.2 million, up 35.5% from $113.7 million for the same quarter last year. Both its consumer division, CompuServe Information service, and its Network Services Division contribute to the record earnings. The company's pre-tax earnings for the quarter ending January 31, 1995, are listed at $41.2 million, which is up 40.6% from $29.3 million for the same period last year. In the report, Maury Cox, president and chief executive officer (CEO) at CompuServe, said, "Our growth worldwide, combined with a wide array of local content, local language software, and a presence in nearly 150 countries clearly positions CompuServe as the only online service company with a truly global presence." CompuServe membership is now in excess of 2.7 million paying members. Speaking with Newsbytes, Jane Torbica, spokeswoman for CompuServe, said, "We do not know how the other services count their membership numbers, but we only count current, paying member IDs. If there are five people in one household using one paid account, we only count that as one member. With that type of accounting, CompuServe still continues to grow by more than 100,000 members per month." The company says, with its new hourly rates, a 50% reduction in high- speed connect rates, existing Internet services, expanded basic services and the soon-to-be-announced World Wide Web access, the CompuServe Information Service division expects continued growth. At the same time, its Network Services Division with X.25 services, remote LAN (local area network) access, frame relay, and a newly announced Internet access for Spry's Internet-in-a-Box users contributes to the strong third quarter revenues. Torbica continued, "This is a time when all of the online services are growing rapidly and CompuServe is playing a very strong role in that growth. We remain a leader of the online services in posting a consistent profit and in offering global access. I cannot stress enough our growth of international members and the number of countries to which we are now able to deliver our service. In Europe alone, we have grown to more than 220,000 members." In one week early this year, the company had more than 40,000 new members sign onto the service. (Patrick McKenna/19950301/Press Contact: Jane Torbica, CompuServe, 614-538-3347) Delphi Restructuring To Support New Internet Service 03/01/95 CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A., 1995 MAR 1 (NB) -- Three weeks after unveiling a licensing deal with Netscape for new graphical client- server user software, Delphi Internet Services Corporation has announced a restructuring aimed at positioning the Cambridge- Massachusetts-based company to become "the premier online service for interactive entertainment, education, and information." The reorganization at Delphi represents "the next building block" after the Netscape licensing deal in Delphi's plans for the upcoming Internet offering, said Nancy Morrisroe, public relations director for Delphi. Content for the new "open, Internet-based platform" will include products and services from both News Corporation and non-News Corporation partners, according to Morrisroe. News Corporation, which is led by Rupert Murdoch, is a large global media company with interests that include: TV Guide; Fox Broadcasting; Twentieth Century Fox; HarperCollins Publishers; Times Newspapers Limited; British Sky Broadcasting; and Star Television. Delphi, which currently operates a text-based Internet service offering, is not yet disclosing more specific content plans for its revamped service, but will make an announcement of this kind within the next few weeks, Morrisroe told Newsbytes. Under the pact with Netscape, unveiled on February 8, Delphi licensed Netscape Navigator and Netsite Commerce Service for use in its upcoming Internet service. In the newly announced reorganization, Delphi has hired Mark Benerofe -- who was formerly director of Interactive Media for Microsoft -- as executive VP and general manager, Consumer Services. Benerofe will oversee the "acquisition and/or development and placement" of consumer and general content for Delphi's new online service, Morrisroe said. Delphi has also named four other new executive VPs, as well as a new chief financial officer (CFO). Bharath Kadaba, Delphi's new executive VP for worldwide operations, will be in charge of "worldwide engineering efforts" to develop a new client-server technology, infrastructure, and customer support for the new Internet service. Kadaba --- who was previously director of internetworking and multimedia services for IBM's Advantis -- will also oversee "key technology partnerships" such as the Netscape deal. Ben Feder, the newly appointed executive VP and general manager of Delphi's Business Services, will head up Delphi Internet's efforts to provide products and services for businesses, overseeing media partnerships with both News Corporation and non-News Corporation companies. Jaan Torv, who is now executive VP and managing director for Delphi International, has been assigned to lead Delphi's "international expansion initiatives," the first of which -- Delphi Internet Limited -- was launched in the UK last fall. Susan D. Goodman has been named executive VP for worldwide marketing at Delphi. Goodman previously founded the S.D. Goodman Group, a "strategic marketing consultancy" and direct marketing agency in New York City. Jerry Lyons, Delphi's new chief financial officer (CFO), was formerly senior manager of Arthur Andersen & Company, and was then CFO of OCP America, a $450 million pharmaceutical company. Torv and Feder were both promoted to the executive VP slots from other positions at Delphi, according to Morrisroe. (Jacqueline Emigh/19950301/Reader Contact: Delphi Internet Services Corporation, 617-491-3393; Nancy Morrisroe, Delphi, 212-556-8116; Hallie Long, Schwartz Communications for Delphi, 617-431-0770) Marketing Number One Business Use Of Internet 03/02/95 MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A., 1995 MAR 2 (NB) - - A recent Robert Half International survey of 1,000 CFOs (chief financial officers) from companies with more than 20 employees found marketing to be the number one business use of the Internet. Following 10 percentage points behind, the category of customer support and communications was the second strongest area of projected use. The answer was to the question: "Other than electronic-mail, what potential functions of the information superhighway do you think will be most useful for your company?" Forty-six percent of the CFOs selected sales and marketing; thirty-six percent chose customer support and communications; six percent chose research and twelve percent were listed in an "other/don't know" category. In relation to its survey, RHI says more businesses are using Internet to expand their services to both corporate and consumer customers and notes a growing trend of businesses adding Internet addresses to business cards. Executive director of RHI Consulting, Greg Scileppi, says as the momentum of the "superhighway" continues to grow, more jobs are opening in the information technology field. These jobs involve a wide range of very technical skills to more general and personal skills. Speaking to Newsbytes, Reesa McCoy Staten, spokeswoman for RHI, said, "This question was asked of chief financial officers who usually have a strong knowledge of the level of technology within their companies. In the future we may ask questions of more technical staff and be able to include more detailed information such as the World Wide Web." Newsbytes notes a 1994 survey which concluded many companies were at a "wait and see" attitude about business use on the Net. "This recent study seems to indicate, that attitude has changed in the past year," said Staten. (Patrick McKenna/19950302/Press Contact: Reesa McCoy Staten, RHI Consulting, 415-854-9700)