Sprint announces 'Sprint Internet Private Passport' to reach new communities with tailored Internet access.KANSAS CITY Kansas City, two adjacent cities of the same name, one (1990 pop. 149,767), seat of Wyandotte co., NE Kansas (inc. 1859), the other (1990 pop. 435,146), Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties, NW Mo. (inc. 1850). , Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 1997-- Demand in computing, gaming, medical and small business markets targeted with launch In a move to extend its consumer Internet access See how to access the Internet. product line, leverage key relationships and reach specific communities of users, Sprint Monday launched the Sprint Internet Private Passport(SM) product. Additionally, Sprint announced key initial customers for the product, including Macmillan Publishing USA, Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster U.S. publishing company. It was founded in 1924 by Richard L. Simon (1899–1960) and M. Lincoln Schuster (1897–1970), whose initial project, the original crossword-puzzle book, was a best-seller. Interactive, NetPlay, Tarkenton Net Ventures, California Medical Association, and Missouri State Medical Association. Sprint Internet Private Passport, an extension of Sprint's primary consumer service -- Sprint Internet Passport -- allows customization of key products and service elements for specific communities, organizations and products. The customization options result in customers or community sponsors providing their users with a virtual private gateway to their content and applications along with general access to the public domain Internet. "We are entering a new phase in the growth of Sprint consumer Internet services," said Jim Dodd, vice president, Internet Services at Sprint. "We expect to add at least one online community each week this year through Sprint Internet Private Passport, reaching millions of potential Internet users Internet user n → internauta m/f Internet user Internet n → internaute m/f ." Dodd said the agreement with Macmillan Publishing USA's New Riders imprint will offer Sprint Internet Passport access to up to 1 million buyers of New Riders' books. An important part of the Sprint Internet Private Passport strategy is to enable the development of communities on the Internet by providing access, application tools, end-user support and marketing support to community sponsors and members. Sprint believes this drives the value and relevance consumers and the mass market really want. In addition, Sprint Internet Private Passport has a revenue sharing revenue sharing Funding arrangement in which one government unit grants a portion of its tax income to another government unit. For example, provinces or states may share revenue with local governments, or national governments may share revenue with provinces or states. component that offers content providers the ability to fund further development of new content and capabilities. Specific details of individual contracts are not publicly available. "Sprint Internet Private Passport is a product that can help companies with an existing Internet business plan or user demand reach their target audience," Dodd said. "Our initial customers in the computing, gaming, small business and medical markets have that kind of existing demand." The computing market is represented today by Macmillan Publishing USA's New Riders, publishers of numerous computer-oriented reference books which will include Sprint Internet Passport beginning this spring. Access to the Internet via Sprint Internet Passport will be bundled with over 15 titles. "We are providing an added-value online hook for computer book readers, who happen to spend the most time on line," said Scott Flanders, president of Macmillan Publishing USA. "This relationship with Sprint is part of our strategy to use the Internet as a cost-effective way to build relationships with consumers and add value and immediacy to printed works." CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). maker Simon & Schuster Interactive currently distributes Sprint Internet Passport with two new computer CD-ROM games ("Star Trek  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. Borg," "Tom Clancy's SSN Tom Clancy's SSN is a simulation of the 688i (Los Angeles-class) nuclear hunter/killer submarine. You are in command of USS Cheyenne in a limited war against China over the Spratly Islands. "), and more will follow in 1997. Through the Simon & Schuster Interactive relationship, Sprint Internet Passport will be delivered to a potential audience of more than 1 million game players. Plus, in the online gaming See gaming. industry, NetPlay will include Sprint Internet Passport in the distribution of its NetPlay Game Club CD-ROM beginning this spring. Sprint will deliver Internet access to large medical organizations so that doctors and other medical professionals can build a community in Cyberspace Coined by William Gibson in his 1984 novel "Neuromancer," it is a futuristic computer network that people use by plugging their minds into it! The term now refers to the Internet or to the online or digital world in general. See Internet and virtual reality. Contrast with meatspace. even though they may be spread across a state or region. Today's announcement includes a contract with the 34,000-member California Medical Association and the 4,000-member Missouri State Medical Association. Tarkenton Net Ventures, a multimedia development company, is affiliated with the Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940) is a former American football player, TV personality, and computer software executive. He is probably best known for his years with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, as well as a commentator on Small Business NETwork. The relationship with TNV TNV Telephone Network Voltage TNV Telecommunication Network Voltage represents Sprint Internet Private Passport's initial customer in the small business market. Sprint Internet Private Passport will soon be bundled with TNV's WebTitan software which helps small business owners create Web sites that can be hosted on the Fran Tarkenton Small Business NETwork server. Sprint Internet Private Passport ensures fast and high quality access to the FTSBN server. "We expect to get a very high percentage of people from these groups to sign up through Sprint Internet Private Passport, and we expect them to be loyal, active users because of the relevance of the community and the service assurance provided upon all dimensions by Sprint," said Dodd. The agreements with Macmillan Publishing USA and Simon & Schuster Interactive are part of a larger agreement with Viacom Inc. Sprint launched Sprint Internet Passport through a phased rollout, beginning in August 1996 with release to Sprint long distance customers. On Dec. 4, Sprint announced the general availability of its Internet access service. Both Sprint and non-Sprint long distance and local telephone customers can call 1-800-359-3900 to receive a free Sprint Internet Passport service package that includes everything needed to take full advantage of the Internet. Sprint provides 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week customer service and technical support and local dial-up access hot Dial-up access is a form of Internet access via telephone line. The client uses a modem connected to a computer and a telephone line to dial into an Internet service provider's (ISP) node to establish a modem-to-modem link, which is then routed to the Internet. to more than 85 percent of the online market through more than 200 local Internet access points nationwide, with plans to expand in 1997. Sprint's software and service includes all of the features and functions that both new and experienced users need to make accessing and using the Internet simple. After the first month free, customers can begin using the Internet service billing option that best suits their usage, either a flat rate of $19.95 per month for unlimited access, or $1.50 per hour with no minimum usage requirement. Sprint is a global communications company Communications Company is a communications unit of the United States Marine Corps. They are part of Combat Logistics Regiment 37 , 3rd Marine Logistics Group (3MLG) and III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF). The unit is based out of the Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. at the forefront in integrating long distance, local and wireless communications wireless communications System using radio-frequency, infrared, microwave, or other types of electromagnetic or acoustic waves in place of wires, cables, or fibre optics to transmit signals or data. services, and the world's largest carrier of Internet traffic Internet traffic is the flow of data around the Internet. It includes web traffic, which is the amount of that data that is related to the World Wide Web, along with the traffic from other major uses of the Internet, such as electronic mail and peer-to-peer networks. . Sprint built and operates the United States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network and is the leader in advanced data communications data communications, application of telecommunications technology to the problem of transmitting data, especially to, from, or between computers. In popular usage, it is said that data communications make it possible for one computer to "talk" with another. services. Sprint has $14 billion in annual revenues and serves more than 16 million business and residential customers. -0- Sprint Internet Passport is a service mark of Sprint Communications Co. All other brand and product names are trademarks and/or service marks of their respective companies. CONTACT: Sprint www.sprint.com Jeff Shafer, 913/624-4887 E-mail: jshafer@igate.sprint.com or Macmillan Publishing USA Laura Porco, 317/581-3780 or Simon & Schuster Interactive Peter von Schlossberg, 212/698-7056 or NetPlay Inc. Jeff Herscovitz, 619/350-1240,x106 e-mail:jeffh@netplay.com or Tarkenton Net Ventures Stephen Bashada, 770/303-0800 |
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