TOTALLY FREE INTERNET SERVICE from BlueLight.com!
We mean it. Get on the Internet with the highest-rated Internet service out there for FREE! It won't cost you a thing.
BlueLight.com congratulates Levi Bierwiler of Billings, Montana for being BlueLight.com's one millionth subscriber to its Totally Free Internet Service on Tuesday, March 22, 2000. Mr. Bierwiler, his wife Angie, daughters Justise (3) left and Mercedes (1) right were awarded a complete home office suite valued at $5,000 for using the service, which is available nationwide. BlueLight.com is an independent Internet company formed by Kmart and Yahoo!
BlueLight.com stands apart from the other discount shopping sites on the Internet, partly because we bring together the strengths of companies you know and trust. Through our partnership with Kmart, we can offer the products you already use at consistently low prices. And we've teamed up with Yahoo! to bring you a host of online services for free - making it easier than ever to find the deals you want quickly, so you never miss an opportunity to save. Every day, for example, your personalized special offerings will be delivered directly to your My Yahoo! page, based on your shopping preferences.
BlueLight.com, based in San Francisco, was founded in 1999 out of an innovative partnership between Kmart and Softbank Venture Capital. Softbank is an expert on the Internet, and Kmart is an expert in retailing - BlueLight.com is combining these strengths. BlueLight.com's founders come from both Internet and retail backgrounds, and share a passion for making the Internet fun and useful for everyone.
Companies rush into free ISP market Untapped market: 33 million have yet to go online
By Paul Davidson, USA TODAY
Free Internet access, a tantalizing service that has curiously languished, is expected to soar as Web portals such as Yahoo! and Excite At Home join traditional retailers in a scramble to lure the 33 million U.S. households yet to go online.
Kmart, Yahoo! and Softbank said Wednesday that they will team to offer customers free Internet access and shopping services at a new e-commerce site, BlueLight.com.
The announcement comes amid reports that Excite At Home, the largest high-speed Net access provider, is on the verge of partnering with free Web access provider 1stUp.com for a free dial-up service.
Analysts say the firms are reacting to a similar deal between 1stUp and AltaVista in July. In just a few months, that partnership has signed up 1 million subscribers.
In each case, the Internet service provider benefits from the marketing clout of an established Internet or bricks-and-mortar brand. The merchant draws more viewers, boosting e-commerce sales and ad rates by becoming the start page of the ISP. "You're going to start to see mainstream consumer brands subsidizing Internet access for high-value customers," says yst Emily Meehan of the Yankee Group.
Until recently, free access providers have attracted only about 4 million customers. Top player NetZero, with 2 million, lost $14.9 million last quarter.
Their struggles are largely blamed on limited marketing budgets. And with no subscription fees, they rely solely on ad revenue. By collecting personal data about customers, they target them with customized ads, charging a 10% to 25% premium on ad rates. "Many consumers balk at the request for more personal information," Meehan says. She also says ad responses have been disappointing.
Customer service, meanwhile, is spotty, ysts say, with subscribers frustrated by frequent busy signals.
But as high-speed Net access at $40 a month grows in popularity, run-of-the-mill service -- at up to $21.95 a month -- will increasingly become a commodity, experts say.
By 2003, ysts say, up to 25% of Internet households will have free Net access.
Merchants will use free access to retain customers, Meehan says. Brokerage J.B. Oxford offers free access to customers with at least $2,000 in their checking accounts.
Eventually, the trend will halve the prices of leading ISPs, says Zia Wigder of Jupiter Communications. But America Online President Bob Pittman says, "At the end of the day, customers want a full, robust ISP."
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