Yahoo! Inc. and MCI Telecommunications Corporation joined
forces today to launch a new co-branded online service called Yahoo! Online
powered by MCI Internet.
The announcement is further evidence of Yahoo!’s rapid expansion from its
origins as a navigation guide to that of a full-blown online service that
will compete with the likes of America Online, CompuServe, MSN, and C Net’s
Snap!
The companies are billing the service as one that aims to offer consumers
an alternative to current Internet online services, allowing them to
explore the Net with nationwide dial-up access coverage.
Yahoo! Online users will be able to access the service via local phone
numbers in major metropolitan areas with X2 modem capability. Subscribers
will use a customized browser that incorporates Yahoo! aggregated content.
Yahoo! says it plans to offer consumers value-added features in online
content, communications, community, and e-commerce services through its
over 300 content, products, and services partners.
Yahoo! Online users will also be given access to free member communication
and community services, which include e-mail, chat, message boards, and
classifieds.
“Through our partnership with MCI, Yahoo! Online will provide a complete
solution for new Internet users as well as Yahoo!’s current customers who
have been accessing our services from work, school, and public access
points and would like personal access from home,” said Jeff Mallett, chief
operating officer of Yahoo!
“Yahoo! Online takes advantage of our existing business and services while
extending our distribution both online and offline to offer Internet users
all the value of Yahoo! with the great reliability of MCI’s Internet network.”
Yahoo!’s position as one of the leading resources on the Internet was also
cemented today with the news that it was the number one destination for
users in December, according to Internet research firm RelevantKnowledge Inc.
