InternetNews Staff

Metromedia Fiber Network Inc. Thursday announced separate long-term agreements with Internet providers PSINet Inc. and AboveNet Communications Inc. worth more than $50 million. Metromedia Fiber Network will provide strands of dark fiber on its East and West Coast networks and co-location space to both companies. PSINet and AboveNet will obtain unlit fiber access to key […]

Internet services provider IBS Interactive Inc. Thursday acquired Huntsville, Ala-based ISP Renaissance Internet Services. Financial terms of the pending purchase were not disclosed. Founded in 1994, Renaissance Internet Services provides Internet access and web design and development. “Combining with IBS Interactive marks an important step forward in our company’s growth and development,” said Mark Van […]

At the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas Thursday, WebTV Networks Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corp. unveiled the Microsoft WebTV Network Plus, a satellite-based high-speed Internet service. The system will use Microsoft’s WebTV set-top box and EchoStar’s DISH Network satellite service. Slated for release this spring, the combination service and product integrates the DISH Network’s […]

Cisco Systems Inc. and General Instrument Corp. Thursday said they will collaborate with AT&T Corp. in creating and testing a new Internet Protocol (IP) network. The high-speed network will enable AT&T to offer services such as data, voice and video over the hybrid fiber-coax network currently deployed by AT&T and TCI. AT&T customers will be […]

FirstWorld Communications Inc. Thursday acquired Slip.Net, a San Francisco area Internet provider, for $10.45 million in cash plus 187,500 shares of First World stock. The acquisition will give FirstWorld more than 20,000 business and consumer accounts that generated about $5.4 million in revenue in 1998. In addition, the company plans to enhance its current offerings […]

Netscape Communications Corp. and IDG Books Workdwide Inc. plan to jointly produce a new line of books and CD-ROMs aimed at consumers and enterprise users. The books will be published under the Netscape Press name and will focus on Netscape products and technologies. Details of the partnership were announced Thursday. Lori Mirek, Netscape’s senior vice […]

NeoPlanet, an alternative browser to Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, was spun-off into its own company this week by parent firm Bigfoot International Inc. The spin-off was fueled by capital from an investment group that includes Network Associates Inc.’s Vulcan Internet Venture Fund. Financial specifics of the investment were not disclosed. NeoPlanet’s spin-off is part […]

Snickelways Interactive developed a couponing program for Rand McNally’s online store. “Snickelways built our online e-commerce store (in 1997) and they continue to provide us solid solutions like coupons to help us drive people to it,” said Jim Ferguson, Rand McNally’s Web project manager. “They really understand digital salesmanship. In one particular week we saw […]

ModelOffice Inc. in Austin, TX, a business productivity software company, signed a sponsorship deal with iVillage.com: The Women’s Network. ModelOffice said it is sponsoring a bridge page on the iVillage Web site that will provide access to the company’s productivity tools that “are especially helpful for women entrepreneurs looking for information on how to grow […]

Conducent Inc. and Reality Online Inc. signed an agreement in which Reality will offer new ad-backed financial software apps through Reuters Investor, the company’s Internet-based market information solution for Web sites of financial service companies. The software utilizes Conducent’s proprietary technology for integrating dynamic advertising in order to subsidize the development costs, the companies said. […]

Cambridge Technology Partners this week rolled out new intranet-based sales and human resources systems for Swissair’s sales and marketing units. The project was designed over an 18-week period and will ultimately connect 7,800 employees in 130 offices worldwide. Swissair expects the new system will increase sales revenues and make staff more productive by allowing marketing […]

Indian government ISP Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) will expand its international bandwidth to at least 300 Mbps this year, up from the current bandwidth of 80 Mbps, according to managing director Amitabh Kumar. Forty-one ISP’s have now received licenses from the Department of Telecommunications, and more than 20 of these private ISP’s have filed […]