MCI Communications Corp yesterday launched itself onto the Internet with marketplaceMCI, describing it as the first brand-name secure electronic shopping area, and a full range of Internet offerings with US-wide dial-up access – effectively using the Internet to challenge the franchises of the Big Three US on-line services. The first 14 companies to offer services in the shopping area are Dun & Bradstreet Information Services, Hammacher Schlemmer & Co, OfficeMax Inc, Intercontinental Florist, Damark International, PC Zone and Mac Zone, Reiter’s Scientific & Professional Books, Qualcomm Inc, Proxima Inc, Reveal Computer Products Inc, Covey, Doneckers, FTP Software Inc and National Wildlife Galleries Inc. MCI is using Netscape Communications Inc’s client and browser software and Netsite servers and FTP Software Inc’s Internet software to construct marketplaceMCI services, with RSA Data Security Inc’s en-cryption technology to ensure that users can make secure on-line credit card shopping transactions. It is offering a simple internetMCI package of Windows software, making it free to existing networkMCI Business users, and $40 plus access charges for anyone else. For sending and receiving electronic mail on the Internet, internetMCI customers can buy e-mailMCI separately at $25, which enables users to exchange messages with any mail system attached to the Internet, including CompuServe, Prodigy and America Online. Until June 30, internetMCI users get unlimited local or 800 access to the Internet at $20 amonth, after which it is $10 a month for the first five hours of local access, and $2.50 for every further hour.
