Alta Vista Joins Free Internet Service Providers

Posted by accountingweb on 223 printer friendly

AltaVista decided last week to offer free dial-up internet access program that offers members email and unlimited Internet access. AltaVista joins other Internet Service Providers (ISP) like NetZero, Inc., Surfree.com, and Tritium Networks in the free ISP market.

What's the catch? The free service requires users to watch a constant stream of ads while online. AltaVista says the ad window "takes up less than five percent of a user's desktop and can be positioned anywhere on the screen at the user's discretion." The free service requires surfers to use a personalized MyAltaVista page as their permanent home page, too.

The company also is introducing a MicroPortal service. This service remains open as a separate desktop window and displays links to AltaVista services. As a promotion for this service, the company is giving away $5 million worth of gift certificates redeemable at its Shopping.com www.shopping.com e-commerce site. Users earn more chances to win, the longer they keep their window open.

The fact that other free sites haven't been an overnight success suggests that consumers are willing to pay to keep their personal data confidential. AltaVista is about to find out if they have the right "free" model. To check it out for yourself, click here http://microav.com/.

Voice of the Editor

Even though any accounting auditor would tell you it seems like there are an awful lot of tax accountants out there, surely one-third of the country isn't made up of tax preparers, so it's rather startling news to learn that one-third of Americans like to do their taxes. Who knew?
Read more
Gail Perry, CPA
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, AccountingWEB
editor@accountingweb.com
ADVERTISEMENT

This Week on AccountingWEB

Bill Walter of Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates and Harold Gaar of TravisWolff LLP weigh in on mobile technology use while employees are at work.
WestArk RSVP and Fayette County Community Action Agency – organizations that received grant funding through the IRS Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program – spoke with AccountingWEB about how they assist senior citizens in their communities.
CPA Robert Raiola, who heads the Sports & Entertainment Group of Fazio, Mannuzza, Roche, Tankel, LaPilusa, LLC, talks NFL player income taxes with AccountingWEB.
Retiring KPMG Centennial Professor of Accounting at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business Robert May, PhD talks with AccountingWEB about his rewarding forty-three-year career.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT