ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Frontier Communications last week announced plans to start providing e-mail outsourcing services, an offering the company claims can be 50% to 75% less expensive than buying and maintaining an in-house system.
Frontier will use messaging and directory software from the Sun-Netscape Alliance, a collaboration launched last year by Sun and America Online's Netscape division, to provide software for electronic commerce and other Internet operations. Frontier also will use Webtop remote access software from Sun-Netscape and hardware from Sun.
"Outsourcing is the one trend that can level the playing field for companies competing in . . . the Internet economy," says Stuart Wells, a senior vice president at Sun-Netscape. "Businesses will no longer need to budget for endless rounds of software upgrades."
Frontier also will provide collaboration, calendaring and unified messaging services after the company launches its messaging service, officials say.
Because it is based on open standards, Frontier's messaging service will be able to simultaneously support millions of users and integrate with a customer's existing software and hardware, officials say.
To distribute its service, Frontier will use its Optronics Network, which currently connects more than 120 U.S. cities, and its Media Distribution Centers, which are data centers that provide around the clock service.
The messaging service will be available in the fourth quarter for ISPs, and will be rolled out to other Frontier customers in the first half of 2000. Frontier declined to provide pricing specifics.
Pérez is a correspondent with IDG News Service's Florida bureau.
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