@Home Network Unveils New Look For Its High-Speed
Consumer Service
Going Above & Beyond High-Speed To Offer Compelling User Experience
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., December 10, 1997 - @Home is changing the way consumers view
and use the Internet by transforming the traditional Internet experience into one
that is unique in style, service and content. Today, the @Home service revealed
its new design and enhanced interface, allowing for a new depth of content and functionality
that takes advantage of its superior speed which is up to hundreds of times faster
than traditional dial-up services. @Home also announced new product features that
allow subscribers to have up to 3 user accounts, each with its own email address
and access to their @Home email from anywhere on the Internet through NetMail. In
addition, the new interface provides @Home users with vibrant multimedia content,
including high quality audio and video, creating a highly interactive environment
not possible with conventional Internet services.
With this enhanced service and elegant interface, @Home users will have the Internet
in the palm of their hands, enabling them to quickly and easily access any information
on the Web that they want when they want it. Users can gather information, accomplish
daily tasks online, enjoy custom applications such as listening to music or watching
video clips, check up-to-date news feeds and create personalized web pages.
"Beyond high-speed Internet access, @Home leverages its broadband network to create
a truly interactive, multimedia experience for users that goes beyond what the Web
has to offer," said Richard Gingras, vice president of programming and editor-in-chief
of Home Network. "We develop content that takes maximum advantage of @Home's high-speed
environment and put it in the hands of our users. People just can't get that anywhere
else."
New Design Further Supports Ease-Of-Use and Reliability
The redesign of the @Home service makes the Internet more applicable to everyday
life. @Home subscribers can use their PC to get information and entertainment faster
and easier than ever before. For example, the How Do I section, that is always
one click away, provides users with quick, easy solutions to a variety of daily
tasks ranging from making plane reservations to checking movie schedules. In addition,
@Home's "always on" connection provides users with instant access to check stock
prices, sports scores or traffic updates throughout the day.
@Home also is taking the search process to a higher level, aggregating the best resources
and top search engines on the Web including Yahoo!, Excite & Infoseek, and putting
them in one place. @Home's editorial staff combs the Web, takes the best of what
they find and puts it right at users' fingertips. Editors search constantly for
the most useful, entertaining Web content, organize it into appropriate categories,
and deliver it daily to users' desktops. @Home offers subscribers a more simplified
approach to navigating the Web through the service's "Channels." By grouping
content into categories such as Finance, Games, Just Kids, Lifestyle, News, Pop Arts,
Shopping, Sports, Technology and Chat, @Home puts the best of the Internet into context
for users, enabling them to quickly locate and access information on the topics that
interest them.
Compelling Multimedia Experience
@Home delivers comprehensive news and information from respected sources that can
only be experienced in a broadband environment. The new interface of the service
will enable @Home to promote a broader array of content to its subscribers. @Home
currently brings "always on" audio content directly to user's desktops through the
TuneIn feature, providing near CD-quality music and high fidelity technology news
and sports/talk news. @Home's high-bandwidth service enables users to perform functions
such as listening to audio content while browsing the Web; a task made difficult
using a 28.8 modem connection. Because of @Home's broadband capabilities the redesign
of the service incorporates a news video-on-demand page which lets users choose from
many high quality CNN video clips covering breaking news stories on various topics.
The news video-on-demand service will be available by the end of the year. Also
leveraging @Home's incredible speed, users can experience low-latency, interactive
network gaming; and they can quickly download and purchase software.
Based in Redwood City, California, @Home Network (NASDAQ: ATHM) distributes high-speed
interactive services to residences and businesses using its own network architecture
and a variety of transport options including the cable industry's hybrid-fiber coaxial
infrastructure. The cable connection provides users significant increases in speed
over conventional Internet services. Leveraging the "always on" attributes of cable,
@Home allows for unique multimedia applications that go beyond current Web experiences.
Individuals seeking additional information about availability and subscription can
refer to the @Home Network Web site (http://www.home.net). Since its founding in
May 1995, @Home Network has reached affiliate agreements with eight leading cable
companies in North America, including Tele-Communications Inc., Cablevision Systems
Corp., Comcast Corporation, Cox Communications, InterMedia Partners, Marcus Cable,
Rogers Cablesystems Limited, and Shaw Communications.
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