MCI WorldCom Inc. (www.wcom.com) today launched a new initiative aimed at strengthening the company's position in the advanced data and Internet services industry. Under the new plan, the company hopes to deliver everything from network and access services to hosting and web site creation to burgeoning e-businesses, as well as traditional companies that are adding a "click-and-mortar" component to corporate strategies.
"This is a fundamental shift in our company, where we make investments, how we train our people and where we deploy our resources," says Bernie Ebbers, MCI WorldCom's CEO. "We're going to become the preeminent provider of a whole range of services that help our customers succeed in the e-business space."
The initiative, which consists of five core service sets, will build upon the Internet transport and access capabilities of UUNET, an MCI WorldCom business unit. Among the five service sets provided will be network and access, hosting, and turn-key and customized web solutions. The company says it will commit an additional $1.2 billion to expand its collocation by 40 percent. When completed, MCI WorldCom will have 2.6 million square feet of collocation facilities in 112 cities worldwide.
Also included will be an e-business "toolkit." This toolkit enables customers to choose the carrier-class components they need to build their e-services, such as directory services, security/certificate services, voice browsing, prepaid access alternatives and support for delivering third-party applications.
As part of the toolkit, MCI WorldCom will provide a broad range of capabilities for the development of "web centers" and help turn existing call centers into web-enabled communications facilities. Businesses' customers want to communicate with their suppliers by several methods, including toll-free numbers, online via the web, with chat or e-mail applications or through wireless devices, and MCI WorldCom is striving to enable that. "The most important thing is to let our customers interact with their customers in any way," says Brian Brewer, MCI WorldCom's senior vice president of marketing.
To support its new data and Internet-centric plans, MCI WorldCom is launching a print and television advertising campaign on April 15.
