More companies make the connection and link up to Internet

As electronic commerce over the Internet continues to grow, more companies are taking the plunge and getting connected or upgrading their existing connections to the Net. But going online involves many decisions and often a lot of expenditure.

Decisions include whether the company wants both e-mail and web access, whether it wants its own Web page and/or domain name, how many employees will use the Net and whether they need individual e-mail accounts, and how fast the links need to be.

However, one of the key decisions is which Internet Service Provider to use, for the choice of ISP determines what is available and how much it will cost. As an introduction to what is available, we look below at a number of products offered by ISPs in the Irish market.

The prices quoted do not include telecommunication costs.

Generally, business users register their own domain name, so instead of e-mail addresses looking something like company@isp.ie, companies get mail addresses of the form user@company.ie.

This usually allows unlimited e-mail addresses within the company, as well as a simpler web address (www.company.ie). Domain names in the .ie (Ireland) or .com (international) top levels have to be registered with a domain name registry, and ISPs charge varying rates to register and maintain these names. The rates quoted below are for names registered in the .ie domain only.

EUnet Ireland

EUnet insists you use your own domain name. It charges £50 to register a domain name, and £100 annual maintenance.

The following are a sample of EUnet's products: 1. Full web and five e-mail accounts on a stand-alone PC. No space for own web pages. Dial-up access, with local call rates available in Dublin, Galway, Shannon, Limerick, Cork and Waterford. Annual cost: £200; 2. Mailonly on a company network (no web access). Uses dial-up as above. Annual cost: £420. 3. Full Internet access over ISDN line. Annual cost: £840; 4. Full Internet access over 64kbps leased line. Annual cost: £4,200; 5. Hosting your own web page on EUnet's own server, with 5Mbytes space, free updates, free online statistics, free support and unlimited access. Annual cost: £840.

Ireland On-Line

IOL, owned by An Post, requires you to have your own domain name for companywide e-mail or high-speed links, and charges £50 for registration and £100 per year.

The following are some of IOL's products: 1. Dial-up business class account, including five e-mail addresses, with local call rates available throughout the State except parts of Wicklow and Monaghan. Cost: £25 set-up and £200 annually, with 10 extra e-mail addresses available at £4 per month each. Includes £25 voucher towards own domain name registration; 2. Company-wide e-mail access. Annual cost: £360; 3. Full Internet access via ISDN. Cost: £100 set-up, plus £960 per annum; 4.

Full Internet access via 64kbps leased line. Cost: £500 set-up, plus £4,500 per annum; 5. Hosting your own web page on IOL's server, with 10 Mbytes space and 50Mbytes of traffic outside IOL's network per month. Cost: £100 set-up, plus £800 per annum.

Indigo

Indigo, bought by Telecom Eireann last year, does not require customers to use their own domain name for single and multi-user dial-up accounts, but other products require the use of own domain names. Indigo charges £50 to register a domain name, and £100 per year to maintain it.

The following are a sample of Indigo's products: 1. Multi-user dial-up. Four e-mail addresses and 1Mbyte of web space. Local call rates available across the State except parts of Wicklow, Midlands, Mayo and Clare. Annual cost: £200, with £10 registration; 2. e-mail only on a network, using dial-up access. Annual cost: £1,500, depending on configuration. 3. Full Internet access over ISDN line. Annual cost from approximately £2,000, depending on configuration; 4. Full Internet access over 64kbps leased line. Annual cost: £5,500; 5. Hosting your own web page on Indigo's server, with 5Mbytes space and free updates. Annual cost: £1,080.

Eirtrade

Eirtrade is the business side of Telecom Eireann's ISP (TINET is the domestic side). Eirtrade charges £50 to register your own domain name, and £100 per year to maintain it.

The following are a sample of Eirtrade's products: 1. Full Internet access with three email accounts and 5Mbytes of own web space, over dial-up link. Local call access is available countrywide. Cost: £10.30 registration plus £120 annually; 2. Full Internet access for single user using ISDN line. Cost: £12.50 registration, £30 per month for up to 100Mbits of traffic and £5 per 50Mbits after this; 3. Full Internet access for multiple users using ISDN line. Cost: £200 for setup and £2,000 annually; 4. Full Internet access over 64kbps leased line. Annual cost: £5,000; 5. Hosting your own web site on Eirtrade's server, with 5Mbytes space and free statistics, updates and support. Cost: £50 setup, plus £25 per month for up to 100Mbits traffic, and £10 per month per 100Mbits above this.

Medianet

Medianet charges £100 per year including registration for using your own domain name. There are two sides to the business: Club Internet for small accounts, and Medianet for business accounts. The following are some of Medianet's products: 1. Full Internet access with single e-mail account and 50Mbytes space for own web pages, over dial-up link. Local call access is from the Dublin area only. Annual cost: £81.82; 2. Same as above but with five e-mail accounts and the option to use your company name as a third-level domain name. Annual cost: £150; 3. Full Internet access over single-user ISDN. Annual cost: £300; 4. Full Internet access over 64kbps leased line. Annual cost: £3,600; 5. Hosting your own web site on Medianet's server, with 50Mbytes space and free updates. Annual cost: £400 for first year, £300 thereafter.

Connect Ireland

Connect Ireland is a small ISP which charges £85 for registering domain names and £50 per year to host them. Its products include: 1. Small and medium enterprise account, which consists of full Internet access and 10Mbytes web space over three simultaneous dial-up links. Local call access is from the Dublin area only. Annual cost: £200; 2. Full Internet access over ISDN. Rates not yet available; 3. Hosting your web pages on their server, with free updates. Annual cost: £100 and £100 for weekly statistics.

ANU

ANU is an ISP based in Westport, Co Mayo. The following are some of its products: 1. Full Internet access over dial-up link, including own domain name, 25 e-mail accounts and 50Mbytes of own web space. Local dialup rates in Westport region only. Cost: £225 setup, £45 per month for first year, £50 per month thereafter; 2. Full Internet access over roughly 40kbps dedicated line (Westport region only). Cost: £140 per month, including telecommunications charges; 3. Hosting your own web pages on ANU's server, with 20Mbytes space, dynamic statistics, free updates and support, cached (copied) in the US for speed. Cost: £17.50 per month; 4. Server co-location, where a company puts its server on ANU's backbone. Cost: £275 per month.

Eoin Licken is at eoinl@iol.ie