GTE Launches Wholesale E-Mail Service

Regional ISPs and Web portals benefit from highly reliable, scalable solution --e-mail service that can grow with their businesses

IRVING, Texas - GTE announced it has launched a Wholesale E-Mail program - a new carrier-class e-mail service offering. The new program allows companies that provide e-mail as part of their product offering to outsource their multi-user e-mail systems to GTE rather than build and support their own privately owned and operated onsite services.

GTE's Wholesale E-Mail provides local and regional Internet service providers (ISPs) and Web portals with a high-performance, Internet standards-based e-mail communications system for resale. As new features and technologies become available, the GTE e-mail service is updated, ensuring that the system never becomes obsolete.

GTE will own, maintain and upgrade the system hardware and software, and extend services to customers for a monthly fee per mailbox. Through the GTE Wholesale E-Mail program, resellers will maintain control of the system and manage it as they would their own onsite mail server. GTE's service level agreement guarantees 99.5% system availability. Pricing for GTE Wholesale E-Mail is competitive with the market and based on customer needs.

"Outsourcing is an increasingly growing trend that allows companies to focus on their core competencies while getting the services they need," said Michael Bates, Internet group product manager, small business markets for GTE. "By outsourcing with GTE, regional ISPs and Web portals have a service level agreement that ensures they get the reliability and capacity of GTE's extensive network and expertise."

GTE Wholesale E-Mail offers a full range of services and support, including the ability to reach an unlimited number of users, rapid disaster recovery, and the capability to complement all current and emerging e-mail standards.

For more information contact GTE's Wholesale E-mail system at http://www.gte.net/pands/business/wholesaleemail.html or to order the service, please contact 877-483-4116.

About GTE

With 1999 revenues of more than $25 billion, GTE is a leading telecommunications provider with one of the industry's broadest arrays of products and services. In the United States, GTE provides local service in 28 states and wireless service in 18 states, as well as long-distance, directory, and internetworking services ranging from dial-up Internet access for residential and small-business consumers to Web-based applications for Fortune 500 companies. Outside the United States, the company serves customers on five continents. More information about GTE can be found at http://www.gte.com.

GTE's community and philanthropic programs target excellence in education, particularly math, science, technology and literacy. GTE also supports job training, delivery of health and human services, and the arts. The company's newest program is GTE Reads, a public charity designed to create public awareness, increase fundraising and support organizations dedicated to improving America's literacy levels. GTE customers can contribute to GTE Reads by checking off a box on their bill. Others can contribute through GTE Superpages.com (http://www.superpages.com).

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