ATLANTA, October 12, 1998 -
Less than one month since the completion of its merger, MCI WorldCom
today announced a new prepaid phone card for international callers
with aggressive pricing and in-language customer service benefits
that are unmatched by any other prepaid card. Unveiled at the
National Association of Convenience Stores convention in Atlanta, the
new MCI WorldCom International Prepaid Phone Card Series is unique in
a number of ways:
- No per-call surcharges (except standard payphone compensation
fees) - No connection or maintenance fees
- Voice prompts in seven languages (English, Spanish, French,
German, Italian, Japanese and Portuguese) - Printed dialing instructions in eight languages (English,
Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese and
Mandarin) - International origination from more than 110 countries
- 15 months active life from first activation before card expires
- Rechargeability with VERY competitive rates
- Operator assistance and/or ability to use from non-touchtone
phone - Multi-lingual customer service
"The MCI WorldCom International Prepaid Phone Card Series fills
a major void for consumers that make international calls," said
Charles Wiggs, the newly named vice president and general manager of
MCI WorldCom Prepaid Markets. "Our International Prepaid Card is
an innovative product that targets the rate sensitive international
user while offering competitive margins to convenience stores and
mass merchants."
Most international cards focus on the U.S. user only; the MCI
WorldCom International Prepaid Phone Card can be used for calls to
more than 200 countries and from more than 110 countries.
The new card offers the end user aggressive international rates,
while charging a competitive $.30 per minute on domestic calls.
International callers will appreciate MCI WorldCom's new sub-unit
pricing that depletes the card's balance in tenths of units,
rather than the more expensive rounded-up whole-unit amounts.
To facilitate sales of the International Prepaid Phone Card Series
in C-stores and retail locations, MCI WorldCom Prepaid provides
merchants with attractive in-store Point-of-Sale materials including
eye-catching coin mats, country-specific rate posters, dummy cards
and window decals. These cards are distributed in the United States
only.
Critical Mass In Retail
By combining two already proven prepaid card market leaders, the
merger of MCI and WorldCom creates a powerhouse with a solid track
record in distribution, channel management, merchandising and
marketing. The new combined company leads the industry in retail
distribution, serving some 75,000 retail outlets nationwide. This
includes seven of the top 10 convenience stores chains, as well as
the leading mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs, drugstores and
grocery store chains in the U.S.
"Prepaid cards are now the number one non-food growth
category in the grocery industry, and MCI WorldCom has the product
mix, and national distribution necessary to outpace industry
growth," said Wiggs.
Wiggs has spent 14 years with MCI in various sales and marketing
positions, including national sales management and branch management.
As vice president for MCI WorldCom Prepaid Markets, Wiggs is tasked
with integrating MCI and MCI WorldCom's prepaid organizations,
continuing to grow revenue and profitability, bring new,
technologically innovative prepaid products to market and build
greater efficiencies in production and operations.
For more information on MCI WorldCom Prepaid, call toll-free
1-800-830-9444.
About the Company
MCI WorldCom is a global telecommunications company with revenue
of more than $30 billion and established operations in over 65
countries encompassing the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific
regions. MCI WorldCom is a premier provider of facilities-based and
fully integrated local, long distance, international and Internet
services. MCI WorldCom's global networks, including its
state-of-the-art pan-European network and transoceanic cable systems,
provide end-to-end high-capacity connectivity to more than 35,000
buildings worldwide. MCI WorldCom is traded on NASDAQ under WCOM. For
more information on MCI WorldCom, visit the World Wide Web at
www.mciworldcom.com or
www.wcom.com
.
