David Bowie: the man who fell to Net
Turmoil
Bowie: The man who fell to Net
By Beth Lipton
Staff Writer, CNET NEWS.COM
June 30, 1998, 1:30 p.m. PT
Do you consider yourself a real David Bowie fan? Will you let him provide
your Net access?
The legendary rock musician, well-known for being an early adopter of
technology and the Internet, is planning in August to offer an Internet
access service, to be called BowieNet, according to his Web site,
DavidBowie.com.
"It has been my wish to somehow integrate the power of the Internet and
bring it down to a very personal level. With the creation of BowieNet, you
can join me in an in an online, community-based environment for all music
fans where together we can experience the Internet as never before," reads
a posting on the DavidBowie.com site.
According to the site, the service will provide Internet access customized
for music fans; a "davidbowie.com" email address (na...@davidbowie.com);
local dial-in numbers throughout North America; live technical support
provided by Concentric Networks; "uncensored" Net access including email,
newsgroups, and the Web; "exclusive Bowie content updated constantly";
"exclusive" music content, "featured links recommended by David"; an
Internet browser customized for DavidBowie.com users; and daily content
such as news, sports, weather, and financial information.
The plan appears to creatively up the ante in the portal war. Large Net
gateway sites such as Yahoo and Excite seek to be the home page for as
many users as possible. Most of the major players also have teamed up with
ISPs such as MCI Communications and AT&T for access--but this seems to be
the first instance of a special interest providing branded Net access, an
email address, and all the services of a full portal site, as well as
specialized content.
Analysts have noted that sites with original content--such as financial,
sports, or news sites--could prove to be serious competitors in the Net
gateway space, competing directly with the aggregators.
Although David Bowie enjoys an international following, it is unclear
whether a Bowie-branded ISP would be successful. Still, the model could be
adopted by others, potentially changing the face of the portal battle.
The BowieNet service will cost $19.95 per month, according to the site.
Users also will have the option of staying with their current provider and
simply getting a "premium subscription" to BowieNet content and events for
$5.95 per month.
A Bowie spokeswoman said she had no further information about the ISP
project. A Concentric spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
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