Child's play: U S West unveils plans to simplify Internet use

U S West is positioning itself at the forefront of the non-traditional Internet access market as the Web continues to work its way into the lives of average consumers. The RBOC last week unveiled a series of Internet-based initiatives aimed at bringing access into the homes of consumers who are not necessarily on the edge of the digital frontier.

"How we work, how we live, how we play is now changing," said Sol Trujillo, chairman and CEO of U S West. "With new capabilities, U S West is going to move the Internet from the way it is today - complicated, impersonal and difficult to use - to the way it should be - intuitive, easy to use and customized just for you. People don't want more bells and whistles in and of themselves, they want all this stuff to work and they want it to work together."

To that end, U S West introduced WebVision, which Joe Zell, president of U S West !nterprise Networking, described as "the next generation of WebTV or WebTV on steroids." The solution, powered by software from Liberate Technologies, links high-speed or dial-up Internet access with traditional phone and television service via a set-top box, using the TV screen as an interface. Users can watch TV and access the Internet interchangeably or simultaneously with a picture-in-picture feature. If the telephone rings, a caller ID box appears on the screen. Users can ignore the call or answer it via a speakerphone in the set-top box.

"It's all integrated so customers can literally jump from phone to computer to TV to Internet Yellow Pages and have it all happen in terms of the same experience," Trujillo said.

While U S West may be onto something by integrating services into WebVision, its target audience may be a little off, said Jim Penhune, an analyst with The Yankee Group.

With arguments that computers are too difficult to use and too expensive, U S West is "sort of using a positioning strategy that was common four years ago when products like WebTV first hit the market," Penhune said. "New product launches tend to be adopted by people who like technology and aren't intimidated by technology."

WebVision will more likely attract current Internet users looking for a second point of access or those who want incremental features, Penhune said.

"It's less about empowering a lot of less-sophisticated, lower-spending customers than it is about coming up with features and functions to retain higher-value customers," he added.

Other U S West initiatives announced last week include an integrated messaging service that allows consumers to access their voice, e-mail and fax messages at one location using either a telephone or a PC. Unlike similar services that require users to change their phone numbers and e-mail addresses, U S West's Integrated Messaging unites customers' existing accounts in one location, Zell said.

The company's online directory Web page, uswestdex.com, also said it was getting into the virtual mall game, unveiling a new program that will allow consumers to comparison shop online. Users can purchase products from 300 e-tailors while referencing third-party resources, such as articles from Consumers Digest Online, to make sure they are getting the best deals, said Jim Smith, president and CEO of U S West Dex.

"We are a complete virtual shopping center, a one-stop source for all the information and tools you need to shop locally, nationally and internationally," he said.

Finally, U S West introduced an antivirus solution for U S West.net subscribers that will scan e-mail for viruses, stopping infections before they hit the hard drive. The service is available for $1.50 per month.