MCI hands off control via Web

MCI WorldCom will unveil at ComNet a set of Web-based services that give corporate users more power over their services, including the ability to pay bills on-line.

As part of its Interact services, the carrier has developed a secured Web site that lets customers access what one MCI executive called "active network management functions." Included in the set is E-Billing, which lets enterprise users analyze voice and data network use much faster than through paper- or CD-based bills.

"We really got pushed to do this about 18 months ago," said John Harper, director of MCI WorldCom's enterprise e-commerce initiative. "What we ended up saying is, 'Let's use the Web to give that customer the opportunity to actively manage traffic.'"

Among the more attractive applications is load balancing across a customer's network. MCI expects its biggest market to come from second-tier corporate networks. "Mid market is a little more receptive to this because they haven't built a core infrastructure to manage this," said Harper.

MCI worked with Microsoft and Sun Microsystems to develop the E-Billing portion, which uses Java-based presentment.