Chuck,
As you well know, Network Solutions is the sole source of a critical service
and it is the only place where such a service can be purchased and where any
and all changes to that service must be managed.
IF AND ONLY IF the ISP is a member of Network Solution's Affiliate Program, do
they enjoy the option of managing the relationship between customer and
registry, shielding their customer from the competitive services provided by
Network Solutions.
If all ISPs were affiliates, my argument would be invalid, but all ISPs are
not affiliates. Network Solutions demands certain behavior from their
"Affiliates", and reserves the right to refuse membership in this program to
ISPs who do not conform to its rules of "suitability." Network Solution's
requirements of suitability include provisions which are contrary to U.S.
federal law and do not support an ISP's constitutional rights to free speech.
(I find it curious that, as was recently upheld in court, Network Solutions
enjoys certain protections as a government contractor, and yet is not held to
the same laws required of such contractors.) Further, Network Solutions
reserves the right to refuse membership in its Affiliate Program "for any
other reason that is deemed by us [Network Solutions] to be unsuitable."
Since the Network Solutions Affiliate Program is not available to all ISPs,
using it as an argument against competitive bundling is specious.
Further, Network Solutions Affiliate Program demands the ISP enter into an
exclusive relationship with Network Solutions, as the sole provider of
registration services, creating a contractual obligation on the part of the
ISP to use Network Solutions for a period of two years, thus reinforcing its
market position at the detriment of the market.
Finally, I notice you choose not to address the issues of established "brand
equity" I raise in my message.
--
Robert Raisch, Internet Hired Gun <http://www.raisch.com>
First snow, then silence-This thousand dollar screen-dies so beautifully.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 1999 7:21 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Cc: Esther Dyson; Mike Roberts; Dave Farber; Saul Hansell; Einar
> Stefferud; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: RE: [IFWP] Re: the news...
>
>
> Robert,
>
> I don't understand your statement below, "if I am a small
> ISP, how can I expect to retain my customer when they MUST
> go to a major competitor to enjoy domain registration . . ."
> Your customer is not required to go through NSI. At the
> present time, you as the ISP need to go through NSI, but
> your customer does not.
>
> In NSI's Affiliate program, the affiliate's customers use
> the NSI interface, but it is not necessary for your
> customer's to use our interface. The Affiliate program was
> set up to make it especially easy and cost effective for the
> small to medium sized ISP to register names and offer other
> services without having to set up their own customer
> interface. You are perfectly free to set up your own
> customer interface. Hundreds of ISPs and web-hosting firms
> have been doing this for months and years. Their customers
> do not have to use our interface. In fact most of the ISPs
> or web-hosting firms do not use our web interface either;
> they simply send us email agreements directly. That
> capability did not change with the introduction of the
> consolidated web site.
>
> Chuck Gomes
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Raisch [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 1999 8:48 PM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Cc: Esther Dyson; Mike Roberts; Dave Farber; Saul Hansell;
> Einar
> Stefferud; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: RE: [IFWP] Re: the news...
>
>
> I am deeply saddened to see no mention of the issue of
> anti-competitive
> service bundling raised in the various news articles with
> regards Network
> Solutions recent highjacking of the Internic.
>
> Am I the only one who sees how damaging this has been and
> will continue to be
> to those providing mail and web services to clients?
>
> Simply put, if I am a small ISP, how can I expect to retain
> my customer when
> they MUST go to a major competitor to enjoy domain
> registration, a requirement
> for any Internet-connected business, when that registrar
> competes DIRECTLY
> with me?
>
> Furthermore, the Internic represents a valuable and trusted
> brand identity
> which has become completely absorbed by Network Solutions,
> the "dot-com
> people."
>
> I explained these issues very carefully when interviewed by
> InternetNews, only
> to have them ignore the very real anti-competitive effect
> they cause.
>
> --
> Robert Raisch, Internet Hired Gun <http://www.raisch.com>
> First snow, then silence-This thousand dollar screen-dies so
> beautifully.
>
>
>
>
>
