NETCOM COMES TO CANADA
By Adnews Staff
One of the biggest Internet access providers in the U.S. is coming north to invade the home market. Netcom On-Line Communications Services Inc. of San Jose, California plans to have Netcom Canada up and running by the end of December. The announcement this week came just days after Bell Canada and Rogers Communications each unveiled their Internet services, also designed for home use. Netcom Canada will operate initially in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Montreal. Print advertising will back the launch, created in-house with the help of the Marketing & Promotions Group of Toronto. Other media are also being considered. Fleishman Hillard of Toronto is handling public relations. Netcom uses its own Internet software, called NetCruiser. The company won PC World's "best internet provider" award because of the NetCruiser package which is easy to use and has a full range of features. The three executives forming the Canadian management team hold a minority interest in Netcom Canada. They are: president Ron Close, operations and development vice-president Gord Waites and sales and marketing director Mike Kologinski. All three were formerly with Toronto-based Delrina Corp., best known for its Winfax software. Close was general manager, Waites operations and development senior director and Kologinski sales and marketing director.