VANCOUVER, Wash., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric Lightwave Inc.
(Nasdaq: ELIX), a top integrated communications provider, today announced an
$8 million contract with Comercis, formerly BusinessWeb, Inc.
Through this exclusive five-year agreement, Electric Lightwave will
provide all Internet connectivity and branded collocation space for Comercis'
server bays and Internet network operations center in Dallas. The center will
be operational around the clock.
Comercis will utilize Electric Lightwave's Internet backbone to support
its suite of Web services, which include site development and maintenance,
"move-in" assistance, virtual tradeshows, fully scaleable e-commerce solutions
and other on-line community services for its trade members. Electric Lightwave
offers critical support for Web sites that experience heavy Internet traffic
and was recently named one of the top five Internet backbone providers in the
nation by Boardwatch Magazine.
"Electric Lightwave has an outstanding reputation as one of the top
Internet backbone providers in the country," said Chris Meaux, president and
chief executive officer at Comercis. "The critical technology applications
that Electric Lightwave provides will allow us to further enhance our Web
services to the members of our on-line trade community."
The Web-based trade communities created by Comercis involve the medical,
dental, petrochemical, computer, consumer electronic and automotive
industries, and represent 80 percent of the potential e-commerce opportunity.
Comercis offers members of these communities a single source, menu-driven
intranet with extranet connectivity. This allows members to conduct secure
communications and transactions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The company
expects to host 2 million trade and business Web sites by year end 2000.
"Comercis' Web services and on-line trade communities are a natural fit
for our industry-leading backbone network," said Mike Daniel, vice president
of retail sales for Electric Lightwave. "We're excited to provide a unique
end-to-end solution that will assist Comercis in launching its worldwide
expansion plan and believe that its community members will benefit greatly
from this strategic alliance. Besides, we get to do what we do best: provide
fast and reliable Internet connectivity."
About Comercis
Comercis, formerly BusinessWeb, Inc., and soon to be merged with NewGold,
Inc., (OTC Bulletin Board: NGLD), is focused on providing Internet services
and products to unite communities in commerce. Comercis' Web-based
business-to-business vertical trade communities enable members to rapidly
conduct business with customers, peers and vendors and to cost-effectively and
seamlessly initiate intranet and extranet commerce. Communities include the
medical, dental, petrochemical, computer, consumer electronic and automotive
industries, with partnerships with such organizations as the Southern
Association of Orthodontists and Rux Resources, Inc.
With BusinessWebNow and Cybermovers.net, Comercis provides businesses with
start-to-finish knowledge and understanding of how to design, create and
maintain individual Web sites. Comercis' Cybermovers service is the preferred
move-in service for Netopia Virtual Office (NVO) Web site owners. The service
is available where NVO is featured on the Netscape Small Business Center, the
Intuit Small Business Smart Buyers Guide as well as http://www.cybermovers.net.
Further information is available at http://www.comercis.com or toll free via phone at
877-424-9932.
About Electric Lightwave
Electric Lightwave Inc. is a leading integrated communications provider of
enhanced data services, frame relay, ATM and Internet access solutions to
bandwidth intensive businesses and the growing
e-commerce market. The company provides long distance, data and prepaid
services nationwide, with data points-of-presence in Atlanta, Chicago,
Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Palo
Alto, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Washington, D.C.
As a full-service provider, the company offers businesses local, long
distance and prepaid telephone service, videoconferencing and high-speed
broadband transport that interconnects major markets in the West, including
Seattle, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Boise, Spokane and Portland,
Ore.
Headquartered in Vancouver, Wash., the company employs 1,200 and generated
revenues of $101 million in 1998, up 65 percent from 1997. Additional
information about Electric Lightwave Inc. is located on the World Wide Web at
http://www.eli.net.
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking in
nature. These statements are subject to a variety of risks and other related
factors detailed in NewGold's filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
SOURCE Electric Lightwave, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.eli.net
CONTACT:
Enid Lamey of Electric Lightwave Inc.,
360-816-4682, pager, 800-368-9102, or enid_lamey@eli.net; or
Judson Rogers of Comercis, 817-410-4239, or jrogers@comercis.com;
or Paul Rakov of Imagio Public Relations, 206-625-0252, for
Comercis
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