Best of the ISP-Lists

Start-Up Kits

What's the smoothest way to get new customers online? Members of ISP-Tech have plenty of ideas.

[December 15, 1999]

In July 1999, BK queried the ISP-Tech list about ISP start-up kits:

"What companies produce custom ISP starter kits—the CDs you give out to new clients to configure their system? What I'm looking for is a program that will search out and configure programs and install TCP/IP and DUN (if not already installed), without the user having to do much of anything."

 

Many of the respondents' suggestions made reference to distributing either Netscape Navigator and/or Internet Explorer kits.

[KI wrote] "The Internet Explorer Administration Kit will not only create a full installation file containing IE and OE (Outlook Express), but it will also create an .INS file or .ISP file, which can be run from a batch file, and will customize the customers current IE and OE. It will install DUN and the necessary TCP/IP configuration as well."

[AS agreed—sort of] "Well, It's pretty easy to do yourself if you know Visual Basic or Delphi. OTOH, yesterday I got two nice packages you should probably take a look at: Netscape's Client Customization Kit and the Internet Explorer Administration Kit. Still, I prefer distributing separate applications and a good instruction manual to install them."

Other list members expressed enthusiasm for a variety of products, with several singing the praises of Easy Internet:

[TM, for example, said] Just go to www.ezn.com and your problems are solved. We've had great success with their product and our tech calls have gone way down. Much better than IEAK and you only pay for what you order, no up-front fees. And no, I am not on their payroll.

[JCM seconded this—with energy] "We've been using the Easy Internet CD for about 2 years now. It has dramatically decreased our tech support calls. The interface is easy and intuitive, and it supports a large array of operating systems. The latest versions even have an 'avatar' that guides new users through the basics of using the Internet. It's particularly nice for and ISP like us with multiple POPs in various areas. The CD also contains the two big browsers, plus a number of shareware applications."

[WK had this concise suggestion] "Check out www.tucows.com."

[S offered another option] "Try Netsurfer at http://www.netsurfer.com. SoftCast, Netsurfer's proprietary distribution technology, creates a powerful 'electronic tether' between ISPs and subscribers. SoftCast gives ISPs the ability to automatically push configuration data, software upgrades, and more directly to a single user, a particular group, or to all subscribers."

One respondent suggested a cost-cutting alternative:

[HB wrote] "Floppy Copy (who also does CD's) charges way less. However you must provide them with an original to copy from."

This idea generated a certain amount of heat:

[RC pointed out one flaw in this plan] "If you duplicate the CD's yourself, you still have to pay for the license for the software (from whoever you use). Then you have to pay for the discs and for the mailers. To get them duplicated, you have to order them in quantity. If any of the software changes, you have a bunch of out-of-date CDs you have to dump."

—End