Internet Service Provider
Problem:
A medium-sized ISP sought to reduce the costs of providing Internet access to its customers. The ISP had negotiated agreements with access providers that substantially favored only the provider and left the ISP with little room for profit. The client wanted to devise an alternative strategy that would result in cost savings, and thus, increased profits.
IKANO Solution:
Because of its large end-user base and potential widespread end-user adoption, IKANO is able to negotiate connectivity rates that are significantly less than an ISP could negotiate itself. By contracting with IKANO, the ISP was able to expand coverage and decrease costs.
Results:
Because IKANO was able to negotiate for a much-reduced rate, the ISP reaped instant cost savings and increased in economies of scale. IKANO continues to work with the ISP to find ways to transition additional services to the IKANO network so that the ISP may continue to reap cost savings and ultimately increased revenues.
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Fortune 100 Healthcare Company
Problem:
A Fortune 100 healthcare company was confronted with new competition by a proliferating number of healthcare Web sites offering products and services to the medical industry it had served for decades. In a survey, the company discovered that a number of its customers intended on purchasing medical products and/or services through the Internet from its competitors. The company quickly recognized the need to adopt and implement a powerful Internet strategy to protect and strengthen its brand position, increase revenues, and combat the disintermediation of its customers.
IKANO Solution:
IKANO is enabling the healthcare company to provide fully branded Internet access, Web hosting, and other services to its target customers. The client plans to aggressively market its branded Internet services to doctors in order to build and strengthen online relationships with them.
Doctors will be able to obtain Internet access through the healthcare company. The portal will offer valuable services to the doctors, including Web hosting and relevant content.
To address the specific needs of the client, IKANO designed and implemented Web hosting templates and tools to enable individual doctors to create their own Web sites. IKANO's Business Rules Platform (BRS) intelligently provisions the necessary server space and tools to a subscribing doctor.
Additionally, the client contracted with the Mayo Clinic to receive specialized content that it could, in turn, deliver to its doctors. IKANO implemented an interface that also populates the individual doctor Web sites with this content as well.
Results:
The healthcare company believes the IP solutions it is offering its customers will go a long way to decrease the threat of online competition. The company is so confident that these services will strengthen its brand and decrease competition that it is not charging its end-users for the services, but rather, paying for the services itself. Based on initial field trials and market research, total users of this branded IP service are expected to be in the range of 100,000 within approximately one year.
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Multi-level Marketing Company
Problem:
Multi-level marketing (MLM) firms and direct sales associations constantly seek to identify new and innovative products and services to market through expanding distribution channels. In order to keep members and drive adoption, each must continue to implement value-added products and services. A U.S. based MLM with over 400,000 customers, growing at 20,000 new customers per month, wanted to offer branded Internet services to its members in order to provide value, increase brand strength, and open communications channels. To drive adoption by end-users, the MLM was interested in implementing a reward-based program that would provide free Internet time to members referring new subscribers to the services.
IKANO Solution:
IKANO executed a multi-year agreement with the client, which commenced an aggressive launch of the Branded Internet service at its annual convention. The branded Internet services launched for this client included a robust customizable dynamic portal solution, branded with the MLM client's information and content. This includes the distribution of dynamic content to end-user's Web portal sites from syndication sources that IKANO has contracted with. IKANO continues to implement dynamic IP objects into the portal solution. The client wanted to create a system for rewarding the referral of others to the Internet service offering. Using its Business Rules Platform, IKANO was able to create a solution that allocates credits to the client's members who refer other members to the program.
Results:
The client launched branded services in February 2000 and added 80,000 accounts in just 4 months. IKANO believes this recent experience could be similar for the MLM's branded Internet initiative. In the first month, this client added over 25,000 end-user subscribers and IKANO expects this number to increase rapidly. IKANO continues to work with the client to identify means for driving adoption and adding value to members.
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Worldwide Religious Organization
Problem:
Over three years ago, IKANO began discussions with a religious organization with a worldwide membership of 12 million. This organization wanted to offer private-label Internet services to its members. A major concern of the organization was a desire to provide Internet services and access that filtered out pornography and other content that was not acceptable within the organization's belief system. They wanted to offer a safe, family-friendly Internet surfing experience.
IKANO Solution:
IKANO provided several different alternatives and approaches to the filtering requirement. IKANO designed and implemented a custom program that satisfied the client's requirements to provide family-friendly Internet content.
Results:
For the past three years IKANO has provided a broad range of Internet solutions to this client. Currently, IKANO provides the client with branded Internet access and related services. In addition, IKANO provides Web site design, Web hosting, collocation, media streaming, and other value added services. The organization has also implemented an aggressive DSL rollout in selected markets to augment its branded analog access initiative.
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Higher Education
Problem:
A large research University had, over time, created a campus network consisting of many subnets, each with separate access and authentication infrastructure. Because of the sensitivity of the data contained in many of these subnets (e.g., the medical school) these networks and access infrastructure were essentially run independently. Upon review, the University found that the equipment and bandwidth costs of providing the solution greatly exceeded the benefits to students.
IKANO Solution:
IKANO created branded Internet access and related services for the university and its students and faculty. To ensure the integrity of the University network, IKANO implemented a Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution that relied on user profiles to assign IP addresses within specific ranges and selectively allow access to users based on their profile. To enhance the value of the access solution to the campus community, IKANO created a branded portal with school and national news, stocks, calendar, etc.
Results:
IKANO leveraged its proprietary networking infrastructure to provide Internet access and offload the bandwidth requirements from the University. The VPN solution has allowed all students to access only the campus resources defined in their profiles. The branded portal and low-cost Internet access solution proved so compelling that the University has begun to alumni, athletic boosters, and friends of the University. Since IKANO manages all billing and infrastructure requirements, the University has been able to substantially reduce the manpower dedicated to providing Internet access to its students.
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Large Internet Service Provider (ISP)
Problem:
A large recently funded ISP that provides products and services enhancing customer's access to the Internet had created substantial infrastructure and products for accessing the Internet but had not designed a scalable billing system capable of handling its offerings.
IKANO Solution:
IKANO was able to create a solution set to interface with the ISP's systems and create a billing and provisioning system to administrate the ISP's operations.
Results:
IKANO can provide an 'out of the box' solution set to provide back-end billing and customer management support for a client's existing products and services. Because the client was not required to develop its own back-end provisions, account management or billing systems, and instead is able to leverage IKANO's existing systems and expertise. The ISP was able to quickly implement a cost-effective billing system.
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Internet Service Provider
Problem:
A medium-sized ISP, with between 50,000 and 100,000 subscribers, desired to to provide value-added services to complement its existing Internet access offering. The ISP also wanted to expand its offering to areas where it did not have an established presence.
IKANO Solution:
Due primarily to the efficiency and integration of its back office services and support functions, IKANO recently executed an agreement with this client to provide branded Internet access and related products to its end-users. IKANO is initially providing services for this client's Canadian subscribers on a fully branded basis and plans to provide additional value added services for this client's U.S. and European subscribers. Additionally, IKANO, via it's large network, enabled the client to expand its geographic coverage.
Results:
The ISP client was able to significantly expand the potential geographic scope of its Internet access services as it was able to leverage IKANO's extensive network of dial-up locations.
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Deployment of Broadband Wireless Solution
Problem:
Organizations, even in remote rural towns, require high-speed Internet connections. They still need to facilitate communications and provide for the transfer of information, but cannot when high-speed access does not exist.
IKANO Solution:
IKANO implemented a citywide fixed wireless network solution through one of its franchises. The fixed wireless network consists of one central broadcasting point that is then broadcast to antennas, which act as both receivers and repeaters to strengthen the Internet coverage throughout the city.
Results:
IKANO is able to provide high-speed, high quality secure Internet access in this location where no other high-speed alternative was available. This facilitates transactions and efficiency for many small entities in the area that require high-speed reliable data transmission capabilities. IKANO continues to identify circumstances to deploy the broadband wireless solution, particularly in areas where end-users are geographically clustered.
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