transact vpn- vapourware private network

[Chris Fletcher]

Hmm... "data free" broadband environment??   That sounds like marketing
speak for "your still gonna pay for it buddy"

Just to avoid any confusion or unhappy surprises... Is it "completely free?"
or is it going to be "free" after you pay an extra $20.00 per month on top
of your current subscription?

NetSpeed are way ahead, they already have forums, peering, downloads, web
sites, games servers and mail servers available on TransACT which are "data
free", but they are quite up front that there is a $4.95 / month charge for
access to it.  I'm happy to pay the extra few bucks for the benefit of it,
the games servers are great ;-)

(I think webone at least has peering as well)

Cheers,  Chris.




----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Smarsz" <Michael.Smarsz at transact.com.au>
To: <linux at samba.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2002 7:36 AM
Subject: RE: transact vpn- vapourware private network


-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Smarsz

>I will see what I can do.


Well guys, I asked the question and was very specific about the
information that we all wanted to hear (internal staff included) and
this was the response:

--------------------------

TransACT communications is currently building a broadband destination
available exclusively for our data connected customers.
TransCity will be a data free broadband environment available to all
TransWEB residential and business customers. The environment will build
upon the strengths of our networks architecture allowing for easy access
to other TransACT customers and TransACT hosted content.

The first stage of TransCity will offer, among other things, PC gaming,
forums and Peering. As these feature areas are frequently requested we
have brought them forward for a soft launch in the near future. As yet
no dates have been placed on this first stage.

Additional stages will include an extensive range of live and on demand
high end streaming content, affordable high quality video conferencing,
broadband E-learning, on-line shops and commerce, application service
providers, hosted and/or mirrored broadband web sites, and above all an
environment for the emerging broadband/convergence content that is too
big for viable internet delivery.

TransCity will be among the first to pioneer this On-Net true broadband
content, bringing the best of what broadband can be to the TransACT
customer.

-----------------------

I figure you guys will probably like to start tearing shreds off of me
and TransACT - I don't blame you, I'd be doing it to (well, I /do/ do it
anyway).

I'm not exactly sure what is intended by a "soft launch" but I presume
they mean releasing details to a group of people as some form of beta
test.  I suggested that you guys would probably be a good test group as
you would not be so hung up on the content that is provided at an early
stage, but rather the performance and functionality of the network.

I do know that something currently holding up the release is that
TransACT are currently in talks with some people in regards to managing
some of the services (content, movies, games etc).  I manaed to grab the
statement above off the guy as he walked out last thing yesterday to go
into one of these meetings.

Honestly, myself, I am sorely disappointed that TransACT will not commit
to any dates - even at this stage.

One thing positive that has come out of it is TransACT are chasing ht
eimplementation of dynamic bandwidth allocation (ie. you have 256/64 for
your ISP and something a little more generous like a 2048/2048 whilst
connected to TransCity).  I'm sure you can see the advantages.

Anyway, stay tuned, we are always applying pressure about this every day
(well, about 5 times a day).  They are at the point where they need to
draw a line in the and and go to production, everything from there is a
new service.

Michael

P.S.  Nobody here has heard of any issues with dialling 13 numbers.
They expect it to be a similar story to the "run the fibre through the
gas lines".