El Segundo, California-headquartered Infonet Services Corp, which is majority-owned by European phone companies these days, has announced the formation of INFO.Net, a division intended to deliver secure Internet access to trans-national users even if the Internet Protocol is not available locally. INFO.Net is claimed to provide dial-up and Internet access at speeds ranging from 2.4Kbps to 56Kbps or 64Kbps, and enable users to specify the level and type of security they require. This is most likely to entail users specifying that all but electronic mail is blocked from the Internet, says the company, although other ‘firewall’ options will be available. INFO.Net says it will provide a complete range of Internet services and applications, including Domain name server, World Wide Web, Wide Area Information Services and Gopher, as well as TelNet and File Transfer Protocol. Users will be able to search and retrieve information in text, graphic, spreadsheet or image format, and send and receive electronic mail using the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension, says the company. Additionally, use of Infonet’s global X.25 network will enable users Internet access, via INFO.Net hosts, from locations that do not support Internet Protocol, says the company. Infonet also says it intends to make INFO.Net available as a turnkey, packaged service to in-country operators who want to offer a local Internet distribution and access service. Infonet currently has local support and service offices in 53 countries throughout the world.
