Sprint International Data Services Ltd, Basingstoke, Hampshire, has signed an agreement with the Midland Network Services arm of the Midland Bank Plc group that will allow the US Sprint-owned company to offer the SprintMail electronic mail and messaging service over the Midland-owned X25 network. Midland originally installed the network in 1981 for internal communications: now it provides the Fastrak videotext service for the travel industry, and a managed asynchronous data service called Midac. By using Midac, Midland Network Services – previously known as Fastrak – claims 95% of UK businesses will have local access to SprintMail. Users dial into one of the 90 Midac nodes installed mainly in Midland bank branches around the country, and from there will have access, via the Midland network, to the X400-based messaging system in the UK, US, Japan, Europe, Hong Kong and other countries. In return for use of its network, the Midland will receive revenues related to usage of the service.
