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BERMUDA | RSS PODCAST

An Internet revolution: Bermuda business to provide first e-mail and web site directory

A multi-million dollar Bermuda business with a revolutionary idea that could change the face of the Internet is to be launched next week.

The system, which is still veiled in secrecy, will provide the world's first e-mail and web site directory and will begin its life as a Bermuda information service.

While keeping their cards close to their chest until the actual launch next Wednesday, the founding members of Creative Concepts have disclosed the project's motto -- "let your mouse do the talking''.

If the system -- the name has not yet been revealed -- is successful in its Bermuda start-up phase, it could change the way the world uses the Internet and will go global in the next few years.

The unique system has also been praised by Earthlink -- the world's largest Internet service provider -- as being five years ahead of its time. The Internet mega-company were so impressed they offered to buy the concept out right in November last year.

Creative Concepts is setting out a programme for the on-line equivalent of a free directory assistance service, so that users will, for no charge, be able to find e-mail addresses and web sites easily.

The brains behind the project, Teresa Cameron, said: "It is like if you were calling 0 to get the operator. Instead you would click on our page, and input a name. Then you would be able to access that e-mail or web site by clicking on the section -- it would be as if the operator were putting you straight through after finding you the number.'' The system is aimed at first-time users of computers and Mrs. Cameron hopes it will eventually be the most useful search engine in the world.

Forms will be issued next week for Bermudians and companies here to register -- for free -- on the site, with easy-to-find drop-off points and fax returns available.

Creative Concepts hope to attract most of the private and corporate companies on the Island to their site.

Mrs. Cameron said: "For example if you put in Outerbridge, all the Outerbridge's registered would come up. If you put in S Outerbridge, all the S Outerbridge's would come up. It really is very simple.'' So simple in fact that the idea hit her in the middle of the night a year and a half ago after doing a search.

She said: "The idea came to me at 11.30 at night and by 5.30 in the morning my pen stopped writing. I still have those notes and keep them by me.'' She approached friends who were so impressed by the idea that they encouraged her to go on.

Now she has a team of seven people working for her from small offices in Langton Hill, plus the backing of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Globenet, Marshall & Co, TBI and some local investors worth in total several million dollars.

Mrs. Cameron is the main stake holder in the privately owned limited liability company, which is 100 percent Bermudian owned. They already have the $1.2 billion needed to build the search engine.

At the same time as the pilot in Bermuda is going ahead, a similar Creative Concepts scheme is being tested in Massachusetts and another is due to be launched in the UK.

There are so far few details on the UK and Boston projects, but the launch date is 2001.

The multi-million dollar second phase of the development to go totally global is already in the pipe line and is an offshore corporation and is privately owned by shareholders.

"It will be Bermuda's first e-mail and web site directory,'' said Vicki Abraham, the PR and Marketing Consultant for Creative Concepts.

"It does not use a web crawler like other web sites do. It is a unique way of collecting all of the data. It is done manually and takes time to create, even though it is free to list and access, we want a signature for every address.'' The second phase of the concept will be launched on Wednesday next week and the service will be available from December 7.

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