by Paulo Bicudo
IP Global - Informática e Telecomunicações S.A. began its activity in July 1995 when a team comprised of several of INESC's best network and Internet specialists and two AITEC consultants with marketing and management experience decided to create a new "Internet Service Provider" for the national market. The company's turnover in 1996 is expected to be in the region of 250 KECU. It currently employs eight people, most of them came from INESC's networks service and its Business Communications Centre.
The feasibility of a commercial initiative based on the Internet and the availability of national expertise in the underlying technologies has been under consideration for three years. It was, however, only recently that our INESC colleagues decided to launch their business project.
IP is a provider of horizontal "services" to AITEC companies as a whole, as well as to INESC itself. IP is therefore in a position to recommend the complementary services provided by AITEC or INESC to its customers or vice-versa, and is therefore also in a position to act as a business catalyst for various other associate bodies.
Reference should also be made to the fact that IP may possibly be the first AITEC company to operate in the "mass product" market and not only for the company sector. The company already has 200 individual and 20 corporate accounts.
It is in a position to adopt solutions allowing networks to easily process multimedia traffic (Ipv6, Mbone and RSVP, etc.) in the future as soon as commercial technology permits and to develop new information management, network security and electronic trading solutions.
IP Global in the World Wide Web: http://www.ip.pt