NEWS BRIEFS

Posted: 01/2000

NEWS BRIEFS?

WorldxChange Communications (www.worldxchange.com)
has a new agent program called xPECTATIONS, which offers agents a variety of
discounted programs to residential and business customers almost anywhere in the
United States.

Elite representatives of Worldx-Change xPECTATIONS pay a $299 entry fee to
become an agent and have a choice between the company’s 2 Level Plan or 7 Level
Plan. The 2 Level Plan was designed for independent reps who expect to work with
a relatively small group of people, while the 7 Level Plan is for Elite reps who
want to develop a larger organization.

The 2 Level Plan offers agents a commission range of 10 percent to 14 percent
for direct customers, and 2 percent commission for two levels of downline
sponsored agents. The 7 Level Plan pays a commission of 8 percent for direct
customers, and commissions of 1 percent or 3 percent for seven levels downline.

xPECTATIONS also offers a range of bonuses for personally gathering customers
and assisting Elite representatives in the first 120 days (ranging from $200 to
$1,200), as well as bonuses for 7 Level Plan members when new reps enter an
agent’s downline and become productive (ranging from $30-$110 each).

MicroCorp Inc. (www.microcorp.com),
which manages a network of more than 800 independent agents called
TheAgentsNetwork (www.agents-network.com), announced in November the rollout of
LD direct.com, a website that enables the master agency to sell, support and
manage long distance products from multiple carriers via a consistent and
user-friendly interface.

LDdirect.com will give the customer the ability to preview, order and
subsequently maintain their own long distance accounts online and in real time.
Association and agent programs also are available, wherein each association and
agent receives its own custom website free.

The first carrier supported under the LD direct.com banner is TALK.com (www.talk.com).
Brad Miehl, president and CEO of MicroCorp, says he currently is negotiating
with other carriers.

ATCALL (www.atcall.com) has
partnered with Frontier GlobalCenter, now Global Crossing Ltd. (www.globalcrossing.com),
to expand its product offerings for agents to include a full suite of Internet
and data services for the commercial user, as well as Internet access via frame
relay and private data circuits.

"With an expected compound annual growth rate of 27 percent over the
next five years, Internet and data services represent an outstanding opportunity
for independent agents," says Jason Schnur, vice president of subscriber
services for ATCALL. "It is a natural fit for agents to extend their long
distance consulting services to include Internet and data services. These
services present a lucrative way for agents to gain new clients and upsell
current clients."

TMC Communications (www.tmccom.com)
in November signed a wholesale contract with Qwest Communications
International Inc. (www.qwest.net) to
bring TMC agents a new program. The contract enables TMC’s agent partners to
offer new customers a competitive package that includes switched interstate
rates as low as 6.5 cents and dedicated rates as low as 3.5 cents, as well as
new private line pricing and intrastate and international rates. Commis-sions
range from 10 percent to 30 percent and are paid monthly on billed revenue.

Through this partnership with Qwest, TMC will be adding digital subscriber
line (DSL) in the first quarter of this year, to the full range of data products
it currently offers, including frame relay, private line, ATM, integrated access
and dedicated Internet.

Hertz Technologies, (www.hertztec.com)
a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hertz Corp., announced during TRA Fall ’99 a
$1,000 bonus paid to agents for each T1 account they set up with Hertz, as well
as residual monthly commissions paid on those same T1 accounts. From Nov. 1
until the end of 2000, Hertz is offering this bonus and residual commission plan
to agents under its AT&T-based Quality Plus Mega Plan.

According to a company spokesman, if an agent sells 10 T1s and sends Hertz 10
orders that are accepted for processing, that agent will receive $10,000 in
bonus commissions.

Having launched this fall the first phase of its global Internet and data
network, Pacific Gateway Exchange Inc. (PGE, www.pgexch.com),
through its Internet and data subsidiary Onyx Networks Inc. (formerly
PGExpress Inc.), is offering agents the ability to sell dial-up and dedicated
Internet access, as well as digital subscriber line (DSL). More products for
agents are expected to be announced in the first quarter 2000.

In October 1999, Onyx activated the initial phase of its new network with the
inauguration of OC-12 Internet and data services between Chicago, Dallas, Los
Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Washington. In addition, the company
initiated global connectivity to London with Tokyo. Early this year Onyx expects
to further expand its global reach to offer services in Asia and the Pacific in
Seoul, Hong Kong, Taipei, Manila, Sydney and Auckland, and in Europe in
Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Moscow.

Network Plus (www.nwp.com) announced
that its local product now is being offered to agents in its wholesale division.
The package includes local as well as long distance and high-speed data
services, specifically digital subscriber line (DSL). The company will deliver
its "one-stop shop" solution in the Northeast, with the Southeast soon
to follow. President and CEO Robert Hale Jr. says that the recent acquisition of
ISP InfoHouse Inc. will enable agents to start offering advanced Internet
features, such as web hosting and collocation sales soon.