The investment so far in setting up the system and the new company is estimated at $2 million.
Microsoft Israel and Netvision have set up a new company with a Hebrew name which will offer e-mail services in Hebrew to every Israeli with a computer, the Windows 95 operating system, and a modem.
The company is expected to announce the new service next month, and, in accordance with the undertaking given to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by Microsoft Deputy CEO Steve Ballmer, every subscriber will receive a month’s free use in the first year.
The investment so far in setting up the system and the new company is estimated at $2 million. Netvision invested the lion’s share, and controls the company.
It is planned that the user name of each person joining the service will be one of his or her telephone numbers. The infrastructure set up by the two companies includes a large server farm at Netvision, with enough capacity to provide services to five million electronic mail boxes.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on October 29, 1998