Ubrandit.com is expected today to begin offering small and medium-size Web sites the option of offering their own inexpensive Internet service.
The service, called BigRamp.com, will be private-labeled according to the customer site's preferences, allowing them to offer their own branded broadband and dial-up Internet service.
Ubrandit.com has partnered with a number of Internet service providers, including MCI, to make this low-cost service available. Users will have access to more than 2,200 point of presence Internet access locations.
The service carries a wholesale price of approximately $14. Client portals and sites can mark it up as much or as little as they like. Set up fees are $7,500.
This bargain basement offering will make what was once available to only major companies — such as Kmart, which partnered with Bluelight.com and Yahoo on a free Internet service — accessible to associations, tourist destinations and other small organizations.
“We're not going after the Price Clubs or people who are ready to write a $50,000 check. Our market is smaller type entities like radios stations, newspapers and church organizations,” said Jeffrey Phillips, CEO of Ubrandit.com, San Diego.
The advantage of offering Internet service is obvious, said Phillips. “Operating your own ISP is the ultimate sticky application,” he said. “Your users start their day at your page every day.”
Sites will be able to offer customers the Internet service via site downloads or CD-ROM. Customers will have their choice of browser.
Ubrandit.com develops customizable, turnkey templates that other Web sites can use to provide private-label e-commerce, financial and news applications.
The company has experienced a good deal of interest in its first template, an e-commerce application called JungleJeff.com. Through the service, sites can sell items such as CDs and books. More than 4,000 individual Web sites, including dozens of radio and TV station sites, are currently signed on to offer this e-commerce application.
“This allows sites to operate their own store instead of having to link to an affiliate program to make revenue from e-commerce,” said Phillips. “They can build their own database of users, making customers for life.”
The ISP and e-commerce offerings are part of Ubrandit.com's strategy to be a one-stop shop for sites looking to add depth. It also offers a financial template called StockStudy.com and a recently launched news template called NewsStudy.com. According to Phillips, the company will be launching an auction template in the near future.
