Kmart Enhances $8.95 BlueLight Unlimited Internet Service with New Features, Greater Accessibility
Ad Banner Bar Removed from Lowest-Priced, Unlimited Access ISP; Number of Local Dial-Up Numbers Increased by Ten Percent and Will Continue to Grow
Kmart (NYSE: KM) today announced it has enhanced the recently launched BlueLight Unlimited Internet Service with the removal of the ad banner bar and a significant increase in local dial-up numbers. For just $8.95 per month, customers receive unlimited hours of Internet service at less than one half of the price of national service providers such as AOL, Earthlink and AT&T WorldNet.
No Ad Banners or Ad Pop Ups
BlueLight is now one of the few ISPs to offer users an environment free of third-party advertising. Gone is the banner advertising of the previous service, replaced with a small dynamic task bar that instantly links users to their email account, exclusive online Kmart specials and their favorite Kmart brands available on BlueLight.com, including Martha Stewart Everyday™ products, electronics and sporting goods. The task bar can be "docked" at the top or bottom of the screen or be moved to a position anywhere on the screen to suit the user's needs.
More Local Access Numbers Available
The BlueLight ISP has also added nearly ten percent more local access numbers with today's launch and will continue to add numbers on a regular basis. With thousands of local dial-up numbers, the BlueLight Unlimited Internet Service has twice as many access numbers as America Online and nearly 35 percent more than NetZero. More local dial-up numbers translates to fewer busy signals and increased access for users who are located in rural areas throughout the U.S., as well as locations where AOL has no reach. In some states, such as California, the BlueLight Unlimited ISP has more than seven times as many dial-up numbers as AOL. No action is required by users to access the new numbers; their phone books will be automatically updated.
"As Americans turn to Kmart's BlueLight brand for superior value, they can add the BlueLight Unlimited ISP to the list of offerings that deliver quality and savings," said Steve Feuling, senior vice president of marketing of Kmart. "With its low price, new features and increase in local dial-up numbers, the BlueLight Unlimited Internet Service is the clear-cut winner in the ISP market."
According to a survey published in Consumer Reports (September, 2001), 32 percent of users polled cited low monthly cost as the most important factor when choosing an ISP. At only $8.95 per month, Kmart's BlueLight Unlimited Internet service is the lowest-cost major service in the United States. In addition, 35 percent of the respondents revealed that the motive for switching ISPs was troublesome phone connections that were often interrupted and busy signals.
Free Email and Address Book
With just a few clicks, users can create their own email address using the domain name "@mybluelight.com" and choose from millions of available user names. Users can opt to notify friends and family of their email address change by using an automatically generated change of email address notification that makes switching email addresses hassle-free.
Using BlueLight's address book, users can store multiple email addresses. For those who are accustomed to instant messaging, BlueLight Unlimited ISP is compatible with popular instant messaging services such as AOL, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo! Messenger. In addition, users enjoy the choice of being billed monthly through their local phone company on their home phone bill or paying by credit card. The BlueLight Unlimited ISP is available for download at http://www.bluelight.com/ and provides 24-hour customer support. Existing customers of the BlueLight Unlimited ISP will automatically receive new features and functionality.
Kmart Corporation is a near-$40 billion company that serves America with more than 2,100 Kmart and Kmart Supercenter retail outlets and through its e-commerce shopping site, http://www.bluelight.com/ . Kmart donates $35 million each year to support its hometowns and local nonprofit organizations. Kmart associates also provide their most valuable resource -- time -- every day in their local communities. In addition to serving all 50 states, Kmart operations extend to the Caribbean Islands and Asia Pacific. More information about Kmart is available at http://www.bluelight.com/ under the "About Kmart" section.
SOURCE: Kmart Corporation
Contact: Holly Rossetti, +1-415-229-9764, hrossetti@bluelight.com, or
Abigail Jacobs, +1-415-229-9769, or ajacobs@bluelight.com, both of
BlueLight.com
Website: http://www.bluelight.com/