Telstra offers blogs to broadband customers

In an e-mailed statement, BigPond group managing director Justin Milne claimed the service -- dubbed 'BigBlog' -- was the first such to be provided by an Australian Internet service provider (ISP) to its customers.

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Milne pointed out the popularity of blogs -- basically online personal journals -- was growing at a fast rate.

"The number of personal weblogs is expected to rise to over 60 million worldwide this year according to a report by global consulting firm Deloitte," he said in the statement.

BigPond's service will have to compete with a number of free services already in existence, that are not bound to a specific ISP. For example, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are already offering such services.

One advantage of BigBlog is that it allows users to send photos, video, audio and text data directly from their "compatible Telstra mobile phones" to their blogs, the statement said.

"An additional five mobile numbers can be nominated to upload pictures, texts and video to each BigBlog site, and it takes only moments for information sent from a mobile to appear online," the statement added.

BigBlog users receive up to 10MB of Web space for free and can add extra for prices starting from AU$2.50 per month for 100MB.

BigBlog usage will not count towards download quotas of BigPond's ADSL, cable or wireless broadband services, the statement said, but will count against those using dial-up or satellite services.

The service is the latest add-on Telstra is offering to its retail broadband customers in an attempt to stop them switching to other Internet service providers in a process known as "churning".

Last month the company launched an online movie download service, through which broadband users can legally access film, television and music video titles from Sony Pictures Television.

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Lock in customers Anonymous -- 15/03/06 (in reply to #120130988)

Looks like yet another attempt to lock customers to Telstra by offering a service that is available free from other services (eg: blogspot). At the same time Telstra opens an avenue of advertising over the top of content they don't have to create. Every Telstra customer that I come across I easily manage to convince to dump Telstra's service. Usually one concern of these people is their email address. ISP based email addresses are a bad idea, and some users stay with bad ISPs simply because they don't want to change addresses. GMail, Yahoo, Hotmail are a much better alternative, or netidentity if you want to pay for a vanity address. The blog service seems a blatant tactic to lock in Telstra customers.

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hey bright spark manic -- 15/03/06 (in reply to #120130989)

what is your fantastic business model. give everything away for free and hope that some gives you a donation?

whilst telstra might be 'locking' in customers (gee most business don't try and do that), they are offering a service that is more integrated the more you have.

if i have an anz mortgage, my pay deposited into nab, credit card with westpac and investment with macquarie do i get an integrated portfolio, consolidated services bill, standard fee structure and a one stop shop?

think about it?

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Hey Bright Spark! Rex Alfie Lee -- 18/03/06 (in reply to #120131013)

So you found a positive to go with a company that has as its milestone to sell its virtually useless copper-wire shares to the very people who already own it. Once upon a time this company was a globally recognised telecommunications company that had sales in the millions coming from almost every other overseas telecommunications company from their R & D group. They once had an R & D worth talking about, to the tune of 200 million per year. When competitiion came into Oz this company dumped its R & D .

Telstra don't deserve your support. They are a bunch of low-grade scum now. They bite & scratch at anything they can so as to not to provide the support for the very people it was demanded they support if they became a private enterprise. Remember that Telstra became a monopoly when they were a Gov't organisation & everything they are belongs to us. They try every trick to screw their opposition at every turn whilst they hold the power that belonged to us.

What does that make this once great organisation? SCUM! Again I say, Telstra doesn't deserve your support.

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Then who!!! Manic Squash -- 18/03/06 (in reply to #120131165)

So you don’t like Telstra!

I have a great level of insight into Telstra and I can tell you that ‘most’ of its people do not believe in ‘screwing’ the customer over. Management are very aware of the need to service Australia but the Howard government, not Telstra, have decided to privatise. This has forced management to think more commercially resulting in decisions that are in interest of shareholders e.g. cut R&D (Telstra Research Labs), focus on protecting market revenue etc.

Is this bad? Depends on who you are. The government has been too short-sighted in a lot of regards. Here are some facts:
1. Australia - one subscriber to every 2km of infrastructure (approximately) established;
2. US - one subscriber to every 2 meters,

With Telstra carrying the burden, how can they company compete effectively? Don’t even begin to talk about the pathetic rebates under the USO. Tier two providers have the opportunity to cherry pick CBD areas (majority of customers are) without the need or desire to deliver services in rural areas that simply aren’t profitable.

Is Telstra really trying to screw people over or offer a service that they want?

When was the last time that you were truly happy about the fees that the bank charged YOU!

Think long and hard about what you say before mouthing off like an emotional teenage girl!

Manic

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