Greetings Citynet friends, old and new! Lots of exciting things are happening these days here at Citynet, and we wanted to share some of them with you. A lot are possible because of our new status as an independent company. Along the way, we’ll have some interesting info from the online world, plus special offers available only to Citynet subscribers and customers. Read on for all the details!

        Citynet is West Virginia’s biggest and most popular Internet company, but we aren’t resting on our laurels. We’ve got a brand-new look on the web, with a fully redesigned site that allows you to take control over your own services. Not only can new customers sign up right online, but existing customers can manage their own accounts online, too.

        Now you can check your account balance, sign up for new services, and even manage your email accounts right online. Add an email, change an address – it’s all right there, available for you anytime, at www.citynet.net.

        Every Citynet customer has a unique password that allows you to access these powerful new functions. Existing Citynet customers have been notified of their passwords via email. But if you need assistance or have any questions, just call our Customer Service Center at 1-800-881-CNET and one of our expert representatives will be glad to help.

        While other Internet companies have been busy raising prices for the same old service, Citynet has been busy building the state's largest Internet network -- more than three times bigger than all other West Virginia-based ISP's combined! The new system runs entirely on huge T-3 connections, with fully redundant hookups to the Internet both East and West. The new system is capable of handling a whopping 150 million bits of information per second!

        What's it mean to you? Easier connections, faster surfing, and more reliable Internet service, day in and day out. Plus, great deals for businesses looking for high-speed office connections. Need bandwidth? We’ve got it to spare! Call Citynet at 1-800-903-8906 to find out how your organization can get a piece of the action, at the lowest prices available anywhere.

        The first of the "Digital Kids" are graduating from college and becoming part of the workforce. The so-called "Generation Y" consists of people born between 1979 and 1994. Studies have shown that this group takes the new technology as a given. For example, an estimated 90% of this group make daily use of email. This kind of familiarity leads to a unique perspective on technology.

        One finding: A recent national survey showed that this group has a higher comfort level for online security issues -- only 23% of this age group are "very concerned" about online privacy and security, as compared to 46% for general Internet users.

        Your life doesn’t stop when the clock hits 5, the bell rings or the whistle blows, and neither do we! Citynet now offers technical and customer support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Citynet is the only ISP in West Virginia offering round-the-clock customer support, from our own brand-new Customer Service Center. Some companies just pack it in and go home when you do, but not Citynet. Others send your calls to "boiler rooms" hundreds or even thousands of miles away – sometimes even in foreign countries. Not Citynet.

        When you call our brand-new Customer Service Center at 1-800-881-CNET, you’re connected to a highly trained Citynet expert who understands our system and understands your needs – Any time, night or day.

        More than one-third of all Americans are now "actively online," according to the business newsletter E-Marketer. Web users tend to be better educated, wealthier and younger than average, the publication reports. The survey also gives a clue to online buying patterns: Most purchases are made by those between the ages of 23 and 54.

        E-Marketer says teen-aged Americans love the web, but are less likely to buy big-ticket items. That’s likely to change, however, as they grow older and have more disposable income.

        For online businesses, the report is good news because it shows that most buying power is in the hands of those using the web on a regular basis. Plus, all signs are that this online market is going to continue to grow. It’s in the numbers!

        The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources’ web site for Wonderful West Virginia magazine was recently chosen as the state’s Featured Web Site. The Citynet-designed site, located at http://www.wonderfulwv.com, scored highest in a judged competition of various state web sites. Judges praised the site for its "beautiful graphics," its user-friendly navigation and its effective use of e-commerce features, including both online subscriptions and online shopping.

        Citynet’s award-winning designers can give your existing web site a fresh new look, and we also offer a full range of e-commerce solutions for businesses and organizations. If you’re ready to get in the game, call our Commercial Sales Department at 1-800-903-8906 and find out how you can add e-commerce profits to your bottom line.

        If you’re ready to make a personal statement on the web, Citynet has just the thing: new "personal domain" service from Citynet. Citynet will register your own domain on the Internet – for example, www.yourname.com -- provide you with dependable Citynet access service, web site hosting, and four customized emails at your new domain. All this, for what you’d pay a national Internet Service Provider (you know who we mean!) for simple access. You don’t even need to have a web site to take advantage of this great offer.

        Tired of being anonymous5188@boring.com? Be yourself instead! Call Citynet today at 1-800-881-CNET and ask about our new personal domain service.

        It’s a common complaint heard in singles bars and Internet cafes around the world – "All the good, uh, … domain names … are already taken." Well, there’s new hope for those of you who just can’t seem to find the perfect address on the web.

        The international organization that governs Internet domains is rolling out two new "top level" domains: dot-biz and dot-info. Meaning: you can now have a web address such as www.mysite.biz or www.mysite.info.

        These are the first two of seven new top-level domains to be released by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). They join the already familiar suffixes including dot-com, dot-net, and dot-org. Websites with the new domain extensions should start cropping up online this fall.

        Interested? Contact Citynet Sales at 1-809-903-8906 for information on staking your claim to a piece of this new territory on the web.

        The comprehensive state travel information system designed by Citynet for the WV Division of Tourism is up for national recognition. Citynet’s Travel CRM ("Customer Relations Manager") generates responses to all incoming tourism questions for the WVDOT, whether they arrive by phone, web, email or fax. And it allows the state to send customized travel information to any potential tourist by any of the same means.

        The system has already won the state’s top Information Technology award in this year’s Governor’s Technology Awards competition. It is now nominated for national recognition in the competition sponsored by the National Association for State Information Resource Executives.

        Citynet can provide the same kind of award-winning results for your business or organization. If you’re looking for a web-based application that will save you money and improve customer service at the same time, contact Citynet at 1-800-903-8906.

        At Citynet, we’re committed to providing you with the best Internet service, at the best prices, whenever you need it. If you have questions about your account, the place to start is with our new online account management system. It’s available 24/7, and will show you your account balance and let you make changes to any of your services. Check it at http://www.citynet.net.

        If you can’t find what you want there, feel free to call our Accounting Department at 1-800-903-8906. Here’s how to help us help you: We can help you most quickly and efficiently if you have your account number in hand, and if you have a copy of your statement handy. Citynet’s friendly and trained accounting staff is always ready to help you with any account questions you may have, and to suggest ways for you to get the most out of your Internet service. Let us help you! That’s what we’re here for.