Long before Internet portals or WAP, there was GoAmerica. Based on a daring vision and founded by some of America's wireless data pioneers, GoAmerica set out to do what is still somewhat of a holy grail within the industry: create the wireless Internet. While others are still testing technology and refining their business plans, GoAmerica has become an established brand.

GoAmerica - putting now in knowledge

What GoAmerica has accomplished seems so impossible that it might as well be magic. GoAmerica subscribers have truly useful wireless access to any website on the Internet, corporate intranets, corporate e-mail and e-commerce. They can choose from a wide range of wireless devices from interactive pagers and mobile phones to palmtop Windows CE or standard notebook PCs. They can also use virtually any wireless network currently available. GoAmerica is quite simply a total resource for wireless communications for people on the go.

"Our mission is to empower the individual," says Josh Rochlin, director of business development at GoAmerica, pulling out his interactive pager to demonstrate GoAmerica's service. "When I'm out of the office, don't just want messages or pages. I want a browser on my belt. I should have as much access on my hip as I have on my desktop."

Josh quickly punches keys with his two thumbs. Within seconds, we are connected to the Ericsson website. We can drill down in on the site to the Mobitex home page or any other area on the site. It's all there. The graphics are missing, of course, because the Go.Web software knows that the device cannot display them, but all the information on the entire Ericsson website is accessible. Yet, Josh vows that he has never visited the site before and that the information was not pre-loaded or pre-compiled in any way.

It really works. But how is it possible? If there are no smoke and mirrors, what is the secret behind this deceptively simple wireless Internet service?


A daring vision

The secret lies in leading-edge technology and industry-leading partnerships, but there is more to it than that. Making the seemingly impossible not only work but actually seem simple required a vision and many dedicated people who dared to do the impossible and were willing to put tremendous effort into making it work.

In autumn 1996, Joe Korb, who is now executive vice president of GoAmerica, resigned from his position as vice president for business development at RAM Mobile Data (now BellSouth Wireless Data). Joe and several colleagues, including Aaron Dobrinsky, president and CEO of GoAmerica, and Alan Docter, an early-stage investor in technology companies and currently a director of GoAmerica, formed the fledgling company. At that time, the Internet was only starting to take off, and wireless Internet access really was an impossible dream. Yet these wireless data pioneers believed that they could build GoAmerica into a viable business as a wireless ISP.

"In truth, we're not quite there yet," admits Josh Rochlin. "GoAmerica has established a market-leading position and built a strong brand. The opportunity is there, but most of the challenges still lie ahead of us. Our ability to exploit the opportunity by meet the challenges that it presents will determine our ultimate success as a company."


Industry leading partnerships

Providing a state-of-the-art technical platform for wireless Internet services is only a prerequisite for a compelling service offering. In establishing its position as a leading wireless ISP in the US, GoAmerica has forged partnerships with industry leaders in several sectors. These sectors include device manufacturers, wireless carriers and content and application providers, as well as channel partners, such as value-added resellers (VARs) and dealers.

"We really are completely neutral with respect to devices and carriers," explains Josh Rochlin. "We've established some very good relationships, and we obviously think that some combinations work better than others. But we want to support what's out there and let people use the device and the carrier of their choice. Our business is not selling devices or carrier services, but rather offering access to a wealth of services that overcome the limitations of a single-function device or carrier service."

For the moment at least, selling devices is in fact a part of GoAmerica's business. The wireless ISP offers a number of third-party wireless devices, including several wireless modems, the RIM 950 interactive pager and the Palm, as part of an initial service agreement. Typically, these devices are discounted to cost or below, in much the same manner as cellular operators offer phones to new subscribers.

GoAmerica also has agreements with a number of wireless carriers and is able to resell airtime on their networks. These networks include BellSouth Wireless Data's Mobitex network, American Mobile's ARDIS network and the CDPD networks operated by AT&T Wireless Services and Bell Atlantic Mobile GTE Ameritech. In general, the company pursues a strategy of using third-party network providers in locations where it is most economical to do so. An advantage of this strategy is that when the economics change, GoAmerica is able to move its subscribers to different networks offering the same carrier service.

As an example of how GoAmerica forges agreements with content and application providers, the company recently signed an agreement with DLJ direct, which is a Web-based online trading company. GoAmerica subscribers will be able to open a DLJ direct account and begin wirelessly trading securities through Go.Web.


Comprehensive solutions

Leading-edge technology and industry-leading partnerships allow GoAmerica to offer very compelling services for customers. The wireless ISP offers a number of service packages, all of which share some common traits. GoAmerica prides itself on offering easy-to-use, comprehensive and flexible service with superior customer care and technical support.

"We really do aspire to be a total resource for wireless communications," says Josh Rochlin. "GoAmerica sets the standard for what users should expect of a wireless ISP in terms of ease-of-use, reliability and performance, and we stand behind that standard with our service and support teams 24 hours a day, every day of the week. Focusing on the customer and meeting customer expectations is what our business thrives on."

Key features of GoAmerica's service plans are nationwide unlimited access fees, no roaming charges, access to multiple networks and a USD 100 rebate on hardware purchases. For occasional users or mobile professionals who prefer a pay-per-use price plan, GoAmerica offers the Go.Lite service plan, priced at USD 9.95 per month, while a Go.Unlimited plan is available for frequent users. Both plans include the Go.Web and Go.Mail services, as well as access to news, entertainment, stock quotes, travel and weather services.

A unique feature of the Go.Web service is that users are able to customize their personal website and create a personal portal. Through this portal, accessed via a separate Web address, users can go to their favorite website quickly and customize how content will be displayed. In addition, the Go.Mail service supports a number of options allowing users to access e-mail at an existing Internet e-mail or business account, as well as a GoAmerica e-mail address.

For corporate customers, there are a wealth of options. GoAmerica can provide customized solutions to provide connections from its Wireless Internet Connectivity Center to corporate e-mail and database systems and intranets. Virtual private network and data hosting services are also available. In addition, GoAmerica offers a number of value-added services for specific customer segments, such as lawyers and stock brokers, and actively seeks partnerships with third-party suppliers to develop more such services. By offering custom-tailored solutions for specific business applications, GoAmerica opens the door to wireless data communications for thousands of businesses that would otherwise not have the resources to develop their own solutions.


Setting the standard for tomorrow

What was once a dream is on the verge of becoming a commodity service today. Everyone is talking about the wireless Internet, and more and more companies are moving into the space in which GoAmerica operates. GoAmerica must always stay one step ahead of the competition. Naturally, this means continually improving the GoAmerica subscriber's wireless experience by offering even more comprehensive and flexible solutions and superior customer service and technical support. Of vital importance going forward, however, will be to capitalize on marketing and branding initiatives and to expand the sales and distribution channels.

"Strengthening the GoAmerica brand and forging strong partnerships really go hand-in- hand," notes Josh Rochlin. "We are actively seeking joint marketing agreements with third-party service, content and application providers in other industries in order to provide a more comprehensive offering for our subscribers. Securing such agreements with industry leaders, however, requires a strong brand, a well developed channel program that includes VARs, dealers and agents, and a growing subscriber base."

As the wireless Internet evolves, expect GoAmerica to remain on the forefront. Leading-edge technology, industry-leading partnerships, support for the broadest range of devices and networks in the industry, easy-to- use, comprehensive and flexible solutions and superior customer service and technical support make GoAmerica a total resource for wireless communications. GoAmerica is the wireless ISP that puts the now in knowledge and lets people take it on the road.

www.goamerica.com