For: Earthlink e.V.

EarthLink (NASDAQ: ELNK), is an Internet service provider headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It claims 5.4 million members (2004 estimate).

Business

Advert: date=July 2008 EarthLink provides a variety of Internet connection types, including dial-up, DSL, satellite, and cable. Both dial-up and high speed Internet access are available nationwide. In addition to Internet access, EarthLink offers Web hosting and e-commerce services for individuals and small and medium-sized businesses.

EarthLink also offers different types of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services. One type provides both DSL and home voice service which makes VOIP service practical for DSL users. The support section of the EarthLink Web site has detailed instructions for configuring Windows and Mac OS to access the company's network, either with the EarthLink software or with those operating systems' standard networking features. Linux is not listed on EarthLink's support pages.

In addition to selling the company's various Internet connections online and by phone, EarthLink operates retail kiosks in some Fry's Electronics stores, manned by two to five representatives directly employed by EarthLink, rather than Fry's. For signing up in-store, EarthLink offers customers special promotions not available elsewhere (including cash back and extended discounts). Services sold at the kiosks include PeoplePC dial-up, PeoplePC Accelerated dial-up, EarthLink Accelerated dial-up, and EarthLink High Speed (including Cable, DSL, and Satellite). EarthLink provides the large majority of its users with free anti-virus software (Windows 2000, XP & Vista).

History

EarthLink was founded in 1994 by Sky Dayton at age 23. Dayton reportedly spent an entire week trying to configure his own computer for Internet access. He realized there was an opportunity to create a simple, user friendly ISP. Kevin O'Donnell, Reed Slatkin and George Soros were early investors in Earthlink.

From a modest beginning of ten modems, the company has grown to include more than 2,000 POP numbers in the US—and more than 40,000 internationally.

On February 4, 2000, the company (then based in Pasadena, California) merged with Atlanta-founded MindSpring, making it the second-largest ISP in the U.S.— after AOL.

On June 10, 2002, EarthLink acquired PeoplePC, a value-priced dial-up service that has more dial-up access numbers than any other ISP (including AOL). PeoplePC's direct competitors are NetZero and Netscape.

In July 2005, EarthLink announced that it was closing the last of its in-house American call centers, though the company still has American call centers via out-source telecom companies. In the late 1990s, when all of EarthLink's technical support was provided through in-house call centers, the company promoted the knowledgeability of its agents specializing in its service, yet it continues to do so with its current staff. EarthLink cut 2,600 jobs in 2003 and 2004. Although EarthLink has reduced its expenses from $283,357,000 in 2003 to $227,285,000 in 2005, their earnings are shrinking. In 2003, EarthLink reported an income of $1,401,930,000, but by 2005, it was only $1,290,072,000.