Three years ago it saw the writing on the wall and it began reinventing itself. It has continued doing what it has always done, which is to provide access. But it has moved so far beyond this that to all intents and purposes it is no longer the company it was. Indeed, its name is no longer what it was either. Its competitors in the access-provision space have multiplied and many have got cheaper, but Internet Solutions has moved into a new space where price is no longer the key differentiator.
Intellectual property is.
Given the fact that no other Internet service provider can match the intellectual capital IS has built up over eight years, this was an astute move. It has enabled IS to satisfy the demands of an increasingly sophisticated market and concentrate on becoming the key provider for those looking to exploit the competitive advantages of electronic business. And, of course, operating in a space where its intellectual capital is at a premium has allowed it to increase its margins. The key component of this strategic change of direction has been an aggressive move into value-added services, in other words services that are not directly related to the network itself or to Internet access, but provide value as companies build electronic businesses on the Net. The drive to get away from raw access and add value to that access has worked.