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Corporate altruism is replacing shock as some tech companies offer free services and bandwidth to businesses affected by last weeks attacks.
Telseon, in Englewood, Colo., has offered up to 100 megabits per second of free bandwidth and colocation space to companies in the New York area that lost telecommunications. “Telseon is dedicated to offering assistance to help expedite the recovery process. Our network is fully operational and available to help businesses establish data continuity,” the company in a statement said.
VisionLab Telecommunications has offered free in-bound and out-bound Internet fax services to affected companies until the first quarter of 2002. “We sincerely hope our contribution will make a positive difference to the companies accepting our services, and will aid in the return to regular operations,” said VisionLab CEO Amin El-Gazzar.
Videoconferencing manufacturers PictureTel and Polycom, along with their channel partners, announced a “video relief” program, offering free use of their conferencing products and centers around the country. More information can be found at www.polycom.com.
“The global program is an effort to help people and businesses connect using video communications at this time when face-to-face communication is so vital and desired, but meeting in person is not possible due to travel restrictions or vast geographic distances,” Polycom said in a statement.
Hungarys largest phone company, Mat‡v, said it would give customers calling into the U.S. a 50 percent discount through Sept. 22. In a similar move, British Telecommunications waived roaming fees for its customers in the U.S.
Other companies have chosen to give money directly to disaster relief funds. BellSouth Chairman and CEO Duane Ackerman announced his company will donate $1 million to The American National Red Cross. “I have asked us all to gather, to join with our fellow Americans,” Ackerman said in a companywide meeting, “and, in this national coming together, to find some measure of reassurance and healing.”
Sprint has donated $500,000 to the Red Cross, and provided 2,300 free cell phones to rescue workers.