Broadband Internet Service Providers

The Competitive environment
Broadband ISP’s have taken great expense to acquire each of their high-speed customers. Now their biggest challenge is to monetize this broadband userbase by earning incremental revenue per user through advertising and ecommerce revenue. According to Cahners In-Stat, "price drops will take place soon to foster customers as cable and DSL access begin to experience more pricing parity, leaving value added offerings as the only differentiator between the big residential broadband access services." In this competitive environment, the winning ISPs will be those who earn revenue above and beyond the connection fee.

RapidMedia Solution - The Broadband "Walled Garden"
Ownership of the user’s desktop is critical for the long-term viability of broadband ISPs and Internet media companies. The competitive environment has become increasingly hostile, and large industry players such as Microsoft are positioning themselves for a battle to control the users' Internet experience. In order to compete against such companies, ISP’s must control their user’s desktop. As the provider of the consumer’s high-speed connection, ISPs are in a unique position to leverage their established offline brands and solidify their relationship with their online customer. However, ISPs currently lack the online environment to do so. Web habits have already been formed by ISP customers, leaving the ISP’s web based portal only a click away from replacement by Yahoo, MSN, and other popular web properties. RapidMedia's all-in-one desktop software creates an online environment that continuously drives customers back to the ISP’s multimedia content and web properties, allowing them to secure incremental revenue through advertising and e-commerce. In addition, the RapidBrowser allows ISPs to retain their customers more effectively by increasing switching costs. Much like AOL owns the narrowband user’s desktop through the AOL browser, RapidMedia allows ISPs to own the broadband user's desktop and mind share with the RapidBrowser.

RapidMedia customizes private-label versions of the RapidBrowser that create a “walled garden” for each ISP, allowing them to earn incremental revenue per user/per month while up-selling their other products and services. By marketing their services along with the private-labeled RapidBrowser, ISPs may focus on customer acquisition, network upgrades and expansion, and other core competencies.