Check this story out from our friends at Slyck:Altnet Begins Micro Payments
Wednesday September 18, 2002
We’ve received an email from Altnet media that outlines their new pay for P2P plan. Check it out below:
ALTNET LAUNCHES ITS MICRO-PAYMENT SYSTEM BRINGING PAY FOR PLAY TO PEER TO PEER
System Uses Technologies from AllCharge and DuoCash to Give Users Multiple Ways to Pay for Digital Content on Per-Unit Basis
Begins Testing with For-Pay Selections from 2K Sounds, Redline Entertainment and Cornerband
Woodland Hills, CA – September 18, 2002 -Altnet today began testing its new micro-payment system, which uses technologies from AllCharge, Newgenpay, DuoCash and other key technology providers to give file-sharers a secure and convenient method to pay for digital content on a “pay for download” basis, or by monthly subscription, for select files that they download using the Kazaa Media Desktop program.
“We firmly believe that peer-to-peer file-sharing users will pay for reasonably priced, secure content on demand if it is conveniently aggregated in a single search engine and transacted via a single user interface and payment gateway. We think users will pay for content that is of a higher standard, is properly labeled, gets delivered reliably, is secure, and includes incentives for purchase,” said Altnet CEO Kevin Bermeister.
Altnet, the largest provider of secure DRM content on the Internet, has developed a fundamentally different approach to the huge global peer-to-peer file sharing user base. Altnet has the ability to respond to 120 million search requests per day, and return secure keyword-indexed files, offering a new potential customer base for content companies to monetize. Added Bermeister, “We are encouraging content owners to take advantage of the opportunities created by such a large number of active users, and to look at these users as potential customers.”
Content owners can promote and sell their digital content by purchasing downloads via Altnet’s TopSearch sponsored keyword search engine. Altnet’s TopSearch results are given preferential placement within the overall Kazaa Media Desktop search results and highlighted with a gold icon. TopSearch content will eventually be available through other web sites and portals as well.
Initial tests of the micro-payment system will take place with content from Cornerband, 2KSounds, Tony Hawk’s Boom Boom HuckJam Tour, Palm Records and Redline Entertainment.
Altnet is the world’s largest issuer of DRM licenses for entertainment and is currently issuing around 150,000 licenses each day. Altnet has licensed digital rights management technologies from Microsoft to give content owners full control over how their content is used and priced.
Altnet has partnered with AllCharge and Newgenpay for the billing and secured transaction-processing gateway for its micro-payment system. The gateway supports most payment sources – credit cards, debit cards, pre-paid digital cash cards, pre-paid phone cards, and even “virtual” cash cards consisting of just account and pin numbers – and it enables users to have one password linked to multiple preferred payment methods. It also gives content owners the flexibility to choose which payment types and international currencies they will accept.
Through Altnet’s partnership with DuoCash, consumers can use phone cards that function as digital cash cards to purchase content via Altnet. DuoCash provides the processing and clearing network that enables the pre-paid phone cards to be used for online purchases. This option addresses consumers’ reluctance to use a credit card for small purchases and it also gives users who may not have credit cards the ability to pay for content.
DuoCash-enabled phone cards are currently sold at retail outlets including Circle K, Food4Less, Kwik Fill, Sunoco Gas & Food Marts and Shipley Food Stores, among others. By requiring just a card number and PIN, prepaid cards allow users to make entirely anonymous purchases, overcoming a common source of reluctance for online purchases.
“We expect to see a gradual conversion of users who will pay a reasonable price for compelling content,” said Bermeister. “Our new micro-payment system was designed to make the transition to paid as smooth as possible for the vast majority of users and it opens up a new revenue stream for content owners.”
Altnet will continue to provide both free and paid TopSearch content with the goal of making Altnet’s gold icon the download of choice for all users looking for high-quality content.
About Altnet
Altnet is the first peer-to-peer network created to give consumers easy access to secure content that originates from content owners. The company’s TopSearch product integrates with applications and web sites via the Internet allowing content owners to purchase keyword search terms that direct users to their secure content. Altnet also provides cost-effective bandwidth functions for enterprise customers and content owners. Altnet is a subsidiary of Brilliant Digital Entertainment (AMEX: BDE).
About AllCharge and Newgenpay
AllCharge and Newgenpay are leading providers of secured core payment technology. Their integrated systems allow merchants to price and sell any type of digital content, and consumers to purchase any amount of premium content, using their preferred payment channel while managing a single billing account. AllCharge supports all payment methods, pricing models, and digital content purchases. This integrated solution enables content providers to increase revenues and to reach a critical mass of buyers and merchants rapidly. For more information, visit www.allcharge.com and www.newgenpay.com.
About DuoCash
DuoCash is the world’s first payment processing system and clearing network to enable secure Internet purchases with prepaid calling cards. Its powerful system is easy-to-use and completely anonymous. The New York City-based firm has established relationships with leading telecommunications companies and Internet merchants. For more information, visit www.duocash.com
About Brilliant Digital Entertainment
Brilliant Digital Entertainment, Inc. (AMEX: BDE) is a developer of 3D rich media advertising and content creation technologies for the Internet. It sells its b3d Studio content creation and authoring toolset to enable the creation and delivery of interactive, streaming, real-time 3D graphics over the Internet, and licenses its ad serving technology to the content and advertising communities. The b3d Studio toolset is targeted for use by studios, production houses, web content suppliers and advertising agencies to produce entertainment, advertising and music content for consumers distributed over the Internet. Brilliant also licenses its Brilliant Banner ad serving technology to the web-based advertising industry. Find out more here.
