The Caymanian
Compass , Thursday, November 9, 2000
New offer from Cable & Wireless
ÒWe talk about e-business and e-commerce in Cayman, this is it. It is here, said General Manager for Cable and Wireless, Tim Adam, at a press conference on Friday 27th October.
Partnering with Dell Computer Corporation and the Dell distributor in Cayman, Megatron Ltd., C&W announced a new package offer that includes a personal computer and 30 free hours of Internet use per month. The package costs CI $64 a month for three years through C&W's partnership with Barclays Bank for financing upon approval of applications.
According to promotional Brochures, the package includes a 15 inch monitor, Intel Celeron 566 MHz processor with 64 MB of memory, a CD ROM drive, floppy drive, 56 kbps internal modem, a sound card and speakers.
Mr Adam said the computer will be covered by a three- year warranty from Dell, honoured by Megatron Ltd on North Sound Way for parts and labour in the first 12 months. Beyond the first year, any PC dealer may be utilized. Customers will also have access to a toll-free Dell Support line.
The application process for the package involves submitting application forms to C&W, who in turn submits them to Barclays for financing approval, Mr Adam said. The bank then informs the customer of their decision after a maximum of four days . An additional four weeks should be allowed for delivery of the computer, which Dell insures against damage during shipment.
ÒThe internet should be enjoyed by everyoneÓ, Mr Adam said. ÒThe reality is that a large percentage of people do not have the ability to purchase a PC. In fact, over 50% of the people surveyed said they could not afford it.
A press release from C&W said the survey was conducted in July this year, finding 57 percent of households in Cayman, Barbados, Grenada and St Lucia who said they did not own a PC because of the high up-front cost.
The new offer eliminates that problem.
ÒCable and Wireless is determined to open up the potential of the Internet to as many people as possible with this new simple and low-cost packageÕ, Mr Adam said. To further prove Cable and WirelessÕ commitment to providing Internet access to more Caymanians, Mr Adam said the company will donate one of the PC packages to a deserving institution for every 50 packages sold locally. This will complement our existing Internet for Schools programme, which is already providing Internet access for all local schoolsÓ, he said.
Jim Coupe, head of C&W Internet and data marketing said, "If this goes well, Cayman will have one of the highest penetration of Internet service in the world." It will e-enable the population of people in Cayman. Applications for the new PC Internet package can be obtained from any Cable and Wireless location on Grand Cayman and at the Stake Bay office in Cayman Brac.
Applications can also be submitted on-line at www.candw.ky.