MSN and Telmex launch new portal
The portal, called T1MSN, will offer native-language services such as e-mail, instant messaging and Web communities.
The new company will combine resources and personnel from both MSN and Telmex.
"Beyond the investment, we are bringing to this new company our current Spanish-speaking consumers in the different countries," Microsoft (MSFT) Chairman Bill Gates said during a news conference announcing the launch.
Besides the MSN subscribers, the new portal will serve as a gateway for the Spanish-speaking customers of Prodigy Internet, establishing an initial base of 6 million users. Brazil, which accounts for nearly 48 percent of Internet use in the region, is not included in the plans of the company.
"Our vision is to unite leading content providers in order to offer users a diverse mix of information and services that suit their needs," said Gerardo Villarreal, CEO of T1MSN.com. "We recognize that each market has cultural differences and similarities, so we plan to eventually offer portal sites for different markets throughout the region under the T1MSN.com umbrella."
Telmex is the leading telecommunications company in Mexico, with more than 16 million subscribers. With national coverage, Telmex and its subsidiaries count among the largest local and long distance networks and offer telecommunication services through a fiber-optic network of 58,000 kilometers.
Microsoft initiated operations in Mexico in 1986 with only five professionals. It has grown to more than 100 employees in several offices throughout the country.
T1MSN.com is based in Mexico City and is establishing local offices in the largest Latin American cities. Initially, T1MSN.com is launching two pages, the main T1MSN page and the local page for Mexico. Local versions are expected in the upcoming months.
The portal is the result of a joint-venture agreement signed last year between the two companies.