Mistral Provides Free Internet Connectivity Boost To SMEs And Homeworkers

Published 5th September 2005

Web browsing and email downloads up to 5 times faster with Accelerated Dial-up product...

LONDON, 1st September, 2005 – Mistral today announced a new product that will provide dial-up internet users (traditionally smaller businesses, remote workers and home users not yet ready to make the leap to broadband) with improved connectivity and download speeds. Mistal’s free to use Accelerated Dial-up product makes web browsing up to five times faster than with a standard 54kbps connection and can make email download up to three or four times faster.

Accelerated dial-up works with any dial-up internet connection by compressing the data that is being downloading from the internet, so that it loads faster onto the user’s computer – saving time and money and making businesses more responsive to their customers. The latest optimisation technology minimises transfer time and bandwidth needs when downloading websites. To do this, the technology incorporates advanced techniques of:

-Format reduction - to improve the efficiency of web languages such as HTML, JavaScript and CSS

-Data compression - to apply general compression to regular text and specific compression to images, multimedia and certain document types

-Caching - before spending valuable resources on optimising web pages which have already been viewed, the technology checks to see if it already has an up-to-date copy of the requested content

Users can choose from either the client or clientless versions. Both offer the same levels accelerated dial up and improved web browsing but the client version, which requires a software download from Mistral’s website, also compresses downloaded files, POP3 email and attachments.

Karl Robinson, Managing Director of Mistral commented, “Accelerated Dial-up offers users an enhanced internet experience at no extra cost. By simply dialling Mistral’s 0845 number instead of their existing dial-up number, small businesses and homeworkers will benefit from faster download and access speeds, which will ultimately improve their work or home internet service. It is fair to say that broadband has its advantages but not every internet user is ready to take an always on connection. We aim to deliver solutions that service the needs of all internet users, whether they are large corporates, homeworkers and even consumers.”

Accelerated Dial-up works with any dial-up Internet connection. Users need to simply change their dial-up number to 0845 638 9553 for the clientless version and 0845 638 9554 for the client version to start benefiting.

Full details available at http://www.mistral.co.uk






About Mistral
Founded in 1994, Mistral delivers enterprise-grade internet connectivity, voice, data, and IT services to medium and larger businesses across the UK. From highly resilient, fully-protected ISP services through a full range of security solutions to managed hosting and managed applications – such as its ground-breaking Hosted PBX business telephone system providing advanced functionality over a combined voice/data network – core products and services include hosting, wireless roaming capabilities for customers, dedicated and protected hosting and co-location, email connectivity, security, storage, backup and business connectivity.

The company’s own resilient gigabit network has been designed from the ground up to carry enterprise-class internet traffic, and its 24/7 network operations centre offers industry-leading levels of service and technical support. This, coupled with a highly-powerful, centralised proprietary CRM system that sits at the heart of Mistral’s operation, ensures that customer account issues and queries are handled swiftly, effectively and with unrivalled levels of customer insight.

Mistral has more than 8000 direct customers, including a raft of high-profile UK public and private sector organisations, including: AXA Insurance, Bacardi; Blockbuster; Sony Music; Microsoft; The Guardian; The DTI, Eastbourne Council and The Flora London Marathon.

For more information visit our website at http://www.mistral.co.uk


Contact

Hannah Bailey
Nelson Bostock Communications Ltd
T: +44 (0)20 7229 4400
DD: +44 (0)20 7792 7423
F: +44 (0)20 7727 2025
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