Everybody loves the story of David and Goliath, the scrawny little shepherd boy with nothing going for him but a slingshot takes the field of battle and conquers the giant Goliath. All he has is faith and a rock. Yet he succeeds. It's a story that helps us remember sometimes the little guy can win the fight. Nowhere is that more evident in the history of the Internet than the story of NetZero, a small Internet company that rose to challenge the giants in the Internet service provider industry.



Start at zero

The initial key for NetZero's rise to power was the fact that it was the first free Internet service provider available. NetZero began in 1998 by enticing customers who wanted access for a limited amount of time and didn't want to pay a fee at a time when giants like AOL and Prodigy were charging almost $25.00 dollars per month. This brought an amazing level of growth to the company. Advertisers paid the costs for the service and customers got a free ride. As more discovered Internet advertising, the fee structure was no longer sustainable and NetZero had to charge. It currently offers services for $9.95, although it's still free for up to 10 hours or less a month for people who just need to send email.

Offer something more

Although NetZero's early platform was a bare bone e-mail and Internet access system, the company didn't settle for that. They began to add continuing products to their line of services that customers found both helpful and easy-to-use. Currently, the pop-up blocker and the Virus Scan are some of the best pieces of software in the business and one of the reasons many people use NetZero software. For people who are essentially computer illiterate, working with complex pop-up blockers and virus systems can be a problem. NetZero offers an easy to use and fully automated free system for their customers. These amenities were critical in helping NetZero play in the top tier of the Internet service provider market.

Shoot for the moon

When speed became a high factor in how people chose their Internet service, NetZero was stuck with dial-up. Instead of staying where they were they decided to create a new type of Internet service that allow them to compress files as they transfer data, actually increasing the rate at which computers can handle information. They named their system 3G for "third generation of the Internet". The speed actually seems to go faster than traditional dial up and is a fraction of the cost of broadband. 3G technology pioneers a new side of the internet, establishing a quality service for people who can't afford higher fees or equipment ugrades. This populist approach is garnering a lot of appeal.

Analysts thought NetZero, the little company that came out of nowhere with their free service and ugly e-mail system, would be a flash in the pan. However by continually updating their software, adding amenities and developing new technology, NetZero was the little company that has arisen on the field of battle and conquered the Goliaths of the Internet service age.