Ihug goes all Gooey with new web portal

By RICHARD WOOD

Internet provider ihug and software developer Wired Icon have launched a web portal and virtual storage system called theGooey.

TheGooey combines web-based email, instant messaging, SMS (text) and voice messaging, calendar scheduling, web access, automated uploads and downloads, hot link favourites, and virtual file storage.

The file storage involves 100Mb chunks of personal file space available from any web browser.

These files can also be shared with other theGooey users by assigning access rights to individual files - allowing friends and relatives access or out-of-office workers to collaborate - and, for example, when travelling.

Ihug brand manager Karli Fountain said 12 ihug staff had been involved in the development, which began last year. Wired Icon had had four staff on the project, headed by Grant Wattie.

Ihug had provided an unspecified amount of finance and a company called theGooey had been formed in which each company has an equal share, said Fountain.

Three hundred ihug users had been trying out theGooey for the past few weeks and ihug customers would get a special launch offer.

The service was being offered to all comers, not just ihug users.

"The market is unlimited. It's targeting residential and business and it's open to all online users."

The goal is to supply the service globally.

Australia, where ihug also has operations, is the next stop.

Users pay $4.95 set-up fee and $2.95 a month from their ihug account or credit card.

Extra charges are levied for text to SMS or voice messaging.

And additional 100Mb blocks of storage cost $4.95 set up plus $2 a month.

Fountain said there was a clear gap for a single product that provided the range of personal and collaborative web services.

"One of the key benefits of theGooey is you have all the online functionality in one central location," she said.

"While there are other features out there that exist online, such as SMS or file-sharing services, there is no one location where everything is on one central site."

Fountain said the service also allowed users to save their own ISP web space by download and drag and dropping files to theGooey server instead.

She said the initial feature set would be expanded regularly and more customisation would be added.

"The whole idea is customisation of the features that are related to you."