The Tel@phone is a fully functioning Payphone with full Internet capabilities, which will provide the public with 24-hr access to the Internet as well as the ability to send and receive E-mail from either their office or home E-mail account. A rugged, wall-mounted unit, it comprises of a vandal-proof LCD Touch Screen, a spill-proof / vandal-proof keyboard, coin mechanism and an internal programmable card reader.

Both payphone and Internet functions can be used independently or simultaneously allowing users to make telephone calls whilst checking their E-mail, getting the latest news reports or shopping online. Using the integrated video camera, it is also possible to send video mail or V-mail. The front end or 'Welcome Screen' is fully customisable and can be utilised for specialist advertising or information content. With the increasing use of the Internet, both for communication and e-commerce, the need for people to be able to send/receive e-mail, pay bills online, and retrieve information, irrespective of their location, has increased substantially. This means that Public Access Terminals will have to be available on a similar scale to public payphones.

Coynet Ireland is now internationally recognised as the leader in public access having recently concluded a number of important international agreements, including one with Shonkh Technologies of Bangalore, India, to provide on-line health related information via its kiosks. Coynet has also supplied kiosks to a large, UK-based operator of public telephones, who are conducting a major trial of public access terminals.

The official launch of the Tel@phone was at World Telecom '99 at Geneva, in October. Brendan Mulcahy, International Markets Manager, is delighted with the positive response to Coynet's latest product. "The interest the Tel@phone has received since its launch at Telecom '99 has been phenomenal. As a result, we are currently in serious discussions with companies in Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, North America, Holland and Italy. The convergence of IT and Telephony, to make multimedia communication readily available to the general public, is becoming increasingly important. Coynet's Tel@phone is evidently being recognised as an immediate solution to this inevitable requirement."

The Tel@phone can be seen at Coynet's stand on the ground floor of The Brighton Centre, stand B139D.

Contact: Coynet Ireland, +353-21-347-234

Newsbit furnished by:

A: NetShift Software Ltd.
A: Hughenden Yard, Marlborough, Wilts,SN8 1LT, UK
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F: +44 (0)1672 511 078
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W: www.netshift.com