Press Release 2
Westfield Goes Online
July 21, 1996-- Westfield, NJ. Hardly a day goes by without at least one story about the Internet making the news. And while millions of Americans are becoming more involved with this communications and information phenomenon, most of us are still wary of any technology we don't understand. But local business leaders and merchants in this handsome and still quaint little town are embracing an exciting new Internet service in a big way.
Quintillion CommunicationsSM of nearby Murray Hill, a name under which AT&T Labs will test new services, has created Directory Westfield, an on-line directory of downtown Westfield merchants, service companies, and other features of the town. The idea is to make the town accessible to anyone with a computer. And of course, than means more and more people every day.
Starting with Westfield, Quintillion plans to create community Internet sites to help local merchants and other businesses compete in an increasingly challenging retail environment. Eventually, these sites will become an even deeper resource to communities they serve.
With Directory Westfield, computer users can "visit" the streets of Westfield electronically. From your desktop, you can see images of the various shops and businesses in town, read a description of the goods or services offered, note the days and hours of operation, and in the future, use your computer to complete a telephone call to the business and speak to someone in person.
With Quintillion's test version of Directory Westfield, you can "stroll" through town in your bathrobe and not raise a single eyebrow. Window shoppers can use the Directory to see all the shops along the town's streets, and "go in " to many of them. Maps of the town are also available, as is information about parking, mass transit, the nearby town park, and even a computer link to get the local weather report.
The photographs in Directory Westfield are a big part of what makes it so appealing. Using a digital camera, a Quintillion staffer shoots photos of the exterior of a local business, and/or a couple of interior shots, according to the business owner's preference. Quintillion then adds the photos and information about the business to its computer site, and a powerful new advertising vehicle is created almost instantly. The photos make the Directory more personal and interesting.
According to Michele Picou, Program Manager for Westfield MainStreet, Directory Westfield is a great way for Westfield merchants and service businesses to be at the forefront of the Internet in an inexpensive and immediate way."
Noting the expense, there is a o cost whatsoever to Westfield businesses included in the Directory. As the project is a prototype, Quintillion is providing all the resources, financial and otherwise, and has committed to operate the Directory for at least a year in order to evaluate the results. Ideas which are successful in the Westfield site may be incorporated into other AT&T offerings.
"It'll be exciting to watch as Westfield pioneers services that other communities all over the country will eventually use," said Karrie Hanson, a member of the Quintillion team. According to Hanson, "We're interested in learning what Internet services people want, and how the unique aspects of the Internet can best be utilized. We want to build technologies to meet those needs, and experiment with those and other ideas under the Quintillion name."
Hanson also pointed out that while merchandising over the Internet is different from other media in many ways, it's still "interactive." Westfield merchants and their customers are simply being offered another way they can get together.
"Since this site is being developed as an experimental service, a large part of our goal is to define the information and services that both merchants and shoppers would like to see in a commercial neighborhood site," Hanson added.
Bobby Sclera, owner of two restaurants in town, Theresa's and The Mojave Grill, is very excited about Directory Westfield. "This new service is really fantastic! It can't help but be a great benefit to our business, and I'm thrilled to be part of it." Restaurateurs may choose to have their menus included in the Directory if they wish.
Other features of the Directory include the ability to link to another "web site" on the Internet that a business may have already established. This presents an opportunity for national chains to participate in a community directory with links back to their corporate "home pages." Many national chains in town are already working with Quintillion to position their store in Directory Westfield, while maintaining their national recognized "look and feel."
Merchants may also choose to "link together" on the Directory, and be able to track its impact. A café might offer a free cup of coffee if a shopper presents proof of a purchase from another store, a card shop or a florist, for example. Even now, the mention of the word "Quintillion" at several Westfield businesses will be rewarded with a free gift.
Users can also link to the Westfield Township offices and the local schools, and can search for telephone numbers in an online version of the local white pages and yellow pages.
Beth Robinson, another member of the Quintillion team, noted how other Internet services ideas will be tested. "Eventually, the computer can replace the telephone for many of us when we go shopping. We'll not only be able to see the stores we want to visit, we'll also be able to look at specific merchandise and ask questions of the store staff via the computer link. If we're talking to someone who provides service rather than merchandise, they'll be able to show examples of their work to us on our computer screens as we talk to them."
Clearly, it seems the Internet, the World Wide Web, and other technology-related words and phrases are becoming more commonly used in our vocabulary. And in the Westfield area, "Directory Westfield" seems destined to gain wide usage as well.
