ICONZ

Infobox_Company
company_name = ICONZ Limited
company_
foundation = 1992
location = Auckland, New Zealand
company_type = Privately Held Company
num_employees = 60
key_people = Michael Spencer, Owner
Sean Weekes, CEO
area_served = New Zealand, Asia
industry = Telecommunications
products = Dial Up, Fibre Optic Connectivity, ICONZ Satellite, Extend Wireless, Araneo wireless, Wired Country Wireless, UNS Broadband, ICONZ ADSL, Co-location and Dedicated Server Hosting, Web Hosting, Domain Registration, Fortinet Solutions, Business Tolls and Email Solutions
homepage = [http://www.iconz.co.nz iconz.co.nz]

The Internet Company of New Zealand Limited (otherwise known as ICONZ) is a New Zealand Internet service provider (ISP) company, and was a pioneer in providing Internet connections to residential New Zealand users. ICONZ now provides Internet solutions in New Zealand, and colocation/dedicated hosting solutions across the Asia Pacific region. [citenews|title=National Business Review |date=November 22, 2006|url= http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=16781&cid=3&cname=Technology] [citenews|title=ICONZ goes Ocoloco|publisher=Computerworld New Zealand |date= June 24, 2003 |url=http://www.computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/UNID/CC256CED0016AD1ECC256D4E00170D2F]

The ICONZ Group is made up of several smaller Internet related companies: ICONZ Ltd, 2day.com, Webfarm, Freeparking and the newly acquired Webvisions. Their competitors include Xtra, Orcon and ihug.

History

In 1992 ICONZ was founded as a small business by Chris Thorpe and Jon Clarke in Clarke's garage. By 1994 ICONZ had grown and was one of only two companies providing Internet solutions to the Auckland and far north regions of New Zealand, [cite newsgroup
title =Internet access in New Zealand
author = Simon Lyall
date = 2007-08-28
newsgroup = nz.comp
url=http://groups.google.co.nz/group/nz.comp/msg/504cd58ea9389fa8?q=iconz+chris+thorpe+jon&hl=en&lr=&rnum=2
accessdate=2007-04-20 ] with 18 dial-up lines and a 48K MDDS circuit.

In 1995, ICONZ hosted auckland.nz.undernet.org IRC node setup which was significant step forward for New Zealand global communications. [cite mailing list
last=Abley
first=Joe
authorlink=Joe Abley
title=Notes from NZNOGs '05 History of Peering session
mailinglist=wlug.org.nz
date=2005
url=http://www.wlug.org.nz/NewZealandInternetHistory
accessdate=2007-04-20 ] The Undernet is now one of the largest Internet Relay Chat (IRC) networks.

ICONZ was acquired by AsiaOnLine in 1999 and moved from being a New Zealand based ISP to a Pacific based ISP. The branding was changed to AsiaOnline, and it was given a new look. It joined a multinational company scattered around the Pacific Rim, with offices in California, Hong Kong, The Philippines, China, South Korea, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

The IRC node auckland.nz.undernet.org was decommissioned in 2000/2001 due to repeated denial-of-service attacks. Shortly after, AsiaOnline entered liquidation, and the New Zealand portion was sold to Michael Spencer in November 2001 who reinstated the ICONZ branding.

In 2004 ICONZ introduced another New Zealand first and launched ICONZ Satellite, which was the first fully bi-directional broadband solution in New Zealand. This was delivered in a partnership with Shin Satellite IPStar. [cite news
last = Bell Wellington
first = Stephen
title = Iconz wins Probe funding for satellite service
publisher = Computer World
date = 2004-08-05
url = http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/UNID/6F72684BEB5661CACC256EE60022AB41
accessdate = 2007-28-08 ] This was significant as it was the first attempt to compete with Telecom New Zealand (the country's line/Internet monopoly) on a national scale. [(Citation
title = Response to Telecom Submission to the Commerce Commission on the proposed price and non-price terms for access to and interconnection with Telecom’s fixed PDN and access to Telecom’s fixed PDN backhaul (“Wholesale Bitstream”)
url=http://www.comcom.govt.nz/IndustryRegulation/Telecommunications/Wholesale/WholesaleDeterminatons/ContentFiles/Documents/FW_%20TCL%20Wholesale%20Bitstream%20Cross%20Submission%20-%20PUBLIC(Chris%20Abbott)%20(TCL%20UBS%20Submission%20280105%20_Publ0.PDF.
accessdate = 2007-08-27)] Shortly after, Webfarm Ltd and Freeparking [cite press release
title = ICONZ Expansion Drive Secures Freeparking
publisher = Scoop
date = 2004-02-24
url = http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0402/S00095.htm
accessdate = 2007-28-08 ] were incorporated into the ICONZ Group.

With the satellite technology available to them, ICONZ worked alongside the New Zealand Government to provide 63 rural schools and communities with high-speed Internet. [cite press release
title = High speed Internet for very remote communities
publisher = Progressive Party
date = 2007-08-03
url = http://www.progressive.org.nz/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1103
accessdate = 2006-07-03 ] [cite press release
title = Final Project PROBE Contract Signed, Cost Revealed
publisher = beehive.govt.nz
date = 2004-10-01
url = http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Print/PrintDocument.aspx?DocumentID=21097
accessdate = 2006-08-27 ] By providing such Internet solutions, ICONZ and the New Zealand Government enriched the learning environments of hundreds of children. It also meant that ICONZ was expanding competition in the broadband market across New Zealand. In 2005, using the same satellite technology, ICONZ worked alongside Landcorp to provide farms with high-speed Internet and to connect rural parts of New Zealand. [cite web
last = Delivery
first = Rural
title = Satellite Internet Connections for Remote Locations
url=http://www.ruraldelivery.net.nz/absolutenm/templates/developmentsTemplate.asp?articleid=178&zoneid=7
accessdate = 2005-11-05 ] [ cite web
last = News
first = TVNZ One
title = Landcorp Moves Farmers into Future
url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411365/643288
accessdate = 2005-12-29 ]

In 2005, ICONZ took over 2day.com, and in 2007 Webvisions was added to the ICONZ group.

ee also

* ISPANZ

References

External links

* [http://www.iconz.co.nz ICONZ Ltd]