Plusnet Ditch Binary Usenet.

[Phnom_Penh]

It has become apparent from customer feedback and from our own testing that our existing Usenet (newsgroups) infrastructure is no longer meeting the needs of those customers using this platform for binary downloads.

This is also coupled with the fact that there has been a huge upsurge in binary Usenet postings recently. For example Giganews have reported a 15% growth in binary Usenet postings within the last 30 days alone and are predicting that this will continue. Our news platform was never designed to cope with these sorts of volume, and it is clear that we would need to make significant ongoing investments in order to offer a reasonable quality binary feed.

We have investigated a number of options for better Binary provision, including re-design of our server configuration, equipment upgrades and outsourcing to a third party provider. At this stage however, we have been unable to source a sustainable and financially viable alternative. The binary Usenet service will be withdrawn from April 3rd 2006.

Therefore the decision has been made that it would be better to focus our existing investment in hardware on the provision of a text-only newsgroup service. As a result of the lower load on the same resource, and the extra redundant storage, this text service will deliver exceptional performance and will prove a reliable offering for all of our customers in the long term.

We understand that a number of customers who use Binary newsgroups will be disappointed by this step but we hope people will understand the reasons for this change and that many will benefit from a higher quality text feed, rather than a limited and incomplete binary feed.

Is it me, or are they trying to lose more customers?

 

[Tec]

Well their aim is clear all along anyway , on one side they might be loosing customers ( heavy users or those who utilise their resources more then their target ) but on the other hand they keep the customers who dont utilise their resources much so at the moment when you look at it financial wise i dont think they are loosing any money when you consider the other expenses needed for heavy usage otherwise they wouldnt do this.

 

[JN]

Agreed Tec. ISP's are better off without the bandwidth junkies. It allows them to provide a better service for the average user.

Now would be a good time for someone to start an ISP specifically created for high bandwidth users, and make them pay per mb, at a price which allows the ISP to remain profitable and provide a good service.

 

[Phnom_Penh]

I'm not sure how well a company like that would do, most leechers joined people like PN, becuase they like getting stuff for nothing (or next to nothing) which PNs services offered. So they wouldn't be too interested in having to pay for their bytes.

That said, now companies are beginning to cap, even bigger companies like Zen, there may be a gap presented in the market.

The cat in your sigs got some dodgy teeth XMS.

 

[Broadback]

Well their aim is clear all along anyway , on one side they might be loosing customers ( heavy users or those who utilise their resources more then their target ) but on the other hand they keep the customers who dont utilise their resources much so at the moment when you look at it financial wise i dont think they are loosing any money when you consider the other expenses needed for heavy usage otherwise they wouldnt do this.

I have to disagree with you there Tec, :nono: they have lost many light users along with the heavy ones, myself included. Not only did they make it impossible for the heavies but uncomfortable for the lights. May IDNET continue in its present vein! :worship: