New Internet Privacy Provider - Press Release

PRESS RELEASE:  2/9/96  Anguilla, Offshore Information Services Ltd.

As a result of recent efforts to censor the Internet in France, Germany,
China, and now the USA, Offshore Information Services Ltd. (OIS)
anticipates a larger market for privacy services over the Internet. OIS is
well suited to provide such service since it is located in Anguilla, a
taxhaven in the Caribbean with strict secrecy laws.  OIS is now entering
this market. 

OIS makes it easy for users to setup an online identity offshore. Setting
up an offshore email identity can be as easy as changing the POP server
name, user name, and password in their mail program.  Using this new
idendity they can again have free-speech on the Internet.

If users choose, they can login to a machine in Anguilla using ssh so that
their communication over the Internet is encrypted. 

Users can also maintain web pages offshore almost as easily as if they
were onshore. 

Anguilla has no restrictions on publications about dead presidents of
France, or information about birth control, etc.

The OIS web page is http://online.offshore.com.ai/

Excerpts from internet.cypherpunks: 9-Feb-96 New Internet Privacy
Provid.. by Vincent Cate@offshore.co 
> PRESS RELEASE:  2/9/96  Anguilla, Offshore Information Services Ltd.
>  
> As a result of recent efforts to censor the Internet in France, Germany,
> China, and now the USA, Offshore Information Services Ltd. (OIS)
> anticipates a larger market for privacy services over the Internet. OIS is
> well suited to provide such service since it is located in Anguilla, a
> taxhaven in the Caribbean with strict secrecy laws.  OIS is now entering
> this market. 

Thanks, but no thanks. I don't need a shell account at $1,200 a year.

-Declan

PS: Spelling "identity" incorrectly in your press release posted here
and on your web site makes you look pretty silly.

> Thanks, but no thanks. I don't need a shell account at $1,200 a year.

It is clearly not for everyone.  However, someone running a
business over the net should really think about how much they pay
in taxes to see if forming an offshore corporation and getting an
offshore web-site makes sense. 

Basically if a net business is paying more in taxes than the extra
costs to operate an offshore corporation it can pay to relocate. 
The operating costs are the web-site/email $1,200/year and about
$500/year to maintain a corporation (~$1,000 first year).  So even
a small business can justify the move.

   --  Vince

Excerpts from internet.cypherpunks: 10-Feb-96 Re: [NOISY] Re: New
Interne.. by Vincent Cate@offshore.co 
> It is clearly not for everyone.  However, someone running a
> business over the net should really think about how much they pay
> in taxes to see if forming an offshore corporation and getting an
> offshore web-site makes sense. 
>  
> Basically if a net business is paying more in taxes than the extra
> costs to operate an offshore corporation it can pay to relocate. 
> The operating costs are the web-site/email $1,200/year and about
> $500/year to maintain a corporation (~$1,000 first year).  So even
> a small business can justify the move.

Thanks, Vincent, for a well-reasoned reply.

While I'm not likely to sign up in the near future -- unless the
situation here worsens dramatically -- I wish you well with your
attempts to solicit businesses as customers. Good luck!

-Declan

I have decided to offer a $50/month Unix/Web/POP account that is
good for 50 MB/month of traffic.  After that it is $1/MB of
traffic.  To open the account an initial account balance of $300 is
required (from which monthly and traffic charges will be deducted). 

See http://online.offshore.com.ai/  for more info and to open
an account.

   --  Vince