Another Internet provider launches in Canada later this month.

Netcom Canada, a subsidiary of Netcom On-line Communication Services of San Jose, Calif., will be promoting its award-winning Netcruiser software as its point of difference in a competitive marketplace.

The Canadian service will launch with the 2.1 version of Netcruiser, which offers single-screen access to all features of the Internet.

As well, it can be used with other popular Internet products such as navigation software Netscape and e-mail tool Eudora.

Netcruiser connects users to the Netcom service and features an online registration capability that automatically sets up an account.

Users of the service will get 24-hour, seven-day a week customer support and links to sites of interest to Canadians.

Netcom will be available this month in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

Twelve more cities will be added by mid-1996 to give the company about 60% of the Canadian market that can get access to the service with a local phone call.

The new Toronto-based firm is headed by three former Delrina employees: Ron Close, president of Netcom Canada; Gord Waites, vice-president of operations and development, and Mike Kologinski, vice-president of sales and marketing.

Advertising for Netcom Canada will be handled by Mosaic Direct of Toronto.

Kologinski says the initial focus will be a print campaign that draws calls into a telesales number.

He says rates for Netcom will be announced later this month and they will be in line with other major services.

Kologinski is not daunted by competition in the field, including the entrance of cable companies as Internet providers.

‘I think high-speed access is going to open up a whole new wave of applications on the Internet, and, quite honestly, we look forward to being able to offer that same kind of high-speed access on our service,’ he says.