Mirror nets Virgin chief

The Mirror Group has appointed David Clarke as managing director of its newly created online division - Mirror New Media and Interactive Services.

Clarke joins the Mirror Group from Virgin Net and has been chosen to oversee the launch of ic24.net, a free Internet access service. Silicon.com originally broke the news of the Mirror Group service on 1 February 1999.

Starting next month, ic24.net will act as a portal site, launched in association with Compaq, Microsoft and Cable & Wireless - which is making a £15m investment.

The Mirror Group will also exploit its regional publishing assets by rolling out icBirmingham.co.uk, icCoventry.co.uk, icGlasgow.co.uk, and icEdinburgh.co.uk. It will allow users to personalise these sites using software from Zip2, a subsidiary of Compaq.

Cornel Riklin, Mirror Group's group managing director, promised ic24.net would become the UK's most popular Internet portal site within 12 months, as it strikes up partnerships with retailers and financial services companies.

The service will offer free email accounts, 10MB Web space and helpline calls that cost 50p per minute. Software CDs will be distributed through newsagents.

Prior to Virgin Net, Clarke spent time at Compaq, Digital, and Hewlett-Packard. Virgin boss Richard Branson said the split was an amicable one.

In related news, The Sun - which still competes head-on with The Mirror in the UK - revealed it will also launch a free Internet access service, called www.currantbun.com. Further details to follow.