asingly larger role in Internet services, especially for eCommerce and sales force applications. Some mobile providers only offer voice services and are not technically IICs. Those that are pioneering the convergence between the mobile world and the Internet however, represent an important new breed of IIC. Another group that falls under our first definition includes companies that provide Web-hosting services. Such companies maintain large data and/or switching centers that they connect to the Internet using high capacity circuits that they own or lease. They generally offer services that maintain their customers' Web sites, providing reliability, scalability, transaction integrity and security. These services free their customers from the burden of maintaining large technical staffs and expensive, complex equipment. Once again, these companies provide the physical components that enable business to take place in the Internet's virtual environment. Often these companies also offer co-location services, leasing space and Internet connectivity for others' Web servers. They can also provide collaboration and eCommerce applications in some cases. Another type of IIC we can define is a company that uses Internet infrastructure to create value-added network or application services. This includes companies that provide, for example, virtual private network (VPN) services. Such companies maintain specialized network elements that create secure pathways across the Internet. These services have grown in popularity among corporations as a less expensive alternative to private, leased-line networks. Another example includes companies that provide the physical components to support services such as streaming media. Such companies, once again, provide specialized equipment that can create dedicated pathways across the Internet to provide a continuous data stream that can transport anything from a Web-cast to an Internet radio program. Another example includes application service providers (ASPs). True to their name, ASPs ofte