MCI Expected to Unveil E-Mail, Other Service Enhancements

MCI Communications Corp. is expected today to unveil a new line of value-added services providing enhanced electronic mail and information capabilities.

“This could be MCI’s response to AT&T;’s move into this area with Lotus,” said Blake Bath, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein.

AT&T; Corp. said Feb. 17 that it would work with Lotus Development Corp. to put Lotus’ Notes communications software on AT&T;’s computer network.

Notes is a computer program that allows employees of large companies in several offices to communicate and work on documents simultaneously. By transmitting Notes over public telecommunications lines, companies are saved the costs of creating their own in-house computer network.

MCI, the nation’s No. 2 long-distance phone company, has been running tantalizing TV commercials for weeks, waving something called “Gramercy Press” at viewers. The commercial resembles ads that, without disclosing too much, act as previews of coming television series.

“The announcement on Monday will involve ‘Gramercy Press,’ ” Bernie Goodrich, an MCI spokesman, told Bloomberg Business News.

MCI needs to work with a computer software company in order to enter the value-added business. Industry observers say Microsoft Corp. could be a candidate. The software giant is known to be working on a “Notes killer” to rival Lotus’ program.

Executives at Microsoft were not immediately available for comment.