Another.com puts up the 'For Sale' sign

NEWS Email provider Another.com, which started charging customers for its services in October, has put its business up for sale. In a statement, CEO Steve Bowbrick said the sale was despite the fact the paid-for service had got off to a promising start. Another.com provides email addresses for people who want personalised domains, such as dropdeadgorgeous@hippiechick.com and airguitar@heavymetal.co.uk. In October it said it would charge new users who sign up to the service in the region of £1.50 a month. Bowbrick claimed it showed the industry was finally growing up. Another.com boasts 1.8 million members and blames the forced sale on the economic climate. The statement continued: "With no prospect of a change in 2002, we've concluded it's time to find a home for another.com within a larger organisation." Service providers have increasingly started to charge for content on the web, with The Times and Telegraph newspapers both vowing to follow the Wall Street Journal's lead in charging for subscription. However, the sale of Another.com proves that for many businesses the proof is very much still in the pudding.