The Rise and Fall of Yahoo Xtra

Yahoo!Xtra was a popular internet service provider in New Zealand that rose to fame in the early 2000s. It offered a range of services, including internet access, email, and online storage.

The service was launched in 2002 as a joint venture between Yahoo! and Telecom New Zealand. It quickly gained popularity due to its user-friendly interface and competitive pricing.

By 2006, Yahoo!Xtra had become the leading internet service provider in New Zealand, with over 1 million subscribers. However, its success was short-lived.

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Over one third of all Yahoo!Xtra customers have changed their passwords since the problem began on February 9, Telecom said.

The hacking incident is just the latest in a series of security breaches affecting Yahoo!Xtra users, with Telecom describing it as "a fact of life" given the prevalence of cyber criminals.

Telecom's retail chief executive Chris Quin said an investigation into the hacking was being carried out and a review of its email service would be undertaken after the previous breach.

Telecom's been left to fend for itself in many respects, as Paul Brislen, the boss of the Telecommunications Users Association, pointed out, straining relations between the telecommunications company and its email provider Yahoo!.

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Over a third of Yahoo Xtra customers have changed their passwords since the hacking problem began on February 9.

The hacking ordeal is a fact of life, according to Telecom, due to the prevalence of cyber criminals.

Just days after tens of thousands of Telecom customers suffered a security breach, email users with Yahoo Xtra accounts were again affected by hacking overnight.

Telecom's retail chief executive Chris Quin mentioned that an investigation into the hacking was being carried out and a review of its email service would be undertaken.

This incident will likely further strain relations between Telecom and Yahoo, according to Telecom Users Association boss Paul Brislen.

Promotion was a key aspect of Yahoo!Xtra's launch, and one notable example is the 'X meets Y' promotion featuring Regina Spektor's song "Fidelity".

The song became a hit single and one of Spektor's most successful tracks, thanks in part to the promotion's exposure.

Yahoo Xtra News was a key feature of the service, providing users with up-to-date news from around the world.

The news section was curated by a team of experienced journalists and editors, ensuring that users received accurate and reliable information.

With a focus on New Zealand and international news, Yahoo Xtra News covered a wide range of topics, from politics and business to entertainment and lifestyle.

The 2008 Bubble Crisis was a nightmare for many Xtra users. In January 2008, the problems caused by the sale of Xtra email business to Yahoo! in Australia were still ongoing.

The sale, which happened in August 2007, was a botched job that resulted in the resignation of Telecom's Chief Operating Officer for Consumer. Many customers were left frustrated with the re-registration problems that followed.

Email messages sent to Yahoo!Xtra email accounts were delayed or not delivered at all due to Yahoo!'s over-zealous anti-spam measures. This filtering was taking out both spam and genuine email, causing significant issues for Xtra users.

NZ Telecoms failed to instruct Yahoo! to white-list New Zealand internet service providers, making the problem worse. The issue was not just frustrating, but also had serious consequences for businesses that relied on email orders and bookings.

To avoid losing business due to undelivered emails, Xtra users needed to disable the Yahoo! anti-spam measures. This could be done by logging on to Yahoo!Xtra Bubble webmail.

In December 2006, Telecom made a new agreement with Yahoo!7 to form Yahoo!Xtra.

The six-year-old Telecom and Microsoft portal, also known as Telecom's portal, ended on 1 March 2007.

Users were invited to go to either YahooXtra.co.nz or Msn.co.nz.

Telecom reportedly left the content management of the portal to Yahoo!, who operate an Auckland-based office with various departments.

The Editorial team manages local news, sport, and entertainment content.

In 2011, Telecom sold out, and Yahoo!Xtra staff transferred to Yahoo! New Zealand.

Telecom noted that Yahoo!7 would continue to support Telecom's broadband customers.

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