Nicholas Baran and John R. Vacca
A number of products provide diversified Web page and site development services. For example,
Global Commerce Link
, from the company of the same name, is part of a suite of Internet business communications services. They include packaged services, custom design, systems integration, and consulting services focused on specific business applications.
GCL packaged services use a Mosaic interface and home page. End users and customers can use the services with Mosaic, as well as with other client applications, including E-mail and FTP. Depending on the service level, a customer may have private accounts to update, upload, o
r download.
Customer information typically resides on GCL Web site servers via a GCL Product & Services menu (see the screen). Global Commerce Link uses multiple servers and network connections via SprintLink for such systems services as data redundancy, automatic backup, and service redirection. The package lets you display graphical information about your business using Mosaic. For example, Hays Photography, a sole proprietorship in Denver, Colorado, uses GCL's Mosaic capabilities to display its limited-edition black-and-white photographs for gallery owners and customers.
GCL packaged services start at under $500 and step up to around $24,000. Large sites with custom design and integration services may spend $500,000 or more.
Open Market
(Cambridge, MA) sells
Commerce Connection
, a module that provides Web companies with credit-card authorization, buyer authentication, and customer service and dispute-resolution fa
cilities.
Pricing is $1495 for the WebServer, $4995 for a secure WebServer; and $2495 for Commerce Connection.
Internet Video Services
(Sunnyvale, CA) offers a range of services to digitize, compress, format, and optimize video, audio, and graphical data for Internet access (see the screen). Internet-based video catalogs let companies distribute information to customers that can access the information at the source location, saving distribution and replication costs. Internet video distribution also reduces administration and tracking.
The cost of these services range from $5000 to $20,000 per quarter.
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Web Tools and Services
