Hardware

Seattle-based Go2Net Inc., a network of branded, technology and community-driven Web sites, said it plans to launch an e- commerce software solution for HyperMart, the company's free hosting site for small- and medium-sized businesses.

HyperMart currently hosts more than 148,000 businesses and is adding more than 15,000 new member businesses per month, the company said.

The HyperMart e-commerce plan, which will be introduced in stages over the next six months, is intended to create one of the largest collections of storefronts on the Web as well as an auction operation, Go2Net said.

HyperMart will offer member businesses the opportunity to commerce-enable their Web sites and to market their goods and services to the Go2Net Network's user base as part of a searchable catalog of stores.

In a recent survey of HyperMart member businesses, more than 75 percent indicated that they have products/services that can be sold online and more than 40 percent indicated that they plan to be selling products/services online within the next 12 months.

The e-commerce plan consists of the following elements:

• Introduction soon of an "add-on" shopping cart software solution for HyperMart member businesses that will allow them to commerce-enable their existing sites, and accept real-time credit card payment.

• The introduction of a turnkey storefront software solution that will allow HyperMart member businesses to create professional looking online stores via their Web browser. Features will include administrative and inventory management services.

• Launch of a sophisticated catalog of merchants consisting of HyperMart member businesses and select vendor partners, which will be searchable by both product and vendor. This catalog will include a "universal shopping cart" that will streamline the buying process for HyperMart and Go2Net purchasers.

• Introduction of an auction area for both business-to-business and business- to-consumer transactions that will draw upon HyperMart member businesses, select vendor partners and the Go2Net Network user base.

The Go2Net Network's properties also include: Silicon Investor, a financial discussion site; StockSite, which offers proprietary articles, portfolio tracking tools, company research and news relating to business and finance; MetaCrawler, a metasearch service that combines various existing search/index guides into one service; 100hot, a category-by-category ranking index of Web sites; WebMarket, a one-stop comparison shopping service; and PlaySite, a Java-based multi-player games site.