Still, the company hasn't tried to reinvent the wheel for every software implementation. The Open Market products work in conjunction with a Sybase Inc. relational DBMS, but Pathfinder is also testing other databases, Knowlton says. Spending whatever it takes to build or buy the appropriate Web software and communications infrastructure. Second, designing the host applications with enough flexibility to support new products such as online catalogs and databases. Third, learning from its mistakes.
Most corporations treat the Web like it's the ultimate information kiosk.
Promote a brand name by offering free bytes. But Pathfinder's executives have made the controversial decision to offer a premium, fee-based product, although the majority of Pathfinder content will remain free. The market perception of the Web today is that everything is free. As the novelty of this wears off over time, people will be drawn to information and service sites that offer much deeper and richer value. Knight-Ridder has been trying for 15 years to find some way to get subscription dollars on TV, and people won't do it in a large way.