But measuring the Internet's value based on sales may be missing the point. Evan Kaplan, CEO and president of Aventail Corp., a Seattle-based maker of Internet security software, likens costs of the Internet to those of the telephone earlier this century. The expense of buying a phone and maintaining monthly service was secondary to how businesses used the then-new technology to reach customers, suppliers and employees. Adopting the Internet Most businesses no longer question the Internet's value, says Mark Selleck, an electronic business manager for IBM in Seattle. Matt Hyde, who runs the retailer's virtual business, wanted more than an electronic catalog.
Visitors can click on the outdoor learning center for guidance on backpacking and canoe camping.
They also can post favorite climbs or find hiking partners. The virtual store has met with phenomenal success, growing 20 percent to 30 percent a month since its launch in September 1996, Hyde says. None of us can claim we had a vision of what this store was going to be. Building the on-line store wasn't cheap. Maintaining stock in warehouses, handling inventory and ensuring someone will respond to an e-mail within 24 hours are among the bugs Hyde still is working out.