These are designed to support e-commerce. According to Ovum, the enterprise portal is a 'single, coherent, integrated portal that presents its users with all the information they need to carry out their jobs'. Modern systems can recognise users and do this automatically. The user can then interact with the host company, and, ideally, should be able to perform any transaction they want. Because portals are based on established Web technology, they ought to be easy to put together.
Technology is now able to make portals a reality for large numbers of workers.
There are currently hundreds if you believe the marketing hype - practically every software vendor is using the words 'enterprise portal', but you should look for players in three sections of the market. In the mid-market, SAP and Sybase. Niche players are Plumtree, Hummingbird and Viador. And don't forget Microsoft.