iCat Adds IMV Internet to Partner Program; California-based Web Hosting Provider to Support and Resell iCat Electronic Commerce Suite

iCat Corp., manufacturer of the only complete software for instant electronic commerce, announced that IMV Internet has joined iCat's Internet Service Provider (i2SP) Partner Program.

The combination of Internet hosting providers and iCat's premier commerce-enabling software allows small and mid-sized businesses to take advantage of online retailing.

For most companies, the financial and resource commitment required to develop a transaction-based Web site is overwhelming. Companies historically have paid between $1 million and $3 million to build an electronic commerce Web site, purchasing expensive hardware and software and hiring additional support to maintain the site 24 hours a day. Because of this large commitment, hosting an electronic commerce site has been one of the biggest barriers for most companies to participate in Internet retailing. The iCat Electronic Commerce Suite, coupled with partnerships with Internet hosting professionals, represents a second generation of Web-based commerce.

"Electronic commerce just got easier. iCat offers the most complete and affordable catalog creation and transaction processing software available today," said David C. Jones, iCat vice president of marketing. "Our software integrates all the necessary components to enable effective electronic commerce. IMV Internet rounds out the complete solution by addressing the hosting requirement. The result is a one stop shop for any merchant or Web developer ready to capture the opportunity presented by the Internet."

Through its agreement with iCat, IMV Internet will resell and support iCat's catalog publishing and secure transaction processing software to its hosting customers and professional Web site developers, thereby offering a complete solution for companies to tap new markets and gain market share through online commerce.

"By partnering with iCat, we enhance the services we currently offer our corporate clients and developer partners," said Mark Seamen, IMV Internet vice president and general manager. "Electronic commerce is a key area in which we can now meet the needs of current and future business customers who want to expand their business to the Internet. This opens the door to new marketing opportunities for IMV Internet, while extending iCat's distribution of a strong software product."

iCat Electronic Commerce Suite

The iCat Electronic Commerce Suite is shrink-wrapped software that any merchant can use to create and deliver powerful interactive catalogs on the Internet or CD-ROM. It includes a customizable assortment of more than 200 catalog templates that enable quick catalog implementation, secure electronic-transaction processing and custom product searches. iCat software works with any Internet server and is available for Windows, Apple Macintosh, NT, Sun, Digital Alpha, and SGI platforms.

The iCat Electronic Commerce Suite includes the iCat Commerce Publisher (which permits users to collect, organize and lay out product information and publish ready-to-use Internet or CD-ROM catalogs) and the iCat Electronic Commerce Exchange (which adds secure transaction-processing capabilities to any Internet server, including the ability to accept, process and track electronic orders and shopper registrations).

Return to todays headlines