netIntersection, Inc. Uses B2BXchange Suite of Online Tools to Enhance Community Sites
- Interactive, online "communities of interest" created simply and cost-effectively through B2BXchange?s tools for online content, collaboration and commerce -
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, January 6, 2000 - B2BXchange, Inc., an Internet-based business-to-business services provider and a VirtualFund, Inc. enterprise (Nasdaq: VFND), today announced that netIntersection, Inc., a wholly owned VirtualFund investment, has joined B2BXchange to provide site building and enhancement tools for Internet-based transactions. netIntersection's business model focuses on aggregated "communities of interest" and "geographic communities" represented as sub-groups of major metropolitan areas.
netIntersection? will allow site organizers to create their own online "communities" populated by people and businesses with similar interests. These virtual communities can be based on unlimited themes, from geographic areas to vertical industries, to specific popular themes such as music, education or politics. The communities are global, supporting multilingual character sets and hosted at high-bandwidth facilities with fast global connections.
Using tools developed for B2BXchange, netIntersection offers businesses and organizations everything they need to build a site, including tools for site content, e-commerce and collaboration targeting residents within a community. netIntersection sites allow businesses within a community to target consumers with e-commerce and coupon offers. By using B2BXchange's online tools, including XchangeBUILDER and XchangeEXPERT, netIntersection provides members access to free e-mail accounts, customized threaded discussion groups, live real-time chat boards, personal calendars for event information and more.
"The netIntersection toolkit lets users share the growing body of B2BXchange's experience in building online communities of interest, whether they are communities of businesses within a vertical industry or communities of people with a common link," said Mike Ellsworth, Vice President of Strategic Planning at B2BXchange. "The possibilities for these sites are unlimited and exciting for both B2BXchange and netIntersection."
netIntersection has already engaged Chicago's historic Bronzeville community to enhance its African-American community pilot Web site at www.bronzevilleonline.com using tools available from www.b2bxchange.com. By using the XchangeCONTENT tools, the BronzevilleOnline site is published and maintained by community businesses, agencies and organizations that wish to provide local residents with information, education and community involvement opportunities via the Internet.
"The BronzevilleOnline site represents the best use of B2BXchange tools available to communities through netIntersection," said Bonnie Becker, Director of Marketing at netIntersection, in Chicago. "Using the site builder tool, Bronzeville organizations are able to quickly and cost effectively create a Web presence that promotes community interaction, discussions and involvement through a virtual site. We look forward to helping other communities of people create sites that fit their specific needs and interests."
About netIntersection
netIntersection, a provider of community of interest software for Internet-based communities, is a wholly owned subsidiary of VirtualFund, Inc., representing the second corporation to be launched from the VirtualFund Internet Services Business Unit. netIntersection is based in Chicago, with product development located in VirtualFund's Cedar Falls, Iowa, development center. For more information about netIntersection, please visit their web site at www.netintersection.com.
About VirtualFund, Inc.
VirtualFund, Inc., founded in 1985, is an Internet Venture Resources and Investment company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. VirtualFund has wholly owned investments in digital graphics and communications, as well as Internet services, hosting and integration systems. The Company's primary expansion initiative is represented by the Internet Services Business Unit that is currently funding investment and development stage companies which encompass Internet commerce, content and collaboration - all aimed at increasing the annuities available from Internet hosting of these activities. For more information about VirtualFund, visit their web site at www.virtualfund.com.
B2BXchange is a leading provider of Internet services that enable business to build their businesses online - fast! It is a fully incubated company established by VirtualFund, Inc. B2BXchange offers subscribers free access to basic applications that allow them to create an online presence and an electronic storefront. As the subscribers' businesses grow and they need more capabilities and ultimately more bandwidth, B2BXchange offers additional storage, bandwidth and more feature-rich applications to streamline their businesses. More information about B2BXchange can be found at www.b2bxchange.net. |
