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Technology Stocks : Internet Capital Group Inc. (ICGE) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: saket chadda who wrote (1133)	1/16/2000 5:20:00 AM
From: puborectalis	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4187

onvia.com ipo coming soon by ICGE:Onvia.com, formerly known as MegaDepot.com, was born and bred in 1996 by Glenn Ballman. He thought small businesses needed a better way to buy. So, like all good entrepreneurs, he seized the opportunity to reach an untapped market. His solution was to develop an innovative site geared specifically for small business owners. What started with one person is now a thriving Seattle business. We've been through the growing pains, and want our experience to benefit you. What We Do. Onvia.com offers fast, easy access to a variety of products, services and information so you can concentrate on building your business. Here's a quick run-down: Products—Computer equipment, office furniture, paper clips—look no further. Business Services—Want a better long-distance plan? A business credit card? You'll find it here. Membership—Be an Onvia.com Member and get lots of freebies, including our newsletter, OnviaFlash. Advice—The topics are fresh and the experts really know their stuff. Onvia.com charges its vendors a commission when one of its 60,000 users buys a product or service from its site. The company's greatest asset is a forms-based "decision matrix" which helps the user quickly find the lowest cost and most appropriate provider of, for example, telecommunications, Internet service, or Web hosting. The user fills in a form listing their requirements, budget, and location, and is provided with a list of options from which to choose. However, unlike some Web sites that list the vendors who pay the biggest commission first, Onvia.com lists vendors in alphabetical order. Also, the company does not take gratuities from its suppliers. "We don't take money in exchange for placement," says Kristen Hamilton, Onvia.com vice president of business development, "Our revenues come from commissions on sales."