The Trading Post

The Trading Post(sm)


The Trading Post(sm) lets you make information about your activities, products, and services available to potential customers over the Internet. The information is placed on one of several different types of "servers," computers that automatically respond to requests for information. The responses can range from sample programs that customers can try out, to organized menus of products and services, to complete hypermedia documents with pictures, sound, and video. Each computer on the Internet displays the information in the form most common to that computer. If a particular computer is unable to show some of the information, video for example, the rest of the information remains attractively arranged.

Many different ways to search for information of interest using keywords are built-in to the Internet. When potential customers search for a product or service, all of the organizations offering those products or services, including yours, show up on their computer's menu. In addition, "virtual communities," groups of people with similar interests on the Internet, often create directories leading to information of interest. The Trading Post can help you locate and contact those communities.

Cost


The cost of the The Trading Post(sm) depends upon the type of server selected. The servers used by The Trading Post include File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Gopher, and World Wide Web (sometimes called Mosaic) servers.

FTP or Gopher Server. Provides a basic menu-driven interface to your information. Programs, text, and limited graphics can be retrieved using commands or through simple menus. $2,850 at start-up; $700 per month.

World Wide Web (Mosaic) Server. Your information appears in a multimedia magazine format. Text, hypertext links, full color graphics, sound, and video are integrated in a state-of-the-art interface. $4,950 at start-up; $1,400 per month.

INTRODUCTORY OFFER Up to 10 documents on the The Trading Post World Wide Web server for three months. Same services as the full The Trading Post(sm) except there is no separate server associated with your organization. $4,000 for three months (can be applied toward start-up costs for permanent service).

Details