The E-retailer's dilemma, then, is to keep customers satisfied, give them what they want, and keep them from going elsewhere. That means more than a flashy Web site or even a dynamic database; it means learning the customer's behaviors and habits, and customizing the content for each user.

This is the major function of BroadVision Inc.'s One-To-One. It comes in three versions: Enterprise, Commerce, and Finance. The Enterprise edition is for building real-time Internet, intranet, and extranet applications used within a large company. There are two Commerce editions: Retail, for business-to-consumer sales; and Business, for business-to-business sales. The Financial edition is for the banking and financial industries.

BroadVision One-To-One offers the scalability to handle high transaction volumes and make adjustments on the fly. You don't need to be a database programmer to adjust Web-application behavior. For example, if a sales manager notices high sales of a relatively obscure product, he or she can place that product front and center for all customers to see. The JavaScript site-management tools and wizard are also designed for nontechnical business managers; it lets them change user information, business rules, and catalog content dynamically.

For Collectibles.com, a division of the Shop At Home Network Inc. in Nashville, Tenn., knowing the customers and giving them what they want is vital. "In our business, it's extremely important that I identify an individual who shopped with us before and don't throw things at them that turns them off," says Tim Engle, president and CEO of Collectibles.com. "I have to morph into a sports shop and not pitch jewelry and knives to someone who's not interested, or I'll quickly lose them."

Collectibles.com went with BroadVision One-To-One Retail Commerce for its flexibility and ability to identify customers. "Every day we're changing our rules to fit what we're broadcasting on our TV network and what's selling on our site. Their product is better at identifying what a customer is interested in and what they want," Engle says.

Engle says BroadVision One-To-One met his company's needs because of its ability to drive customers specifically to the products they like. Plus, the company is "really top-notch when it comes to service and helping you get up and running," he says. "And that's not always a given."

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