A second wave of Internet companies is now taking shape, and the sophisticated products and services of these newcomers will make the Net a much more powerful platform for business. Smart navigation systems, like those being developed by Endeca, will permit customers to find what they’re looking for without wading through the long lists today’s search engines generate. Tools for consolidating and dynamically updating educational and other service offerings, like those being built by SCT and MindEdge, will let customers get exactly what they need without having to bounce from site to site.
A version of this article appeared in the May 2001 issue of Harvard Business Review.