Powered by Domino: Sites that Don't Cost an Arm and a Leg
It is estimated that a functional, interactive Web site costs between $100,000 and $300,000 to get up and running. However, using Lotus Domino technology, there is a way for businesses and nonprofit groups to establish a Web presence without paying an arm and a leg.
InterNoded Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.) announced two sets of offerings that bring Domino-based Web development and deployments within reach of organizations with limited resources.
For organizations with Windows NT or Unix-powered Web sites, InterNoded is shipping a Domino-based suite of applications, tools and templates that walks developers through the design, setup and implementation of a virtual storefront, online catalog, or other e-commerce components. The toolkit, called HyperCommerce, retails for less than $1,000 and includes a built-in catalog that is customizable to individual Web sites, or can be integrated into an existing catalog. HyperCommerce also includes online applications for Verisign and CyberCash registrations. InterNoded confirms that an AS/400 version is under development, but an announcement date has not yet been set.
For those organizations with no resources to bear, such as very small organizations, nonprofit and educational groups, InterNoded has launched a Domino-based Web hosting service that provides interactive Web sites on a subscription basis. The service--StriveComm--is fully hosted, requires no additional hardware or software and is easily managed with no HTML programming, says Custie Crampton, CTO of InterNoded. The service enables organizations to build linked Web communities.
Templates enable subscribers to create e-commerce storefronts, forms, dynamic calendar and discussion groups. Each Web site within a subscriber community can have its own customized look and feel by adding graphics, content, colors and navigation links. InterNoded is specifically targeting microbusinesses, school districts, sports leagues, consortiums, recreational clubs, and financial groups as potential users.
Each site can be created by visiting
the StriveComm Web site. Users can select an existing community or create a new community, and simply pick and choose the site's features. "StriveComm is a rentable application," Crampton says. An organization is provided with a central Web site, which can be scaled to support information from various branches of the organization--such as a school district or sports league.
The $500-per-year subscription price includes Lotus licenses for multi-user access, Crampton says. "It takes about 50 seconds to build a Web site," he claims. InterNoded's service is similar to hosted services offered by Lotus itself, which are targeted at larger business organizations.