Works in Progress.(giving Web sites a chance)(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)

Over the past 12 months, I have visited several Web sites that provide products and services to the design and manufacturing community. Offerings vary from traditional software and hardware at discounted prices to applications that can be rented on an as-needed basis from Application Service Providers. For example, 3Dshare.com allows users to translate and repair solid model files over the Internet.

Other ASPs, like Alibre.com, provide an entire range of CAD, PDM, and collaboration tools that are rented on a month-by-month basis. Yet another approach to the ASP business model is a site called web4engineers.com, which provides its own collaboration and project management tools and can also Web-enable existing engineering applications.

Compare the ASP method of software distribution to traditional methods of ownership and maintenance, and you'll see the benefits. If your CAD application does not contain the translator or design tool required for a project, your only other options are to buy an add-on module (if one exists) or a new application altogether. Another benefit is that by offloading processing tasks to the ASP server, you can continue to use your workstation while the ASP crunches the numbers.

Time and again, however, I've witnessed a huge marketing push to a company's Web site that ends in disappointment for customers. Many sites fail to state what they actually offer, and include pages with messages such as "Coming soon:' It has led me to ask: Why do so many companies spend so much time and energy on marketing campaigns to promote a Web site or ASP solution that is not finished?

Since I am not the only one asking this question, I decided to query some companies about it. The answer: The Internet allows for feedback directly from a potential customer base. The key word here is potential. Normally, a company will go through several steps to make sure a product will do well in the marketplace: beta releases, trade show presentations, and focus groups--all expensive and time-consuming.

With the Internet, however, a company can spend a relatively small amount of money to create and promote a Web site. If it sees tremendous customer interest in its products or services, then it can continue to develop those ...