Mission

To be the leader in providing complete electronic commerce solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses through leveraged sales channels and business service providers, while rewarding Mercantec employees and building shareholder value.

Background

Since 1995, Mercantec has been developing open retail electronic commerce software that enables merchants to expand their geographic reach by marketing and selling goods and services via the World Wide Web.

Industry Facts

E-commerce is increasingly becoming an accepted way of buying and selling goods and services for many consumers and businesses, according to vendors, researchers and resellers. It is a valuable sales channel, supplementing existing channels of sales representatives, stores, direct mail and telemarketing. As public awareness grows and the public's confidence in transaction over the web grows, more businesses will use the Internet to access a global customer base. Small businesses are playing a huge role in the restructuring of the U.S. economy. Small company IT spending is growing at nine percent a year - a growth rate 50 percent higher than the six percent annual IT spending growth for mid-sized and larger companies.

The Mercantec Solution: SoftCart E-Commerce Software

Mercantec's, SoftCart®, allows merchants to build attractive, user-friendly virtual stores for any product they want to sell. Consistent storefronts and integrated back-end payment and inventory systems can be built in to an existing web site or designed from scratch.

Mercantec also offers a family of related products in order to support merchants with any level of expertise, and commerce sites with any level of complexity. They include:

• SoftCart Start-Up -- Designed for those new to the Web or new to electronic commerce, SoftCart Start-Up provides an easy, low cost way for merchants to build and manage a small commerce site.
• SoftCart Lite -- For small- to medium-sized stores with up to 100 products, SoftCart Lite includes support for any third party HTML creation tool, in addition to the integrated store construction wizard and templates.
• SoftCart Suite -- Offers small- to medium-sized merchants a turnkey, integrated electronic commerce solution that includes a drop ship fulfillment module, a link to Intuit QuickBooks® accounting system, and the merchant's choice of several online payment systems. Like SoftCart 4.0, SoftCart Suite supports an unlimited number of products.

SoftCart's benefits for online merchants include the following

• Ease of use in installation and maintenance as well as ease of use for consumers.
• Full integration capabilities with secure payment systems and back-end commercial applications.
• Electronic Data Interface (EDI) message format, allowing better inventory tracking.
• Flexibility in handling multiple shipping paradigms.
• Compatibility with any Web server.
• Ability to calculate sales tax and shipping in real time.
• Flexibility to work with private web servers, Internet Service Providers' hosting, or virtual malls.

Merchants who use Mercantec's SoftCart software include Atlanta Braves Clubhouse (www.bravesgear.com), Sun (www.sun.com), New Line Cinemas (www.newline.com), Buy Curious (www.buycurious.com), Complete Book & Media Supply, Inc. (www.cbmsi.com).

Services For Merchants

In addition to offering an industry-leading software product in SoftCart, Mercantec strives to provide its partners and their merchants with support and resources that will help them maximize their use of the product.

Mercantec Merchant Connection

An added value service for merchants of Mercantec's service provider. Merchant Connection will provide merchants with unprecedented, immediate and comprehensive access to e-commerce resources, services offerings and add-on products to make their online business a success.

Strategic Partnerships

Mercantec's business model is based on partnership agreements with major vendors servicing the Internet and Intranet market. These relationships make volume pricing and large dollar sales possible while allowing Mercantec to concentrate on maintaining its technological edge. Mercantec maintains its competitive edge in electronic commerce by leveraging strategic partnerships with the leading industries and organizations, including:

• OEM - American Express, Compaq Computer Corp., and Data Pro Accounting Software
• Internet Service Providers - Verio/Hiway, Interliant, EarthLink, and MindSpring
• Consultants - Triangle Research, Foo Goo Design
• Web Designers - Robust Technologies, Unique Hosting and Design, Applied Internet Technology Group, Create a Website
• Direct merchant channels

Mercantec also offers a Mercantec Partners Web Site designed to provide Mercantec's ISP partners with immediate access to company news, technical support and marketing programs. The purpose of this new tool is to provide ISP partners with information about SoftCart 24 hours a day. Not only will they find useful documentation about the product and programs, they will also be able to sign up for marketing programs or to attend training sessions.

ISPs that implement SoftCart can participate in the Cooperative Marketing Program, which incorporates advertising and public relations services from Mercantec's integrated marketing agency. ISP Partners who advertise their hosting and e-commerce solution using a Mercantec SoftCart logo and descriptive copy are eligible to receive a percentage of their advertising costs back from Mercantec.