Prospectus Summary
OUR COMPANY VerticalNet is the largest creator, owner and operator of vertical trade communities, which are targeted business-to-business communities of commerce on the Internet. Our vertical trade communities are Web sites that act as industry-specific comprehensive sources of information, interaction and electronic commerce, also known as e-commerce. Vertical trade communities combine:
. product . directories; information; . requests for . classifieds; proposals; . discussion . job listings; forums; . e-commerce . online professional education courses; and opportunities; . industry news; . virtual trade shows.
Each vertical trade community is individually branded, focuses on one industrial sector and caters to individuals with similar professional interests. We design each of our vertical trade communities to attract technical and purchasing professionals with highly specialized product and specification requirements, and purchasing authority or influence.
We satisfy a developing market not currently being adequately served through traditional channels, such as trade publishers, trade shows and trade associations. We also believe that this market is not currently being served by Internet companies, which tend to focus on the consumer market and not on the business-to-business market. Our vertical trade communities exploit the interactive features and global reach of the Internet, allowing buyers to research, source, contact and purchase from suppliers.