Oak View, CA - November 16, 1999 - The greatest attraction of the web - its diversity - is becoming increasingly overlooked when it comes to e-commerce.

Hundreds of thousands of e-commerce sites exist on the web and offer an extremely diverse array of products and services. However, a search for "toys" or "gifts" on most search engines yields just a few major, well-funded businesses like e-Toys and Amazon.com.

Why? Major search engines and shopping portals have now implemented business models where they sell "keywords" and "categories." A recent survey of well-known search engines and portals found most featuring only a relatively few businesses. The consumer ultimately loses by having limited sources to choose from, and small businesses lose by not getting the web sales they need to survive.

The question is: Is the highest paying business necessarily the best business for a consumer to visit on the web? Web-bots that search for the best price on an item can also be misleading because they don't take into account customer service or warranty issues. And price comparison is useless if you don't know exactly what you are looking for or if you're seeking a one-of-a-kind item.

HLI Systems, a small California software company that develops intelligent systems has been on a crusade since the early days of the web to address these issues with where2go.com.

Where2go.com is a unique search engine that categorizes only internet enabled businesses, including many sites offering unusual, handmade, and one-of-a-kind products from around the world. Developed by HLI Systems, Where2go.com uses HLI's "flexible-logic^TM" intelligent server technology to make searching easier with more accurate, less biased results.

"The web has a tremendous amount to offer - yet consumers' choices are beginning to become homogenized due to dominance by mega-merchants," explains Doug Lochner, creator of Where2go.com and CEO of HLI Systems. "If you want truly unique products, you need to find the specialty shops and independent merchants that offer them. We created Where2go.com to give consumers and merchants more choices through better searching."

Where2go.com has the largest "rich content", categorized e-business database on the web. The site contains extensive data on each on-line merchant including products & services, payment options, customer service options, even shipping and delivery methods. The site, in operation since 1995 has won many awards for its design, content and ease of use.

Users can search for a merchant using more than simple keywords. HLI's technology allows you to simply create complex, multi-conditional searches. For example: You could search for all internet enabled businesses that sell pet supplies, take Discover card, have a toll-free ordering line and ship overnight.

Where2go.com's real-time, business ratings provides the consumer with merchant ratings based on real-time consumer feedback. This addresses one of the major issues limiting e-commerce today - knowing who you are dealing with and what to expect prior to making a purchase.

Merchants benefit, too, with free on-line listings. Where2go.com does not sell keywords or categories, (although it does offer listing enhancements), so the search results provided are more accurate and less biased.

"Where2go.com's greatest asset is its unique content," remarks Mr. Lochner. "I don't think consumers realize how many really unique small businesses are available on the web. There is a tremendous array of products and services out there, literally from little old ladies that hand-sew custom quilts from your designs to manufacturers selling direct. What we have tried to do is give them all (and the consumer) a fair chance."

Microsoft's bCentral.com Internet business portal recognizes Where2go.com as one of the "best true Internet search engines on the web."

HLI Systems uses the same technology that powers where2go.com to build "intelligent systems" for managing public school districts as well as other commercial and internet projects.

"We believe that technology should bend to the human (not the other way around), complex systems do not need to be hard to use. It is simply a matter of re-thinking, re-engineering the basic software/human interface. Our goal is to make the system transparent to the user - they never have to think about it - it just makes sense and works - making their life easier. That is the promise of "intelligent" technology" states Mr. Lochner.

To learn more, visit http://www.hli.net or e-mail info@hli.net.

Where2go and HLI are internationally registered trademarks of HLI Corporation.