RightNow links Web customers to brick-and-mortar

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By Paul Krill

(IDG) -- RightNow technologies in late September plans to link retail Web sites to physical store locations where the same products are carried, with the introduction of a hosted service that provides Web surfers with directions to shops.

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RightNow Locator links Web sites to brick-and-mortar stores carrying specific products, according to Bozeman, Mont.-based RightNow. Offered as a hosted service, Locator provides up-to-date online maps and driving directions to retail facilities, service and distribution centers, corporate offices, and partners. Customers can be directed to specific facilities based on requirements including geographic proximity, hours of operation, and the availability of selected products or services.

"People want to find a store and whether a store carries a particular product line," said Greg Gianforte, CEO and founder of RightNow. "One of the difficulties with existing solutions is they only do driving directions and a map. They don't allow you to apply the consumer's criteria for making a selection."

An HTML-based applet installed on a Web site facilitates the connection to RightNow's hosted service.

Pricing of the service is to be based on the number of physical locations cited by Locator, with 50 physical locations costing $10,000 for two years.

Paul Krill is an InfoWorld editor at large.