@Work to launch business portal

@Work, the business division of high-speed Internet access provider Excite@Home, tomorrow will launch Work.com, a new Web portal for businesses.

The free Web site, at "www.work.com" and also as a new business "channel" on the Excite.com portal, will offer online tools and applications to help entrepreneurs manage their small businesses and interact with other companies.

The move comes amid increased interest--particularly among start-ups--in tailoring Web-based information for businesses.

It also represents a divergent approach for the Web content portion of Excite@Home. Until now, the Excite portal has largely focused on consumers. But the business-to-business services market is expected to grow over the next few years, marking an opportunity for on which Internet companies to capitalize.

"The business-to-business marketplace is exploding, and business professionals and companies have unique needs that are unmet by existing portals," @Work general manager Don Hutchison said in a statement.