Today there are 335 suppliers selling more than a million products through Chemdex.

ECONOMIST: Vertically challenged

It gets a visit from Chemdex consultants who map all its business processes before configuring Chemdex's proprietary software to fit its existing systems.

ECONOMIST: Vertically challenged

The other is to hint that shunning Chemdex may be worse than joining it, because suppliers that do not sign up will lose vital business.

ECONOMIST: Vertically challenged

Building the Chemdex e-marketplace has required more than simply a website.

ECONOMIST: Vertically challenged

In January 1998, Chemdex had three suppliers offering only 5, 000 products.

ECONOMIST: Vertically challenged

If Chemdex maintains its current momentum, that could well prove pessimistic.

ECONOMIST: Vertically challenged

In a report, Merrill Lynch analyst Jeanne Terrile points out that Chemdex, a "vertical portal, " brings together buyers and sellers of life sciences research products on the Web.

FORBES: The Jack Factor