WebGenie Software of Adelaide is set to enchant the Web designers around the world with its easy-to-use series of Internet applications. The company, which has a staff of nine, specialises in applications that help users design Web interactivity without programming.

Its biggest success has been CGI*Star, a Windows-based program that lets users set up forms, generating CGI scripts automatically. CGI*Star has been sold through the Internet to customers in at least 46 countries. Buyers range from individual users to major organisations including General Electric, Lockheed, Compaq, SkyNet Asia, the United States Department of Human Services and Health and the US Army and Airforce. Users have praised the program for its functionality and design.

Other programs in the WebGenie group include Banner*Show, an application for generating advertising banners using JavaScript; Guestbook*Star, a guestbook creator; Mail*Wiz for bulk email; and Site*Sleuth, which analyses statistics of visitors to Web sites. Site*Sleuth has been useful in helping WebGenie pinpoint customers.

Its web site (at http://www.webgenie.com) is logging more than 1000 downloads of the trial version of the software every week. The company was formed in 1996, in alliance with the University of Adelaide's technology transfer company, Luminis, and WebGenie's main developer and director, Dr. Siva Prasad. A molecular biochemist by training, Dr Prasad hit on the idea of developing and marketing simple-to-use interactive applications when he was asked to design a form for his department. He found it was easier to develop tools, mainly written in C++, to generate form templates rather than start each form from scratch. WebGenie is projected to turn over $2 million in this approaching year. The company is forecast to expand to 50 staff and turn over $10 million by 2000.

WebGenie's most recently issued program, Link*Launch, a drop-down menu application for Web sites, has already been rated a hot tool by mydestop.com and passtheshareware.com, two sites specialising in software treasures on the Net. Dr Prasad said the company was negotiating to participate in the SA Playford Centre Incubator Program for a period of two years.

By John Hilvert