TestMart™ Website Enhancements Further Streamline Equipment Procurement

Interface improvements and efficient relational database speed product searches and purchases

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – March 12, 2001
TestMartTM, the leading online marketplace in the test and measurement industry, today introduced substantial new interface and commerce enhancements to testmart.com that enable engineers to spend less time justifying and procuring products. The newest improvements to the site infrastructure effectively place the key elements of TestMart’s product data and commerce functions in a single view centralizing and speeding user’s access to product specs, price, delivery, and acquisition.

The core of the system is TestMart’s 20,000-product strong database, from which customers can conduct detailed specification searches by manufacturer or a variety of instrument categories and classifications, check product availability, and compare instruments. Customers can conduct each of these searches via a comprehensive new interface designed to display pricing and all available purchase options including products for sale, lease, or rent in sortable columns. Additionally, customers can “find similar” products if an initial product request is not available and can request an alert message for when a product reappears in the TestMart inventory.

“The enhancements to TestMart’s site are very relevant to an engineer’s work, making our lives easier,” said Dale Hachtel, engineering manager at Dynalab, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of printed circuit assemblies. “Sorting columns of data on price and purchasing availability, or rental, is especially useful when we need specialized test equipment right away, but perhaps only for a short time. And if my first choice is not available, the site will automatically suggest alternatives that may be better in price or specs.”

“The new, more functional user environment found at testmart.com is designed to help engineers help themselves to find the instruments they need easily, acquire them in the manner that suits their situation best, and then get back to the work at hand,” said Peter Ostrow, president and CEO of TestMart. “This functionality and our overall capabilities as a company make TestMart an even more powerful asset to the engineering community and affirm that we are the leading online marketplace for the test and measurement industry.”

TestMart’s latest site enhancements also include merchandising and commerce features designed to further facilitate quick product selection and fast delivery. An exclusive database-driven “popular choices” feature displays the top three models in a given category as viewed by all TestMart users. An additional “TestMart Values” section displays the three top selling brands. A Saved Equipment List feature assists time-challenged engineers who can save multiple equipment lists for a later consideration or purchase. Advanced commerce functionality offers customers several options, including acceptance of all major credit cards, use of a rent and lease calculator, the ability to order using an open company account, and authorization of material returns.

“TestMart is applying best-of-breed interface design that brings volumes of specification, commerce and applications content to the engineer’s desktop, in an actionable, understandable format,” said Aroop Zutshi, Senior Partner and Vice President at Frost and Sullivan, an analyst firm for the test and measurement industry. “These enhancements create a model B2B environment where the business of the site doesn’t disrupt the business of the customer.”