Everdream: Turning On The Tap For Small Biz

The Information Age hasn't been especially welcoming to the little guy. For the most part, only big companies have had the time and money to exploit information technology to its fullest. As a result, just 9% of small U.S. companies even have a Web site, according to Deloitte & Touche. And at many such companies, file sharing is done by hand rather than through a local area network or e-mail.

The Technology Tap could change all that, with companies like Everdream Corp. leading the way. Based in Mountain View, Calif., Everdream is like a big-time management information systems department for companies with just 20 or so employees. For a fee of $150 per employee per month, it will provide and install Everdream-branded PCs, set up a high-speed DSL link to the Net, and provide e-mail and software, including Microsoft's Office suite of productivity tools -- via the Web. That way, Everdream's support staff can take care of bug fixes, release upgrades, and be on the lookout for viruses on behalf of its customers.