Welcome to BASE21

Despite its name, Onnoff (On & Off) is constantly on. Its line of work is ``total e-business,'' which sounds common enough, but company chairman Goo Bon-yong argues otherwise.

``We are integrating an extensive range of e-business services, from on-line and off-line advertising to organizing investor relations sessions both on-line and off,'' he said.

Unlike other start-ups of its kind, Onnoff comes big, packed with a manpower of about 60 professionals, all of whom reportedly have experience to match.

Launched on Dec. 30, 1999 with a paid-in capital of 815 million won, Onnoff managed a new rights offering worth another 815 million won which were sold at five times the face value of 5,000 won.

It is significant that the new investors include the Korea Technology Investment Corp. and the Korea Technology Banking Corp, two of the nation's leading venture financing companies.

``We already have an impeccable line-up of professionals with a wide range of experiences and this is the core of our business - To provide the most effective e-business solutions,'' Goo said.

In addition to the main business of off- and on-line advertising, Onnoff is focusing hard on investor relations services, particularly for venture companies which do not have the tools or expertise on their own.

``We are talking about media, analyst, investor and shareholder relations, all of which are closely related to increasing the value of the companies involved,'' said Goo who until recently was a director general at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy.

Included in the staff are company president and CEO Kang Si-chol, who was educated at the University of Oregon and Dongguk University, and a number of elite bureaucrats from the MOCIE and the Minstry of Finance and Economy.

For more information about the services that Onnoff provides, call (020 515-9700 or access their homepage, which will be fully on-line about the middle of this month at www.onnoff.co.kr.