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Juju Bank, an Internet venture firm, has developed an e-commerce system featuring two-dimensional graphic displays which will make navigating the Web easier for almost everyone. Users need only click the mouse on a background display to get instant access to an Internet site.

The concept involves a bookmarking function that is visualized through graphics. "More user-friendly picture-marks are used in our system in favor of conventional bookmarks," explains Kim Young-joon, president of Juju Bank.

The system combines the operating system and network, so that users do not need to use Internet Explorer or Netscape to get into the Internet. A one-time download of the background from http://www.eCity21.co.kr allows users to move around the streets of a virtual city and click on familiar corporate logos or names to log on directly to their Internet sites. The system is currently undergoing trials and from March, when commercial service is scheduled for launch, users will be able to picture-mark their favorite sites to build "My City."

The new e-commerce system uses a virtual city based on real ones so that users will feel comfortable moving around the streets and clicking on different buildings. For example, eCity 21's New York City features graphics of Manhattan streets. "The city is divided into several districts that specialize in different industries so that users have an easy time finding what they want and can shop around without difficulty," said Kim.

The businesses that are featured in the virtual city pay rent to occupy the buildings. The featured companies can advertise special events and promotions in front of their buildings or on the streets, according to Juju Bank.

In addition to picture marking, the company offers e-commerce solutions including Web-site design, payment system, logistics and call systems for SOHOs (small office and home office) who are venturing into the e-commerce arena for the first time.

While only Seoul and New York City are currently available on the eCity21 system, ten major cosmopolitan cities including Tokyo, Paris, London and Hong Kong are in the pipeline.

"Because the system is a lot simpler to use compared to typing-in Internet domains, it will appeal to Internet novices such as housewives, children and the elderly," says Kim.

In fact, the system was developed with housewives in mind who are increasingly turning to the Internet to shop online. "Recent surveys have shown that women make up about 30 percent of the estimated 130 million Internet users worldwide," said Kim.

He cited the last Christmas shopping season as an example of the growing buying power of women on the Internet. "In the United States, an analysis of last Christmas shopping season revealed that women online shoppers outnumber men 7:3, a reversal of the previous year," explained Kim. He added that online shopping in Korea would follow a similar trend as the number of female Internet users is growing at a faster pace than male users here as well.

The company hopes to export the system to the United States in the fall. "As it uses graphics rather than domain names, it can be easily adapted for foreign markets," explained Kim.

The system received positive reviews last December when it was demonstrated in New York and negotiations are underway to develop Internet game portal site for the virtual city in conjunction with Acclaim, a major U.S. computer game developer.