Albuquerque, NM - Stephen Cook and Kevin Dorff, CEO and CTO of Gear21, Inc. are proud to announce the official opening of PortalHQ.com (www.PortalHQ.com) on April 19th, 1999.  PortalHQ is the newest Internet Portal, but is very different in its approach to the Portal evolution now taking place.   PortalHQ is the Web's first "portal portal" - Its primary links are to other portals.

"It would be almost impossible to compete directly against the mega-portal companies," said Stephen Cook, president and CEO of Gear21, Inc.   "So we decided to do the things the large sites are afraid to do.  We've made a very simple and compact site that points directly to the major portals and dozens of minor portals as well."

Why?  PortalHQ's Design Philosophy

PortalHQ.com is a compact site, with few graphics or custom code, which means very fast page loading.  By reducing the size, PortalHQ hopes to become a favorite Start Page for the millions of Internet Users.  Now it won't take longer for your start page to load than it takes your browser to start!  

Because most Internet users rarely use just one portal, having multiple portals available right from the start makes sense.  Instead of trying to "carpet bomb" users with too much information, PortalHQ allows the user to quickly get to the information they want.  We all know how much our interests change from day to day, so why limit yourself to just one portal?  PortalHQ.com makes all the major portals available in seconds.

PortalHQ was designed from the start to be an "unsticky" site.  Instead of trying to offer every user everything, the site was designed to be a jumping-off point to the rest of the Web.  Instead of trying to hold on to visitors to pump up banner ad impressions (and revenue), PortalHQ realizes that visitors will return more often if a site is useful, not "sticky".

The initial opening of PortalHQ will introduce users to the concept of a portal-portal, while  future enhancements will include site customization for users with specific interests.

About Gear21, Inc.

Gear21, Inc. is a New Mexico corporation based in Albuquerque, NM.  Founded in 1998 by Stephen Cook and Kevin Dorff, Gear21's mission is to provide Internet users with access to 21st century techno-gear and organized information.  PortalHQ.com is the first in a series of web site publications to be opened through the remainder of 1999 and the first half of 2000.

For more information, please contact:
Stephen Cook, President and CEO
Gear21, Inc.
P.O. Box 3654
Albuquerque, NM 87110-3654
(505) 239-1819
scook@PortalHQ.com