The CD-ROM catalog software will support multiple vendors within the same catalog.  This feature was developed to allow sister companies, allied companies or related companies the ability to “share” the same CD-ROM and reduce the development and distribution expenses of the catalog itself.  The viewer may use the catalog in “All” mode and search and shop the entire CD-ROM database without regard to Vendor.  The shopping cart software will keep all orders separated and will require the viewer to “Check-out” by vendor.  The opening screen is display in Figure MV-1

Figure MV-1

By Simply clicking on the down arrow next to the Vendor box, a list of available vendors is displayed. By selecting a vendor the search and category will be limited to the only the selected vendor. See Figure MV-2.

Figure MV-2.

When a unique vendor is selected, the categories for that vendor are displayed and the catalog will only present the information for that vendor. See Figure MV-3 for the screen display and changes when an individual vendor is selected.

Figure MV-3

When a single vendor is selected the search functions will only retrieve the items specifically related to the selected vendor.  Figure MV-4 shows the search screen with a single selected vendor.

Figure MV-4

When the viewer is in the “ALL” vendor mode, each item selected and added to the shopping cart is credited to the proper vendor.  In the “ALL” vendor mode shopping among various vendors is totally transparent to the viewer.  When the viewer elects to view the shopping cart a totaled amount for each vendor is presented for a quick review.  An example of the shopping cart review screen can be viewed in Figure MV-5

 Figure MV-5  

After the viewer has been shown the order total for combined vendors, a depression of the “Continue to Checkout” button will display a “Select Vendor” screen so the viewer can continue to process each vendor’s order independently.  The Select Vendor Screen is represented in Figure MV-6

Figure MV-6

By selecting and highlighting a Vendor, the viewer can then click on “next” button and go immediately into the checkout process for the selected vendor and continue until that order has been completed. The viewer will then be taken back again to the Select Vendor screen so that the other vendors can be processed.  This process will loop until all orders for each vendor are processed.

Additional information on Multiple Vendors can be found in other sections of the overview.