MaxxShow is designed to optimize rich media, enabling BuyItNow.com to enhance its site for showcasing online merchandise and creating a more active user experience. Financial arrangements were not disclosed.

MaxxShow integrates various rich media, including video, audio, graphics and text into a synchronized presentation, creating an interactive experience for users.

"Until now, rich media hasn't been a viable option for e-commerce because viewing full-motion video, audio, and graphics would slow a Web site to a crawl," said Randy Jo Wilcox, president of BuyItNow.com. "Summus' MaxxShow changes the playing field by enabling BuyItNow.com to "model" products so that buyers can see and experience them before they purchase."

BuyItNow.com said the application will be used enhance efforts between CosmeticsPlus.com, a company formed by BuyItNow.com and CosmeticsPlus Group, and Always In Style, a developer of fashion, style and home decorating content and profiling technology.

BuyItNow.com and CosmeticsPlus.com will feature the Always in Style profile system, which prompts customers to provide information about themselves, their needs and preferences.

A detailed personalized profile will be provided, and based on each customer's individual data, the site will then recommend a product mix that is totally customized. The three companies intend to work together to provide interactive media such as video, slide shows, images and audio.

MaxxShow and MaxxNote, Summus' recently announced video e-mail product, are the first in a family of wavelet-based compressed imaging, video and rich media solutions. The BuyItNow.com WebPlaza currently features 14 specialty stores linked through real-time fulfillment and a unified shopping cart.

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