A database-driven Web site combines a basic, static HTML "container" wrapped around records from an external database, which are loaded into a pre-set space within the page.

By combining the power of today's databases with the Web's ability to distribute information, database-powered Web sites are a key driver of today's e-commerce revolution.

Companies today are faced with an opportunity to transform their Web sites from collections of static, text-based information into dynamic business tools. Database-driven pages offer some advanced capabilities, such as publishing data from corporate databases into Web pages and customizing a visitor's view of a site around their individual needs and preferences. A new generation of Web-based buying and selling tools is emerging, that will enable any industry to develop valuable new forms of one-on-one interaction with customers and suppliers.