Its Web strategy, talented staff and dedicated customer care have made Washington State University's in-plant one of the country's most successful.

By Mike Llewellyn

"The university controller had to decide on someone to handle the school's e-commerce, and we were a natural place to come," says Read, adding that the administration is especially interested in providing an online book-selling service for students.

"Our office shows that if this campus needs information published and distributed, we can do it," she explains. And now the distribution of information includes financial data between sellers and buyers on campus.