His company gives customers face time.

• Position: Richard D'Agostino's VideoGate Technologies Inc.

Richard D'Agostino has always believed images make more of an impression than words. President and CEO of Charlotte-based VideoGate Technologies Inc., he's applying that theory by providing the first software that links consumers shopping on the Internet with live images of sales reps.

"Now watch what we've created here," he says as he logs onto his desktop PC. The image of a young woman with an operator's headset materializes in the upper left corner. "What would you like to see, Mr. D'Agostino?" she asks, her voice clear over the speakerphone.

"Why don't you show me what lakeside properties you have? Start from a million and up." Within seconds, she calls up three color photographs - two waterfront properties and a dock. "Now I'd like you to work out a 30-year mortgage on one of the properties." An application form appears, and D'Agostino dictates terms while the operator types them in. The form displays the monthly payment.

D'Agostino, 50, figures that consumers would rather deal face-to-face with salespeople, especially for complex products such as mortgages, than wade through written information on the Net. They can download the software free from Videogate's Web site. But it won't do them much good if companies don't buy access to VideoGate's server.

Last fall Videogate signed up...