Online intermediaries are becoming essential for brokers trying to match their corporate clients with the right 401(k) plans, and competition among intermediaries is getting strong. Spectrem Group notes that two-thirds of the 401(k) plans purchased in 1997 were bought through intermediaries, and Spectrem consultant Gerry O'Connor says that the good intermediaries offer something different. 401Konnect.com has a proprietary database of 89 providers, allowing brokers to input data about the kind of plan they want; 401Kdudiligence.com researches and analyzes plans and then issues reports; and 401Kexchance.com lets brokers enter data and get data and analyses of plans that they can customize.