Large web sites often find there are more questions than answers as they are inundated with customer queries.
Hove-based Formatt Solutions is tackling the problem with an application to help speed-up online question response time.
Managing director Barclay Thompson turned to Steven Hardy, who was a founding member of the artificial intelligence unit at Sussex University before moving to Silicon Valley in the United States.
The pair decided to introduce Mr Hardy's product AnswerShop to the UK.
Mr Thompson said: "AnswerShop is a self-service and self-building question management system for web sites.
"People can click through existing topics or ask a new question. Topic managers are assigned for different areas of expertise and they are emailed when a new question is submitted.
"Their response is fed straight back into the system, placed into the relevant topic for future visitors to find, and emailed directly to the originator."
A potential customer is Portslade-based Meadows and Passmore, a supplier for the clock repair trade which has more than 20 email inquires a day through its 50,000-file web site.
Director Mervyn Passmore said: "We are looking for a way to manage our frequently asked questions and have been keen to hear about this effective new option."
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