An apparatus for and method of utilizing an Internet terminal coupled to the world wide web to interface with an existing proprietary data base management system through a customized user interface which permits access to a corresponding application service. Instead of coupling the customized user interface directly to the corresponding application service, all communication between these two elements is via the proprietary data base management system. This technique permits the customized user interface and the corresponding application to be separately and independently developed, because all communication there between is via the predefined access rules of the proprietary data base management system.