FlashCommerce Headlines - Daily News & Discussion of eCommerce & Small Business
FlashCommerce Daily
FlashCommerce.com Headlines
Daily News & Discussion of eCommerce & Small Business
============================================================
Good Morning, Everyone!
Well, the week is off and it's already clear that the story
of the week will be Microsoft's Window 2000 launch planned
for Thursday. In anticipation of Thursday's event, I've
posted a few Microsoft stories in today's newsletter.
However, I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg :-)
So, enjoy today's newsletter and have a great day!
Rochelle
========================= POLL =============================
Are you concerned about the recent denial-of-service attacks on popular websites?
Given all the recent media coverage about denial-of-service
attacks on what should have been well protected websites,
has this affected how you do things on the web.
Go to one of the links below to cast your vote.
Very concerned
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=2&a=1
Somewhat concerned
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=2&a=2
What attacks?
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=2&a=3
I'm ripping my phone line from the wall!
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=2&a=4
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Visit our global guide for business-to-business e-commerce,
focusing on emerging eMarketplaces. We have extensive
listings of emerging companies and service providers in the
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And, if you have questions about your B2B strategy or
implementation, join our discussions and Q&A with industry
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Come join the conversation at http://B2Business.net/!
------------------------------------------------------------
==================== IN THIS ISSUE =========================
Auctions
Feds to Combat Online Auction Fraud
Business
Toshiba Launches $2.3B Internet Business Initiative
Increasing Growth & Profits Through Customer Relationships
Keep Customers Coming Back For More
Conferences
Upcoming B2B Conferences
Financial
Internet VC Funding Up Sharply in 1999
Global Issues
Softbank-IFC Net Venture to Target Dozen Developing Nations
Initially
Pacific Internet Enters China
Hackers Imperil Thai Web
U.S. Lenders Battle for a Piece of Europe's Start-Ups
Red Hat Expands European Operations
Market Research
Argentina Sees Internet boom
Latin American ISP Market Set to Grow
Asian PC Sales Hit All-time High
Valentine's Shoppers Favor Niche Sites Over E-tail Giants
Marketing
Give Them Value... or Nothing at All
Online Tools
NetObjects Launches GoBizGo.com
PrivateExpress.com Makes Delivery Secure
Big Bits Software PhoneFree
Privacy
DoubleClick Attempts To Save Face After Privacy Debacle
Privacy and Online Data Mining
Product
Director 8 Makes Shockwave Easier
Security
Microsoft Denies Novell's Claim of Windows 2000 Bug
Company Review of Trend Micro Systems
Crackers Cripple RSA Server - Twice
Sites
FirstQuote Launches New European B2B Service
Nine Latin American Papers to Launch Net Portal
Internet 'Business Operations Platform' For Small Biz
Freedom Software Launches eCommerce Directory
SOHO
ebDirect Enables Small Businesses to Offer More Benefits at
No Extra Cost
Micron Ships Sub-5-Pound Notebook
Win2000 has 63,000 'Defects'
Supply Chain
B2B Web Sales to Revamp Supply Chain
Technology
Analysis of iBasis and Cisco Systems Joining Forces
Telecommunication
SBC Lowers Rates and Waives Start-up Fees in DSL Promotion
AOL Reconsidering Open Access
Web Site Tools
Open Market Continues Worldwide Expansion With ShopSite 4.3
============================================================
FlashCommerce daily article update for the last 24 hours:
====================== ARTICLES ============================
Auctions
========
Feds to Combat Online Auction Fraud
The Federal Trade Commission, Department of Justice, U.S.
Postal Inspection Service, National Association of
Attorneys General and other federal, state and local law
enforcers Monday announced a plan to crack down on auction
wrongdoers. It includes training of law enforcers at every
level about how to track and prosecute Internet scammers,
as well as a consumer education campaign to stem fraudulent
transactions. The agencies said they will track down
auctioneers who do not deliver goods, as well as those who
are obviously posting a bogus bid.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/190313800.shtml?e=1
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Business
========
Toshiba Launches $2.3B Internet Business Initiative
Japanese electronics giant Toshiba Corp. announced a $2.3
billion (US$) initiative Monday that will target electronic
commerce and Internet content businesses. The three-year
investment will create i-Value Creation, a new arm of the
company that is scheduled to debut on April 1st. The unit
will focus on Internet-related services in the areas of
finance, travel, video distribution, auctions, leisure and
music -- all to be offered through cellular telephones and
other mobile devices. To date, Toshiba has concentrated
primarily on manufacturing. The new initiative aims to
diversify the company's efforts and to strengthen existing
alliances with such industry powerhouses as America Online
and Time Warner.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/174901020.shtml?e=1
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Increasing Growth & Profits Through Customer Relationships
Truly understanding and anticipating the needs of current
and potential customers can be a daunting task. An
examination of the most effective and successful businesses
today shows an uncanny ability to identify, understand and
cater to the needs of the right customers. These businesses
understand these basic principles about customer
relationships.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/173803500.shtml?e=1
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Keep Customers Coming Back For More
In the past, I have read many articles that tell you how to
publicize your Web site, how to attract an increasing
number of visitors and how to keep visitors on your site
for longer periods of time. There is, however, one more
aspect to generating site traffic - generating repeat
visits. Getting people to come back to your Web site is an
essential part of good site management. Here's how you can
keep them coming back for more.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/173251200.shtml?e=1
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Conferences
===========
Upcoming B2B Conferences
iB2B is the place for senior executives to learn from - and
network with - the leaders driving the trillion-dollar
business-to-business economy. Over 600 senior-level
executives are expected at the luxurious Boca Raton Club &
Resort this March to see how to make Internet B2B work for
them. The conference will be held on March 22 - 24, 2000,
at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, Florida. For
more information please visit
http://www.thestandard.com/ib2b. The following week (March
26-29) CommerceNet hosts its B2B Big Bang, a global
conference on the eMarket explosion. The conference will
convene the first movers and foremost thinkers in the
eMarket industry for two and a half solid days of
presentations, panel discussions, and demos on this
critical aspect of electronic commerce. You will come away
from B2B Big Bang with a new awareness of the issues
driving the eMarket explosion, hands-on experience with
cutting-edge products and services, and a wealth of new
high-level contacts. For more information visit
http://www.b2bbigbang.com/.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/172514050.shtml?e=1
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Financial
=========
Internet VC Funding Up Sharply in 1999
According to a study released today by
PricewaterhouseCoopers, venture capital funding in the
United States increased nearly 150 percent to $35.6 billion
(US$) last year, with Internet-related companies drawing 56
percent of that total. The annual Money Tree survey starkly
illustrates the shift in the American economy from
manufacturing to technology and services, revealing that
annual investments in non-technology companies actually
declined for the first time in recent memory. Over 4,600
companies in the U.S. received venture capital funding last
year, with the average funding per company totaling $8.9
million, up from $5.2 million the year before.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/174500220.shtml?e=1
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Global Issues
=============
Softbank-IFC Net Venture to Target Dozen Developing Nations
Initially
Softbank Corp. President Masayoshi Son said Monday a joint
Internet venture the Tokyo-based Net services group and a
World Bank affiliate have agreed to set up will initially
target a dozen developing countries to help them establish
Internet-related businesses. He said the joint company,
named Softbank Emerging Markets (SBEM), will target about a
dozen countries in its initial phase and eventually extend
its reach to about 100 developing countries. He added
Softbank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a
World Bank affiliate, are to make a total of 520 million
dollars available for SBEM.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/191018700.shtml?e=1
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Pacific Internet Enters China
Singapore-based regional Internet access provider Pacific
Internet is preparing to start operations in the mainland
with the establishment of a joint-venture company, and has
teamed up with IBM to market and deliver e-business
solutions to companies in the Asia-Pacific region. Having
recently set up retail Internet service provider (ISP)
operations in India, adding to its subscriber base in
Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Australia,
Pacific Internet has formed a joint venture with
China-based consumer electronics company, Thakral
Corporation. The new company, in which Pacific Internet
will hold a 51 per cent stake, will provide technical,
marketing and management advisory services to licensed
Chinese ISPs.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/191413720.shtml?e=1
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Hackers Imperil Thai Web
Highly publicized hacker attacks at home and abroad are
likely to slow growth of Thailand's fledgling e-commerce
business by spooking some potential customers, analysts and
operators say. The industry and potential clients will
remain on edge as long as security breaches recur. Thai
e-commerce revenue is poised to jump to 51 billion baht
($1.36 billion) in 2000 from an estimated 1.2 billion in
1999, according to industry estimates. However, Somkiat
said some industry estimates of the potential size of the
Thai e-commerce market may be exaggerated, noting that so
far there has been no accurate gathering of figures in the
industry.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/190658380.shtml?e=1
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U.S. Lenders Battle for a Piece of Europe's Start-Ups
As in Asia, American investors are parachuting into Europe
in droves, looking for juicy start-ups to finance. In many
cases the Americans succeed. In other cases, the Europeans,
from large investment houses to individual "business
angels," get there first. From Helsinki to Rome, the
Continent is bursting with start-up companies and their
financiers.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/183952160.shtml?e=1
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Red Hat Expands European Operations
Linux software solutions provider Red Hat, Inc. has
expanded its European business apparatus by establishing
Red Hat France and Red Hat Italy. The new operations,
headquartered in Milan, Italy and Cagnes sur Mer, South of
France, will function as wholly-owned Red Hat subsidiaries
and deliver software, support and training services to its
European enterprise-level business customers.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/175201360.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Market Research
===============
Argentina Sees Internet boom
With falling telephone rates and Internet costs, Argentina
hopes to have at least four million Internet accounts by
2003 and plans to use the Web for everything from sending
academic materials to faraway schools to filling out
government forms, a senior official said. As in much of
Latin America, Internet growth in Argentina has been
hampered by expensive telephone service. Aguiar is
confident that by 2001, telephone customers will be billed
by the call and not by the minute, as they are now for even
local calls.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/192247640.shtml?e=1
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Latin American ISP Market Set to Grow
Latin America's ISP market throughout the region grew 22
percent, reaching a total of $1.41 billion in 1999,
according to a recent study by International Data Corp.
(IDC) Latin America. Eighty-five percent of the total was
derived from services provided to end-users, including
corporations and individuals, while 8 percent came from
services provided to other ISPs. The remaining 7 percent
was split among Web-based EDI (electronic data interchange)
and other services.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/191806410.shtml?e=1
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Asian PC Sales Hit All-time High
Personal computer sales hit an all-time high in East Asia
and the Pacific excluding Japan in 1999, as the region
shook off its economic crisis, according to a report
released Monday. Just over 14.1 million PCs were sold last
year, International Data Corporation Asia-Pacific said in
its latest report.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/175612770.shtml?e=1
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Valentine's Shoppers Favor Niche Sites Over E-tail Giants
According to research firm Nielsen//NetRatings, this year's
online Valentine's Day shoppers clearly preferred niche
sites to online superstores. The company compared traffic
in the two weeks before Valentine's Day to traffic during
normal shopping periods, and found that despite
prominently-displayed promotions, online superstores such
as Amazon, Buy.com, eBay and CDNow saw no improvement in
their typical site traffic while niche sites soared. Online
retailers are expected to bring in more than $400 million
(US$) in Valentine's Day sales, according to Forrester
Research, making it the second most profitable holiday for
retail e-commerce companies.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/174025890.shtml?e=1
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Marketing
=========
Give Them Value... or Nothing at All
Do you think your customers are going to sift through a
mass of emails just to read your promotional message? Here
are some tips on how to stand out from the crowd when
taking advantage of the power of email.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/172802910.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Online Tools
============
NetObjects Launches GoBizGo.com
NetObjects, Inc. today announced NetObjects GoBizGo.com, an
online service that enables small businesses to build a
successful e-business with an unprecedented level of
personalized assistance from online Experts and live
customer support. With GoBizGo.com, NetObjects, a leading
provider of e-business software, solutions and e-services
for small business and enterprises, has created a solution
that works for small business owners who are not technical,
but who want to harness the power and opportunity of the
Internet to make their small business more successful.
Using GoBizGo.com, these small businesses can do everything
from build a Web site and online store, to integrate
offline and online marketing efforts, all with the
advantage of online personalized assistance from Experts
and other business owners. NetObjects is taking GoBizGo.com
to market by licensing GoBizGo.com to partners as an
embedded application service provider (ASP) solution that
the partners can then deliver seamlessly to their small
business customers.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/185050190.shtml?e=1
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PrivateExpress.com Makes Delivery Secure
PrivateExpress.com today will unveil a new service designed
to let users exchange sensitive digital documents over a
highly secure link. Entrust Technologies provides the
public-key infrastructure software that's a major component
of the PrivateExpress.com offering.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/182212050.shtml?e=1
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Big Bits Software PhoneFree
This is one real-time chat software application that gives
you everything you might want and nothing extra. The
download was simple, and it took, literally, less than
three minutes to figure out how the whole thing works,
including how to call people currently online with
PhoneFree, how to leave a voice message for someone who
isn't online, how to search through Big Bits' white pages
to find a potential chat partner, and, most importantly,
how to hang up on someone--fast. PhoneFree has potential
for communicating with business associates and colleagues
as well as personal contacts over the Internet. Just have
both parties download PhoneFree, search one another out
using the directory and moments later you're talking in
real-time using nothing but your computer's sound card,
microphone, and Internet connection. OK, yes, you can do
the same thing with the telephone, but if you can imagine a
situation where using the computer might be more practical,
then PhoneFree may be worth a try.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/125120200.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Privacy
=======
DoubleClick Attempts To Save Face After Privacy Debacle
Stung by industry-wide criticism over revelations that it
compiled and sold user information without proper
disclosures, Internet advertising giant DoubleClick, Inc.
launched a public relations counterattack Monday with what
it claims is "one of the largest public service campaigns
in Web history." DoubleClick maintains that it gathers
information solely to provide advertising targeted to Net
users' tastes and allows an "opt-out" feature allowing
users to disconnect the company's cookies. However, privacy
advocates insist that this opt-out feature is hidden from
view, and maintain that DoubleClick uses its relationships
with prominent Internet companies to track millions of
consumers' spending habits and then ties that data to
Abacus' offline activities without proper disclosures.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/175041870.shtml?e=1
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Privacy and Online Data Mining
You may think that price is the major thing keeping people
from shopping online, or even credit card security. Most
surveys, however, say that invasion of privacy is the
number one concern.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/173455370.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Product
=======
Director 8 Makes Shockwave Easier
On Monday, Macromedia announced Director 8 Shockwave
Studio, the latest version of its Shockwave authoring tool
for combining graphics, animation, text, and video into
interactive presentations or content for the Web. Version 8
streamlines production while adding preset scripts and
design tools so novices can create Shockwave content too.
Available March 13 for $999, Director 8 includes the
Shockwave 8 Player for viewing Shockwave content, Fireworks
3 for Web graphics, and a 1000-user license of the
Shockwave multiuser server. Director 7 users will be able
to upgrade for $399 or, for $699, get a cross platform
upgrade.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/183316030.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Security
========
Microsoft Denies Novell's Claim of Windows 2000 Bug
Microsoft competitor Novell today said it had uncovered a
security hole in Windows 2000, a claim Microsoft denied.
Days before Windows 2000's much-anticipated launch, Novell
leveled charges against a component technology in the
operating system, which stands to diminish sales of
Novell's main product. Novell claims the security problem
affects Active Directory, which is one of the cornerstones
of Windows 2000 Server, one of three versions of the new
operating software. The feature allows technology
administrators to more easily manage resources on a
corporate network and speed the handling of their security
access. A Microsoft executive vehemently denied a security
bug existed.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/194605880.shtml?e=1
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Company Review of Trend Micro Systems
A former Hewlett-Packard engineer, Steve Chang, the present
CEO of Trend Micro, founded Trend in 1998. Trend Micro's
first anti-virus products were released in early 1990 with
marketing primarily focused on Japan, Taiwan, and US
markets. Trend has evolved its product line since then, and
its present approach to virus protection is server-centric,
using a top-down methodology. Here's an analysis of Trend
Micro Systems - who they are and where they're going.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/181555870.shtml?e=1
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Crackers Cripple RSA Server - Twice
With a marketing slogan that reads "The most trusted name
in e-security," RSA Security Inc. already suffered some
loss of face early Sunday morning when it discovered that
one of its servers had been compromised by pranksters whose
hobby it is to deface Web pages. Then it happened again!
RSA Security is one of the world's leading commercial
encryption, public key management and electronic
authentication solutions companies. Ironically, on Friday,
RSA had been trumpeting "cryptographic countermeasures" it
is currently developing to help companies ward off the
kinds of "denial of service" attacks that struck many
high-profile Web destinations last week. The hackers, who
defaced a site belonging to RSA just before midnight EST
Saturday, didn't miss the irony, and left in their own
version of an RSA home page a link to a company press
release describing its "client puzzle" method for
authenticating client requests arriving at Internet
servers.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/174714790.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Sites
=====
FirstQuote Launches New European B2B Service
Financial information systems provider FirstQuote Monday
launched of FirstQuote.net, a new business unit that will
provide browser-based investor content to European
businesses. Using the new service, banks and brokerage
institutions will now be able to offer their clients both
desktop and wireless access to market data, news, analyses,
brokerage reports, and other services.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/193156550.shtml?e=1
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Nine Latin American Papers to Launch Net Portal
Nine Latin American newspapers are joining to launch an
Internet portal of business and entertainment news. The
group unites El Universal, Argentina's La Nacion, Brazil's
O'Globo, Colombia's El Tiempo, Chile's El Mercurio, Peru's
El Comercio, Ecuador's El Comercio, Venezuela's El Nacional
and Uruguay's El Pais, newspapers which together have more
than 4.8 million readers. The portal will open "within a
very brief time," though no date has been set.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/192017550.shtml?e=1
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Internet 'Business Operations Platform' For Small Biz
Biztro, Inc. today launched the Internet's first Business
Operations Platform, integrating leading supplier and
channel partners to dramatically increase small business
buying power and improve back-office productivity. Biztro's
supplier partners provide operational goods and services in
insurance, benefits, payroll, communications, and other
areas. The combination of product and service suppliers,
tightly integrated with a powerful administration
infrastructure, provides small business managers with
unprecedented functionality and ease of use, and enables
employee self-service of many administrative and workflow
tasks. Biztro reaches the small business market through its
rapidly growing network of channel partners that have
established relationships with small business customers.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/185824910.shtml?e=1
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Freedom Software Launches eCommerce Directory
Freedom Software announced recently that it has launched
the eCommerce directory. This resource is intended to be a
comprehensive database of information regarding ecommerce
topics, products and services. The eCommerce directory is
designed to substantially improve and expedite
communications between eCommerce manufactures and
consumers. More than 400 leading eCommerce organizations
and resources are listed. Among other resources, the
eCommerce directory features software resources, marketing
and advertising resources, conferences, organizations,
legal resources, education institutions, news resources,
jobs and more. For additional information about this press
release, please contact Fredom SmartPages Team or call
(724)327-4940.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/125507820.shtml?e=1
============================================================
SOHO
====
ebDirect Enables Small Businesses to Offer More Benefits at
No Extra Cost
To improve the way small businesses evaluate and purchase
employee benefits packages, ebDirect, an independent online
insurance agency, today announced a new web site that
focuses exclusively on delivering group insurance to small
businesses. ebDirect's insurance services are currently
available to companies in California. ebDirect is planning
an aggressive rollout to additional states in the third
quarter of 2000. ebDirect is the first company to focus
exclusively on meeting the insurance needs of small
businesses. It offers a full range of group benefits
choices to small businesses from leading health care,
dental, disability and life carriers such as Delta Dental
of California, Aetna U.S. Healthcare, Blue Cross of
California, Blue Shield of California, Fortis Benefits
Insurance Company, PacifiCare, Sharp Health Plans and Unum.
In return, these carriers have access to a new distribution
channel for their plans.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/183712430.shtml?e=1
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Micron Ships Sub-5-Pound Notebook
Micron Electronics targets small business and consumers
with the release Monday of a family of MicronPC.com
TransPort LT lightweight notebooks. The notebooks weigh
less than 5 pounds, start at $1999, and offer a range of
processor choices and, soon, of displays. The TransPort LT
is highly configurable, especially for a sub-5-pound
product, says Jay White, notebook product manger. It offers
a selection of CPUs, from Intel's new 500-MHz mobile
Celeron (introduced Monday) up to the 650-MHz Mobile
Pentium III with SpeedStep technology.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/182939280.shtml?e=1
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Win2000 has 63,000 'Defects'
Win2K to ship Thursday with special added bonus! 63,000
potential known defects: According to a Microsoft memo
obtained by ZDNet, there are about 63,000 potential defects
in the final Win2K release code. While only 28,000 are
likely to be real bugs, others do represent a "plain
confusion as to how something is supposed to work."
Microsoft's Windows development leader Marc Lucovsky
correctly assessed the situation in a single, simple
question he included in the memo: "How many of you would
spend $500 on a piece of software with over 63,000
potential known defects?" FYI - Here's what Microsoft has
to say about Windows 2000.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/180251770.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Supply Chain
============
B2B Web Sales to Revamp Supply Chain
The anticipated growth in business-to-business (B2B) online
sales is set to transform the supply chain, according to a
study by management consultants, AT Kearney. The study,
'Insight to Impact', predicts a 25-fold increase in B2B Web
sales, particularly in the commodity sector, in the next
three years. This rapid growth is predicted to reduce
logistics costs by 12 per cent and cut the time taken from
order to delivery by 25 percent. By 2003, twice as many
deliveries will be made on the same day as order as are
now.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/194012810.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Technology
==========
Analysis of iBasis and Cisco Systems Joining Forces
Cisco Systems and iBasis announced earlier this month that
they are joining forces to deliver carrier-class, IP-based,
Unified Communications services. Here's an analysis of what
may be in store for this new partnership.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/181310540.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Telecommunication
=================
SBC Lowers Rates and Waives Start-up Fees in DSL Promotion
SBC Communications will cut the price of its high-speed
Internet access service and waive installation and
equipment costs for residential consumers as part of a
10-week promotion. SBC, which services a wide swath of
territory across the Midwest, Southwest and California,
hopes to generate further interest in the burgeoning market
for high-speed Net connections using digital subscriber
line (DSL) technology. The deal, which SBC's Internet
services unit will offer through April 30, will cost $39.95
for basic digital subscriber line (DSL) service for new and
existing customers. The service typically costs $49.95 per
month. SBC also estimates consumers will save about $300 on
installation and equipment costs under the promotion. The
offer is the latest sign that the Baby Bells are anxious to
lure customers to their new, higher-profit margin services
before competitors such as cable modem, wireless or
satellite technologies snare a significant portion of the
market.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/184224290.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
AOL Reconsidering Open Access
After vehemently insisting for over a year that federal and
local governments force cable operators to open their
networks to rivals offering high-speed Internet access, AOL
-- now the proud proprietor of Time Warner's vast cable
networks -- seems to be experiencing a "moment of clarity"
that suggests it may not open its cable networks to all
ISPs. The company now explains that it believes "the most
effective and expeditious way" to achieve open access is
not through government mandate, but by market machinations.
Which explains why it allowed two bills mandating open
access to die uncontested deaths in the Virginia Assembly
last week.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/180507870.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Web Site Tools
==============
Open Market Continues Worldwide Expansion With ShopSite 4.3
Open Market, Inc. today announced the localization of its
easy-to-use, browser-based online store building product,
ShopSite into German, French and Italian. European
Application Service Providers (ASPs, ISPs, portals) can now
offer small- to medium-sized companies the ability to build
robust Internet businesses with a product that is tailored
to their language and local needs. ShopSite is an
easy-to-use, robust, online store creation system that
allows merchants to build and maintain catalogs of products
or services to sell over the Internet. ShopSite is offered
to small- to medium-sized businesses by commerce
application service providers (C- ASPs) and Web portals.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/14/184800390.shtml?e=1
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your car, house, boat, etc.? Find the best deals from
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Visit http://www.SellingAds.com and place your ad for FREE!
------------------------------------------------------------
============================================================
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============================================================
FlashCommerce Daily
FlashCommerce.com Headlines
Daily News & Discussion of eCommerce & Small Business
============================================================
Good Morning, Everyone!
Thanks go out to all of you who responded to our first poll!
There was quite a turnout! As promised, here are the results
for the first poll: "Are you concerned about the recent
denial-of-service attacks on popular websites?"
Very concerned 39%; Somewhat concerned 51%; What attacks?
2%; and 6% are "ripping their phone lines from the wall!"
:-)
I'm glad to see that some of you have a sense of humor! Our
new poll covers the topic of the week - Windows 2000. Please
let us know your thoughts on this latest product release.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Rochelle
========================= POLL =============================
What do you plan to do about Windows 2000?
With all of the hype surrounding this week's Windows 2000
launch, what are you plans for this latest operating system?
Go to one of the links below to cast your vote.
Upgrade immediately
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=3&a=1
Wait for 'Millenium' (Win98 successor)
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=3&a=2
Wait for service patch 2
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=3&a=3
I'm a Linux user
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=3&a=4
I'm a Mac user
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=3&a=5
Amiga RULZ!
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=3&a=6
--------------------Advertising Sponsor---------------------
http://B2Business.net/, The Network for B2B Professionals
Visit our global guide for business-to-business e-commerce,
focusing on emerging eMarketplaces. We have extensive
listings of emerging companies and service providers in the
B2B field that can provide solutions for your e-business.
And, if you have questions about your B2B strategy or
implementation, join our discussions and Q&A with industry
experts.
Come join the conversation at http://B2Business.net/!
------------------------------------------------------------
==================== IN THIS ISSUE =========================
Auctions
The Best B2B Auctions Spots
Business
'E' Marks the B2B Spot
Conferences
The Hague Conference on Private International Law
Fulfillment
NTC, Telematica Launch Delivery Portal Feb.17
Global Issues
Type In non-Romanized Web Site URLs
BBVA, Telefonica Alliance to Boost Business Projects
Australian Securities Regulator to Allow Online Offerings
Canada and Australia Ink Global E-Commerce Agreement
Healthcare
Health Sites, Demographics, and Bunions
Salutia, MedicoUno Form Health Portal Network
Legal
Clinton Opposes Net Access Taxes
9th Circuit Court of Appeals Allows for Reverse Engineering
Electronic-Archiving Lawsuit
Market Research
Study: Japan Internet Users Rise
Canadian Study Finds E-Shoppers Less Loyal
Marketing
Search Engine Targeting
Online Tools
Updated Flyswat Search Has Better Aim
Privacy
Canadian Privacy Bill Moves Closer to Passage
Product
Xerox To Roll Out Internet Fax Products
Security
FBI To Question DoS Attack Suspects
HP Intros Web Security Insurance Plan
German Hacker to Provide Technical Aid to U.S. Authorities
Banks Were Reportedly Warned
Sites
Autobytel To Launch Australian E-Commerce Venture
Decidir to Start Online Trading
Retailexchange.com Unveils Web Site
SOHO
Windows 2000 Finally Arrives
IBM Speeds Up PC Sales
Technology
New CD-ROM Format
Intel Demos 1.5GHz Willamette Chip
Web Site Tools
Microsoft Rolls Out BizTalk Developer Kit
Interface Pushes Linux-Based B2B E-Commerce
============================================================
FlashCommerce daily article update for the last 24 hours:
====================== ARTICLES ============================
Auctions
========
The Best B2B Auctions Spots
Never pay retail again -- check out this comprehensive
guide to the best B2B auction spots. Sort out the top
auction sites so you know where to get the best deal on
paper clips, motor oil, and new and used PCs. Or where to
unload your company's surplus products or raw materials.
And discover products and services that let you build your
own auction, post multiple auctions with a click, and
ensure that every transaction you complete is safe and
secure.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/214020540.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Business
========
'E' Marks the B2B Spot
As the number of business-to-business exchange sites grows,
buyers and sellers face increasingly complex decisions
about where to take their business. Two vendors, however —
See Commerce, of Palo Alto, Calif., and Enigma Inc., of
Burlington, Mass.— are offering new tools to help companies
find the right B2B site. So-called exchange sites hold the
potential for cost savings and improved efficiency as they
eliminate the paper-based process of procuring and
distributing materials and products. But the concept can be
harrowing for companies that want to simplify by using only
one exchange.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/204704580.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Conferences
===========
The Hague Conference on Private International Law
The Hague Conference on Private International Law has
issued a preliminary draft for a "Convention on
Jurisdiction and Foreign Judgments in Civil and Commercial
Matters." This contains controversial elements regarding
electronic commerce. There will be a meeting of ecommerce
experts in Ottawa on February 27 thorugh March 1 to discuss
the ecommerce issues. Consumer groups will be meeting with
US officials about this meeting next week, on February 22.
Here are some URLs for information regarding the proposed
convention:
http://www.hcch.net/e/events/press01e.html
http://cuiwww.unige.ch/~billard/ipilec/
One contact person is Michael Donohue at the FTC; his email
address is mdon...@ftc.gov.
http://www.state.gov/www/global/legal_affairs/whats_new.htm
l
http://www.state.gov/www/global/legal_affairs/991030_forjud
g.html
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/195216820.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Fulfillment
===========
NTC, Telematica Launch Delivery Portal Feb.17
Brazil's National Delivery Association (NTC) and technology
company Telematica will launch on February 17 the Ecommerce
delivery portal Webtransportes. Webtransportes will
initially offer land delivery to clients in Sao Paulo and
will add sea and air options before year-end.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/201909160.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Global Issues
=============
Type In non-Romanized Web Site URLs
Hoping to become the international registry for
non-Romanized Web sites, a Silicon Valley start up called
i-DNS has developed software that allows Web-surfers to
enter Internet domain names in a variety of languages --
Tamil, Chinese, and Arabic, for example -- and still be
directed to the appropriate location on the Internet. The
move, if it is widely embraced, could dramatically speed
the Internet's growth on a global scale. But can the
company make itself into a global registry in an arena
that's becoming increasingly more regulated?
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/205233540.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
BBVA, Telefonica Alliance to Boost Business Projects
Spain's Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria and
telecommunications company Telefonica signed a strategic
alliance Friday that will generate a string of new business
projects, especially in Latin America, BBVA co-chairman
Francisco Gonzales said. BBVA will raise its stake in
Telefonica from 9% to 10% and Telefonica will control 3% of
BBVA. BBVA and Telefonica will develop joint business
operations in Internet, Ecommerce, multiple service
platforms and the launch of a common co-branded credit
card. The new partners will also form a company called
Movilpago, which will provide payments transactions and
Internet access through the cellular phones. BBVA's
Ebusiness division is one of the bank's main bets for the
future, BBVA co-chairman Pedro Luis Uriarte said. The
Internet opens infinite business possibilities, and BBVA
will invest six times more in this area over the next five
years than it does today, Uriarte said. Latin America is
"absolutely strategic" for BBVA because BBVA has 19% of its
assets in the region and around 30% of the Latin American
pension fund market, he said.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/200908490.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Australian Securities Regulator to Allow Online Offerings
A new policy document from the Australian Securities and
Investments Commission has opened the door to online-only
share offerings.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/195351570.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Canada and Australia Ink Global E-Commerce Agreement
The governments of Canada and Australia have jointly signed
a statement of common principles on the treatment of
electronic commerce, which includes joint commitments to
improving international protections for intellectual
property, personal privacy and consumer rights in an era of
electronic transactions and Internet use.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/194308150.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Healthcare
==========
Health Sites, Demographics, and Bunions
Healthcare is a huge and rapidly growing application for
the Internet. A recent Jupiter Communications study claims
that online health advertising will hit $700 million in
2004, with health e-commerce reaching $10 billion that
year. It's good, then, that online health surfing is
segmentable. Very segmentable. So what's a health site to
do? Focus on the demographics that work for you - age and
gender. Steer away from income and education. Don't neglect
workplace users.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/202858570.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Salutia, MedicoUno Form Health Portal Network
Argentine health portal Salutia and New York-based Spanish
language physician's site MedicoUno have merged to form the
health portal network Salutia MedicoUno Network. Under the
agreement, Salutia will incorporate MedicoUno's health
content and services onto its site to create a joint health
network for Spanish and Portuguese speakers in Latin
America and the US. The site will offer medical
information, consulting services and online directories of
doctors and pharmacies. The network plans to begin selling
pharmaceutical products online to consumers in Argentina,
Brazil and Mexico in March. Product providers include
Argentine online pharmacy Farmaciaonline. In a related
announcement, Miami-based Spanish-language health portal
Salud will initiate business-to-consumer (B2C) and
business-to-business (B2B) Ecommerce in Latin America in
2Q00, Salud president and COO John G. Carlson told Business
News Americas.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/201146250.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Legal
=====
Clinton Opposes Net Access Taxes
President Clinton confirmed his opposition to Internet
access taxes yesterday, though he did leave open the
possibility of state and local sales taxes for online
purchases.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/195511580.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
9th Circuit Court of Appeals Allows for Reverse Engineering
In a case that could have widespread repercussions, the 9th
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Connectix was entitled
to reverse engineer products for the Sony Playstation. The
decision overturns a lower court decision that prohibited
the practice.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/194625990.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Electronic-Archiving Lawsuit
The Supreme Court could decide by Feb. 18 whether to hear a
case concerning agencies' handling of electronic records
and whether they can delete electronic records as long as
they have made copies in some format.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/194813740.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Market Research
===============
Study: Japan Internet Users Rise
The number of Internet users in Japan increased 28% in 1999
to 18.3 million, a media research company said Tuesday.
Japanese Web surfers accounted for about 10% of the world's
total, according to Access Media International Inc., a
global media consulting and research firm. The company has
been conducting a nationwide survey of Internet users by
telephone and mail since 1996. The number of cellular phone
users and a new generation of mobile devices with Internet
capabilities have increased sharply, totaling over 53
million. About two of every five people in Japan have such
portable devices. But only about 11% of Japanese homes are
connected to the Internet, compared to about 37% in the
United States. Despite the increase of 4 million users last
year, analysts say high telephone rates and language
barriers are among factors keeping many Japanese from
accessing the Internet.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/203938230.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Canadian Study Finds E-Shoppers Less Loyal
Encouraging online shopping leads to declining loyalty,
fewer referrals and lower profits as users negotiate Web
sites that "would give Kafka pause," according to a report
conducted by a Canadian research firm. A report today in
the Toronto Globe & Mail newspaper said the findings run
contrary to the generally accepted view that online
retailing will boost overall business. The study by
consultancy Bristol Group of St. John's, Newfoundland, said
many Web sites are unfriendly and are driven by technology
rather than connectivity to the user.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/203120340.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Marketing
=========
Search Engine Targeting
Web marketers have a love/hate relationship with search
engines. Those with high rankings and lots of traffic just
love 'em. But for most sites, the challenge of pulling
traffic from search engines is constant and evolving. Cliff
Allen gives tips on optimizing your site for targeted
traffic at a relatively low cost. Get friendly with the
search engines - you'll love the result.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/202546870.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Online Tools
============
Updated Flyswat Search Has Better Aim
Search firm Flyswat is taking a new whack at helping you
hunt for online information with an update that boasts
faster searches, a streamlined toolbar, and compatibility
with any desktop application. Using a lexicon of more than
a million terms, Flyswat 2.0 lets you click on any words on
Web pages to link to related online material. In contrast
to search services like AltaVista and Yahoo, you can search
the Web on the fly without leaving the Web site you're
browsing. And Flyswat grows its selection based on your
surfing habits.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/212939490.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Privacy
=======
Canadian Privacy Bill Moves Closer to Passage
The Canadian government has quietly approved changes made
to its privacy and e-commerce bill by the Canadian Senate,
making passage of the bill likely within weeks. No media
coverage, but here's notice of the approved changes.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/194031920.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Product
=======
Xerox To Roll Out Internet Fax Products
Xerox is set to release a new series of Internet fax
products, including fax-to-e-mail products that the company
hopes can leverage a growing Internet Protocol fax market.
The Stamford, Conn.-based company will unveil the product
set, which it is calling the Xerox WorkCentre Pro
FlexibleFax line, later this month in Hanover, Germany.
Pricing on the Internet fax products will range from $1,195
to $3,895. The line will be offered via Xerox's direct
sales force, Xerox agents, BTA dealers, and channels
maintained by OmniFax.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/211535720.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Security
========
FBI To Question DoS Attack Suspects
Federal agents are set to question suspects in the cyber
hacking case and have linked online aliases such as
"mafiaboy" and "Coolio" to real names and addresses. FBI
agents are expected to begin questioning suspects Tuesday,
the same day President Clinton will hold a White House
summit with Internet industry representatives on how to
respond to hacker attacks. One of the suspects, who's
online alias is Coolio, lives in the United States. The
name was also used by a person who defaced a company
website Sunday. A second suspect is a Canadian teen known
online as mafiaboy. It said the third suspect is a male who
allegedly confessed to a staff member at the popular
security site, Attrition.org.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/211805820.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
HP Intros Web Security Insurance Plan
Hewlett-Packard unveiled its E-commerce Remedies Policy
Tuesday for customers seeking protection against outside
forces that can shut down access to their websites. HP will
work with insurer J.S. Wurzler and the HP user group
Interex to offer insurance against revenue lost because of
such outside interference, which shut down many sites last
week. Starting in May, customers running systems based on
HP-UX with mission-critical support contracts from HP can
contract the insurance coverage through Interex.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/211200730.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
German Hacker to Provide Technical Aid to U.S. Authorities
"Mixter", the purported author of the Tribe Flood Network
DoS tool, has disclosed three new attack programs -- Fapi,
Shaft and Trank -- of the type believed to have been
employed in last weeks DoS attacks on Yahoo et all in a
paper published today at Internet Security Solutions site
Packet Storm.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/210109070.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Banks Were Reportedly Warned
At least eight times, starting days before unusually
forceful attacks against major commercial Web sites,
computer experts at some of the nation's largest financial
institutions received detailed warnings of impending
threats.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/195643570.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Sites
=====
Autobytel To Launch Australian E-Commerce Venture
Online auto vendor Autobytel announced today that it is
forming a new venture to sell cars in Australia with a
variety of well-known auto industry partners. The Irvine,
California-based company said it will take a 30 percent
stake in Autobytel Australia, which is expected to launch
by mid-year. Partners include St. George Bank; the Trading
Post, one of Australia's largest used car marketplaces;
Astre Automotive, a large vehicle importer and distributor;
and the Royal Automotive Club of Australia, which provides
roadside assistance and other auto-related services for 1.3
million members.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/203551120.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Decidir to Start Online Trading
Argentine business-to-business (B2B) portal Decidir has
announced that it will start online trading in the near
future. Decidir operates a B2B site dedicated to supplying
eCommerce information and solutions to Latin American
businesses. Decidir's services include credit evaluation,
identity authentication, digital certificate issuing and
management, fraud prevention and risk management. The site
also features a list of businesses for sale.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/202208410.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Retailexchange.com Unveils Web Site
RetailExchange.com, an independent offshoot of Gordon
Brothers Group LLC of Boston, launched a Web site yesterday
where manufacturers can sell excess inventory to retailers.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/195810610.shtml?e=1
============================================================
SOHO
====
Windows 2000 Finally Arrives
As the curtain goes up this week on Microsoft's latest
operating system, comparisons to the introduction of
Windows 95 are inevitable. While industry executives,
business leaders, and vendors attending the Windows 2000
trade show differ on how the two operating systems compare,
one thing is certain -- what a difference a few years
makes. Here are a few reports with tips on how to optimize
your upgrade, as well as how W2K stacks up against NT, Win
98 SE, and the coming Millennium.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/211041950.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
IBM Speeds Up PC Sales
IBM on Monday offered price cuts and short delivery times
as part of its push to sell its personal computers directly
to consumers and compete with direct PC sales leader Dell
Computer. The promotions are part of IBM's plan to regain
momentum in its struggling PC business.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/212455340.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Technology
==========
New CD-ROM Format
C3D recently unveiled a new CD-ROM format capable of
storing 140Gb -- or more than 7 times the capacity of the
average DVD -- on a single disc. The new Fluorescent
Multi-layer Disc (FMD-ROM), which allows multiple tracks on
the disc to be accessed practically simultaneously, has a
release date slated for later this year. With the new
format a person could, as the author of this article notes,
store "20 hours of HDTV (MPEG-2 compressed) video, a small
library or the contents of your entire CD collection,
uncompressed, on a single 120mm disc!"
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/205753760.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Intel Demos 1.5GHz Willamette Chip
Intel Corp. Chairman Andrew Grove demonstrated the
company's fastest processor to date today, a 1.5GHz
processor, code-named Willamette, at the opening of the
Intel Developers Forum. The preview of the new chip, which
Intel said will be released in the second half of the year,
capped Grove's keynote speech in which he stressed that the
Internet-driven economy is undergoing unprecedented, rapid
change - what Grove labels a "powers of 10 revolution."
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/204235640.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Web Site Tools
==============
Microsoft Rolls Out BizTalk Developer Kit
Microsoft on Monday released a refined version of the
software it says will evolve into the software developer
kit for its upcoming BizTalk Server. The BizTalk Jumpstart
Kit version 2, available as a free download, lets
developers begin writing applications compatible with
Microsoft's upcoming serverfor encoding and exchanging
business documents via XML. Microsoft said it plans a
midyear beta release of BizTalk Server, which will work in
concert with customers' messaging software to generate,
receive, and route invoices, purchase orders, and other
business documents among disparate systems within a supply
chain.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/210914520.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Interface Pushes Linux-Based B2B E-Commerce
The Cleo Products Group, an Interface Systems company that
provides business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce
communications tools, has joined the growing corporate
migration to Linux by adding support for the open-source
platform to its Cleo 3780Plus product. Cleo 3780Plus, which
will now work with Linux, UNIX and Windows, allows B2B
e-commerce operations to exchange such data as order and
purchase information between users and a company's
mainframe and midrange systems.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/15/203347740.shtml?e=1
FlashCommerce Daily
FlashCommerce.com Headlines
Daily News & Discussion of eCommerce & Small Business
============================================================
Upgrade immediately
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=3&a=1
Amiga RULZ!
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=3&a=6
Auctions
Latin American C2C Market to Sustain 2-3 Firms
Business
UK E-tailers to Get Strict Code of Practice
Conferences
Infosecurity Europe 2000 - Europe's Largest IT Security
Event
Removing E-Barriers - Ways to Facilitate Internet Growth in
Europe
E-Mail
Battle of the Inbox
Enterprise Software
SAP Users Speak Out on Credit and Collections Shortcomings
Financial
Oops! H&R Block Shut Down Site
WorldWideWeb Tax Launches First Comprehensive US Tax
Directory
Global Issues
Despite Problems, Poland Gets Connected
New Online Latin American E-Commerce News Service
Healthcare
Healtheon/WebMD to Acquire Online Health News Provider
One-Stop Shopping by Health Topic
New Media Monitoring for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Legal
Probes are Latest Headache in e-Commerce
FTC Investigates DoubleClick's Data-collection Practices
Lawmakers Wary of Internet TV Broadcasting
Microsoft: No Breakup -- Restrictions Maybe
Cyberliability Insurance Now Obligatory
Electronic Signatures Take Hold in U.S.
New UK and Irish Crypto Laws on the Way
Market Research
B2B To Be Marked By New eMarketplaces
Users Worried by Denial of Service Attacks
Services Firms See Europe as Next Cash Cow
Net User Study Sure to Set Off Fireworks about Social
Isolation
Four Types of European Net Shopper Identified
Brazilian B2C to Reach US$200mn
Spectacular Growth for Digital Delivery
Online Furniture Sales Forecasts
Product
Compaq Unveils Win 2000 eGeneration Servers
Security
Would You Hire a Hacker?
WebTrust Criteria for CAs
Sites
Freeshipping.com To Launch Online Marketplace
Telmex, Prodigy, Microsoft to Launch Joint Portal in March
BNamericas.com Launches Portugese and Spanish Online
Industry News Service
SOHO
Apple Unveils New Computers in Japan
Supply Chain
Eastman Chemical, G-Log Form ShipChem.com
Technology
Microsoft To Offer Satellite Web Service
Telecommunication
EU To Force Telco Competition
Training
Online eCommerce and IT Training
Women
iVilliage and Unilever to Build Beauty Site
============================================================
FlashCommerce daily article update for the last 24 hours:
====================== ARTICLES ============================
Auctions
========
Latin American C2C Market to Sustain 2-3 Firms
The Latin American consumer-to-consumer (C2C) market will
hold two, maybe three companies at maturity, Credit Suisse
First Security Latin American analyst Will Landers told
BNA. Currently, there are too many companies and not enough
local solutions, he added. Argentine auction sites DeRemate
and MercadoLibre have positioned themselves well in the C2C
market, but it is still too early to be sure who will take
the number one and two positions, Landers explained. Other
companies like Brazilian auction site Lokau, which has a
strong local following, may move ahead in the near future,
he added. DeRemate has received US$12mn in financing and
has begun its regional expansion drive, recently opening
offices in Chile. MercadoLibre has initiated a US$10mn
aggressive expansion and advertising campaign.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/143648150.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Business
========
UK E-tailers to Get Strict Code of Practice
An industry-led initiative designed to foster online
shoppers' confidence in ecommerce is to be launched today.
The Alliance for Electronic Business and the Consumers'
Association will unveil TrustUK, an initiative designed to
regulate online codes of practice. The government-backed
project aims to foster consumer trust in ecommerce by
ensuring any organisation that provides a 'kitemark' for
online services is fully regulated.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/094532670.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Conferences
===========
Infosecurity Europe 2000 - Europe's Largest IT Security
Event
The e-business revolution is here, and IT security is the
foundation it's built on. Visit the largest exhibition of
IT security vendors and new innovations in Europe!
Featuring 50 FREE seminars and Keynote Sessions. The
conference will be held on April 11- 13 at National Hall in
Olympia, London. To register for free, visit
http://www.silicon.com/infosec_1 or call +44 (0)870 7511
510, or email infose...@reedexpo.co.uk.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/095023930.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Removing E-Barriers - Ways to Facilitate Internet Growth in
Europe
The Removing E-Barriers conference is hosted in a joint
effort by the Institute for Information, Telecommunications
and Media Law, Münster University, and the Programme in
Comparative Media Law and Policy, Wolfson College,
University of Oxford. First, it explores factors that
influence the use of the Internet from the user
perspective. Afterwards, the conference examines the
sociological and economic consequences that result from
broad societal Internet access. The third part of the
conference discusses specific strategies to increase use of
the Internet. It explores questions surrounding the
introduction of flatrate pricing models, the distribution
of online services via cable networks and digital
television services, and governmental initiatives to
encourage use of the Internet. Finally, the conference will
discuss how national governments, international actors and
corporations can implement these new strategies and the
effect that implementation will have on the domestic levels
and international levels of society. The conference will be
held on April 7, 2000, in Münster, Germany and is sponsored
by AOL Europe. For further Information please see:
http://www.uni-muenster.de/Jura.tkr/veranstaltungen/worksho
p/about.html or feel free to contact Anika Hanßmann.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/093753100.shtml?e=1
============================================================
E-Mail
======
Battle of the Inbox
Email Me Please.com performs outbound direct email
marketing services, testing and tracking, and has a 20 year
history in the direct mail response industry where the old
addage is test, test, test. Some of their recent data
regarding email response rates shows...(a) Email acts like
direct response advertising in that subsequent emailings
almost always perform less and less over time, and (b)
there is a direct severe negative correlation between the
number of total emails being received and response rates.
(This condition has worsened as the total number of emails
has increased during the last 12 months.) From this data,
they have advised certain clients to actually curtail their
outbound email expenditures in favor of other direct media
whose response rates have also declined but not as severly
as email response. It is their opinion that declining email
response rates will only continue. Dana Blankenhorn seems
to agree with this trend. What do you think?
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/145332490.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Enterprise Software
===================
SAP Users Speak Out on Credit and Collections Shortcomings
A recent survey of companies which have implemented SAP
Accounts Receivable reveal more than a few areas where the
system failed to deliver (free registration required).
Although nearly all reported one or more influences on
credit and collections that did not relate to SAP, 70% of
them felt shortcomings of SAP's A/R module were at least
partly to blame for the observed rise in Days Sales
Outstanding.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/161302530.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Financial
=========
Oops! H&R Block Shut Down Site
H & R Block has shut down its online tax site after
discovering that it may have been mixing personal financial
information.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/095430450.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
WorldWideWeb Tax Launches First Comprehensive US Tax
Directory
Tax information has been widely queried on the web over the
last few years. In fact, last year over 360 million search
terms were checked to determine what kind of information US
citizens are looking for to complete their income tax
forms. This research resulted in the first comprehensive,
online US income tax directory to assist taxpayers in
filing their 1999 returns. Launched on January 1, 2000 in
anticipation of the upcoming tax season, WorldWideWeb Tax
provides a broad cross section of tax information free to
taxpayers.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/095741650.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Global Issues
=============
Despite Problems, Poland Gets Connected
The Polish Internet market will change dramatically this
year as new technology, easier access and telecoms
deregulation shake up the sluggish existing market,
according to Reuters. State-controlled telco TPSA no longer
holds a monopoly and private telcos offering improved
Internet access are mushrooming. Wireless devices and cable
TV Internet services are expected to become increasingly
popular in this new open market and the number of Internet
users in Poland should double to four million by 2001.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/154711040.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
New Online Latin American E-Commerce News Service
Starting today, Business News Americas will now offer daily
E-Commerce news with a new business model, offering free
daily news sourced from all of Latin America and the
Caribbean. The new sector is aiming to become Latin
America´s most complete online E-Commerce community, were
the Region´s suppliers, investors, distributors and
entrepreneurs will share enormous business opportunity.
E-Commerce is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing
niches within economies, and BNamericas.com is now an
active player within the sector. Advertising in this new
sector has been requested by companies for several months,
considering the outreach and reputation that BNamericas has
established in three years of operations.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/142105750.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Healthcare
==========
Healtheon/WebMD to Acquire Online Health News Provider
Fresh off a Monday acquisition of main rival CareInsite,
Healtheon/WebMD today announced it will acquire OnHealth
Network in a stock deal worth about $313 million. The
acquisition, which combines the two largest consumer health
care Web sites, is likely to make Healtheon/WebMD the most
trafficked health site on the Web.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/155920640.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
One-Stop Shopping by Health Topic
DrugEmporium.com announced today that customers are now
able to shop the site by health topic, with the launching
of 10 new "HealthCare Shops." Additionally, to make the
DrugEmporium.com shopping experience even more convenient,
the home page has been redesigned to be faster, more
graphically appealing, and filled with new features,
shopping tools, and special deals. The new "HealthCare
Shops" integrate health-specific information and services
with an easy-to-use method of locating relevant products.
The Shops offer customers detailed, direct access to the
content on drkoop.com, the most trusted online source for
healthcare information, as well as links to related service
organizations and groups that would be of assistance to a
person looking for information about a particular health
care topic.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/153150920.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
New Media Monitoring for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Starting today, Business News Americas will offer daily
monitoring of Latin America´s leading publications, both
mass and specialized and catering to the Pharmaceutical and
global Textile communities. Covering brands, launches,
positioning, licenses, registrations, other legal issues,
R&D, mergers, new business ventures, generics and OTC for
the Pharmaceutical industry as well as apparel and related
retail, wage hikes, manufacturing, import /export,
government (unions, strikes, disasters), fashion, quota,
garment, fabric, accessories, machinery, stocklot, yarn and
fiber for the Textile industry.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/142508050.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Legal
=====
Probes are Latest Headache in e-Commerce
The path to success in e-business has already been fraught
with the perils of fierce competition, mounting losses and
investor impatience. Now, high-profile sites face another
obstacle: federal investigations. In recent weeks, federal
officials have launched inquiries into some of the top
names in online business, including Amazon.com, eBay and
eToys. Just today, Internet advertising network DoubleClick
acknowledged an investigation by the Federal Trade
Commission into its practice of collecting consumer
information. The inquiries are being opened as consumers
are spending increasing amounts of time and money
online--and filing record numbers of complaints. Although
the complaints cause e-businesses many headaches, consumer
advocates welcome the scrutiny.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/163443520.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
FTC Investigates DoubleClick's Data-collection Practices
DoubleClick, the Internet's largest advertising network,
has acknowledged it is under a Federal Trade Commission
investigation concerning its practice of collecting
dossiers on consumers. The complaints allege, among other
things, that DoubleClick unlawfully compiled data on
consumers' surfing and shopping habits on the Net, then
sold that information to third-party advertisers.
Commission officials confirmed that an inquiry is under
way.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/163006850.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Lawmakers Wary of Internet TV Broadcasting
Internet companies are eager to carry broadcast TV
programming over the Net, but lawmakers appear unwilling to
quickly grant online firms a license to do so for fear of
harming local television stations. Given the unbounded
nature of the Internet and the potential to easily pirate
programming, Internet companies seeking congressional
action have "a very high threshold to clear," said Rep.
Billy Tauzin, R-La., chairman of the House Commerce
Committee's communications subcommittee. He urged lawmakers
to proceed "cautiously and deliberately."
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/163206950.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft: No Breakup -- Restrictions Maybe
Characterizing the move as "a regulatory death sentence",
Microsoft -- in an e-mail to congressional offices last
week -- rejected a company breakup as a solution to its
antitrust battle. The software behemoth did, however,
suggest it was open to more "common sense" restrictions in
its business.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/155743980.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Cyberliability Insurance Now Obligatory
Companies using the Internet for any reason should
carefully examine their cyberliability, according to a new
insurance brokerage report by Coyle Hamilton. Ecommerce
failings, in particular, can expose businesses to worldwide
liability but emails, information posted on sites and
comments submitted to online chatrooms can all give rise to
legal action against a company.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/155331170.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Electronic Signatures Take Hold in U.S.
The U.S. government and many states are now passing Uniform
Electronic Transaction Act (UETA) laws that recognize the
legal validity of electronic signatures and transactions.
While the UETA does not affect basic business-to-consumer
(B2C) shopping on the Internet for products like books,
CDs, clothing and other material items, it will have a
large impact on more complex forms of e-commerce, such as
the sale of insurance policies or other products that
require signed contracts. Presently, many transactions that
are conducted online require that paper documents with
physical signatures be sent separately before the
transactions are considered legally binding.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/170406200.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
New UK and Irish Crypto Laws on the Way
Both the UK and Irish governments are preparing new crypto
laws. The approaches are markedly different -- the UK law
would compel ISPs to build in reasonable interception
capabilities, while the Irish law would prohibit law
enforcement from compelling private users to turn over
private keys.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/095609960.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Market Research
===============
B2B To Be Marked By New eMarketplaces
Business to business ecommerce in the US will be marked by
the appearance of "eMarketplaces", virtual forums where
trading inefficiencies will be dumped for new economic
models, according to Forrester Research. By 2004, business
to business ecommerce in the US will be worth USD2.7
trillion and 53 percent of that will be generated in
eMarketplaces.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/155124830.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Users Worried by Denial of Service Attacks
Although 90 percent of home Internet users in the US were
"concerned" by the recent denial of service attacks and one
in three were directly affected by the outages, a new
survey shows there is no consensus on how the Internet
should be policed. According to PC Data Online, 28 percent
of users say that responsibility lies with the government
while 21 percent said individual sites should police their
own properties. Private industry, the online community or
an international organisation were each suggested by 17
percent of respondents
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/155508390.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Services Firms See Europe as Next Cash Cow
Net services company Scient achieved an important victory
last week when its new London office inked its first deal
with a large financial firm. Like many Net services
companies that are following the venture capitalists to
Europe, San Francisco-based Scient hopes to score serious
contracts from companies that are moving onto the Web. The
European market is marked by two appealing characteristics:
Demand is high for Web services, and there are relatively
few suppliers. The Internet services market in Europe is
expected to grow 46 percent annually to $28.6 billion in
2004, up from $4.2 billion last year, according to
International Data Corp. Nearly 50 million Europeans now
have access to the Web, with 17 million going online for
the first time in the past year, according to Forrester
Research.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/163743550.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Net User Study Sure to Set Off Fireworks about Social
Isolation
Today, two Stanford researchers will release a user survey
that concludes all that online time is bringing an
unforeseen set of societal ills home to roost. The
preliminary findings of the study by Stanford political
science Professor Norman Nie and visiting Professor Lutz
Erbring of the Free University of Berlin portray the
Internet as an insidiously anti-human technology, one that
imposes a hidden toll of social isolation on its users.
That incendiary conclusion and the unusual methodology
behind the survey virtually guarantee that it will be an
object of some contention among Internet academics and
market research professionals. The survey of 4,113 U.S.
adults, conducted under the auspices of the Stanford
Institute for the Quantitative Study of Society, has yet to
be published in a scholarly journal for peer-review.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/160425680.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Four Types of European Net Shopper Identified
European Internet users are gradually becoming more
confident about shopping online, according to a new
Forrester Research report. Only 4 percent of users in
France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK have
bought online but 90 percent of these say they will shop
online again soon. Forrester has divided Europe's online
population into four categories according to their feelings
about ecommerce.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/154908450.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Brazilian B2C to Reach US$200mn
The business-to-consumer (B2C) Ecommerce market will reach
US$200mn in Brazil this year, according to Brazilian daily
Gazeta Mercantil. The growing need for online stores has
brought both local and international Ecommerce solutions
providers to the Brazilian market. United States-based
computer hardware and services company Hewlett Packard
offers an Ecommerce solutions package called Instant
Capacity on Demand, which both designs and develops
clients' online stores, anticipates peak processing periods
and adjusts processing capacity accordingly. Other
solutions on the market include IBM's virtual store
creation and maintenance solution Net Package and an
Ecommerce solutions package by Brazilian horizontal portal
and access provider Zaz's Ecommerce package, which creates
an online store in 24 hours.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/144009880.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Spectacular Growth for Digital Delivery
The digital download market is set to explode in the next
four years, according to Forrester Research. Only 3
percent, or USD100 million, of all current online sales
consist of digitally downloaded products, but this will
have rocketed to 22 percent, or USD2.9 billion by 2004. The
most dramatic growth in digital download sales will be in
the music sector. USD1 million worth of music was
downloaded from the Internet in 1999 and this represented
0.1 percent of all online music sales. By 2004, 25 percent
of all music sold online will be downloaded, earning music
companies USD1 billion.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/154533250.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Online Furniture Sales Forecasts
Gomez Advisors forecasts that more than $2 billion of the
total $201-plus billion furniture and home furnishings
sales will be initiated via the Internet by 2001. This
figure is up from only $423.3 million generated online last
year, but still only represents a mere 1% of all furniture
and home furnishings sales. A major barrier to consumer
confidence and willingness to transact with online
furniture stores is the uncertainty faced over online
product availability. The issues are widespread, from poor
design and limited tools, to slow site connectivity.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/150104030.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Product
=======
Compaq Unveils Win 2000 eGeneration Servers
Compaq's president and CEO used the Windows 2000 Conference
and Expo to pitch the company's Windows 2000-based ProLiant
eGeneration of servers and legacy-free Internet device
called iPAQ. Compaq's iPAQ Internet desktop is a $499
Windows 2000-ready Internet device with five USB ports.
Compaq is also planning a rollout of its Windows 2000
server line, beginning with eight-way Windows 2000 systems,
to be followed up with 32-way ProLiant boxes in conjunction
with Unisys midyear. A 64-way ProLiant server is scheduled
to be released late this year. In a related story, NEC is
preparing to ship five Windows 2000-based Express 5800
servers ranging in price from $1,250 to $12,000 within a
month.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/161955000.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Security
========
Would You Hire a Hacker?
The creation of @Stake, a new security venture, has taken
the hacker group known as the L0pht under its wing as their
Research and Development division. Who are these beacons of
the security underground? Will they put Trojan horses in
your network and divert your payroll to their own bank
accounts? Should you trust them? What would your mother say
if you hired a hacker? Corporate America and information
technology decision makers have questions. As a side note,
Mudge, a computer hacker who now works for @stake
participated in President Clinton's Internet security
meeting Tuesday at the White House!
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/161051370.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
WebTrust Criteria for CAs
The American Institute of Public Accountants and Canadian
Institute of Chartered Accountants has recently released an
exposure draft of the WebTrust Criteria and Principals for
Certification Authorities which can be downloaded from
http://www.aicpa.org/webtrust/caexec~1.htm. The exposure
period is expected to last until March 31, 2000.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/094210310.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Sites
=====
Freeshipping.com To Launch Online Marketplace
Freeshipping.com today unveiled plans for a
business-to-business online marketplace --where small
companies will be able to purchase office products, PCs,
and other goods and services. The company, which has
focused on the business-to-consumer market with an online
shopping service for products ranging from CDs to hardware,
is now targeting the growing market for
business-to-business e-commerce. Freeshipping.com's new
business-oriented website will be operational in mid-May.
Use of the site will be free.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/162710370.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Telmex, Prodigy, Microsoft to Launch Joint Portal in March
United States-based software company Microsoft, together
with Mexican telecommunications company Telmex and its
subsidiary Prodigy, will launch a joint portal called T1 in
early March. T1 will feature 20-30% regional content, while
the rest will be local. Microsoft will implement full
Ecommerce capabilities on the portal. Telmex-Prodigy will
own 50% of the portal, while Microsoft will hold the other
half. Initial investment totals some US90mn.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/144422180.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
BNamericas.com Launches Portugese and Spanish Online
Industry News Service
Rated the seventh-largest Internet market, with a user
potential of 180,000,000, Brazil’s business community will
now have access to Latin American Business News in
Portuguese at http://www.bnamericas.com/portugues. As Phase
One of the Portuguese language build out, BNAmericas will
publish the Top Stories for each of its ten industry
sectors every day, and visitors to the site will have
access to further useful information including company
details and regional conferences. And, starting today,
Business News Americas will now offer daily
Telecommunications news in Spanish, the first of ten
sectors to be available in both English and Spanish. As the
Telecom market booms, BNA Noticias de Telecom will provide
the Spanish-speaking business community with the most
reliable, accurate and timely source of information in
Latin America.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/141735000.shtml?e=1
============================================================
SOHO
====
Apple Unveils New Computers in Japan
Apple Computer Inc. on Wednesday unveiled improved, faster
models of its popular iBook and PowerBook laptop computers
at the Tokyo MacWorld Expo show. Apple also announced it
has increased the performance of its Power Mac G4 line of
powerful desktop computers. With its hot-selling iMac,
iBook and G4 computers drawing kudos from customers and
envy from competitors, Apple has been reaping the benefits
of a remarkable financial turnaround under chief executive
Steve Jobs. The improved version of the iBook features a
larger hard drive and, at 64 megabytes, double the memory
of the current model. The price will be unchanged at $1,599
in the United States.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/150908440.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Supply Chain
============
Eastman Chemical, G-Log Form ShipChem.com
Eastman Chemical and Global Logistics have formed
ShipChem.com, to automate the process of shipping and
tracking chemicals and plastics. ShipChem.com will use
Web-based logistics and transportation software from G-Log
to help midsize chemical and plastics companies boost
buying power and get competitive prices for shipping raw
and hazardous materials. G-Log's software will notify
shippers of delays and let them re-route or postpone order
in progress.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/161713730.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Technology
==========
Microsoft To Offer Satellite Web Service
Software giant Microsoft and Israel's Gilat Satellite
Networks said Wednesday that they plan to develop a
high-speed, two-way satellite broadband network for U.S.
Internet access. The two-way satellite service allows home
Internet users to be continuously online, eliminating the
need for a second phone line. The companies said trial
service is underway in some areas and they expect broad
availability by the end of 2000.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/162146230.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Telecommunication
=================
EU To Force Telco Competition
In an effort to jump-start e-commerce, the European
Commission (EC) has warned European Union (EU) member
governments that they must foster competition for local
telephone lines that connect homes and businesses to the
Internet by December, or be forced to do so. The EC's stiff
threat comes just one week before a scheduled hearing in
Brussels on unbundling access to local telephone companies'
networks. Many industry analysts say that the timing of
this announcement underscores the European Union's strong
desire to eliminate charges that make European Internet
access costs many times those in the United States. The
recommendations are non-binding in theory, but if EU
governments do not begin offering full local-loop
unbundling and lower pricing voluntarily by December, the
EC will issue a formal directive that forces them to
comply.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/170144180.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Training
========
Online eCommerce and IT Training
Solution Central is a very populated listing of corporate
training sessions and conferences in a range of activities
related to information technology and related fields
including electronic commerce. Courses, workshops, training
sessions, conferences and the like are included in this
extensive and searchable listing of corporatation provided
learning opportunities. In addition this site includes a
resource links page and a question and answer service. Free
registration is required to become a member and user of
this service, as most information on the site can only be
obtained after the user password has been entered.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/094041360.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Women
=====
iVilliage and Unilever to Build Beauty Site
Unilever, the world's largest maker of personal-care
products and ice cream, said it and iVillage will invest
$200 million to set up an Internet company aimed at selling
beauty products to women. Unilever will provide capital,
sponsorship and promotional activities. iVillage, which
runs a network of Web sites for women, will contribute its
Beauty Channel and Internet expertise. The new venture,
based in New York City, is expected to generate revenue
through advertising, sponsorship and the sale of beauty
products online, and will be profitable more quickly than
the average for start-up companies.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/16/164035160.shtml?e=1
FlashCommerce Daily
FlashCommerce.com Headlines
Daily News & Discussion of eCommerce & Small Business
============================================================
I hope many of you have the day off, but for those of you
that don't, I've put together a lengthy newsletter for your
reading pleasure :-) I'm also closely monitoring the poll
results, so remember to cast your vote below. Right now,
'Internet Technologies' is in the lead. So, if something
else is more important to you, let me know. For those of you
who have already voted - thanks!
Have a great start to your week!
Rochelle
========================= POLL =============================
What information is most important to you?
In order to better meet the needs of our readership we would
like to know what areas of FlashCommerce you find most
important. If there is something that is not on this list
please let us know.
Go to one of the links below to cast your vote.
Headline News
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=1
Small Biz/SOHO
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=2
Internet Technologies
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=3
Enterprise Software
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=4
Startup Issues
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=5
Legal
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=6
Market Research
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=7
--------------------Advertising Sponsor---------------------
VoDSL, Gain the Competitive Edge by Streamlining Multimedia
Services Over DSL; Voice and Video
A two day conference to learn from industry leaders who are
implementing and integrating this emerging technology.
Sponsored by: Jetstream Communications & Efficient Networks
March 22-23, 2000, The Sheraton Crescent Hotel, Phoenix, AZ
ACI, Inc. 312-674-4704 • http://www.acius.net
------------------------------------------------------------
==================== IN THIS ISSUE =========================
Advertising
AdSubtract Blocks Ads and Cookies
Advertising Makes It Up In Volume
Colorado Lawmakers OK Internet Ad Bill
Auctions
What is that Fair Market Value on Auction Sites?
Business
7 Internet Marketing Mistakes that Can Destroy Your Business
Ericsson's European Competition For Net Entrepreneurs
Promoting With the Right Sort of Passion
Conferences
Using the Internet to Grow Your Business: Free Seminar for
Small Business Owners
Customer Service
RightNow Web: Support with Smarts
E-Mail
Draw More Business With an Online Newsletter
INVESTools Introduce E-mail Management Service
Enterprise Software
Lawson Software: Self-Evidently Thriving on Innovations
Financial
Firms in Debt Given Time to Sort Things Out
Fulfillment
The Return Exchange Enjoys Big Returns
Global Issues
Entrepreneurs in Asia Pacific Urged to Embrace E-Commerce
The Trouble with Venture Capital in China
U.S. To Foster Argentinean E-Commerce
Healthcare
Omnicell.com Automates the Healthcare Supply Chain
U.S. FTC Probes Health Web Sites on Privacy
Legal
House Bill Helps Small Businesses
Market Research
New Trends on e-Commerce Evolution, Communication Changes
Online Tools
Save Web Pages and View Them Offline with SurfSaver
Analysis of Lexacom's and Mirapoint's Joint Wireless
Messaging Solution
Start-Ups Wanted
Umagic.com Offers Personal Advice Site Aimed at Small
Businesses
TeamOn Provides Free Online Collaboration & Communication
Tools
Privacy
Database Nation: The Death of Privacy in the 21st Century
Product
Wink and RespondTV Take e-Commerce to the Couch Potatoes
MEISolutions.com Launches a Trio of Products
Security
WARNING: Add-On Web-Jacks Your E-Mail
Intel Unveils Encryption As You Type
Security Issues with iTools and Sherlock
Website Lines of Defense
Sites
BigVine.com Delivers Online Barter to Small Businesses
Dupont Enters Industrial B2B Marketplace
SOHO
401kexchange.com Seeks to be Web Broker For 401(K) Plans
Making Your Small Business A Winner
Setting Up a Home Network
Supply Chain
RosettaNet Key to 3Com's Supply Chain
Technology
Faster USB On Track For This Year
Trademarks
NameProtect.com to Offer Trademark Search and Registration
Travel
On-The-Road Printing On The Cheap
Secure Delivery of Laser Printed Airline Tickets Over the
Internet
Web Mgmt. Tools
Setting Up and Implementing a Usability Evaluation
Web Site Tools
Premium Hosting at a Budget Price
Inprise's InterBase Spin-off Goes Open-Source Route
Build Your Own Web Page with Calypso for Free
ClickThings Provides Web Site Solution
============================================================
FlashCommerce daily article update for the last 24 hours:
====================== ARTICLES ============================
Advertising
===========
AdSubtract Blocks Ads and Cookies
AdSubtract.com is trying to turn a heated privacy debate
into profits. The company is giving away free software that
blocks "cookies" and ads delivered by DoubleClick to Web
browsers. The company has singled out DoubleClick because
it is the "most aggressive Internet advertising firm
identifying and tracking people surfing the Web". As part
of its marketing pitch, AdSubtract software (a 2.5MB
download) comes preconfigured to block DoubleClick ads and
cookies. But you can make the software block all Internet
ads and decline all cookies.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/112802890.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Advertising Makes It Up In Volume
AdKnowledge eAnalytics has issued its annual review of
online advertising. The report finds a modest decline in
CPM rates, the basic measure of the cost of advertising.
The CPM rate is the price a website charges an advertiser
for showing one thousand impressions of an ad. The average
CPM rate decreased from $35.13 in December 1998 to $33.75
in December 1999, about one percent each quarter. This is a
smaller decrease than over the previous twelve-month
period, which saw rates drop six percent. Since AdKnowledge
started collecting the statistics in 1997 the rate has
dropped a total of nine percent. AdKnowledge concludes that
rates are slowly leveling off.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/111000970.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Colorado Lawmakers OK Internet Ad Bill
Internet spammers would have to slap a crystal-clear
"advertisement" label on all electronic junk mail and
provide an easy way for consumers to scratch their names
from mailing lists under a bill passed Thursday by a state
House committee. Before approving the bill by a 10-2 vote,
the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee toughened
the rules further by adding politicians and nonprofit
groups to the mailers who must use the dreaded "ADV:"
label. The tag must appear at the beginning of any junk
mail's subject memo, which appears in consumers' lists of
new e-mail and guides them on what they wish to read.
Colorado residents might not get any "less garbage" in
their computer mailboxes, said House Bill 1309 sponsor Rep.
Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield. But with the law in place,
"they will have identified garbage" to sift through, he
said. Any individual computer user receiving mail that
violates the law could sue the sender for $10 for each
message.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/092858810.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Auctions
========
What is that Fair Market Value on Auction Sites?
If you're trying to figure out what price is reasonable for
the that item on eBay, you might want to check out
WorthGuide.com. WorthGuide.com provides a weekly market
summary of dollar sales (in thousands) and unit volume of
categories tracked. Sales and volume information is based
on closed, valid auction activity from the leading online
auctions, gathered through means of WorthGuide.com's
proprietary software "agents". WorthGuide categories span
several auction sites and therefore do not directly match
any specific auction sites' categories. The site is still
quite new, but as they add more categories, it just might
become the Internet auction pricing authority!
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/120633750.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Business
========
7 Internet Marketing Mistakes that Can Destroy Your Business
Here are 7 Mistakes which you can constantly see many
internet businesses making over and over again. Each of
these mistakes can easily cost your business thousands or
tens of thousands of dollars yearly. As a matter of fact, I
see many internet businesses out there that have little
chance of success because a couple of these problems are at
the very heart of their business. If your business is built
on a weak foundation, there is no way it will be able to
produce maximum income for you even if it does somehow
survive.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/130202320.shtml?e=1
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Ericsson's European Competition For Net Entrepreneurs
If you have ever fancied yourself as something of an
entrepreneur on the Internet, then Ericsson would like to
hear from you. The Swedish telecommunications hardware
vendor has just launched its latest Internet entrepreneur
competition, with valuable prizes. Known as the E-Challenge
competition for Internet entrepreneurs, the firm says that
the primary aim of the competition is to discover and
nurture today's emerging Internet entrepreneurs. The
E-Challenge consists of seven legs with initial business
meetings taking place in Stockholm, Amsterdam, Munich,
London, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Oslo, and finals taking
place in Stockholm and Helsinki on May 16 and May 17.
Internet entrepreneurs are being encouraged to submit their
business proposals now to the E-Challenge competition.
Winners will receive venture capital and business
development services in order to establish their new
startup company.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/124907130.shtml?e=1
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Promoting With the Right Sort of Passion
Nick Usborne wants to look at the role of passion in
building and promoting your business. It's well known that
passion sells. The more breathless, the more excited, the
more passionate... the more sales. It works great in direct
mail, on radio and TV. But online, beware. People react
differently to email, where your message can sound crass,
pushy, spammy and irritating.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/091742560.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Conferences
===========
Using the Internet to Grow Your Business: Free Seminar for
Small Business Owners
Whether you're an Internet novice, or you already have
Web-based product orders rolling in through your Web site,
Quickbooks.com's February 24 seminar will help you become
more Web savvy. They'll offer useful advice about
everything from effective small business Web sites to
innovative thinking about small business e-commerce
opportunities. The seminar will be held Thursday, February
24, from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern time (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Pacific time). Fore more information, visit
http://www.quickbooks.com/resources/seminar.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/122656510.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Customer Service
================
RightNow Web: Support with Smarts
RightNow Technologies Inc.'s updated customer service
software is an inexpensive, easy-to-use, flexible,
effective tool that earns a PC Week Labs Analyst's Choice
award. In tests of this major upgrade to an established
product, PC Week Labs was impressed by RightNow Web's
improved use of artificial intelligence. Despite its use of
multiple cutting-edge technologies to automate the rapid
delivery of useful answers to customers, RightNow Web 3.1,
which shipped this month, carries a low price and can be
implemented in a matter of days—unusually fast for a
customer service package. The price for a single server is
$29,995, which includes two years of updates and unlimited
support. RightNow can also provide complete setup services
for a fee. The company will host RightNow Web on a single
server for two years for an additional $5,000 or on four
servers for an additional $15,000.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/104853860.shtml?e=1
============================================================
E-Mail
======
Draw More Business With an Online Newsletter
Think publishing is the province of tree-killers and
ink-stained wretches? Think again. Now, you can publish
your own customer newsletter over the Internet -- and you
don't have to dirty your hands in the process. Electronic
newsletters accomplish all the same things as their print
counterparts -- they remind customers you're there, spark
repeat business, and help attract new clients. But consider
some of the extra advantages: no trips to the printer, no
hassles with mailing labels, no lines at the post office.
With no printing or postage costs, e-mail letters are also
a lot cheaper. If you're already doing business on the Web,
an e-newsletter makes especially good sense.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/125344710.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
INVESTools Introduce E-mail Management Service
INVESTools, Inc. launched an e-mail list management and
list representation service. The new e-mail list management
service helps online financial information companies create
quality, free e-mail content focused on information that
helps consumers improve their financial lives. In addition
to aiding in content development, the service can manage
mailings, represent the list to advertisers and track
advertising results. INVESTools will host and maintain the
list management and sales representation service
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/102424380.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Enterprise Software
===================
Lawson Software: Self-Evidently Thriving on Innovations
Lawson's continual investment in R&D delivers innovative
products, often in advance of much larger competitors.
Increasing competition from larger vendors with significant
resources, puts pressure on the company to go public within
the next 12 months. Here's a an recent analysis of the
company (free registration required).
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/111211060.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Financial
=========
Firms in Debt Given Time to Sort Things Out
Cash-strapped small businesses are being thrown a lifeline
that will give them a breathing space to reschedule their
debts without being chased by creditors. The new Insolvency
Bill, expected to become law in the summer, gives small and
medium enterprises which are struggling with debts a 28-day
period during which they cannot be pursued by their
creditors. The new rules are intended to give an
alternative to the costly process of going into
administration or being forced into bankruptcy. Companies
can use that 28-day period of grace to come to a legally
binding company voluntary agreement, or CVA, either to
reschedule or cancel the outstanding debts. To qualify for
this new rule as a small or medium-size company, a firm
must satisfy two out of three criteria: it must have up to
50 employees; turnover of less than 2.8 million; or a
balance sheet total of no more than 1.4 million.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/102951600.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Fulfillment
===========
The Return Exchange Enjoys Big Returns
The Return Exchange wants to offer itself as a one-stop
solution to a company's return woes. The Santa Ana,
Calif.-based company provides a plug-in that allows online
retailers to make its service the "Returns" button for
their Web sites. After clicking the Returns button, the
customer fills out an online form, then sends the form,
along with the merchandise to be returned, to Return
Exchange's warehouse in Riverside, Calif. Upon receipt, the
merchandise is inspected and prepared for one of three
methods of disposal.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/104203230.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Global Issues
=============
Entrepreneurs in Asia Pacific Urged to Embrace E-Commerce
The APEC group is to rally millions of small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) in the Asia-Pacific region to embrace
electronic commerce to prevent a digital divide as it opens
up trade. The campaign by the 21-member Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) to push for commerce via the
Internet will kick off with a gathering in Brunei in June
of SMEs, academics, public and private organisations.
Oil-rich Brunei on Borneo island, the current APEC
chairman, hopes to cull best practices from the
industrialised member economies and draw up a collective
action plan to get e-commerce rapidly adopted especially in
developing economies.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/121120330.shtml?e=1
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The Trouble with Venture Capital in China
Venture capital financing has been increasingly recognized
in China as a necessary means for the effective and speedy
development of a high technology industry. Governmental,
industrial, corporate, and academic analysts are nearly
unanimous in their call for China to quickly develop its
venture capital institutions and industry. But China’s
ability to create a vibrant venture capital industry will
first require a supportive and well-developed legal
framework, and such a framework remains largely wanting.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/114203120.shtml?e=1
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U.S. To Foster Argentinean E-Commerce
The United States has unveiled a pact with Argentina to
help bring the South American country's e-commerce
capability up to speed with Asian and European competitors.
Through the bilateral trade agreement, the two governments
will aim to expand customer choice, increase competition
and create new jobs by promoting greater market
opportunities for merchants.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/092200780.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Healthcare
==========
Omnicell.com Automates the Healthcare Supply Chain
Omnicell.com automates the healthcare supply chain,
providing systems and e-commerce services that increase
operating efficiency and significantly reduce costs. The
company has four main lines of business: Omnicell.com
Systems automate supply and pharmacy product dispensing at
the point of use; OmniBuyer and OmniSupplier are web-based
services that automate the procurement process for both
healthcare facilities and their suppliers; Datacenter 5000
Service provides web based trend analysis, decision
support, and regulatory compliance reports; and,
MedCenterCity.com is an on-line community for healthcare
professionals that features news, information and services.
Omnicell.com today has over 1,200 healthcare customers,
including hospitals, academic medical centers, regional
delivery systems, integrated healthcare networks, clinics,
and nursing homes.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/114848640.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. FTC Probes Health Web Sites on Privacy
Health care Web sites are the subject of an informal
investigation by the Federal Trade Commission to determine
whether they've been improperly sharing personal
information about their visitors with third parties in
violation of their stated privacy policies. Among those
under scrutiny are HealthCentral.com and iVillage.com, both
of which were criticized for their lax privacy protections
in a scathing report last month by the California
Healthcare Foundation. It should come as no surprise to
anyone that the FTC has specifically queried those sites
about their relationship with DoubleClick -- which is,
coincidentally, the subject of a privacy inquiry of its
very own.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/105742790.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Legal
=====
House Bill Helps Small Businesses
The House passed legislation last Wednesday that supporters
said would relieve small businesses of the oppressive
threat of product liability lawsuits. The Clinton
administration promised a veto, saying the bill would
"strand a large number of injured plaintiffs." The
legislation, which passed 221-193, would cap punitive
damages at $250,000 or three times compensatory damages,
whichever is less, in most civil lawsuit against small
businesses - firms with fewer than 25 employees. It also
would exempt all retailers from legal responsibility for
products received from manufacturers and unaltered that
later malfunction or cause damage. The bill still needs
Senate consideration.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/100532750.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Market Research
===============
New Trends on e-Commerce Evolution, Communication Changes
A recent report from the U.S. Small Business
Administration's Office of Advocacy titled The Third
Millennium: Small Business and Entrepreneurship in the 21st
Century provides new trends on the rapid evolution of
e-commerce and changes in communications technologies. But
many trend lines -- long-term demographic changes and gaps
in working capital -- look much as they did in 1995.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/123011360.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Online Tools
============
Save Web Pages and View Them Offline with SurfSaver
Tired of printing Web pages? This program, now freeware,
lets you save a page by clicking a toolbar button. It saves
graphics as well as links, so when you read pages offline
they look just as they did on the Web. You can also search
the full text of pages. This version can save all linked
pages within a site in one step; it also offers new "Filing
Cabinet" folders for improved organization.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/112509220.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis of Lexacom's and Mirapoint's Joint Wireless
Messaging Solution
Lexacom and Mirapoint, Inc. have announced the availability
of a solution offering highly secure, easily deployable,
and cost-effective ways for wireless service providers to
deliver integrated IP-based calendaring and messaging
services to mobile users. But, Mirapoint and Lexacom are
relatively unknown in the messaging arena. How will they do
in this latest move?
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/110617460.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Start-Ups Wanted
You're ready to do e-business. Now, how do you get started?
One of the daunting realities any prospective e-business
entrepreneur has to face is that funding, time, and
technology are key hurdles to getting a business up and
running online. Increasingly, e-business entrepreneurs are
turning to the Web itself to find funding and help with
start-up needs. As that trend grows, so does the number of
"angel" investors willing to invest cash in new ideas. Here
are some sites for would-be Web entrepreneurs.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/103738230.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Umagic.com Offers Personal Advice Site Aimed at Small
Businesses
Umagic brings an entirely new concept to the field of
online expert advice. Users work one-on-one with the expert
of their choice, developing a long-term relationship.
Consumers and small businesses get advice from brand- name
celebrity experts they know and trust, while experts are
able to reach out to their audience in a more personal way
than traditional methods of offering advice, such as books,
seminars, and appearances. Umagic offers unlimited
consultations with its experts for a small monthly fee, yet
the Umagic service delivers the effectiveness and
satisfaction of a personal expert session. Umagic.com is
the first commercial application of a proprietary advanced
artificial intelligence technology that enables an Internet
application to display an unprecedented level of
intelligence.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/101709610.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
TeamOn Provides Free Online Collaboration & Communication
Tools
TeamOn recently launched an integrated suite of business
application services that provides free, Web-based,
business-critical e-mail, collaboration and customer
interaction management tools targeted at small and
mid-sized companies. The service is designed to help small
and mid-size companies run their business online.
TeamOn.com facilitates collaboration and communication
among internal and external work teams, customers and
business partners, resulting in increased productivity and
competitiveness. At the core of TeamOn.com's solution is a
team-based architecture and advanced messaging capabilities
that TeamOn.com will leverage to provide additional
business-critical services. The Web-based architecture
makes it easy for small businesses to set up a robust
company-wide e-mail solution in minutes, without any of the
administrative headaches associated with LAN based e-mail
solutions.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/094217490.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Privacy
=======
Database Nation: The Death of Privacy in the 21st Century
O'Reilly and Associates has announced the release of
"Database Nation: The Death of Privacy in the 21st Century"
by Simson Garfinkel. "Database Nation" is about one of our
most fundamental civil rights--the right to personal
privacy--and the serious threats to that right that we are
facing today. Fifty years ago, in the book "1984", George
Orwell imagined a future in which privacy was vanquished by
a totalitarian state that used spies and video surveillance
to maintain control. In 2000, we find that the threats to
our privacy are not coming from a monolithic "Big Brother",
but--even harder to grapple with--hundreds of sources, not
seeking to control us, merely to market to us, track us,
count us, or streamline paperwork.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/18/113049900.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Product
=======
Wink and RespondTV Take e-Commerce to the Couch Potatoes
Two companies, Wink Communications and RespondTV, have
developed technology that adds a graphic overlay over
television programming -- enabling users to point-and-click
their remotes to get more information about what's
on-screen or buy a product in real time.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/131146150.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
MEISolutions.com Launches a Trio of Products
MEISolutions.com, a business-to-business Internet solutions
company, will launch a trio of products at MarkeTechnics
2000. The launch includes On-the-Fly Virtual Private
Network, a software-based virtual private network; e-POSS,
an Internet-ready retail back-office solution; and Sierra
ShareBuilder, an Internet-enabled customer loyalty system
that provides personalized incentives to customers.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/123803190.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Security
========
WARNING: Add-On Web-Jacks Your E-Mail
A "free browser enhancement" from Internet portal GoHip.com
may end up enhancing more than just your browser. According
to Internet security firm Finjan, the browser enhancement,
which is distributed through GoHip's Web site, uses
Microsoft's ActiveX to automatically modify files on a
user's PC. The small print in the agreement to download the
video browser enhancement offered on the Web site states
the program will also change the user's default home page
and search default to GoHip.com pages. But it also makes
other changes that it doesn't mention at all. . In addition
to modifying your default home page, the program also
changes the default signature in your e-mail program.
Because the program also creates a file in the Windows
startup folder, the components are reinstalled each time
the system is started. If you want to remove the
modifications made by the application, GoHip provides the
details of that process on its Web site.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/113219860.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Intel Unveils Encryption As You Type
At the Intel Developer Forum, Intel unveiled a copy
protection scheme that will add a layer of encryption
between the system and the digital display. The
High-bandwidth Digital Copy Protection (HDCP) approach
encrypts each pixel as it moves from a PC or set-top box to
digital displays, such as digital flat panels
andhigh-definition televisions. HDCP is an Intel-developed
specification that will complement the work developed with
the Digital Display Working Group (DDWG).
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/111413510.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Security Issues with iTools and Sherlock
Just one month after the discovery of a security problem
with Apple's iTools online service, MacWelt magazine has
uncovered a flaw in Apple's Sherlock Internet search
technology which may expose users' email addresses.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/105623050.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Website Lines of Defense
Deloitte & Touche and The Information Systems Audit and
Control Association (ISACA) recently completed a six-month
study of e-commerce security around the world. Overall the
study found a high degree of satisfaction among e-commerce
business executives with policies and measures taken to
ensure security. Websites, the study found, generally use
several overlapping measures. It's not surprising,
following the spate of virus attacks in 1999, that virus
scanners are used by close to all online businesses.
Firewalls, key to preventing intrusions, run a close
second. Secure socket layer (SSL) encryption is the most
well known and directly applicable form of commercially
available encryption, and hence the most popular. Although
it is certainly not the only one.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/092725060.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Sites
=====
BigVine.com Delivers Online Barter to Small Businesses
BigVine.com, the industry's leading online
business-to-business barter marketplace, and SmartAge.com,
the business-to-small business eCommerce services company,
today announced a highly integrated, exclusive, multi-year,
strategic alliance that delivers online barter to small
businesses. The agreement gives BigVine.com prominence
across the SmartAge.com site as the exclusive barter
partner in SmartAge.com's Marketplace. In addition,
SmartAge.com will promote BigVine.com to its community of
more than 1 million members via e-mail and electronic
newsletters.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/101007620.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Dupont Enters Industrial B2B Marketplace
DuPont Corp. announced Friday that it will work with
Internet Capital Group to create an online
business-to-business (B2B) market for industrial goods and
services. In late January, DuPont and Chemdex Corporation
formed a new company, Industria Solutions, to create a
vertical online marketplace to streamline purchasing in the
$75 billion (US$) fluid processing market. Through the
joint venture, called CapSpan, Internet Capital Group will
build a B2B Web site based on DuPont's experience in the
industrial goods sector. DuPont, a large-volume buyer and
supplier, will anchor the site, but it will be a neutral
marketplace that will incorporate other strategic partners.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/092427590.shtml?e=1
============================================================
SOHO
====
401kexchange.com Seeks to be Web Broker For 401(K) Plans
401kexchange.com aims to provide a place in cyberspace for
small and medium companies to research and buy 401(k)
plans. Here's how it works: A company that's shopping for a
retirement plan sends its requirements to
401kexchange.com's Web site. A company executive fills out
an electronic form that asks for information such as the
company's number of employees, the variety of funds it
wants and how much it wants to spend on a plan. Then
401kexchange.com, through its Web site, tells plan
providers such as [T. Rowe Price] and Vanguard a company is
looking for a 401(k) plan. T. Rowe Price, Vanguard and
others decide whether to bid on the company's business. If
they submit bids, they pay 401kexchange.com for the
privilege. The price ranges from $150 to $500, depending on
the size of the proposed plan. 401kexchange.com compiles
the details of the bids in a spreadsheet and sends it to
the company interested in setting up a plan. The company
pays nothing for the information.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/121756430.shtml?e=1
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Making Your Small Business A Winner
A first on the Internet: Personalized help in making your
small business a success. Scottsdale-based Help With My Biz
has launched the only one-to-one business building service
designed strictly for home-based and small businesses.
Unlike other web sites, Help With My Biz offers private,
customized telephone and e-mail consultation. The specific
needs and problems of the business are addressed and
solutions provided.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/095917420.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Setting Up a Home Network
If you've got two or more computers at home, you may want
to network them together to create your own home local area
network (LAN). Doing so will enable your computers to
share, among other things, files, Internet access and
peripherals. Believe it or not, building your home network
isn't as expensive and complicated as you might think,
though it probably isn't a project for the computing
novice. To learn just how to create your own home LAN,
consult some of these resources for tips.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/093701720.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Supply Chain
============
RosettaNet Key to 3Com's Supply Chain
3Com Corp.'s supply chain system turned out to be an ideal
candidate for testing RosettaNet standards for
business-to-business e-commerce in the computer industry.
3Com decided to build a supply chain management system
based on RosettaNet's Partner Interface Processes, or PIPs,
an Extensible Markup Language-based technology that defines
activities controlling every aspect of an e-commerce
transaction between partners. The PIP used by 3Com includes
product specifications, product identification and pricing
information. 3Com plans to go into production with its new
supply chain system next month, reusing the same PIP with
other trading partners. The company is also looking at
workflow engines from several vendors to make its internal
business processes more efficient and eventually integrate
them with the supply chain system.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/104518550.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Technology
==========
Faster USB On Track For This Year
Version 2.0 of the Universal Serial Bus is on track for
introduction by the Christmas 2000 selling season. The
latest rev of the USB spec will support data-transfer rates
of 480 Mbits/second for peripherals connected to a system.
USB 2.0 is about 40 times faster than the USB 1.1
specification. With data rates of 60 Mbytes/s, transfers
that previously took five minutes will take less than 10
seconds. The higher bandwidth will enable applications such
as interactive games and digital image creation, and will
be used in videoconferencing cameras, scanners, printers,
external storage, and broadband Internet connections.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/111552660.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Trademarks
==========
NameProtect.com to Offer Trademark Search and Registration
NameProtect.com, the Internet's number one destination for
trademark protection services, is offering trademark search
and registration services to small and growing companies.
With the boom in domain name acquisition, online store
fronts and traditional business start-ups,
NameProtect.com's unique three-step search and registration
services are in great demand. NameProtect.com has helped
thousands of business owners protect their valuable names
and brands.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/100340790.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Travel
======
On-The-Road Printing On The Cheap
If you forget to bring your conference notes on the road
with you and find that the hotel doesn't have a printer
available, don't worry. You can just fax the notes to the
hotel's fax machine from your laptop. You don't need a
commercial, third-party application to send faxes; just use
the Microsoft Fax program that's part of Windows 95 and 98.
Here's how you can set it up.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/111847460.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Secure Delivery of Laser Printed Airline Tickets Over the
Internet
GetThere.com announced an investment in EncrypTix targeted
at creating a simple means of delivering airline and other
travel tickets to laser printers via the Internet. The
investment reinforces GetThere.com's commitment to
developing new technologies that increase corporate
traveler convenience, while lowering the costs for
corporations procuring travel over the Internet.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/103435880.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Web Mgmt. Tools
===============
Setting Up and Implementing a Usability Evaluation
You've begged and pleaded with your clients to implement
user testing for their Web site, and they're finally
convinced that feedback from real people will improve both
the site's usability and their credibility. So now that
you've gotten them to see the value of the "test early,
test often" motto of professional Web builders, what do you
do? CNET Builder.com walks you through the process of
setting up and implementing a usability evaluation. You can
conduct user testing anytime in your site's development
cycle. Ideally, you'll do it several times during the
planning and implementation phases, and then again after
launch. These low-fuss tips could be called discount
usability. Collecting this feedback doesn't require any
fancy technology, and you can gather it from a small-sized
sample in about a single day of evaluation. If you're a
Ph.D. candidate, this methodology won't be rigorous enough
for your research, but if your goal is to collect, assess,
and report insightful feedback in a short period of time,
you can get to work with these steps.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/131807950.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Web Site Tools
==============
Premium Hosting at a Budget Price
VikMar.Com announced that it is shattering the myth about
high Web Hosting prices by offering premium UNIX and NT
based Web Host services at a Budget Price. VikMar.Com
offers Unlimited UNIX and NT Web Host plans that include
Unlimited Space and Traffic, Unlimited POP3 email,
Unlimited Auto Responders, Aliasing and Forwarding, as well
as your own IP address, CGI-Bin, Full Database support and
FrontPage extensions. Both Unix and NT Unlimited Plans
begin at an astonishing $12.95 per month when purchased on
a yearly basis. Find out more by visiting the company's web
site or contacting Ashwin Patel at (877) 860 4884.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/133033320.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Inprise's InterBase Spin-off Goes Open-Source Route
Inprise Corp. has made official the spin-off of its
InterBase database division into a separate company, which
will open the database's source code in an upgrade planned
for mid-year. InterBase expects revenue from services,
support, validation and testing after the release of the
open-source InterBase 6.0. InterBase 6.0 will support
Windows platforms, as well as Solaris and HP-UX. However,
the company expects a growing share of the business to
derive from InterBase's support for Linux, the open-source
operating system.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/132417510.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Build Your Own Web Page with Calypso for Free
Using Calypso.com, you can build your own Web page in
minutes, without knowing any HTML or having to shell out
money for software. And best of all, you can earn money off
your Web site. The pages may not be fancy, but they are
free. Calypso also enables you to link your page to
electronic-commerce sites such as Barnes and Noble. You
collect commissions of 3 percent to 12 percent on products
sold through those sites. Calypso's service is similar to
GeoCities "Pages That Pay" program, although the process of
building your page and linking to merchant sites is much
simpler and easier with Calypso. Calypso pays commissions
monthly--you'll get a check in the mail--but only after
your commissions exceed $100.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/113651060.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
ClickThings Provides Web Site Solution
ClickThings' proprietary technology enables leading
companies and organizations the ability to offer their
small-to-medium-sized business customers a Sponsor-branded
Web site solution. ClickThings technology empowers the
end-user to create a professionally designed business Web
site combined with a suite of e-commerce capabilities.
ClickThings has formed "Sponsor" relationships with leading
organizations, including MasterCard International,
BusinessWeek Online, Crain's New York Business, Expert
Practice.com, USLaw.com, and Riley Sales, Inc. By utilizing
ClickThings' technology, Sponsors are able to deliver their
small-to-medium-sized business customers the ability to
easily establish and manage a cost-effective, professional,
customizable, and comprehensive Web presence with full
e-commerce capabilities.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/20/095724230.shtml?e=1
--------------------Advertising Sponsor---------------------
Whether you are looking for an idea or would like to post
one of your own, visit our idea site at
http://www.IdeaStorms.com. This is a free service with no
strings attached. Promised!
FlashCommerce Daily
FlashCommerce.com Headlines
Daily News & Discussion of eCommerce & Small Business
============================================================
For those of you are just returning back to work today, look
on the bright side, the week is only four days long :-) Due
to the US holiday yesterday, today's newsletter is somewhat
shorter. But, there are still some interesting resources and
articles (check out the search engine story -
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/193232320.shtml).
On a separate note, it seems that we had some technical
problems yesterday. So, if you did not receive yesterday's
newsletter, please visit:
http://flashcommerce.com/nl000221.html to view it online.
The newsletter had numerous new technologies and resources
and I recommend that you check it out.
Have a great day and celebrate "International Friendship
Week" by touching base with friends from a far :-)
Rochelle
P.S. Don't forget to vote :-)
Headline News
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=1
Small Biz/SOHO
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=2
Internet Technologies
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=3
Enterprise Software
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=4
Startup Issues
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=5
Legal
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=6
Market Research
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=7
Advertising
Using the Right Metrics
Conferences
Roundtable on Convergence in China: Communications, Content
and Commerce
Customer Service
New Customer Satisfaction Monitor Developed
Fulfillment
NetEnvios Launches Fulfillment Services
Global Issues
European Ministers Form Internet Talk Shop
Creating "Ind Valley"
US and Chile Sign eCommerce Promotion Agreement
Legal
Can a Web Server Alone Cause Taxability in a Country?
Squabbles Over Patents Increase
Market Research
Mexican Online Market to Reach US$580mn
Marketing
Letting Customers Talk Back
Online Tools
E-Commerce Tax Compliance Service Launches
Search Engine Resources
Sales
SellMore! Ezine Launched
Sites
China International Electronic Commerce Launches Portal
Supply Chain
Getronics Chooses SonicAir For Service Parts Solution
Technology
Nokia Rolls Out Enterprise WAP Server
Training
Ed-X.Com Expands into Europe
Travel
Online Ticket and Reservation Company Expands into Brazil
and Mexico
Trends
Bumpy Road Ahead for M-Commerce
B2B Web Sites Not Living Up to Hype Yet
Web Site Tools
Turnkey eCommerce Solutions throughout Latin America
============================================================
FlashCommerce daily article update for the last 24 hours:
====================== ARTICLES ============================
Advertising
===========
Using the Right Metrics
There are many considerations when either projecting or
analyzing the back end of your online ad campaign. Some
campaigns use the following metrics to help determine
success: cost per click, cost per pageview generated, cost
per order, advertising-to-sales ratio. There are other,
longer-term metrics to consider, like lifetime value. But
these are the most meaningful for advertisers and are
really all you need.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/220342710.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Conferences
===========
Roundtable on Convergence in China: Communications, Content
and Commerce
The Economist Conferences is organising the Roundtable on
Convergence in China: Communications, Content and Commerce
to be held on March 27-28, 2000 in Beijing. China is poised
to merge the telecommunications and e-commerce industries
into a platform to tap the full economic potential of the
Internet era. This unique forum provides opportunities for
the key decision-makers of China's information industry
revolution to discuss past successes, future prospects and
global best practices with leaders of the multinational
services and technology industries. For more information,
please visit:
http://www.economistconferences.com/catalog/conferences/the
mefiles/393.html or contact Becky Goh at beck...@eiu.com
or (+852) 2585 3316.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/200016400.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Customer Service
================
New Customer Satisfaction Monitor Developed
cPulse LLC expanded its product line by delivering cP Lite,
described as a "build-it-yourself customer satisfaction
monitor that is driven by actual research intelligence." cP
Lite, which takes a client's input and, based on research,
creates a list of attributes for the company to use, will
complement the company's original interview tool, cP
Premium, which helps a site operator to conduct 60-second
interactive interviews with customers. The company said cP
Lite was created to fill the demand from companies that
want to get a jump-start gauging customer satisfaction,
without having to go through a traditional sales and
consultation process. cP Lite allows a company to undertake
a simple yet valid customer satisfaction initiative before
launching a full-blown program, thereby saving time and
money. At this time both cP Lite and cP Premium are free to
qualifying Web sites. However, once 500 customers are using
cP Premium, there will be a $2,400 annual subscription
charge.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/203754250.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Fulfillment
===========
NetEnvios Launches Fulfillment Services
Argentine Ecommerce fulfillment company NetEnvios has
launched its ecommerce fulfillment services, NetEnvios CEO
Antonio Migliore said. The delivery portal uses its network
of carriers to provide order fulfillment to online stores
as well as individual Internet users, he added. Currently,
NetEnvios does not charge for its services, provided
clients pay the delivery cost. The company operates offices
in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/194427300.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Global Issues
=============
European Ministers Form Internet Talk Shop
European Parliament members have created an independent
forum for discussing European internet issues and bringing
them to the public's attention. Over 50 MEPs will
officially inaugurate the European Internet Foundation
(EIF). The Foundation said it will provide wider access to
EU policy formation and would try to build a wider
participation in online policy debates through its Web
site. However, the EIF will not take positions on specific
issues and doesn't have the power to push through policies.
Priority issues which members have already highlighted
include ensuring privacy and security of personal online
communications. Recognizing consumer rights and
protections, eliminating barriers to international shopping
and e-commerce and Internet governance are other key areas.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/204007260.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Creating "Ind Valley"
To encourage entrepreneurial activity, India's parliament
is expected to approve a new set of rules for venture
capital sometime this February when it convenes the first
of its three parliamentary sessions for the year. These new
rules mark the government of India's latest attempts to
modernize its economy and to catch up with the West's world
of technology-driven capitalism. They cap almost a decade
of reforms in the areas of capital markets and
telecommunications.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/201008130.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
US and Chile Sign eCommerce Promotion Agreement
The US and Chile have signed a bilateral initiative to
promote electronic commerce, US commerce secretary William
Daley announced from Santiago Friday (Feb.18) on the final
day of a trade mission to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and
Chile. The agreement will help reduce the digital divide
and bring more email, egovernment and ebusiness to the
region, he added. It contains five principles to guide the
development of ecommerce.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/194024490.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Legal
=====
Can a Web Server Alone Cause Taxability in a Country?
Last year, the OECD proposed rules to determine if a Web
server in a country will cause a foreign seller to be
taxable in that country. The proposed rules say that a Web
server alone can cause taxability in some circumstances.
The proposals apply only where there is a tax treaty
between the seller’s country and the country in which the
Web server is located. Two commentators say the OECD
proposals are wrong, and that a Web server is not enough.
These commentators say that company personnel must also be
present in a country before the foreign seller can be
taxed. While these comments apply only where there is a tax
treaty, the thinking behind these comments may also provide
us guidance where there is no tax treaty – for instance
where a U.S. seller operates a Web server located in a tax
haven country.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/193516150.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Squabbles Over Patents Increase
Returning customers can buy a book from Amazon.com with a
single mouse click now that the retail giant automatically
retrieves a name, address and credit card number. Yet other
sites that try one-click shopping could land in court:
Amazon has a patent on the procedure. Such proprietary
claims, being sorted out in federal courts, are fueling
complaints that businesses are getting overly broad
Internet patents for ideas that aren't so original. Critics
say growing patent use may stymie the flow of ideas that
makes the Internet so robust. And, they fear, companies
worrying more about patents and less about customers could
stunt Internet growth.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/190344050.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Market Research
===============
Mexican Online Market to Reach US$580mn
The online market in Mexico will bill some US$580mn this
year, a 180% increase over US$200mn billed in 1999,
according to an International Data Corporation (IDC) study.
IDC found business-to-consumer (B2C) ecommerce to be the
largest segment of year-2000 earnings.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/195107580.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Marketing
=========
Letting Customers Talk Back
Marketers are so focused on "getting the word out" that
sometimes communications leave little room for that
all-important dialogue with customers. Look at your latest
email marketing efforts. Do you give folks a chance to ask
questions? Make comments? Here are som tips on how to
invite feedback without bombarding your customers with too
many emails. Bottom line: You want them to let you know
what you're doing right or wrong. The trick is to listen.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/185946040.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Online Tools
============
E-Commerce Tax Compliance Service Launches
Sales Tax Clearinghouse launched a new Web site that offers
a variety of sales tax compliance services for e-commerce
companies, from determining and calculating rates to
licensing, filing and remitting. The company said the
services are designed to meet the requirement proposed by
the National Governor's Association for "zero burden" to
merchants. Merchants and Commerce Service Providers can
subscribe to the complete range of services by integrating
a small software module into their existing business
systems that communicates with the STC's secure servers to
determine and calculate rates and post completed
transactions. Sales Tax Clearinghouse transfers the
collected taxes from the merchant's account to the
respective tax authorities along with the appropriate
filing information. There are no ongoing per-transaction
charges. However, the initial setup fee is $1,350 to get
started.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/204639800.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Search Engine Resources
If you use search engines, Search Engine World may quickly
become your search engine heaven. If you're looking for a
specific kind of search engine, check out Search & Info.
There may be quite a few search tools not listed here but
you certainly will find lots of places to try from this
resource and this includes both general and subject
specialized search tools.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/193232320.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Sales
=====
SellMore! Ezine Launched
JumpStart Sales announced today the launch of its weekly
ezine, "Sell More!". The goal of Sell More!, published
weekly, is to provide small business owners with specific
and immediately useful tips that will enhance their
personal ability to sell. To subscribe, please visit
http://sell_more.listbot.com.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/192441460.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Sites
=====
China International Electronic Commerce Launches Portal
China International Electronic Commerce (Hong Kong) Ltd
(CIEC) on Monday launched ChinaTradeWorld.com, a trade
portal allowing businesses to transact trade over the
Internet securely and efficiently. CIEC is a joint venture
between Infoshare Technology Co Ltd, an information
technology arm of China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and
Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), and Hong Kong-based New
ePOCH Information Co Ltd.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/202241350.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Supply Chain
============
Getronics Chooses SonicAir For Service Parts Solution
SonicAir, a UPS Logistics Group Company, announced today
that Getronics has selected SonicAir to manage its United
States service parts network for computer hardware,
peripherals and point-of-sale equipment. Getronics is a
global provider of information and communication technology
solutions and services to the e-business world. The
multi-year contract represents a major expansion of an
existing relationship between the two companies. Currently,
Getronics stores critical spare parts in nearly 100
SonicAir Field Support Bank locations, thereby enabling
them to provide expedited deliveries to clients, usually
within one hour. The new agreement will allow Getronics to
replenish Field Support Bank locations, move spare parts
more efficiently, and achieve faster turnaround times on
repairs. The expanded agreement also includes central
warehousing, distribution, same-day delivery, repair
services and UPS transportation offerings.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/195438930.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Technology
==========
Nokia Rolls Out Enterprise WAP Server
Nokia Monday released the newest version of its corporate
WAP server for enterprise customers and mobile Internet
service providers. The Nokia WAP Server Version 1.1, lets
companies provide their employees and clients with mobile
access to corporate intranets and extranets. The new tool
will allow secure and easy access for simultaneous users to
popular applications including e-mail, schedules,
directories and contacts as well as business specific
applications, via a WAP-enabled mobile device.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/204205610.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Training
========
Ed-X.Com Expands into Europe
Ed-X.Com, an e-commerce marketplace and Web community for
"distance learning," said it will establish a European
sales and marketing office in the Netherlands in the third
quarter of 2000. The move will further expand Ed-X.Com's
relationships with learning content providers and
educational vendors based in the European Union. Ed-X.Com
currently maintains offices in Texas and California. The
Web site operation offers course listings and degree
programs from learning institutions from around the world.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/204810190.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Travel
======
Online Ticket and Reservation Company Expands into Brazil
and Mexico
United States-based online ticket and reservation site
Despagar is opening offices in Brazil and Mexico this week.
Currently, the portal operates in Chile, Uruguay and
Colombia. Meanwhile, the travel portal is awaiting a
US$10mn working capital injection to fund further expansion
into Peru, Venezuela, Spain and the US. Despegar offers
online reservations for airfares, hotels and car rentals
and online ticket sales. The company works with US-based
online reservation system Amadeus and US-based server
hosting company Digital Nation.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/194812810.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Trends
======
Bumpy Road Ahead for M-Commerce
E-commerce is moving down the alphabet. Next up is
m-commerce, where a mobile phone can take on the attributes
of a credit card. The new buzzword is just finding its
wings, so to speak, among wireless operators and vendors,
but real questions arise about the feasibility and
marketability of turning your cell phone into a cash
register. While shopping with your wireless phone has
become run-of-the-mill in Europe, the trend has barely
begun in the U.S.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/205131010.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
B2B Web Sites Not Living Up to Hype Yet
If you believe the hype, every company but your own is on
the Internet buying and selling at one of those
business-to-business trading exchanges for industries such
as health care, paper and steel. But the reality is that
most of these 'Net market-maker' sites have almost no
transaction volume. They do, however, have millions of
dollars in venture capital at their disposal, so expect to
hear more from established exchanges as well as the likes
of I-many, bolero.net and Tradeum, all of which have
launched in the past two weeks. Another start-up, NeuVis,
has begun selling a $5 million software package to
companies that want to start business-to-business
exchanges.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/203125710.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Web Site Tools
==============
Turnkey eCommerce Solutions throughout Latin America
International telecommunications operator Global One has
established a partnership with Argentine Internet systems
formulator I-Team to provide turnkey ecommerce solutions
throughout Argentina. Global One's Ecommerce Americas
Initiative will target six major Latin American markets:
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela.
Global One customers will have access to an innovative
turnkey service for their IP transport and ecommerce
applications. The initiative kicked off in Brazil in
December with local partner EverSystems. I-Team has grown
quickly since 1996 to become a leader in professional
services and strategy formulation for the Internet in
Argentina.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/21/191214660.shtml?e=1
FlashCommerce Daily
FlashCommerce.com Headlines
Daily News & Discussion of eCommerce & Small Business
============================================================
There has been a great deal of publicity surrounding Windows
vs. Linux operating systems. However, a new Linux product is
now challenging another well-known company, namely Hotmail.
LinuxLinks.com has just released a web-based email system -
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/183024180.shtml.
I'm sure we'll be seeing more of this as time moves on :-)
Enjoy the newsletter,
Rochelle
P.S. For you music fans, enjoy the Grammy ceremonies
tonight!
Headline News
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=1
Small Biz/SOHO
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=2
Internet Technologies
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=3
Enterprise Software
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=4
Startup Issues
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=5
Legal
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=6
Market Research
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=7
Business
E-business Performance: Snapshots of Sales Innovation on the
Web
The Bonus Business Reader Review
Change Can Be Good
Board Builders
Diversity
Ethnic Minorities in International Trade
E-Mail
LinuxLinks.com Launches New Free Web Based E-Mail Service
Enterprise Software
Oracle Company To Deliver Web To Cell Phones
Financial
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Creates Venture Capital Fund
The Truth About Venture Capital
Goldmine of Basic Financial Information for Small Businesses
Hot Venture Capital and Matching Links
GE Capital Offers Small Business Solutions
Healthcare
MedicaLogic to buy Medscape and Total eMed
MediaRenaissance.com Launches B2B Internet Personalization
Solution
Legal
Electronic Resolution Dispute Company
Microsoft, DOJ Spar Over Tying
Online Law Resources
Market Research
Is E-Commerce Slowing?
Europeans Uninterested in Shopping Online
Marketing
Web Site Design Tips
Image Is Everything . . .
Online Tools
Free Web-based Unified Messaging Service and Network
Payments
Get Yours With PayMe.com
Sales
Reeling In The Big Accounts
Security
Web Sites Consider Hacker Insurance
Sites
Chemdex Forms Parent to Oversee Its Expansion
New e-Business and Technology News Portal Opens
SOHO
HP Pushes New Look with Low-cost e-Vectra
Palm Unveils Color Model
Talkworks Pro 3.0 Voice-mail System
Technology
Challenger Via Shows Low-Cost Chip: Cyrix III
Microsoft Rivals Seek Data Synchronisation Standard
Telecommunication
Net2Phone to Offer Services to Small Businesses
Training
Online Law, Accounting and Real Estate Training
Advanced Degrees in eCommerce
Web Site Tools
SpaceWorks Offers End-to-End B2B Solution
Dell Expands E-Commerce with Web Hosting Service
Syndicated Content
Women
Ann Winblad on Women in the New Workplace
Women.future Interent Conference
============================================================
FlashCommerce daily article update for the last 24 hours:
====================== ARTICLES ============================
Business
========
E-business Performance: Snapshots of Sales Innovation on the
Web
E-tailers on the Web, including both dot.com startups and
traditional retailers, are not waiting to learn the results
of marketing research or customer surveys. They are moving
ahead to rapidly implement innovative marketing strategies
that they believe will give them the competitive edge in
this radically new model of doing business. In this
collection of four articles, A.T. Kearney describes the 7Cs
-- our name for the tools that we believe companies can use
to create the optimum digital customer experience.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/173519170.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
The Bonus Business Reader Review
Each year since 1990, Tom Brown of Management General has
been weeding through the stacks of new books that focus on
managerial leadership in search of the year's Top 10. Tom
is uniquely qualified to produce this list. He is a teacher
of leadership -- a speaker, consultant, author, journalist,
and reviewer in the discipline. The list itself debuted on
radio in 1990, moved to IndustryWeek through 1995, and
since then, has been widely distributed by Tom himself.
This year, Tom added a Book of the Decade and Book of
Century Awards. Stop in at the MG website to check them
out, as well as Best of the Year author interviews and all
the other nominees for this year's list.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/155508630.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Change Can Be Good
Thinking of reinventing your company? Most conventional
marketing wisdom emphasizes the importance of setting goals
for your business and working tire-lessly toward them.
However, it's sometimes just as important to change course
when opportunities arise.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/093528710.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Board Builders
Board Builders is a nonprofit organization that's helping
women-owned businesses create their first board of
directors or advisory board. In the process, the group
hopes to create a model program that can be duplicated
nationally in order to increase the number of women sitting
on the boards of major corporations. During the selection
process, which takes a minimum of four months, Board
Builders matches the entrepreneur with a three- to
five-member board of CEOs, corporate movers and shakers,
and other successful entrepreneurs--people who supplement
the business owners' weak areas and complement their
management styles.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/085535100.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Diversity
=========
Ethnic Minorities in International Trade
The U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service has created the
Global Diversity Initiative to promote the participation of
ethnic minorities in international trade. The program
accepts firms that have been in operation for at least two
years and have a product or service appropriate for
exporting and a positive net worth. Help is provided on two
levels: firms that are ready to export receive aid from
U.S. Export Assistance Centers in the form of international
trade information and industry connections; new-to-export
firms may enroll in the six-month Market Entry Program
which provides training, consultation and support. Eighteen
centers nationwide offer the Market Entry Program on a
rotating basis. Most of the centers provide the training
free; a few charge a nominal fee. For more information,
call the U.S. Export Assistance Centers at (800) USA-TRADE.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/090601040.shtml?e=1
============================================================
E-Mail
======
LinuxLinks.com Launches New Free Web Based E-Mail Service
LinuxLinks.com is proud to announce the launch of a free
web based email service targeted specifically for the Linux
community. This service allows users to send and receive
email on any computer that offers a web browser. Now you
can deal with email anywhere in the world in a discreet and
secure manner whilst at the same time promoting the Linux
cause. Some of the features provided include: a
your...@firstlinux.net email address, lightning fast
service, attachments, folders, address book, spam filters
and POP mail retrieval. There are many preference options
available too allowing users to enhance their messages with
different font styles, sizes and colors. A built-in help
facility is also provided. To complement this rich number
of features we also provide message searches, personal
signatures, aliases, and a personal profile to make a
complete FREE web email service. For more information and
to sign up please visit http://www.firstlinux.net/.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/183024180.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Enterprise Software
===================
Oracle Company To Deliver Web To Cell Phones
Oracle on Tuesday said that it has created a new company
promising easy access to the Internet via wireless devices
such as cell phones. The company, OracleMobile.com, is a
new wholly owned unit of Oracle, which Oracle CEO Larry
Ellison said would go public "as soon as possible." Through
a strategic alliance with Motorola, the company plans to
merge wireless data and voice capabilities to allow for
mobile access to information and e-commerce on the
Internet.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/161434830.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Financial
=========
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Creates Venture Capital Fund
The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Tuesday will unveil
the first investment in a venture-capital fund aimed at
Hispanic businesses. The fund, which starts with a slim $5
million but has a goal of $75 million, represents the
chamber’s efforts to address one of the biggest hurdles for
Latino entrepreneurs — access to capital, particularly
equity capital.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/161916870.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
The Truth About Venture Capital
Myth: Getting venture capital is impossible. Reality: It's
not easy, but it can be done. Here are some entrepreneurs
that achieved the impossible and the tips and hints they
recommend to successfully catch VC's attention.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/091815260.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Goldmine of Basic Financial Information for Small Businesses
Consider Entrepreneurial Edge.org a present from a rich
distant relative. It's the Web site of the Edward Lowe
Foundation, which dedicated a great part of Lowe's $800
million fortune to create a "whole campus for
entrepreneurs" at a private, 3,000-acre complex in
Michigan. Now the campus extends to your home, as the
financial section of this site includes great how-to
information on analyzing profitability; analyzing your
business using financial ratios; preparing balance sheets;
and preparing profit-and-loss/cash-flow summaries and
statements. The collection of more than 3,000 documents is
selected from entrepreneurs, government agencies,
small-business consultants, small-business publishers and
material published by the foundation itself. Here are just
a few of the financial education topics at Edge.org.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/091355180.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Hot Venture Capital and Matching Links
Finding the right financial backing is nine-tenths of the
new-business hurdle. Here are a few of the better Web sites
for locating investors and understanding the investment
formula. Looking for web sites that "match" investors and
lenders with entrepreneurs looking for start-up capital?
Here are some ultraspecific; others are more broad-based.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/084449120.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
GE Capital Offers Small Business Solutions
GE Capital joins a long list of U.S. companies itching to
get a bigger piece of the booming small-business market.
The new GE Small Business Solutions program is currently
being tested in Philadelphia and is expected to be rolled
out nationally early this year. The new program's approach
will feature GE Capital lenders with whom entrepreneurs can
meet to find an overall, possibly multifaceted approach to
their financing needs. GE Capital Small Business Solutions
targets companies with from $1 million to $20 million in
revenue that have been in business for at least three years
and operate in one of seven industries: wholesale
distribution, manufacturing, retail, construction,
transportation, health care and professional services.
Firms should be looking for $5,000 or more. For additional
information, call (800) 335-4372.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/084048590.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Healthcare
==========
MedicaLogic to buy Medscape and Total eMed
MedicaLogic, a provider of online health records, today
agreed to buy Medscape and Total eMed. The company said
that the deals will boost its Internet health information
businesses. The new company, to be called
MedicaLogic/Medscape, will bring together MedicaLogic's
online health record operations and Medscape's
Internet-based health, news and medical information. Total
eMed will add transcription services designed for
ambulatory care physicians.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/165618920.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
MediaRenaissance.com Launches B2B Internet Personalization
Solution
MediaRenaissance.com launched its business-to-business
Internet personalization solution for the healthcare
sector. MediaRenaissance.com's software will enable
pharmaceutical as well as medical product and services
companies to maintain online relationships with healthcare
professionals.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/164323700.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Legal
=====
Electronic Resolution Dispute Company
Are you involved in a dispute which can be resolved with a
monetary settlement? Using their secure, password protected
software, clickNsettle.com is a revolutionary new way to
settle disputes on the Internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. Over 10,000 cases are handled annually involving
every area of law: Personal Injury, Contracts, Construction
issues, Medical Malpractice, Commercial/ General Liability,
Employment Practices, Environmental conflicts, amongst
Others.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/164045050.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft, DOJ Spar Over Tying
Microsoft and the Department of Justice wrestled Tuesday
over whether an appeals court decision that supported the
software giant's integration of its browser and Windows
operating system immunized it from U.S. antitrust law.
Attorneys for the two protagonists presented their legal
arguments in a final inning before U.S. District Judge
Thomas Penfield Jackson rules if the software titan
violated antitrust statutes.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/161147200.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Online Law Resources
Many entrepreneurs are now turning to the Internet for a
broad range of information. Some Web sites offer free
advice on specific problems, along with easy ways to locate
local attorneys who have the expertise to help. The sites
are typically supported by advertising for law-related
publications and merchandise. Some also include directories
of lawyers, who pay for their listings. However, many sites
receive mixed reviews. Here are some extensive legal sites
that all cater to a nationwide clientele.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/085104960.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Market Research
===============
Is E-Commerce Slowing?
The electronic commerce universe is likely to stop
expanding within four years, according to a new report from
market research firm Forrester Research. The report,
released by Forrester analyst Joe Butt, asserts that the
general e-commerce market will undergo vast consolidation,
with consumer-oriented sites among the hardest hit. The
report, titled "Is Nonstop Enough?," also contends an
important survival requirement for Web sites, "near-100
percent uptime," will be too expensive for most
consumer-oriented sites to maintain on their own, which
will precipitate a wave of mergers. The report also
contends that general e-commerce expansion will come to a
halt by 2004. That means the number of companies joining
the e-commerce fray will likely slow down, while the number
of new buyers will level off as well. But the existing
buyers are still expected to spend increasing amounts.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/171808550.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Europeans Uninterested in Shopping Online
Only a small number of Europeans who have access to the
Internet actually shop online, according to a survey by a
U.S. research firm. This is because people do not trust the
Internet in general, and non-English speakers cannot always
find sufficient Web sites in their language offering
familiar products, Forrester Research analyst Reineke
Reitsma said at a news briefing today. The survey in July
1999 and August 1999 covered 17,000 households in Europe's
three largest markets--Germany, Britain and France--as well
as Sweden and the Netherlands.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/170203730.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Marketing
=========
Web Site Design Tips
When you first launched your Web site, you sat back and
marveled at the fusion of technology and design. But now
it's a year, six months or even three months later, you
realize you're your own worst critic. Trends blow like a
hurricane in the accelerated medium of cyberspace, and at
second glance, you're probably questioning whether your Web
site is really keeping up with the times. Boost your Web
presence with some of these guidelines for improving its
overall usability and look.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/093221230.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Image Is Everything . . .
It's all about image, so they say (the "they" your mother
told you not to listen to). Still, a truer statement was
never spoken when it comes to marketing your company. The
images featured in your presentations, on your Web site, in
your brochure and in your sales or media kit are a direct
representation of your company. And you'd better be sure
they represent the real you. When selling yourself, you
can't afford to use schlocky photographs, renderings,
charts, graphs and the like. Here are a few Windows-based
programs that can help you get the most out of your
graphics without spending a ton of money or facing a huge
learning curve. And, if you want a resource for high
quality photos, visit Photos To Go. You can search for,
download and buy more than 200,000 images.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/083451600.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Online Tools
============
Free Web-based Unified Messaging Service and Network
HotVoice Communications International Inc. offers unique,
low cost subscription-based global unified messaging
services. During its current trial period, a subscriber of
Hotvoice.com gets a free private web-based unified mailbox,
which seamlessly incorporates voice mail, fax, and email.
HotVoice.com’s messaging network (GUMNet_) enables and
guarantees voice, fax and e-mail messages to be delivered
securely through Internet backbone for the cost of a local
phone call, providing the greatest savings for
international communications. Subscribers to HotVoice.com
are able to access all types of messages regardless of
their locations, the communication device being used, or
the type of connection. Its messaging warehouse concept
allows easy storage, retrieval and management of
subscribers’ electronic documents (voice, fax and e-mail).
The subscriber’s universal mailbox is able to receive
multi-media contents such as audio, video and image
messages.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/163506860.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Payments
========
Get Yours With PayMe.com
Unless you're with the IRS or work for the mob, you're
probably not too comfortable harassing friends and
pestering loved ones for money they owe you. Rather than
call constantly, break kneecaps, or send your 300-pound
cousin Bruno to collect, here's an alternative: a free,
Web-based, automated payment processing service, payMe.com,
from a company of the same name. The service, which opens
its cyberdoors Wednesday, lets you issue bills to
roommates, friends, or parents. You simply create an online
account and send an invoice by e-mail. When recipients get
your bills, they can pay by credit card (only Visa and
MasterCard for now) online, by phone, or by postal mail.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/183318790.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Sales
=====
Reeling In The Big Accounts
Most entrepreneurs would love to land large corporate
accounts, but they often don't try for one simple reason:
They're afraid. Nevertheless, entrepreneurs should still
pursue corporate accounts. The first step to getting a
considerable corporate account is to spend time doing
research. Since bigger businesses are, by nature, more
complex, you'll conceivably need to do more research on
those companies than on smaller ones. Through networking,
communicating with suppliers and reading business
publications, unearth all you can about a company. What are
its plans? Short- and long-term goals? Marketing
strategies? Don't stop there, however. Follow through and
take these extra steps toward landing that great account.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/090859590.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Security
========
Web Sites Consider Hacker Insurance
It may be impossible for even the most fortified Internet
companies to ensure their Web sites will not be hacked, but
they can always insure themselves against losses from
unwanted intrusions. That's right: hacker insurance. Such
policies have been available for almost as long as the
Internet has been a commercial medium, but they are now
seeing a burst of interest from popular Internet sites
sobered by a series of attacks earlier this month.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/172214040.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Sites
=====
Chemdex Forms Parent to Oversee Its Expansion
Chemdex Corp., which operates online marketplaces for
chemicals and lab supplies, has formed a parent company,
called Ventro Corp., to oversee its expansion as it builds
similar business-to-business networks to electronically
connect buyers and sellers in other industries.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/160624030.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
New e-Business and Technology News Portal Opens
TechNewsWorld.com debuted this week, featuring what is
believed to be the world's largest online navigational hub
for e-business and technology news from around the world.
The new Internet portal site is updated every five minutes,
24 hours a day, and offers summaries and abstracts of the
latest technology news. TechNewsWorld.com is a free global
e-business and technology news service from the Triad
Commerce Group, publisher of the E-Commerce Times. (The
site looks promising, but when I visited it took quite a
while to load pages.)
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/153746830.shtml?e=1
============================================================
SOHO
====
HP Pushes New Look with Low-cost e-Vectra
The new generation of small, stylish computers might be
appealing to users, but as Hewlett-Packard introduces new
business systems today, it plans to pitch another theme
too: Small computers cost less. The e-Vectra, due to be
unveiled today and to begin shipping in April, is HP's
entry into the stylish computer market. Weighing just over
eight pounds, the system features a blue-white color scheme
and comes with various features to make operating the
machine relatively easy, such as a large start button and
USB (universal serial bus) ports. Formerly code-named the
ePc, the e-Vectra will compete directly against Compaq's
iPaq and the Stardust system from IBM. A basic e-Vectra
with a Celeron processor will start at $549.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/165936950.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Palm Unveils Color Model
Betting that more consumers want more than black-and-white
at their fingertips, Palm Inc. will flip back the cover
today on its first color model, the Palm IIIc. The $449
Palm IIIc is lightweight and easily slips into a pocket or
purse. Like its predecessors, the $449 Palm IIIc is
lightweight and easily slips into a pocket or purse. New
features let users compile a digital photo album and play
backgammon in shades of green, pink and brown. However, the
new Palm, which comes with 8 MB of memory, could have a
tough time finding an audience due to its bulky profile, a
lack of applications that need color and its roughly
five-hour battery life. But do they live up to all of hype?
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/160913040.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Talkworks Pro 3.0 Voice-mail System
Chances are, you don't need to talk over the hum of your
corporate jet simply to be heard by clients. No big whoop.
Pick up TalkWorks Pro 3.0, and you'll still sound like a
million bucks. A professional voicemail system for the PC,
TalkWorks sports multiple mailboxes, broadcast voice
messaging, prerecorded messages and a first-rate hard-copy
faxing system that together scream "Fortune 500." Bonus: A
nifty Caller ID-based Screen Pop-up function enables you to
instantly identify and duck calls from tiresome clients.
The street price for TalkWorks is $130.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/092142170.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Technology
==========
Challenger Via Shows Low-Cost Chip: Cyrix III
Taiwan's Via Technologies emerged as a new player in the PC
processor business today with the launch of a new chip
called the Cyrix III, formerly code-named Joshua. Available
at clock speeds of 400 MHz and 433 MHz, Via aims its chip
at low-end PCs that sell for $800 or less. The company
faces fierce competition from Intel and Advanced Micro
Devices. Via is better known for its chip sets. The Cyrix
III is based largely on a processor core that Via acquired
when it bought National Semiconductor's Cyrix subsidiary
last year.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/171424910.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Microsoft Rivals Seek Data Synchronisation Standard
Handheld computer manufacturer Psion Plc today announced
the formation of an alliance to establish a common
specification for all computers to exchange data. Founding
partners of the initiative include IBM, Nokia, Motorola,
and Palm, among others. Microsoft did not appear on the
list, although it was apparently invited to the party.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/160234240.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Telecommunication
=================
Net2Phone to Offer Services to Small Businesses
Net2Phone, whose software and network allow people to make
cheap long-distance calls over the Net, will soon sell a
device that will allow U.S. businesses to easily turn their
Net connection into their phone system. The device will
allow small businesses with as many as six employees to
make Internet-based phone calls with their regular phones.
They simply plug the device into their traditional
circuit-based phone system, often called a PBX. Businesses
can choose to make free calls over the public Internet or
pay a fee to use Net2Phone's private Internet-based
network, which can offer better voice quality.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/170701780.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Training
========
Online Law, Accounting and Real Estate Training
eLearnX enables professionals in law, accounting and real
estate, to fulfill their continuing education requirements
online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week-we never close.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/164943660.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Advanced Degrees in eCommerce
The world of e-commerce is exploding with opportunities,
and colleges and universities nationwide are scrambling to
teach students how to navigate it. If your business plan
calls for an e-commerce expert, check out one of the
business schools offering advanced degrees in this
cybercommerce.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/093029820.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Web Site Tools
==============
SpaceWorks Offers End-to-End B2B Solution
SpaceWorks is a provider of business-to-business, sell-side
Web commerce solutions. SpaceWorks Web BusinessManager
Suite™ enables large-scale enterprises to quickly be up and
running on the Web with an automated business-to-business
channel for their marketing, sales and support operations.
This new application suite expands the capabilities of
SpaceWorks flagship application, OrderManager®, with
complementary, integrated applications that automate
specific business-to-business activities over the Web.
These activities -- personalized marketing, interactive
guided selling and complex product configuration, auctions,
bill presentment and payment, post-sales service and
maintenance and online customer support - can now be
supported through this single integrated solution.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/162802060.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Dell Expands E-Commerce with Web Hosting Service
Online computer giant Dell Computer Corp. announced today
that it is expanding its e-commerce offerings by launching
a Web site hosting service for small to medium-sized
businesses. Dell's new hosting service is available on
Dellhost.com, which appeared on the company's Web site late
Friday. By contrast, Dell's major competitor, Compaq
Computer Corp., began a nationwide advertising campaign
this past weekend for an Internet-ready server. The product
offering is designed to make it easier for small and
medium-sized businesses to set up their own Internet
presence without a hosting service.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/153941410.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Syndicated Content
Fueling content for your Web site can be an editorial
headache and a financial drain. Fully or partially
subsidizing your site content with purchased syndicated
columns, news, horoscopes, weather, sports, comics and the
like is a time-saving and economical option. If you're
looking for some text mortar to fill in a few gaps,
consider the these services.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/092329930.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Women
=====
Ann Winblad on Women in the New Workplace
Ann Winblad, co-founder of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners,
has helped launch more than 70 startups with a total
capital investment of $350 million. She sits on the boards
of seven companies and speaks twice a month at conferences
and universities about entrepreneurship and the future of
the Internet economy. On Mar. 3, Winblad will address about
300 MBA women at the National Conference for Graduate Women
in Business at the University of California at Los Angeles.
Here's an edited transcript of a recent conversation with
her.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/173423190.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Women.future Interent Conference
The Committee of 200, an organization of women who own
businesses with annual revenues of at least $15 million or
who head divisions of U.S. or international corporations,
is spearheading an Internet conference. Its mission: to
give as many as 100,000 women worldwide an opportunity to
listen to and interact with top women in business. The
event--Women.future--consists of Web chats and message
board discussions throughout the year; then, on April 5,
the actual conference will be broadcast live from New York
City. Women in selected locations can e-mail or call in
with questions. Log on to the chats at
http://www.women.com/womenfuture or call (800) 977-6387.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/22/085840210.shtml?e=1
FlashCommerce Daily
FlashCommerce.com Headlines
Daily News & Discussion of eCommerce & Small Business
============================================================
Today's newsletter has some interesting and entertaining
stories. For a short laugh, I recommend checking out the
'Mind Reading Markup Language' (or MRML) article
(http://flashcommerce.com/article/00/02/23/151711310.shtml).
Even if you're not a web site designer, I guarantee you'll
find it amusing :-) I also think the story about Immersion's
web development kit
(http://flashcommerce.com/article/00/02/23/144336600.shtml)
that enables you to add a sense of touch to your site is
interesting. I haven't come up with a long list of uses yet,
but it's definitely something new and different :-) Also,
for those of you who like to use a variety of OS systems,
you might want to check out the VMWare 2.0 article
(http://flashcommerce.com/article/00/02/23/184327060.shtml)
that discusses how you can run multiple OS systems
simultaneously.
Have a productive and great day!
Rochelle
Headline News
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=1
Small Biz/SOHO
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=2
Internet Technologies
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=3
Enterprise Software
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=4
Startup Issues
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=5
Legal
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=6
Market Research
http://flashcommerce.com/poll.pl?id=4&a=7
Business
Webentrepreneurs, Unite!
E-Mail
WARNING: New Hacker Software Could Spread by Email
Analysis of BoldFish's High Volume Message Delivery System
Financial
PSINet Sets $1B Internet Venture Program
Fulfillment
eFulFillment Vendor: EXE Technologies
Global Issues
New Attempt to Close Global Digital Divide
El Sitio Leads SME Project between Argentina and the US
Legal
Court Documents Join E-Commerce Parade
Permanent Net Tax Ban in Jeopardy
Chinese Legal Case To Tackle Online Copyright Law
Market Research
U.S. Manufacturers Not B2B E-Commerce Ready
By 2005, 92% Of Online Consumers Will Communicate Via
Personal Rich Media
Online Spending on Consumer Electronics
Computer Economics Forecasts 10 Major Changes in e-Business
Most Major Firms Are Missing the Mark on E-Business
Online Tools
Advanced Call Center
Web PIM Goes Wireless
New Web-based Scheduling Service: TimeDance
Payments
Zero-Knowledge to Develop Anonymous Electronic Cash
Will the Second Generation of Online Currency Catch On?
Privacy
EU and U.S. Reach 'Tentative' Data Privacy Accord
Product
Try WebTV for Free...well, almost!
Sales
Online Sales Psychology That Works
Sites
Hansol Opens Online Int'l Marketplace
Amazon Offers U.K. Services over Cell Phones
Ford and Trilogy Launch Web Company
SOHO
Run Multiple Operating Systems Simultaneously
Is That IE in Your Pocket PC?
Supply Chain
SCT Corp Previews New B2B Planning, Execution, and
eProcurement Suite
Technology
Net Access via Wall Sockets Before Year End
Symbian Unveils Wireless Platform: Quartz
Telecommunication
Net Access from PC or Mobile Phone
NTT DoCoMo to Offer Internet on All Phones
Travel
European Airlines Plan Web Venture
Web Site Tools
Sun-Netscape Unveils Portal Package
The Latest Markup Language: MRML
Immersion Web Development Kit to Add Sense of Touch to the
Web
Women
Changing the Way Venture Capital Firms Look at Women
Meeting Her High-Tech Needs
============================================================
FlashCommerce daily article update for the last 24 hours:
====================== ARTICLES ============================
Business
========
Webentrepreneurs, Unite!
Need information about the best way to advertise your Web
site or locate funding for your online venture? Want to
learn more about the legal aspects of the Internet? Then
join Webentrepreneurs.com, an association for the online
business community that allows members to access
information, discuss hot topics, share success stories and
network with other Internet entrepreneurs and potential
partners. Sign-up is free and members receive a monthly
online publication called The Webentrepreneur, devoted
exclusively to entrepreneurs doing business on the Web.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/171500410.shtml?e=1
============================================================
E-Mail
======
WARNING: New Hacker Software Could Spread by Email
A group of anonymous programmers has released a new version
of the software that may have helped shut down Yahoo and
Amazon.com earlier this month--one that makes it far easier
to launch attacks, computer experts say. The tools, a new
version of a software package dubbed "Trinoo," could allow
attackers to infiltrate ordinary desktop computers though
an innocent-looking email attachment. These
computers--particularly those connected to high-speed
Internet services--could then be used as unwitting
accomplices in assaults on other Web sites. Security
officials at the FBI and other computer security agencies
have been warning of the danger these tools pose for
several months and have provided software to help guard
against their use. But the new version of Trinoo heightens
the danger because it makes attacks easier to launch.
Because the new version can infiltrate Windows NT-, Windows
95- and Windows 98-based machines, far more computers are
at risk of becoming hosts. Most of the major antivirus
firms have already developed or are developing tools to
scan for and remove the new Trinoo software.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/163527600.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
Analysis of BoldFish's High Volume Message Delivery System
BoldFish, Inc., a pioneer developer of outbound e-mail
solutions for enterprise marketing and customer services,
unveiled the industry's first production-ready, high-volume
message delivery system earlier this month. The system
provides seamless, back-end integration to enable a
customer's existing database with software and professional
services for high-volume and high-speed sending
capabilities; reliable, time-critical mailings; complete
content personalization; and efficient, effective
management of bounced e-mail. Here's an overview of
Boldfish's latest system.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/155338980.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Financial
=========
PSINet Sets $1B Internet Venture Program
PSINet said Wednesday that it is creating a $1 billion
corporate venture program to support Internet
entrepreneurs. PSINet Venture's Leapfrog Program will be
the first dot-com start-up program that uses a services for
equity investment model, the company said. This structure
establishes a line of credit for a start-up dot-com to
purchase any PSINet service in exchange for equity rather
than cash. The Leapfrog Program is designed to give
start-ups the flexibility they need to build their
businesses and realize their financial goals. The company
will focus globally on application service providers
(ASPs), content service providers (CSPs), eCommerce
providers, Internet infrastructure providers, incubators,
and other emerging opportunities that enhance PSINet's
financial and competitive technology and service positions.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/160646380.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Fulfillment
===========
eFulFillment Vendor: EXE Technologies
EXE Technologies, Inc. (EXE) is a provider of multi-channel
distribution software, featuring eFulfillment Systems (eFS)
and warehouse management systems (WMS). As companies
initiate broader customer channel strategies utilizing
enabling Internet technologies, customer satisfaction is
the key to sustainable competitive advantage. eFulfillment,
is a Customer Loyalty Process that begins with accepting
customer demand and ends with the customer receiving
exactly what they want, when they want it, at the place
they want it, at a price representing exceptional customer
value and supplier profitability. EXE is in the business of
improving its customer's bottom line by minimizing
fulfillment and distribution operating costs, while
providing exciting and binding customer service.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/141333460.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Global Issues
=============
New Attempt to Close Global Digital Divide
A new joint venture between the World Bank and a Japanese
investment group aims to narrow the global digital divide
by investing in Internet startups in developing countries.
Newsbytes Asia reports that SoftBank Corp of Japan and the
International Finance Corporation, which is the World
Bank’s private sector investment arm, have established
Softbank Emerging Markets. The new company will initially
have USD200 million to invest in developing Internet
markets around the world.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/181031460.shtml?e=1
------------------------------------------------------------
El Sitio Leads SME Project between Argentina and the US
Miami-based horizontal portal El Sitio will lead the
private sector driven E-pymes Project to promote ecommerce
between small- and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) in
Argentina and the US, El Sitio announced. The portal has
won a public bid to design Comerciousa, an online commerce
center developed by the US Commercial Service in Buenos
Aires targeting Latin America but with special emphasis and
development in Argentina. The site explains international
commerce rules and provides business-to-business
information and support to facilitate trade between Latin
American and US-based SMEs. El Sitio is also co-sponsoring
a joint US Commercial Service-Argentine government program,
designed to provide the hardware, software and training
tailored to the needs of Argentine SMEs, bringing a below
market price ecommerce solution. The resulting synergy will
"allow users to implement ecommerce as a tool to maximize
the commercial opportunities of Argentine SME's," according
to the US Department of Commerce.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/173841950.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Legal
=====
Court Documents Join E-Commerce Parade
CourtLink, a provider of real-time online access to court
documents in the U.S. federal system, and JusticeLink, an
Internet provider of electronic document filing to courts,
announced today that they intend to merge and create a
fee-based Internet gateway to U.S. court systems. The
market for purchasing and filing court documents online is
potentially huge. In a litigious country like the United
States, online access to court documents appeals to a whole
spectrum of people and industries. The two companies said
that the merger would ease the flow of paper to an
overburdened system and create what could be a
multi-billion dollar e-commerce market in the process.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/182629780.shtml?e=1
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Permanent Net Tax Ban in Jeopardy
In a reversal, the chairman of a sharply divided federal
commission on Internet tax issues signaled he may accept
something less than a permanent ban on taxing Internet
commerce. Virginia Gov. James Gilmore has been among the
strongest opponents of moves to help state and local
governments collect taxes on purchases made over the
Internet. But in preparation for the panel's final meeting
next month, he submitted a resolution that largely embraces
a compromise recently floated by business interests.
However, the Governor said Wednesday afternoon that he is
not backing off his opposition to taxation on the Internet
as was widely reported.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/145833110.shtml?e=1
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Chinese Legal Case To Tackle Online Copyright Law
A recent legal case in Beijing has posed some serious
questions about what liabilities a website bears if a user
with a private home page at the site infringes. The case
stems from the unauthorized publication of an article on a
personal home page.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/142201880.shtml?e=1
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Market Research
===============
U.S. Manufacturers Not B2B E-Commerce Ready
A nationwide poll of U.S. industrial firms shows that most
are not engaging in extensive business-to-business (B2B)
e-commerce, according to the National Association of
Manufacturers (NAM). The study echoed a recent report from
Deloitte and Touche showing that 70 percent of U.S.
retailers lack a cohesive e-commerce strategy. NAM
represents 14,000 members, including 10,000 small and
mid-sized companies, and 350 member associations that serve
manufacturers and employees in every industrial sector and
all 50 states. In addition to initiating studies on
e-commerce, NAM is also partnering with Unibex Corporation
to launch a B2B marketplace for its members.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/183140620.shtml?e=1
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By 2005, 92% Of Online Consumers Will Communicate Via
Personal Rich Media
Just as the Internet has changed the way that businesses
communicate with consumers, it will change the way
consumers communicate with each other. Digital
technologies, combined with the communication and
distribution medium of the Web, will enable consumers to
create and share personal multimedia content. According to
a new Report from Forrester Research, Inc., sites and
vendors that exploit this trend will improve customer
retention and drive related commerce activities.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/181512420.shtml?e=1
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Online Spending on Consumer Electronics
Online spending on consumer electronics items is expected
to increase from $455 million in 1999 to $6.9 billion in
2004, according to Gomez Advisors. Gomez Advisors forecasts
that of the 110 million people who will shop on the
Internet in 2000, more than 9 million will purchase
consumer electronics items (TVs, home stereo components,
VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, wireless phones, pagers and
digital cameras) for a total of $851 million. This
represents a more than 100% growth from the 4.2 million
people who purchased consumer electronics via the Internet
in 1999. What are the most critical challenges facing
online electronics e-tailers within the next year? Firms in
this industry will need to innovate in the areas of on-site
resources and relationship services. These services allow
the online retailer to remain the vital link between
consumer and manufacturer.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/153226180.shtml?e=1
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Computer Economics Forecasts 10 Major Changes in e-Business
According to Computer Economics Vice President of research,
Michael Erbschloe, "The Internet is going to change fast
during the next few years, and change faster than it has
during the last five years. Although this change will open
more opportunity for entrepreneurs, it is also going to
become more challenging and more expensive to compete on
the Internet." Computer Economics predicts these 10 macro
trends will change the nature of the Internet.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/144709840.shtml?e=1
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Most Major Firms Are Missing the Mark on E-Business
In a recent study, entitled E-Reality Sets In, META Group
points out that US businesses have favored investment in
customer-related areas of their e-business operations over
procurement, distribution, inventory and supplier
relationships. The study argues this demonstrates a lack of
strategic focus and commitment to e-commerce. Fortunately,
there is evidence that this is beginning to change. The
report examines 14 categories of e-business activity in
terms of the percentage of companies treating them as the
primary investment focus. For the current year,
customer-related areas were the primary investment
categories for a majority of companies.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/141845540.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Online Tools
============
Advanced Call Center
Here's a downloadable program that performs standard
answering machine functions: It can play a greeting, send a
beep signal, record messages, and hang up when the call is
complete. You can automatically accept or reject an
incoming call by adding any Caller ID to your "blacklist."
This version includes call announcements by pager, e-mail
Caller ID notification, and bug fixes.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/185814810.shtml?e=1
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Web PIM Goes Wireless
In the not-too-distant future, you could check your
calendar with a handheld phone, a mini-browser, and a free
Visto account. The Visto Web-based Personal Information
Manager that includes online file storage, e-mail,
calendaring, an address book, and a database, among other
offerings is now venturing into new venues. A streamlined
version of the service should be available to anyone with a
Web-capable phone by the end of March. Wireless customers
will be able to access four of Visto's features: e-mail,
calendar, tasks, and address book.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/185014630.shtml?e=1
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New Web-based Scheduling Service: TimeDance
How long does it take to schedule a typical group meeting?
How many phone calls--and voice-mail messages? In today's
hectic world, it's harder than ever to schedule anything
involving more than two people. But TimeDance, a Web-based
scheduling service, takes the hassle out of the process.
Tell TimeDance with whom you want to meet, offer some
possible times, and it automates the process of e-mailing
invitees about meeting specifics and possible times--and it
keeps at the process until an acceptable time slot is set.
Best of all, the service is free.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/172613500.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Payments
========
Zero-Knowledge to Develop Anonymous Electronic Cash
Zero-Knowledge Systems, which sells a product called
Freedom that enables users to surf the Web, send e-mail,
post to newsgroups, and chat via untraceable, pseudonymous
digital indentities, said it plans to expand its services
to include digital cash, which will enable users to conduct
online transactions anonymously. Zero-Knowledge acquired
exclusive rights to patents of Stefan Brands, who has
joined the company as distinguished scientist. Mr. Brands,
who served as a technologist at Digicash, is a
cryptographer who specializes in privacy, PKI, digital
identity authentication systems, and electronic cash.
Zero-Knowledge will develop its digital cash services in
conjunction with merchants and other partners, and place
some initial emphasis on gift certificates and loyalty
reward programs. Zero-Knowledge also announced its
intention to open an office in Silicon Valley where most of
the company's senior management will be located.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/170525550.shtml?e=1
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Will the Second Generation of Online Currency Catch On?
Digital currencies are sprouting all over the Internet. But
virtual money does not yet pose a serious threat to the
real thing. electronic cash has flopped badly. Its issuers
either went bankrupt (DigiCash), dropped the product
(CyberCash) or moved into another business (First Virtual
Holdings, now MessageMedia). On the Internet, almost all
payments are still made by unsexy credit cards. In fact,
digital cash was always a long shot. Despite that sobering
experience, a second generation of financial firms is now
giving e-cash another go, online.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/150601850.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Privacy
=======
EU and U.S. Reach 'Tentative' Data Privacy Accord
Although a Commerce Department official on Tuesday told
Newsbytes that there is no formal accord, the Wall Street
Journal (WSJ) today is reporting that European Union (EU)
and U.S. government officials have reached a tentative plan
to resolve a data privacy dispute that could have halted
e-commerce between companies and individuals in the U.S.
and EU member states. EU officials in Brussels referred all
questions on the data protection issue to the EU's
Washington, D.C. delegation, though staffers in the D.C.
headquarters were unable to comment on the status of the
talks. The potential dispute has been simmering for months,
but escalated to a head in recent weeks as government
officials on both sides of the Atlantic continued to
grapple with the enormity of the problem.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/182810750.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Product
=======
Try WebTV for Free...well, almost!
If you're interested in WebTV but the price is holding you
back, Microsoft wants you to reconsider. The software giant
is looking to lure new subscribers to its WebTV service
with a free two-month introductory offer, Microsoft
announced on Tuesday. Between now and April 30, U.S.
subscribers who buy a WebTV Plus receiver (from Sony,
Philips Electronics, RCA, or Samsung Electronics) and
register for a month of paid service can receive a coupon
redeemable for two months of free service, Microsoft says
in a statement. The coupons must be received by May 15. A
WebTV Plus set-top box receiver currently costs about $199,
with the service priced at $24.95 per month.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/185712450.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Sales
=====
Online Sales Psychology That Works
So you have a Web site. No matter what it is all about,
your site was built to be used by people. The good news for
you today is that people, no matter how complicated they
may all seem, run on a common psychological framework. They
use this framework to do just about everything, including
use and buy from your Web site. David Gikandi looks at
seven standard psychological phenomena that work
beautifully when it comes to online sales. Learn and apply
these and your online success will definitely soar.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/144918270.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Sites
=====
Hansol Opens Online Int'l Marketplace
Hansol CSN, Korea's cyber trader, has opened an
international web marketplace (http://www.koreaok.com),
which the firm says "provides more opportunities than ever
to sell and buy items ranging from clothing and furniture
to paper manufacturing supplies and cosmetics." This web
site is intended to search for and link up with buyers and
sellers worldwide and enable online transactions.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/175006130.shtml?e=1
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Amazon Offers U.K. Services over Cell Phones
Bookstore browsers who go home to check prices online
before committing to a purchase can save themselves a
journey: Amazon.com's U.K. Web site will be available on
mobile phones starting tomorrow. The online shopping giant
today said it is launching what it claims is the first
European service that will let customers complete a
transaction from their handset without making a voice call.
Owners of Nokia or Motorola mobile Internet phones will be
able to access a site, called Amazon.co.uk Anywhere, and
buy books or CDs by typing in a user name and password.
Calls will be charged at data rates, which Amazon said are
lower-priced than voice calls.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/162927520.shtml?e=1
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Ford and Trilogy Launch Web Company
Ford Motor on Wednesday took the wraps off a partnership
with e-business software maker Trilogy Software to launch a
company that will develop and operate Ford.com and its
dealer websites. The new company, which hasn't been named
yet, will focus on strengthening Ford's customer
relationships through its brand sites. Ford uses Trilogy
configuration and pricing software on its online buying
site. The new company will incorporate Trilogy's software
with its e-commerce platform to provide content management,
needs analysis, and CRM.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/161016420.shtml?e=1
============================================================
SOHO
====
Run Multiple Operating Systems Simultaneously
Want to hedge your bets on taking the plunge to Windows
2000? Consider installing a $309 utility that lets a single
PC run several operating systems simultaneously. You can
download a 3MB beta version of VMware 2.0 for a 30-day
trial. With it, you can run two operating systems--and many
applications--simultaneously. VMware 2.0 lets you boot each
OS once and leave it, plus applications, running. VMware
2.0 is scheduled to ship in March for $309 ($299
downloaded). Current owners may upgrade for a discount,
based on the date of purchase. Version 1.0 for Linux and
1.1 for Windows are still available, at the same prices,
with free upgrades to 2.0.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/184327060.shtml?e=1
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Is That IE in Your Pocket PC?
When Pocket PC handhelds hit the streets later this spring
they will include a complete Internet Explorer browser and
SSL security protection. The IE browser will be new for the
update of the Windows CE operating system, which will lose
that name and be called Pocket PC when the new handhelds
appear.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/184606430.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Supply Chain
============
SCT Corp Previews New B2B Planning, Execution, and
eProcurement Suite
On February 8 at the Ritz Carlton in Boston, SCT
Corporation demonstrated iProcess.sct, its new
business-to-business (B2B) software solution supply chain
for process manufacturers and distributors. iProcess.sct
binds together SCT's Adage Supply Chain Execution software,
advanced planning features from 1998 acquisition Fygir
Logistic Information Systems B. V., and ecFoods' Internet
Trading Exchange. The combination neatly unites ERP, Supply
Chain Management (SCM), and e-procurement.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/155826980.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Technology
==========
Net Access via Wall Sockets Before Year End
PreussenElektra announced today that it is finally ready to
bring the technology that enables Internet access via power
lines to market. The new technology, known as "Powerline"
is capable of downloading information at speeds of up to 2
megabytes per second via electricity sockets, and can also
be used for telephony. It is likely to be introduced before
the end of the year.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/150233400.shtml?e=1
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Symbian Unveils Wireless Platform: Quartz
An international venture of high-tech powerhouses unveiled
a new computer platform Wednesday that aims to bridge
programming gaps that stifle communication between
different kinds of handheld computers and mobile phones.
Symbian - which is owned by mobile phone giants Ericsson,
Motorola and Nokia, and computer makers Matsushita and
Psion - announced the project during a press preview the
day before doors open at CeBIT, the world's largest
technology and computer trade show. Called Quartz, the
operating system's main feature is designed to create
easier communication between various handheld gadgets,
thereby cashing in on the growing demand for devices -
other than personal computers - that can access the
Internet.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/142756360.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Telecommunication
=================
Net Access from PC or Mobile Phone
Germany's third-largest mobile telecoms carrier E-Plus has
introduced its own Internet portal. Managing director Klaus
Thiemann said: "E-Plus Online offers the first integrated
Internet portal that can be accessed using WAP, mobile data
transmission or the fixed network." E-Plus believes that
its innovative product has given it an advantage over
competitors, which currently only offer mutually exclusive
mobile, WAP or fixed-line Internet access. The portal,
which was unveiled at the CeBIT trade fair on Wednesday,
also offers a free e-mail service, with SMS-messaging for
mobile phones.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/175353770.shtml?e=1
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NTT DoCoMo to Offer Internet on All Phones
NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc., Japan's biggest
mobile-phone company, said Wednesday it would offer
Internet access on all its new cell phones beginning this
summer. NTT DoCoMo, as the company is known, will include
as a standard function the company's i-mode mobile Internet
access service. The move by NTT DoCoMo, which expects the
number of i-mode subscribers to reach 10 million by the end
of the year, underscores the company's efforts to increase
data traffic over its cellular handsets. I-mode's Internet
capability allows DoCoMo's cell-phone users to reach the
Web without a service provider. The i-mode service allows
subscribers access to a limited number of on-line services
such as ticket reservations and banking for a basic monthly
fee of 300 yen.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/174738110.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Travel
======
European Airlines Plan Web Venture
British Airways Plc said Wednesday it plans to launch an
Internet travel agency with other European airlines in the
latest step by the troubled industry to slash huge
ticketing and distribution costs. The project, which
follows a similar venture by a group of carriers in the
United States last year, is one of a wide-range of
e-businesses which BA estimates will save it some $710.8
million a year by March 2002.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/173126050.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Web Site Tools
==============
Sun-Netscape Unveils Portal Package
As more companies look to corporate portals as a way to
bring together employees, customers, and suppliers, more
packaged applications are appearing to help simplify and
speed up deployment. The latest is from the Sun-Netscape
Alliance, also known as iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions. The
alliance has introduced iPlanet Portal Server 3.0, a
full-service platform for deploying robust portals for
e-commerce and collaboration. The software helps companies
manage membership rolls, personalization, security, and
integration with back-end legacy applications -- and bring
them to any user with a browser. iPlanet Portal Server
version 3.0 is due in the second quarter of this year.
Pricing has not been released.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/161248160.shtml?e=1
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The Latest Markup Language: MRML
Once you've dispensed with outdated markup languages like
HTML, XML, HDML, and XHTML, you can adopt the Mind Reading
Markup Language, MRML (/mur'mul/), a proprietary extension
of the HyperText Markup Language and make your Web sites
really sticky!
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/151711310.shtml?e=1
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Immersion Web Development Kit to Add Sense of Touch to the
Web
Immersion Corporation has announced the availability of
Immersion Web Development Kit (WDK), a free set of software
tools that enables Web designers to add the sense of touch
to a Web site, thereby allowing users to actually feel the
objects they are viewing. The Immersion Web Development Kit
works with all Immersion TouchSense enabled hardware
products including the Logitech WingMan Force Feedback
Mouse. Web designers of all levels now have the capability
to add another sense, touch, to the existing senses of
sight and sound, giving users a much more compelling and
realistic Web experience.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/144336600.shtml?e=1
============================================================
Women
=====
Changing the Way Venture Capital Firms Look at Women
Can women get venture capital funding? The arguments on
both sides are equally persuasive. Venture capitalists say
they consider profit potential, not gender, when looking
for deals. But despite this apparent neutrality, women only
got an estimated 4 to 5 percent of the $38 billion invested
in the United States in 1999. But, the numbers are
improving. The change is attributed to several factors:
women entrepreneurs being better-prepared to seek capital,
more venture capitalists looking to fund women and more
women working at established venture funds.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/164348620.shtml?e=1
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Meeting Her High-Tech Needs
Building on its mission to become the preeminent online
destination for consumer electronics and entertainment
products and information, Hifi.com today announced the
launch of HerHifi.com. HerHifi.com is the first forum to
merge women's lifestyle and entertainment needs so they can
comfortably learn about, compare and buy consumer
electronics and entertainment products. Hifi.com is a
sister company to Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc. and a wholly
owned subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd.
http://flashcommerce.com/articles/00/02/23/143625690.shtml?e=1