ECMgt.com: October 2001 Volume 3, Issue 10 - The New Face of Marketing

• Management Perspective: The New Face of Marketing by Mitchell Levy (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/management.perspective.htm)
• Sponsors ("E-Volve-or-Die.com" Author: Mitchell Levy, neoIT.com, Fort Point Partners, Delano Technology, Global M&A Survey) (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/sponsors.htm)     
• Shaping the Future with a Portfolio of Real Options By Ash Vasudevan, Director, CommerceNet Investment Initiatives (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/feature.article.htm)
• E-News Sections (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/all.e-news.htm)  
  • E-Strategies (sponsored by ECnow.com) (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/e-strategies.htm)
  • E-Products (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/e-products.htm)
  • E-Services (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/e-services.htm)
  • E-Marketing (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/e-marketing.htm)
  • E-Commerce Supply Chain (sponsored by Sameday.com) (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/supply.chain.htm)
  • Governance & Going Global   (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/governance.going.global.htm)
  • Partners & Deals (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/partners.deals.htm)
  • Movers & Shakers (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001/movers.shakers.htm)
• Becoming a Sponsor (http://ecmgt.com/sponsor.info.htm)
• Contributing to ECMgt.com (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001)
• Contacting Us (http://ecmgt.com/contact.htm)
• Miscellaneous Info (http://ECMgt.com/Oct2001)

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As companies continue to wrestle with issues about online and offline branding, we are entering a new era of personalization. Marketing will be faced with implementing new approaches in the Internet-enabled world. Let's start with a look at the marketing landscape in 2001.

Marketing in 2001 - the changing global picture

• Multi-cultural, multi-lingual
• Real-time consumer touch-point data
• Geopolitical and economic changes - new market stability
• Customer centric vs. product centric marketing
• Radical demographic shifts - new psychographic data
• Category management vs. brand management
• Quality and experience becomes brand, especially for the Internet
• Build-to-order creates micro-brand / micro-product awareness
• Delivery channels and how we buy and receive goods and services is changing
  • VMI and direct commerce creates a new retail model
• Business-to-business and collaborative commerce intersect
  • Marketplaces drive information and product / service transactions

Fundamentally a company has two goals:

1) Knowing a customer
2) Satisfying a customer

In 2001 and going forward, service as an experience will be integral to product performance, price will become less important, and value will become brand.

We live in a world of short-lived brands, brand pollution, and increasingly complex buying and delivery channels. In the book "The Experience Economy", experience with a service or total product performance drives brand. Amazon.com, as a brand, is the perfect shopping and delivery experience. Being the "World's Largest Bookstore" is one thing, but the experience we have with Amazon is really the brand.

In a world where "leveraging your brand" often means extending a corporate name into new categories, the issue of online vs. offline branding creates a new paradigm. In 2001, ubiquitous networks, CRM and PRM applications, and sophisticated data mining tools make it possible for you to know your customer through every transaction and inquiry. And business customers expect the converse of us.

Why then do we ask about "brand identity" - offline vs. offline? Is this logical? Barnes and Noble.com Crate and Barrel, Eddie Bauer and Land's End have learned the importance of treating the customer the same way no matter what the channel, capturing transactions, and delivering messages to customers in preferred formats.

The initial concept of treating a distribution channel as a separate brand led to confusion for some of these retailers. Certainly the "dot.com" frenzy and Internet branding did each a disservice until the iron rule of "experience branding" was applied. Are we serving our customer and meeting their most urgent needs? And is their total "brand experience" with us one hundred percent to their satisfaction? Certainly in retail this is obvious. In enterprise environments, particularly with partner channels, complicated supply and value chains, and increasingly complex product and service integration, this is a real challenge.

How then do we use new business and technology tools to meet the challenge of marketing in 2001?

The answer is straightforward. Focus on the tools and processes that address customer knowledge, and customer satisfaction. Often marketers will simply say this is "personalization". But personalization has two key components, measurement and collection of transaction data, and personalization in response. These break down further into CRM applications - for selling and customer knowledge, including service and support, and PRM, applications for addressing delivery needs of complex products and solutions through partner channels. In the middle is classical ERP, which now must join these two ends, creating the magic "360 degree view". Yet most large enterprises have not created the technology and process foundation required for shared knowledge, data integration, and "personalization" for messaging and product design. But the quest has begun.

Best practices for creating enterprise brands include Dell, Cisco, Intel, and Charles Schwab. Where did this begin? The "click and mortar evolution" in the B2C space was mirrored in the extension of classic B2B process from a two way experience to networked integration of partners. Firms such as Dell and Cisco, and later Intel, integrated electronic commerce and business into their business plans and models first, and then created the technologies for execution. Our "brand experience" with Dell is custom configuration, personalized electronic support, and complete enterprise knowledge of us. Cisco built in electronic configuration and ordering from day one, and their product configurator is considered best in class - so much so that their partners use Cisco's own site for building and quoting prototype installations. Intel drove extranets for customers and integration of inventory management in an increasingly complex and commodity-driven global technology market. Charles Schwab fought the common and incorrect assumption that branding your online services with "dot.com" was foolish and non-differentiating. Almost half of all trades and two thirds of new accounts have come from their online channel. The "brand" is the experience of solid trading performance backed by expert online advice, and the ability to apply self-service to managing a broad portfolio of assets and financial instruments. If there is confusion in the analyst or branding community, it is the failure to see that Schwab extended their "experience" into the holistic world of networked e-business. Schwab.com merely is the name of the "channel" by which many of their customers know them. But that is the essence of successful Internet branding.

NEW LAWS OF BRANDING:
Rapid brand creation and deployment requires driving publicity electronically and then advertising and reinforcing name recognition through a number of business channels. The successful company is one whose marketing can keep ahead of the fast-changing global marketplace, and keep the company's visibility high in an era of "brand pollution". The aim of marketing strategy becomes to drive the market, particularly category management - to influence the customer's learning process to the company's advantage. Creating new categories of transactions, performance, and experience through synergistic delivery channels is the next frontier. Enron.com has become a leading player through its novel market making commodity distribution and management services.

Branding faces new challenges through complex distribution chains. Disintermediation of wholesalers and retailers through electronic commerce is still an unproven theory. In fact, re-intermediation through vendor managed inventory and contextual commerce have created merchandizing mechanisms with benefit to wholesalers, distributors, and customer facing portal and marketplaces. Here it is important to understand that an Internet brand combines name recognition with channel performance.

Businesses are doing a better job of retaining customers by finding imaginative ways to exceed customer expectations. Most companies have built proprietary customer databases containing rich information on individual customer preferences and requirements. This information is used to "mass customize" marketing and sales promotions to individuals, as well as to alert appropriate personnel when transactions or inquiry behavior indicate that a buying decision, or product performance issue, needs more attention.

Most companies are networked and rely heavily on alliances with partners and suppliers. PRM now joins CRM in delivering a unified message to prospects, including rapid quoting of complex offerings with minimal errors. Within PRM, franchises have joined corporate sales in a more "holistic" sales force. Many customers now prefer the sales interface of a computer screen to "human" interaction. Actually, they prefer the ability to interact and configure on their terms. This gives corporations unique opportunities to better manage and respond to product and service needs, and allow customers to "create" their own solutions.

In building "experience brands", companies will focus more on building customer share rather than market share. Cross-selling and up selling are challenges for interactive sales tools. Many companies are formulating reward packages and incentives for their more profitable customers, and have switched from a transaction perspective to a customer loyalty-building perspective. In the future of transparent commerce, companies will observe transactions of their customers, and model "personalized" services around then that create more value at less cost, increasing the favorable experience with the brand.

While companies believe that their only sustainable advantage lies in an ability to learn and change faster, total brand experience is reinforced by consistency of personalized service, and the ability to create personalized products through build-to-order and mass customization. Marketers are reaching an increasing percentage of customers by advertising through opt-in email, which continues to rise in favor, while banner ads decline even further. Increasingly, executives use the Internet for industry news; placement of informative messaging mixed with "branding" is a powerful tool used by IBM, Oracle, and Sun.

Throughout the evolution of the marketing concept, the basic notion that "competitive advantage can be created by giving customers what they want" has remained unchanged. All that has changed is the way in which customers are satisfied. Holistic enterprises that watch, think, and respond in personalized product and service offerings will increase the positive brand experience for all their customers.

BRANDING:

• Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/
• Drugstore.com http://www.drugstore.com/
• Barnes and Noble http://www.bn.com/
• Crate and Barrel http://www.crateandbarrel.com/
• Eddie Bauer http://www.eddiebauer.com/
• Schwab http://www.schwab.com/

B2B BRANDING:

• IBM http://www.ibm.com/
• Oracle http://www.oracle.com/
• Sun http://www.sun.com/
• Dell http://www.dell.com/
• Cisco http://www.cisco.com/
• Intel http://www.intel.com/

CRM (CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGMENT):

• Siebel Systems http://www.siebel.com/

PRM (PARTNER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT):

• Allegis http://www.allegis.com
• Partnerware http://www.partnerware.com/

DATA MINING AND BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE:

• NCR http://www.ncr.com/
• Microstrategy http://www.microstrategy.com/
• Cognos http://www.cognos.com/

The Experience Economy, B. Joseph Pine, James Gilmore, and B. Joseph Pine II Harvard Business School Pr; ISBN: 0875848192

About Mitchell Levy
Mitchell Levy, is President and CEO of ECnow.com (http://ecnow.com), a training business service provider helping companies transition its employees, partners and customers to the Internet age through off-the-shelf and customized on-line and on-ground training. He is the author of E-Volve-or-Die.com, Executive Producer of ECMgt.com, an on-line E-Commerce Management (ECM) e-zine, Chair of comdex.biz at Comdex Fall and Chicago and the Founder and Program Coordinator of the premier San Jose State E-Commerce Management Certificate Program (http://ecmtraining.com/sjsu). Mitchell is a popular speaker, lecturing on ECM issues throughout the U.S. and around the world.

I hope you enjoy this eZine.
See you in cyberspace,

Mitchell Levy
Executive Producer, ECMgt.com <http://ECMgt.com>
President, ECnow.com <http://ecnow.com>
Founder and Coordinator, SJSU-PD ECM Certificate Program <http://ecmtraining.com/sjsu>

• ECMgt.com is the premier monthly ECM e-zine.
• ECnow.com is an e-commerce strategy, e-marketing and training firm. helping start-up, medium and large corporations change their business to harness the power of the Internet.
• E-Volve-or-Die.com is a book one must read to help them figure out how to e-volve-or-die
• San Jose State University, Professional Development, Electronic Commerce Management (ECM) is a Certificate Program for e-commerce professionals <http://ecmtraining.com/sjsu>.

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SPONSOR'S CORNER 

A recent news item titled "Biochips Go Big Time: Microelectronic and communications firms turn to life sciences" reflects a growing trend among companies to invest in markets with uncertain potential and outcomes. In anticipation of a booming $10 billion growth in the biochip business, companies like Corning, Hitachi, and Motorola are attempting to expand into this space by forging alliances and making investments in start-up companies. A further testament to this trend is the proliferation of corporate venture capital in recent times. In 1999 alone, the value funds dedicated to corporate venture capital went up to $6.3 billion dollars.

In other words, underpinning any company's strategy for the future is a bevy of forecasts. A series of, "if A occurs, then B is likely to happen" scenarios are at the heart of their strategic planning cycles. Large subsets of these scenarios are those that involve the decision to invest and expand into markets characterized by uncertain demand and market potential. The problem is further exacerbated when the market is distantly related to the scope and scale of its current activities. Viewed differently, a firm's initial investment in new markets can be envisioned as buying the right to expand into the future.

Consider the following scenario. The CEO of an eBusiness company is faced with a difficult decision. Her company has the opportunity to forge a strategic alliance (technology sharing and investment) with a small high-tech company with considerable expertise in a potentially important emerging technology. The technology's impact on eBusiness is little unclear, but current trends and analyst reports seem to suggest that the future impact is likely to be profound and could offer significant potential for the eBusiness company to move into new markets. However, as with any new technology, its potential and future is uncertain. The decision the CEO faces isnot only whether to invest $5 million in the venture, but also whether to commit her company's non-financial resources (engineers, marketing personnel, etc.) to the alliance. Future investments are also likely to be required. Traditional discounted cash flow analysis often overlooks the intangible aspects of such an investment - namely the range of options this investment would create for the company.

In financial parlance this is an example of a real option. What is an option? It is the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call option) or sell (put option) a specific amount of a given stock, commodity, currency, index, or debt at a specified price (strike price) during a specified period of time. An option is an investment to maximize the chance of successfully responding and minimize the chance of being left stranded in uncertain environments of unfolding trends and changing competitive dynamics. It is about investing now to exercise the right to develop a portfolio of technological and market competencies in the future. Why is it a real option? It is real because it is an investment in operating instead of financial capital and it is an option because it is an investment in the right but not the obligation. Take the case of Intel. Their venture capital group is managing a fund worth $6.3 billion - that includes seed round investment in 60 of the 350 companies in their total portfolio. Most of their investments are focused on Internet infrastructure and Internet content/service space. Consider Intel's real option activity in the P2P (peer-to-peer) space. Aside from investing in companies (Groove Networks, etc.), they are also the founding members of the Peer-to-Peer Working Group², established to foster the development of standards and protocols for peer-to-peer computing in business environments. So in addition to financial capital, they are dedicating real resources (managerial time, salary, etc.) to the development of a nascent technology.

Why is this critical? It is hard to imagine another time, when being at the forefront of the flow of innovations was such a competitive imperative. A portfolio of options enables a company to create a platform for generating killer applications. "Unleash the killer app", instead of "be unleashed by the killer app", is the mantra that spells the difference between competitive success and market failure. Critical innovation opportunities often involve navigating through the unarticulated and unmet needs of customers. Underpinning the concept of unarticulated and unmet need is an environment characterized by uncertainty. It could be technological uncertainty (Which technology is likely to dominate the market?), demand uncertainty (How and when is consumption likely to change?) and/or competitive uncertainty (From whom and from where is our next competitive threat likely to emerge?). In such environments, firms may find it prudent to invest in options that will increase their chances of securing their current and future competitive positions. A recent article in Red Herring alludes to IBM's changing chip strategy, which now involves a series of investments in start-up companies in exchange for equity³. Or, consider Intel's recent acquisition of VxTel, a voice-over-optical-networks company for $550 million. After an initial investment in VxTel's early round (buying an option), Intel decided to acquire VxTel (exercising the option). This is an example of taking real options. The business press is rife with such examples.

In viewing the current and future competitive landscape from an options perspective, two critical decisions emerge to the forefront. First is the decision to identify the next generation killer applications that are likely to render the current business models obsolete. Are they out there? If so, how quickly and in what sequence will they diffuse and how are they likely to impact us? This would make it a survival imperative for companies to hold options in those technologies that would have a disruptive impact on their competitive success. Second is the timing decision. When is it desirable to exercise the option and what influences the exercise choice?

While in the past, companies would dedicate themselves to unleashing a single killer app, today's intensely competitive environment demands that they unleash more than one killer app to sustain their competitive edge. What are the next killer apps in eBusiness? Are there any innovations threatening to shift the center of gravity of eBusiness? What are the confluences of events or trends that are threatening to unleash new rules of the game and in the process generate new wealth creation models and opportunities? What are the weak signals today that have the potential to dramatically change our experiences of Internet and eCommerce tomorrow?

Wireless Applications
First is wireless. Will mobile Internet outstrip conventional Internet and the business use of Internet as we know and understand it today? In the next two years, it is projected that wireless use of the Internet will grow beyond a billion users worldwide. Companies in this space are betting that more and more computing power and services will be accessed using airwaves through a myriad of wireless devices that link personal computers, hand-held devices and other gadgets to the Internet and to corporate networks, as well as to each other. Expectations are that wireless connections will herald a new era of ubiquitous and pervasive computing. With wireless appliances, the goal is to enable the customer to access information on a 24x7x365 basis without any constraints on location. As we all get intertwined in a mobile-centric world, a new strategy incorporating the wireless applications is likely to unfold, gradually progressing from the periphery to the very core of a firm's competitive effort. We have already seen the early stages of what is to come: new wireless applications are likely to make obsolete such things such as credit cards, traveler's checks, trips to the bank, checkbooks, passports, foreign exchange, remote controls and even cash. IDC estimates the number of wireless subscribers will skyrocket from fewer than a thousand in 1999 to more than 29 million in 2004. Meanwhile, the value of their transactions will go from being too small to count to close to $21 billion during the same time frame. It is their ubiquity (anytime, anywhere, anyhow) that makes the range of wireless communication devices and their potential to conduct transactions (B2B/B2C) with just the push of a few buttons extremely powerful and appealing, and consequently, their diffusion widespread.

While the explosion of wireless applications in B2C space is well documented, wireless in B2B is still a weak signal that needs amplification. There is some activity though. IBM has allocated $300 million of its $500 million commitment to building an intelligent infrastructure including chips, databases, mainframes, servers and protocols, to position itself at the forefront of the data-rich mobile future. In Asia, Korea Telecom, Freetel, Broadvision and 28 other companies have formed a wireless Internet B2B group to develop products for corporate clients. Consider the recent alliance between Siebel and Sprint that has them developing wireless solutions for verticals, including the financial services, high technology and communications industries. In Asia, B2B transactions are expected to be conducted mainly through wireless communications. Other companies are building solutions around Asia's wireless boom. Taking advantage of China's burgeoning wireless infrastructure, MeetChina.com is working with companies like Motorola Inc. and China Wireless Information Network to alert executives to online requests from supply-chain partners via their cell phones. This is the first step toward eventually building real-time electronic marketplaces, involving interactions between overseas buyers and Chinese suppliers. Not to be left behind, i2 Technologies recently formed an alliance with JP systems Inc., a mobile ASP, to offer services such as auction and remote order management services to i2's tradematrix customers.

So the following questions need to be posed: Is your strategy (corporate and business) and business model WAP enabled? Can your ecosytem (suppliers, business partners, customers) access and transact with you and each other more efficiently through wireless networks? How are eBusiness applications going to link seamlessly to the plethora of hand-held, mobile devices? Will wireless transactions mirror their B2B exchange counterparts and migrate from simple to complex business transactions? Will wireless middleware, application servers, EAI (enterprise application integration) technologies, and others migrate and converge onto a common platform? Is your product/service conducive to ubiquitous transaction now? What level of your product (core, actual or augmented) has the greatest opportunity and is most likely to be impacted by wireless applications? What about the future? What wireless applications can be used to transform the customer's perception and usage pattern of your product/service? Can you strengthen your relationship with your stakeholders through wireless applications?

Broadband and Peer-to-Peer Technologies
The second weak signal is the emergence of high-speed, "broadband" networks and applications. One of the primary, and perhaps most important, benefits of the Internet was the potential for it to make information available to those who needed it instantaneously. While the first generation Internet made possible the sharing of simple documents (formatted text and graphics), the future Internet will involve the sharing of all kinds of information ranging from data, voice, audio, and video. We won't just send words, or even still images, to each other. We'll send huge amounts of data, including audio and video. Among other things, broadband will accelerate the move toward "peer-to-peer" uses of the Internet, allowing users to connect to computers over the Internet and share data and digital files. What does it mean?

Webopedia⁴ defines peer-to-peer architecture as "a type of network in which each workstation has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities. This differs from client/server architectures, in which some computers are dedicated to serving the others. Peer-to-peer networks are generally simpler and less expensive, but they usually do not offer the same performance under heavy loads." Additionally, peer-to-peer goes beyond simply sharing files - it also encompasses the usage of spare processing cycles of idle networked and desktop computers. For some others, it is about taking advantage of idle resources at the edges of the network called Internet. Just like wireless, P2P applications seek to dramatically transform the "connectivity" and "communicability" dimensions of the network.

"Is your business 'Napsterized?'" is the new mantra, having supplanted the old, "Has your business been Amazoned yet?" What is this hoopla all about? Fundamentally, it is about a decentralized architecture (hybrid or pure) that enables a network of clients to share information, and donate unused processing power to run complex, computational - intensive applications. Instead of information being held at one central location, peer-to-peer technologies makes it possible to access information (files, data etc.) residing on every client connected to the network thereby blurring the distinction between client and server. In its purest form, each node in the network is simultaneously the client and the server. Unlike the centralized architecture that is underpinning and driving much of the content, community and commerce in the Web today, P2P has set in process the creation of a decentralized architecture that drives much of the same flow using the Internet. Consider GridTalk, a B2P (business-to-peer) solution that allows vendors and clients to engage in real-time serverless communications by exchanging documents over the Internet in a seamless, secure, and instantaneous manner. Imagine a P2P network that offers real-time information about the availability and price of materials flowing into the manufacturing of a car. Instead of searching a central database that is always delayed by 24-48 hours, users (buyers and sellers) have the option of transacting in real-time. This is exactly what Infrasearch⁵, a P2P network company, is creating.

Will this eventually lead to the emergence of decentralized marketplaces⁶? Similar to what is happening in the wireless world, will we see a plethora of P2P middleware adapters linking eBusiness applications and P2P? Can P2P software handle complex business transactions? How will to "peer-to-peer" trading mechanisms affect the volume and quality (interacting with bots) of transactions conducted today? Again, how will eBusiness applications be linked to the peer-to-peer platform? Will they be primarily enterprise-based solutions? While the volume of possible transactions is an obvious benefit⁷ of peer-to-peer, the quality of transactions is a less-obvious benefit. Consider Kalepa, a P2P start-up that is integrating the file sharing technology of P2P, with the need for companies to access and scale applications over the network on a real-time basis for close enterprise systems. Aside from this, we are also beginning to see P2P applications to facilitate collaborative planning and forecasting, risk sharing and contingency contracting among supply chain partners. Finally, is there a potential for P2P applications to merge with wireless devices? Using Bluetooth technology, Swedish software maker Pocit Labs has created the first file sharing application for mobile devices enabling 54 peers to share files, play games or use wireless software applications⁸.

Optimizing Your Option Portfolio
So how do you know if you have created the right portfolio of options for the future? How do you know that you are in a position to actively influence the future rather than passively succumb to it? Depending on your industry, product, and position in the value chain, the threat wireless applications or P2P pose to your competitive advantage may range from imminent to weak. All else being equal, the threat is more imminent if your product is 100% information intensive. On the other hand, if your product is a mix of bits and atoms, the threat is weak, yet credible.

Consider the above figure for illustration purposes. If recent trends are to be believed, most of the much-touted B2B commerce is likely to flow through supply chains rather than neutral exchanges. Fundamentally, underpinning any supply chain are flows - a flow of information (sales data, inventory status, production schedule, promotion plans, demand forecasts, shipment schedule, and new product introduction plans), a flow of money, and a flow of materials. At the beginning and end of each flow are buyers and sellers. These flows occur at every node of the chain and often not in a sequential manner as delineated above. Each node also represents a network of transactions, intertwining buyers and sellers in a complex network of value creation. Efficacious management of this flow will enable companies to get products to volume and market faster and more efficiently, while reducing inventories.

Depending on the industry, there could be certain nodes that are more conducive to being enabled by wireless and peer-to-peer applications than others. For instance, all else being equal, you are more likely to demand real time information on sourcing, production, distribution and sales rather than research and design where the life-cycles, by choice, are longer. More specifically it is important to evaluate the node in isolation as well as in conjunction with other nodes to better understand the impact of the innovation on the supply chain. How does it facilitate and dramatically improve the flow between nodes? Does it lead to greater visibility into supply chain processes and consequently enable better and faster collaboration? How does it enable participants to better manage their risk? An innovation at one node could lead to the diffusion of new business models and fundamentally new supply chain architectures through the chain. Viewing the supply chain as an ecosystem of value creation and transactions will better position players within and outside the supply chain to create options, forecast the value of their options and exercise them in a timely, efficient fashion. However, both wireless and P2P applications need to move beyond merely improving the accessibility and flow of communication, and address the challenge of building deeper collaborative relationships that underpin most B2B transactions in the real world.

Conclusion
The greatest rewards go to those companies that can create new business models in the context of changing technological and demographic trends. Often times, risk reduction becomes a competitive imperative in response to uncertainty. An options approach, on the other hand, invokes a new perspective - profiting from uncertainty. It gives you a chance to be at the edge of the future. Doing that requires the right combination of breadth and depth. Innovation today is a competitive imperative. The central question facing firms today is "where will the next generation of wealth-creating opportunities come from? Firms have to invest in a portfolio of options if they desire to emerge unscathed in the intensifying battle of innovations. Options represent the best means of hedging against unintended consequences. If you think about it, investing in the right to expand and acquire is better than having no options at all. For instance, following an initial investment, Cisco has acquired approximately 10% of its portfolio companies. Being bold, taking options, and constantly questioning the assumptions of success is going to be the sine qua non of monitoring new business opportunities and conceiving new product and service ideas to stay ahead of the game. It requires viewing the overall competitive landscape from three perspectives:

• Broadly, what capabilities are going to be needed for us to profitably meet our customers' needs in the future, especially with the advent of peer-to-peer and wireless applications?
• What potential future markets (geographic, customer or non-user) will it be important to start learning about so that we have the option to serve them in the future?
• Which customers (or partners) can be recruited to catalyze the rapid adoption and diffusion of the innovation? Successful innovation, as Michael Schrage⁹ observes, is "the relentless coevolutionary synthesis of the innovator and the adopter", rendering the "brilliant customer at least as important as the brilliant innovator."

We live in a world where the risk of being rendered obsolete by the intrepid interloper is not distant but immediate, and in some instances, day-to-day. Shaping the future is as critical as harnessing the strengths of the present, and this is especially true in the fast-paced world of eBusiness. The recent downfall of B2B companies does not mean that the well-established players can once again be comfortably ensconced in a state of complacency. If anything, this should only serve as a warning of ensuing disruptive technologies and business system innovations in most industries. Wireless and P2P represent two such disruptive technologies in the landscape. The question, then, is one of timing. How quickly and in what sequence will new technological and business innovations strike at the very core of our business, economic and social experience? If recent history involving the Internet and the business use of Internet is any indication, the wait will be over sooner than you expect. Are you prepared? And more importantly, are you protected?

About the Author
ASH VASUDEVAN
COMMERCENET INVESTMENT INITIATIVES, COMMERCENET
Ash Vasudevan is the head of CommerceNet Investment Initiatives - an investment program focused on the creation, development and diffusion of innovative technologies in the Internet Space.
All inquiries regarding this article should be directed to ash@commerce.net.

Endnotes
¹"Biochips Go Big Time", Alexandra Stikeman, Technology Review, March 2001.
²See http://www.peer-to-peerwg.org/.
³"Big Blue goes ape on Sand Hill Road", Steve Silverman, Red Herring, February 20, 2001.
⁴http://webopedia.internet.com/TERM/p/peer_to_peer_architecture.html.
⁵Sun Microsystems acquired Infrasearch on March 7.
⁶Gnumarkets is one of the first movers in this space and purports to have established the first peer-to-peer marketplace with transactions devoid of any middlemen.
⁷Some companies to watch in the P2P space: Knownow, Kalepa Networks, OpenCola, Xdegrees, gonesilent.com, Lightshare.
⁸"P2P gets mobile, taps Bluetooths Wireless Tech", Ben Chamy, CNET.com
⁹"Customers as Innovators", Michael Schrage, Technology Review, January/February 2001.

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CONTENT - ECMGT.COM E-COMMERCE NEWS

• E-STRATEGIES & TRENDS
  
  
• E-PRODUCTS
  
  
• E-SERVICES
  
  
• E-MARKETING
  
  
• SUPPLY CHAIN
  
  
• CONTENT, PORTALS & COMMUNITY
  
  
• GOVERNANCE & GOING GLOBAL
  
  
• PARTNERS & DEALS
  
  
• MOVERS & SHAKERS

E-STRATEGIES & TRENDS

This section sponsored by ECnow.com, please visit them at http://www.ecnow.com

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• What Small Biz Gets from the Web
• Vendors Opportunity to Participate in Windows XP Adoption Study
• 39% Of Germans Surf Web, But Gender Gap Still Huge
• U.S. Home Computer Use Up but Gaps Remain
• Thirty-One Million Households To Go Broadband by 2005
• The Way We Were
• New DSL Standard Offers Faster Speeds
• U.S. Recovery: Recession Is Certain
• Wireless Networks Going Wireless at Home and Work
• Worldwide Wavelength Service Revenue Will Top $3 Billion by 2005
• New Study Confirms Teleglobe's Global Internet Leadership
• Let The Music Play, Someday
• The New Economy Is Hardly Dead
• African American Web Surfers Grow Faster Than Average Online Population
• U.S. Households Disconnecting Extra Phone Line
• Consumers and Businesses Express Heightened Interest in Bluetooth

Cost of Computer Viruses Top $10 Billion
Computer viruses have wreaked an estimated $10.7 billion in clean-up costs and lost productivity worldwide so far this year.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEW40CAWok0hi0Rsn0Am

The Internet Supplants the Library as a School Resource for Many Online Teenagers
Use of the Internet has become an increasingly important feature of the learning environment for teenagers both inside and outside the classroom

• Pew
• http://www.pewinternet.org/releases/release.asp?id=29

Information Security Services to More than Triple to $21 Billion
In 2000, the worldwide market for information security services grew to approximately $6.7 billion

• IDC
• http://www.idc.com/services/press/PR/SV092001pr.stm

IT Job Market Expected to Pick Up in Q4
Chief information officers in the US anticipate a net 15 percent increase in the hiring of IT professionals in the fourth quarter of 2001.

• Cyberatlas
• http://cyberatlas.internet.com/markets/professional/article/0,,5971_876521,00.html

More Car Buyers Turn To The Web
Fifty-three percent of US adult Internet users went online to look for information while buying a car in 2000, up from 41 percent in 1999.

• Nua
• http://www.nua.com/surveys/?f=VS&art_id=905357215&rel=true

What Small Biz Gets from the Web
Despite the dot-com downturn, there is still room for small offline retailers on the Web and good reasons for them to be there.

• CRM Daily
• http://www.crmdaily.com/perl/story/13551.html

Vendors Opportunity to Participate in Windows XP Adoption Study
Multi-Client Research to Measure XP Adoption Rate; Offered to Limited Number of Clients

• BusinessWire
• http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?bw.090501/212480063

39% Of Germans Surf Web, But Gender Gap Still Huge
Some 24.8 million Germans, or 39 percent of people 14 years and older, surf the Web at least occasionally.

• Newsbytes
• http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/169734.html

U.S. Home Computer Use Up but Gaps Remain
More than half of all U.S. households had a computer last year, but gaps among income and racial groups persist

• Yahoo!
• http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010906/tc/tech_census_dc_1.html

Thirty-One Million Households To Go Broadband by 2005
Predicting that cable will continue to dominate the U.S. residential broadband market over the next four years

• e-Insite
• http://article.e-inSITE.net/UM/T.ASP?A5.60.1117.3.1830032178

The Way We Were
Looking back over CRM's history, it is clear that the seeds of problems that companies are experiencing today were planted at least five years ago.

• CRM Daily
• http://www.crmdaily.com/perl/story/13681.html

New DSL Standard Offers Faster Speeds
An emerging high-speed Internet standard in Europe holds potential for faster download speeds and broader availability for many U.S. businesses.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200-7242800.html?tag=tp_pr

U.S. Recovery: Recession Is Certain
Terrorist attacks essentially cemented the U.S. economy's slide into recession,

• Idg
• http://idg.net/ic_697315_4394_1-1681.html

Wireless Networks Going Wireless at Home and Work
The market for home networks that do not rely on wires, otherwise known as wireless local area networking, is poised to grow to $243 million in 2001, up from $123 million last year

• Cyberatlas
• http://cyberatlas.internet.com/markets/wireless/article/0,,10094_888881,00.html

Worldwide Wavelength Service Revenue Will Top $3 Billion by 2005
Wavelength services using dense wave division multiplexing as an alternative to structured high-capacity SONET-based private lines are forecast to grow from $1 billion worldwide

• Gartner
• http://www4.gartner.com/5_about/press_releases/2001/pr20010920b.html

New Study Confirms Teleglobe's Global Internet Leadership
Company captured more of the competitive market for international Internet backbone traffic than any other provider

• Business Wire
• http://www.businesswire.com/photowire/pw.061500/201672502.htm

Let The Music Play, Someday
All the talk about the rise of digital music has not only grown mundane, it's become increasingly clear that the talk is hollow, too.

• Forbes
• http://www.forbes.com/technology/newmedia/2001/08/31/0831music.html

The New Economy Is Hardly Dead
When America's recovery begins, just watch as technological savvy and entrepreneurial drive pick up where they left off

• Business Week
• http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2001/nf20010921_7103.htm

African American Web Surfers Grow Faster Than Average Online Population
Nearly 8.2 million African American surfers logged on the Internet from home this past August, as compared to 6.9 million surfers the previous year

• Nielsen//NetRatings
• http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=NTRT&script=411&layout=-6&item_id=206883

U.S. Households Disconnecting Extra Phone Line
Some U.S. households are getting rid of their additional phone line and many of these households are purchasing alternative, feature-rich and higher-priced forms of communication equipment

• Business Wire
• http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?bw.091901/212622013&ticker=IT&ticker=ITB

Consumers and Businesses Express Heightened Interest in Bluetooth
In comparison to last year, familiarity of and interest in the benefits of Bluetooth are on the rise among consumers.

• Instat
• http://www.instat.com/pr/2001/mm0111bw_pr.htm

E-PRODUCTS NEWS

• Master Merlin's new I/O classes
• Napster Eclipsed by Newcomers
• Olympus unveils small 4M pixel-class camera
• EMC Ups Storage Ante With Symmetrix Enhancements
• No SOAP for Sun; Microsoft tool has edge
• Century Launches Internet Appliance Software Suite
• Microsoft Debuts Pocket PC Operating System With Enterprise Features
• Linux emerges as best OS play for HP-Compaq
• Rabbit Runs With Free Internet Media Player
• Palm Report Loss, Postpones Wireless Device
• Dataviz Documents To Go 4.0
• Hiawatha Island Releases New Section 508 Wares
• Making Calls In a Pre-3G World
• IBM Introduces Its Highest-Performance Midrange Unix Server
• Philips Previews MPEG-4 Video-Encoder Technology
• Motorola Announces New, Faster Computer Chip
• Slew Of New Products On Tap At N+I
• New 802.11 Encryption Technology Secures Wireless Networking
• Converting Laptops Into Unplugged Internet Terminals
• Microsoft Enhances Windows 2000 Datacenter Scalability
• IBM Introduces New NetVista PCs

Master Merlin's new I/O classes
The JDK 1.4 beta, the Merlin release unleashes hundreds of new classes. Using Merlin's new I/O classes, we will build a Web server that handles thousands of connections with just three threads.

• JavaWorld
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693775_1794_9-10000.html

Napster Eclipsed by Newcomers
Napster, dead and gone for the last several months, is gearing up for a comeback.

• Wired
• http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,46596,00.html?tw=wn20010907

Olympus unveils small 4M pixel-class camera
Olympus Optical has launched a 4 megapixel digital still camera that measures 43.5 millimeters thick by 87 millimeters wide by 68.5 millimeters tall, and weighs 190 grams.

• IDG
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693689_1794_9-10000.html

EMC Ups Storage Ante With Symmetrix Enhancements
EMC officials said the storage vendor is pumping up the capacity, performance and connectivity of its Symmetrix line of arrays.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZu0CAWok0hi0SCF0AT

No SOAP for Sun; Microsoft tool has edge
The beta releases of Microsoft's Visual Studio.Net and Sun's Forte for Java 3.0 Enterprise Edition will help launch Web services at many companies, while pushing the .Net and ONE platforms.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?139200:4932118

Century Launches Internet Appliance Software Suite
Century Embedded Technologies has launched an embedded software suite for the development of advanced Internet appliances that has been optimized for small footprint smart flat-panel devices.

• e-Insite
• http://article.e-inSITE.net/UM/T.ASP?A5.60.1117.4.1830032178

Microsoft Debuts Pocket PC Operating System With Enterprise Features
Microsoft introduced a new version of its Pocket PC OS with built-in enterprise features such as VPN clients, but the new software won't support first-generation hardware from HP and Casio.

• Computer World
• http://computerworld.com/nlt/1%2C3590%2CNAV47_STO63589_NLTWK%2C00.html

Linux emerges as best OS play for HP-Compaq
The combined HP-Compaq Computer must weed a tangled garden of OSs and focus on fewer platforms to realize the $2.5 billion per year in savings it projects

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?139832:4932118

Rabbit Runs With Free Internet Media Player
Rabbit Media, Inc. has just released a free media player that enables PC users to view videos in the QuickTime, Windows Media Player, MPEG, AVI and ASF file formats while online.

• e-Insite
• http://article.e-inSITE.net/UM/T.ASP?A5.60.1117.9.1830032178

Palm Report Loss, Postpones Wireless Device
Palm pulled the plug on its plan to launch this year a highly anticipated wireless handheld computer.

• Yahoo
• http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010920/tc/tech_palm_outlook_dc_2.html

Dataviz Documents To Go 4.0
Dataviz's Documents To Go 4.0 puts Palm PDAs on an even footing with Pocket PCs when it comes to handling Microsoft Office applications and even provides some capabilities that Pocket PCs don't currently offer.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?139203:4932118

Hiawatha Island Releases New Section 508 Wares
Hiawatha Island Software released new versions of its client software this week and expects to follow with the server component in a matter of days.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZT0CAWok0hi0R630AN

Making Calls In a Pre-3G World
Wireless companies scramble to develop gadgets that can work now, and also be upgraded when the much-awaited broadband spectrum finally arrives.

• Wired
• http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,46617,00.html?tw=wn20010907

IBM Introduces Its Highest-Performance Midrange Unix Server
IBM introduced a new pSeries mid-range Unix server featuring its new 750-MHz RS64 IV processor along with self-managing and self-healing capabilities from its mainframes.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZu0CAWok0hi0SCm0A7

Philips Previews MPEG-4 Video-Encoder Technology
Philips Semiconductor has combined its TriMedia very long instruction word media processor with a real-time MPEG-4 video-encoder from Streaming Networks.

• e-Insite
• http://article.e-inSITE.net/UM/T.ASP?A5.60.1117.6.1830032178

Motorola Announces New, Faster Computer Chip
Motorola announced it has developed a computer chip it says is 35 times faster than today's models and will cut the cost of manufacturing electronics such as cell phones and DVD players.

• Nando Times
• http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/72863p-1028790c.html

Slew Of New Products On Tap At N+I
Solution providers attending Networld Interop here will find that technology development is continuing at a rapid pace despite the sluggish economy.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZu0CAWok0hi0SCH0AV

New 802.11 Encryption Technology Secures Wireless Networking
Key Hopping System Adopts Credit Card Authentication Technology to Improve Security in the Wireless Enterprise

• BusinessWire
• http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?bw.091201/212550018

Converting Laptops Into Unplugged Internet Terminals
Portable PCs may have shrunk to far more manageable sizes and weights since then, but their most prevalent method of use has lagely remained the same.

• e-Insite
• http://article.e-inSITE.net/UM/T.ASP?A5.60.1117.2.1830032178

Microsoft Enhances Windows 2000 Datacenter Scalability
Microsoft expects to ship a polished, more scalable version of its Windows 2000 Datacenter Edition early in 2002.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZu0CAWok0hi0SCK0AY

IBM Introduces New NetVista PCs
Big Blue updates its NetVista line of desktop PCs with three new models that combine Pentium 4 processors and SDRAM memory.

• Yahoo
• http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20010920/tc/ibm_introduces_new_netvista_pcs_1.html

----

E-SERVICES NEWS

• Cell phones answer call in crisis
• Yahoo turns from Sun-Netscape technology
• New wireless apps cater to carriers, not users
• Hacker Forces Some Banks To Cancel Visa Debit Cards
• RosettaNet unveils new tools, services
• Privacy Flaw Found at Verizon Wireless Site
• Consumers Demanding and Getting More at the ATM
• Strategizing for Web services
• Intel Unveils Anypoint Wireless Network Family
• WAP paves the way for m-commerce
• World's First interoperable Mobile Instant Messaging and Presence Services
• Vodafones 3G On Track For June 2002
• Working to restore Manhattan phone service
• Rob Glaser Is Racing Upstream
• Quantum Crypto to the Rescue
• IT Disaster Declarations Continue To Grow In Number
• Winning Solutions For Today's Tight Economy
• Infected DSL Users Get 86ed
• RadiSys Claims First "TDM To IX" Bridge for VoIP Applications
• Sun has Java, but where are its Web services?
• In Wake Of Attacks, Web Site Owners Rethink Potentially Dangerous Details

Cell phones answer call in crisis
Wireless communication proves invaluable in aftermath of attack.

• PCWorld
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693665_1794_9-10000.html

Yahoo turns from Sun-Netscape technology
The Internet giant tightens its ties with Novell, agreeing to promote the company's directory-services technology rather than iPlanet's as the default in its corporate portal service.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7168063.html?tag=mn_hd

New wireless apps cater to carriers, not users
The drive toward next-generation wireless services is producing a torrent of application development but some question whether the results serve customers needs or vendors' and carriers' bottom lines.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?136669:4932118

Hacker Forces Some Banks To Cancel Visa Debit Cards
Thousands of Visa debit cards belonging to online shoppers in the Washington area have apparently been compromised, forcing banks to cancel and reissue the cards.

• Computer World
• http://computerworld.com/nlt/1%2C3590%2CNAV47_STO63555_NLTWK%2C00.html

RosettaNet unveils new tools, services
Under the RosettaNet Ready Program, companies can purchase software and services to measure the readiness of their systems and those of their business partners to support the RosettaNet standard.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?141758:4932118

Privacy Flaw Found at Verizon Wireless Site
Verizon Wireless is leaking private information about cell phone customers who use its Web site, Newsbytes has confirmed.

• Newsbytes
• http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/169732.html

Consumers Demanding and Getting More at the ATM
The typical ATM user is not limited to the Type A personality thought to inhabit New York, Chicago or Los Angeles, where consumers tend to be financially very sophisticated.

• CRM Daily
• http://www.crmdaily.com/perl/story/13663.html

Strategizing for Web services
Web services the next big thing in app design will harness the versatility of XML and SOAP to lower costs and nurture business relationships.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?139199:4932118

Intel Unveils Anypoint Wireless Network Family
Intel Corporation has introduced a new family of products designed to provide high-speed wireless network connectivity and shared Internet access for the home, home office and small office environments.

• e-Instate
• http://article.e-inSITE.net/UM/T.ASP?A5.60.1117.7.1830032178

WAP Paves the Way for m-commerce
There will be 1 billion cellular telephones worldwide by 2004, according to IDC, with half of them Internet-enabled. The most popular Internet-enabling technology being adopted en masse

• Zdnet
• http://techupdate.zdnet.com/techupdate/stories/main/0,14179,2813131,00.html

World's First interoperable Mobile Instant Messaging and Presence Services
Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia, announced they have successfully demonstrated the world's first interoperable mobile instant messaging and presence services.

• Business Wire
• http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?bw.091901/212620262&ticker=NOK&ticker=MOT

Vodafones 3G On Track For June 2002
Vodafone is "on track" to launch its 3G mobile services in Japan and Europe in June 2002.

• Cw360
• http://www.cw360.com/bin/bladerunner?30REQEVENT=&REQAUTH=0&rd=&i=&ard=106174&fv=1

Working to restore Manhattan phone service
In the aftermath of the WTC tragedy, communications companies are attempting to reconnect customers by working around damaged networks and call center facilities in the area.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200-7166732.html?tag=owv

Rob Glaser Is Racing Upstream
In streaming media, his RealNetworks is battling hard to beat Microsoft

• Business Week
• http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_36/b3747602.htm

Quantum Crypto to the Rescue
As the quantum computer moves closer to reality, so do concerns over security on the Internet security systems the computer could knock down.

• Wired
• http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,46610,00.html?tw=wn20010907

IT Disaster Declarations Continue To Grow In Number
Disaster declarations that help businesses recover their IT systems in the wake of catastrophic events are hitting technology providers such as Comdisco and SunGard.

• Computer World
• http://computerworld.com/nlt/1%2C3590%2CNAV47_STO63765_NLTWK%2C00.html

Winning Solutions For Today's Tight Economy
CRN News Radio recently conducted 30 interviews with some of the channel's top players during Breakaway XChange 2001 in Orlando

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZT0CAWok0hi0R6z0AY

Infected DSL Users Get 86ed
Frustrated with fighting Code Red and other worms, some broadband providers are telling their customers that if they don't patch their systems, they'll be cut off.

• Wired
• http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,47037,00.html?tw=wn20010922

RadiSys Claims First "TDM To IX" Bridge for VoIP Applications
RadiSys has rolled out a chip for use in voice-over-IP gateways and related applications that the company claims is the industry's first "TDM to IX bridge."

• e-Insite
• http://article.e-inSITE.net/UM/T.ASP?A5.60.1117.5.1830032178

Sun has Java, but where are its Web services?
The company that should have leveraged Java to secure a clear lead in Web services instead is facing an uphill battle.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?136667:4932118

In Wake Of Attacks, Web Site Owners Rethink Potentially Dangerous Details
HowStuffWorks.com is a fascinating Web site where people can learn how televisions work, or what a surprisingly small amount of gold exists in the world

• MSNBC
• http://www.msnbc.com/news/630087.asp?0si=-

E-MARKETING

• Year-end PC selling season doomed
• IBM To Sell Products, Services Through eBay
• Handspring returns to the midrange
• MicroStrategy Looks for Glimmer of Hope in European CRM Market
• E-Tailers Dangle 3D Imaging To Convert Surfers to Buyers
• MDU Broadband Providers Seek Profitability
• Users rip MS license changes
• Titans of 3-D Tackle New Territory
• Big Story Costly to Media Firms
• NEC To Bring PDA To North American Market
• Wireless Internet Business Models: Global Perspective, Regional Focus
• Yahoo Needs A Salesman
• Prices sliding for Pentium III PCs
• Sears Pulls Ads From TV Show
• Colleges Promote Role as Incubators
• Cisco Launches Direct-Sales Web Pilot
• Online Sales Dwindling - Commerce Dept.
• Big Firms Fueling Better-Than-Expected Year
• PC Wholesale To Distribute Acer Systems
• What, me spam?
• The 8 Critical Keys to Marketing to IT Pros Online
• B2B eCommerce Drives Small Businesses to Switch to Broadband
• Technology Orders Surge in Wake of Attacks

Year-end PC selling season doomed
The financial repercussions of the terrorist attacks will result in a sharp drop in overall IT spending and wipe out the traditional year-end peak selling season for PCs

• InfoWorld
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693663_1794_9-10000.html

IBM To Sell Products, Services Through eBay
IBM plans to sell computer hardware and software through eBay to reach consumers and SMBs, said executives at both companies.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEYk0CAWok0hi0R2k0Ab

Handspring returns to the midrange
The handheld maker is aiming two devices at the midrange market, but analysts wonder if there is still room for significant growth in what once was the meat of the market.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-7166419.html?tag=mn_hd

MicroStrategy Looks for Glimmer of Hope in European CRM Market
MicroStrategy has announced a number of new overseas deals lately, despite increasing woes at home.

• CRM Daily
• http://www.crmdaily.com/perl/story/13662.html

E-Tailers Dangle 3D Imaging To Convert Surfers to Buyers
There are many potential benefits from using 3D technology to display products, including higher surfer-to-buyer conversion rates

• Ecommerce Times
• http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/13521.html

MDU Broadband Providers Seek Profitability
The inability to capture a substantial subscriber base has forced in-building broadband providers to seek additional means by which to achieve profitability.

• Instat
• http://www.instat.com/pr/2001/mu0107sg_pr.htm

Users rip MS license changes
On Oct. 1, Microsoft will dramatically change how it licenses software to its largest customers. That change will drive up what they pay for products between 33% and 107%.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?141876:4932118

Titans of 3-D Tackle New Territory
Nvidia, actively involved in desktop, notebook, and workstation PC graphics and in Microsoft's Xbox gaming console, has been the most visible of the graphics accelerator vendors over the past year.

• e-Insite
• http://article.e-inSITE.net/UM/T.ASP?A5.60.1117.11.1830032178

Big Story Costly to Media Firms
Canceled ads and round-the-clock news coverage after terrorist attacks will cost major media companies hundreds of millions of dollars

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/media/12584-1.html

NEC To Bring PDA To North American Market
NEC Technology officials at Demo Mobile were quietly discussing plans to bring their first PDA to the North American market.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEYk0CAWok0hi0R3T0AF

Wireless Internet Business Models: Global Perspective, Regional Focus
The wireless Internet market needs revenues and realistic business models. The WAP hangover has left a number of sceptics in its wake and lessons to be learned.

• Ovum
• http://www.ovum.com/cgi-bin/showpage.asp?doc=/research/wip/findings/wip1.htm

Yahoo Needs A Salesman
It's a tough time for Yahoo to be without a worldwide sales chief.

• Upside
• http://www.upside.com/DigitalMedia_Weekly/3b951bfa440.html

Prices sliding for Pentium III PCs
With Intel beginning to phase out the Pentium III, good deals on desktops with the chip are cropping up.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-7165673.html?tag=mn_hd

Sears Pulls Ads From TV Show
In aftermath of terrorist attacks, Sears, Roebuck and Co., has canceled advertising on late night talk show Politically Incorrect, which is hosted by Bill Maher.

• Adage
• http://www.adage.com/news_and_features/features/20010920/article1.html

Colleges Promote Role as Incubators
The region's top research universities want to send a message to the Washington area's technology community: We're open for business

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/emerging/12612-1.html

Cisco Launches Direct-Sales Web Pilot
Cisco Systems Wednesday began selling some of its products direct to end customers via the Web.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEYk0CAWok0hi0R3N0A8

Online Sales Dwindling - Commerce Dept.
In the first two fiscal quarters of 2001, business-to-consumer e-commerce sales dwindled, both as a whole and as a percentage of overall U.S. retail figures

• Newsbytes
• http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/169719.html

Big Firms Fueling Better-Than-Expected Year
Based on promising quarterly reports from some companies, Merrill Lynch is raising its estimates for this year's online ad market

• Cyberatlas
• http://cyberatlas.internet.com/markets/advertising/article/0,,5941_878091,00.html

PC Wholesale To Distribute Acer Systems
PC Wholesale has begun distributing PCs, notebooks and servers from Acer America, the companies said.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZT0CAWok0hi0R620AM

What, me spam?
The dangers of bad e-mail marketing practices are real from fines to blacklisting to worst of all, angry and alienated customers.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?141753:4932118

The 8 Critical Keys to Marketing to IT Pros Online
Peter Horan, CEO of DevX, understands how IT pros actually use the Web in real life better than almost any other marketer out there.

• b2bmarketingbiz
• http://www.b2bmarketingbiz.com/sample.cfm?contentID=1811

B2B eCommerce Drives Small Businesses to Switch to Broadband
More Than 1 Million U.S. Businesses Will Turn To xDSL For Their Broadband Access By 2003

• Business Wire
• http://www.businesswire.com/photowire/pw.092100/202652475.htm

Technology Orders Surge in Wake of Attacks
Computer and software makers are getting large orders from companies looking to replace technology lost in the devastating September 11th terrorist attacks

• eCommerce Times
• http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/13661.html

---

SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS
This section sponsored by - Sameday.com, please visit them at http://www.sameday.com

• Not Enough Buyers To Go Around
• Use of Wireless Technology in Institutional Brokerage
• Independent Vertical Marketplaces
• Alltel Chooses Norstan To Unify Contact Centers
• Cisco Partners Saddened By Mitchell's Departure
• Oracle 9i makes room for Veritas
• Building A Secure e-World
• 20% of B2B Transactions Will Be Wireless by 2003
• Linux: A chipmaker's best friend
• Automated System Lets Auto Dealers Junk Antique Bookkeeping
• Microsoft Opens Door to Passport
• Cracks in the software monolith
• Linux Vendors Share In Financial Gloom
• Can't Turn Vanilla into Caviar
• New B2B collaboration tools on the way
• IBM and J.D. Edwards ship first co-branded IBM eServer
• Centra Keeps You out of Airports
• Cheap chips to thwart sales dip?
• Battered Techs Look Overseas for Recovery
• DoCoMo, IBM Debut Video Indexing Technology - New Web Standard Next?
• SAS joins Microsoft Data Warehousing Alliance

Not Enough Buyers To Go Around
To say that the hosting provider market is struggling is an understatement, according to an ex-NaviSite executive speaking at Networld-Interop 2001 in Atlanta.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZu0CAWok0hi0SCE0AS

Use of Wireless Technology in Institutional Brokerage
In a new report titled, "Institutional Wireless Trading: Fashion over Function?" Celent Communications examines the potential for wireless trading at securities firms worldwide

• BusinessWire
• http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?bw.090501/212482050

Independent Vertical Marketplaces
Examining the state of B2B Net markets and supply chains, the business and technology issues facing independent vertical marketplaces.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?141760:4932118

Alltel Chooses Norstan To Unify Contact Centers
In industries where churn is generating a huge negative impact on the bottom line, companies are rushing to develop customer care systems that produce results.

• CRM Daily
• http://www.crmdaily.com/perl/story/13683.html

Cisco Partners Saddened By Mitchell's Departure
Cisco Systems channel partners are disappointed and shocked that the company's senior channel executive is leaving the position and that he may leave the company altogether.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEW40CAWok0hi0Roh0Ac

Oracle 9i makes room for Veritas
The latest version of Oracle's database software officially sanctions a storage standard developed by Veritas. But the move could expose Veritas to tougher competition.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?139206:4932118

Building A Secure e-World
Visa International, approved commercial incentives "to provide protections and guarantees for e-merchants" that were previously only available in the physical world.

• Internews
• http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article/0,,4_877851,00.html

20% of B2B Transactions Will Be Wireless by 2003
Wireless and mobile transactions will account for nearly 20% of business-to-business transaction volume and 25% of business-to-consumer traffic by 2003

• BusinessWire
• http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?bw.091201/212550038&ticker=METG>

Linux: A chipmaker's best friend
In a sign of how strategic Linux has become, AMD and Intel are angling to lure open-source programmers to their future chip designs.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?139837:4932118

Automated System Lets Auto Dealers Junk Antique Bookkeeping
Manheim Automotive Financial Service's clientele of small auto dealerships and rental companies oftentimes has used very low-tech bookkeeping methods.

• CRM Daily
• http://www.crmdaily.com/perl/story/13534.html

Microsoft Opens Door to Passport
Microsoft put out a call for the creation of a "federated" authentication system saying it plans to open its Passport authentication system to interoperate with enterprises, network and other service operators.

• Internetnews
• http://www.internetnews.com/asp-news/article/0,,3411_888641,00.html

Cracks in the software monolith
The monolithic approach to enterprise software epitomized by Oracle, SAP, and others will go the way of the dinosaur.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?136668:4932118

Linux Vendors Share In Financial Gloom
Linux companies are sharing in the financial gloom inflicted on web firms, with two open source vendors having to give their business plans a major rethink.

• Vnunet
• http://www.vnunet.com/News/1125442

Can't Turn Vanilla into Caviar
Companies have been led to believe that they could install vanilla-type software into an enterprise-wide environment and get customized results.

• CRM Daily
• http://www.crmdaily.com/perl/story/13656.html

New B2B collaboration tools on the way
B2B collaboration is getting a booster shot, thanks to new software from a trio of vendors and from a high-profile customer win for MatrixOne.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?139208:4932118

IBM and J.D. Edwards ship first co-branded IBM eServer
IBM eServer for J.D. Edwards Provides a Low-Cost, Quick-to-Deploy e-Business Solution for Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises

• PR Newswire
• http://www.manufacturingsystems.com/midday/default.asp?ID=920

Centra Keeps You out of Airports
This software market leader has caught investors' eyes in the wake of the terrorist attacks

• Business Week
• http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_40/b3751075.htm

Cheap chips to thwart sales dip?
Qualcomm has introduced some cheaper cell phone chips in the midst of a handset sales dip. The company is shipping to 40 handset makers another in its long line of chipsets that power cell phones.

• Cnet
• http://two.digital.cnet.com/cgi-bin2/flo?y=eCA20BC75T0U0eXO0Al

Battered Techs Look Overseas for Recovery
Despite a spike in orders in the wake of the terrorist attack last week, U.S. high-tech companies, struggling to increase profits

• eCommerce Times
• http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/13674.html

DoCoMo, IBM Debut Video Indexing Technology - New Web Standard Next?
With high-speed 3G wireless service just weeks away from becoming reality in Japan, carrier NTT DoCoMo is hustling to ensure all the pieces are in place.

• Yahoo!
• http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nf/20010918/tc/13583_1.html

SAS joins Microsoft Data Warehousing Alliance
SAS Institute announced that it has joined Microsoft's Data Warehousing Alliance by extending support of SAS' industry-leading business intelligence solutions to Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services.

• Business Wire
• http://www.manufacturingsystems.com/midday/default.asp?ID=929

CONTENT, PORTALS & COMMUNITY

• Operating in crisis: How one New York CTO is keeping his company on track
• Hackers divided over response to terrorism
• Upstart car sites win consumers' trust
• Spammers run donation scam
• How to help your employees through times of crisis
• Vignette, Documentum, others expand content management landscape
• Russian Programmer Arraigned In U.S. Copyright Case
• Women's summit discusses digital divide
• Protect Yourself from Fraud While Bidding Online
• IBM employee charged in bomb hoax
• Providing News in Real Time
• The Disaster: Key Web Sites
• Brit Farmer's Pie in the Sty Idea
• To Attacks' Toll Add a Programmer's Grief
• Akamai Is A Survivor
• Reading, writing and Red Hat?
• Fiorina, Capellas Stress Inspiration And Practicality
• Write Your John.Hancock.Name Here
• Hacker Offering $10Mil For Bin Laden Gets Death Threats
• Performance review
• Tech Agenda at Center Stage
• Your Cheatin' Phone
• Electronic Arts Restarts 'Majestic' Online Game

Operating in crisis: How one New York CTO is keeping his company on track
CTOs in New York are playing a central role in helping their companies continue to function despite the massive blow to primary infrastructures.

• InfoWorld
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693758_1794_9-10000.html

Hackers divided over response to terrorism
Responding to the terrorist attacks in the United States, some Internet vigilantes are calling for an assault on perceived terrorist sites, while others are pleading for calm.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-7166935.html?tag=mn_hd

Upstart car sites win consumers' trust
New research shows that consumers perceive upstart automotive sites as more balanced and credible than the sites of the big automakers.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?141757:4932118

Spammers run donation scam
The American Red Cross and e-mail advocacy groups warned of online scams in the guise of soliciting donations for victims of this week's terrorist attacks.

• Network World Fusion
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693053_1794_9-10000.html

How to help your employees through times of crisis
Tips from professionals on managing workplace stress in the aftermath of the World Trade Center catastrophe.

• Computer World
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693773_1794_9-10000.html

Vignette, Documentum, others expand content management landscape
New products from content management developers Vignette, Documentum, Gauss Interprise, and others aim to help companies manage a wider range of files, beyond Web pages and documents.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?136671:4932118

Russian Programmer Arraigned In U.S. Copyright Case
A Russian software programmer and his Moscow-based employer were arraigned Thursday on charges of violating a controversial new U.S. copyright law.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEW40CAWok0hi0Rok0Af

Women's summit discusses digital divide
While the number of women going online is increasing in the Asia-Pacific region, efforts are still needed to promote greater Internet awareness, especially among housewives and the older generation.

• IDG
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693686_1794_9-10000.html

Protect Yourself from Fraud While Bidding Online
Online auctions are the No. 1 source of Internet fraud. Find out how to protect yourself when bidding online.

• TechTv
• http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/TechTV/techtv_fraud010905.html

IBM employee charged in bomb hoax
The man is sent in for psychiatric assessment in Singapore after being charged over a hoax e-mail, claiming a bomb was aboard a plane bound for South Africa.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1003-200-7164665.html?tag=mn_hd

Providing News in Real Time
As the nation scrambled to comprehend what was happening on the morning of Sept. 11, washingtonpost.com prepared for an onslaught of readers.

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/media/12600-1.html

The Disaster: Key Web Sites
Stay abreast of news, learn of ways to talk with your children, find out how to help

• PC World
• http://www.idg.net/ic_692768_1794_9-10000.html

Brit Farmer's Pie in the Sty Idea
A new Survivor-like website devoted to five pigs is a huge smash, and it's helping farmers devastated by foot and mouth disease, to boot.

• Wired
• http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,46614,00.html?tw=wn20010907

To Attacks' Toll Add a Programmer's Grief
Like many Americans, Phil Zimmermann, a stocky, 47-year-old computer programmer, has been crying every day since last week's terrorist attacks. He has been overwhelmed with feelings of guilt.

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/software/12610-1.html

Akamai Is A Survivor
Can Akamai Technologies survive the tragic loss of Daniel Lewin? The innovative Internet content delivery firm was already in peril even before its co-founder boarded American Airlines Flight 11 on Sept. 11

• Forbes
• http://www.forbes.com/2001/09/20/0920akamai.html

Reading, writing and Red Hat?
Red Hat is launching a nonprofit organization that will push Linux and open-source software in education, and the company's CEO says developers need to do their part.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?139838:4932118

Fiorina, Capellas Stress Inspiration And Practicality
A lot of cheerleading mixed with a little practicality. That's the flavor of internal messages sent to HP-Compaq employees announcing the proposed merger of the two companies.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEYk0CAWok0hi0R3O0AA

Write Your John.Hancock.Name Here
Dot-name, the new top-level Internet domain for individual names, is slated to go live in December. The launch plans come as rollouts of other new domains are facing escalating criticism.

• Wired
• http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,46609,00.html?tw=wn20010907

Hacker Offering $10Mil For Bin Laden Gets Death Threats
Kim Schmitz, the flamboyant former German hacker who offered a $10 million reward for the capture of suspected terrorist Osama Bin Laden, is offering his hacking services to international authorities to fight terrorism.

• Newsbytes
• http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/170265.html

Performance review
Web-based HR tools can save your HR department time, hassle, and paperwork.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?141882:4932118

Tech Agenda at Center Stage
The political clout of Northern Virginia's technology community was on display as the two candidates in this year's gubernatorial race met in Falls Church for their second debate

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/12655-1.html

Your Cheatin' Phone
If a gadget delivers information, sooner or later someone will try using it to cheat on a test

• Business Week
• http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_36/c3747608.htm

Electronic Arts Restarts 'Majestic' Online Game
Electronic Arts Inc., said it would restart its popular online game ``Majestic,'' after suspending it for a week due to the World Trade Center attacks.

• Yahoo!
• http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010918/wr/tech_electronicarts_majestic_dc_4.html

----

GOVERNANCE & GOING GLOBAL

• Senate OKs use of Carnivore against terrorism
• Information security will be key with lawmakers
• The U.S. Recruits New Hackers
• CRM Rides High in Brazil
• FCC Knocks Down Barriers for SDR Development
• FAA imposes restrictions on e-tickets
• Libertarian Group Begins Anti-Net-Tax Ad Campaign
• Senate seeks to expand wiretap law
• Game Publisher Pulls 'Crime Patrol' After Attacks
• FCC Chief Pledges Aid to Communications Firms
• HP/Compaq Deal Likely To Get Close Legal Scrutiny
• Use Tax At Center Of Net Tax Debate
• Airport Technology Expected To Improve In Attack Aftermath
• States Increase Pressure on Microsoft About Windows XP
• U.S. Regulators Ignore Most Junk E-Mail
• U.S. Citizens Back Encryption Controls
• Digital Satellite Radio Nears Launch
• Disposable Phones--A Security Risk?
• No Safety Net For Troubled Networks
• Code Rainbow Loose In The Wild
• Controlling Encryption Will Not Stop Terrorists
• Ban crypto, cripple commerce
• Court Decides Sec May Pursue Charges Against Internet Site

Senate OKs use of Carnivore against terrorism
The U.S. Senate approved expanding use of the FBI's Carnivore e-mail surveillance system to include investigating acts of terrorism and computer crimes.

• IDG
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693783_4394_1-1681.html

Information security will be key with lawmakers
The focus of technology policy is expected to shift as a result of terror attacks. Internet privacy, the top technology issue a week ago, will likely be overtaken by information security now.

• Computerworld
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693741_1794_9-10000.html

The U.S. Recruits New Hackers
The United States government has put out a call to hackers, hoping an unlikely but talented group can help it fight computer crime.

• Wired
• http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46567,00.html?tw=wn20010907

CRM Rides High in Brazil
For many years, Brazil's IT development was hindered by strict import regulations that forbade most purchases by Brazilians of foreign made IT hardware and software.

• CRM Daily
• http://www.crmdaily.com/perl/story/13687.html

FCC Knocks Down Barriers for SDR Development
FCC adopted rule changes to accommodate the authorization and deployment of a new generation of radio equipment known as software defined radios.

• Internet
• http://dc.internet.com/news/article/0,1934,2101_884391,00.html

FAA imposes restrictions on e-tickets
Passengers will find that e-tickets aren't quite the convenience they were before this week's tragedy after the Federal Aviation Administration imposes stricter airport security rules.

• Computerworld
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693704_1794_9-10000.html

Libertarian Group Begins Anti-Net-Tax Ad Campaign
A libertarian advocacy group began a television advertising blitz on major networks across the nation today

• Newsbytes
• http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/169733.html

Senate seeks to expand wiretap law
People suspected of hijacking, bombing or other terrorist acts could for the first time find their telephones and computers wiretapped by the government under a measure passed by the Senate.

• The Industry Standard
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693676_1794_9-10000.html

Game Publisher Pulls 'Crime Patrol' After Attacks
A new video game in which players assume the role of police officers fighting criminals, including terrorists, may never reach stores shelves

• Yahoo
• http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010918/tc/attack_videogame_dc_3.html

FCC Chief Pledges Aid to Communications Firms
FCC Chairman Michael Powell pledged to aid Verizon Communications and other communications companies following the attack at the World Trade Center

• WashTech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/telecom/12602-1.html

HP/Compaq Deal Likely To Get Close Legal Scrutiny
The pending HP/Compaq merger is expected to face legal scrutiny here and in Europe over the its competitive effect on multiple product lines, ranging from desktops to high-end servers.

• Computer World
• http://computerworld.com/nlt/1%2C3590%2CNAV47_STO63531_NLTWK%2C00.html

Use Tax At Center Of Net Tax Debate
Tax collection issue must be worked out before new Internet taxes can be discussed.

• Yahoo
• http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20010905/tc/use_tax_at_center_of_net_tax_debate_1.html

Airport Technology Expected To Improve In Attack Aftermath
One of the first technology improvements expected to be made in the wake of horrific disasters in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania will be better scanning technologies at national airports.

• Computer World
• http://computerworld.com/nlt/1%2C3590%2CNAV47_STO63822_NLTWK%2C00.html

States Increase Pressure on Microsoft About Windows XP
Six state attorneys general not involved in the Microsoft antitrust case sent a letter to Microsoft expressing concern about the upcoming Windows XP operating system.

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/12653-1.html

U.S. Regulators Ignore Most Junk E-Mail
Under the primary section of the FTC Act, the FTC is empowered to regulate 'unfair methods of competition in or affecting commerce.

• Ecommerce Times
• http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/13397.html

U.S. Citizens Back Encryption Controls
A poll in the United States has found widespread support for a ban on "uncrackable" encryption products, following proposals in Congress to tighten restrictions on software that scrambles electronic data.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7215723.html?tag=mn_hd 

Digital Satellite Radio Nears Launch
The FCC's conditional approval restricts the companies from activating ground repeaters until XM and Sirius have coordinated use of the airwaves with wireless operators concerned about interference from the satellite transmissions.

• Newsfactor
• http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/13585.html

Disposable Phones--A Security Risk?
The post-attack security clampdown has federal crime fighters targeting disposable cell phones as a potential tool of terrorists-even though the devices haven't been launched in the U.S. yet.

• Yahoo!
• http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20010917/tc/disposable_phones--a_security_risk__1.html

No Safety Net For Troubled Networks
Federal regulators saved Victor Zaveduk's high-speed Net connection--at least temporarily.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200-7216173.html?tag=lh

Code Rainbow Loose In The Wild
A new, malicious worm targeting Microsoft Web servers is in the wild and is frenetically scanning the Internet.

• Newsbytes
• http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/170225.html

Controlling Encryption Will Not Stop Terrorists
US government hopes of curtailing terrorist communications by controlling the use of cryptographic software have been criticised by computer scientists.

• Newscientist
• http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991309

Ban crypto, cripple commerce
It's easy to list the tools that were used in horrific acts and to argue that depriving ourselves of those tools will prevent future similar incidents. It's easy, but it's wrong.

• Yahoo
• http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/zd/20010917/tc/ban_crypto_cripple_commerce_1.html

Court Decides Sec May Pursue Charges Against Internet Site
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the SEC could pursue fraud charges against an Internet gambling site that ran a "virtual stock exchange."

• NandoTimes
• http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/80832p-1127349c.html

PARTNERS & DEALS

• Global Sports keeps expansion going
• Titan Acquires BTG for $142M
• SevenSpace To Acquire StrataSource
• iPlanet, CommerceRoute-Intel unite integration software
• Convera/NBA Terminate Deal
• HP/Compaq Deal: IBM, Dell Seen As The Big Winners
• NextWave, FCC Eye Deal
• Microsoft Teams with SoBe, Taco Bell, Vans on Xbox-WSJ
• ICG closes RightWorks sale
• NAS Picks Up CapuNet Customers
• PurchasePro Revises AOL Ad Deal
• IBM and Netonomy Serve Up Wireless Self-Service
• EMS Technologies Gets Stake in NetSat28
• NetCarrier Acquires High-Speed Communications Network
• Framework Technologies forms partnerships with Hosting.com, LoadSpring Solutions
• Pacel Acquires; Gets Funding Commitment
• Dell Says Won't Make Deals Just For Market Share
• Volatility Disrupts AT&T Deal
• Bidding for Webvan Assets Nears Peak
• USA Networks, Expedia Working To Complete Deal
• Tilion joins Contivo's subscription e-service

Global Sports keeps expansion going
The e-commerce site builder will acquire luxury goods e-tailer Ashford.com as it continues to expand its range beyond sporting goods.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-7163697.html?tag=mn_hd

Titan Acquires BTG for $142M
BTG Inc., will be acquired by San Diego-based Titan Corp. in a cash and stock deal valued at about $141.9 million.

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/merger/12590-1.html

SevenSpace To Acquire StrataSource
SevenSpace executives said they expect to disclose plans next week to acquire StrataSource, a move that would create an MSP with significant enterprise market share.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZT0CAWok0hi0R660AQ

iPlanet, CommerceRoute Intel unite integration software
Two software camps, iPlanet and CommerceRoute Intel are merging Web services and protocols with integration technologies in order to tie back-office legacy systems with newer, front-end Web initiatives.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?136670:4932118

Convera/NBA Terminate Deal
Convera and the National Basketball Association have terminated a 10-year agreement forged a year ago to help develop online interactive content.

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/software/12614-1.html

HP/Compaq Deal: IBM, Dell Seen As The Big Winners
The consensus among industry analysts appears to be that the HP acquisition of Compaq is good for just about every big IT hardware and services company but HP and Compaq.

• Computer World
• http://computerworld.com/nlt/1%2C3590%2CNAV47_STO63602_NLTWK%2C00.html

NextWave, FCC Eye Deal
Bankrupt wireless carrier may see $11B from resale of licenses

• Cnnfn
• http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2001/09/21/technology/nextwave/

Microsoft Teams with SoBe, Taco Bell, Vans on Xbox-WSJ
As Microsoft Corp. makes its first push out of operating systems and business software into a multibillion dollar video game industry dominated by Sony Corp and Nintendo Co.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/investor/news/newsitem/0-9900-1028-7060646-0.html?tag=ats

ICG Closes Rightworks Sale
E-commerce specialist Internet Capital Group has completed the sale of its stake in RightWorks, a provider of second-generation e-business applications.

• Manufacturing Systems
• http://www.manufacturingsystems.com/midday/default.asp?ID=900

NAS Picks Up CapuNet Customers
Network Access Solutions Corp. said it would acquire business customers with approximately 1,300 high-speed lines from Rockville corporate Internet provider CapuNet.

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/telecom/12589-1.html

PurchasePro Revises AOL Ad Deal
B2B software developer PurchasePro said that it will cease payments related to advertising and software use to America Online and restructure its relationship with the Internet giant.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-7207120.html?tag=ch_mh

IBM and Netonomy Serve Up Wireless Self-Service
In the recent months IBM has announced more than 20 application and content partners for its WebSphere Portal Server suite.

• CRM Daily
• http://www.crmdaily.com/perl/story/13668.html

EMS Technologies Gets Stake in NetSat28
EMS Technologies has acquired NetSat28, that holds a much-sought license from the FCC to provide high speed satellite communications services using the new "Ka-band" spectrum.

• WashTech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/merger/12603-1.html

NetCarrier Acquires High-Speed Communications Network
NetCarrier, announced plans to provide voice and data services to nearly 80 commercial properties in the Philadelphia

• PRNewswire
• http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-19-2001/0001574850&EDATE=

Framework Technologies forms partnerships with Hosting.com, LoadSpring Solutions
Framework Technologies, a collaborative product development solutions vendor, announces partnerships with Hosting.com, a supplier of Internet connectivity services targeted to small and medium-size enterprises.

• Manufacturing Systems
• http://www.manufacturingsystems.com/newsletter/092401/default.asp#nb7

Pacel Acquires; Gets Funding Commitment
Pacel Corp., a software development company, said it closed its acquisition of Advantage Systems Inc., a computer manufacturer.

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/merger/12624-1.html

Dell Says Won't Make Deals Just For Market Share
Dell Computer Corp. said it would not pursue acquisitions just to gain market share but would consider deals that would bolster its sales to large corporations.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZT0CAWok0hi0R670AR

Volatility Disrupts AT&T Deal
Market volatility following terrorist attacks is likely to delay or even disrupt AT&T's efforts to line up counter offers to Comcast's bid for AT&T's cable unit.

• Washtech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/telecom/12656-1.html

Bidding for Webvan Assets Nears Peak
Defunct online grocer Webvan announced that it has accepted a provisional US$2.5 million bid for its technology platform from a company controlled by its founder, Louis Borders.

• eCommerce Times
• http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/13670.html

USA Networks, Expedia Working To Complete Deal
The cable network is still going ahead with plans to buy a controlling stake in the online travel company.

• The Standard
• http://www.thestandard.com/article/0,1902,29000,00.html

Tilion joins Contivo's subscription e-service
Contivo, a supplier of enterprise integration modeling solutions, announces that Tilion is the newest subscriber to the Contivo eService

• Manufacturing Systems
• http://www.manufacturingsystems.com/newsletter/092401/default.asp#nb1

MOVERS & SHAKERS

• FSF claims Linux company violates GNU GPL
• SEC aims to keep Monday markets calm
• eBay Not Liable For Copyright Infringements
• Oracle: Misquoted, misunderstood
• Cisco plans $3 billion stock repurchase
• Microsoft Still Faces Feds' Regs
• Customer relationship software sparks privacy fears
• DOJ Drops Breakup Effort Against Microsoft
• Is e-mail putting your business at risk?
• Several airlines suspend Net-only fares
• Talk America Cuts Payments Owed to AOL
• Here Comes Code Blue
• Data issues dog monoliths
• Intel, Via Legal War Heats Up
• SEC Accuses Duo Of ShopNet.com Securities Fraud
• Nimda Falls Into Retreat as Firms Fight Back
• Telcos aim high with app hosting
• Tragedy attracts spammers
• Face-Recognition Technology Gains Support
• E911 Wouldn't Help at WTC
• Pro-Bin Laden Pakistani Hacker Defaces World Trade Site
• Telesurgery Breaks Atlantic Barrier

FSF claims Linux company violates GNU GPL
FSF issued a statement claiming that a New Mexico-based Linux company has violated the GNU General Public License, by using a patent license to restrict distribution of its version of the open-source OS.

• IDG
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693805_1773_1-3921.html

SEC aims to keep Monday markets calm
The Securities and Exchange Commission used its emergency powers for the first time Friday to ease restrictions on companies buying back their own shares.

• Cnet
• http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-7163359.html?tag=owv

eBay Not Liable For Copyright Infringements
Online auction company eBay hailed a federal judge's ruling that it was not liable for copyright infringement because bootlegged films were sold over its site.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZT0CAWok0hi0R6x0AW

Oracle: Misquoted, misunderstood
Earlier this year Larry Ellison came out against software complexity, and was quickly criticized for being inflexible. But David Berlind says the true meaning of Ellison's message has gotten lost.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?139202:4932118

Cisco plans $3 billion stock repurchase
Cisco Systems Inc. board has authorized a $3 billion stock repurchase plan to take place over the next two years.

• IDG
• http://www.idg.net/ic_693804_1794_9-10000.html

Microsoft Still Faces Feds' Regs
The Department of Justice wants 'conduct-related' rules in place that will keep the company's monopolistic tendencies in check.

• Wired
• http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46619,00.html?tw=wn20010907

Customer relationship software sparks privacy fears
Experts say firms must be careful in their increasing use of online tools to record customer behavior and preferences because privacy concerns could lead to a backlash.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?141756:4932118

DOJ Drops Breakup Effort Against Microsoft
The Justice Department is dropping efforts to break Microsoft into two companies, and will instead seek to restrict the software giant's future business practices.

• Computer World
• http://computerworld.com/nlt/1%2C3590%2CNAV47_STO63573_NLTWK%2C00.html

Is e-mail putting your business at risk?
In a survey of 498 employees working in a variety of organizations, 40 percent of respondents admit to receiving confidential information about other companies via the Internet a 356 percent increase since 1999.

• PC World
• http://www.idg.net/ic_692768_1794_9-10000.html

Several airlines suspend Net-only fares
At a time when the airlines are struggling to get customers to fly, many of the largest carriers have temporarily shelved one of their most effective promotions: e-fares.

• Zdnet
• http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,5097138,00.html

Talk America Cuts Payments Owed to AOL
Talk America Inc. announced it renegotiated the terms of investments by AOL, which will own a larger share of the troubled telecommunications firm and end its marketing partnership as part of the deal.

• WashTech
• http://www.washtech.com/news/telecom/12595-1.html

Here Comes Code Blue
Sysadmins fresh from dealing with the dreaded server worm that was Code Red may now have to deal with Code Blue, currently making an appearance in China.

• Wired
• http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,46624,00.html?tw=wn20010907

Data issues dog monoliths
It's true monolithic software enforces consistent data structures across organizations. But unfortunately, they're the monolith's data structures, not yours.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?139201:4932118

Intel, Via Legal War Heats Up
As Intel hits the milestone of shipping its long-awaited 845 chipset, the company is emerging in a new legal donnybrook with Via Technologies that has each company claiming the other is infringing on its patented technology.

• CRN Direct
• http://newsletter.crn.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEZu0CAWok0hi0SCJ0AX

SEC Accuses Duo Of ShopNet.com Securities Fraud
The Security and Exchange Commission has filed suit accusing two men of securities fraud involving a company called ShopNet.com.

• Newsbytes
• http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/169785.html

Nimda Falls Into Retreat as Firms Fight Back
The Nimda computer virus, fell into retreat as U.S. companies completed a costly process of disconnecting networks and upgrading software.

• Yahoo
• http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010920/tc/tech_worm_dc_18.html

Telcos aim high with app hosting
Most telcos are targeting the app hosting market, despite the fact that they don't have what it takes to satisfy their customers.

• Zdnet
• http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?136672:4932118

Tragedy attracts spammers
Unsolicited e-mails and online postings began to appear Wednesday in the wake of the attacks in New York and Washington

• eWeek
• http://www.zdnet.com/eweek/stories/general/0,11011,2812181,00.html

Face-Recognition Technology Gains Support
The face-recognition technology that had lawmakers and civil libertarians so worried a few weeks ago is gaining new support after terrorist attacks.

• CRM Daily
• http://www.crmdaily.com/perl/story/13691.html

E911 Wouldn't Help at WTC
Shortly after terrorist attacks in New York, a man trapped where a courtyard previously existed between the twin World Trade Center towers was rescued after he called for help on his mobile phone.

• Wired
• http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,46850,00.html

Pro-Bin Laden Pakistani Hacker Defaces World Trade Site
In a move that could ignite hacker tensions, the founder of a group called the Pakistan Hackerz Club defaced the Web site of World Trade Services, a California-based firm that facilitates international e-commerce.

• Newsbytes
• http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/170267.html

Telesurgery Breaks Atlantic Barrier
The first complete operation carried out by robots controlled by surgeons on the opposite side of the Atlantic has been successful.

• Newscientist
• http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991316

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