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Dell recently reported it will offer consumers zero interest financing on everything from digital music players to television sets as they try to steal share in the consumer-electronics market. Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Gateway have each launched a slew of products aimed at consumers. The zero percent financing offer is for purchases of $500 or more and runs through Jan. 30. The online retail sector experienced significant growth during 2003 due to record holiday sales, a strong travel market and increased consumer confidence, according to a new report. Revenue for online retailers in 2003 reached $93 billion, a 27% increase over the same period last year, according to ComScore Networks. ComScore said that online retail spending during the 2003 holiday season totaled $12.5 billion, a 29.5% gain over the same period last year and the online travel industry outperformed the rest of the e-tail market. ComScore said the fastest growing areas of the e-tail market beyond travel included sales of big-ticket items such as furniture, appliances and jewelry, indicating increased confidence among consumers. A survey by eSpending indicated that consumers spent $13 billion during the holidays, a 46% increase over 2002 figures. A federal judge in Philadelphia recently heard a challenge to a controversial state law that has led to more than 1 million innocuous Web sites being accidentally blocked. Although the law is only a Pennsylvania state statute, it has an international reach. When the Pennsylvania attorney general used it to force MCI to ban access to some sites with suspected child pornography, the company said it had no choice but to block those Internet addresses for all of its North American subscribers. Two nonprofit groups, the Center for Democracy and Technology and the American Civil Liberties Union, filed a suit against Pennsylvania in September, claiming that the state law's "secret censorship orders" have led to more than 1 million Web sites blocked, nearly all featuring legal material. CDT sent one of its lawyers to testify against a similar proposal in the Maryland House of Delegates last March and says Oklahoma and some national legislative groups have considered the same approach. CDT and ACLU lawyers have asked a U.S. District Judge to declare the law unconstitutional and bar Pennsylvania from invoking it again. The reason so many legitimate sites were blocked is due to the way the Internet is designed.
The following are links to upcoming seminars and other events that our readers might have an interest in and/or other information related to e-commerce. CALL FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES SEEKING ANGEL INVESTMENTS 6th Angel Venture
Forum The 6th Angel Venture Fair (AVF6), held on April 13 at the Union League in Philadelphia, unites emerging technology companies and other venture-ready companies from across the Northeast with private accredited investors from New England to Northern Virginia. Attendance at this event is open to accredited investors who are directly involved in early stage investments. Non-investor audience attendance will be limited. Company applications will be reviewed by a team of private investors and other experts from the Private Investors Forum (PIF) http://www.privateinvestorsforum.com which is a non-profit organization of accredited private investors dedicated to providing education and stimulating investment in the Greater Philadelphia Region, including New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. PIF enjoys a close relationship with LORE (an angel investment network), Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Innovation Philadelphia and several active local angel and venture funds. Approximately 30 companies who are looking for first or second rounds of funding will be selected to present to more than 150 private investors on April 13, 2004. A $100 non-refundable fee is required with each application. A fee of an additional $500 will be required if your company is selected to present and have an exhibit booth. A fee of an additional $400 will be required if your company is selected to exhibit only. For more information, go to http://www.angelventurefair.com or contact Valerie Gaydos at 717-238-1222 or vgaydos@capitalgrowth.com Attendance at the event is mainly for Angel Investors, but participants may include other accredited investors, entrepreneurs, investment bankers, attorneys, and accountants who are directly involved in early stage investment activities. To register to attend, go to http://www.angelventurefair.com/register.php For more information on the Private Investors Forum, go to http://www.privateinvestorsforum.com Current Sponsors
include: If you would like to sponsor or participate in other ways, go to http://www.angelventurefair.com/sponsors.php for sponsorship opportunities which are still available. Was one of your New Year's resolutions to figure out how to manage your people better? If it was (or even if it wasn't), Ben Franklin Venture Investment Forum can help. We're offering a three-session series on a variety of topics in human resource management. Choose one, two or all three sessions (your best value). These half-day workshops will be held on February 12, March 4 and April 8 on the Penn State Harrisburg campus. Our facilitator will be Marsha Davis, owner of On Track Consulting Services and a serial entrepreneur herself. The session titles will be:
In addition to getting critical information for your business, you'll also get take-home tools from each workshop that you'll be able to use right away. For more information and to register for this series, go to www.venture-forum.org < http://www.venture-forum.org > and click on calendar of events. Jill D. Edwards Act now - the application deadline is fast approaching for the 14th Annual 40 Under 40 Program . Philadelphia Business Journal is searching for 40 people under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions to the greater Philadelphia region through their professional and community endeavors. To request the official application, email Joanne Majeski at jmajeski@bizjournals.com or call 215-238-1450. All entry materials are due by end of day, January 23. Winners will be profiled in the April 2 issue of the Business Journal and honored at the April 28 awards banquet at the downtown Philadelphia Marriott Hotel. Be sure to attend this exciting event that gathers nearly 700 executives (including the program's distinguished alums) and provides invaluable networking opportunities. The program is proudly sponsored by:
Qualifications:
Candidates must:
If you know someone who is making his or her mark on the community, be sure to request an application today. Lyn Kremer,
Publisher PROCUREMENT AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES The following is a listing of recently published technology procurement or Federally funded opportunities with various governmental entities. We hope our readers take the opportunity to investigate these postings and increase their business : GSA - Federal
Supply Service (FSS) GSA - Federal
Technology Service (FTS) NASA - Goddard
Space Flight Center USAF - Direct
Reporting Units USAF - Air
Education and Training Command DOT - Federal
Railroad Administration (FRA) TREAS - Bureau
of the Public Debt (BPD) TREAS - United
States Mint (USM) HHS - Center
for Disease Control and Prevention DISA - Acquisition
Directorate DLA - Logistics
Operations DOC - U. S.
Census Bureau OFHEO - Office
of Finance and Administration Source: www.eps.gov NEWS & NOTES is a service of the
PA e-Commerce Association. Please forward this e-mail to anyone else who
might be interested in the content or in learning more about the Association.
Remember to visit our website @ www.paecomm.org. or give us a call at
800-497-0809.
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