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PA e-Comm News JANUARY 25

Rather than shopping carts being dragged from store to store, online shoppers need to drag along their passwords in order to access information. Since using the same password at many sites is not possible, users must choose another password to replace the one they forgot. So, being inventive, several companies are devising secure alternatives to allow users to store passwords in one central place for use throughout the Web.

In 2001, the number of computer viruses and software security gaps more than doubled. A Federally funded research and development center at Carnegie Mellon University said the security incidents could top 100,000 in 2002. Experts believe that a reason for the increase may be more computers in service and increased awareness of these security issues and increased reporting. Some experts report that the growth in these incidents merely mirrors the growth of the Internet.

Columbia House was the fastest growing online retailer during the holiday season, according to Nielsen NetRatings. FingerHut.com was the second fastest growing site and OverStock.com was closely behind. As we previously noted, consumer electronics and PC manufacturers categories led the list.

E*Trade has announced a new service, E*Trade Advisor, which will allow customers access to electronic planning tools and personal advice from Ernst & Young financial planners. Only E*Trade's top-end U.S. customers will be able to use the advice site initially, which will recommend mutual funds to customers based on each customer's financial information and investment goals.

A recent jobs report indicated that more than 100,000 dot-com positions were lost due to the economic shakeout.

But some companies will be hiring in 2002. And experts say any smart Internet job seeker would be wise to begin with one simple word: security, because job creation will be most active in the fields of security, Internet privacy and business continuity planning. There will also be a continued need for customer-focused products and further refinements in existing procurement and supply chain technologies.

Undaunted by the recent events surrounding Webvan and Peapod, Safeway launched a new Web shopping service, GroceryWorks. Jupiter Media Metrix expects online grocery sales to grow from $1 billion in 2001 to $11.3 billion in 2006. Safeway plans to hold down costs while building its Web presence by having employees fill and pack orders in Safeway stores.

According to a YankeeGroup survey, the number of wireless voice subscribers in the United States has grown from 109 million at the end of 2000 to approximately 128 million at the close of 2001. In Europe, wireless is challenging wireline phones and there's some evidence it is occurring here as well.

EBay is launching a marketplace exclusively for buying and selling or renting timeshares.

Sybase, a software and infrastructure developer, has been awarded a contract to deliver real-time access to mission-critical information for Navy personnel deployed around the globe. One effort has been the wireless Personnel Accountability System that allows the Navy to track the movements of personnel as they board and leave a ship, improving security worldwide by sharing timely information with a central data bank.

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