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PA e-Comm News APRIL 19

Basically Useless Information – Which is the only state whose name is just one syllable? (Answer later)

A recent report from the Aberdeen Group indicates that new software can help businesses factor the voice of the customer into the product development, sales and marketing processes. The objective for customer voice management technology is to empower customers to drive how a company meets their current and future needs. According to the report, bidirectionality is a crucial part of the learning relationship that should form the basis of CRM initiatives, gaining you specific information about what each customer may want. The same goes for many business-to-business relationships. 

IBM and Microsoft announced that they are teaming with VeriSign to improve the security of Web-based services through a jointly developed Web services security called "WS-Security". The three companies said the new specification "supports, integrates and unifies several popular security models, mechanisms and technologies.” It outlines Web services security specifications that the companies plan to develop "along with key customers, industry partners and standards organizations." 

As we all know, the cost of a first-class stamp will increase from 34 cents to 37 cents on June 30th. This rate hike will make e-mail an even more prevalent method of communication and will also boost the popularity of online billing. The fear of anthrax-contaminated mail caused a 5 % decline in mail volume this year but the growing use of electronic mail has also been a contributing factor. According to a Forrester Research report, only 7% of consumers paid bills online in 2001. Several companies are trying to convince customers to go online by offering incentives, like airlines which offer bonus frequent-flier miles to customers who are willing to receive statements online. 

Online sales in the first quarter grew by nearly 50 % over last year due to a resurgence in the travel segment. These statistics do not include online auction sites. Travel, which fell in the fourth quarter due to Sept. 11, rebounded in the first three months of this year; however, book sales fell 5 % from a year earlier and online music sales were down slightly from a year earlier. Computer hardware sales rose 44 % over a year earlier but were down 11 % from the strong holiday quarter. Event ticket sales rose 52 % as buyers snapped up seats to the first baseball games, the NCAA college basketball tournament, and upcoming summer concerts. Video was another hot area following the holiday sales of hardware like DVD players.

Furniture.com seems poised to return from the dead. The site, which went dark during the peak of the dot-com shakeout after a pulled IPO and a bankruptcy filing, will relaunch under new ownership and with a new business model, according to a report in E-Commerce Times. The new plan is to rely heavily on existing furniture stores to avoid the complaints over missed or late deliveries by partnering with Seaman’s Furniture and Levitz Home Furnishings to add stability. Customers of the new site will enter their ZIP code and will be shown only products that are available in their area. Etoys.com, which went bankrupt after it flubbed shipping during the 1999 holiday season, is also alive again after being bought by KB Toys. 

According to Internet research firm Jupiter Media Metrix, March saw increased Web use at sites about religion and entertainment due to Easter and Passover observances. The fastest-growing religion sites during the month included Christianitytoday.com, Christianbook.com, Catholic.org and Jewishworldreview.org. Driven by interest in the Academy Awards, E! Online was the fastest-growing property between February and March.

Despite a law signed by former President Clinton in 2000, the use of electronic signatures has not taken great hold. Supporters of the bill targeted bank loans, refinancing paperwork and legal documents but concerns over security have affected the use of this new technology. Supporters of the law had envisioned it revolutionizing e-commerce, decreasing paperwork, speeding transactions and allowing consumers to buy cars or get mortgages completely online. The Internal Revenue Service has been accepting electronically filed tax returns since 1997, but until last year it required most taxpayers who e-filed to mail in a signed form. The agency now allows taxpayers to select their own PIN to use as an e-signature, once they've been verified by giving their date of birth and their adjusted gross income from their previous tax return.

Some favorable news for companies selling online services is another Jupiter Media Metrix report that 56 % of corporate website spending budgets for 2002 are within 10 % of last year’s budgets. The report also indicates that companies are shifting their focus away from customer-visible features towards internal initiatives.

ANSWER: MAINE.

TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The following is a listing of recently published technology procurement opportunities with various governmental entities. We hope our readers take the opportunity to investigate these postings and increase their business:

USAF - Air Combat Command
1st CONS
D -- D-Information Technology services, including telecommunications services Amendment 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/ACC/1CONS/F44600-02-R-0004/listing.html

USAF - Air Force Materiel Command
AFRL - Wright Research Site
A -- Electronic Protection Initiatives (EPI)
Modification 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/AFRLWRS/PRDA-02-10-SNK/listing.html

USAF - Air Force Materiel Command
38 EIG/PK
D -- Local Exchange services for ATLANTIC CITY ANG, Egg Harbor Township NJ 08234-9500 Solicitation 01, Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/38EIGPK/F34608-02-R-5024/listing.html

HHS - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration Acquisition and Grants Group D -- Professional IT Services Amendment 03 http://www.eps.gov/spg/HHS/HCFA/AGG/RFP-CMS-02-0005/listing.html

PBGC - Deputy Executive Director and Chief Management Officer Procurement Department, Suite 1090 D--Information Technology Services Including Telecommunications Services Amendment 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/PBGC/CMO/PD/PBGC01-RP-02-0008/listing.html

DISA - Acquisition Directorate
DITCO-Scott
D--INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/DISA/D4AD/DITCO/VARIOUS-17-Apr-2002/listing.html

USN - Office of Naval Research
Naval Research Laboratory
D -- Information Technology Support Services
Modification 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/USN/ONR/N00173/N00173-02-R-DL02/listing.html

USN - Office of Naval Research
Naval Research Laboratory
A -- Electronic Support Measures (ESM) Technology Development Support Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/USN/ONR/N00173/N00173-02-R-DL03/listing.html

USA - U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command
HQ USAINSCOM, Directorate of Contracting
70--Enterprise e-Work software license
Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/USA/INSCOM/DASC01/DASC012091N204/listing.html

USN - Naval Air Systems Command
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Pax River
A -- System Integration, Testing, Quality Assurance, Fleet Introduction to support Maritime Support Aircraft Development Modification 02 http://www.eps.gov/spg/USN/NAVAIR/N00421/N00421-00-R-0606/listing.html

USN - Naval Supply Systems Command
NAVICP-PHILADELPHIA
R -- Organic Industrial Enterprise Logistics Support and Supply Chain Management Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/USN/NAVSUP/N00383/N00383-98-BAA01/listing.html

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Business Communications on the Internet
By Merle Brubaker, Co-Founder Web Allies, LLC

Many of today’s businesses expect more than just fancy “brochure-ware” Web sites. Through their Web sites, businesses can now offer valuable services for business to business communications, business to consumer communications, or internal collaboration. For instance, businesses are now using the Internet as a powerful communication medium for:

• Marketing and sales promotions
• Sales management
• Customer support
• Internal business and project management
• Business to business management

However, in many cases businesses are faced with a substantial cost and resource overhead in order to offer these types of Web communication services. They need to invest in servers, database and application development, general maintenance and upgrades, and internal technical training. Why? Because many businesses feel they must have custom Web applications developed and installed on their Web servers in order to offer the services that are best for their company. While this may be true in some cases, many businesses could choose a more cost effective solution that would offer all of the services required to meet their Internet strategies. The answer is hosted, turn-key applications provided by application server providers. 

With hosted applications, businesses can quickly leverage existing, powerful Web communication services at a fraction of the cost of similar custom developed applications. Plus, upgrades are usually free and there is limited internal resource overhead since the application is maintained and managed by the application service provider. And, the appearance of the hosted services can be customized to integrate into any new or existing Web site. Web applications are simply business tools similar to other applications like accounting software. Businesses don’t even consider developing their own accounting software; they purchase a product like QuickBooks. 

Everyone is aware that Internet technology is changing at an unprecedented rate. So, why invest to have costly Web applications developed for your business only to find they need to be re-architected every couple years? The next time your business is looking to upgrade your Web site consider the cost trade-off for having a Web application custom developed versus leveraging an application that currently exists.

Web Allies, LLC provides Web communication services that allow businesses to communicate with their customers, partners, and employees. By utilizing their services, businesses can quickly implement powerful Web communication services on new or existing Web sites to enhance communications. And, enhanced communications will result in stronger relationships, more efficient business, and a positive impact on the bottom line.

Visit www.weballies.com to find out more about their services or send email to info@weballies.com. You can also click on “See Our Product Demonstration” located on their home page to view an online demonstration. 

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 call 717-238-9366.

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