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PA e-Comm News JUNE 21

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(HARRISBURG) - A bill that would limit the amount of SPAM, or unsolicited email, that a computer user receives unanimously passed the state Senate, according to Senator Jake Corman (R-34), the author of the bill. Senator Corman introduced Senate Bill 1406 as part of the Privacy Package that he developed after a series of hearings his committee, the Senate Communications and High Technology Committee, held last year. "With the increased use of the Internet and email, a serious problem has developed, known as SPAM, or the use of unsolicited or authorized email messages," Corman said. "Frequently these bulk emails are sent to thousands of email address, have misleading or false return address and advertise explicit sexual material." Corman's Senate Bill 1406 amends the Pennsylvania Crimes Code to create the crime of computer trespass for SPAM, or unauthorized bulk email. The legislation makes it illegal to send unsolicited email containing falsified routing information, if the sender thereby violates a provider's policies. It also makes spamming software illegal. "Almost every computer user that has an email account knows full well what SPAM is," said Corman. "This year we made it easier for consumers to put their name on a do-not-call list for telemarketers, and SPAM is just as annoying to consumers. With this legislation, we hope to send a message to SPAM creators that we are going to hit them where it hurts most - the pocketbook." The recipient of SPAM can sue for actual damages or the lesser of $10 per message or $25,000 per day; ISPs can sue for actual damages or the greater of $10 per message or $25,000 per day. "Internet Service Providers have to constantly upgrade mail server capacity to process more and more email messages every day. These costs are passed onto end users," Corman said. "America Online processes 3 million emails a day and 1 million of those are SPAM. It is my hope that we can put a stop to SPAM and help keep costs down for ISP's and subscribers." The legislation explicitly permits ISPs to implement measures to prevent SPAM.

More than half of all U.S. retailers said their online sales operations achieved profitability in 2001 and growth could top 40 % in 2002 according to a joint report published by the Boston Consulting Group, Forrester Research and Shop.org. The study, "The State of Retailing Online 5.0," predicted that online sales will grow 41 % in 2002; growth in 2001 was 21 %. According to the study, retailers are beginning to learn how to use the online channel to sell and market to customers more efficiently and, therefore, customer acquisition costs are plummeting as customer retention rates rise. Shop.org reported that 43 % of online operations were turning a profit in 2000. Online retailers, led by Travelocity and Expedia, began recording profits consistently about a year ago. Even Amazon.com, which lost millions as it grew to become the largest online seller, edged into the black during the fourth quarter of 2001. Of course, many unprofitable organizations have shut the lights off which leaves fewer companies plying the online trade.

Many consumers are reluctant to pay for once-free services, such as World Cup Soccer matches or baseball games broadcast over the Internet. Yet several companies are now charging for "premium" services. Yahoo and Microsoft are now offering such services at $20 to $30 a year and Microsoft plans to roll out online gaming for its Xbox video console with the idea that consumers will eventually pay $50 a year to play. Yahoo, for the first time, is charging for video streaming the highlights of the World Cup. These companies believe that while customers might grumble they will pay for some things: the question is what? The best bets so far: beefier e-mail, online gaming and wireless services that prioritize messages and locate family and friends. In the last 12 months, Yahoo introduced 18 paid services to consumers. To date, online consumers have been willing to pay for: pornography (69% of the $1.4 billion spent on online content in 1998); financial information; self-help sites; and some media content. 

Having declared a victory in the battle to make Web browsers more inclusive, the Web Standards Project relaunched itself with the new goal of educating Web developers about the benefits of building sites that incorporate standards. The reason, the group is saying, is that many developers are still using "old school methods" that block millions of potential visitors to their sites. The project, founded in 1998 by a grassroots coalition of Web designers and developers fighting for Web standards, said that Web developers' failure to employ standards has resulted in lost revenue, ill will and potential litigation from groups demanding accessibility. For the full story:
http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/02/06/12/020612hnwasp.xml?0613thap

Amazon is now testing a lower minimum-order requirement for free shipping, dropping the minimum from $99 per order to $49. Amazon plans to test the program for three to six months and then make a final decision on whether to continue it. Orders must be shipped to a single U.S. address, and certain items are excluded, such as toys, video games and accessories, baby products, and goods offered through its partnership with Target. Amazon recorded revenue from shipping charges of $89 million in the first quarter, up from $82 million in the year-ago quarter. But the company lost $1 million on shipping in the quarter, compared with a $5 million loss in the year-ago quarter. Amazon said that the shipping loss was due in part to the free-shipping offer and partly to shipping costs associated with low-margin products. The company has also become an "Authorized Internet Dealer" for Sony Electronics. 

BlueLight.com has taken on a more familiar name, re-naming its Web site after its parent company, Kmart. The site also now promotes in-store deals and an online copy of the company's advertising circulars that go out in daily newspapers. The name of the Web site and its URL will change to Kmart.com. 

Askesis Development Group, a maker of behavioral health care software, has relocated from Chicago to Pittsburgh, moving 50 of its employees to its new Uptown headquarters and possibly creating 100 new jobs within three years. The company, founded in 1993, is transitioning from a software developer to a customer service company for behavioral health providers and managed care. UPMC Health System, which is a major customer, is also Askesis' parent. UPMC and the state Department of Community and Economic Development provided funding to the company, though specific amounts were not immediately available.

The dot-com sector is coming of age in the courtroom. While analysts say many of the patent lawsuits, class-actions, merger-related filings and antitrust actions will result in little tangible damage, e-business finds itself scrambling to control these legal fires. Microsoft, for example, is embroiled in more than 100 civil suits, all of which drain the company's brainpower and disrupt innovation and business planning. Even smaller companies understand that lawsuits can throw a business off course if they continue for a long period of time. Therefore, firms often settle cases merely to avoid the inherent disruptions to their business. Such was the case in the settlement earlier this year between Nielsen//NetRatings and Jupiter Media Metrix when NetRatings chose to pay to gain the right to a disputed audience-measurement methodology patent rather than to spend months preparing for depositions, preparing arguments and gathering documents. Companies ranging from Homestore.com to Amazon have been slapped with actions and the remaining executives of defunct eToys broke new ground recently by suing their own underwriter, Goldman Sachs, for allegedly undervaluing the company's stock at the time of its initial public offering. A recent class-action suit against E*Trade seeks damages to compensate for losses that occurred when the E*Trade site crashed in 2000, leaving some customers unable to buy or sell stocks.

eBay has announced a deal with office outsourcer Regus to help businesses find and rent equipped offices. As part of eBay Real Estate, office space will be available in advertising format rather than as auction-style items, allowing each seller to receive leads from multiple interested buyers. The ads typically cost $150 for a 30-day listing. Renters can lease office space at Regus locations for a day, a week, a month or on a long-term basis, including a mix of workstations, conference rooms, cafes and common areas. 

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:

NASA - George C. Marshall Space Flight Center
Procurement Office
R--SOFTWARE ENGINEERS&PROGRAMMER/TRAINING CONTENT DEVELOPERS Solicitation 01, Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/NASA/GMSFC/POVA/100CSC24378/listing.html

NASA - Langley Research Center
Office of Procurement
R--TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES
Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/NASA/LaRC/OPDC20220/1-057-AJ.0001/listing.html

USAF - Air Force Space Command
21CONS (Bldg 982)
70 -- F1INF21261200A - Miscellaneous IT Equipment
Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AFSC/21CONSb984/F1INFR21261200A/listing.htm

USAF - Air Force Materiel Command
OO-ALC
70 -- 36 GB HARD DRIVE
Solicitation 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/OOALC/F42600-02-R-5033/listing.html

HHS - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Division of Contracts Management
D -- Patient Safety Database
Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/HHS/AHRQ/DCM/AHRQ-02-0015/listing.html

DISA - Acquisition Directorate
DITCO-Scott
D--INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/DISA/D4AD/DITCO/VARIOUS-18-Jun-2002/listing.html

USA - Defense Contracting Command-Washington
D--OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (OSD) ENTERPRISE-WIDE STRATEGIC BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND ADVICE. Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/USA/DSS-W/DASW01/DASW01-02-T-0059/listing.html

USA - U. S. Army Materiel Command
TACOM - Picatinny, Center for Contracting and Commerce A--TITANIUM EXTRACTION MINING & PROCESS ENGINEERING RESEARCH DATABASE Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/USA/USAMC/DAAE30/DAAE30-02-R-0820/listing.html

USN - Naval Supply Systems Command
FISC NORFOLK DETACHMENT WASHINGTON
70 -- General purpose information technology equipment Solicitation 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/USN/NAVSUP/N00600/N00600-02-Q-1484/listing.html

AID - Washington D.C.
USAID/Washington
R -- Graphics, Writing and Printing Support Services Solicitation 01, Synopsis http://www.eps.gov/spg/AID/OP/WashingtonDC/M_OP_02_1242/listing.html

WMATA - Procurement and Materials
PRMT-JGB
70 -- Station Monitor and Display Subsystem PC (SMADS) Amendment 01 http://www.eps.gov/spg/WMATA/WMATA01/WMATAPRMT01/IFB-FM3202-RAM/listing.html

Source: www.eps.gov. For direct assistance, contact your local Procurement Technical Assistance Center at www.PaPTACs.com

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