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In this issue. . .

  * eLearning Workshops
  * Insights for Financial Service Providers
  * Instant Movies
  * XML: The Language of E-Commerce
  * E-Health
  * Through Rain, Sleet, and Snow
  * Not a Drop to Drink
  * WAP: An Imperfect Standard
  * Machine Vision on a Chip
  * New Cells for Solar Batteries
  * A Reality Check for Internet-Based Mobile Phones
  * Shopping and Mingling on the Internet


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(Full text of SRIC-BI publications is available to sponsoring 
clients only.  To find out if your company is a sponsor, please 
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eLearning Workshops

Internet technologies are revolutionizing the way that
people learn at home, at school, and at work. On 11 and 12
September, speakers from SRIC, Cisco, Autodesk, and the U.S.
National Institute of Standards and Technology will give
their perspectives on the new world of eLearning in
workshops in Washington, D.C., and Princeton, New Jersey.
(Learning-on-Demand Program Workshops)


Insights for Financial Service Providers

Most people want to deal with a live person when they take
out loans, but they may be willing to purchase insurance via
direct means. The key for providers is to match the delivery
channel to the consumer. Overall,younger, more affluent
consumers are most open to direct-marketing approaches.
(Marketing Financial Services: In-Person Selling versus
Direct Marketing) 
http://www.sric-bi.com/CFD/MRsummaries/MR.IV-7.shtml


Instant Movies

Network delivery of video is increasingly popular with movie
fans, allowing home viewers to obtain video on demand.
However, VOD is not killing the market for packaged video,
as many analysts expected. Collectors still want to own
videos and are busily upgrading their collections from VHS
to DVD. (Movies to the Home: Packaged versus Networked)
http://www.sric-bi.com/DF/oldMFsummaries/HomeMoviesToC.shtml


XML: The Language of E-Commerce

The e-commerce boom could fizzle if buyers and sellers can't
find each other quickly or if business partners can't
communicate efficiently with one another. Widespread use of
Extensible Markup Language promises to streamline Internet
communications and allow companies to integrate activities
across corporate borders. (XML: The Language of E-Commerce)
http://www.sric-bi.com/BIP/Bulletin/B286.shtml#2279


E-Health

Consumers are swarming onto medical Web sites in search of
information, nudging many health-care companies onto the
Internet in search of business opportunities. The first
e-health offerings offer content, connectivity, and
commerce. Next will come new approaches for online disease
management, claims processing, and supply-chain
interactions. (E-Health: Transforming Industry Practices)
http://www.sric-bi.com/BIP/Bulletin/B286.shtml#2280


Through Rain, Sleet, and Snow

Business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce would come to a screeching
halt without speedy fulfillment of orders. Thanks to Web
portals and access to real-time information, B2B players are
gaining unprecedented efficiencies in order processing,
picking and packing, transportation, and final delivery.
(Fulfillment in B2B E-Commerce)
http://www.sric-bi.com/BIP/Bulletin/B286.shtml#2281


Not a Drop to Drink

Ready access to clean, inexpensive water is declining as the
world's population and economic output continue to grow.
Technology improvements and government policies to encourage
efficient water use could stave off the looming crisis. (The
Looming Global Water Shortage)
http://www.sric-bi.com/BIP/Bulletin/B286.shtml#2282


WAP: An Imperfect Standard

The wireless application protocol has jump-started the
wireless industry, but its longevity is questionable. As the
market explodes for Internet-accessible portable devices,
competing technologies like voice portals and markup
languages may move to the fore, offering easier interfaces
and more functions. (WAP: The Wireless Application Protocol)
http://www.sric-bi.com/BIP/Bulletin/B286.shtml#2283


Machine Vision on a Chip

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology are
developing a machine-vision system on a chip that aims to
mimic the way the human eye and brain process visual cues.
The tiny systems could ultimately allow real-time detection
and inspection in military targeting and industrial
robotics.(July Machine-Vision Systems Viewpoints)
http://www.sric-bi.com/Explorer/MVS.shtml


New Cells for Solar Batteries

Toshiba could push silicon-based solar cells out of the
market with its novel dye-sensitized cells that sport a
solid electrolyte and allow the use of plastic substrates.
The new cells are simple, lightweight, and low cost--and
their potential applications outshine those of their
liquid-electrolyte cousins. (July Photovoltaics Viewpoints)
http://www.sric-bi.com/Explorer/PV.shtml


A Reality Check for Internet-Based Mobile Phones

Will 1 billion users be toting third-generation (3G) cellular
technology by 2005, as some analysts predict? B-I-P's
portable-intelligence expert thinks not, nor does he buy
into revenue predictions of $63 billion by 2007. More
likely, 3G services will not gain a foothold for several
years, except in areas like Scandinavia and parts of the Far
East. (July Portable Intelligence Viewpoints)
http://www.sric-bi.com/Explorer/PI.shtml


Shopping and Mingling on the Internet

Some Internet users like to shop, and some would rather
socialize with newfound online friends, according to a
survey by SRIC's Values and Lifestyles Program. VALS™ data
on consumer groups' varying uses of the Internet offer
valuable insights for companies seeking to make the most of
their online presence. (U.S. Consumers' Internet Activities:
Highlights of the 1999 VALS™ LeadingEdge Survey)


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