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In this issue:

* Financial Headaches for Baby Bells
* Micro Fuel Cells for Portable Devices
* Opportunities in Digital Payments
* Boutique Medical Care for the Masses
* Explorer: The Year in Review
* Stormy Weather Ahead for the Telecom Industry
* eLearning in the Oil and Gas Industry
* Signals of Change
* Release of the New 2000-03 MacroMonitor Data Set
* A New Approach to Product Mapping
* Affective Computing for Safe Driving


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(Full text of SRIC-BI publications is available to
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Financial Headaches for Baby Bells

The four Baby Bells, which once appeared to be immune from 
the financial problems plaguing other telecommunications 
companies, now find that their customer base is drifting 
toward new Internet-based technologies, cellular service, 
and phone service from cable pay-TV companies. As a result, 
Baby Bells may have to scramble to gain the cash flows they 
need to amortize their existing investments in the voice 
network. These and other factors could well foster disruptive 
changes in the structure of the telecom industry. (Baby Bells' 
Debt and the Outlook for U.S. Telecom Industry Restructuring)
http://www.sric-bi.com/DF/summaries/BabyBells1202.shtml


Micro Fuel Cells for Portable Devices

As the next generation of high-bandwidth mobile devices enters 
the market--incorporating power-hungry features such as color 
screens, MP3 players, and Internet access--the race is on to 
develop micro fuel cells that provide the necessary power 
densities. In fact, competition is so fierce that some 
analysts believe that commercialization of the technology for 
mobile applications may occur one to two years earlier than 
they originally forecast. (November 2002 Next-Generation
Technologies Viewpoints)
http://www.sric-bi.com/Explorer/NGT.shtml


Opportunities in Digital Payments

The world of digital payments is in flux, with players and 
standards jockeying for position. Online credit-card fraud 
remains a problem for the ubiquitous credit card. PayPal 
still dominates the realm of e-mail payments, but its 
acquisition by eBay raises new questions about the stability 
of its business model. Among competitors in the developing 
area of online billing and payment, billers such as American 
Express are having greater success than banks and 
consolidators. Meanwhile, regional differences are at work, 
with Japan pushing the e-purse and Europe attempting a 
transition to the smart card. (Digital Payments: Players,
Alliances, and Emerging Standards)
http://www.sric-bi.com/BIP/Bulletin/B313.shtml - 2410


Boutique Medical Care for the Masses

The emergence of online medical consultation promises to 
extend "boutique" medical care, once the province of people 
with the resources to pay for it, to the larger public. The 
approach offers an efficient, low-cost way to obtain medical 
advice and treatment. However, privacy concerns, worries 
about liability, and lack of reimbursement by health insurers 
need attention if the practice is to expand. (Online Medical
Consultation: Boutique Medical Care for the Masses)
http://www.sric-bi.com/BIP/Bulletin/B313.shtml - 2411


Explorer: The Year in Review

Every January, the Explorer service reviews the technology
commercialization highlights of the previous year. The 
December 2002/January 2003 Viewpoints review the technical 
and commercial breakthroughs, improvements, and roadblocks 
in 2002 that shaped the market outlook for each of the 36 
technologies that Explorer monitors.
http://www.sric-bi.com/Explorer/techList.shtml


Stormy Weather Ahead for the Telecom Industry

The rapid market uptake of wireless technologies and the 
rising tide of voice-over-Internet technologies portend 
systemic change in the already troubled telecommunications 
industry. Consumers can afford to watch and wait for the 
telecom landscape to shift, but businesses will have to be
more proactive in setting their telecom strategies if they 
are to remain competitive. (Scan No. 2152, Fourth Quarter 
2002)
http://www.sric-bi.com/BIP/ScanTOC/S2152m.shtml


eLearning in the Oil and Gas Industry

The oil and gas industry is a global, highly competitive, 
and knowledge-intensive business with high demand for 
eLearning. Case studies of Shell, BP, and Statoil reveal 
that senior managers at oil and gas companies take eLearning 
seriously but that companies still need to encourage 
learners to use eLearning systems. Though knowledge 
management and eLearning are coming closer together, they 
do not enjoy full integration. Moreover, bandwidth and 
network reliability is a problem for the industry's global 
eLearning implementations. (Lessons in eLearning from the 
Oil and Gas Industry)
http://www.sric-bi.com/LoD/summaries/LoDRpt14.shtml


Signals of Change

At a recent Scan meeting in Europe, SRIC-BI analysts 
discussed the widespread influence of the insurance 
industry and the need for companies to examine the 
influence of the industry on their part of the supply
chain. Other topics on the agenda included the rise of 
functional foods and cosmeceuticals and the downsides of 
outsourcing. (Signals of Change: Insurance, Cosmeceuticals,
Outsourcing)
http://www.sric-bi.com/BIP/Bulletin/B313.shtml - 2413


Release of the New 2002-03 MacroMonitor Data Set

The MacroMonitor is a comprehensive retail financial-
services database and marketing program that has measured, 
analyzed, and interpreted consumer attitudes, behaviors, 
and motivations continuously since 1978. Soon the program 
will release the data set from its latest survey, which
will provide considerable insights into changes in consumer 
behavior in the past two years and suggest how consumers of 
financial services are likely to react in the future. A key 
topic for 2002-03 is the level of trust people have in 
different types of financial institutions and intermediaries.
http://www.sric-bi.com/CFD/2002MM.shtml


A New Approach to Product Mapping

Changes in the marketplace have reduced the usefulness of 
product maps that focus primarily on comparing products and 
brands within product categories. With large numbers of 
new-product introductions and changes in people's consumption
behaviors--reflecting lifestyle choices and needs for 
self-expression more than economic need--marketers need a 
more comprehensive map that shows the intersection of people,
products, lifestyle activities, and media consumption. (The 
Map Gap: Extending Product Maps) 
http://www.sric-bi.com/BIP/Bulletin/B313.shtml - 2412


Affective Computing for Safe Driving

Today's drivers are subject to multiple distractions, 
ranging from talking on cell phones to checking navigation 
systems. Engineers at DaimlerChrysler and the Massachusetts 
Institute of Technology's Media Laboratory are collaborating 
on a car that reduces driver stress by monitoring and 
controlling excess sensory information. The research car's
sensors and monitoring systems provide constantly updated 
information on the driver's activities and emotional state, 
as well as the status of the vehicle. (October 2002 
Next-Generation Technolgies Viewpoints)
http://www.sric-bi.com/Explorer/NGT.shtml


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Copyright 2003 by SRI Consulting Business Intelligence.