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In this issue:

  * Financial Services for Households with Special Needs
  * Social-Networking Software
  * Voice over Internet Protocol
  * Futures Markets
  * Payoffs from eLearning in the Life-Sciences Industry
  * A Reality Check for RFID
  * Nanoscale Templates and Other Signals of Change
  * Authoring Tools for eLearning
  * Prospects for Microbioanalytical Devices
  * SRIC-BI News


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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 visit http://www.sric-bi.com/info.shtml.)
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---------------------
 Recent Publications
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Financial Services for Households with Special Needs

Few financial institutions have specific programs and 
specialized staff to help parents of special-needs 
children, who often must provide for their children well 
into adulthood. With some 49.7 million people age 5 and 
older having some type of disability, this market is more 
than a niche market. Financial-services companies that 
serve this group have an opportunity to gain goodwill and 
to expand the market for their advice and planning 
services and their life-insurance and investment products. 
(Serving Households with Special Financial Needs)
http://www.sric-bi.com/CFD/MRsummaries/MR.VI-06.shtml


Social-Networking Software

Although software for social-network analysis remains 
in beta testing and raises privacy issues, it offers 
considerable potential for businesses. The networking 
software, which leverages existing information in 
enterprises about relationships, could save companies 
significant time and effort in finding useful business 
contacts. (Social-Networking-Software Tools for Business)
http://www.sric-bi.com/Scan/ScanMonthly/SM011.shtml#D04-2454


Voice over Internet Protocol

The popularization of voice over Internet protocol 
presents major challenges, particularly for former 
monopolies. Though traditional telephony will not 
disappear as quickly as some doomsayers predict, carriers 
and suppliers need to execute wise strategies to increase 
the agility of their infrastructure and exert regulatory 
influence to preserve their roles. (The Case for Voice 
over Internet Protocol)
http://www.sric-bi.com/DF/summaries/VoIP2003-12.shtml


Futures Markets

Noting the success of commodities futures markets in 
accurately predicting market-shaping events, sources such 
as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Technology 
Review and Hewlett-Packard want to reap similar benefits 
by hosting futures markets on ideas and issues important 
to their businesses. Companies can use futures markets 
to predict industry trends, forecast sales figures, hedge 
against harmful macroeconomic conditions, or place bets 
on future events. (Futures Markets as Forecasting Tools)
http://www.sric-bi.com/Scan/ScanMonthly/SM011.shtml#D04-2455


Payoffs from eLearning in the Life-Sciences Industry

Life-sciences companies have been slower than 
high-technology companies to embrace eLearning. 
Nonetheless, a growing number of senior managers in 
pharmaceutical companies see a role for eLearning. Aside 
from offering the short-term payoff of reduced training 
costs, eLearning promises to strengthen learning and 
knowledge processes and to improve the education of 
customer constituencies and business partners. 
(eLearning in the Life-Sciences Industry)
http://www.sric-bi.com/LoD/summaries/eLearnLifeSci2003-12.shtml


A Reality Check for RFID

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) offers great 
potential, but visions of revolutionary change are a bit 
premature. Before RFID can provide its heralded benefits, 
developers need to improve the technology's reliability 
and accuracy, reduce interference, develop standards, and 
put the necessary infrastructure in place. In the market, 
RFID costs need to drop significantly if the technology 
is to compete with the existing infrastructure of bar 
codes and other identification technologies. (RFID on Top 
of the Hype Curve)
http://www.sric-bi.com/Scan/ScanMonthly/SM011.shtml#D04-2456


Nanoscale Templates and Other Signals of Change

Nanotechnology researchers are tapping naturally occurring 
arrays of biomolecules as templates for manufacturing, 
assembling, and organizing nanoscale elements, including 
individual molecules. This work is one of several signals 
of change in the January 2004 issue of Scan Monthly, which 
also looks at data-analysis products that focus on 
discovery rather than monitoring, U.S. government interest 
in the Segway electrical scooter, and expert betting on 
product successes and failures (see also Futures Markets).
http://www.sric-bi.com/Scan/ScanMonthly/SM011.shtml#SoCs


Authoring Tools for eLearning

Tools for creating eLearning content are easier to use 
than they used to be, opening the door for subject-matter 
experts and even learners to author content. Content 
quality remains an issue, but new authoring tools are 
helping people create more engaging learning experiences, 
align eLearning more closely with work tasks, create 
content collaboratively, and integrate formal and informal 
learning environments. (LoD Bulletin, Fourth Quarter 2003)
http://www.sric-bi.com/LoD/bulletins.shtml


Prospects for Microbioanalytical Devices

Microarray-based bioanalytical devices are transforming 
the way that scientists screen drug candidates, identify 
disease-predisposition markers, and analyze environmental 
and clinical samples for pathogens or toxic materials. 
Competition to develop the technology is intense. Moreover, 
if the devices are to gain widespread market acceptance, 
products will have to be at prices the market can afford. 
(Microbioanalytical Devices: Trends and Developments)
http://www.sric-bi.com/Scan/ScanMonthly/SM011.shtml#D04-2457


--------------
 SRIC-BI News
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Recent Consulting Activity

New pages on SRIC-BI's Web site describe recent consulting 
work in a number of industrial sectors. Web-site visitors 
can see descriptions of work in the electronics; oil, gas, 
and energy; chemicals and materials; telecommunications; 
financial services; auto; and eLearning industries. Case 
studies of specific projects in these areas are also 
available at the site.
http://www.sric-bi.com/consulting/KeyIndustries.shtml


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Copyright 2004 by SRI Consulting Business Intelligence.

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