* * * * * * * * *

"She has green hair, a thin smile and heralds a different way to get the Net - via voice.  Ananova, the first virtual newscaster, debuted on the Web (in April), attracting a lot of media and user interest. Ananova reads news, generating human sounding speech from text.  Eventually Ananova will be able to listen and interact with her audience ...."

http://www.ananova.com/

What were Ananova’s famous first words?
What are the technologies that make Ananova work?
Who are the closest lookalikes?

"Voice is coming to the Net, and not just Ananova’s. This summer, some drivers will be able to surf the Web by voice from their dashboards. Within five years, 45 million wireless users in North America will access the Web regularly by voice .... There are a lot of start-ups promising to push Web-based content by voice ...."

"One voice-Net product of Motorola, Inc. provides a way phone companies can offer voice and text browsing. With the product, users of Web-enabled cell phones can view or hear Internet content, and any phone system with the product can let people surf the Net by voice. Motorola customers are starting to use the system overseas." http://www.mot.com/

How are biometric, card, voice and wireless technologies evolving and how are voice recognition/verification used? How are these technologies used in E-Commerce/'E-Business? What are the implications for developmentally appropriate learning units in Anytime (24 X 7) Anywhere e-Learning?

Howell, Donna. "Digitized Talking Heads Lend Voices To The Web." Investor’s Business Daily, May 2, 2000, A4 A6.   http://www.investers.com/

"Strategic Planning (Thinking) for the Digital Era" is a paper that synthesized research about Predictions relative to E-Commerce and E-Business and implications for curriculum Anytime (24 X 7 X 365) Anywhere. (See ERIC: ED 432 932).

"Spreading the Net" with the extended title "Programs like "Computers for Youth,' help open up the Internet by training kids, then letting them take
computers home to teach their parents" contains many suggestions to narrow the "Digital Divide" gap for black and Hispanic inner city dwellers.

Warner, Bernard. "Spreading the Net." The Industry Standard, 3(12), April 3, 2000, 159-174.

An excellent Community Electronic Newsletter is distributed by Madison, WI, schools  http://www.madison.kl2.wi.us/   The April 19 issue was on Lowell Elementary School that has received the National Title I Distinguished Schools Award.

"Recently, several companies and other groups have begun using the Internet as a means of helping students in ways other than those directly related to in-class activities."

Kavanaugh-Brown, Justine. "Virtual Volunteers Make The Grade." GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY, 13(5), April 2000, 52-5.

http://%20www.govtech.net%20www.technology4kids.com/

http://www.schoolpop.com/

The Videoconferencing for Learning Web site has applications and resources for teachers, librarians, and other educators:

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/vidconf/

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/vidconf/directory.html

http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/vidconf/edlvidconf.html
 

"E-commerce leaders follow fundamental marketing and design principles for a winning Web strategy."   What are they???

Szalay, Maria and Datovech, James J. "Build Your Web Identity."  E-BUSINESS ADVISOR.-18(5), 30-34.

"A recent study by PriceWaterhouseCooper  http://www.pwcglobal.com/  and The Conference Board  http://www.conference-board.org/  reveals the global corporations are investing far more on e-business than they were a year ago and are devoting significantly greater senior management oversight to those efforts. More than two-thirds say they have in place a systematic, strategic approach to Internet-based initiatives...."

"Survey: Global Firms Stumble Forward on Internet Path."
KMWorld 9(4), May 2000, 1 and 20.     http://www.kmworld.com/

e-BUSINESS ADVISOR also reported on the survey and added "The next generation of business-to-business models is what Giga Research Fellow
Gig Graham calls electronic partner networks (EPNs), where business partners share a common network, establish a trustworthy means of collaboration, and conduct business through the use of structured electronic contracts and agreements."

Advisor. e-BUSINESS ADVISOR, 18(5), 8 and 10.

"This is a scenario that gives doctors headaches:  A patient comes into the office with a fistful of Web pages about their symptoms.  About 50 percent of
the information is wrong.  About 50 percent of the time the patient strangely trusts the Web information more than they do their doctor."

King, Elliot. ""Surfer, Heal Thyself." Enterprise Systems Journal, 15(5), May 2000, 16.  http://www.esi.com/

"In the booming pharmaceutical industry, shepherding products through all the necessary steps to approval and to market -- demands above-and-beyond effort, innovative technology and constant oversight."

"Knowledge management system technology is helping to solve many of the problems inherent in the hundreds of steps involved in the information
gathering, tracking, marketing, regulatory and accountability processes."

The article includes pharmaceutical relationship management (PRM) and customer relationship management (CRM).

Barron, Janet J. "KM: Healthy Rx for Pharmaceutical Firms." KMWorld 9(4), May 2000, 14. 

http://www.kmworld.com/

http://www.i-many.com/

http://www.solvay.com/

http://www.imshealth.com/

http://www.sybase.com/

http://www.ventiv.com/

"About 150 to 175 electronic book publishers, many of whom don't even bother publishing paper books, are doing business today. And though e-books
account for less than 1% of total sales at present, the book world is abuzz with the prospects of digital technology and the Internet."

Sharma-Jensen, Geeta. "Technology Opening New Chapters."  Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, May 14, 2000, 1E and 10E.  Also, check MSJ page 7E -  http://www.hardshell.com/

"Pull back the curtain of any e-commerce Web site, and there you’ll find its real potential for success. Processes that churn on the ‘back end’ are what
drive sales transactions and other activities taking place on the ‘front end.’"
Bennett, Steve. "Finding Fulfillment: Get The Goods to Your Virtual Customers."
Small Business Computing, 5(5), May 2000, 70-71.

http://www.smalloffice.com/

http://www.ffplus.com%20www.rushorder.com/

http://www.ffplus.com%20www.rushorder.com/

http://www.young-america.com/

"Finding jobs, providing employment-search resources, tending to welfare recipients fresh off the payrolls, plus keeping up with and implementing new
technology, are just a few of the issues employment service officials confront daily. As government employment agencies and programs attempt to keep
up with the technologically proficient private sector, both in retaining their employee base and in technological advances, some states are breaking new
ground and becoming models for states to follow in the future."

Duplissea, Eleanor. "Sheridan Takes Texas Workforce Commission to New Heights."  GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY, 13(5), May 2000, 28, 29, and 88. 

http://www.govtech.net/

"The Internet is changing the face of the economy. Its greatest impact is being felt in the Business-to-Business (B2B) sector, where new supply chain
models and net markets are having a profound impact on the way organizations form strategic alliances and short term supplier relationships. The transition from a physical to an IT-driven economy may be reflected in expressions such as "atoms to hits," but the structure and behavior of the new economy is molecular."

 Brown, Tony M. "The Molecular Economy: The Business and Technology Model
of B2B e-Commerce." eAI Journal, 2(5), May 2000, 12-21.  http://www.eaijournal.com/

Authors and articles in the May issue include:
Sumner Blount. "Secure Portal Management."
Chuck Cook and Ken Hamlin. "Manufacturing a Supply Chain."
Ravi Kalakota. "Inter-Enterprise Fusion of Supply Chains."
Tom Koulopoulos. "The New World of Vortals.11
Johnny Long. "Integrating the Value Chain.,,
Greg Olsen. "An Overview of B2B Integration."
Rich Seeley. "The Business of Integration.,,
Related articles in previous issues are also reported.
Free subscriptions are available at  : http://www.eaijournal.com/

Smart Communities are evolving. A 6th Annual Cities of the Future Conference (December 1999) and the Second World Forum of Smart Communities
(1999) are examples of programs that promote smart communities or partnerships  http://www.govtech.com/   An analysis of some smart communities
indicates three areas of focus as economic development, community development, and education/training. Economic development is a major
force.

Business to business economic development opportunities are plentiful for building capacity and infrastructure for EC. Global Crossing announced
an Asia to other Continents link last fall and continues to expand opportunities. How do we alert and prepare prime and sub contractors to participate? The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) will host Aid & Trade 2000 for UN-business partnership on May 31. How can corporations be alerted to encourage participation?

http://www.aidandtrade.com/

http://www.unops.org/partnership

Global Smart Partnerships Design Group, Inc., will host an Asia Pacific - USA SMART Partnership Conference, Aug. 29-31.

http://www.gspdesigngroup.com/

http://conference/vegas2000

EC 2000 will be held on September, Global Info Summit will be held in October, and the Pacific Rim Biotech in November. How can corporations
be alerted, Information be obtained and prime contract teams participate? How can the information be shared to allow medium and small
subcontractors to assist In developing competitive proposals for projects?

http://www.itaa.org/

http://www.blotech.bc.ca/pacrim2000

How can we prepare minority subcontractors to participate? I helped to create an Entrepreneurial Development Institute that assisted hundreds of people to develop business plans and become "subs" in a campus site-based traditional format. Learning units on developing business plans and on EC could be delivered electronically online to Community Learning Centers, branches of the libraries, homes, and elsewhere. Thus, planning strategically for economic development helps community development and could contribute to education at various levels including the universities that have courses and programs focused on EC. Knowledge could be converted to units of learning that are developmentally appropriate and then delivered in an Anytime (24 X 7 X 365) Anywhere format.

"The landscape is changing so quickly that If you tried to stick to a five-year plan, you'd be obsolete in six months!!'  - Kelsey Biggers, Micro Modeling Associates in
Scott, Justin T. "Clicks and Mortor: the Future of e-Commerce.  11 Office Solutions, April 2000, 35-39.

Smart Reseller's third year of selecting and profiling the most successful and dynamic businesses in their industry:  "Smart 100 Companies." Smart Reseller'. 3(18), May 8, 2000, 39-82.  http://www.smartreseller.com/

Anderson, Nathan. "Almost Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Lotus Certification." Group Computing, 4(6), May,,'June 2000, 40-43.
http://www.groupcomputlng.com/

Bennett, Steve, and Miller, Stacy. "Paying for IT." Small Business Computing, 5(5), May 2000, 63-65.

Brassington, Jonathan. "-A-' Through "ERP,"' Enterprise Systems Journal, 15(5), May 2000, 40-41.

Buss, Dale. "Procter & Gamble Faces the Future." Industry-Standard, 3(12), April 3, 2000, 94-97.

Flohr, Thomas. "IT: Know ThYSelf." Intelligent Enterprise, 3(8), May 15, 2000, 58-62.

Freedman, Alan. "Digital Duct Tape." GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY, 13(5), April -@000, 58-59.  http://www.govtech.net/

Hamilton, Andrea. "Knocking Off Yahoo in Asia." The Industry Standard, 5(12), April 3, 2000, 151-153.

Kraus, Jason. "Global Crossing Plans Its Media Play." The Industry Standard, 3(12), April 3, 2000, 122-123.

Powell, Edwin. Videoconferencing: The Next Best Thing to Being There." Office Solutions, April 2000, 40-41.

SP newsletters and other information are at a few Web pages. Access http://www.blackboard.com/courses/webcom

Click on "Announcements" and then on "Course Documents" and click on "Warren Groff-s' Newsletters" to BROWSE/MINE.

Then, click on "External Links" and "The Friendly Forum." and BROWSE "The Friendly Forum: Class Discussion" Note the topics that you can
MINE and add information. Browse Asia Society, Globalization and the Family of IT Careers, Taiwan, and other topics. Access corporate R&D of
companies that are international trade leaders in high tech and analyze the competencies and skills needed by workers.

Warren H. Groff, 3408 N. 49th St., Milwaukee, WI, 53216-3208