The January issue of KM indicated that "Globally Competitive Communities" and "Wired Communities" have led to "Intelligent Communities" with Virtual Communities Of Practice. Dubai Internet City (DIC); Ennis, Ireland; and a Florida High Tech Corridor were highlighted but there are others worthy of analysis such as Taipei, Taiwan; Seoul, Korea; each with unique features. What characteristics are essential for Intelligent Communities and Virtual Communities of Practice? 

The April issue of KM focused on globalization, e-commerce, knowledge management, and technology for curriculum content, delivery systems, and outcomes assessment ideas that could be used to promote Critical Thinking Competencies and Problem Solving Skills. As countries and regions advance in digital era formats, it is essential that best practices be applied elsewhere. 

Globalization of design, manufacturing, outsourcing, and supply chains that originate and pass through multiple nations in e-formats are becoming commonplace. Analysis of multinational corporations is essential. General Motors Corporation (GM) is an example of globalization. According to Ball et al., only 23 nations had a gross national product (GNP) greater than the total annual sales of GM, the world's largest international company, in 1998 (Ball, 2002, pp. 15-17). More important, however, is information about changes such as the conversion from 12-14 volt to 36-42 volt electrical systems (Quarto, 2003). GM is the first of the automobile manufacturers to begin converting to 36-42 volts to accommodate consumer demands for computer consoles, etc. GM is also a leader in fuel cell technology. At least equally important, GM is assisting children and youth become aware of these advances and experiment with technology. http://www.gm.com

General Electric (GE) is the world's largest transnational company (TNC) measured in terms of foreign assets (Ball, 2002, p. 14). For 125 years, GE has been thinking big and making things happen in a broad range of products and services in jet engines, power generators, plastics, television, appliances, medical imaging, financial services, etc. GE has been named "World's Most Respected Company" for the past five years by Price Waterhouse Cooper.
http://www.ge.com

Ball, D.A.; McCulloch, W.H.; Frantz, P.L.; Geringer, J.M.; and Minor, M.S. (2002). International business: The challenge of global competition. Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. 

Quarto, M.L. (2003). Development of a 42 volt power systems training manual for technicians of General Motors Corporation 42 volt technical training program. (Doctoral dissertation, Higher Education Leadership Program, Nova Southeastern University, 2003).

The Art of Enhancing Productivity and Innovation with Human Resources in an Organization.  One of the most reliable components of an organization's competitive advantage in the marketplace is not its technology but the chemistry that exists among the people who work to bring products and services to market. 

Kudyba, Stephen. (2003). "Knowledge Management." DMReview. 13(4), April, pp. 58-9. http://www.DMReview.com 

The value of supply chain integration is how it helps the enterprise manage relationships with key suppliers and customers and respond to disruptive events in the flow of goods. It helps organizations monitor what's happening, recognize a disruption, and respond intelligently. 

Ryan, Thomas K. (2003). "The Value of Supply Chain Integration." eM Journal 5(4), April, 60-63. http://www.eaijournal.com 

Mobile technologies are here to stay - indeed, their use is growing rapidly. But are CIOs seeing the full range of business benefits? Not yet, according to the almost 500 top technology executives who responded in January to our second annual survey on mobile technologies. 

Alter, Alan. (2003). "When Will Mobility Add Strategic Value?" CIO Insight. April, pp. 61-69. http://www.cioinsight.com 
 

In spite of perhaps the worst economic climate in recent history, Training magazine's 2003 Top 100 invested more than $6 billion in workforce development initiatives for the second consecutive year, and on average, these companies provided 65 hours of training per employee, funded by an average 4.06 percent of payroll. While companies around the globe have slashed training resources, these 100 companies have managed to build solid cases for developing people - in prosperous and uncertain times. 

Galvin, Tammy. (2003). "The 2003 Training Top 100." Training. 18-68. http://www.trainingmag.com

Also, access and mine 
http://webexevents.webex.com 

Editors of Network Computing will name the best technology products and services in 43 categories in the next issue. And, they will announce the winners in seven core markets and name the single most outstanding product or service. http://www.networkcomputing.com 

It's Deja Vu all over again for the electronic industry. Computer companies were the first to learn the lesson that they shouldn't be in the software business. They developed proprietary operating systems for their boxes, but technological change, customer demand or regulatory pressure forced them to offer software made by others. It happened to the mainframers, the minicomputer companies and the personal computer makers. And now it is happening to cell phone OEMs. (Article contains a partial list of independent cell phone software developers). 

Schwartz, Karen D. "Outsourcing Software Will Reign Supreme." Electronic Business. 29(5), April 15, 2003, s3-s7. 
http://www.eb-mag.com

For decades, EDA has been a hotbed of entrepreneurial fervor with start-ups busting….   Over the past two years, the three largest vendors - Cadence Systems Inc., San Jose, CA; Synopsys Inc., Mountain View, CA; and Mentor Graphics Corp., Wilsonville, OR….

James, Geoffrey. "Electronic Design Automation." Electronic Business. 29(5), April 15, 2003, p.31. http://www.eb-mag.com

GE Consumer Products' investment in mobile CRM produces bottom-line results. 
Zeman, Eric M. "Imagine (and $15 Million) at Work." Field Force Automation.. 4(5), May 2003, pp. 50-49. 
http://www.destinationffa.com 

To the casual observer, a construction site today looks much like as it did 10 or 15 years ago: men on the move with large equipment, hand tools and walkie-talkies. But take a closer look. What looks like yesterday's walkie-talkies may actually be a sophisticated, ruggedized, wireless device that combines voice and data capabilities to communicate with scores of subcontractors while downloading payroll data and completing safety checks. 

Cotter, Marianne. "A Mobile Construct." Field Force Automation.. 4(5), May 2003, pp. 29-34. 

As the international political world seems to be getting less cooperative, people in higher education are trying to move closer to one another. Despite the differences in systems and credentialing in different countries, many universities are finding ways to collaborate on.... 

Johnson, Sally M. (April 2003). "International eLearning Partnerships." Syllabus. 16(9), p. 23. 

When communities of practice first came into vogue, early practitioners advocated a cautious approach. They had learner through bitter experience that if they interfered with those informal associations too much, members would loose interest - and the collaboration and wisdom would grind to a halt. But managers needed to find a way to keep the invaluable case-specific knowledge that participants were discussing from slipping through the cracks.  They found their answer in online communities.  Once experts learned how to cultivate….

Dolezalek, Holly. "Collaborating in Cyberspace." Training. 40(4), April 2003, pp. 33-37. http://www.trainingmag.com 

When Bob Moffat set out to transform IBM's global supply chain, he had little trouble getting people to take him seriously. All he needed was a few hundred million dollars of savings in a few months.  At the outset, Moffat crafted six overarching principles….

Bowman, Robert J. "Pursuing 'On Demand,’ IBM Shakes Up Its Supply Chain." Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategies, 7 (4), April 2003, pp. 38-43. Access the article online at http://www.supplychainbrain.com and visit Case Studies. 

Enterprise applications - whether for traditional enterprise resource planning or newfangled  "ERP 11" processes such as product life cycle management - form the central nervous system of the intelligent enterprise; as they go, your entire enterprise goes.  But that obvious claim begs the question: Where are they going?  In this Intelligent Enteprise roundtable discussion, we asked a group of technology experts representing enterprise applications solutions providers to offer their views about how a vortex of emerging customer requirements are forcing them to rethink how their companies develop, market, and maintain….

Kestelyn, Justin (April 22, 2003). "The Future of Enterprise Applications." Intelligent Entemrise, 6(7), pp. 18-23 + 47. http://www.intelligententerprise.com 

"Playing By New Rules: Your Risks and Responsibilities" is Part I of a new CIO series on the ramifications of the USA PATRIOT (acronym for the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001) or the USA Patriot Act. Future issues will examine the legislation and regulations that are having a profound effect on how a company must manage data, ensure security, and protect privacy. 
Worthen, Ben. (April 15, 2003). "What to do When Uncle Sam Wants Your Data." CIO. 16(13), 56-66. http://www.cio.com (Access USA Patriot Act) 

To this day, the CIO of a well-respected research organization in California has no idea how someone hacked into his company's computer systems and used them to store and transmit pirated movies and music. He's not even sure how the Motion Picture Association of America (MOAA) learned about the crime before he did. The film industry association tipped off the FBI, which came knocking, and he hasn't seen the compromised hard drives since - nor does he want to. The CIa wants to be finished with the whole business.

Scalet, Sarah D. (April 15, 2003). "The Pirates Among Us." CIO, 16(13), 86-92. http://www.cio.com 

E-business collaboration, a trendy topic during the e-business boom of the past several years, is making a comeback. Why? Because, despite widespread disillusionment with everything e-, many business and technical leaders are beginning to understand and achieve the value associated with e-business collaboration - whether it be improving revenue and operational capabilities or fundamentally transforming their businesses. This understanding and experience coupled with pressure to improve financial results, is bringing e-business collaboration to the top of mind. Article mentions: product life cycle management (PLM), supplier relationship management (SRM), supply chain management (SCM), customer relations management (CRM). 

DCI created four 24/7/365 communities on Customer Relations Management (CRM); eBusiness, eProcurement, Content Management, Supply Chain Management, and Real Time Enterprise; Portals; plus Enterprise Architecture (EA) that are free for qualified professionals. 

http://www.crmcommunity.com/registration/member.cfm?code=KUMTL33
http://www.portalscommunity.com/registration/member.cfm?code=USOTL33 
http://www.communityb2b.com/registration/member.cfm?code=LRSTL33
http://www.eacommunity.com/registration/member/default.asp?code=LZFTL77

Critique of research about "Globally Competitive Communities" of the mid 1990s and "Wired Communities" of the late 1990s plus the current emergence of ' 'Intelligent Communities" with Virtual Communities of Practice calls for a coherent community, economic, and education development strategy. "Community" awareness about global macro trends is necessary to develop a "local" action plan. "Community" and "local" are relative, not restricted to political boundaries. Greater Philadelphia Area includes four counties in New Jersey and four counties in Pennsylvania. Greater Philadelphia is part of a corridor anchored by New York and Washington. 

A Globally Competitive Community, or region, has a critical mass of corporations in economy sectors that match trends such as in technologies plus boards and leaders striving for excellence. Economic development is characterized by collaboration between private and public sectors. A centerpiece of "Intelligent Communities" is a configuration of college and university programs synchronized with needs and wants of both private and public sector establishments. Although the January KM newsletter highlighted three Intelligent Community award winners, it was suggested that additional award winners are worthy of review. Criteria for ICs are at 
http://www.intelligentcommunity.com

"The Taiwan Miracle" is described in many resources. One indicator is per capita income. Growth in per capita income in Taiwan is displayed below in 1951, 1965, 1990, and 1998.
 

Taipei is a center of commerce for the Pacific Rim. Mr. Ying-Jeou Ma, Mayor of Taipei, campaigned for the position promising to make the nation's capital a world class Cyber City. Taipei was designated an IC in 2002. http://www.taipei.gov.tw/English/index l.htm

Critical to any Cyber City are the colleges and universities that prepare the intellectual capital and technical workforces to design and engineer such an enterprise. A key role is played by the Ministry Of Education (MOE) in program development. http://140.111.1.22/english/main.htmlNational Taipei University of Technology plays a key role. http://www.ntut.edu.tw/english.html

Click on Course Descriptions to review courses in E-Commerce and Knowledge Management. Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices (TECOs) in Chicago plus elsewhere in the U.S. and the world provide a continuous flow of data and information to Taiwan and promote the country. 

Globalization is increasing at an accelerating rate. E-commerce, knowledge management, and effective and efficient use of contemporary technology are not "electives" in enterprise plans. Awareness and understanding about content in above-mentioned areas cannot be "electives" in certificate and degree programs in colleges and universities. Virtual Communities of Practice are emerging rapidly like those by DCI e-University and must be an integral curriculum component. Content and delivery system upgrades must lead to demonstration of proficiency in outcomes. The August issue of Knowledge Management (KM) contained a list of business programs online. The next page in this newsletter contains content for possible inclusion in program upgrading. 
 

Access http://www.members.cox.net/greenka6/wgnewweb/wgindex.html and mine: The January 2003 issue of Knowledge Management (KM) contains a list of topics for the August and September 2002 issues ofKM and a packet for the National Black Chamber of Commerce.  The August issue contains the 100 top e-commerce leaders by economy sector. Both the August issue and the NBCC packet contain African American owned businesses plus Web site addresses. 
January and April 2003 issues of KM contain the below mentioned topics. Individuals who access the KM newsletters can link directly to Web sites for further analysis of topics.

January 2003 issue of KM
1. Intelligent Communities and Knowledge Management. Highlights three ICs.
2. Globalization, Knowledge Management, and Leadership 
     Capstone: Business Policy and Strategy course is explained followed by examples 
3. Content for Developing a Global Strategy 
4. Developing an Incremental Strategy for Sustainability 
5. Contents in Aug. and Sept. issues of KM plus packet for NCAA 
6. Business Level and Functional Area Strategy Resources 
7. Alternative Scenarios and Business Level Strategies 
    Strategies include ( a) Market Analysis, (b) Customer Relations Management, (c) Diversity, (d) E-Commerce, (e) Fraud and Identity Theft Prevention, (f) Logistics Multi-modal Distribution and/or Supply Chain, (g) Human Resources Development (HRD), and (h) Communication and Information Technologies (CIT). 
8. Census Bureau, CRM, Field Force Automation Buyer's Guide, and Resources 

April 2003 issue of KM 
1. Global, E-Commerce, Knowledge Management, and Technology 
    A need to focus on Intelligent Communities with Virtual Communities Of Practice 
    A need to focus on curriculum content, delivery systems, and outcomes assessment 
    A need to focus on Critical Thinking Competencies and Problem Solving Skills 
     General Motors Corporation (GM), the world's largest corporation 
2. Explosive Growth in International Corporation 
     General Electric (GE) is the world's largest transnational company (TNC) 
    Ranking of International Firms and Nations by GNP 
    Top 10 Auto Manufactures - link directly to the Web sites 
3. Co-creating Visions and Alternative Scenarios - African and Caribbean Basin Countries 
4. Critical Thinking Competencies and Problem Solving Skills 
    Analysis of economic, governmental and technological variable for above countries 
    Competitive advantage comparisons of firms in retail, financial services and pharmaceutical establishments (link directly to lists of firms) 
    E-Commerce analysis by economy sector using lists in August 2002 issue in  KM 
    Knowledge Management (KM) use by critiquing KMWorld leaders 
    Visions co-creation for Communication and Information Technologies 
5. Changing Characteristics of Leadership with three books published in 2002 

Clevenger, Nathan. "Personal Digital Assistants: The Mobile Paradigm and the Supply Chain." Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategies- 7(3), March 2003, pp. 56-57. To view this Article online, visit the Supply-chain Library at http://www.supplychainbrain.com

Foster, Thomas A. "Extending the Reach of Global Logistics Systems Throughout the Enterprise." Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategies. 7(3), March 2003, pp. 51-55.

Goodman, Russell W. "Supply-chain Winners: Software Developers Who Consistently Show Profitability." Global Logistics & Supply Chain Strategies. 7(3), March 2003, pp. 36-40. 

Centers for International Business Education and Research (CIBERs) were created under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 to increase and promote the nation's capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise. CIBERs are a great resource. 
http://ciber.centers.purdue.edu/ 
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/HEP/iegps 

Check - International Business Education: Outreach Initiatives for Grades K-12. The K-12 activities of the CIBER network encompass a wide range of projects and programs of differing formats for elementary, middle, and high school students and teachers. 

An African Youth Foundation Seminar is scheduled for June 2-6. Access http://www.ayf.de/ 

REALCOM 2003, June 4-5, Chicago. http://www.intelligentcommunity.org/html/conferences.html
E-Gov 2003 Information Technology for ImproVing Government, June 9-12. http://www.e-gov.com
Driving Product Lifecycle Products, Chicago, June 16-18. http://www.managementroundtable.com 
Africa - U.S. Business Summit, Washington, June 24-27. http://www.africacncl.org 
Training Directors' Forum, Leading Organizational Change. http://www.trainingdirectorsforum.com 
National Minority Supplier Development Council, Chicago, Oct 26-29. http://www.nmsdcus.org

The Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services of Nova Southeastern University and the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) have developed an outstanding "Conference for Global Leading and Learning." The conference will be held at the Disney Contemporary Resort on June 12-14. Access http://www.fgse.nova.edu/marketing/cgll-gtep 

KM can be accessed and mined: http://www.members.cox.net/greenka6/wgnewweb/wgindex.html  Warren H.Groff, 3408 N. 49dt St., Milwaukee, WI 53216-3208, 414-871-1127, groffw@nova.edu

Comment: I work with individuals using multiple form and style guides with unique variations. Content and leads to sources remain a central focus of KM; consistency to a format is variable.