China Launches Sites For Trade, Standardisation
China Standard Service Net is now using the Web to
provide information on China’s recommended national standards, relevant
rules and regulations, industry standards and product approvals.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation launched an official Web site, and a Web site on the China market.
The MOFTEC site offers information on Chinese
companies, trade statistics, laws and regulations.
The China market Web
site provides information on six major product categories: electronics
and machinery; textiles; light industry and crafts; foodstuffs, native
products and animal byproducts; hardware, minerals and chemicals;
medicine and nutritional products.
(Xinhua News Agency, China; July 16, July 10, 1998)
France Makes Rapid Strides in Internet Age
Last year’s decision by the French government to embrace the Internet as
the driver of the information economy underlies a critical
transformation of French acceptance of PCs and Internet-based services.
Internet traffic is rising by 15 percent a month and the number of
domain name servers using ‘.fr’ has risen by 198 percent in one year.
Now, 81 percent of French businesses that employ 500 or more people are
using the Internet. At the beginning of the year, only 25 percent of
French SMEs used the Internet; that percentage will have increased to 48
percent by 1999.
(Internet magazine, Britain; July 16, 1998)
National Stock Exchange of India to Launch Extranet-Based Services
The National Stock Exchange of India has an online portfolio management system (PMS), where the users could define 10
stocks of their choice and monitor their values on a daily basis.
It proved to be so popular that almost 900 users signed up in the first
month itself. The Web site now gets around 40 people registering for the
PMS every day. On user requests, the number of stocks that could be
tracked was increased from 10 to 20.
The NSE is also working on setting up an Extranet which will improve communication between the members and
the exchange. Using the Extranet, NSE will pump business related
information and routine circulars into the mailboxes of its members,
thus cutting down on paperwork. The NSE even plans to put up tutorials
on the stock market to educate novice stock market players.
(The Economic Times, India; July 16, 1998)
Singapore E-Commerce Laws to Create “Trust Hub”
Singapore’s recently introduced Electronic Transactions Bill, based on
model legislation drafted by the United Nations, covers digital
signatures, encryption standards, and digital certificate authorities.
“We want to establish Singapore as a trust hub. It’s not just the
hardware, it’s the total system–the administration, the culture. We
want to ensure people feel safe operating here,” says Minister for
Information and the Arts George Yeo.
Market research firm IDC forecasts
e-commerce activity in Singapore will jump from about $5 million this
year to $883 million in 2001.
(Asiaweek; July 17, 1998)
Britain’s Cable and Wireless Gets Unique Edge Via MCI’s Internet Assets
Cable and Wireless, Britain’s second largest telecommunications group,
will purchase the Internet assets of U.S. telco MCI.
It acquired the
U.S. company’s Internet infrastructure–some 22 domestic nodes, 44
peering agreements and about 1,200 sales and engineering staff. The deal
also includes contracts for Internet services with about 1,100 ISPs,
3,300 directly connected corporate customers and 300,000 customers who
dial up for their Internet connection.
It also includes relationships
with more than 100 large corporate customers for services including
Web-site hosting and firewalls. C&W therefore is now in a position–which no other European rival can duplicate–to establish itself as a
leading operator in the fast growing U.S. market, and to transform the
former MCI operation into a global Internet outfit using C&W’s presence
in more than 70 countries around the world.
(Financial Times, Britain; July 17, 1998)
U.S. Companies Need to Re-Assess Approach for E-Commerce in Europe
Business-to-consumer e-commerce in Europe is expected to grow from $126
million in 1997 to more than $5 billion in 2002, while business-to-
business e-commerce will expand from $1 billion in 1997 to more than $30
billion in 2001.
Many U.S. companies, however, frequently approach Europe as
if it were a single entity, and overlook crucial differences in basic
infrastructure and e-commerce laws. For example, the vast majority of
German catalog retailers will not sell to customers who do not have a
delivery address in Germany or an account with a German bank.
(CIO Magazine; July 15, 1998)
New Zealand to Consider Joining Global Internet Consortium
The Internet Institute of New Zealand is seeking corporate sponsors for
a scheme aimed at plugging Kiwi entrepreneurs into a worldwide support
network.
The institute’s new director, Howard Frederick, is floating the
idea of becoming the New Zealand partner in the international Global
Technology Partners scheme, an Internet-based group of consultants,
mentors and entrepreneurs that helps fledgling companies make
connections.
The proposed Regional Technology Alliance of New Zealand
(RTANZ) will work alongside others in North America, Europe and Asia,
using a series of groupware servers provided by Lotus and IBM to connect
entrepreneurs around the globe.
Global Technology Partners
is a scheme pioneered by the Los Angeles Regional
Technology Alliance, with support from IBM and Lotus.
(InfoTech Weekly, New Zealand; July 14, 1998)
Canadian Court Ruling Addresses Internet Defamation
Individuals who make defamatory remarks on the Internet may become more
vulnerable to legal action following a Canadian court ruling that forces
several Internet service providers to reveal the identities of
subscribers using pseudonyms.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF),
a U.S.-based free speech advocacy group, said the court ruling was “very
disturbing.”
David Potts, though, a Canadian lawyer specialising in Internet
libel, said the decision served notice that people must “act the same
way online as off-line.”
(Singapore Business Times; July 14, 1998)
CommerceNet Australia Aims for E-Commerce Alliances
CommerceNet Australia, one of 20 such bodies worldwide, was set up two
years ago with backing from the South Australian Government.
“We create
opportunities for our members to share knowledge–test beds and
opportunities to put their ideas into effect,” said Randy Whiting, CommerceNet
president and chief executive. CommerceNet wants to foster
“win-win” alliances for e-commerce, such as those between Federal
Express and Amazon.com in the U.S.
CommerceNet Australia board member
Philip Moody applauded Communications Minister Richard Alston’s recent
announcement of an IE (Information Economy) Day promoting e-business in
regional areas.
(The Australian; July 14, 1998)
