Singapore introduced major e-commerce initiatives to generate
business of about US$2.4 billion by year 2003.
The Monetary Authority of
Singapore commissioned a study on how the financial sector can
leverage IT. Over the next five years, the Economic Development Board
has set itself the target of anchoring at least 25 of the leading
logistics, manufacturing and services companies to set up their
e-commerce operations in Singapore.
Web Traffic Analyser Companies Struggle Over U.S., European Markets
Numerous “Web miner” companies are now targeting the site analysis
software market.
Aiming at the enterprise end of the market are
network-based Web site activity analysers from companies such as
Andromedia, Marketwave and Accrue.
In Britain, Associated New Media, the
online arm of Associated Newspapers, is using Andromedia’s Aria package
on its “This is London” information site. The software is also used on
its UKplus UK-specific search engine, and on Soccernet.
Net.Genesis has
a long client list which includes CBS, Dupont, Siemens and the BBC.
(Financial Times, Britain; September 30, 1998)
Thai Agency To Offer Internet Phone Services
The Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) said it plans to offer
Internet phone service from the beginning of next year.
The service will
include “PC-to-phone” and “phone-to-phone” calls. CAT Deputy Director
Thamnoon Julmanichoti says it is the mission of the CAT to offer any
telecommunications-related service needed by the public.
CAT also plans
to expand its public Internet service via kiosks–CATNET–in an effort
to allow Internet access for those who do not have computers.
(Bangkok Post; September 30, 1998)
Indian States Line Up To Launch Community Net Access With WorldTel
More state governments in India are discussing projects for the launch
of public access Internet services with World-Tel.
West Bengal and Kerala are following Tamil Nadu in community access
projects. A project in Gujarat has also been considered.
The model for
Internet to be established in each state would be suited to the local
conditions. For instance, Tamil Nadu has industrial centre clusters
whereas Kerala has large Persian Gulf-based overseas traffic.
(The Hindu, India; September 30, 1998)
Toyota, Sony to Team Up with Japanese ISP to Offer Datacom Services
Toyota and Sony, two of Japan’s biggest manufacturers, announced
plans to launch a data communications service.
They are in talks with
ISP Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ) about forming a new company to offer
data services for corporate clients in Japan.
“The telecommunications
infrastructure will provide us with new business opportunities both in
hardware and software,” a Sony spokesman said. The new company
reportedly aims to offer large-capacity, low-cost data services, with
user fees set at about one-third to one-fourth those now charged by
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone.
(Economic Times, India; October 1, 1998)
Australian Web Publisher Seeks to Raise Capital for Massive Two-Year
Effort
Internet content developer LibertyOne plans to float on the Australian
Stock Exchange within the next two months to raise capital for more than
$20 million expenditure on Web publishing.
LibertyOne signed a $30
million joint venture with Internet portal Excite to raise the Internet
profile of media staples of LibertyOne’s major shareholder, JB Fairfax
Press.
LibertyOne plans to spend between $18 million and $20 million on
Web page development during the next two years.
(The Australian; October 2, 1998)
German Internet Users Plan Online Boycott to Protest High Access Rates
In a move similar to the online boycott in Spain a month ago, modems
across Germany will fall silent on November 1st, and Web pages will go
dark in a protest targeting Deutsche Telekom and its high Internet
access fees.
German consumer activists hope a 24-hour strike will draw
attention to what they claim are sky-high rates charged by the monopoly
telco’s T-Online service. In a recent poll by a German computing
magazine, 80 percent of those surveyed vowed to stay off the grid on
strike day.
(Wired news; October 1, 1998)
E-Commerce Is Like a Typhoon, Says IBM CEO Gerstner in Japan
Governments have to end monopolistic telecommunications structures and
encourage competition so electronic commerce can flourish, said IBM
chairman and chief executive Louis Gerstner during the recent IBM Fair
’98 in Tokyo.
“Electronic commerce is like a typhoon sweeping through
business practice as the world moves to a new millennium,” he said to an
audience of more than 90,000 people. “Many of us will play an active
role in the creation of a sage, secure, global medium of human and
business interaction, as well as the largest, most dynamic, restless,
sleepless marketplace of goods, services and ideas the world has ever
seen.”
(InfoTech Weekly, New Zealand; September 28, 1998)
New Zealand Agency Launches Credit-Checking Service Via Internet
Debt collection agency Creditmens launched New
Zealand’s first Internet-based credit-checking service for reporting on
individuals.
The system sends consumer credit details across the
Internet with a Kiwi-made encryption process. The database has 145,000
records.
About 150 customers have signed up to the Creditmens Internet
service. The service is reportedly ideal for retail outlets, who will be
charged $4 per query.
(InfoTech Weekly, New Zealand; September 28, 1998)
Worldwide Internet Population May Reach 300 Million By Year 2001
The Internet Industry Almanac, a new reference book from the U.S.-based
Computer Industry Almanac, is predicting that total
number of people online will reach 300 million by year 2001, up from 100
million at the end of 1997.
Britain will have more than 17 million
people online by 2001. Russian and China will have 5 million and 3.8
million users respectively.
(Internet Magazine, Britain; September 28, 1998)
