Wednesday, November 30, 2005

A recent study carried out by CFO Research indicates that upper management is undervaluing IT project management. This is a surprise, since there have been so many well publicized events arising from large project failures. Risk Denial from the Top? - Project Management - CFO.com

Friday, November 25, 2005

iTunes, Apple's online music store, has reached the ranks of the top ten music retailers in the US for the first time. It reflects the growing interest in online music by the general public, the popularity of the iPod, and the connectivity of digital music through devices like the iPod and MP3 players to conventional stereos and other music players. The report also illustrates a clear message for the music industry. They can only deal with the internet by embracing it, not fighting it. InformationWeek > Online Music > iTunes Leaps Into Top Music Retailers > November 22, 2005

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Shoppers are still worried about shopping online because of security concerns. A recent report of the Canadian Alliance Against Software Theft suggests that as many as 40 % of shoppers are deterred by this concern. The Globe and Mail: Security worries on-line shoppers

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

B2B is still ahead of B2C in the same ratio it was in 2000. Volume has grown though. The Globe and Mail: Business-to-business rules

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Google has gone into the Web Metrics business. As always, they'll prove to be a strong competitor. Google Expects Analytics to Click with Advertisers

Friday, November 11, 2005

Cybersource has released its 7th annual survey of online fraud and predicts that fraud will amount to $2.8 Billion in the US in 2005. This is up 8%. Clearly a need for stronger anti-fraud measures is needed. A summary of the report is at: http://www.cybersource.com/news_and_events/view.xml?page_id=1425

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Eurostat has released a study on internet usage that confirms the known splits based on age, and education. It also points to a split based on employment status, with the unemployed making less use of it, although intuitively one would expect that as the unemployed would normally have less access. EUROPA - Eurostat - Home page

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

VoIP technology has a great potential for cost savings and a more efficient use of networking infrastructures. But using Internet technologies to carry phone calls also raises some security concerns. Globetechnology: The dangers of VoIP
Mobile phone operators in Europe and Asia have been using mobile payment systems for quite a while. A new alliance between Canadian mobile operators could help to bring a standardized m-payment system to Canada. Globetechnology: Canadian carriers back mobile e-payment

Saturday, November 05, 2005

RFID seems to be relentlessly moving ahead. This article fouses on its holiday usefulness. E-Commerce News: RFID : Retailers Using RFID for Better Holiday Customer Service: "This year has seen a dramatic increase in RFID implementation in the United States and Canada, a trend that is predicted to continue. The research consultancy Frost & Sullivan predicted in its World Retail RFID Markets Report that the retail-specific market for RFID will grow from US$400 million in 2004 to almost $4.2 billion in 2011."

Thursday, November 03, 2005

US Passports will be the latest and possibly one of the most significant applications of RFID chips. The chips will contain all the information normally contained in passports and will eventually lead to the replacement of passports by e-passports. U.S. Passports to Receive Electronic Identification Chips
Education has been going hi-tech for some time. However, there is an increase in the innovative use of technology in classrooms, such as the inclusion of wireless devices to enable the students to interact more effectively.Globetechnology: The rise of e-classrooms

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Recent studies show that employees waste as much as two hours per day on the internet, doing things unrelated to their jobs. More employers are looking at ways to address this productivity issue, including installing controlling software and establishing appropriate policies. However, its a landscape full of mines, with issues like freedom, privacy and morale. InformationWeek > Employee Internet Access > How To Control Employees' Internet Use > October 27, 2005