Monday, January 26, 2009

Britannica Encyclopedia Takes a Bold Step
by Gerald Trites

Since the advent of the web, Encyclopedia Britannica has been under pressure to adapt. The web made information very available to many people, and there were predictions of the demise of traditional printed encyclopediae. It seemed obvious that Britannica would have to change their business model. To their credit, they tried several web models, They put all their content on their website and for a time made it available for free. Then they tried requiring users to subscribe, which they still do, charging a nominal amount. People found they could obtain most of the information they need through the web, however, using search engines like Google. So traditional Encyclapediae did in fact decline in use, and many of them disappeared. Britannica, however, survived.

Then along came Wikipedia, the web based encyclopedia maintained by whomever wanted to update its articles, albeit with some monitoring. At first, a widespread opinion was that Wikipedia could never be a credible alternative to traditional encyclopediae, with their panels of highly recognized authors and extensive review procedures. However studies, such as one published in the British Journal 'Nature' in December, 2005, that the content of Wikipedia measured up to that of Britannica.

And so the pressure has continued on Britannica to re-evaluate its business model as well as the very model at the core of its being - its content model.

Now, Britannica, as explained in an article on the BBC site, has made a bold move by allowing selected contributors and readers to make changes to their articles on their website. While they haven't gone as far as Wikipedia, they nevertheless have made a significant change and likely this wil be a step in a continuum as usage of the Web for finding information and knowledge continues to evolve.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

It's no secret that the tech industry is suffering along with the rest of the economy these days, despite the fact some of the tech companies are doing quite well. However, this recession is not tech driven, and some think that tech might be the thing that pulls us out, or at least one of the leading indicators of a revival in the economy. It could be, given that tech has become such a major part of the economy and has become such a crutucal element of overall business stragtegy.
E-Commerce News: Wall Street: The Big Hurt: How the Recession Is Affecting the Tech Sector

Thursday, January 15, 2009

United Airlines to offer Wi-Fi on its premium flights -- chicagotribune.com

WiFi in the air - a new phenomenon being introduced by United Airlines. There are bound to be new opportunities for business in this service. Captive audiences travelling to a particular destination may be interested in such matters as local attractions and events, limo and taxi contacts, hotels, restaurants, theatre. You name it. Sites in the air that cater to these interests may have a real opportunity. It's going to be big. United Airlines to offer Wi-Fi on its premium flights -- chicagotribune.com

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Far from Silicon Valley comes challenge to Google and Microsoft - Times Online

Nokia wants to be a player in the growing mobile internet world, building from their long standing base as the top cell phone maker. They already have products that can rival the Blackberry, but to achieve their internet objectives, it appears they will need to come out with a very good touch screen product, quickly. Far from Silicon Valley comes challenge to Google and Microsoft - Times Online

Monday, January 12, 2009

E-Commerce Trends for 2008 and 2009

The past year has seen some major trends and events that will shape the future. A prime trend, of course, is the growth in use of social networks and the attempts of business to capitalize on them, which is proving difficult. A major series of events, is the changes that have taken place in eBAY, such as the departure of Meg Whitman, and the growth of eBay look-a-likes.E-Commerce Trends for 2008 and 2009

Friday, January 09, 2009

Obama Digs In for His BlackBerry - NYTimes.com

Presudent elect Obama is struggling hard to hang onto his Blackberry. Lets hope he wins the battle. This is the 21st century and being connected is critical. There has always been a tendency for security people to restrict the use of new technologies when their comfort level is challenged. Eventually, they need to learn how to manage the risks, not eliminate the benefits of the technology. So in this case, Obama should have his Blackberry and the lawyers and security people should learn to live with that. Senior corporate executives should also take note. Obama Digs In for His BlackBerry - NYTimes.com

Thursday, January 08, 2009

New Age Of Innovation | N=1 Is Part of One Company's Jeans | C.K. Prahalad & M.S. Krishnan

In the early days of e-business, some large companies began offering customers the ability to create and order their own customized jeans. The main idea was to make a perfect fit. However, those ideas faded away, partly because of low takeup and partly because of complaints from distributors that they were being bypassed. Now the idea has been regenerated through the site "makeyourownjeans.com. It'll be interesting to see if the new site makes a go of it. New Age Of Innovation N=1 Is Part of One Company's Jeans C.K. Prahalad & M.S. Krishnan

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

E-Commerce News: E-Marketing: A Better E-Commerce Site: Is a Little Lipstick the Trick?

Evaluating your e-commerce site is an ongoing process. It requires constant monitoring and maintenance. Sometimes, however, it needs a complete makeover. This article addresses this issue and how to go about it. E-Commerce News: E-Marketing: A Better E-Commerce Site: Is a Little Lipstick the Trick?

Monday, January 05, 2009

Technology Review: Blogs: TR Editors' blog: How Google Plans to Take Over TV

Google has refined the concepts of web marketing over the years to make it an effective means of reaching targeted customers. Now it is attempting to apply that approach to TV advertising, drawing on the growing similarities of contemporary TV with the Web. It will make a difference in marketing, for sure. Technology Review: Blogs: TR Editors' blog: How Google Plans to Take Over TV

Friday, January 02, 2009

The 9 hottest skills for '09

IT skills are still in demand and some are difficult for employers to fill. If you are a student and want to know where to direct your energies, here are some ideas. SAP skills are right up there, as are creative development activities. The 9 hottest skills for '09