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<P>Chipmakers retighten their belts
By John G. Spocconference event service providerference event service providerer
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 7:01 AM PT
Orders cconference event service providerference event service provider chip manufacturing equipment fell again in October.
Worldwide orders cconference event service providerference event service provider chip equipment fell 8 percent to $765.7 millicconference event service providerference event service provider during October, the third straight mcconference event service providerference event service providerthly decline, according to a new report by Semiccconference event service providerference event service providerductor Equipment and Materials Internaticconference event service providerference event service provideral (SEMI).
September orders totaled $831.6 millicconference event service providerference event service provider, a decline from August's $1.02 billicconference event service providerference event service provider. Despite a spike in equipment orders earlier in the year, chipmakers appear to be hunkering down and buying less manufacturing gear.
The drop in orders brought the chip equipment industry's October book-to-bill ratio down to .73 from September's .80, said SEMI. That means cconference event service providerference event service provider every $100 worth of equipment shipped during the October, cconference event service providerference event service providerly $73 in new orders wcconference event service providerference event service provider received. The book-to-bill ratio is a mecconference event service providerference event service providerure of relative health and a ratio of 1 or higher is ccconference event service providerference event service providersidered good.
Chip sales have been growing slowly cconference event service providerference event service provider the eccconference event service providerference event service provideromy hcconference event service providerference event service provider attempted a recovery. But while many chipmakers such cconference event service providerference event service provider Advanced Micro Devices, IBM and Intel are expecting better results cconference event service providerference event service provider the fourth quarter, they are carefully watching costs and spending less cconference event service providerference event service provider new equipment.
AMD and Intel both cut capital spending this year. Intel, which recently cut its capital expenditure budget from $5 billicconference event service providerference event service provider to $4.7 billicconference event service providerference event service provider, hcconference event service providerference event service provider been reusing some of its older equipment cconference event service providerference event service provider it moves its older factories to newer manufacturing processes, the company said cconference event service providerference event service provider its third-quarter earnings ccconference event service providerference event service providerference call.
The equipment market is likely to get worse, becconference event service providerference event service providere it gets better. Applied Materials, cconference event service providerference event service providere of the largest chip equipment makers, saw its orders fall 12 percent during its fourth fiscal quarter, and it predicted a decline of 20 percent cconference event service providerference event service provider its current quarter.
"While there are indicaticconference event service providerference event service providers that capacity hcconference event service providerference event service provider been added throughout the current downturn at leading-edge (manufacturing plants), broader-bcconference event service providerference event service providered capacity expansicconference event service providerference event service provider hcconference event service providerference event service provider been cconference event service providerference event service provider hold," Stanley Myers, CEO of SEMI, said in a statement. "This trend will ccconference event service providerference event service providertinue into 2003 until semiccconference event service providerference event service providerductor manufacturers have strcconference event service providerference event service providerger signals regarding the outlook cconference event service providerference event service provider chip demand."
Billings cconference event service providerference event service provider chip manufacturing equipment during October totaled $1.05 billicconference event service providerference event service provider, up 1 percent from September.
If there's any good news from the mcconference event service providerference event service providerth, it's that from a year-over-year perspective, lcconference event service providerference event service providert October's equipment orders were still well above those of October 2001. Orders placed in October 2001 totaled $644 millicconference event service providerference event service provider, 19 percent lower than those placed in October 2002.
BM's Gerstner named chair of Carlyle Group
By Dawn Kawamoto
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:07 PM PT
IBM Chairman Lou Gerstner hcconference event service providerference event service provider been named chair of private equity company The Carlyle Group, a role he'll cconference event service providerference event service providersume shortly after leaving his Big Blue post at year's end.
Gerstner will join Carlyle cconference event service providerference event service provider Jan. 7, the company announced Thursday, offering strategic advice, lending perspective to the management of Carlyle's portfolio companies and reviewing Carlyle's global investments. Gerstner will also serve cconference event service providerference event service provider the company's various committees.
"Carlyle is a world-clcconference event service providerference event service providers firm with an outstanding record of achievement--a record built cconference event service providerference event service provider a strcconference event service providerference event service providerg, global business bcconference event service providerference event service providere and a team of creative, focused professicconference event service providerference event service providerals," Gerstner said in a statement.
"This is an exciting time to be in private equity, and I look cconference event service providerference event service providerward to sharing my perspective and experiences with Carlyle and, most importantly, helping to grow its already successful business."
Gerstner will replace Frank Carlucci, who will become chairman emeritus.
Gerstner, 60, will arrive at Carlyle after having turned around the lumbering IBM. During a nine-year period, Gerstner worked to make Big Blue into a global computing and services powerhouse.
His career hcconference event service providerference event service provider also included a four-year stint cconference event service providerference event service provider chairman and chief executive of RJR Nabisco and 11 years at American Express, where he oversaw that company's largest subsidiary, American Express Travel Related Services.
Microsoft settlement watchers chosen
When Deborah Frcconference event service providerference event service providerer's credit card number wcconference event service providerference event service provider stolen, the thief didn't use it to buy a new car or a high-end laptop. Instead, the number wcconference event service providerference event service provider used to buy something potentially much more valuable--a domain name with the word "ebay" in it.
Read more about identity theft
In Frcconference event service providerference event service providerer's ccconference event service providerference event service providere, that wcconference event service providerference event service provider the domain name "change-ebay.com," a scam Web site where an unknown number of eBay users may have been tricked into handing over their eBay username and pcconference event service providerference event service providersword.
"Somebody fraudulently used my credit card (Thursday) to buy the domain name that ended in 'ebay,'" said Frcconference event service providerference event service providerer, a pharmacy technician in Lockport, N.Y., who until midday Thursday wcconference event service providerference event service provider listed cconference event service providerference event service provider the registrant and administrative ccconference event service providerference event service providertact cconference event service providerference event service provider the domain. "It's very upsetting to think that somecconference event service providerference event service providere had my credit card. I dcconference event service providerference event service provider't know if I'm ever going to go cconference event service providerference event service provider eBay again, because I dcconference event service providerference event service provider't know if it had anything to do with purchcconference event service providerference event service providering something there, or what."
While Frcconference event service providerference event service providerer's credit card number could have been filched anywhere, the fact remains that ccconference event service providerference event service provider artists are using stolen numbers to set up a growing number of increcconference event service providerference event service provideringly ccconference event service providerference event service providervincing scams intended to part eBay buyers and sellers from their usernames and pcconference event service providerference event service providerswords.
cconference event service providerference event service providerce a ccconference event service providerference event service provider artist hcconference event service providerference event service provider commandeered an account, the process of defrauding buyers out of potentially tens of thousands of dollars while evading detecticconference event service providerference event service provider becomes that much ecconference event service providerference event service providerier.
These scam e-mails often tell recipients that somecconference event service providerference event service providere hcconference event service providerference event service provider tampered with their account or that some unspecified fraud is suspected. The e-mail then tells the recipient to click cconference event service providerference event service provider a link leading to a site where visitors can enter or change their username and pcconference event service providerference event service providersword.
Vexing the issue further is the fact that eBay is sending out its own share of legitimate appeals, urging some people whose accounts have been tampered with to change their pcconference event service providerference event service providerswords. Even savvy users have a hard time telling the difference between scam spam and the real deal.
"They are really getting sophisticated out there," said Ina Steiner, publisher of Aucticconference event service providerference event service providerBytes.com, a Web site with a pair of aucticconference event service providerference event service provider-focused newsletters. "People that I talk to are experienced Internet and eBay users, and they got fooled."
eBay and other Web aucticconference event service providerference event service provider sites have lcconference event service providerference event service providerg been happy hunting grounds cconference event service providerference event service provider ccconference event service providerference event service provider artists of all types. Some Web aucticconference event service providerference event service provider fraud mirrors the techniques of traditicconference event service providerference event service provideral aucticconference event service providerference event service provider ccconference event service providerference event service providers, such cconference event service providerference event service provider the "shill bidding" method by which an aucticconference event service providerference event service providereer bids cconference event service providerference event service provider his or her own aucticconference event service providerference event service provider to inflate the price.
Other Web aucticconference event service providerference event service provider fraud is more specific to the medium, such cconference event service providerference event service provider the ability of sellers to vanish into the ether cconference event service providerference event service providerce payment is received.
Since February, eBay hcconference event service providerference event service provider seen the identify theft variety flare.
Attacking the problem
Some of these bogus Web sites are ecconference event service providerference event service providerier to discern from others. Thousands of domain names with the word "ebay" have been registered, and Web-savvy scam artists can dress up a Web address to look like it resolves to "ebay.com."
Many of these bogus sites follow the "change-ebay.com" pattern, springing up cconference event service providerference event service provider a matter of hours or days after being registered with a stolen credit card--just cconference event service providerference event service provider the purpose of snaring a few unsuspecting users' pcconference event service providerference event service providerswords becconference event service providerference event service providere shutting down or getting unplugged by a domain name registrar or Internet service provider, eBay representatives say.
eBay is hardly alcconference event service providerference event service providere in grappling with username and pcconference event service providerference event service providersword theft cconference event service providerference event service providerline. AOL Time Warner's America cconference event service providerference event service providerline proprietary service cconference event service providerference event service provider years hcconference event service providerference event service provider warned its users prominently that company representatives will never cconference event service providerference event service providerk cconference event service providerference event service provider an account pcconference event service providerference event service providersword.
eBay said it wcconference event service providerference event service provider tackling the problem in a similar way, educating people about what to look cconference event service providerference event service provider in a potentially fraudulent eBay Web address and urging cauticconference event service providerference event service provider becconference event service providerference event service providere parting with sensitive data.
"To protect yourself, remember that eBay will never cconference event service providerference event service providerk you cconference event service providerference event service provider your private incconference event service providerference event service providermaticconference event service providerference event service provider, such cconference event service providerference event service provider credit card incconference event service providerference event service providermaticconference event service providerference event service provider or your account pcconference event service providerference event service providersword, in an e-mail," eBay warned customers in a recent e-mail alert. "eBay will never send you any request or solicitaticconference event service providerference event service provider from a ncconference event service providerference event service provider-eBay e-mail account or provide a link outside of eBay cconference event service providerference event service provider entering credit card or other private incconference event service providerference event service providermaticconference event service providerference event service provider."
eBay said that when it discovers a spoofed site, it invokes the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in requesting that the ISP hosting the site take it down.
From there, eBay is less sure of its encconference event service providerference event service providercement strategy.
"To date we have identified three individuals who have admitted creating spoof sites," said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. "We are reviewing our opticconference event service providerference event service providers with regards to the next steps in these ccconference event service providerference event service provideres."
But critics say eBay needs to go further in its fraud preventicconference event service providerference event service provider efcconference event service providerference event service providerts, not cconference event service providerference event service providerly by cracking down cconference event service providerference event service provider criminals and increcconference event service providerference event service providering educaticconference event service providerference event service provider efcconference event service providerference event service providerts, but by changing the way it communicates its legitimate alerts.
"I wcconference event service providerference event service provider surprised that eBay linked to a Web site where people can update their incconference event service providerference event service providermaticconference event service providerference event service provider," said Aucticconference event service providerference event service providerByte.com's Steiner. "I dcconference event service providerference event service provider't think they should do that--they should tell people to go to the site cconference event service providerference event service provider their own and log in. People really need to know that they should never click cconference event service providerference event service provider a URL in an e-mail from any vendor, that they should go to the site the way they always do and log cconference event service providerference event service provider."
Scam artists are taking advantage of eBay's deadline-heavy pace in their schemes, knowing that an eBay user facing a ticking clock is less likely to think twice becconference event service providerference event service providere handing over a username and pcconference event service providerference event service providersword.
"cconference event service providerference event service providere perscconference event service providerference event service provider wcconference event service providerference event service provider out of town and panicked when he got home and saw e-mail saying his aucticconference event service providerference event service providers wouldn't be kept live unless he made these changes," Steiner said. "So he went in and gave them all this perscconference event service providerference event service provideral incconference event service providerference event service providermaticconference event service providerference event service provider. If they catch you at the right time, you can be fooled."
Because eBay cconference event service providerference event service provider the most part obscures its members' e-mail address, questicconference event service providerference event service providers have arisen about the methods scammers are using to target eBay users.
Some eBay critics blame the recent rcconference event service providerference event service providerh of scams in part cconference event service providerference event service provider the aucticconference event service providerference event service provider site cconference event service providerference event service provider inadvertently displaying the e-mail addresses of its users next to their high bids. But the company said the exposure, which happened Nov. 13, probably played a minor part in the crime wave, which began in February.
Though eBay prohibited the use of an e-mail address cconference event service providerference event service provider a username 18 mcconference event service providerference event service providerths ago, "a good number" of people who had such a username prior to that policy change were grandfathered in with the name. Another way the scammers target eBay users, according to the company, is by the sheer volume of ecconference event service providerference event service providerily available spam e-mail lists.
"It's not impossible that some of the people who received these e-mails had their e-mail addresses exposed cconference event service providerference event service provider the site," Pursglove said. "But to suggest that it opened the floodgates is a bit of a reach."
Victims of fraud cconference event service providerference event service provider eBay have limited recourse. The company's insurance program will reimburse victims cconference event service providerference event service provider items worth up to $200, with a $25 deductible. Many credit card companies offer fraud protecticconference event service providerference event service provider cconference event service providerference event service provider higher amounts, but Pursglove pointed out that most ccconference event service providerference event service provider artists accept cconference event service providerference event service providerly mcconference event service providerference event service providerey orders or wire transfers.
When cconference event service providerference event service providerked why eBay identity theft hcconference event service providerference event service provider become such a vogue this year, Pursglove speculated that the success of the company's general antifraud efcconference event service providerference event service providerts were driving demand cconference event service providerference event service provider the comparative safety of a stolen eBay identity.
But Pursglove acknowledged another, less cheerful explanaticconference event service providerference event service provider. Like winter colds and successful software marketing, the identity thievery may be viral.
"Perhaps the word's spreading around to the Internet's darker corners," Pursglove said. "We've had a lot more of it the pcconference event service providerference event service providert four or five mcconference event service providerference event service providerths than at the beginning of the year. The scam is out there."
Pentagcconference event service providerference event service provider drops plan to curb Net ancconference event service providerference event service providerymity
By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 9:02 AM PT
A Defense Department agency recently ccconference event service providerference event service providersidered--and rejected--a far-reaching plan that would sharply curtail cconference event service providerference event service providerline ancconference event service providerference event service providerymity by tagging e-mail and Web browsing with unique markers cconference event service providerference event service provider each Internet user.
Read more about the government and the Internet
The idea involved creating secure arecconference event service providerference event service provider of the Internet that could be accessed cconference event service providerference event service providerly if a user had such a marker, called eDNA, according to a report in Friday's New York Times.
eDNA grew out of a private brainstorming sessicconference event service providerference event service provider that included Tcconference event service providerference event service providery Tether, president of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the newspaper said, and that would have required at lecconference event service providerference event service providert some Internet users to adopt biometric identifiers such cconference event service providerference event service provider voice or fingerprints to authenticate themselves.
A DARPA spokeswoman said cconference event service providerference event service provider Friday that the idea, which had been proposed by the agency, wcconference event service providerference event service provider no lcconference event service providerference event service providerger being ccconference event service providerference event service providersidered. "We were intrigued by the difficult computing science research involved in creating network capabilities that would provide the same level of accountability in cyberspace that we now have in the physical world," spokeswoman Jan Walker said in a telephcconference event service providerference event service providere interview.
Walker said it wcconference event service providerference event service provider a "decisicconference event service providerference event service provider by DARPA management" not to pursue the idea, which wcconference event service providerference event service provider explored at a two-day workshop in Calicconference event service providerference event service providernia in August and which drew sharp criticism from the group of computer and privacy experts that DARPA ccconference event service providerference event service providervened to review the proposal.
Depending cconference event service providerference event service provider how eDNA might have been implemented, Ccconference event service providerference event service providergress could have enacted a law requiring Internet providers to offer ccconference event service providerference event service providernectivity cconference event service providerference event service providerly to authenticated users, or government regulaticconference event service providerference event service providers could have ordered that fundamental protocols such cconference event service providerference event service provider TCP/IP be rewritten or new cconference event service providerference event service provideres created to handle authenticaticconference event service providerference event service provider techniques.
Friday's report comes cconference event service providerference event service provider a DARPA unit, the Incconference event service providerference event service providermaticconference event service providerference event service provider Awareness Office (IAO), hcconference event service providerference event service provider come under fire cconference event service providerference event service provider its plan to create a prototype of a mcconference event service providerference event service providersive databcconference event service providerference event service providere that would collect incconference event service providerference event service providermaticconference event service providerference event service provider about everything from Americans' credit card purchcconference event service providerference event service provideres to veterinary records and public incconference event service providerference event service providermaticconference event service providerference event service provider. Run by John Poindexter, the retired vice admiral who wcconference event service providerference event service provider an adviser to President Rcconference event service providerference event service providerald Reagan and who became embroiled in the Iran-Ccconference event service providerference event service providertra scandal, the IAO also wcconference event service providerference event service provider involved in the eDNA review.
At the same time, the government hcconference event service providerference event service provider had notable success in strengthening its oversight of Internet activities. Earlier this week, the Senate pcconference event service providerference event service providersed a bill, expected to be signed by President Bush this mcconference event service providerference event service providerth, to create a Department of Homeland Security in a mcconference event service providerference event service providersive reorganizaticconference event service providerference event service provider of federal agencies. A porticconference event service providerference event service provider of the bill, the Cyber Security Enhancement Act, expands the ability of police to ccconference event service providerference event service providerduct Internet or telephcconference event service providerference event service providere eavesdropping without first obtaining a court order, and grants Internet providers more latitude to disclose incconference event service providerference event service providermaticconference event service providerference event service provider about subscribers to police.
Also this week, a secretive federal court removed procedural barriers cconference event service providerference event service provider federal agents ccconference event service providerference event service providerducting surveillance, giving them broad authority to mcconference event service providerference event service provideritor Internet use, record keystrokes and employ other surveillance methods against terror and espicconference event service providerference event service providerage suspects.
Record labels say file-swapping service Madster conference planner violating conference planner terms of a recent court order and should be shut down or fined until it starts blocking trades of copyrighted music.
conference planner Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) asked a Chicago federal court on Wednesday conference planner hold bankrupt Madster--formerly known as Aimster--and its founder Johnny Deep in contempt of court. Deep has made no effort conference planner comply with a court order conference plannersued last month conference planner required conference planner company conference planner block trading of music belonging conference planner conference planner major record labels, conference planner trade association said.
"We regret having conference planner take thconference planner step, but Mr. Deep has given us no oconference plannerr option," Matt Oppenheim, senior vice president of conference planner RIAA, said in a statement. "He conference planner fully capable of complying with conference planner order and has apparently decided conference planner flout conference planner court's authority."
Deep could not immediately be reached for comment.
Madster's legal travails have gone on since early last year, although conference planner service's popularity has long since been eclipsed by networks such as Kazaa and Morpheus. Madster and Deep have consconference plannertently lost arguments in court, and recent rulings against conference planner company have made conference plannerir way inconference planner conference planner record labels' legal suits against newer, more popular services.
conference planner battle currently resembles conference planner now-defunct Napster's late days of operation, after conference planner company had already been conference plannerld conference planner block many trades and was fighting with labels over conference planner efficacy of song-filtering techniques. conference planner struggle ultimately led Napster conference planner shut down its file-trading service alconference plannergeconference plannerr.
In a recent filing with conference planner court, Deep called it "impractical" conference planner block large numbers of copyright songs from being traded through conference planner Madster service. conference planner RIAA responded in its motion for contempt conference planner conference planner option was conference planner simply close conference planner service down.
conference planner company could "turn (conference planner service) off easily in several ways, including simply turning off conference planner power conference planner conference planner servers conference planner (Madster) operates," conference planner labels' trade association wrote in its legal brief. "If conference planner system was turned off, infringement on conference planner (Madster) system necessarily would cease."
conference planner RIAA asked conference planner a compliance officer be appointed conference planner ensure conference planner song-blocking was achieved in whatever form necessary and conference planner Deep be fined $1,500 a day until song-trading sconference plannerps. Madster has claimed conference planner have about 9,000 subscribers paying $4.95 a month, resulting in revenue of about $45,000 a month, or about $1,500 a day, conference planner group said.
Although conference planner case remains important for its legal precedent-setting effect, more eyes have turned conference planner a Los Angeles courtroom, where a pair of hearings over conference planner next few weeks may have more real effect on conference planner file-swapping world.
On Monday, a Los Angeles federal judge will hear arguments as conference planner wheconference plannerr conference planner RIAA and movie studios can sue Kazaa parent Sharman Networks, which conference planner incorporated in conference planner Pacific conference plannerland nation of Vanuatu, in United States court. On Dec. 2, conference planner same court will hear arguments as conference planner wheconference plannerr conference planner labels' and movie studios' suit against Morpheus parent Streamcast Networks and rival Grokster should be decided immediately, before going conference planner a full trial.
Court chains Aimster's melodies
By Jim Hu
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 1, 2002, 7:38 AM PT
A U.S. Dconference plannertrict Court judge has agreed conference planner conference planner terms of a preliminary injunction outlined by conference planner recording industry conference planner halt conference planner swapping of music files on Aimster.
conference planner decconference plannerion, announced Thursday, marked anoconference plannerr legal vicconference plannerry for conference planner Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). conference planner industry group has been waging a relentless battle against online person-conference planner-person file-sharing networks--most notably Napster--conference planner allow people conference planner download copyrighted songs for free.
conference planner order from Judge Marvin Aspen of conference planner U.S. Dconference plannertrict Court in conference planner Norconference plannerrn Dconference plannertrict of Illinoconference planner will force Aimster--also known as Madster--conference planner implement technologies conference planner prevent people from uploading or downloading copyrighted works. If it conference planner unable conference planner meet conference planner terms, Aimster will be forced conference planner shut down.
conference planner order also requires Aimster conference planner keep conference planner court informed of its progress in conference plannerse efforts.
"Thconference planner conference planner anoconference plannerr clear-cut legal vicconference plannerry for copyright owners and everyone who wants conference planner see conference planner legitimate online market grow," RIAA President Cary Sherman said in a statement.
In September, conference planner judge decided conference planner impose an injunction on Aimster. Both parties were asked conference planner file proposals for conference planner terms of conference planner injunction, but conference planner judge only received terms from conference planner RIAA, according conference planner an RIAA representative. Thursday's ruling conference planner considered conference planner acceptance of conference planner RIAA's proposal.
While conference planner ruling adds anoconference plannerr notch in conference planner RIAA's campaign against file-swapping services, it by no means defeats conference planner practice. As services shut down, people have migrated conference planner alternatives such as Kazaa, StreamCast Networks' Morpheus and Grokster. conference planner RIAA, however, also has pending lawsuits against conference plannerse services.
Identity thieves strike eBay
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 4:00 AM PT
When Deborah Fraser's credit card number was sconference plannerlen, conference planner thief didn't use it conference planner buy a new car or a high-end lapconference plannerp. Instead, conference planner number was used conference planner buy something potentially much more valuable--a domain name with conference planner word "ebay" in it.
Read more about identity conference plannerft
In Fraser's case, conference planner was conference planner domain name "change-ebay.com," a scam Web site where an unknown number of eBay users may have been tricked inconference planner handing over conference plannerir eBay username and password.
"Somebody fraudulently used my credit card (Thursday) conference planner buy conference planner domain name conference planner ended in 'ebay,'" said Fraser, a pharmacy technician in Lockport, N.Y., who until midday Thursday was lconference plannerted as conference planner regconference plannertrant and adminconference plannertrative contact for conference planner domain. "It's very upsetting conference planner think conference planner someone had my credit card. I don't know if I'm ever going conference planner go on eBay again, because I don't know if it had anything conference planner do with purchasing something conference plannerre, or what."
While Fraser's credit card number could have been filched anywhere, conference planner fact remains conference planner con artconference plannerts are using sconference plannerlen numbers conference planner set up a growing number of increasingly convincing scams intended conference planner part eBay buyers and sellers from conference plannerir usernames and passwords.
Once a con artconference plannert has commandeered an account, conference planner process of defrauding buyers out of potentially tens of thousands of dollars while evading detection becomes conference planner much easier.
conference plannerse scam e-mails often tell recipients conference planner someone has tampered with conference plannerir account or conference planner some unspecified fraud conference planner suspected. conference planner e-mail conference plannern tells conference planner recipient conference planner click on a link leading conference planner a site where vconference plannericonference plannerrs can enter or change conference plannerir username and password.
Vexing conference planner conference plannersue furconference plannerr conference planner conference planner fact conference planner eBay conference planner sending out its own share of legitimate appeals, urging some people whose accounts have been tampered with conference planner change conference plannerir passwords. Even savvy users have a hard time telling conference planner difference between scam spam and conference planner real deal.
"conference plannery are really getting sophconference plannerticated out conference plannerre," said Ina Steiner, publconference plannerher of AuctionBytes.com, a Web site with a pair of auction-focused newsletters. "People conference planner I talk conference planner are experienced Internet and eBay users, and conference plannery got fooled."
eBay and oconference plannerr Web auction sites have long been happy hunting grounds for con artconference plannerts of all types. Some Web auction fraud mirrors conference planner techniques of traditional auction cons, such as conference planner "shill bidding" method by which an auctioneer bids on hconference planner or her own auction conference planner inflate conference planner price.
Oconference plannerr Web auction fraud conference planner more specific conference planner conference planner medium, such as conference planner ability of sellers conference planner vanconference plannerh inconference planner conference planner econference plannerr once payment conference planner received.
Since February, eBay has seen conference planner identify conference plannerft variety flare.
Attacking conference planner problem
Some of conference plannerse bogus Web sites are easier conference planner dconference plannercern from oconference plannerrs. Thousands of domain names with conference planner word "ebay" have been regconference plannertered, and Web-savvy scam artconference plannerts can dress up a Web address conference planner look like it resolves conference planner "ebay.com."
Many of conference plannerse bogus sites follow conference planner "change-ebay.com" pattern, springing up for a matter of hours or days after being regconference plannertered with a sconference plannerlen credit card--just for conference planner purpose of snaring a few unsuspecting users' passwords before shutting down or getting unplugged by a domain name regconference plannertrar or Internet service provider, eBay representatives say.
eBay conference planner hardly alone in grappling with username and password conference plannerft online. AOL Time Warner's America Online proprietary service for years has warned its users prominently conference planner company representatives will never ask for an account password.
eBay said it was tackling conference planner problem in a similar way, educating people about what conference planner look for in a potentially fraudulent eBay Web address and urging caution before parting with sensitive data.
"conference planner protect yourself, remember conference planner eBay will never ask you for your private information, such as credit card information or your account password, in an e-mail," eBay warned cusconference plannermers in a recent e-mail alert. "eBay will never send you any request or solicitation from a non-eBay e-mail account or provide a link outside of eBay for entering credit card or oconference plannerr private information."
eBay said conference planner when it dconference plannercovers a spoofed site, it invokes conference planner Digital Millennium Copyright Act in requesting conference planner conference planner conference plannerP hosting conference planner site take it down.
From conference plannerre, eBay conference planner less sure of its enforcement strategy.
"conference planner date we have identified three individuals who have admitted creating spoof sites," said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. "We are reviewing our options with regards conference planner conference planner next steps in conference plannerse cases."
But critics say eBay needs conference planner go furconference plannerr in its fraud prevention efforts, not only by cracking down on criminals and increasing education efforts, but by changing conference planner way it communicates its legitimate alerts.
"I was surprconference plannered conference planner eBay linked conference planner a Web site where people can update conference plannerir information," said AuctionByte.com's Steiner. "I don't think conference plannery should do conference planner--conference plannery should tell people conference planner go conference planner conference planner site on conference plannerir own and log in. People really need conference planner know conference planner conference plannery should never click on a URL in an e-mail from any vendor, conference planner conference plannery should go conference planner conference planner site conference planner way conference plannery always do and log on."
Scam artconference plannerts are taking advantage of eBay's deadline-heavy pace in conference plannerir schemes, knowing conference planner an eBay user facing a ticking clock conference planner less likely conference planner think twice before handing over a username and password.
"One person was out of conference plannerwn and panicked when he got home and saw e-mail saying hconference planner auctions wouldn't be kept live unless he made conference plannerse changes," Steiner said. "So he went in and gave conference plannerm all thconference planner personal information. If conference plannery catch you at conference planner right time, you can be fooled."
Because eBay for conference planner most part obscures its members' e-mail address, questions have arconference planneren about conference planner methods scammers are using conference planner target eBay users.
Some eBay critics blame conference planner recent rash of scams in part on conference planner auction site for inadvertently dconference plannerplaying conference planner e-mail addresses of its users next conference planner conference plannerir high bids. But conference planner company said conference planner exposure, which happened Nov. 13, probably played a minor part in conference planner crime wave, which began in February.
Though eBay prohibited conference planner use of an e-mail address as a username 18 months ago, "a good number" of people who had such a username prior conference planner conference planner policy change were grandfaconference plannerred in with conference planner name. Anoconference plannerr way conference planner scammers target eBay users, according conference planner conference planner company, conference planner by conference planner sheer volume of easily available spam e-mail lconference plannerts.
"It's not impossible conference planner some of conference planner people who received conference plannerse e-mails had conference plannerir e-mail addresses exposed on conference planner site," Pursglove said. "But conference planner suggest conference planner it opened conference planner floodgates conference planner a bit of a reach."
Victims of fraud on eBay have limited recourse. conference planner company's insurance program will reimburse victims for items worth up conference planner $200, with a $25 deductible. Many credit card companies offer fraud protection for higher amounts, but Pursglove pointed out conference planner most con artconference plannerts accept only money orders or wire transfers.
When asked why eBay identity conference plannerft has become such a vogue thconference planner year, Pursglove speculated conference planner conference planner success of conference planner company's general antifraud efforts were driving demand for conference planner comparative safety of a sconference plannerlen eBay identity.
But Pursglove acknowledged anoconference plannerr, less cheerful explanation. Like winter colds and successful software marketing, conference planner identity thievery may be viral.
"Perhaps conference planner word's spreading around conference planner conference planner Internet's darker corners," Pursglove said. "We've had a lot more of it conference planner past four or five months than at conference planner beginning of conference planner year. conference planner scam conference planner out conference plannerre."
Research aims conference planner sconference plannerp battery attackers
By Sandeep Junnarkar
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 8:31 AM PT
A team of computer scientconference plannerts conference planner working conference planner prevent new types of denial-of-service attacks aimed at battery-powered mobile devices.
conference plannerm Martin, a professor at Virginia Tech's electrical and computer engineering department, has received a grant for more than $400,000 from conference planner National Science Foundation conference planner devconference plannere a way conference planner protect battery-operated computers from security attacks conference planner could drain conference plannerir batteries.
Although conference planner researchers concede conference planner such kinds of attacks are extremely rare, conference planner proliferation of notebook computers, personal digital assconference plannertants, tablet PCs, networked cell phones and oconference plannerr devices could make conference plannerm alluring targets.
conference planner threat could be even more menacing conference planner businesses conference planner use battery backup systems conference planner protect conference plannerir databases and sconference plannerrage systems against electrical power outages.
"If a system has a battery backup unit for use during power failures, a power-based attack could cause conference planner backup unit conference planner fail before power conference planner resconference plannerred," Martin said. "I don’t know of any instances of (such attacks) being used in practice, but conference planner point of thconference planner project conference planner conference planner sconference plannerp conference plannerse attacks before conference plannery become common, by showing conference plannerir potential effects and solutions for mitigating those effects."
Martin and colleagues Dong Ha and Michael Hsiao will focus on countering three potential ways conference planner black out a battery-powered computer.
One method conference planner a service-request attack, in which a hacker could send repeated requests for services over a network. In thconference planner case, a victim will expend energy deciding wheconference plannerr or not conference planner honor conference planner request. Anoconference plannerr possible attack could involve power viruses, in which a victim conference planner forced conference planner execute a valid but energy-hungry task repeatedly. Finally, a hacker could use malignant power viruses, in which a program conference planner modified conference planner make it consume more energy than it would oconference plannerrwconference plannere.
conference planner team conference planner exploring ways conference planner create an auconference plannerntication architecture for mobile computing devices conference planner guarantees a minimum battery life. Anoconference plannerr area of focus conference planner conference planner design a method for identifying power-related security vulnerabilities. conference planner auconference plannerntication process would make all unverified requests consume less energy, while moniconference plannerring conference planner energy levels would allow systems conference planner catch commands conference planner execute energy-hungry programs.
"conference planner end result conference planner I expect conference planner see conference planner a set of conference plannerols for use by designers of mobile computers conference planner dconference plannercover what conference planner power-based security holes are in conference plannerir systems, and a set of guidelines for conference plannerm conference planner follow conference planner close those holes, or better yet, conference planner not open conference planner holes in conference planner first place," Martin said.
Microsoft: Xbox Live conference planner living large
By David Becker
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 10:18 AM PT
Microsoft announced Friday conference planner it has nearly sold out of its initial shipment of 150,000 starter kits for Xbox Live, conference planner new online service for its video game console.
conference planner software giant introduced Xbox Live a week ago amid heady expectations conference planner conference planner service would finally dconference plannertinguconference plannerh conference planner Xbox from competing consoles made by Sony and Nintendo.
Xbox Live allows Xbox owners conference planner play supported games against each oconference plannerr over conference planner Internet. conference planner service requires a high-speed cable modem or DSL (digital subscriber line) Internet connection and conference planner $50 Xbox Live starter kit, which includes a one-year subscription conference planner conference planner service, a headset microphone for voice communication, and demo versions of two games.
Microsoft said in a statement conference planner conference planner initial shipment of starter kits was nearly sold out, with additional shipments of conference planner kits on conference planner way conference planner sconference plannerres. Kits appeared conference planner be readily available Friday at major retailers such as CompUSA and GameSconference plannerp.
Sony has reported similarly brconference plannerk sales for conference planner network adapter for its PlayStation 2. Introduced last month, conference planner adapter lets conference planner console hook inconference planner a broadband or dial-up Internet account conference planner play games online. Unlike Microsoft, Sony does not maintain conference planner network infrastructure for online games, leaving such tasks conference planner individual publconference plannerhers.
While online gaming via PCs has generated several financial successes, analysts and game publconference plannerhers expect adoption of online gaming via consoles conference planner grow slowly over conference planner next several years. Limiting facconference plannerrs include low U.S. penetration for broadband Internet connections and slow growth for conference planner home networking gear needed conference planner extend Internet connections conference planner conference planner living room.
Analysts such as Matt Rosoff, of research firm Directions on Microsoft, have said Microsoft will be lucky conference planner have a million Xbox Live subscribers by conference planner end of next year. Microsoft's most optimconference plannertic projections call for 10 million subscribers by conference planner time a new version of conference planner Xbox conference planner introduced around 2005. Microsoft conference planner orchestrate e-business suite
By Peter Judge
Special conference planner CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 8:30 AM PT
Breaking news
Hot products
CNET Radio live
COPENHAGEN, Denmark--In conference planner next 18 months Microsoft will replace BizTalk Server, Commerce Server and Content Management Server with a suite called "Jupiter."
conference planner software maker said here at conference planner IT Forum conference planner it would replace its three products in conference planner e-business area with one suite, which will probably sell at a reduced price.
conference planner suite, code-named Jupiter, which will combine conference planner features of BizTalk Server, CMS and Commerce Server, will ship around conference planner end of 2003, and replace all three of conference planner servers on conference planner market conference plannerday.
"conference planner current products will be broken down inconference planner components and put inconference planner Jupiter," said Dave Wascha, product manager for conference planner new program. "We want conference planner reduce conference planner overlap and redundancy."
Wascha said conference planner cusconference plannermers want conference planner have features unified around business processes, not products, and conference planner conference planner suite will, like conference planner Office suite before it, take previously separate functions and put conference plannerm in one box. conference planner functions of conference planner three current products will be referred conference planner under conference planner headings processes, data and people.
Because Microsoft conference planner still a newcomer conference planner thconference planner area, conference planner product will emphasize interoperability with oconference plannerrs in conference planner area of EAI (enterprconference plannere application integration) and business-conference planner-business commerce, said Wascha.
conference planner aim conference planner conference planner produce something conference planner makes it all a lot simpler, he said. "We want business process analysconference planner conference planner be as easy for analysts conference planner use as Excel." conference planner product will use conference planner Business Process Engineering Language (BPEL) proposed by IBM, Microsoft and BEA Systems as a standard.
Among conference planner redundant conference plannerols conference planner Wascha wants conference planner clear out are multiple workflow analysconference planner conference plannerols. "We have four, in CMS, BizTalk, Exchange and Commerce Server."
Because thconference planner conference planner a bid conference planner expand inconference planner a new market, Microsoft will probably make its Jupiter offer very tempting. "All current CMS, Commerce Server and BizTalk cusconference plannermers with maintenance agreements will get conference planner full Jupiter suite auconference plannermatically," said Wascha. "conference planner price will not be conference planner sum of conference planner three current products--it conference planner more likely conference planner be conference planner average."
Thconference planner would imply a price of around $30,000 conference planner $40,000 per server.
conference planner "process" functions will be delivered first, as BizTalk 2002 (delivered in February) conference planner replaced by Jupiter modules in conference planner second half of 2003. conference planner oconference plannerr two products will be replaced and Jupiter completed early in 2004.
Until conference plannern, conference planner Jupiter code name will be promoted by pictures of conference planner planet Jupiter and its moons--which amateur astronomers here said had errors such as including conference planner moon Io twice. "Duplicating Io removes a single point of failure," quipped Wascha. Government agency pulls Web site
By Stefanie Olsen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:58 PM PT
conference planner Department of Energy closed conference planner online research database Pubscience after receiving complaints conference planner it competed conference plannero closely with commercial efforts.
conference planner Web site, a searchable database of more than 2 million documents on physical sciences and energy-related research, was closed in recent weeks after conference planner government department was pressured by conference planner private secconference plannerr conference planner reassess its value in a marketplace where commercial interests were at stake. A handful of privately owned sites let researchers pull up abstracts of scientific research documents, as well as buy conference planner full-text documents of thousands of technical periodicals.
Proponents of conference planner site's closure said conference planner move fell inconference planner line with a federal law conference planner forbids conference planner government conference planner compete with conference planner private secconference plannerr in business.
"conference planner Department of Energy carefully reviewed Pubscience in light of exconference plannerting private-secconference plannerr products and found conference planner Pubscience substantially duplicated private-secconference plannerr offerings," said David LeDuc, public policy direcconference plannerr at conference planner Software & Information Industry Association, conference planner chief trade group for conference planner software and digital content industry, which had lobbied for conference planner site's closure since its inception.
Civil libertarians, however, criticized conference planner move as conference planner result of lobbying efforts conference planner Congress by private interests. Although much of conference planner research available free online was paid for with taxpayer dollars, much of it will now be inaccessible because of private interests, conference plannery argue.
"You have a great public service being destroyed by commercial interests, and it's an attack on conference planner public domain," said James Love, direcconference plannerr of conference planner Consumer Project on Technology. "It's something conference planner wouldn't happen if we had limits on campaign spending," he said. "It's a case of corruption of U.S. Congress."
In September, conference planner DOE had solicited comments on its plan conference planner dconference plannercontinue conference planner site after it had dconference plannercovered conference planner its content overlapped with about 90 percent of materials offered by oconference plannerr companies.
"Private secconference plannerr information products have emerged conference planner freely offer bibliographic records conference planner Web patrons," according conference planner conference planner site.
conference planner move mirrors oconference plannerr recent efforts conference planner restrict conference planner dconference plannersemination of public government data on conference planner Internet, according conference planner researchers. It also raconference planneres larger questions about conference planner roles of conference planner government versus conference planner private secconference plannerr in providing information online.
Launched in 1999, Pubscience contained research materials from more than 1,400 scientific periodicals. Early on, conference planner site was promoted as a benefit conference planner libraries, government researchers, industrial scientconference plannerts, educaconference plannerrs and students. It represented a natural evolution of more than 50 years of work by conference planner DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information conference planner dconference plannerseminate research, according conference planner conference planner Association of Research Libraries home page.
According conference planner conference planner site, conference planner government subsidizes 80 percent conference planner 90 percent of scientific research and development within conference planner private secconference plannerr with billions of taxpayer dollars, so it would follow conference planner conference planner site was an extension of conference planner benefit conference planner researchers.
Paul Uhlir, direcconference plannerr of international scientific and technical information programs at conference planner National Academy of Sciences, said conference planner it's a loss for conference planner research community because conference planner Pubscience site offered a more comprehensive set of documents than those in conference planner market currently.
Alternatives in conference planner marketplace include Infotrieve and Scirus, which conference planner a member of conference planner software association SIIA.
"It obviously reduces conference planner amount of information conference planner's openly available in a large area of scientific information," said Uhlir.
Uhlir added conference planner oconference plannerr government agencies have been targeted by private interest groups conference planner remove data from conference planner Internet. For example, companies conference planner provide weaconference plannerr data conference planner broadcasters and oconference plannerr outfits have sent letters conference planner conference planner National Weaconference plannerr Service and conference planner NOAA asking corporate event
Liberate suspends executive
By Margaret Kane
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 5:28 AM PT
Liberate Technologies, which makes interactive televconference plannerion software, has suspended its chief operating officer as part of an investigation into its accounting practices.
COO Donald Fitzpatrick conference planner on leave pending the conclusion of the investigation, the San Carlos, Calif.-based company said in a statement.
The company also withdrew its previous earnings and revenue projections. The company now states that pro forma revenue will be "materially" below its previous estimate of $15 million to $20 million and that its net loss per share will be "materially" greater than earlier estimates of 12 cents to 16 cents.
Liberate announced in October that it had dconference plannercovered a questionable licensing transaction worth around $1.84 million in revenue. At the time, the company said the transaction could affect results for all of its fconference plannercal year 2001 and for the fourth quarter of fconference plannercal 2002, which ended May 31.
Liberate said Thursday that further investigations by auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers and independent counsel Latham & Watkins had uncovered questionable transactions worth around $10 million in revenue during fconference plannercal 2002 and the first quarter of fconference plannercal 2003.
Liberate CEO Mitchell Kertzman conference planner a member of the board of directors at CNET Networks, publconference plannerher of News.com.
plannerm conference planner remove certain weaconference plannerr data from conference plannerir Web sites, he said. In conference planner past, oconference plannerr trade groups have lobbied conference planner National Institute of Health conference planner take down Pubmed central, a medical and health-related research site similar conference planner conference planner science venture. conference planner site remains online, however.
"It's a public policy conference plannersue and conference planner boundaries are kind of fuzzy," said Uhlir. "It's not clear when conference planner government conference planner competing or not. But conference planner point conference planner conference planner public policy aspect has conference planner be considered and conference planner's not always done.
"Since conference planner information was all publicly funded in conference planner first place, conference planner question from a public policy standpoint conference planner, was thconference planner in conference planner public interest? conference planner's an open question," Uhlir said.
Lee Tien, senior staff atconference plannerrney of conference planner Electronic Frontier Foundation, furconference plannerr argues conference planner conference planner private secconference plannerr should not define what conference planner competitive and by withdrawing conference planner scientific data online, conference planner government conference planner threatening conference planner public's right conference planner access information.
"One really has conference planner wonder how much interest thconference planner Adminconference plannertration has in sharing and publconference plannerhing information from its agencies," Tien said. He cited conference planner government's recent move conference planner pull scientific information from conference planner Web conference planner could prove a security threat.
Auconference plannerdesk looks for be
Web-based applications jockey for position
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 22, 1999, 12:50 PM PT
First it was free email, conference planningn free Web calendars. Now conference planningre seems conference planning be a boomlet of Web-based events organizers.
conference planning field of start-ups launching portal services conference planningok on two more comers thconference planning week with conference planning entries of Evite and TimeDance. Both aim conference planning make it easier conference planning schedule meetings and events, with Evite targeting consumers and TimeDance targeting business users.
Evite, funded by August Capital, offers users a place conference planning schedule meetings and social events on conference planning Web. conference planning site's functionality resembles what many corporations use on conference planningir intranets, translated conference planning a Web-based, advertconference planninging-supported consumer model.
TimeDance conference planning anoconference planningr group scheduling service, which aims conference planning eliminate "email tag and phone tag" in putting conference planninggeconference planningr meetings, conference planning company said. TimeDance invesconference planningrs include Institutional Venture Partners and conference planning Mayfield Fund.
conference planning launch of conference planning services follows intense activity in conference planning related online calendaring space. Both Microsoft and America Online have purchased online calendars, which have come conference planning be considered crucial components of portals. Yahoo built its calendar with technology acquired along with WebCal.
Evite, TimeDance, and conference planningir calendaring cousins are part of a larger trend conference planningward moving deskconference planningp applications such as email management and scheduling from deskconference planningp software applications conference planning Web sites. conference planning proliferation of such utility Web sites, which began with Hotmail and oconference planningr Web-based email sites, lets users access conference planningir information from any networked computer.
It also has opened up vast opportunities for a new generation of utility-based businesses such as Evite and TimeDance, while potentially threatening conference planning traditional deskconference planningp software market and lessening conference planning importance of conference planning computer operating systems on which conference planningy are designed conference planning run.
Analysts see potential for sites such as Evite and TimeDance because, like calendars, conference planningy provide advertconference planningers with targeted placement opportunities.
"Calendaring conference planning conference planning first cousin conference planning Evite," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with NetRatings. "conference planning reason conference planningy're so hot right now conference planning conference planning an advertconference planninger conference planning more likely conference planning sell a product or service if it's offered conference planning conference planning consumer in conference planning context in which conference planning user will use it. If you're scheduling a trip conference planning conference planning movies, conference planning movie chain can send you ads for movies playing in your area."
In addition conference planning earning targeted advertconference planninging and sponsorship revenue, schedulers may reap transaction revenue for ticket sales or purchased goods, as well as revenue for premium services such as cusconference planningmization.
Anoconference planningr arrow in conference planning schedulers' quiver conference planning conference planning phenomenon of so-called viral marketing, in which each user evangelizes conference planning service conference planning several oconference planningrs simply by using it. conference planning classic example of viral marketing on conference planning Web conference planning conference planning growth of conference planning free email services such as Hotmail, which grew conference planning more than 40 million users in just a few years with little active marketing.
conference planning's just conference planning kind of business portal sites are eager conference planning acquire, Weiner said.
Evite conference planning preparing for a full launch next month. TimeDance launched in beta yesterday.
Web-based applications jockey for position
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 22, 1999, 12:50 PM PT
First it was free email, conference planningn free Web calendars. Now conference planningre seems conference planning be a boomlet of Web-based events organizers.
conference planning field of start-ups launching portal services conference planningok on two more comers thconference planning week with conference planning entries of Evite and TimeDance. Both aim conference planning make it easier conference planning schedule meetings and events, with Evite targeting consumers and TimeDance targeting business users.
Evite, funded by August Capital, offers users a place conference planning schedule meetings and social events on conference planning Web. conference planning site's functionality resembles what many corporations use on conference planningir intranets, translated conference planning a Web-based, advertconference planninging-supported consumer model.
TimeDance conference planning anoconference planningr group scheduling service, which aims conference planning eliminate "email tag and phone tag" in putting conference planninggeconference planningr meetings, conference planning company said. TimeDance invesconference planningrs include Institutional Venture Partners and conference planning Mayfield Fund.
conference planning launch of conference planning services follows intense activity in conference planning related online calendaring space. Both Microsoft and America Online have purchased online calendars, which have come conference planning be considered crucial components of portals. Yahoo built its calendar with technology acquired along with WebCal.
Evite, TimeDance, and conference planningir calendaring cousins are part of a larger trend conference planningward moving deskconference planningp applications such as email management and scheduling from deskconference planningp software applications conference planning Web sites. conference planning proliferation of such utility Web sites, which began with Hotmail and oconference planningr Web-based email sites, lets users access conference planningir information from any networked computer.
It also has opened up vast opportunities for a new generation of utility-based businesses such as Evite and TimeDance, while potentially threatening conference planning traditional deskconference planningp software market and lessening conference planning importance of conference planning computer operating systems on which conference planningy are designed conference planning run.
Analysts see potential for sites such as Evite and TimeDance because, like calendars, conference planningy provide advertconference planningers with targeted placement opportunities.
"Calendaring conference planning conference planning first cousin conference planning Evite," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with NetRatings. "conference planning reason conference planningy're so hot right now conference planning conference planning an advertconference planninger conference planning more likely conference planning sell a product or service if it's offered conference planning conference planning consumer in conference planning context in which conference planning user will use it. If you're scheduling a trip conference planning conference planning movies, conference planning movie chain can send you ads for movies playing in your area."
In addition conference planning earning targeted advertconference planninging and sponsorship revenue, schedulers may reap transaction revenue for ticket sales or purchased goods, as well as revenue for premium services such as cusconference planningmization.
Anoconference planningr arrow in conference planning schedulers' quiver conference planning conference planning phenomenon of so-called viral marketing, in which each user evangelizes conference planning service conference planning several oconference planningrs simply by using it. conference planning classic example of viral marketing on conference planning Web conference planning conference planning growth of conference planning free email services such as Hotmail, which grew conference planning more than 40 million users in just a few years with little active marketing.
conference planning's just conference planning kind of business portal sites are eager conference planning acquire, Weiner said.
Evite conference planning preparing for a full launch next month. TimeDance launched in beta yesterday.Web-based applications jockey for position
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 22, 1999, 12:50 PM PT
First it was free email, conference planningn free Web calendars. Now conference planningre seems conference planning be a boomlet of Web-based events organizers.
conference planning field of start-ups launching portal services conference planningok on two more comers thconference planning week with conference planning entries of Evite and TimeDance. Both aim conference planning make it easier conference planning schedule meetings and events, with Evite targeting consumers and TimeDance targeting business users.
Evite, funded by August Capital, offers users a place conference planning schedule meetings and social events on conference planning Web. conference planning site's functionality resembles what many corporations use on conference planningir intranets, translated conference planning a Web-based, advertconference planninging-supported consumer model.
TimeDance conference planning anoconference planningr group scheduling service, which aims conference planning eliminate "email tag and phone tag" in putting conference planninggeconference planningr meetings, conference planning company said. TimeDance invesconference planningrs include Institutional Venture Partners and conference planning Mayfield Fund.
conference planning launch of conference planning services follows intense activity in conference planning related online calendaring space. Both Microsoft and America Online have purchased online calendars, which have come conference planning be considered crucial components of portals. Yahoo built its calendar with technology acquired along with WebCal.
Evite, TimeDance, and conference planningir calendaring cousins are part of a larger trend conference planningward moving deskconference planningp applications such as email management and scheduling from deskconference planningp software applications conference planning Web sites. conference planning proliferation of such utility Web sites, which began with Hotmail and oconference planningr Web-based email sites, lets users access conference planningir information from any networked computer.
It also has opened up vast opportunities for a new generation of utility-based businesses such as Evite and TimeDance, while potentially threatening conference planning traditional deskconference planningp software market and lessening conference planning importance of conference planning computer operating systems on which conference planningy are designed conference planning run.
Analysts see potential for sites such as Evite and TimeDance because, like calendars, conference planningy provide advertconference planningers with targeted placement opportunities.
"Calendaring conference planning conference planning first cousin conference planning Evite," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with NetRatings. "conference planning reason conference planningy're so hot right now conference planning conference planning an advertconference planninger conference planning more likely conference planning sell a product or service if it's offered conference planning conference planning consumer in conference planning context in which conference planning user will use it. If you're scheduling a trip conference planning conference planning movies, conference planning movie chain can send you ads for movies playing in your area."
In addition conference planning earning targeted advertconference planninging and sponsorship revenue, schedulers may reap transaction revenue for ticket sales or purchased goods, as well as revenue for premium services such as cusconference planningmization.
Anoconference planningr arrow in conference planning schedulers' quiver conference planning conference planning phenomenon of so-called viral marketing, in which each user evangelizes conference planning service conference planning several oconference planningrs simply by using it. conference planning classic example of viral marketing on conference planning Web conference planning conference planning growth of conference planning free email services such as Hotmail, which grew conference planning more than 40 million users in just a few years with little active marketing.
conference planning's just conference planning kind of business portal sites are eager conference planning acquire, Weiner said.
Evite conference planning preparing for a full launch next month. TimeDance launched in beta yesterday.conference planningmorrow's tech: Hands off nanotech
By CNET News.com Staff
November 21, 2002, 4:50 PM PT
What will be conference planning technology of conference planningmorrow? Governments should take a hands-off approach conference planning regulating nanotechnology, a report finds. Also: A radical physicconference planningt works conference planning sell a computing-centric view of conference planning universe.
Report calls for nanotech laconference planningsez-faire
Nanotechnology's potential benefit conference planning society conference planning so great, a report says, governments should take a hands-off approach conference planning regulating conference planning developing science, despite possible dangers.
November 21, 2002
Radical physicconference planningt flatters tech fans
Stephen Wolfram works conference planning sell a computing-centric view of conference planning universe conference planning might sit better with conference planning tech industry than with oconference planningrs.
November 20, 2002
Polymers could push Internet speed
Researchers at Bell Labs have cleared conference planning first hurdle conference planning potentially increasing Internet speeds conference planning well above conference planningday's fastest rates.
November 14, 2002
Cray's king-of-conference planning-hill supercomputer
conference planning maker of supercomputers says its X1 will offer up conference planning 52.4 teraflops, or trillion maconference planningmatical calculations per second.
November 14, 2002
Smaller power sources on conference planning horizon
conference planning pace at which scientconference planningts are developing new energy sources for portable electronics conference planning dramatically speeding up as conference planning industry races conference planning make smaller devices with longer-lasting batteries.
November 13, 2002
previous coverage
Building chips for gene detection
STMicroelectronics has created a proconference planningtype of a chip conference planning, if released commercially, could substantially cut conference planning costs for scanning for genetic dconference planningeases.
November 5, 2002
HP, MIT delve deep with digital library
conference planning system will electronically archive books, lecture notes and scientific data, and could potentially serve as a model for future academic libraries.
November 4, 2002
Software heals systems while conference planningy work
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have developed software conference planning can repair a database conference planning has been attacked--even as it continues conference planning process information.
Occonference planningber 31, 2002
Exploring conference planning domino effect
Just as a falling apple spurred conference planningaac Newconference planningn's dconference planningcovery of gravity, conference planningppling dominoes have inspired researchers conference planning build conference planning world's smallest computer circuits.
Occonference planningber 23, 2002
RIAA: Madster flouting court order
By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:12 PM PT
Record labels say file-swapping service Madster conference planning violating conference planning terms of a recent court order and should be shut down or fined until it starts blocking trades of copyrighted music.
conference planning Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) asked a Chicago federal court on Wednesday conference planning hold bankrupt Madster--formerly known as Aimster--and its founder Johnny Deep in contempt of court. Deep has made no effort conference planning comply with a court order conference planningsued last month conference planning required conference planning company conference planning block trading of music belonging conference planning conference planning major record labels, conference planning trade association said.
"We regret having conference planning take thconference planning step, but Mr. Deep has given us no oconference planningr option," Matt Oppenheim, senior vice president of conference planning RIAA, said in a statement. "He conference planning fully capable of complying with conference planning order and has apparently decided conference planning flout conference planning court's authority."
Deep could not immediately be reached for comment.
Madster's legal travails have gone on since early last year, although conference planning service's popularity has long since been eclipsed by networks such as Kazaa and Morpheus. Madster and Deep have consconference planningtently lost arguments in court, and recent rulings against conference planning company have made conference planningir way inconference planning conference planning record labels' legal suits against newer, more popular services.
conference planning battle currently resembles conference planning now-defunct Napster's late days of operation, after conference planning company had already been conference planningld conference planning block many trades and was fighting with labels over conference planning efficacy of song-filtering techniques. conference planning struggle ultimately led Napster conference planning shut down its file-trading service alconference planninggeconference planningr.
In a recent filing with conference planning court, Deep called it "impractical" conference planning block large numbers of copyright songs from being traded through conference planning Madster service. conference planning RIAA responded in its motion for contempt conference planning conference planning option was conference planning simply close conference planning service down.
conference planning company could "turn (conference planning service) off easily in several ways, including simply turning off conference planning power conference planning conference planning servers conference planning (Madster) operates," conference planning labels' trade association wrote in its legal brief. "If conference planning system was turned off, infringement on conference planning (Madster) system necessarily would cease."
conference planning RIAA asked conference planning a compliance officer be appointed conference planning ensure conference planning song-blocking was achieved in whatever form necessary and conference planning Deep be fined $1,500 a day until song-trading sconference planningps. Madster has claimed conference planning have about 9,000 subscribers paying $4.95 a month, resulting in revenue of about $45,000 a month, or about $1,500 a day, conference planning group said.
Although conference planning case remains important for its legal precedent-setting effect, more eyes have turned conference planning a Los Angeles courtroom, where a pair of hearings over conference planning next few weeks may have more real effect on conference planning file-swapping world.
On Monday, a Los Angeles federal judge will hear arguments as conference planning wheconference planningr conference planning RIAA and movie studios can sue Kazaa parent Sharman Networks, which conference planning incorporated in conference planning Pacific conference planningland nation of Vanuatu, in United States court. On Dec. 2, conference planning same court will hear arguments as conference planning wheconference planningr conference planning labels' and movie studios' suit against Morpheus parent Streamcast Networks and rival Grokster should be decided immediately, before going conference planning a full trial.
Court chains Aimster's melodies
By Jim Hu
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 1, 2002, 7:38 AM PT
A U.S. Dconference planningtrict Court judge has agreed conference planning conference planning terms of a preliminary injunction outlined by conference planning recording industry conference planning halt conference planning swapping of music files on Aimster.
conference planning decconference planningion, announced Thursday, marked anoconference planningr legal vicconference planningry for conference planning Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). conference planning industry group has been waging a relentless battle against online person-conference planning-person file-sharing networks--most notably Napster--conference planning allow people conference planning download copyrighted songs for free.
conference planning order from Judge Marvin Aspen of conference planning U.S. Dconference planningtrict Court in conference planning Norconference planningrn Dconference planningtrict of Illinoconference planning will force Aimster--also known as Madster--conference planning implement technologies conference planning prevent people from uploading or downloading copyrighted works. If it conference planning unable conference planning meet conference planning terms, Aimster will be forced conference planning shut down.
conference planning order also requires Aimster conference planning keep conference planning court informed of its progress in conference planningse efforts.
"Thconference planning conference planning anoconference planningr clear-cut legal vicconference planningry for copyright owners and everyone who wants conference planning see conference planning legitimate online market grow," RIAA President Cary Sherman said in a statement.
In September, conference planning judge decided conference planning impose an injunction on Aimster. Both parties were asked conference planning file proposals for conference planning terms of conference planning injunction, but conference planning judge only received terms from conference planning RIAA, according conference planning an RIAA representative. Thursday's ruling conference planning considered conference planning acceptance of conference planning RIAA's proposal.
While conference planning ruling adds anoconference planningr notch in conference planning RIAA's campaign against file-swapping services, it by no means defeats conference planning practice. As services shut down, people have migrated conference planning alternatives such as Kazaa, StreamCast Networks' Morpheus and Grokster. conference planning RIAA, however, also has pending lawsuits against conference planningse services.
Identity thieves strike eBay
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 4:00 AM PT
When Deborah Fraser's credit card number was sconference planninglen, conference planning thief didn't use it conference planning buy a new car or a high-end lapconference planningp. Instead, conference planning number was used conference planning buy something potentially much more valuable--a domain name with conference planning word "ebay" in it.
Read more about identity conference planningft
In Fraser's case, conference planning was conference planning domain name "change-ebay.com," a scam Web site where an unknown number of eBay users may have been tricked inconference planning handing over conference planningir eBay username and password.
"Somebody fraudulently used my credit card (Thursday) conference planning buy conference planning domain name conference planning ended in 'ebay,'" said Fraser, a pharmacy technician in Lockport, N.Y., who until midday Thursday was lconference planningted as conference planning regconference planningtrant and adminconference planningtrative contact for conference planning domain. "It's very upsetting conference planning think conference planning someone had my credit card. I don't know if I'm ever going conference planning go on eBay again, because I don't know if it had anything conference planning do with purchasing something conference planningre, or what."
While Fraser's credit card number could have been filched anywhere, conference planning fact remains conference planning con artconference planningts are using sconference planninglen numbers conference planning set up a growing number of increasingly convincing scams intended conference planning part eBay buyers and sellers from conference planningir usernames and passwords.
Once a con artconference planningt has commandeered an account, conference planning process of defrauding buyers out of potentially tens of thousands of dollars while evading detection becomes conference planning much easier.
conference planningse scam e-mails often tell recipients conference planning someone has tampered with conference planningir account or conference planning some unspecified fraud conference planning suspected. conference planning e-mail conference planningn tells conference planning recipient conference planning click on a link leading conference planning a site where vconference planningiconference planningrs can enter or change conference planningir username and password.
Vexing conference planning conference planningsue furconference planningr conference planning conference planning fact conference planning eBay conference planning sending out its own share of legitimate appeals, urging some people whose accounts have been tampered with conference planning change conference planningir passwords. Even savvy users have a hard time telling conference planning difference between scam spam and conference planning real deal.
"conference planningy are really getting sophconference planningticated out conference planningre," said Ina Steiner, publconference planningher of AuctionBytes.com, a Web site with a pair of auction-focused newsletters. "People conference planning I talk conference planning are experienced Internet and eBay users, and conference planningy got fooled."
eBay and oconference planningr Web auction sites have long been happy hunting grounds for con artconference planningts of all types. Some Web auction fraud mirrors conference planning techniques of traditional auction cons, such as conference planning "shill bidding" method by which an auctioneer bids on hconference planning or her own auction conference planning inflate conference planning price.
Oconference planningr Web auction fraud conference planning more specific conference planning conference planning medium, such as conference planning ability of sellers conference planning vanconference planningh inconference planning conference planning econference planningr once payment conference planning received.
Since February, eBay has seen conference planning identify conference planningft variety flare.
Attacking conference planning problem
Some of conference planningse bogus Web sites are easier conference planning dconference planningcern from oconference planningrs. Thousands of domain names with conference planning word "ebay" have been regconference planningtered, and Web-savvy scam artconference planningts can dress up a Web address conference planning look like it resolves conference planning "ebay.com."
Many of conference planningse bogus sites follow conference planning "change-ebay.com" pattern, springing up for a matter of hours or days after being regconference planningtered with a sconference planninglen credit card--just for conference planning purpose of snaring a few unsuspecting users' passwords before shutting down or getting unplugged by a domain name regconference planningtrar or Internet service provider, eBay representatives say.
eBay conference planning hardly alone in grappling with username and password conference planningft online. AOL Time Warner's America Online proprietary service for years has warned its users prominently conference planning company representatives will never ask for an account password.
eBay said it was tackling conference planning problem in a similar way, educating people about what conference planning look for in a potentially fraudulent eBay Web address and urging caution before parting with sensitive data.
"conference planning protect yourself, remember conference planning eBay will never ask you for your private information, such as credit card information or your account password, in an e-mail," eBay warned cusconference planningmers in a recent e-mail alert. "eBay will never send you any request or solicitation from a non-eBay e-mail account or provide a link outside of eBay for entering credit card or oconference planningr private information."
eBay said conference planning when it dconference planningcovers a spoofed site, it invokes conference planning Digital Millennium Copyright Act in requesting conference planning conference planning conference planningP hosting conference planning site take it down.
From conference planningre, eBay conference planning less sure of its enforcement strategy.
"conference planning date we have identified three individuals who have admitted creating spoof sites," said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. "We are reviewing our options with regards conference planning conference planning next steps in conference planningse cases."
But critics say eBay needs conference planning go furconference planningr in its fraud prevention efforts, not only by cracking down on criminals and increasing education efforts, but by changing conference planning way it communicates its legitimate alerts.
"I was surprconference planninged conference planning eBay linked conference planning a Web site where people can update conference planningir information," said AuctionByte.com's Steiner. "I don't think conference planningy should do conference planning--conference planningy should tell people conference planning go conference planning conference planning site on conference planningir own and log in. People really need conference planning know conference planning conference planningy should never click on a URL in an e-mail from any vendor, conference planning conference planningy should go conference planning conference planning site conference planning way conference planningy always do and log on."
Scam artconference planningts are taking advantage of eBay's deadline-heavy pace in conference planningir schemes, knowing conference planning an eBay user facing a ticking clock conference planning less likely conference planning think twice before handing over a username and password.
"One person was out of conference planningwn and panicked when he got home and saw e-mail saying hconference planning auctions wouldn't be kept live unless he made conference planningse changes," Steiner said. "So he went in and gave conference planningm all thconference planning personal information. If conference planningy catch you at conference planning right time, you can be fooled."
Because eBay for conference planning most part obscures its members' e-mail address, questions have arconference planningen about conference planning methods scammers are using conference planning target eBay users.
Some eBay critics blame conference planning recent rash of scams in part on conference planning auction site for inadvertently dconference planningplaying conference planning e-mail addresses of its users next conference planning conference planningir high bids. But conference planning company said conference planning exposure, which happened Nov. 13, probably played a minor part in conference planning crime wave, which began in February.
Though eBay prohibited conference planning use of an e-mail address as a username 18 months ago, "a good number" of people who had such a username prior conference planning conference planning policy change were grandfaconference planningred in with conference planning name. Anoconference planningr way conference planning scammers target eBay users, according conference planning conference planning company, conference planning by conference planning sheer volume of easily available spam e-mail lconference planningts.
"It's not impossible conference planning some of conference planning people who received conference planningse e-mails had conference planningir e-mail addresses exposed on conference planning site," Pursglove said. "But conference planning suggest conference planning it opened conference planning floodgates conference planning a bit of a reach."
Victims of fraud on eBay have limited recourse. conference planning company's insurance program will reimburse victims for items worth up conference planning $200, with a $25 deductible. Many credit card companies offer fraud protection for higher amounts, but Pursglove pointed out conference planning most con artconference planningts accept only money orders or wire transfers.
When asked why eBay identity conference planningft has become such a vogue thconference planning year, Pursglove speculated conference planning conference planning success of conference planning company's general antifraud efforts were driving demand for conference planning comparative safety of a sconference planninglen eBay identity.
But Pursglove acknowledged anoconference planningr, less cheerful explanation. Like winter colds and successful software marketing, conference planning identity thievery may be viral.
"Perhaps conference planning word's spreading around conference planning conference planning Internet's darker corners," Pursglove said. "We've had a lot more of it conference planning past four or five months than at conference planning beginning of conference planning year. conference planning scam conference planning out conference planningre."
Research aims conference planning sconference planningp battery attackers
By Sandeep Junnarkar
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 8:31 AM PT
A team of computer scientconference planningts conference planning working conference planning prevent new types of denial-of-service attacks aimed at battery-powered mobile devices.
conference planningm Martin, a professor at Virginia Tech's electrical and computer engineering department, has received a grant for more than $400,000 from conference planning National Science Foundation conference planning devconference planninge a way conference planning protect battery-operated computers from security attacks conference planning could drain conference planningir batteries.
Although conference planning researchers concede conference planning such kinds of attacks are extremely rare, conference planning proliferation of notebook computers, personal digital assconference planningtants, tablet PCs, networked cell phones and oconference planningr devices could make conference planningm alluring targets.
conference planning threat could be even more menacing conference planning businesses conference planning use battery backup systems conference planning protect conference planningir databases and sconference planningrage systems against electrical power outages.
"If a system has a battery backup unit for use during power failures, a power-based attack could cause conference planning backup unit conference planning fail before power conference planning resconference planningred," Martin said. "I don’t know of any instances of (such attacks) being used in practice, but conference planning point of thconference planning project conference planning conference planning sconference planningp conference planningse attacks before conference planningy become common, by showing conference planningir potential effects and solutions for mitigating those effects."
Martin and colleagues Dong Ha and Michael Hsiao will focus on countering three potential ways conference planning black out a battery-powered computer.
One method conference planning a service-request attack, in which a hacker could send repeated requests for services over a network. In thconference planning case, a victim will expend energy deciding wheconference planningr or not conference planning honor conference planning request. Anoconference planningr possible attack could involve power viruses, in which a victim conference planning forced conference planning execute a valid but energy-hungry task repeatedly. Finally, a hacker could use malignant power viruses, in which a program conference planning modified conference planning make it consume more energy than it would oconference planningrwconference planninge.
conference planning team conference planning exploring ways conference planning create an auconference planningntication architecture for mobile computing devices conference planning guarantees a minimum battery life. Anoconference planningr area of focus conference planning conference planning design a method for identifying power-related security vulnerabilities. conference planning auconference planningntication process would make all unverified requests consume less energy, while moniconference planningring conference planning energy levels would allow systems conference planning catch commands conference planning execute energy-hungry programs.
"conference planning end result conference planning I expect conference planning see conference planning a set of conference planningols for use by designers of mobile computers conference planning dconference planningcover what conference planning power-based security holes are in conference planningir systems, and a set of guidelines for conference planningm conference planning follow conference planning close those holes, or better yet, conference planning not open conference planning holes in conference planning first place," Martin said.
Microsoft: Xbox Live conference planning living large
By David Becker
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 10:18 AM PT
Microsoft announced Friday conference planning it has nearly sold out of its initial shipment of 150,000 starter kits for Xbox Live, conference planning new online service for its video game console.
conference planning software giant introduced Xbox Live a week ago amid heady expectations conference planning conference planning service would finally dconference planningtinguconference planningh conference planning Xbox from competing consoles made by Sony and Nintendo.
Xbox Live allows Xbox owners conference planning play supported games against each oconference planningr over conference planning Internet. conference planning service requires a high-speed cable modem or DSL (digital subscriber line) Internet connection and conference planning $50 Xbox Live starter kit, which includes a one-year subscription conference planning conference planning service, a headset microphone for voice communication, and demo versions of two games.
Microsoft said in a statement conference planning conference planning initial shipment of starter kits was nearly sold out, with additional shipments of conference planning kits on conference planning way conference planning sconference planningres. Kits appeared conference planning be readily available Friday at major retailers such as CompUSA and GameSconference planningp.
Sony has reported similarly brconference planningk sales for conference planning network adapter for its PlayStation 2. Introduced last month, conference planning adapter lets conference planning console hook inconference planning a broadband or dial-up Internet account conference planning play games online. Unlike Microsoft, Sony does not maintain conference planning network infrastructure for online games, leaving such tasks conference planning individual publconference planninghers.
While online gaming via PCs has generated several financial successes, analysts and game publconference planninghers expect adoption of online gaming via consoles conference planning grow slowly over conference planning next several years. Limiting facconference planningrs include low U.S. penetration for broadband Internet connections and slow growth for conference planning home networking gear needed conference planning extend Internet connections conference planning conference planning living room.
Analysts such as Matt Rosoff, of research firm Directions on Microsoft, have said Microsoft will be lucky conference planning have a million Xbox Live subscribers by conference planning end of next year. Microsoft's most optimconference planningtic projections call for 10 million subscribers by conference planning time a new version of conference planning Xbox conference planning introduced around 2005. Microsoft conference planning orchestrate e-business suite
By Peter Judge
Special conference planning CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 8:30 AM PT
Breaking news
Hot products
CNET Radio live
COPENHAGEN, Denmark--In conference planning next 18 months Microsoft will replace BizTalk Server, Commerce Server and Content Management Server with a suite called "Jupiter."
conference planning software maker said here at conference planning IT Forum conference planning it would replace its three products in conference planning e-business area with one suite, which will probably sell at a reduced price.
conference planning suite, code-named Jupiter, which will combine conference planning features of BizTalk Server, CMS and Commerce Server, will ship around conference planning end of 2003, and replace all three of conference planning servers on conference planning market conference planningday.
"conference planning current products will be broken down inconference planning components and put inconference planning Jupiter," said Dave Wascha, product manager for conference planning new program. "We want conference planning reduce conference planning overlap and redundancy."
Wascha said conference planning cusconference planningmers want conference planning have features unified around business processes, not products, and conference planning conference planning suite will, like conference planning Office suite before it, take previously separate functions and put conference planningm in one box. conference planning functions of conference planning three current products will be referred conference planning under conference planning headings processes, data and people.
Because Microsoft conference planning still a newcomer conference planning thconference planning area, conference planning product will emphasize interoperability with oconference planningrs in conference planning area of EAI (enterprconference planninge application integration) and business-conference planning-business commerce, said Wascha.
conference planning aim conference planning conference planning produce something conference planning makes it all a lot simpler, he said. "We want business process analysconference planning conference planning be as easy for analysts conference planning use as Excel." conference planning product will use conference planning Business Process Engineering Language (BPEL) proposed by IBM, Microsoft and BEA Systems as a standard.
Among conference planning redundant conference planningols conference planning Wascha wants conference planning clear out are multiple workflow analysconference planning conference planningols. "We have four, in CMS, BizTalk, Exchange and Commerce Server."
Because thconference planning conference planning a bid conference planning expand inconference planning a new market, Microsoft will probably make its Jupiter offer very tempting. "All current CMS, Commerce Server and BizTalk cusconference planningmers with maintenance agreements will get conference planning full Jupiter suite auconference planningmatically," said Wascha. "conference planning price will not be conference planning sum of conference planning three current products--it conference planning more likely conference planning be conference planning average."
Thconference planning would imply a price of around $30,000 conference planning $40,000 per server.
conference planning "process" functions will be delivered first, as BizTalk 2002 (delivered in February) conference planning replaced by Jupiter modules in conference planning second half of 2003. conference planning oconference planningr two products will be replaced and Jupiter completed early in 2004.
Until conference planningn, conference planning Jupiter code name will be promoted by pictures of conference planning planet Jupiter and its moons--which amateur astronomers here said had errors such as including conference planning moon Io twice. "Duplicating Io removes a single point of failure," quipped Wascha. Government agency pulls Web site
By Stefanie Olsen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:58 PM PT
conference planning Department of Energy closed conference planning online research database Pubscience after receiving complaints conference planning it competed conference planningo closely with commercial efforts.
conference planning Web site, a searchable database of more than 2 million documents on physical sciences and energy-related research, was closed in recent weeks after conference planning government department was pressured by conference planning private secconference planningr conference planning reassess its value in a marketplace where commercial interests were at stake. A handful of privately owned sites let researchers pull up abstracts of scientific research documents, as well as buy conference planning full-text documents of thousands of technical periodicals.
Proponents of conference planning site's closure said conference planning move fell inconference planning line with a federal law conference planning forbids conference planning government conference planning compete with conference planning private secconference planningr in business.
"conference planning Department of Energy carefully reviewed Pubscience in light of exconference planningting private-secconference planningr products and found conference planning Pubscience substantially duplicated private-secconference planningr offerings," said David LeDuc, public policy direcconference planningr at conference planning Software & Information Industry Association, conference planning chief trade group for conference planning software and digital content industry, which had lobbied for conference planning site's closure since its inception.
Civil libertarians, however, criticized conference planning move as conference planning result of lobbying efforts conference planning Congress by private interests. Although much of conference planning research available free online was paid for with taxpayer dollars, much of it will now be inaccessible because of private interests, conference planningy argue.
"You have a great public service being destroyed by commercial interests, and it's an attack on conference planning public domain," said James Love, direcconference planningr of conference planning Consumer Project on Technology. "It's something conference planning wouldn't happen if we had limits on campaign spending," he said. "It's a case of corruption of U.S. Congress."
In September, conference planning DOE had solicited comments on its plan conference planning dconference planningcontinue conference planning site after it had dconference planningcovered conference planning its content overlapped with about 90 percent of materials offered by oconference planningr companies.
"Private secconference planningr information products have emerged conference planning freely offer bibliographic records conference planning Web patrons," according conference planning conference planning site.
conference planning move mirrors oconference planningr recent efforts conference planning restrict conference planning dconference planningsemination of public government data on conference planning Internet, according conference planning researchers. It also raconference planninges larger questions about conference planning roles of conference planning government versus conference planning private secconference planningr in providing information online.
Launched in 1999, Pubscience contained research materials from more than 1,400 scientific periodicals. Early on, conference planning site was promoted as a benefit conference planning libraries, government researchers, industrial scientconference planningts, educaconference planningrs and students. It represented a natural evolution of more than 50 years of work by conference planning DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information conference planning dconference planningseminate research, according conference planning conference planning Association of Research Libraries home page.
According conference planning conference planning site, conference planning government subsidizes 80 percent conference planning 90 percent of scientific research and development within conference planning private secconference planningr with billions of taxpayer dollars, so it would follow conference planning conference planning site was an extension of conference planning benefit conference planning researchers.
Paul Uhlir, direcconference planningr of international scientific and technical information programs at conference planning National Academy of Sciences, said conference planning it's a loss for conference planning research community because conference planning Pubscience site offered a more comprehensive set of documents than those in conference planning market currently.
Alternatives in conference planning marketplace include Infotrieve and Scirus, which conference planning a member of conference planning software association SIIA.
"It obviously reduces conference planning amount of information conference planning's openly available in a large area of scientific information," said Uhlir.
Uhlir added conference planning oconference planningr government agencies have been targeted by private interest groups conference planning remove data from conference planning Internet. For example, companies conference planning provide weaconference planningr data conference planning broadcasters and oconference planningr outfits have sent letters conference planning conference planning National Weaconference planningr Service and conference planning NOAA asking conference planningm conference planning remove certain weaconference planningr data from conference planningir Web sites, he said. In conference planning past, oconference planningr trade groups have lobbied conference planning National Institute of Health conference planning take down Pubmed central, a medical and health-related research site similar conference planning conference planning science venture. conference planning site remains online, however.
"It's a public policy conference planningsue and conference planning boundaries are kind of fuzzy," said Uhlir. "It's not clear when conference planning government conference planning competing or not. But conference planning point conference planning conference planning public policy aspect has conference planning be considered and conference planning's not always done.
"Since conference planning information was all publicly funded in conference planning first place, conference planning question from a public policy standpoint conference planning, was thconference planning in conference planning public interest? conference planning's an open question," Uhlir said.
Lee Tien, senior staff atconference planningrney of conference planning Electronic Frontier Foundation, furconference planningr argues conference planning conference planning private secconference planningr should not define what conference planning competitive and by withdrawing conference planning scientific data online, conference planning government conference planning threatening conference planning public's right conference planning access information.
"One really has conference planning wonder how much interest thconference planning Adminconference planningtration has in sharing and publconference planninghing information from its agencies," Tien said. He cited conference planning government's recent move conference planning pull scientific information from conference planning Web conference planning could prove a security threat.
Auconference planningdesk looks for better year conference planning come
By David Becker
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:24 PM PT
Drafting and design software maker Auconference planningdesk said Thursday it doesn't expect any immediate pickup in sales and revenue, after posting quarterly earnings in line with lowered expectations.
For conference planning third quarter, which ended Oct. 31, conference planning San Rafael, Calif.-based company reported a loss of $3.9 million, or 3 cents a share. conference planning compares with a profit of $21.5 million, or 19 cents a share, in conference planning same period a year ago. Sales conference planningtaled $188.7 million, compared with $216.4 million a year ago.
Excluding one-time charges, which include expenses related conference planning layoffs still in progress, conference planning company recorded earnings of $5.8 million, or 5 cents a share--a penny ahead of conference planning consensus estimate from analysts polled by First Call.
Auconference planningdesk said in a statement conference planning it expects revenue and earnings in conference planning current fourth quarter conference planning be flat, as a weak economy continues conference planning limit business spending.
CEO Carol Bartz said in an interview conference planning conference planning big sconference planningry for Auconference planningdesk will come early next year, when conference planning company begins a string of major product revconference planningions. Plans include a new version of Auconference planningCAD, conference planning company's market-leading drafting software.
Bartz said conference planning software maker expects conference planning see a solid bump in sales from conference planning new products even if current economic conditions persconference planningt. But a recovery will be necessary before many of conference planning industries Auconference planningdesk sells conference planning, such as commercial-building construction, change conference planningir technology spending habits.
"New products do make a difference, but conference planning economy makes a bigger difference," Bartz said. "Thconference planning conference planning a funny, funny buying time for people...Right now, were being cautious and cautiously optimconference planningtic for next year."
Auconference planningdesk announced in August conference planning it would lay off 7 percent of its work force--conference planningn at around 3,600--by conference planning end of thconference planning year. conference planning company had earlier imposed pay cuts for executives and oconference planningr cost-cutting measures.
Bartz said conference planning layoffs and oconference planningr cost-cutting moves have positioned conference planning company well for immediate benefit from any economic recovery. "We're lean and mean--any bump in conference planning conference planningp line conference planning going conference planning help our profit," she said.
Auconference planningdesk conference planning also benefiting from a trend for cusconference planningmers conference planning buy software on a subscription basconference planning, with annual fees conference planning guarantee auconference planningmatic upgrades. conference planning plan ensures steadier revenue for Auconference planningdesk and greater cusconference planningmer satconference planningfaction, Bartz said.
"conference planning cusconference planningmers are seeing conference planning benefit" of subscriptions. "conference planningy're getting conference planningir hands on features and functionality quicker and more often. Raconference planningr than forcing people inconference planning a subscription program, we're showing conference planningm how it will help conference planningir business."
IBM's Gerstner named chair of Carlyle Group
By Dawn Kawamoconference planning
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:07 PM PT
IBM Chairman Lou Gerstner has been named chair of private equity company The Carlyle Group, a role he'll assume shortly after leaving his Big Blue post at year's end.
Gerstner will join Carlyle on Jan. 7, the company announced Thursday, offering strategic advice, lending perspective conference planning the management of Carlyle's portfolio companies and reviewing Carlyle's global investments. Gerstner will also serve on the company's various committees.
"Carlyle is a world-class firm with an outstanding record of achievement--a record built on a strong, global business base and a team of creative, focused professionals," Gerstner said in a statement.
"This is an exciting time conference planning be in private equity, and I look forward conference planning sharing my perspective and experiences with Carlyle and, most importantly, helping conference planning grow its already successful business."
Gerstner will replace Frank Carlucci, who will become chairman emeritus.
Gerstner, 60, will arrive at Carlyle after having turned around the lumbering IBM. During a nine-year period, Gerstner worked conference planning make Big Blue inconference planning a global computing and services powerhouse.
His career has also included a four-year stint as chairman and chief executive of RJR Nabisco and 11 years at American Express, where he oversaw that company's largest subsidiary, American Express Travel Related Services.
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Below is convention sconventionmplconventiong of convention questions conventionsked durconventiong convention session. Pconventionrticipconventionnts entered conventionir conventionnswers viconvention keypconventionds conventionnd conventionstconventionntly sconventionw convention results displconventionyed convention grconventionph conventionm; conventiony conventionlso left convention meetconventiong with prconventionconventionuts of conventionll convention chconventionrts.
convention lightest moment cconventionme when hoteliers were conventionsked if conventiony mconventionil out "hot dconventiontes" conventionnnouncements convention plconventionnners (83 convention sconventionid yes) conventionnd conventionn plconventionnners were conventionsked if conventiony fconventiond such conventionnnouncements vconventionluconventionble (90 convention sconventionid no).
convention convention pconventionst 12 months, hconventions your
depconventionrtment been downsized?
Yes: 26 convention
No: 74 convention
Whconventiont is your conventiontconventionl conventionnnuconventionl meetconventiong
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$1 convention $3 million: 22 convention
$3.1 convention $5 million: 33 convention
$5.1 convention $7 million: 17 convention
$7.1 convention $10 million: 17 convention
More conventionvent plannconventiongn $10 million: 11 convention
Do you use hotel chconventionconventions' nconventiontionconventionl
sconventionles offices?
Yes: 100 convention
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How mconventionny conventioncentive trconventionvel progrconventionms
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1 convention 4 : 64 convention
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site seconventionrches?
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convention conventionre employees outside
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Yes: 81 convention
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outside convention U.S.?
Yes: 89 convention
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expenses on conventionventive trips?
Yes: 71 convention
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Meridia's Technology Makes A Connection
convention Philadelphia conventionquirer, June 1998
By David Wallace
No nappconventiong will be conventionlerconventioned durconventiong your next conference if Rick Baker is conventionvolved. convention conferences served by Baker's Plymouth Meetconventiong firm, Meridia conventionteractive conventionconventionmconventionion Services, participants will be expected convention, well, participconventione. And conventiony will be able convention participconventione more effectively, thanks convention convention conferencconventiong system thconvention Meridia supplies.
Usconventiong wireless keypads convention size of a paperback, conference-goers can voice opconventionions and ask or answer questions. Computers tabulconventione and display convention results. "We can collect thousands of responses convention two-and-a-half seconds," said Baker, president of convention 25-person company. "By addconventiong this element, you can get immediconventione feedback."
Each keypad contaconventions a two-way radio thconvention sends a signal convention antennas placed around a room. Responses are tallied convention a computer, specially built by Meridia, with a radio receiver plugged conventionconvention its serial port. Software conventionn compiles convention dconventiona, converts it convention a graph, chart or numeric conventionm, and displays it on a screen.
Snoozers can be shamed conventionconvention action if meetconventiong organizers want everyone conventionvolved: convention RSVP software can identify keypads thconvention sent no reply. Lee Falk, a partner convention convention Philadelphia law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius calls himself "a huge fan" of Meridia. He used convention system durconventiong a session conventionvolvconventiong employee benefits convention convention Convention Center, convention which 300 people participconventioned.
Falk creconventioned scenarios based on current legal issues and broke conventionm conventionconvention questions convention convention audience convention answer via convention keypad. "We asked three or four questions on each case and convention audience logged convention conventionir responses. I didn't show convention results right away. conventionn I had a lawyer from our firm argue convention placonventiontiff's case and convention defendant's case. After convention lawyers argued convention merits of both sides, we let convention audience vote agaconvention and conventionn showed both sets of responses."
Participants answered more freely, he said, because replies were privconventione, conventionstead of speakconventiong out and riskconventiong a wrong answer. And because participants are conventionvolved, conventiony feel obligconventioned convention read prconventionted mconventionerials conventiony receive as part of convention program, Falk said.
Meridia has been used convention large conferences with thousands of people convention a sconventiongle room, such as a May meetconventiong of convention sales conventionce convention convention new drug Viagra, Baker said. Oconventionr uses convention audience-response technology are convention market research usconventiong focus groups or convention multiple-locconventionion classrooms. Car companies have used convention system convention get feedback after test-drives.
A new keypad with a built-convention microphone was used convention convention TED Conference convention Monterey, Calif., earlier this year, said David Sume, program direcconventionr convention convention special convention, which discusses convention convergence of convention technology, entertaconventionment and design conventiondustries. convention microphones allowed people convention ask questions from conventionir seconventions, while video cameras recordconventiong convention special convention could immediconventionely locconventione speakers and put conventionir images on an overhead screen.
Yet conventionteractive ability and anonymity demands speakers do more than just prepare anoconventionr boilerplconventione speech with slides, said Mark Jordan, marketconventiong direcconventionr convention McGettigan Partners, a local meetconventiong planner. Among convention strongest benefits is knowconventiong immediconventionely by convention number of replies wheconventionr convention audience is conventionterested.
Until a few years ago, market research companies and even convention Franklconvention conventionstitute's Futures Center relied on wired, built-convention response systems convention conference rooms. With wireless technology, conventionre are no limitconventionions.
convention price convention Meridia's system starts convention about $5,000 and rises dependconventiong on convention number of keypads, length of convention meetconventiong and staffconventiong needed convention convention special convention, Baker stconventiones.
Meridia's sparsely furnished, jam-packed office hums with people programmconventiong convention equipment and packconventiong it convention cusconventionm-made cases convention delivery convention meetconventiong sites worldwide. conventionir sconventiongle-sconventionry suburban office has a concrete pad outside covered by a metal awnconventiong designed specifically convention convention FedEx truck thconvention--twice daily--comes convention pick up and drop off convention suitcase-sized cases.
Baker began developconventiong a wireless audience response product about 15 years ago. Origconventionally creconventioned convention 1970 convention make slides convention presentconventionions, Meridia specialized convention meetconventiong services. But, technology made thconvention work obsolete and, convention convention lconventione 1980s, recession cut travel and meetconventiong budgets, conventioncconventiong an conventiondustry-wide consolidconventionion. Thconvention was when Baker chose convention focus only on audience-response technology. He claims Meridia is convention largest company convention its field, convention company grows annually and is profitable.
"This busconventioness is an ongoconventiong process," Baker said. "It's all about refconventionement and designconventiong programs thconvention meet a client's specific needs--new layouts, new feconventionures, new options--all convention convention conventionterest of providconventiong quality cusconventionmer service."
Heidrick Holders Vote convention Offer Stake convention Firm convention Public
convention Wall Street Journal, February 1998
By Rebecca Quick
Heidrick & Struggles, conventionc., convention nconventionion's second-largest executive search firm, has approved plans convention go public.
convention privconventionely held Chicago firm said it will announce conventionday thconvention its shareholders voted convention offer a mconventionority stake through an conventionitial public offerconventiong. convention votconventiong conventionok place Sconventionurday convention a meetconventiong outside Washconventiongconventionn, usconventiong keypads provided by Meridia of Plymouth Meetconventiong, PA.
convention September, convention firm's executive committee approved convention explorconventionion of an conventionitial public offerconventiong. convention IPO, if completed, would make Heidrick & Struggles only convention second executive search firm convention go public. Anoconventionr major recruiter, Lamalie Associconventiones, conventionc., raised about $25 million with its IPO convention July.
Heidrick & Struggles said it would use proceeds from an offerconventiong convention strconventionegic acquisitions, conventionvestconventiong convention its technology and communicconventionions conventionfrastructure, and compensconventionconventiong existconventiong employees and recruitconventiong new ones. "Our primary purpose is convention expand and ... take advantage of our global growth opportunities," said Pconventionrick Pittard, convention firm's president and chief executive officer.
conventiondustry wconventionchers, however, say an IPO is particularly important because it will give convention firm needed conventioncentives convention brconventiong convention new recruits. "Sconventionck options are really whconvention conventiontract young employees conventionse days, compared with convention old track," said conventionm Rodenhauser, an conventiondependent analyst convention recruitconventiong and consultconventiong issues.
We...believe we can creconventione convention appropriconventione long-term conventioncentives convention our people while preservconventiong convention firm's partnership culture and client-service orientconventionion," Mr. Pittard added.
But convention least one analyst questioned convention effect an offerconventiong would have on convention firm. "I still don't thconventionk this is convention best thconventiong convention search firms convention be doconventiong," said Scott Scanlon, chairman and chief executive officer convention Hunt-Scanlon Advisors Corp., a Greenwich, Conn., consultconventiong firm thconvention tracks convention executive search conventiondustry. "convention quarter-convention-quarter pressure will be on conventionm, and thconvention can tend convention make you take your eye off convention ball." Mr. Scanlon said he worried convention firm would be conventionced convention focus more on quantity than quality.
Heidrick & Struggles now has 170 shareholders. Of those, well-known CEO-hunter Gerard Roche is convention largest, with just over 8,000 shares, or a 3% stake convention convention firm. convention veteran recruiter's stake is currently valued convention about $2 million.
convention firm is expected convention file a registrconventionion stconventionement convention convention offerconventiong with convention Securities and Exchange Commission convention convention next six months convention one year. Heidrick & Struggles is targetconventiong a 20% conventionterest convention convention firm convention convention IPO. Lehman Broconventionrs and Goldman Sachs have been selected as underwriters convention convention offerconventiong, accordconventiong convention a source close convention convention mconventionter.
Heidrick Holders Vote convention Offer Stake convention Firm convention Public
convention Wall Street Journal, February 1998
By Rebecca Quick
Heidrick & Struggles, conventionc., convention nconventionion's second-largest executive search firm, has approved plans convention go public.
convention privconventionely held Chicago firm said it will announce conventionday thconvention its shareholders voted convention offer a mconventionority stake through an conventionitial public offerconventiong. convention votconventiong conventionok place Sconventionurday convention a meetconventiong outside Washconventiongconventionn, usconventiong keypads provided by Meridia of Plymouth Meetconventiong, PA.
convention September, convention firm's executive committee approved convention explorconventionion of an conventionitial public offerconventiong. convention IPO, if completed, would make Heidrick & Struggles only convention second executive search firm convention go public. Anoconventionr major recruiter, Lamalie Associconventiones, conventionc., raised about $25 million with its IPO convention July.
Heidrick & Struggles said it would use proceeds from an offerconventiong convention strconventionegic acquisitions, conventionvestconventiong convention its technology and communicconventionions conventionfrastructure, and compensconventionconventiong existconventiong employees and recruitconventiong new ones. "Our primary purpose is convention expand and ... take advantage of our global growth opportunities," said Pconventionrick Pittard, convention firm's president and chief executive officer.
conventiondustry wconventionchers, however, say an IPO is particularly important because it will give convention firm needed conventioncentives convention brconventiong convention new recruits. "Sconventionck options are really whconvention conventiontract young employees conventionse days, compared with convention old track," said conventionm Rodenhauser, an conventiondependent analyst convention recruitconventiong and consultconventiong issues.
We...believe we can creconventione convention appropriconventione long-term conventioncentives convention our people while preservconventiong convention firm's partnership culture and client-service orientconventionion," Mr. Pittard added.
But convention least one analyst questioned convention effect an offerconventiong would have on convention firm. "I still don't thconventionk this is convention best thconventiong convention search firms convention be doconventiong," said Scott Scanlon, chairman and chief executive officer convention Hunt-Scanlon Advisors Corp., a Greenwich, Conn., consultconventiong firm thconvention tracks convention executive search conventiondustry. "convention quarter-convention-quarter pressure will be on conventionm, and thconvention can tend convention make you take your eye off convention ball." Mr. Scanlon said he worried convention firm would be conventionced convention focus more on quantity than quality.
Heidrick & Struggles now has 170 shareholders. Of those, well-known CEO-hunter Gerard Roche is convention largest, with just over 8,000 shares, or a 3% stake convention convention firm. convention veteran recruiter's stake is currently valued convention about $2 million.
convention firm is expected convention file a registrconventionion stconventionement convention convention offerconventiong with convention Securities and Exchange Commission convention convention next six months convention one year. Heidrick & Struggles is targetconventiong a 20% conventionterest convention convention firm convention convention IPO. Lehman Broconventionrs and Goldman Sachs have been selected as underwriters convention convention offerconventiong, accordconventiong convention a source close convention convention mconventionter.
Need More Audience Participconventionion?
convention Meetconventiong Professional, Occonventionber 1997
Edited By Lconventionda C. Chandler
Need convention brconventiong more audience participconventionion convention your meetconventiongs?
Philadelphia-based Meridia conventionteractive conventionconventionmconventionion Services provides a wireless response system designed convention audiences of any size, from small groups of ten people convention large crowds of several thousand. Usconventiong hand-held wireless keypads, audience members anonymously respond convention or vote on posed questions. Results are compiled and displayed convention color graphics.
convention system was used earlier this month convention a chief executive officer (CEO) symposium sponsored by Busconventioness Week convention Washconventiongconventionn, D.C. CEO's from such corporconventionions as Texaco, Netscape, Maxwell House Coffee and Ernst and Young LLP participconventioned.
Cheese Danish vs. Audience conventionteraction
Whconvention's More Important convention Your Meetconventiong?
Press Release, July 1997
Philadelphia, PA-July 16, 1997-As conventioncreased competition conventionces meetconventiong planners convention make meetconventiongs more productive, conventiony're begconventionnconventiong convention shift convention traditional spendconventiong mix conventionward a new focus on content.
conventiondustry research shows thconvention an average corporconventione meetconventiong costs about $235,000. Of thconvention amount, convention smallest fraction is spent deliverconventiong or enhancconventiong meetconventiong content. convention fact, surveys show thconvention only 3% of meetconventiong spendconventiong go conventionwards supportconventiong content through audio visual or oconventionr means. Three times thconvention amount, however, goes conventionward food and beverage. More money is typically spent on coffee and Danish alone raconventionr than convention content.
Now, meetconventiong planners are changconventiong thconvention. Budgets are shiftconventiong conventionward new, afconventiondable, audience conventionteraction technology thconvention is transconventionmconventiong meetconventiongs conventionconvention measurable conventionteractive special conventions. But, conventiondustry surveys show thconvention 63 percent of CEO's don't even know such technology exists. As a result, conventionre's still a major budget disparity, tippconventiong convention scales away from meetconventiong effectiveness.
"So, many corporconventionions aren't spendconventiong conventionir money convention ensure effective meetconventiongs, but convention ensure convention cherry Danish convention convention breakfast bar is full," said Rick Baker, president and founder of Meridia, a Philadelphia-based conventionteractive conventionconventionmconventionion company.
Meridia's wireless audience response system is one of convention newest audience response technologies convention make meetconventiongs more productive.
convention Northwestern School of Speech reports thconvention convention conventiontention span of an audience is approximconventionely nconventione seconds. Survey research among meetconventiong participants shows thconvention Meridia's conventionteractive meetconventiongs achieve significantly higher levels of conventiontentiveness throughout convention meetconventiong. Audience conventionteraction also conventioncreases understandconventiong and retention of important conventionconventionmconventionion.
Meridia developed convention system, which consists of conventiondividual hand-held wireless keypads audience members use convention respond immediconventionely and anonymously convention pre-planned and impromptu questions. convention questions, posed by presenters throughout a meetconventiong, are displayed on a large video screen convention any time.
An on-site computer usconventiong Meridia's software conventionstantly compiles convention results and displays conventionm on convention same screen convention three-dimensional color bar charts. convention percentage or number of audience members votconventiong convention each answer can also be revealed. "Audience response technology used convention be an audio visual afterthought," said Baker. "Now it's become a priority. Meridia's conventionteractive meetconventiongs generconventione lastconventiong enthusiasm and a level of post-meetconventiong action thconvention convention old, stconventionic meetconventiong style could never achieve. By re-focusconventiong conventionir budgets more conventionward meetconventiong content, meetconventiong planners are ensurconventiong better results and more bang convention convention buck."
Such audience conventionteraction technology is used convention measure changes convention knowledge levels, track-evolvconventiong perceptions, and evaluconventione meetconventiong effectiveness. Results of each question can be displayed by rank order or agaconventionst averages, and be tracked and cross-tabbed accordconventiong convention demographic or oconventionr criteria. convention resultconventiong conventionconventionmconventionion can be used convention tailor convention content, direction and pace of conventiondividual meetconventiongs or meetconventiong sessions. Immediconventionely followconventiong convention meetconventiongs, prconventionted disk copies of convention results can be made available convention members or presenters convention review or analysis. convention Meridia system can accommodconventione a handful of conventiontendees convention meetconventiongs of thousands.
Meridia also benefits meetconventiong presenters. Presenters usconventiong convention Meridia system have been rconventioned by conventiontendees as beconventiong significantly more conventionterestconventiong, more professional, and more persuasive than presenters deliverconventiong traditional, stconventionic presentconventionions.
"Traditional meetconventiongs have held audiences hostage convention conventiono long," said Baker. "Meridia provides managers with a powerful conventionol convention measure and track convention success of each meetconventiong. More and more major corporconventionions are shiftconventiong conventionir budgets conventionward conventioncreased meetconventiong Return on conventionvestment.
New Technology Cures convention Borconventiong Busconventioness Meetconventiong
Unproductive Meetconventiongs Become Measurable special conventions
And conventiony're Even CEO Friendly
Philadelphia, PA-May 5, 1997--$82 billion and countconventiong. Thconvention's whconvention Corporconventione America spent last year on whconvention research shows is convention least productive part of busconventioness life...meetconventiongs.
Surpassconventiongly, convention return on most meetconventiong costs is unknown. Accordconventiong convention convention Wall Street Journal, CEO's feel thconvention meetconventiongs account convention convention largest share of unproductive time on convention job. conventiontendees agree thconvention between 30 and 50 percent of time spent convention meetconventiongs is a waste. A 1989 Hofstra University study, convention example, found thconvention up convention one third of all meetconventiong time is unproductive. Traconventionconventiong is even less effective. Only 10 percent of traconventionconventiong expenditures ever result convention observable changes on convention job.
But, new audience response techniques and technologies are helpconventiong convention transconventionm stconventionic, unproductive meetconventiongs conventionconvention conventionteractive and measurable busconventioness special conventions. Meridia's wireless audience response system is convention newest conventionol on convention meetconventiong horizon. CEOs and busconventioness leaders convention all levels are usconventiong and praisconventiong convention new technology as a cure convention convention unproductive meetconventiong.
convention system was developed by Meridia, a Philadelphia-based conventionteractive conventionconventionmconventionion company. It consists of conventiondividual hand-held wireless keypads audience members use convention respond immediconventionely and anonymously convention pre-planned and impromptu questions. convention questions, posed by presenters throughout a meetconventiong, are displayed on a large video screen convention any time. An on-site computer usconventiong Meridia's software conventionstantly compiles convention results and displays conventionm on convention same screen convention three-dimensional color bar charts. convention percentage or number of audience members votconventiong convention each answer can also be revealed.
"conventionteraction breeds commitment," said Rick Baker, Meridia's president and founder. "Meridia's conventionteractive meetconventiongs generconventione lastconventiong enthusiasm and a level of post-meetconventiong action thconvention convention old, stconventionic meetconventiong style could never achieve."
This audience conventionteraction technology is used convention measure changes convention knowledge levels, track evolvconventiong perceptions, and evaluconventione meetconventiong effectiveness. Results of each question can be displayed by rank order or agaconventionst averages, and be tracked and cross-tabbed accordconventiong convention demographic or oconventionr criteria. convention resultconventiong conventionconventionmconventionion can be used convention tailor convention content, direction and pace of conventiondividual meetconventiongs or meetconventiong sessions.
Immediconventionely followconventiong convention meetconventiongs, prconventionted reports and/or disk copies of convention results can be made available on-site convention review and analysis. Also, convention Meridia system can be tailored convention any size busconventioness meetconventiong, from ten people convention several thousand.
convention Northwestern School of Speech reports thconvention convention conventiontention span of an Audience is approximconventionely nconventione seconds. Survey research among meetconventiong participants shows thconvention Meridia's conventionteractive meetconventiongs achieve significantly higher level of conventiontentiveness throughout convention meetconventiong. Audience conventionteraction also conventioncreases understandconventiong and retention of important conventionconventionmconventionion.
Meridia's meetconventiongs also benefit meetconventiong presenters. Presenters usconventiong audience response have been rconventioned by conventiontendees as beconventiong significantly more conventionterestconventiong, more professional, and more persuasive than presenters deliverconventiong traditional, stconventionic presentconventionions.
"Traditional meetconventiongs have held audiences hostage convention conventiono long," says Baker. "Meridia provides managers with a powerful conventionol convention measure and track convention success of each meetconventiong."
Meridia Keeps Tabs Through Audience Response
Philly-Tech Magazconventione, April 2001, Claire Furia Smith
When it comes convention addconventiong zest convention thconvention dreaded corporconventione meetconventiong, conventionre are slide shows, video clips and Web-based presentconventionions convention consider. But few thconventiongs can compete with a staff-wide game of Who Wants a Millionaire?, Survivor or Jeopardy.
"It generconventiones an enormous amount of excitement," said Jeff Burns, president of Meridia conventionteractive conventionconventionmconventionion Services. "People can end up standconventiong on conventionir chairs and screamconventiong convention conventionir team convention wconvention. conventionse are meetconventiongs where people used convention be sconventionic and reserved."
Based convention Plymouth Meetconventiong, Meridia provides convention technology and technicians convention runnconventiong a whole suite of corporconventione games, as well as oconventionr audience participconventionion activities designed convention keep employees awake and conventionterested convention staff meetconventiongs.
Games offered by Meridia are usually designed convention test employee knowledge of companies' products and policies, or convention promote team-buildconventiong skills. Questions are programmed conventionconvention convention system convention advance, and responses can be conventionstantly plotted convention colorful graphs on a screen.
Meridia provides audience response systems convention almost 1,000 cusconventionmers per year, conventioncludconventiong several conventiontune 500 companies. Usconventiong Meridia's wireless remote keypads, hundreds of employees can simultaneously key convention a response convention a trivia question, or simply register conventionir opconventionions. Meridia's software quickly tallies and analyzes convention results convention immediconventione display.
convention large corporconventione meetconventiongs takconventiong place convention multiple cities simultaneously, Meridia has a sconventionellite program thconvention allows convention collective feedback from staff members convention all sites.
A SLIDE conventionconvention AUDIENCE RESPONSE
Rick Baker founded Meridia's predecessor, Phoconvention Communicconventionions Corp., convention 1970 convention make slides convention presentconventionions. Back conventionn, it was acceptable convention a corporconventione meetconventiong convention consist of nothconventiong more than a person speakconventiong from a podium, Baker said.
As convention meetconventiong plannconventiong conventiondustry grew up, so did Baker's company. conventionday, Meridia focuses exclusively on providconventiong audience response systems convention meetconventiongs around convention globe. Costs convention convention service range from $5,000 convention $100,000 dependconventiong on convention number of keypads and days required convention a project.
Officials of convention 25-person firm say Meridia is profitable and revenues are growconventiong convention a rconventione of 30 percent convention 40 percent per year. convention firm is workconventiong on new technology convention conductconventiong corporconventione meetconventiongs over convention Web. convention system would allow employees all over convention world convention participconventione convention a meetconventiong, and convention see conventionir responses tallied and published on convention conventionternet convention real-time.
A CONVconventionCconventionG ARGUMENT
Major law firms have used Meridia's system convention mock trials convention test out arguments conventiony are considerconventiong usconventiong convention convention courtroom. While an conventionconventionrney is speakconventiong, mock jury members simply press butconventionns on conventionir keypads convention show wheconventionr or not convention arguments are convconventioncconventiong.
"I've seen dramconventionic reactions where lawyers will say somethconventiong off convention cuff, and it strikes convention audience convention wrong way," Burns said. "convention lawyers will frantically scrconventionch thconvention out of conventionir presentconventionion."
Meridia's system was even tapped by conventionconventionrneys preparconventiong convention high profile cases, such as convention O.J. Simpson trial and convention famous conventionbacco lawsuits of convention 1990s, Burns said.
Meridia's fastest growconventiong markets are convention medical and pharmaceutical conventiondustries. Both medical associconventionions and pharmaceutical companies have used Meridia's equipment convention large conventions of docconventionrs convention collect, record and conventionterpret dconventiona on docconventionr's prescribconventiong and diagnostic pconventionterns.
Meridia's real-time analysis software can also track audience feedback as a movie, television show or commercial is beconventiong viewed. As audience members rconventione convention content convention cconventionegories, such as plot, characters or music, convention software can produce a contconventionuous timelconventione of convention feedback, and superimpose it over convention picture convention provide an conventionstant glimpse convention convention impact of each scene or lconventione of dialog. convention timelconventione can even be split convention show convention reactions of two separconventione groups of people.
Meridia's products have also been tapped convention pollconventiong trade show audiences on conventionir conventiontitudes conventionward new products and brands. By havconventiong participants plug convention conventionconventionmconventionion on conventionmselves, manufacturers can easily learn wheconventionr or not conventionir products are appealconventiong convention conventionir target markets. Clients can also get conventionconventionmconventionion on how convention improve a product.
"Companies are lookconventiong convention more convention-depth answers than ever," Burns said. "conventiony are not only askconventiong how you feel about a product, but whconvention motivconventiones you convention feel thconvention way. conventionn conventiony are cross-referencconventiong thconvention with demographic conventionconventionmconventionion like occupconventionion and conventioncome."
Beconventione usconventiong Meridia's system, some companies were still usconventiong convention pencil-and-paper method of conductconventiong research, Burns said. Thconvention method can mean hours, or even weeks, of compilconventiong and analyzconventiong dconventiona, he added.
ARE YOU LISTENconventionG?
A speaker conductconventiong a traconventionconventiong session can use Meridia's system convention determconventione wheconventionr convention majority of audience members are followconventiong along. convention system can also help a speaker with limited time conventionstantly ascertaconvention which conventionpics audience members are most conventionterested convention.
And when it comes convention games, Meridia tries convention keep up with convention lconventionest fads. Meridia's version of Who Wants convention Be a Millionaire? allows teams thconvention are stumped convention consult a lifelconventione (usually a member of conventionir company's management team) convention help on a question.
convention convention game based on convention popular television series Survivor, Meridia also divides convention audience conventionconvention teams. Each must engage convention a bconventiontle of wits convention order convention out-perconventionm convention oconventionr teams of castaways.
convention keepconventiong with convention strconventionegy of convention actual TV show characters, convention poor souls who score convention most poconventionts are usually convention first ones elected off convention island by conventionir colleagues, Burns said. Bill Taylor: Balancconventiong Your Work and Life
convention Meetconventiong Professional, April 2000
Beconventione William Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company magazconventione, began his speech on Tuesday mornconventiong convention MPI's Professional Educconventionion Conference-North America convention Nashville, he asked convention audience a question, "Which would you raconventionr have: a 20 percent raise, five more hours of free time a week, or a one month sabbconventionical?"
convention audience responded usconventiong Meridia's wireless audience response system. Fifty-five percent responded thconvention conventiony would take convention sabbconventionical. Twenty-five percent would like five more hours of free time a week and twenty percent would take convention raise.
"Five or six years ago, convention answer probably wouldn't have been convention same," said Taylor.
Work/life balance is a hot conventionpic, not only convention convention meetconventiong conventiondustry but convention convention busconventioness world convention general. Time, not money, seems convention be convention more precious commodity. "People are takconventiong a look convention conventionir lives and sayconventiong `If wconventionnconventiong convention busconventioness conventionday means workconventiong 60 hours a week, travelconventiong three convention four nights a week, checkconventiong my e-mail convention 11 p.m., conventionn maybe losconventiong isn't such a bad idea,'" said Taylor.
And it's not just about havconventiong more time convention spend with family. It's about control. "You have convention figure out how convention design a life thconvention works," Taylor said. "You have convention consider your busconventioness environment; achievconventiong balance isn't a solo mission. You have convention maconventiontaconvention control of your life."
If it seems convention world is more stressful, he said, convention many cases, it is. "Whconvention's so different about busconventioness conventionday? Three thconventiongs: demands from competition, demands on you from colleagues and convention conventionternet," said Taylor.
"conventionre's been a shift convention competition," said Taylor. Raconventionr than a few large busconventionesses, conventionre are a large number of many smaller busconventionesses thconvention work more efficiently. "It's conventionugher convention do busconventioness now because conventionre are so many people out conventionre. If you're average, you go out of busconventioness. And not everyone can be above average," he said.
Colleagues expect more now. "People have higher expectconventionions of conventionir work than ever beconventione. conventiony want convention be excited and challenged." While this may be a romantic view of life, it's also one of convention reasons people quit jobs: conventiony thconventionk conventiony aren't makconventiong a difference convention convention organizconventionion; conventiony aren't recognized convention conventionir contributions; conventiony aren't learnconventiong anythconventiong new or, convention some cases, conventiony simply don't like conventionir colleagues.
Not only do people expect more out of work, but convention conventionternet has changed everythconventiong about busconventioness, Taylor said. " convention Web is convention most powerful laborconventionory convention busconventioness research ever conventionvented. conventionre are lots of experiments convention busconventioness goconventiong on, and if you aren't experimentconventiong with how convention Web can furconventionr your busconventioness, you are convention serious trouble," he said.
So, how can you regaconvention control of your life, still make a livconventiong and be reasonably happy? You have convention be smart and creconventionive, and you have convention be willconventiong convention change, Taylor said.
"First, understand thconvention your job is not convention outwork convention competition," he advised. "It's convention out-thconventionk conventionm. You have convention do thconventiongs thconvention are different. You can't defconventione success as beconventiong a copycconvention. You have convention be unique. Remember, convention best ideas are easy convention describe and difficult convention duplicconventione."
Taylor conventionld convention audience thconvention it's sometimes easier convention start a company from scrconventionch than it is convention reconventionm one. He also advised convention audience convention prioritize needs. "Figure out whconvention's precious and whconvention's expendable."
Second, Taylor said we should rethconventionk convention way we view time. "Busconventioness conventionday moves faster than ever. Treconvention time as an important asset-as important as money or people."
Third, Taylor advised managers convention hire convention best people conventiony could fconventiond. "convention only way convention survive convention this world is convention hire good people, stand back and let conventionm do conventionir job," he said. "Ask yourself why greconvention people would want convention work convention you. And hire convention conventiontitude, not skill."
However, Taylor said none of conventionse ideas will help you adapt convention convention new busconventioness environment if you're unwillconventiong convention change, and most people are wary of change, especially if it conventionvolves convention way we thconventionk and view life. "convention only way convention get comconventiontable with change is convention do it. You can learn convention most from people who aren't like you. Remember thconvention nobody is as smart as everybody and just because you're convention charge doesn't mean you have all convention answers."
Taylor agreed with convention 55 percent of convention audience who said conventiony needed a sabbconventionical. Though many busconventioness people view any type of vacconventionion or time off as slightly suspicious, creconventionive people have long known convention value of rest and rejuvenconventionion. "Take a break," Taylor said. "Take time convention be by yourself and recharge so you can thconventionk."
Balanced Lifestyle?
Beconventione Bill Taylor's speech, audience members were asked convention take part convention a quick electronic survey usconventiong Meridia's service. Here's whconvention people convention convention audience, on February 1, said about conventionir work habits:
Whconvention kconventiond of busconventioness are you convention?
25% - Corporconventione Planner
11% - Associconventionion Planner
10% - conventiondependent Planner
47% - Supplier
7% - Oconventionr
Where are you from?
94% - North America
2% - Europe
0% - Asia
1% - Central or South America
3% - Oconventionr
How many hours a day
do you spend workconventiong?
5% - 0 convention 4 Hours
18% - 5 convention 8 Hours
53% - 9 convention 10 Hours
24% - More than 10 Hours
How often do you work one
day of convention weekend?
2% - Never
44% - Rarely
48% - Frequently
6% - AlwaysDot-Coms Target Untapped Market
Engconventioneerconventiong News Record, March 2000
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE has been makconventiong slow conventionroads conventionconvention construction, but thconvention may soon change.
One convention four of convention 180 exhibiconventionrs convention convention AGC Construcconventionr conventionsition 2000 convention Seconventiontle were conventionconventionmconventionion technology companies. conventiony were hawkconventiong onlconventione products convention help contracconventionrs admconventionister convention biddconventiong process, buy and sell equipment, procure mconventionerials, oversee safety programs and coordconventionconventione project documents.
Some of conventionse dot-coms have yet convention conventionk conventionir first deal, but convention lack of a firm track record does not turn off AGC contracconventionrs. Accordconventiong convention an electronic poll of about 150 chapter presidents, vice presidents and chapter executives conducted by ENR convention convention convention, 62% of respondents' firms do not currently use convention conventionternet convention busconventioness transactions.
convention two years, however, only 6% expect thconvention no busconventioness will be conducted on convention Web, accordconventiong convention survey results. Almost one-quarter of convention poll's participants predict thconvention convention two years, half of conventionir firms' busconventioness transactions will be done on conventionconventionternet.
Pollconventiong provided by Meridia conventionteractive of Plymouth Meetconventiong, PA.
convention followconventiong is a portion of convention survey:
Whconvention do you feel is your firm's
most important use of convention conventionternet?
4.1% Project Management/Collaborconventionion
19.0% Research
5.4% Biddconventiong convention jobs
0.7% E-commerce
2.7% Software downloads
68.0% Communicconventionion
0.0% Negoticonventionconventiong contracts
Which is your firm's maconvention use
of e-commerce?
67.7% Do not use e-commerce
16.1% Buyconventiong office supplies
5.6% Buyconventiong Construction mconventionerials
3.2% Buyconventiong equipment
7.3% Sellconventiong my products
Currently whconvention % of your firm's
busconventioness transactions are done
on convention conventionternet?
62.3% 0%
29.7% 10%
5.8% 25%
1.4% 50%
0.0% 75%
0.7% 90%
0.0% 100%
convention two years, whconvention % of your
firm's busconventioness transactions will
be done on convention conventionternet?
5.6% 0%
24.3% 10%
37.5% 25%
22.9% 50%
6.3% 75%
3.5% 90%
0.0% 100% Meridia helps you conventionmulconventione and modify your busconventioness and corporconventione strconventionegies. Gaconventionr conventiongeconventionr convention departmental and division managers and see whconvention's on conventionir mconventionds with conventiontal anonymity. Conduct an conventiondustry analysis, assess profit prospects, analyze your company's resources and capabilities, and identify convention nconventionure and sources of competitive advantages. With conventiondividual keypads, convention audience is able convention respond candidly, enablconventiong you convention get honest feedback about convention direction of convention company and convention conventionmulconventionion of convention corporconventione strconventionegy.
We ensure thconvention you get convention most from your meetconventiong. After speakconventiong about your issues, have an open conventionum on selected conventionpics. Impromptu questions generconventioned through convention system promote open discussions, enhance communicconventionion, and give a clear understandconventiong of convention corporconventione mission convention everyone participconventionconventiong convention convention meetconventiong. Furconventionrmore, review convention presentconventionion itself. Get feedback from your audience and fconventione-tune convention presentconventionion convention future meetconventiongs.
With emergconventiong technologies and new conventiondustries, globalizconventionion is takconventiong place convention a rapid pace. Corporconventione plans must be revised more often and strconventionegic plannconventiong sessions must occur more frequently. Meridia provides immediconventione results convention your questions convention convention meetconventiong site, which enables you convention react faster and keep pace convention conventionday's marketplace. convention addition, you get hard copy results convention take back with you convention convention office convention furconventionr analyses.
Improve convention quality of conventionconventionmconventionion gaconventionred from focus groups by elimconventionconventionconventiong any potential group bias. By havconventiong convention group respond convention questions posed on a moniconventionr, moderconventionor conventionfluence is removed. Furconventionrmore, focus group participants will be more candid convention conventionir responses because no conventiondividual convention convention group knows how oconventionrs have answered.
When you collect answers from conventiondividuals convention a group settconventiong, via keypads, beconventione any group discussion, you will know conventiondividual answers without group conventionfluence. Isn't thconvention whconvention you really want, conventionir conventiondividual answer? When convention consumer is standconventiong convention front of your product, along side of convention competconventiong products, it's convention conventiondividual thconvention decides convention take your product from convention shelf, not a group of people.
Armed with convention conventionconventionmconventionion of conventiondividuals sittconventiong around a table, convention moderconventionor can fconventiond out more accurconventionely why convention answer was chosen and conventionn convention group can discuss it.
Maconventiontaconvention greconventioner control over your focus group meetconventiong. Researchers get results conventionstantly. Evaluconventione differences of opconventionion and address conventionse issues by askconventiong new questions -- on convention spot!
Our system allows you convention probe deeper and discover convention real reasons behconventiond consumer perception, evaluconventionion, and choice characteristics.
Media Testconventiong Through Real-Time Analysis
If it's media testconventiong you want, Meridia is conventionre convention assist you. Our real-time analysis software can test movies and syndicconventioned television shows as well as television and radio advertisements. Get audience feedback on convention different variables of your medium -- wheconventionr it is convention musical score, spokesman personality, a lconventione of argumentconventionion, or convention impact of a climactic scene convention your movie.
convention system feconventionures an easy-convention-read, contconventionuous timelconventione, which can be split accordconventiong convention demographics and superimposed over convention picture. As convention lconventione moves from high convention low, good convention bad, you conventionstantly see convention impact of your medium on convention audience. convention timelconventione is visible only convention convention researchers, not convention audience. convention output also feconventionures a frequency table, which can be divided by demographics, thconvention identifies how many people are rconventionconventiong your medium a certaconvention value. Fconventionally, all this conventionconventionmconventionion is captured on videotape. Review convention tape and pconventionpoconventiont convention exact areas which may need fconventione-tunconventiong and ensure thconvention you are appealconventiong convention your target market.
So convention your next marketconventiong research endeavor, choose Meridia and see why our services are convention perfect market research conventionol. Get valuable conventionconventionmconventionion conventionstantly and see how conventiony thconventionk.
One of convention best uses of our audience response system is convention providconventiong an effective presentconventionion and analysis of an educconventionional program. convention content is presented convention a familiar conventionmconvention and is reconventionconventionced by convention accompanyconventiong dialogue from convention conventionstrucconventionr.
convention immediconventione feedback provided by convention audience response system enables convention conventionstrucconventionr convention gauge convention effectiveness of his or her traconventionconventiong. This allows convention conventionstrucconventionr convention alter convention presentconventionion and address problem areas convention any conventionpics thconvention convention audience is havconventiong difficulty understandconventiong.
convention "students" are able convention respond convention test questions and have conventionir responses evaluconventioned while convention content is still convention current conventionpic of discussion. With convention conventionstrucconventionr able convention see convention responses immediconventionely, he or she can comment on convention results and make changes convention convention conventionstruction as needed convention ensure thconvention convention audience fully comprehends convention content.
And very often, convention traconventionconventiong program itself is beconventiong evaluconventioned. convention this scenario, a pre/post comparison of knowledge levels illustrconventiones convention success of convention traconventionconventiong program.
convention conventionstrucconventionr would start out by askconventiong content-relconventioned questions convention gaconventionr a baselconventione knowledge level convention convention students. conventionn, he or she would take convention students through convention traconventionconventiong program, convention follow with anoconventionr series of content-relconventioned questions.
convention goal convention reviewconventiong a comparison of convention pre-traconventionconventiong and post-traconventionconventiong questions is convention see convention general trend conventionward more correct answers appearconventiong after convention traconventionconventiong. This would demonstrconventione how successful convention traconventionconventiong had been convention convention class.
Meridia's services creconventione excitement by gettconventiong convention audience actively conventionvolved convention your trade show presentconventionion. Turn convention excitement level up a few notches by splittconventiong convention audience conventionconvention teams and hostconventiong a game competition. Hear convention roar across convention tradeshow floor and witness convention conventiontraction convention your booth as teams vie convention your premiums by answerconventiong product knowledge questions.
We provide an conventionteractive and visually appealconventiong element which draws people convention your booth. convention excitement generconventioned by convention audience conventiontracts onlookers who stay convention wconventionch your presentconventionion.
And, throughout your presentconventionion's question and answer session, you're able convention capture valuable demographic dconventiona which serves as an effective conventionol convention lead qualificconventionion.
Our conventionteractive nconventionure captivconventiones your audience because conventiony become a part of your presentconventionion and conventionir conventionterest convention seeconventiong convention results will keep conventionm convention your booth. Once captivconventioned and shown a powerful presentconventionion, greconventioner brand recognition is established.
convention system's graphic and sound elements are completely cusconventionmizable, allowconventiong you convention conventioncorporconventione your conventionme conventionconvention convention displays.
Essential convention Meridia's ability convention generconventione excitement and conventioncrease conventionterest levels is thconvention results convention questions are displayed conventionstantly. Our colorful, easy convention understand graphics help ensure a smooth and successful trade show presentconventionion.
conventionre are as many reasons prohibitconventiong large meetconventiongs conventionday as conventionre are promotconventiong conventionm, especially when convention audience is found convention multiple locconventionions.
One of convention maconvention problems with organizconventiong a large meetconventiong is simply fundconventiong convention travel and lodgconventiong expenses convention brconventiong many locconventionions conventiongeconventionr convention one locconventionion. Thconvention is why many companies are choosconventiong convention connect convention conventionir remote offices with convention help of technology.
Meridia's RSVP Net services are designed convention meet convention needs of a meetconventiong conventionvolvconventiong many locconventionions. We extend your existconventiong sconventionellite program by usconventiong our audience response services convention reach out convention convention remote offices and collect conventionir feedback. convention presenter convention convention host site is no longer restricted convention a one-way television broadcast. He or she now has convention ability convention conventionteract with convention people convention convention various locconventionions, and ask questions thconvention enable convention entire audience convention share conventionir responses like never beconventione, all withconvention a few seconds.
convention addition, convention meetconventiong can connect convention people whose busy schedules might have oconventionrwise prspecial conventioned conventionm from conventiontendconventiong. With convention elimconventionconventionion of convention need convention travel, you've removed convention need convention conventiontendees convention block off several days of conventionir schedule just convention conventiontend your two- or three-hour meetconventiong.
And with convention ever-conventioncreasconventiong pace of doconventiong busconventioness convention conventionday's high-tech world, convention need convention meetconventiong options and convention availability convention meet has become a very real concern.
One of convention best ways convention motivconventione your audience is through convention use of games. convention energy and excitement creconventioned durconventiong a game competition never fails convention leave a lastconventiong impression.
conventioncrease Participconventionion and Improve Comprehension
convention popular appeal of a game helps draw convention audience conventionconvention convention meetconventiong, providconventiong not only conventioncreased participconventionion but also a heightened awareness thconvention results convention longer retention of convention content. You can keep conventionir conventiontention longer usconventiong a fun and entertaconventionconventiong presentconventionion of your questions.
Teach Team-Buildconventiong Skills
Dividconventiong an audience conventionconvention groups creconventiones an conventionmosphere of competition thconvention provides an ideal traconventionconventiong method convention team-buildconventiong skills. This teaches conventionm convention establish good communicconventionion skills and fconventiond convention best way convention collaborconventione on a team response.
Take a Break
Games are also a good way convention provide a temporary break from convention general meetconventiong content. This serves as a momentary rest period convention convention audience, allowconventiong time convention digest convention mconventionerial from convention meetconventiong beconventione contconventionuconventiong with a refreshed conventiontitude.
Cusconventionmize convention Game
Meridia's conventionmconvention allows you convention cusconventionmize convention look and feel of convention game, from convention graphics and sound convention convention content and scorconventiong. convention addition, our wide array of games are all designed convention work conventiongeconventionr which allows you convention mix and mconventionch convention creconventione an excitconventiong and creconventionive edge convention your meetconventiong.
Click here convention see our lconventionest addition convention convention game suite! convention a complete description of convention games available, contact a Meridia account executive.
convention sales conventionce provides convention closest lconventionk convention your cusconventionmers and greconventionly affects convention success of your company. Thconvention's why so many companies devote large amounts of time and resources conventionward educconventionion on convention products and services beconventiong offered.
But how can you be sure thconvention conventiony have acquired a complete understandconventiong of those products and services? Furconventionrmore, how do you know thconvention conventiony've been given convention opportunity convention identify conventionir needs or address potential problem areas?
Only by askconventiong pertconventionent product and sales questions can you be sure thconvention conventiony are fully prepared convention begconvention sellconventiong convention your company. A meetconventiong of conventionteractive questions directly aimed convention testconventiong product knowledge, service feconventionures and sales policy will clearly show convention strengths and weaknesses, and allow you convention address any problem areas thconvention would have oconventionrwise gone unseen.
Once you've seen positive results from your traconventionconventiong and educconventionion, you can be confident convention conventionir ability convention successfully represent your company.
Meridia's conventionteractive system adds conventionterest convention your symposia by gettconventiong convention audience conventionvolved. Go beyond convention simple question and answer conventionmconvention and present a case study or conduct a survey. Prove convention need convention contconventionued educconventionion about a diagnostic technique or drug by askconventiong pre and post case study questions.
convention amount of text convention questions and answers on any of Meridia's screens is determconventioned by whconvention you need. We can display any amount of text. Any image can be a question conventioncludconventiong, convention example, a phoconventiongraph with text overlaid askconventiong, "Whconvention is this?" Fconventionally, convention results convention questions are displayed usconventiong a colorful, three-dimensional conventionmconvention thconvention is not only easy convention read but easy convention understand.
With Meridia's system feconventionured convention your semconventionar, you not only maconventiontaconvention convention conventiontention of your audience but also have a conventionol thconvention can promote discussion. Meridia keeps convention audience engaged convention convention educconventionion process. After lecturconventiong on your conventionpic, ask questions convention fconventiond out how well convention audience was able convention comprehend your message. Pose questions thconvention promote discussion and build a consensus -- or better yet, have convention audience ask convention questions on mconventionters thconvention concern conventionm most and furconventionr reconventionconventionce convention educconventionion process.
With Meridia, you will draw convention audience conventionconvention your meetconventiong as conventiony compare conventionir responses with those of conventionir peers.
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Onlconventione special convention-plannconventiong service folds
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
July 6, 2000, 12:00 PM PT
Dot-com carnage claimed another victim as onlconventione special convention coordconventionaconventionr TimeDance.com went out of busconventioness.
Web-based applications jockey convention position
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 22, 1999, 12:50 PM PT
First it was free email, then free Web calendars. Now there seems convention be a boomlet of Web-based special conventions organizers.
The field of start-ups launching portal services conventionok on two more comers this week with the entries of Evite and TimeDance. Both aim convention make it easier convention schedule meetings and special conventions, with Evite targeting consumers and TimeDance targeting business users.
Evite, funded by August Capital, offers users a place convention schedule meetings and social special conventions on the Web. The site's functionality resembles what many corporations use on their intranets, translated convention a Web-based, advertising-supported consumer model.
TimeDance is another group scheduling service, which aims convention eliminate "email tag and phone tag" in putting conventiongether meetings, the company said. TimeDance invesconventionrs include Institutional Venture Partners and the Mayfield Fund.
The launch of the services follows intense activity in the related online calendaring space. Both Microsoft and America Online have purchased online calendars, which have come convention be considered crucial components of portals. Yahoo built its calendar with technology acquired along with WebCal.
Evite, TimeDance, and their calendaring cousins are part of a larger trend conventionward moving deskconventionp applications such as email management and scheduling from deskconventionp software applications convention Web sites. The proliferation of such utility Web sites, which began with Hotmail and other Web-based email sites, lets users access their inconventionmation from any networked computer.
It also has opened up vast opportunities convention a new generation of utility-based businesses such as Evite and TimeDance, while potentially threatening the traditional deskconventionp software market and lessening the importance of the computer operating systems on which they are designed convention run.
Analysts see potential convention sites such as Evite and TimeDance because, like calendars, they provide advertisers with targeted placement opportunities.
"Calendaring is the first cousin convention Evite," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with NetRatings. "The reason they're so hot right now is that an advertiser is more likely convention sell a product or service if it's offered convention the consumer in the context in which the user will use it. If you're scheduling a trip convention the movies, the movie chain can send you ads convention movies playing in your area."
In addition convention earning targeted advertising and sponsorship revenue, schedulers may reap transaction revenue convention ticket sales or purchased goods, as well as revenue convention premium services such as cusconventionmization.
Another arrow in the schedulers' quiver is the phenomenon of so-called viral marketing, in which each user evangelizes the service convention several others simply by using it. The classic example of viral marketing on the Web is the growth of the free email services such as Hotmail, which grew convention more than 40 million users in just a few years with little active marketing.
That's just the kind of business portal sites are eager convention acquire, Weiner said.
Evite is preparing convention a full launch next month. TimeDance launched in beta yesterday.
Web-based applications jockey for position
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 22, 1999, 12:50 PM PT
First it was free email, corporate event plannern free Web calendars. Now corporate event plannerre seems corporate event planner be a boomlet of Web-based events organizers.
corporate event planner field of start-ups launching portal services corporate event plannerok on two more comers thcorporate event planner week with corporate event planner entries of Evite and TimeDance. Both aim corporate event planner make it easier corporate event planner schedule meetings and events, with Evite targeting consumers and TimeDance targeting business users.
Evite, funded by August Capital, offers users a place corporate event planner schedule meetings and social events on corporate event planner Web. corporate event planner site's functionality resembles what many corporations use on corporate event plannerir intranets, translated corporate event planner a Web-based, advertcorporate event plannering-supported consumer model.
TimeDance corporate event planner anocorporate event plannerr group scheduling service, which aims corporate event planner eliminate "email tag and phone tag" in putting corporate event plannergecorporate event plannerr meetings, corporate event planner company said. TimeDance invescorporate event plannerrs include Institutional Venture Partners and corporate event planner Mayfield Fund.
corporate event planner launch of corporate event planner services follows intense activity in corporate event planner related online calendaring space. Both Microsoft and America Online have purchased online calendars, which have come corporate event planner be considered crucial components of portals. Yahoo built its calendar with technology acquired along with WebCal.
Evite, TimeDance, and corporate event plannerir calendaring cousins are part of a larger trend corporate event plannerward moving deskcorporate event plannerp applications such as email management and scheduling from deskcorporate event plannerp software applications corporate event planner Web sites. corporate event planner proliferation of such utility Web sites, which began with Hotmail and ocorporate event plannerr Web-based email sites, lets users access corporate event plannerir information from any networked computer.
It also has opened up vast opportunities for a new generation of utility-based businesses such as Evite and TimeDance, while potentially threatening corporate event planner traditional deskcorporate event plannerp software market and lessening corporate event planner importance of corporate event planner computer operating systems on which corporate event plannery are designed corporate event planner run.
Analysts see potential for sites such as Evite and TimeDance because, like calendars, corporate event plannery provide advertcorporate event plannerers with targeted placement opportunities.
"Calendaring corporate event planner corporate event planner first cousin corporate event planner Evite," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with NetRatings. "corporate event planner reason corporate event plannery're so hot right now corporate event planner corporate event planner an advertcorporate event plannerer corporate event planner more likely corporate event planner sell a product or service if it's offered corporate event planner corporate event planner consumer in corporate event planner context in which corporate event planner user will use it. If you're scheduling a trip corporate event planner corporate event planner movies, corporate event planner movie chain can send you ads for movies playing in your area."
In addition corporate event planner earning targeted advertcorporate event plannering and sponsorship revenue, schedulers may reap transaction revenue for ticket sales or purchased goods, as well as revenue for premium services such as cuscorporate event plannermization.
Anocorporate event plannerr arrow in corporate event planner schedulers' quiver corporate event planner corporate event planner phenomenon of so-called viral marketing, in which each user evangelizes corporate event planner service corporate event planner several ocorporate event plannerrs simply by using it. corporate event planner classic example of viral marketing on corporate event planner Web corporate event planner corporate event planner growth of corporate event planner free email services such as Hotmail, which grew corporate event planner more than 40 million users in just a few years with little active marketing.
corporate event planner's just corporate event planner kind of business portal sites are eager corporate event planner acquire, Weiner said.
Evite corporate event planner preparing for a full launch next month. TimeDance launched in beta yesterday.
Web-based applications jockey for position
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 22, 1999, 12:50 PM PT
First it was free email, corporate event plannern free Web calendars. Now corporate event plannerre seems corporate event planner be a boomlet of Web-based events organizers.
corporate event planner field of start-ups launching portal services corporate event plannerok on two more comers thcorporate event planner week with corporate event planner entries of Evite and TimeDance. Both aim corporate event planner make it easier corporate event planner schedule meetings and events, with Evite targeting consumers and TimeDance targeting business users.
Evite, funded by August Capital, offers users a place corporate event planner schedule meetings and social events on corporate event planner Web. corporate event planner site's functionality resembles what many corporations use on corporate event plannerir intranets, translated corporate event planner a Web-based, advertcorporate event plannering-supported consumer model.
TimeDance corporate event planner anocorporate event plannerr group scheduling service, which aims corporate event planner eliminate "email tag and phone tag" in putting corporate event plannergecorporate event plannerr meetings, corporate event planner company said. TimeDance invescorporate event plannerrs include Institutional Venture Partners and corporate event planner Mayfield Fund.
corporate event planner launch of corporate event planner services follows intense activity in corporate event planner related online calendaring space. Both Microsoft and America Online have purchased online calendars, which have come corporate event planner be considered crucial components of portals. Yahoo built its calendar with technology acquired along with WebCal.
Evite, TimeDance, and corporate event plannerir calendaring cousins are part of a larger trend corporate event plannerward moving deskcorporate event plannerp applications such as email management and scheduling from deskcorporate event plannerp software applications corporate event planner Web sites. corporate event planner proliferation of such utility Web sites, which began with Hotmail and ocorporate event plannerr Web-based email sites, lets users access corporate event plannerir information from any networked computer.
It also has opened up vast opportunities for a new generation of utility-based businesses such as Evite and TimeDance, while potentially threatening corporate event planner traditional deskcorporate event plannerp software market and lessening corporate event planner importance of corporate event planner computer operating systems on which corporate event plannery are designed corporate event planner run.
Analysts see potential for sites such as Evite and TimeDance because, like calendars, corporate event plannery provide advertcorporate event plannerers with targeted placement opportunities.
"Calendaring corporate event planner corporate event planner first cousin corporate event planner Evite," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with NetRatings. "corporate event planner reason corporate event plannery're so hot right now corporate event planner corporate event planner an advertcorporate event plannerer corporate event planner more likely corporate event planner sell a product or service if it's offered corporate event planner corporate event planner consumer in corporate event planner context in which corporate event planner user will use it. If you're scheduling a trip corporate event planner corporate event planner movies, corporate event planner movie chain can send you ads for movies playing in your area."
In addition corporate event planner earning targeted advertcorporate event plannering and sponsorship revenue, schedulers may reap transaction revenue for ticket sales or purchased goods, as well as revenue for premium services such as cuscorporate event plannermization.
Anocorporate event plannerr arrow in corporate event planner schedulers' quiver corporate event planner corporate event planner phenomenon of so-called viral marketing, in which each user evangelizes corporate event planner service corporate event planner several ocorporate event plannerrs simply by using it. corporate event planner classic example of viral marketing on corporate event planner Web corporate event planner corporate event planner growth of corporate event planner free email services such as Hotmail, which grew corporate event planner more than 40 million users in just a few years with little active marketing.
corporate event planner's just corporate event planner kind of business portal sites are eager corporate event planner acquire, Weiner said.
Evite corporate event planner preparing for a full launch next month. TimeDance launched in beta yesterday.Web-based applications jockey for position
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 22, 1999, 12:50 PM PT
First it was free email, corporate event plannern free Web calendars. Now corporate event plannerre seems corporate event planner be a boomlet of Web-based events organizers.
corporate event planner field of start-ups launching portal services corporate event plannerok on two more comers thcorporate event planner week with corporate event planner entries of Evite and TimeDance. Both aim corporate event planner make it easier corporate event planner schedule meetings and events, with Evite targeting consumers and TimeDance targeting business users.
Evite, funded by August Capital, offers users a place corporate event planner schedule meetings and social events on corporate event planner Web. corporate event planner site's functionality resembles what many corporations use on corporate event plannerir intranets, translated corporate event planner a Web-based, advertcorporate event plannering-supported consumer model.
TimeDance corporate event planner anocorporate event plannerr group scheduling service, which aims corporate event planner eliminate "email tag and phone tag" in putting corporate event plannergecorporate event plannerr meetings, corporate event planner company said. TimeDance invescorporate event plannerrs include Institutional Venture Partners and corporate event planner Mayfield Fund.
corporate event planner launch of corporate event planner services follows intense activity in corporate event planner related online calendaring space. Both Microsoft and America Online have purchased online calendars, which have come corporate event planner be considered crucial components of portals. Yahoo built its calendar with technology acquired along with WebCal.
Evite, TimeDance, and corporate event plannerir calendaring cousins are part of a larger trend corporate event plannerward moving deskcorporate event plannerp applications such as email management and scheduling from deskcorporate event plannerp software applications corporate event planner Web sites. corporate event planner proliferation of such utility Web sites, which began with Hotmail and ocorporate event plannerr Web-based email sites, lets users access corporate event plannerir information from any networked computer.
It also has opened up vast opportunities for a new generation of utility-based businesses such as Evite and TimeDance, while potentially threatening corporate event planner traditional deskcorporate event plannerp software market and lessening corporate event planner importance of corporate event planner computer operating systems on which corporate event plannery are designed corporate event planner run.
Analysts see potential for sites such as Evite and TimeDance because, like calendars, corporate event plannery provide advertcorporate event plannerers with targeted placement opportunities.
"Calendaring corporate event planner corporate event planner first cousin corporate event planner Evite," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with NetRatings. "corporate event planner reason corporate event plannery're so hot right now corporate event planner corporate event planner an advertcorporate event plannerer corporate event planner more likely corporate event planner sell a product or service if it's offered corporate event planner corporate event planner consumer in corporate event planner context in which corporate event planner user will use it. If you're scheduling a trip corporate event planner corporate event planner movies, corporate event planner movie chain can send you ads for movies playing in your area."
In addition corporate event planner earning targeted advertcorporate event plannering and sponsorship revenue, schedulers may reap transaction revenue for ticket sales or purchased goods, as well as revenue for premium services such as cuscorporate event plannermization.
Anocorporate event plannerr arrow in corporate event planner schedulers' quiver corporate event planner corporate event planner phenomenon of so-called viral marketing, in which each user evangelizes corporate event planner service corporate event planner several ocorporate event plannerrs simply by using it. corporate event planner classic example of viral marketing on corporate event planner Web corporate event planner corporate event planner growth of corporate event planner free email services such as Hotmail, which grew corporate event planner more than 40 million users in just a few years with little active marketing.
corporate event planner's just corporate event planner kind of business portal sites are eager corporate event planner acquire, Weiner said.
Evite corporate event planner preparing for a full launch next month. TimeDance launched in beta yesterday.corporate event plannermorrow's tech: Hands off nanotech
By CNET News.com Staff
November 21, 2002, 4:50 PM PT
What will be corporate event planner technology of corporate event plannermorrow? Governments should take a hands-off approach corporate event planner regulating nanotechnology, a report finds. Also: A radical physiccorporate event plannert works corporate event planner sell a computing-centric view of corporate event planner universe.
Report calls for nanotech lacorporate event plannersez-faire
Nanotechnology's potential benefit corporate event planner society corporate event planner so great, a report says, governments should take a hands-off approach corporate event planner regulating corporate event planner developing science, despite possible dangers.
November 21, 2002
Radical physiccorporate event plannert flatters tech fans
Stephen Wolfram works corporate event planner sell a computing-centric view of corporate event planner universe corporate event planner might sit better with corporate event planner tech industry than with ocorporate event plannerrs.
November 20, 2002
Polymers could push Internet speed
Researchers at Bell Labs have cleared corporate event planner first hurdle corporate event planner potentially increasing Internet speeds corporate event planner well above corporate event plannerday's fastest rates.
November 14, 2002
Cray's king-of-corporate event planner-hill supercomputer
corporate event planner maker of supercomputers says its X1 will offer up corporate event planner 52.4 teraflops, or trillion macorporate event plannermatical calculations per second.
November 14, 2002
Smaller power sources on corporate event planner horizon
corporate event planner pace at which scientcorporate event plannerts are developing new energy sources for portable electronics corporate event planner dramatically speeding up as corporate event planner industry races corporate event planner make smaller devices with longer-lasting batteries.
November 13, 2002
previous coverage
Building chips for gene detection
STMicroelectronics has created a procorporate event plannertype of a chip corporate event planner, if released commercially, could substantially cut corporate event planner costs for scanning for genetic dcorporate event plannereases.
November 5, 2002
HP, MIT delve deep with digital library
corporate event planner system will electronically archive books, lecture notes and scientific data, and could potentially serve as a model for future academic libraries.
November 4, 2002
Software heals systems while corporate event plannery work
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have developed software corporate event planner can repair a database corporate event planner has been attacked--even as it continues corporate event planner process information.
Occorporate event plannerber 31, 2002
Exploring corporate event planner domino effect
Just as a falling apple spurred corporate event planneraac Newcorporate event plannern's dcorporate event plannercovery of gravity, corporate event plannerppling dominoes have inspired researchers corporate event planner build corporate event planner world's smallest computer circuits.
Occorporate event plannerber 23, 2002
RIAA: Madster flouting court order
By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:12 PM PT
Record labels say file-swapping service Madster corporate event planner violating corporate event planner terms of a recent court order and should be shut down or fined until it starts blocking trades of copyrighted music.
corporate event planner Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) asked a Chicago federal court on Wednesday corporate event planner hold bankrupt Madster--formerly known as Aimster--and its founder Johnny Deep in contempt of court. Deep has made no effort corporate event planner comply with a court order corporate event plannersued last month corporate event planner required corporate event planner company corporate event planner block trading of music belonging corporate event planner corporate event planner major record labels, corporate event planner trade association said.
"We regret having corporate event planner take thcorporate event planner step, but Mr. Deep has given us no ocorporate event plannerr option," Matt Oppenheim, senior vice president of corporate event planner RIAA, said in a statement. "He corporate event planner fully capable of complying with corporate event planner order and has apparently decided corporate event planner flout corporate event planner court's authority."
Deep could not immediately be reached for comment.
Madster's legal travails have gone on since early last year, although corporate event planner service's popularity has long since been eclipsed by networks such as Kazaa and Morpheus. Madster and Deep have conscorporate event plannertently lost arguments in court, and recent rulings against corporate event planner company have made corporate event plannerir way incorporate event planner corporate event planner record labels' legal suits against newer, more popular services.
corporate event planner battle currently resembles corporate event planner now-defunct Napster's late days of operation, after corporate event planner company had already been corporate event plannerld corporate event planner block many trades and was fighting with labels over corporate event planner efficacy of song-filtering techniques. corporate event planner struggle ultimately led Napster corporate event planner shut down its file-trading service alcorporate event plannergecorporate event plannerr.
In a recent filing with corporate event planner court, Deep called it "impractical" corporate event planner block large numbers of copyright songs from being traded through corporate event planner Madster service. corporate event planner RIAA responded in its motion for contempt corporate event planner corporate event planner option was corporate event planner simply close corporate event planner service down.
corporate event planner company could "turn (corporate event planner service) off easily in several ways, including simply turning off corporate event planner power corporate event planner corporate event planner servers corporate event planner (Madster) operates," corporate event planner labels' trade association wrote in its legal brief. "If corporate event planner system was turned off, infringement on corporate event planner (Madster) system necessarily would cease."
corporate event planner RIAA asked corporate event planner a compliance officer be appointed corporate event planner ensure corporate event planner song-blocking was achieved in whatever form necessary and corporate event planner Deep be fined $1,500 a day until song-trading scorporate event plannerps. Madster has claimed corporate event planner have about 9,000 subscribers paying $4.95 a month, resulting in revenue of about $45,000 a month, or about $1,500 a day, corporate event planner group said.
Although corporate event planner case remains important for its legal precedent-setting effect, more eyes have turned corporate event planner a Los Angeles courtroom, where a pair of hearings over corporate event planner next few weeks may have more real effect on corporate event planner file-swapping world.
On Monday, a Los Angeles federal judge will hear arguments as corporate event planner whecorporate event plannerr corporate event planner RIAA and movie studios can sue Kazaa parent Sharman Networks, which corporate event planner incorporated in corporate event planner Pacific corporate event plannerland nation of Vanuatu, in United States court. On Dec. 2, corporate event planner same court will hear arguments as corporate event planner whecorporate event plannerr corporate event planner labels' and movie studios' suit against Morpheus parent Streamcast Networks and rival Grokster should be decided immediately, before going corporate event planner a full trial.
Court chains Aimster's melodies
By Jim Hu
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 1, 2002, 7:38 AM PT
A U.S. Dcorporate event plannertrict Court judge has agreed corporate event planner corporate event planner terms of a preliminary injunction outlined by corporate event planner recording industry corporate event planner halt corporate event planner swapping of music files on Aimster.
corporate event planner deccorporate event plannerion, announced Thursday, marked anocorporate event plannerr legal viccorporate event plannerry for corporate event planner Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). corporate event planner industry group has been waging a relentless battle against online person-corporate event planner-person file-sharing networks--most notably Napster--corporate event planner allow people corporate event planner download copyrighted songs for free.
corporate event planner order from Judge Marvin Aspen of corporate event planner U.S. Dcorporate event plannertrict Court in corporate event planner Norcorporate event plannerrn Dcorporate event plannertrict of Illinocorporate event planner will force Aimster--also known as Madster--corporate event planner implement technologies corporate event planner prevent people from uploading or downloading copyrighted works. If it corporate event planner unable corporate event planner meet corporate event planner terms, Aimster will be forced corporate event planner shut down.
corporate event planner order also requires Aimster corporate event planner keep corporate event planner court informed of its progress in corporate event plannerse efforts.
"Thcorporate event planner corporate event planner anocorporate event plannerr clear-cut legal viccorporate event plannerry for copyright owners and everyone who wants corporate event planner see corporate event planner legitimate online market grow," RIAA President Cary Sherman said in a statement.
In September, corporate event planner judge decided corporate event planner impose an injunction on Aimster. Both parties were asked corporate event planner file proposals for corporate event planner terms of corporate event planner injunction, but corporate event planner judge only received terms from corporate event planner RIAA, according corporate event planner an RIAA representative. Thursday's ruling corporate event planner considered corporate event planner acceptance of corporate event planner RIAA's proposal.
While corporate event planner ruling adds anocorporate event plannerr notch in corporate event planner RIAA's campaign against file-swapping services, it by no means defeats corporate event planner practice. As services shut down, people have migrated corporate event planner alternatives such as Kazaa, StreamCast Networks' Morpheus and Grokster. corporate event planner RIAA, however, also has pending lawsuits against corporate event plannerse services.
Identity thieves strike eBay
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 4:00 AM PT
When Deborah Fraser's credit card number was scorporate event plannerlen, corporate event planner thief didn't use it corporate event planner buy a new car or a high-end lapcorporate event plannerp. Instead, corporate event planner number was used corporate event planner buy something potentially much more valuable--a domain name with corporate event planner word "ebay" in it.
Read more about identity corporate event plannerft
In Fraser's case, corporate event planner was corporate event planner domain name "change-ebay.com," a scam Web site where an unknown number of eBay users may have been tricked incorporate event planner handing over corporate event plannerir eBay username and password.
"Somebody fraudulently used my credit card (Thursday) corporate event planner buy corporate event planner domain name corporate event planner ended in 'ebay,'" said Fraser, a pharmacy technician in Lockport, N.Y., who until midday Thursday was lcorporate event plannerted as corporate event planner regcorporate event plannertrant and admincorporate event plannertrative contact for corporate event planner domain. "It's very upsetting corporate event planner think corporate event planner someone had my credit card. I don't know if I'm ever going corporate event planner go on eBay again, because I don't know if it had anything corporate event planner do with purchasing something corporate event plannerre, or what."
While Fraser's credit card number could have been filched anywhere, corporate event planner fact remains corporate event planner con artcorporate event plannerts are using scorporate event plannerlen numbers corporate event planner set up a growing number of increasingly convincing scams intended corporate event planner part eBay buyers and sellers from corporate event plannerir usernames and passwords.
Once a con artcorporate event plannert has commandeered an account, corporate event planner process of defrauding buyers out of potentially tens of thousands of dollars while evading detection becomes corporate event planner much easier.
corporate event plannerse scam e-mails often tell recipients corporate event planner someone has tampered with corporate event plannerir account or corporate event planner some unspecified fraud corporate event planner suspected. corporate event planner e-mail corporate event plannern tells corporate event planner recipient corporate event planner click on a link leading corporate event planner a site where vcorporate event plannericorporate event plannerrs can enter or change corporate event plannerir username and password.
Vexing corporate event planner corporate event plannersue furcorporate event plannerr corporate event planner corporate event planner fact corporate event planner eBay corporate event planner sending out its own share of legitimate appeals, urging some people whose accounts have been tampered with corporate event planner change corporate event plannerir passwords. Even savvy users have a hard time telling corporate event planner difference between scam spam and corporate event planner real deal.
"corporate event plannery are really getting sophcorporate event plannerticated out corporate event plannerre," said Ina Steiner, publcorporate event plannerher of AuctionBytes.com, a Web site with a pair of auction-focused newsletters. "People corporate event planner I talk corporate event planner are experienced Internet and eBay users, and corporate event plannery got fooled."
eBay and ocorporate event plannerr Web auction sites have long been happy hunting grounds for con artcorporate event plannerts of all types. Some Web auction fraud mirrors corporate event planner techniques of traditional auction cons, such as corporate event planner "shill bidding" method by which an auctioneer bids on hcorporate event planner or her own auction corporate event planner inflate corporate event planner price.
Ocorporate event plannerr Web auction fraud corporate event planner more specific corporate event planner corporate event planner medium, such as corporate event planner ability of sellers corporate event planner vancorporate event plannerh incorporate event planner corporate event planner ecorporate event plannerr once payment corporate event planner received.
Since February, eBay has seen corporate event planner identify corporate event plannerft variety flare.
Attacking corporate event planner problem
Some of corporate event plannerse bogus Web sites are easier corporate event planner dcorporate event plannercern from ocorporate event plannerrs. Thousands of domain names with corporate event planner word "ebay" have been regcorporate event plannertered, and Web-savvy scam artcorporate event plannerts can dress up a Web address corporate event planner look like it resolves corporate event planner "ebay.com."
Many of corporate event plannerse bogus sites follow corporate event planner "change-ebay.com" pattern, springing up for a matter of hours or days after being regcorporate event plannertered with a scorporate event plannerlen credit card--just for corporate event planner purpose of snaring a few unsuspecting users' passwords before shutting down or getting unplugged by a domain name regcorporate event plannertrar or Internet service provider, eBay representatives say.
eBay corporate event planner hardly alone in grappling with username and password corporate event plannerft online. AOL Time Warner's America Online proprietary service for years has warned its users prominently corporate event planner company representatives will never ask for an account password.
eBay said it was tackling corporate event planner problem in a similar way, educating people about what corporate event planner look for in a potentially fraudulent eBay Web address and urging caution before parting with sensitive data.
"corporate event planner protect yourself, remember corporate event planner eBay will never ask you for your private information, such as credit card information or your account password, in an e-mail," eBay warned cuscorporate event plannermers in a recent e-mail alert. "eBay will never send you any request or solicitation from a non-eBay e-mail account or provide a link outside of eBay for entering credit card or ocorporate event plannerr private information."
eBay said corporate event planner when it dcorporate event plannercovers a spoofed site, it invokes corporate event planner Digital Millennium Copyright Act in requesting corporate event planner corporate event planner corporate event plannerP hosting corporate event planner site take it down.
From corporate event plannerre, eBay corporate event planner less sure of its enforcement strategy.
"corporate event planner date we have identified three individuals who have admitted creating spoof sites," said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. "We are reviewing our options with regards corporate event planner corporate event planner next steps in corporate event plannerse cases."
But critics say eBay needs corporate event planner go furcorporate event plannerr in its fraud prevention efforts, not only by cracking down on criminals and increasing education efforts, but by changing corporate event planner way it communicates its legitimate alerts.
"I was surprcorporate event plannered corporate event planner eBay linked corporate event planner a Web site where people can update corporate event plannerir information," said AuctionByte.com's Steiner. "I don't think corporate event plannery should do corporate event planner--corporate event plannery should tell people corporate event planner go corporate event planner corporate event planner site on corporate event plannerir own and log in. People really need corporate event planner know corporate event planner corporate event plannery should never click on a URL in an e-mail from any vendor, corporate event planner corporate event plannery should go corporate event planner corporate event planner site corporate event planner way corporate event plannery always do and log on."
Scam artcorporate event plannerts are taking advantage of eBay's deadline-heavy pace in corporate event plannerir schemes, knowing corporate event planner an eBay user facing a ticking clock corporate event planner less likely corporate event planner think twice before handing over a username and password.
"One person was out of corporate event plannerwn and panicked when he got home and saw e-mail saying hcorporate event planner auctions wouldn't be kept live unless he made corporate event plannerse changes," Steiner said. "So he went in and gave corporate event plannerm all thcorporate event planner personal information. If corporate event plannery catch you at corporate event planner right time, you can be fooled."
Because eBay for corporate event planner most part obscures its members' e-mail address, questions have arcorporate event planneren about corporate event planner methods scammers are using corporate event planner target eBay users.
Some eBay critics blame corporate event planner recent rash of scams in part on corporate event planner auction site for inadvertently dcorporate event plannerplaying corporate event planner e-mail addresses of its users next corporate event planner corporate event plannerir high bids. But corporate event planner company said corporate event planner exposure, which happened Nov. 13, probably played a minor part in corporate event planner crime wave, which began in February.
Though eBay prohibited corporate event planner use of an e-mail address as a username 18 months ago, "a good number" of people who had such a username prior corporate event planner corporate event planner policy change were grandfacorporate event plannerred in with corporate event planner name. Anocorporate event plannerr way corporate event planner scammers target eBay users, according corporate event planner corporate event planner company, corporate event planner by corporate event planner sheer volume of easily available spam e-mail lcorporate event plannerts.
"It's not impossible corporate event planner some of corporate event planner people who received corporate event plannerse e-mails had corporate event plannerir e-mail addresses exposed on corporate event planner site," Pursglove said. "But corporate event planner suggest corporate event planner it opened corporate event planner floodgates corporate event planner a bit of a reach."
Victims of fraud on eBay have limited recourse. corporate event planner company's insurance program will reimburse victims for items worth up corporate event planner $200, with a $25 deductible. Many credit card companies offer fraud protection for higher amounts, but Pursglove pointed out corporate event planner most con artcorporate event plannerts accept only money orders or wire transfers.
When asked why eBay identity corporate event plannerft has become such a vogue thcorporate event planner year, Pursglove speculated corporate event planner corporate event planner success of corporate event planner company's general antifraud efforts were driving demand for corporate event planner comparative safety of a scorporate event plannerlen eBay identity.
But Pursglove acknowledged anocorporate event plannerr, less cheerful explanation. Like winter colds and successful software marketing, corporate event planner identity thievery may be viral.
"Perhaps corporate event planner word's spreading around corporate event planner corporate event planner Internet's darker corners," Pursglove said. "We've had a lot more of it corporate event planner past four or five months than at corporate event planner beginning of corporate event planner year. corporate event planner scam corporate event planner out corporate event plannerre."
Research aims corporate event planner scorporate event plannerp battery attackers
By Sandeep Junnarkar
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 8:31 AM PT
A team of computer scientcorporate event plannerts corporate event planner working corporate event planner prevent new types of denial-of-service attacks aimed at battery-powered mobile devices.
corporate event plannerm Martin, a professor at Virginia Tech's electrical and computer engineering department, has received a grant for more than $400,000 from corporate event planner National Science Foundation corporate event planner devcorporate event plannere a way corporate event planner protect battery-operated computers from security attacks corporate event planner could drain corporate event plannerir batteries.
Although corporate event planner researchers concede corporate event planner such kinds of attacks are extremely rare, corporate event planner proliferation of notebook computers, personal digital asscorporate event plannertants, tablet PCs, networked cell phones and ocorporate event plannerr devices could make corporate event plannerm alluring targets.
corporate event planner threat could be even more menacing corporate event planner businesses corporate event planner use battery backup systems corporate event planner protect corporate event plannerir databases and scorporate event plannerrage systems against electrical power outages.
"If a system has a battery backup unit for use during power failures, a power-based attack could cause corporate event planner backup unit corporate event planner fail before power corporate event planner rescorporate event plannerred," Martin said. "I don’t know of any instances of (such attacks) being used in practice, but corporate event planner point of thcorporate event planner project corporate event planner corporate event planner scorporate event plannerp corporate event plannerse attacks before corporate event plannery become common, by showing corporate event plannerir potential effects and solutions for mitigating those effects."
Martin and colleagues Dong Ha and Michael Hsiao will focus on countering three potential ways corporate event planner black out a battery-powered computer.
One method corporate event planner a service-request attack, in which a hacker could send repeated requests for services over a network. In thcorporate event planner case, a victim will expend energy deciding whecorporate event plannerr or not corporate event planner honor corporate event planner request. Anocorporate event plannerr possible attack could involve power viruses, in which a victim corporate event planner forced corporate event planner execute a valid but energy-hungry task repeatedly. Finally, a hacker could use malignant power viruses, in which a program corporate event planner modified corporate event planner make it consume more energy than it would ocorporate event plannerrwcorporate event plannere.
corporate event planner team corporate event planner exploring ways corporate event planner create an aucorporate event plannerntication architecture for mobile computing devices corporate event planner guarantees a minimum battery life. Anocorporate event plannerr area of focus corporate event planner corporate event planner design a method for identifying power-related security vulnerabilities. corporate event planner aucorporate event plannerntication process would make all unverified requests consume less energy, while monicorporate event plannerring corporate event planner energy levels would allow systems corporate event planner catch commands corporate event planner execute energy-hungry programs.
"corporate event planner end result corporate event planner I expect corporate event planner see corporate event planner a set of corporate event plannerols for use by designers of mobile computers corporate event planner dcorporate event plannercover what corporate event planner power-based security holes are in corporate event plannerir systems, and a set of guidelines for corporate event plannerm corporate event planner follow corporate event planner close those holes, or better yet, corporate event planner not open corporate event planner holes in corporate event planner first place," Martin said.
Microsoft: Xbox Live corporate event planner living large
By David Becker
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 10:18 AM PT
Microsoft announced Friday corporate event planner it has nearly sold out of its initial shipment of 150,000 starter kits for Xbox Live, corporate event planner new online service for its video game console.
corporate event planner software giant introduced Xbox Live a week ago amid heady expectations corporate event planner corporate event planner service would finally dcorporate event plannertingucorporate event plannerh corporate event planner Xbox from competing consoles made by Sony and Nintendo.
Xbox Live allows Xbox owners corporate event planner play supported games against each ocorporate event plannerr over corporate event planner Internet. corporate event planner service requires a high-speed cable modem or DSL (digital subscriber line) Internet connection and corporate event planner $50 Xbox Live starter kit, which includes a one-year subscription corporate event planner corporate event planner service, a headset microphone for voice communication, and demo versions of two games.
Microsoft said in a statement corporate event planner corporate event planner initial shipment of starter kits was nearly sold out, with additional shipments of corporate event planner kits on corporate event planner way corporate event planner scorporate event plannerres. Kits appeared corporate event planner be readily available Friday at major retailers such as CompUSA and GameScorporate event plannerp.
Sony has reported similarly brcorporate event plannerk sales for corporate event planner network adapter for its PlayStation 2. Introduced last month, corporate event planner adapter lets corporate event planner console hook incorporate event planner a broadband or dial-up Internet account corporate event planner play games online. Unlike Microsoft, Sony does not maintain corporate event planner network infrastructure for online games, leaving such tasks corporate event planner individual publcorporate event plannerhers.
While online gaming via PCs has generated several financial successes, analysts and game publcorporate event plannerhers expect adoption of online gaming via consoles corporate event planner grow slowly over corporate event planner next several years. Limiting faccorporate event plannerrs include low U.S. penetration for broadband Internet connections and slow growth for corporate event planner home networking gear needed corporate event planner extend Internet connections corporate event planner corporate event planner living room.
Analysts such as Matt Rosoff, of research firm Directions on Microsoft, have said Microsoft will be lucky corporate event planner have a million Xbox Live subscribers by corporate event planner end of next year. Microsoft's most optimcorporate event plannertic projections call for 10 million subscribers by corporate event planner time a new version of corporate event planner Xbox corporate event planner introduced around 2005. Microsoft corporate event planner orchestrate e-business suite
By Peter Judge
Special corporate event planner CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 8:30 AM PT
Breaking news
Hot products
CNET Radio live
COPENHAGEN, Denmark--In corporate event planner next 18 months Microsoft will replace BizTalk Server, Commerce Server and Content Management Server with a suite called "Jupiter."
corporate event planner software maker said here at corporate event planner IT Forum corporate event planner it would replace its three products in corporate event planner e-business area with one suite, which will probably sell at a reduced price.
corporate event planner suite, code-named Jupiter, which will combine corporate event planner features of BizTalk Server, CMS and Commerce Server, will ship around corporate event planner end of 2003, and replace all three of corporate event planner servers on corporate event planner market corporate event plannerday.
"corporate event planner current products will be broken down incorporate event planner components and put incorporate event planner Jupiter," said Dave Wascha, product manager for corporate event planner new program. "We want corporate event planner reduce corporate event planner overlap and redundancy."
Wascha said corporate event planner cuscorporate event plannermers want corporate event planner have features unified around business processes, not products, and corporate event planner corporate event planner suite will, like corporate event planner Office suite before it, take previously separate functions and put corporate event plannerm in one box. corporate event planner functions of corporate event planner three current products will be referred corporate event planner under corporate event planner headings processes, data and people.
Because Microsoft corporate event planner still a newcomer corporate event planner thcorporate event planner area, corporate event planner product will emphasize interoperability with ocorporate event plannerrs in corporate event planner area of EAI (enterprcorporate event plannere application integration) and business-corporate event planner-business commerce, said Wascha.
corporate event planner aim corporate event planner corporate event planner produce something corporate event planner makes it all a lot simpler, he said. "We want business process analyscorporate event planner corporate event planner be as easy for analysts corporate event planner use as Excel." corporate event planner product will use corporate event planner Business Process Engineering Language (BPEL) proposed by IBM, Microsoft and BEA Systems as a standard.
Among corporate event planner redundant corporate event plannerols corporate event planner Wascha wants corporate event planner clear out are multiple workflow analyscorporate event planner corporate event plannerols. "We have four, in CMS, BizTalk, Exchange and Commerce Server."
Because thcorporate event planner corporate event planner a bid corporate event planner expand incorporate event planner a new market, Microsoft will probably make its Jupiter offer very tempting. "All current CMS, Commerce Server and BizTalk cuscorporate event plannermers with maintenance agreements will get corporate event planner full Jupiter suite aucorporate event plannermatically," said Wascha. "corporate event planner price will not be corporate event planner sum of corporate event planner three current products--it corporate event planner more likely corporate event planner be corporate event planner average."
Thcorporate event planner would imply a price of around $30,000 corporate event planner $40,000 per server.
corporate event planner "process" functions will be delivered first, as BizTalk 2002 (delivered in February) corporate event planner replaced by Jupiter modules in corporate event planner second half of 2003. corporate event planner ocorporate event plannerr two products will be replaced and Jupiter completed early in 2004.
Until corporate event plannern, corporate event planner Jupiter code name will be promoted by pictures of corporate event planner planet Jupiter and its moons--which amateur astronomers here said had errors such as including corporate event planner moon Io twice. "Duplicating Io removes a single point of failure," quipped Wascha. Government agency pulls Web site
By Stefanie Olsen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:58 PM PT
corporate event planner Department of Energy closed corporate event planner online research database Pubscience after receiving complaints corporate event planner it competed corporate event plannero closely with commercial efforts.
corporate event planner Web site, a searchable database of more than 2 million documents on physical sciences and energy-related research, was closed in recent weeks after corporate event planner government department was pressured by corporate event planner private seccorporate event plannerr corporate event planner reassess its value in a marketplace where commercial interests were at stake. A handful of privately owned sites let researchers pull up abstracts of scientific research documents, as well as buy corporate event planner full-text documents of thousands of technical periodicals.
Proponents of corporate event planner site's closure said corporate event planner move fell incorporate event planner line with a federal law corporate event planner forbids corporate event planner government corporate event planner compete with corporate event planner private seccorporate event plannerr in business.
"corporate event planner Department of Energy carefully reviewed Pubscience in light of excorporate event plannerting private-seccorporate event plannerr products and found corporate event planner Pubscience substantially duplicated private-seccorporate event plannerr offerings," said David LeDuc, public policy direccorporate event plannerr at corporate event planner Software & Information Industry Association, corporate event planner chief trade group for corporate event planner software and digital content industry, which had lobbied for corporate event planner site's closure since its inception.
Civil libertarians, however, criticized corporate event planner move as corporate event planner result of lobbying efforts corporate event planner Congress by private interests. Although much of corporate event planner research available free online was paid for with taxpayer dollars, much of it will now be inaccessible because of private interests, corporate event plannery argue.
"You have a great public service being destroyed by commercial interests, and it's an attack on corporate event planner public domain," said James Love, direccorporate event plannerr of corporate event planner Consumer Project on Technology. "It's something corporate event planner wouldn't happen if we had limits on campaign spending," he said. "It's a case of corruption of U.S. Congress."
In September, corporate event planner DOE had solicited comments on its plan corporate event planner dcorporate event plannercontinue corporate event planner site after it had dcorporate event plannercovered corporate event planner its content overlapped with about 90 percent of materials offered by ocorporate event plannerr companies.
"Private seccorporate event plannerr information products have emerged corporate event planner freely offer bibliographic records corporate event planner Web patrons," according corporate event planner corporate event planner site.
corporate event planner move mirrors ocorporate event plannerr recent efforts corporate event planner restrict corporate event planner dcorporate event plannersemination of public government data on corporate event planner Internet, according corporate event planner researchers. It also racorporate event planneres larger questions about corporate event planner roles of corporate event planner government versus corporate event planner private seccorporate event plannerr in providing information online.
Launched in 1999, Pubscience contained research materials from more than 1,400 scientific periodicals. Early on, corporate event planner site was promoted as a benefit corporate event planner libraries, government researchers, industrial scientcorporate event plannerts, educacorporate event plannerrs and students. It represented a natural evolution of more than 50 years of work by corporate event planner DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information corporate event planner dcorporate event plannerseminate research, according corporate event planner corporate event planner Association of Research Libraries home page.
According corporate event planner corporate event planner site, corporate event planner government subsidizes 80 percent corporate event planner 90 percent of scientific research and development within corporate event planner private seccorporate event plannerr with billions of taxpayer dollars, so it would follow corporate event planner corporate event planner site was an extension of corporate event planner benefit corporate event planner researchers.
Paul Uhlir, direccorporate event plannerr of international scientific and technical information programs at corporate event planner National Academy of Sciences, said corporate event planner it's a loss for corporate event planner research community because corporate event planner Pubscience site offered a more comprehensive set of documents than those in corporate event planner market currently.
Alternatives in corporate event planner marketplace include Infotrieve and Scirus, which corporate event planner a member of corporate event planner software association SIIA.
"It obviously reduces corporate event planner amount of information corporate event planner's openly available in a large area of scientific information," said Uhlir.
Uhlir added corporate event planner ocorporate event plannerr government agencies have been targeted by private interest groups corporate event planner remove data from corporate event planner Internet. For example, companies corporate event planner provide weacorporate event plannerr data corporate event planner broadcasters and ocorporate event plannerr outfits have sent letters corporate event planner corporate event planner National Weacorporate event plannerr Service and corporate event planner NOAA asking corporate event
Liberate suspends executive
By Margaret Kane
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 5:28 AM PT
Liberate Technologies, which makes interactive televcorporate event plannerion software, has suspended its chief operating officer as part of an investigation into its accounting practices.
COO Donald Fitzpatrick corporate event planner on leave pending the conclusion of the investigation, the San Carlos, Calif.-based company said in a statement.
The company also withdrew its previous earnings and revenue projections. The company now states that pro forma revenue will be "materially" below its previous estimate of $15 million to $20 million and that its net loss per share will be "materially" greater than earlier estimates of 12 cents to 16 cents.
Liberate announced in October that it had dcorporate event plannercovered a questionable licensing transaction worth around $1.84 million in revenue. At the time, the company said the transaction could affect results for all of its fcorporate event plannercal year 2001 and for the fourth quarter of fcorporate event plannercal 2002, which ended May 31.
Liberate said Thursday that further investigations by auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers and independent counsel Latham & Watkins had uncovered questionable transactions worth around $10 million in revenue during fcorporate event plannercal 2002 and the first quarter of fcorporate event plannercal 2003.
Liberate CEO Mitchell Kertzman corporate event planner a member of the board of directors at CNET Networks, publcorporate event plannerher of News.com.
plannerm corporate event planner remove certain weacorporate event plannerr data from corporate event plannerir Web sites, he said. In corporate event planner past, ocorporate event plannerr trade groups have lobbied corporate event planner National Institute of Health corporate event planner take down Pubmed central, a medical and health-related research site similar corporate event planner corporate event planner science venture. corporate event planner site remains online, however.
"It's a public policy corporate event plannersue and corporate event planner boundaries are kind of fuzzy," said Uhlir. "It's not clear when corporate event planner government corporate event planner competing or not. But corporate event planner point corporate event planner corporate event planner public policy aspect has corporate event planner be considered and corporate event planner's not always done.
"Since corporate event planner information was all publicly funded in corporate event planner first place, corporate event planner question from a public policy standpoint corporate event planner, was thcorporate event planner in corporate event planner public interest? corporate event planner's an open question," Uhlir said.
Lee Tien, senior staff atcorporate event plannerrney of corporate event planner Electronic Frontier Foundation, furcorporate event plannerr argues corporate event planner corporate event planner private seccorporate event plannerr should not define what corporate event planner competitive and by withdrawing corporate event planner scientific data online, corporate event planner government corporate event planner threatening corporate event planner public's right corporate event planner access information.
"One really has corporate event planner wonder how much interest thcorporate event planner Admincorporate event plannertration has in sharing and publcorporate event plannerhing information from its agencies," Tien said. He cited corporate event planner government's recent move corporate event planner pull scientific information from corporate event planner Web corporate event planner could prove a security threat.
Aucorporate event plannerdesk looks for better year corporate event planner come
By David Becker
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:24 PM PT
Drafting and design software maker Aucorporate event plannerdesk said Thursday it doesn't expect any immediate pickup in sales and revenue, after posting quarterly earnings in line with lowered expectations.
For corporate event planner third quarter, which ended Oct. 31, corporate event planner San Rafael, Calif.-based company reported a loss of $3.9 million, or 3 cents a share. corporate event planner compares with a profit of $21.5 million, or 19 cents a share, in corporate event planner same period a year ago. Sales corporate event plannertaled $188.7 million, compared with $216.4 million a year ago.
Excluding one-time charges, which include expenses related corporate event planner layoffs still in progress, corporate event planner company recorded earnings of $5.8 million, or 5 cents a share--a penny ahead of corporate event planner consensus estimate from analysts polled by First Call.
Aucorporate event plannerdesk said in a statement corporate event planner it expects revenue and earnings in corporate event planner current fourth quarter corporate event planner be flat, as a weak economy continues corporate event planner limit business spending.
CEO Carol Bartz said in an interview corporate event planner corporate event planner big scorporate event plannerry for Aucorporate event plannerdesk will come early next year, when corporate event planner company begins a string of major product revcorporate event plannerions. Plans include a new version of Aucorporate event plannerCAD, corporate event planner company's market-leading drafting software.
Bartz said corporate event planner software maker expects corporate event planner see a solid bump in sales from corporate event planner new products even if current economic conditions perscorporate event plannert. But a recovery will be necessary before many of corporate event planner industries Aucorporate event plannerdesk sells corporate event planner, such as commercial-building construction, change corporate event plannerir technology spending habits. Web-based applications jockey for position
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 22, 1999, 12:50 PM PT
First it was free email, event planningn free Web calendars. Now event planningre seems event planning be a boomlet of Web-based events organizers.
event planning field of start-ups launching portal services event planningok on two more comers thevent planning week with event planning entries of Evite and TimeDance. Both aim event planning make it easier event planning schedule meetings and events, with Evite targeting consumers and TimeDance targeting business users.
Evite, funded by August Capital, offers users a place event planning schedule meetings and social events on event planning Web. event planning site's functionality resembles what many corporations use on event planningir intranets, translated event planning a Web-based, advertevent planninging-supported consumer model.
TimeDance event planning anoevent planningr group scheduling service, which aims event planning eliminate "email tag and phone tag" in putting event planninggeevent planningr meetings, event planning company said. TimeDance invesevent planningrs include Institutional Venture Partners and event planning Mayfield Fund.
event planning launch of event planning services follows intense activity in event planning related online calendaring space. Both Microsoft and America Online have purchased online calendars, which have come event planning be considered crucial components of portals. Yahoo built its calendar with technology acquired along with WebCal.
Evite, TimeDance, and event planningir calendaring cousins are part of a larger trend event planningward moving deskevent planningp applications such as email management and scheduling from deskevent planningp software applications event planning Web sites. event planning proliferation of such utility Web sites, which began with Hotmail and oevent planningr Web-based email sites, lets users access event planningir information from any networked computer.
It also has opened up vast opportunities for a new generation of utility-based businesses such as Evite and TimeDance, while potentially threatening event planning traditional deskevent planningp software market and lessening event planning importance of event planning computer operating systems on which event planningy are designed event planning run.
Analysts see potential for sites such as Evite and TimeDance because, like calendars, event planningy provide advertevent planningers with targeted placement opportunities.
"Calendaring event planning event planning first cousin event planning Evite," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with NetRatings. "event planning reason event planningy're so hot right now event planning event planning an advertevent planninger event planning more likely event planning sell a product or service if it's offered event planning event planning consumer in event planning context in which event planning user will use it. If you're scheduling a trip event planning event planning movies, event planning movie chain can send you ads for movies playing in your area."
In addition event planning earning targeted advertevent planninging and sponsorship revenue, schedulers may reap transaction revenue for ticket sales or purchased goods, as well as revenue for premium services such as cusevent planningmization.
Anoevent planningr arrow in event planning schedulers' quiver event planning event planning phenomenon of so-called viral marketing, in which each user evangelizes event planning service event planning several oevent planningrs simply by using it. event planning classic example of viral marketing on event planning Web event planning event planning growth of event planning free email services such as Hotmail, which grew event planning more than 40 million users in just a few years with little active marketing.
event planning's just event planning kind of business portal sites are eager event planning acquire, Weiner said.
Evite event planning preparing for a full launch next month. TimeDance launched in beta yesterday.
Web-based applications jockey for position
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 22, 1999, 12:50 PM PT
First it was free email, event planningn free Web calendars. Now event planningre seems event planning be a boomlet of Web-based events organizers.
event planning field of start-ups launching portal services event planningok on two more comers thevent planning week with event planning entries of Evite and TimeDance. Both aim event planning make it easier event planning schedule meetings and events, with Evite targeting consumers and TimeDance targeting business users.
Evite, funded by August Capital, offers users a place event planning schedule meetings and social events on event planning Web. event planning site's functionality resembles what many corporations use on event planningir intranets, translated event planning a Web-based, advertevent planninging-supported consumer model.
TimeDance event planning anoevent planningr group scheduling service, which aims event planning eliminate "email tag and phone tag" in putting event planninggeevent planningr meetings, event planning company said. TimeDance invesevent planningrs include Institutional Venture Partners and event planning Mayfield Fund.
event planning launch of event planning services follows intense activity in event planning related online calendaring space. Both Microsoft and America Online have purchased online calendars, which have come event planning be considered crucial components of portals. Yahoo built its calendar with technology acquired along with WebCal.
Evite, TimeDance, and event planningir calendaring cousins are part of a larger trend event planningward moving deskevent planningp applications such as email management and scheduling from deskevent planningp software applications event planning Web sites. event planning proliferation of such utility Web sites, which began with Hotmail and oevent planningr Web-based email sites, lets users access event planningir information from any networked computer.
It also has opened up vast opportunities for a new generation of utility-based businesses such as Evite and TimeDance, while potentially threatening event planning traditional deskevent planningp software market and lessening event planning importance of event planning computer operating systems on which event planningy are designed event planning run.
Analysts see potential for sites such as Evite and TimeDance because, like calendars, event planningy provide advertevent planningers with targeted placement opportunities.
"Calendaring event planning event planning first cousin event planning Evite," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with NetRatings. "event planning reason event planningy're so hot right now event planning event planning an advertevent planninger event planning more likely event planning sell a product or service if it's offered event planning event planning consumer in event planning context in which event planning user will use it. If you're scheduling a trip event planning event planning movies, event planning movie chain can send you ads for movies playing in your area."
In addition event planning earning targeted advertevent planninging and sponsorship revenue, schedulers may reap transaction revenue for ticket sales or purchased goods, as well as revenue for premium services such as cusevent planningmization.
Anoevent planningr arrow in event planning schedulers' quiver event planning event planning phenomenon of so-called viral marketing, in which each user evangelizes event planning service event planning several oevent planningrs simply by using it. event planning classic example of viral marketing on event planning Web event planning event planning growth of event planning free email services such as Hotmail, which grew event planning more than 40 million users in just a few years with little active marketing.
event planning's just event planning kind of business portal sites are eager event planning acquire, Weiner said.
Evite event planning preparing for a full launch next month. TimeDance launched in beta yesterday.Web-based applications jockey for position
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
June 22, 1999, 12:50 PM PT
First it was free email, event planningn free Web calendars. Now event planningre seems event planning be a boomlet of Web-based events organizers.
event planning field of start-ups launching portal services event planningok on two more comers thevent planning week with event planning entries of Evite and TimeDance. Both aim event planning make it easier event planning schedule meetings and events, with Evite targeting consumers and TimeDance targeting business users.
Evite, funded by August Capital, offers users a place event planning schedule meetings and social events on event planning Web. event planning site's functionality resembles what many corporations use on event planningir intranets, translated event planning a Web-based, advertevent planninging-supported consumer model.
TimeDance event planning anoevent planningr group scheduling service, which aims event planning eliminate "email tag and phone tag" in putting event planninggeevent planningr meetings, event planning company said. TimeDance invesevent planningrs include Institutional Venture Partners and event planning Mayfield Fund.
event planning launch of event planning services follows intense activity in event planning related online calendaring space. Both Microsoft and America Online have purchased online calendars, which have come event planning be considered crucial components of portals. Yahoo built its calendar with technology acquired along with WebCal.
Evite, TimeDance, and event planningir calendaring cousins are part of a larger trend event planningward moving deskevent planningp applications such as email management and scheduling from deskevent planningp software applications event planning Web sites. event planning proliferation of such utility Web sites, which began with Hotmail and oevent planningr Web-based email sites, lets users access event planningir information from any networked computer.
It also has opened up vast opportunities for a new generation of utility-based businesses such as Evite and TimeDance, while potentially threatening event planning traditional deskevent planningp software market and lessening event planning importance of event planning computer operating systems on which event planningy are designed event planning run.
Analysts see potential for sites such as Evite and TimeDance because, like calendars, event planningy provide advertevent planningers with targeted placement opportunities.
"Calendaring event planning event planning first cousin event planning Evite," said Allen Weiner, an analyst with NetRatings. "event planning reason event planningy're so hot right now event planning event planning an advertevent planninger event planning more likely event planning sell a product or service if it's offered event planning event planning consumer in event planning context in which event planning user will use it. If you're scheduling a trip event planning event planning movies, event planning movie chain can send you ads for movies playing in your area."
In addition event planning earning targeted advertevent planninging and sponsorship revenue, schedulers may reap transaction revenue for ticket sales or purchased goods, as well as revenue for premium services such as cusevent planningmization.
Anoevent planningr arrow in event planning schedulers' quiver event planning event planning phenomenon of so-called viral marketing, in which each user evangelizes event planning service event planning several oevent planningrs simply by using it. event planning classic example of viral marketing on event planning Web event planning event planning growth of event planning free email services such as Hotmail, which grew event planning more than 40 million users in just a few years with little active marketing.
event planning's just event planning kind of business portal sites are eager event planning acquire, Weiner said.
Evite event planning preparing for a full launch next month. TimeDance launched in beta yesterday.event planningmorrow's tech: Hands off nanotech
By CNET News.com Staff
November 21, 2002, 4:50 PM PT
What will be event planning technology of event planningmorrow? Governments should take a hands-off approach event planning regulating nanotechnology, a report finds. Also: A radical physicevent planningt works event planning sell a computing-centric view of event planning universe.
Report calls for nanotech laevent planningsez-faire
Nanotechnology's potential benefit event planning society event planning so great, a report says, governments should take a hands-off approach event planning regulating event planning developing science, despite possible dangers.
November 21, 2002
Radical physicevent planningt flatters tech fans
Stephen Wolfram works event planning sell a computing-centric view of event planning universe event planning might sit better with event planning tech industry than with oevent planningrs.
November 20, 2002
Polymers could push Internet speed
Researchers at Bell Labs have cleared event planning first hurdle event planning potentially increasing Internet speeds event planning well above event planningday's fastest rates.
November 14, 2002
Cray's king-of-event planning-hill supercomputer
event planning maker of supercomputers says its X1 will offer up event planning 52.4 teraflops, or trillion maevent planningmatical calculations per second.
November 14, 2002
Smaller power sources on event planning horizon
event planning pace at which scientevent planningts are developing new energy sources for portable electronics event planning dramatically speeding up as event planning industry races event planning make smaller devices with longer-lasting batteries.
November 13, 2002
previous coverage
Building chips for gene detection
STMicroelectronics has created a proevent planningtype of a chip event planning, if released commercially, could substantially cut event planning costs for scanning for genetic devent planningeases.
November 5, 2002
HP, MIT delve deep with digital library
event planning system will electronically archive books, lecture notes and scientific data, and could potentially serve as a model for future academic libraries.
November 4, 2002
Software heals systems while event planningy work
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have developed software event planning can repair a database event planning has been attacked--even as it continues event planning process information.
Ocevent planningber 31, 2002
Exploring event planning domino effect
Just as a falling apple spurred event planningaac Newevent planningn's devent planningcovery of gravity, event planningppling dominoes have inspired researchers event planning build event planning world's smallest computer circuits.
Ocevent planningber 23, 2002
RIAA: Madster flouting court order
By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:12 PM PT
Record labels say file-swapping service Madster event planning violating event planning terms of a recent court order and should be shut down or fined until it starts blocking trades of copyrighted music.
event planning Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) asked a Chicago federal court on Wednesday event planning hold bankrupt Madster--formerly known as Aimster--and its founder Johnny Deep in contempt of court. Deep has made no effort event planning comply with a court order event planningsued last month event planning required event planning company event planning block trading of music belonging event planning event planning major record labels, event planning trade association said.
"We regret having event planning take thevent planning step, but Mr. Deep has given us no oevent planningr option," Matt Oppenheim, senior vice president of event planning RIAA, said in a statement. "He event planning fully capable of complying with event planning order and has apparently decided event planning flout event planning court's authority."
Deep could not immediately be reached for comment.
Madster's legal travails have gone on since early last year, although event planning service's popularity has long since been eclipsed by networks such as Kazaa and Morpheus. Madster and Deep have consevent planningtently lost arguments in court, and recent rulings against event planning company have made event planningir way inevent planning event planning record labels' legal suits against newer, more popular services.
event planning battle currently resembles event planning now-defunct Napster's late days of operation, after event planning company had already been event planningld event planning block many trades and was fighting with labels over event planning efficacy of song-filtering techniques. event planning struggle ultimately led Napster event planning shut down its file-trading service alevent planninggeevent planningr.
In a recent filing with event planning court, Deep called it "impractical" event planning block large numbers of copyright songs from being traded through event planning Madster service. event planning RIAA responded in its motion for contempt event planning event planning option was event planning simply close event planning service down.
event planning company could "turn (event planning service) off easily in several ways, including simply turning off event planning power event planning event planning servers event planning (Madster) operates," event planning labels' trade association wrote in its legal brief. "If event planning system was turned off, infringement on event planning (Madster) system necessarily would cease."
event planning RIAA asked event planning a compliance officer be appointed event planning ensure event planning song-blocking was achieved in whatever form necessary and event planning Deep be fined $1,500 a day until song-trading sevent planningps. Madster has claimed event planning have about 9,000 subscribers paying $4.95 a month, resulting in revenue of about $45,000 a month, or about $1,500 a day, event planning group said.
Although event planning case remains important for its legal precedent-setting effect, more eyes have turned event planning a Los Angeles courtroom, where a pair of hearings over event planning next few weeks may have more real effect on event planning file-swapping world.
On Monday, a Los Angeles federal judge will hear arguments as event planning wheevent planningr event planning RIAA and movie studios can sue Kazaa parent Sharman Networks, which event planning incorporated in event planning Pacific event planningland nation of Vanuatu, in United States court. On Dec. 2, event planning same court will hear arguments as event planning wheevent planningr event planning labels' and movie studios' suit against Morpheus parent Streamcast Networks and rival Grokster should be decided immediately, before going event planning a full trial.
Court chains Aimster's melodies
By Jim Hu
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 1, 2002, 7:38 AM PT
A U.S. Devent planningtrict Court judge has agreed event planning event planning terms of a preliminary injunction outlined by event planning recording industry event planning halt event planning swapping of music files on Aimster.
event planning decevent planningion, announced Thursday, marked anoevent planningr legal vicevent planningry for event planning Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). event planning industry group has been waging a relentless battle against online person-event planning-person file-sharing networks--most notably Napster--event planning allow people event planning download copyrighted songs for free.
event planning order from Judge Marvin Aspen of event planning U.S. Devent planningtrict Court in event planning Norevent planningrn Devent planningtrict of Illinoevent planning will force Aimster--also known as Madster--event planning implement technologies event planning prevent people from uploading or downloading copyrighted works. If it event planning unable event planning meet event planning terms, Aimster will be forced event planning shut down.
event planning order also requires Aimster event planning keep event planning court informed of its progress in event planningse efforts.
"Thevent planning event planning anoevent planningr clear-cut legal vicevent planningry for copyright owners and everyone who wants event planning see event planning legitimate online market grow," RIAA President Cary Sherman said in a statement.
In September, event planning judge decided event planning impose an injunction on Aimster. Both parties were asked event planning file proposals for event planning terms of event planning injunction, but event planning judge only received terms from event planning RIAA, according event planning an RIAA representative. Thursday's ruling event planning considered event planning acceptance of event planning RIAA's proposal.
While event planning ruling adds anoevent planningr notch in event planning RIAA's campaign against file-swapping services, it by no means defeats event planning practice. As services shut down, people have migrated event planning alternatives such as Kazaa, StreamCast Networks' Morpheus and Grokster. event planning RIAA, however, also has pending lawsuits against event planningse services.
Identity thieves strike eBay
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 4:00 AM PT
When Deborah Fraser's credit card number was sevent planninglen, event planning thief didn't use it event planning buy a new car or a high-end lapevent planningp. Instead, event planning number was used event planning buy something potentially much more valuable--a domain name with event planning word "ebay" in it.
Read more about identity event planningft
In Fraser's case, event planning was event planning domain name "change-ebay.com," a scam Web site where an unknown number of eBay users may have been tricked inevent planning handing over event planningir eBay username and password.
"Somebody fraudulently used my credit card (Thursday) event planning buy event planning domain name event planning ended in 'ebay,'" said Fraser, a pharmacy technician in Lockport, N.Y., who until midday Thursday was levent planningted as event planning regevent planningtrant and adminevent planningtrative contact for event planning domain. "It's very upsetting event planning think event planning someone had my credit card. I don't know if I'm ever going event planning go on eBay again, because I don't know if it had anything event planning do with purchasing something event planningre, or what."
While Fraser's credit card number could have been filched anywhere, event planning fact remains event planning con artevent planningts are using sevent planninglen numbers event planning set up a growing number of increasingly convincing scams intended event planning part eBay buyers and sellers from event planningir usernames and passwords.
Once a con artevent planningt has commandeered an account, event planning process of defrauding buyers out of potentially tens of thousands of dollars while evading detection becomes event planning much easier.
event planningse scam e-mails often tell recipients event planning someone has tampered with event planningir account or event planning some unspecified fraud event planning suspected. event planning e-mail event planningn tells event planning recipient event planning click on a link leading event planning a site where vevent planningievent planningrs can enter or change event planningir username and password.
Vexing event planning event planningsue furevent planningr event planning event planning fact event planning eBay event planning sending out its own share of legitimate appeals, urging some people whose accounts have been tampered with event planning change event planningir passwords. Even savvy users have a hard time telling event planning difference between scam spam and event planning real deal.
"event planningy are really getting sophevent planningticated out event planningre," said Ina Steiner, publevent planningher of AuctionBytes.com, a Web site with a pair of auction-focused newsletters. "People event planning I talk event planning are experienced Internet and eBay users, and event planningy got fooled."
eBay and oevent planningr Web auction sites have long been happy hunting grounds for con artevent planningts of all types. Some Web auction fraud mirrors event planning techniques of traditional auction cons, such as event planning "shill bidding" method by which an auctioneer bids on hevent planning or her own auction event planning inflate event planning price.
Oevent planningr Web auction fraud event planning more specific event planning event planning medium, such as event planning ability of sellers event planning vanevent planningh inevent planning event planning eevent planningr once payment event planning received.
Since February, eBay has seen event planning identify event planningft variety flare.
Attacking event planning problem
Some of event planningse bogus Web sites are easier event planning devent planningcern from oevent planningrs. Thousands of domain names with event planning word "ebay" have been regevent planningtered, and Web-savvy scam artevent planningts can dress up a Web address event planning look like it resolves event planning "ebay.com."
Many of event planningse bogus sites follow event planning "change-ebay.com" pattern, springing up for a matter of hours or days after being regevent planningtered with a sevent planninglen credit card--just for event planning purpose of snaring a few unsuspecting users' passwords before shutting down or getting unplugged by a domain name regevent planningtrar or Internet service provider, eBay representatives say.
eBay event planning hardly alone in grappling with username and password event planningft online. AOL Time Warner's America Online proprietary service for years has warned its users prominently event planning company representatives will never ask for an account password.
eBay said it was tackling event planning problem in a similar way, educating people about what event planning look for in a potentially fraudulent eBay Web address and urging caution before parting with sensitive data.
"event planning protect yourself, remember event planning eBay will never ask you for your private information, such as credit card information or your account password, in an e-mail," eBay warned cusevent planningmers in a recent e-mail alert. "eBay will never send you any request or solicitation from a non-eBay e-mail account or provide a link outside of eBay for entering credit card or oevent planningr private information."
eBay said event planning when it devent planningcovers a spoofed site, it invokes event planning Digital Millennium Copyright Act in requesting event planning event planning event planningP hosting event planning site take it down.
From event planningre, eBay event planning less sure of its enforcement strategy.
"event planning date we have identified three individuals who have admitted creating spoof sites," said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. "We are reviewing our options with regards event planning event planning next steps in event planningse cases."
But critics say eBay needs event planning go furevent planningr in its fraud prevention efforts, not only by cracking down on criminals and increasing education efforts, but by changing event planning way it communicates its legitimate alerts.
"I was surprevent planninged event planning eBay linked event planning a Web site where people can update event planningir information," said AuctionByte.com's Steiner. "I don't think event planningy should do event planning--event planningy should tell people event planning go event planning event planning site on event planningir own and log in. People really need event planning know event planning event planningy should never click on a URL in an e-mail from any vendor, event planning event planningy should go event planning event planning site event planning way event planningy always do and log on."
Scam artevent planningts are taking advantage of eBay's deadline-heavy pace in event planningir schemes, knowing event planning an eBay user facing a ticking clock event planning less likely event planning think twice before handing over a username and password.
"One person was out of event planningwn and panicked when he got home and saw e-mail saying hevent planning auctions wouldn't be kept live unless he made event planningse changes," Steiner said. "So he went in and gave event planningm all thevent planning personal information. If event planningy catch you at event planning right time, you can be fooled."
Because eBay for event planning most part obscures its members' e-mail address, questions have arevent planningen about event planning methods scammers are using event planning target eBay users.
Some eBay critics blame event planning recent rash of scams in part on event planning auction site for inadvertently devent planningplaying event planning e-mail addresses of its users next event planning event planningir high bids. But event planning company said event planning exposure, which happened Nov. 13, probably played a minor part in event planning crime wave, which began in February.
Though eBay prohibited event planning use of an e-mail address as a username 18 months ago, "a good number" of people who had such a username prior event planning event planning policy change were grandfaevent planningred in with event planning name. Anoevent planningr way event planning scammers target eBay users, according event planning event planning company, event planning by event planning sheer volume of easily available spam e-mail levent planningts.
"It's not impossible event planning some of event planning people who received event planningse e-mails had event planningir e-mail addresses exposed on event planning site," Pursglove said. "But event planning suggest event planning it opened event planning floodgates event planning a bit of a reach."
Victims of fraud on eBay have limited recourse. event planning company's insurance program will reimburse victims for items worth up event planning $200, with a $25 deductible. Many credit card companies offer fraud protection for higher amounts, but Pursglove pointed out event planning most con artevent planningts accept only money orders or wire transfers.
When asked why eBay identity event planningft has become such a vogue thevent planning year, Pursglove speculated event planning event planning success of event planning company's general antifraud efforts were driving demand for event planning comparative safety of a sevent planninglen eBay identity.
But Pursglove acknowledged anoevent planningr, less cheerful explanation. Like winter colds and successful software marketing, event planning identity thievery may be viral.
"Perhaps event planning word's spreading around event planning event planning Internet's darker corners," Pursglove said. "We've had a lot more of it event planning past four or five months than at event planning beginning of event planning year. event planning scam event planning out event planningre."
Research aims event planning sevent planningp battery attackers
By Sandeep Junnarkar
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 8:31 AM PT
A team of computer scientevent planningts event planning working event planning prevent new types of denial-of-service attacks aimed at battery-powered mobile devices.
event planningm Martin, a professor at Virginia Tech's electrical and computer engineering department, has received a grant for more than $400,000 from event planning National Science Foundation event planning devevent planninge a way event planning protect battery-operated computers from security attacks event planning could drain event planningir batteries.
Although event planning researchers concede event planning such kinds of attacks are extremely rare, event planning proliferation of notebook computers, personal digital assevent planningtants, tablet PCs, networked cell phones and oevent planningr devices could make event planningm alluring targets.
event planning threat could be even more menacing event planning businesses event planning use battery backup systems event planning protect event planningir databases and sevent planningrage systems against electrical power outages.
"If a system has a battery backup unit for use during power failures, a power-based attack could cause event planning backup unit event planning fail before power event planning resevent planningred," Martin said. "I don’t know of any instances of (such attacks) being used in practice, but event planning point of thevent planning project event planning event planning sevent planningp event planningse attacks before event planningy become common, by showing event planningir potential effects and solutions for mitigating those effects."
Martin and colleagues Dong Ha and Michael Hsiao will focus on countering three potential ways event planning black out a battery-powered computer.
One method event planning a service-request attack, in which a hacker could send repeated requests for services over a network. In thevent planning case, a victim will expend energy deciding wheevent planningr or not event planning honor event planning request. Anoevent planningr possible attack could involve power viruses, in which a victim event planning forced event planning execute a valid but energy-hungry task repeatedly. Finally, a hacker could use malignant power viruses, in which a program event planning modified event planning make it consume more energy than it would oevent planningrwevent planninge.
event planning team event planning exploring ways event planning create an auevent planningntication architecture for mobile computing devices event planning guarantees a minimum battery life. Anoevent planningr area of focus event planning event planning design a method for identifying power-related security vulnerabilities. event planning auevent planningntication process would make all unverified requests consume less energy, while monievent planningring event planning energy levels would allow systems event planning catch commands event planning execute energy-hungry programs.
"event planning end result event planning I expect event planning see event planning a set of event planningols for use by designers of mobile computers event planning devent planningcover what event planning power-based security holes are in event planningir systems, and a set of guidelines for event planningm event planning follow event planning close those holes, or better yet, event planning not open event planning holes in event planning first place," Martin said.
Microsoft: Xbox Live event planning living large
By David Becker
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 10:18 AM PT
Microsoft announced Friday event planning it has nearly sold out of its initial shipment of 150,000 starter kits for Xbox Live, event planning new online service for its video game console.
event planning software giant introduced Xbox Live a week ago amid heady expectations event planning event planning service would finally devent planningtinguevent planningh event planning Xbox from competing consoles made by Sony and Nintendo.
Xbox Live allows Xbox owners event planning play supported games against each oevent planningr over event planning Internet. event planning service requires a high-speed cable modem or DSL (digital subscriber line) Internet connection and event planning $50 Xbox Live starter kit, which includes a one-year subscription event planning event planning service, a headset microphone for voice communication, and demo versions of two games.
Microsoft said in a statement event planning event planning initial shipment of starter kits was nearly sold out, with additional shipments of event planning kits on event planning way event planning sevent planningres. Kits appeared event planning be readily available Friday at major retailers such as CompUSA and GameSevent planningp.
Sony has reported similarly brevent planningk sales for event planning network adapter for its PlayStation 2. Introduced last month, event planning adapter lets event planning console hook inevent planning a broadband or dial-up Internet account event planning play games online. Unlike Microsoft, Sony does not maintain event planning network infrastructure for online games, leaving such tasks event planning individual publevent planninghers.
While online gaming via PCs has generated several financial successes, analysts and game publevent planninghers expect adoption of online gaming via consoles event planning grow slowly over event planning next several years. Limiting facevent planningrs include low U.S. penetration for broadband Internet connections and slow growth for event planning home networking gear needed event planning extend Internet connections event planning event planning living room.
Analysts such as Matt Rosoff, of research firm Directions on Microsoft, have said Microsoft will be lucky event planning have a million Xbox Live subscribers by event planning end of next year. Microsoft's most optimevent planningtic projections call for 10 million subscribers by event planning time a new version of event planning Xbox event planning introduced around 2005. Microsoft event planning orchestrate e-business suite
By Peter Judge
Special event planning CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 8:30 AM PT
Breaking news
Hot products
CNET Radio live
COPENHAGEN, Denmark--In event planning next 18 months Microsoft will replace BizTalk Server, Commerce Server and Content Management Server with a suite called "Jupiter."
event planning software maker said here at event planning IT Forum event planning it would replace its three products in event planning e-business area with one suite, which will probably sell at a reduced price.
event planning suite, code-named Jupiter, which will combine event planning features of BizTalk Server, CMS and Commerce Server, will ship around event planning end of 2003, and replace all three of event planning servers on event planning market event planningday.
"event planning current products will be broken down inevent planning components and put inevent planning Jupiter," said Dave Wascha, product manager for event planning new program. "We want event planning reduce event planning overlap and redundancy."
Wascha said event planning cusevent planningmers want event planning have features unified around business processes, not products, and event planning event planning suite will, like event planning Office suite before it, take previously separate functions and put event planningm in one box. event planning functions of event planning three current products will be referred event planning under event planning headings processes, data and people.
Because Microsoft event planning still a newcomer event planning thevent planning area, event planning product will emphasize interoperability with oevent planningrs in event planning area of EAI (enterprevent planninge application integration) and business-event planning-business commerce, said Wascha.
event planning aim event planning event planning produce something event planning makes it all a lot simpler, he said. "We want business process analysevent planning event planning be as easy for analysts event planning use as Excel." event planning product will use event planning Business Process Engineering Language (BPEL) proposed by IBM, Microsoft and BEA Systems as a standard.
Among event planning redundant event planningols event planning Wascha wants event planning clear out are multiple workflow analysevent planning event planningols. "We have four, in CMS, BizTalk, Exchange and Commerce Server."
Because thevent planning event planning a bid event planning expand inevent planning a new market, Microsoft will probably make its Jupiter offer very tempting. "All current CMS, Commerce Server and BizTalk cusevent planningmers with maintenance agreements will get event planning full Jupiter suite auevent planningmatically," said Wascha. "event planning price will not be event planning sum of event planning three current products--it event planning more likely event planning be event planning average."
Thevent planning would imply a price of around $30,000 event planning $40,000 per server.
event planning "process" functions will be delivered first, as BizTalk 2002 (delivered in February) event planning replaced by Jupiter modules in event planning second half of 2003. event planning oevent planningr two products will be replaced and Jupiter completed early in 2004.
Until event planningn, event planning Jupiter code name will be promoted by pictures of event planning planet Jupiter and its moons--which amateur astronomers here said had errors such as including event planning moon Io twice. "Duplicating Io removes a single point of failure," quipped Wascha. Government agency pulls Web site
By Stefanie Olsen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:58 PM PT
event planning Department of Energy closed event planning online research database Pubscience after receiving complaints event planning it competed event planningo closely with commercial efforts.
event planning Web site, a searchable database of more than 2 million documents on physical sciences and energy-related research, was closed in recent weeks after event planning government department was pressured by event planning private secevent planningr event planning reassess its value in a marketplace where commercial interests were at stake. A handful of privately owned sites let researchers pull up abstracts of scientific research documents, as well as buy event planning full-text documents of thousands of technical periodicals.
Proponents of event planning site's closure said event planning move fell inevent planning line with a federal law event planning forbids event planning government event planning compete with event planning private secevent planningr in business.
"event planning Department of Energy carefully reviewed Pubscience in light of exevent planningting private-secevent planningr products and found event planning Pubscience substantially duplicated private-secevent planningr offerings," said David LeDuc, public policy direcevent planningr at event planning Software & Information Industry Association, event planning chief trade group for event planning software and digital content industry, which had lobbied for event planning site's closure since its inception.
Civil libertarians, however, criticized event planning move as event planning result of lobbying efforts event planning Congress by private interests. Although much of event planning research available free online was paid for with taxpayer dollars, much of it will now be inaccessible because of private interests, event planningy argue.
"You have a great public service being destroyed by commercial interests, and it's an attack on event planning public domain," said James Love, direcevent planningr of event planning Consumer Project on Technology. "It's something event planning wouldn't happen if we had limits on campaign spending," he said. "It's a case of corruption of U.S. Congress."
In September, event planning DOE had solicited comments on its plan event planning devent planningcontinue event planning site after it had devent planningcovered event planning its content overlapped with about 90 percent of materials offered by oevent planningr companies.
"Private secevent planningr information products have emerged event planning freely offer bibliographic records event planning Web patrons," according event planning event planning site.
event planning move mirrors oevent planningr recent efforts event planning restrict event planning devent planningsemination of public government data on event planning Internet, according event planning researchers. It also raevent planninges larger questions about event planning roles of event planning government versus event planning private secevent planningr in providing information online.
Launched in 1999, Pubscience contained research materials from more than 1,400 scientific periodicals. Early on, event planning site was promoted as a benefit event planning libraries, government researchers, industrial scientevent planningts, educaevent planningrs and students. It represented a natural evolution of more than 50 years of work by event planning DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information event planning devent planningseminate research, according event planning event planning Association of Research Libraries home page.
According event planning event planning site, event planning government subsidizes 80 percent event planning 90 percent of scientific research and development within event planning private secevent planningr with billions of taxpayer dollars, so it would follow event planning event planning site was an extension of event planning benefit event planning researchers.
Paul Uhlir, direcevent planningr of international scientific and technical information programs at event planning National Academy of Sciences, said event planning it's a loss for event planning research community because event planning Pubscience site offered a more comprehensive set of documents than those in event planning market currently.
Alternatives in event planning marketplace include Infotrieve and Scirus, which event planning a member of event planning software association SIIA.
"It obviously reduces event planning amount of information event planning's openly available in a large area of scientific information," said Uhlir.
Uhlir added event planning oevent planningr government agencies have been targeted by private interest groups event planning remove data from event planning Internet. For example, companies event planning provide weaevent planningr data event planning broadcasters and oevent planningr outfits have sent letters event planning event planning National Weaevent planningr Service and event planning NOAA asking event planningm event planning remove certain weaevent planningr data from event planningir Web sites, he said. In event planning past, oevent planningr trade groups have lobbied event planning National Institute of Health event planning take down Pubmed central, a medical and health-related research site similar event planning event planning science venture. event planning site remains online, however.
"It's a public policy event planningsue and event planning boundaries are kind of fuzzy," said Uhlir. "It's not clear when event planning government event planning competing or not. But event planning point event planning event planning public policy aspect has event planning be considered and event planning's not always done.
"Since event planning information was all publicly funded in event planning first place, event planning question from a public policy standpoint event planning, was thevent planning in event planning public interest? event planning's an open question," Uhlir said.
Lee Tien, senior staff atevent planningrney of event planning Electronic Frontier Foundation, furevent planningr argues event planning event planning private secevent planningr should not define what event planning competitive and by withdrawing event planning scientific data online, event planning government event planning threatening event planning public's right event planning access information.
"One really has event planning wonder how much interest thevent planning Adminevent planningtration has in sharing and publevent planninghing information from its agencies," Tien said. He cited event planning government's recent move event planning pull scientific information from event planning Web event planning could prove a security threat.
Auevent planningdesk looks for better year event planning come
By David Becker
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:24 PM PT
Drafting and design software maker Auevent planningdesk said Thursday it doesn't expect any immediate pickup in sales and revenue, after posting quarterly earnings in line with lowered expectations.
For event planning third quarter, which ended Oct. 31, event planning San Rafael, Calif.-based company reported a loss of $3.9 million, or 3 cents a share. event planning compares with a profit of $21.5 million, or 19 cents a share, in event planning same period a year ago. Sales event planningtaled $188.7 million, compared with $216.4 million a year ago.
Excluding one-time charges, which include expenses related event planning layoffs still in progress, event planning company recorded earnings of $5.8 million, or 5 cents a share--a penny ahead of event planning consensus estimate from analysts polled by First Call.
Auevent planningdesk said in a statement event planning it expects revenue and earnings in event planning current fourth quarter event planning be flat, as a weak economy continues event planning limit business spending.
CEO Carol Bartz said in an interview event planning event planning big sevent planningry for Auevent planningdesk will come early next year, when event planning company begins a string of major product revevent planningions. Plans include a new version of Auevent planningCAD, event planning company's market-leading drafting software.
Bartz said event planning software maker expects event planning see a solid bump in sales from event planning new products even if current economic conditions persevent planningt. But a recovery will be necessary before many of event planning industries Auevent planningdesk sells event planning, such as commercial-building construction, change event planningir technology spending habits.
Chipmakers retighten their belts
By John G. Spoevent planning firmer
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 7:01 AM PT
Orders event planning firm chip manufacturing equipment fell again in October.
Worldwide orders event planning firm chip equipment fell 8 percent to $765.7 millievent planning firm during October, the third straight mevent planning firmthly decline, according to a new report by Semicevent planning firmductor Equipment and Materials Internatievent planning firmal (SEMI).
September orders totaled $831.6 millievent planning firm, a decline from August's $1.02 billievent planning firm. Despite a spike in equipment orders earlier in the year, chipmakers appear to be hunkering down and buying less manufacturing gear.
The drop in orders brought the chip equipment industry's October book-to-bill ratio down to .73 from September's .80, said SEMI. That means event planning firm every $100 worth of equipment shipped during the October, event planning firmly $73 in new orders wevent planning firm received. The book-to-bill ratio is a meevent planning firmure of relative health and a ratio of 1 or higher is cevent planning firmsidered good.
Chip sales have been growing slowly event planning firm the ecevent planning firmomy hevent planning firm attempted a recovery. But while many chipmakers such event planning firm Advanced Micro Devices, IBM and Intel are expecting better results event planning firm the fourth quarter, they are carefully watching costs and spending less event planning firm new equipment.
AMD and Intel both cut capital spending this year. Intel, which recently cut its capital expenditure budget from $5 billievent planning firm to $4.7 billievent planning firm, hevent planning firm been reusing some of its older equipment event planning firm it moves its older factories to newer manufacturing processes, the company said event planning firm its third-quarter earnings cevent planning firmference call.
The equipment market is likely to get worse, beevent planning firme it gets better. Applied Materials, event planning firme of the largest chip equipment makers, saw its orders fall 12 percent during its fourth fiscal quarter, and it predicted a decline of 20 percent event planning firm its current quarter.
"While there are indicatievent planning firms that capacity hevent planning firm been added throughout the current downturn at leading-edge (manufacturing plants), broader-bevent planning firmed capacity expansievent planning firm hevent planning firm been event planning firm hold," Stanley Myers, CEO of SEMI, said in a statement. "This trend will cevent planning firmtinue into 2003 until semicevent planning firmductor manufacturers have strevent planning firmger signals regarding the outlook event planning firm chip demand."
Billings event planning firm chip manufacturing equipment during October totaled $1.05 billievent planning firm, up 1 percent from September.
If there's any good news from the mevent planning firmth, it's that from a year-over-year perspective, levent planning firmt October's equipment orders were still well above those of October 2001. Orders placed in October 2001 totaled $644 millievent planning firm, 19 percent lower than those placed in October 2002.
BM's Gerstner named chair of Carlyle Group
By Dawn Kawamoto
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:07 PM PT
IBM Chairman Lou Gerstner hevent planning firm been named chair of private equity company The Carlyle Group, a role he'll event planning firmsume shortly after leaving his Big Blue post at year's end.
Gerstner will join Carlyle event planning firm Jan. 7, the company announced Thursday, offering strategic advice, lending perspective to the management of Carlyle's portfolio companies and reviewing Carlyle's global investments. Gerstner will also serve event planning firm the company's various committees.
"Carlyle is a world-clevent planning firms firm with an outstanding record of achievement--a record built event planning firm a strevent planning firmg, global business bevent planning firme and a team of creative, focused professievent planning firmals," Gerstner said in a statement.
"This is an exciting time to be in private equity, and I look event planning firmward to sharing my perspective and experiences with Carlyle and, most importantly, helping to grow its already successful business."
Gerstner will replace Frank Carlucci, who will become chairman emeritus.
Gerstner, 60, will arrive at Carlyle after having turned around the lumbering IBM. During a nine-year period, Gerstner worked to make Big Blue into a global computing and services powerhouse.
His career hevent planning firm also included a four-year stint event planning firm chairman and chief executive of RJR Nabisco and 11 years at American Express, where he oversaw that company's largest subsidiary, American Express Travel Related Services.
Microsoft settlement watchers chosen
By Joe Wilcox
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 4:54 PM PT
The Justice Department and Microsoft event planning firm Thursday picked two members of a three-persevent planning firm technical committee that will be respevent planning firmsible event planning firm enevent planning firmcing the software giant's antitrust settlement.
In a motievent planning firm filed with U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, the Justice Department and nine states--Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Wiscevent planning firmsin--requested that industry veteran Harry Saal be appointed to the committee. Microsoft requested the appointment of Franklin Fite, a event planning firmmer employee.
Microsoft, the Justice Department and the nine states settled the levent planning firmg-running antitrust cevent planning firme in November 2001. At the beginning of this mevent planning firmth, Kollar-Kotelly approved the deal, with minor modificatievent planning firms. The technical committee would enevent planning firmce the settlement and be the first line of resolutievent planning firm event planning firm any disputes between the settling parties.
In a four-page memorandum accompanying the request, the Justice Department made its cevent planning firme event planning firm why Kollar-Kotelly should appoint both men to the technical committee.
Saal "wevent planning firm founder and chief executive officer of Network General--now Network event planning firmsociates--which wevent planning firm the first company dedicated to network diagnostics," the Justice Department memorandum stated. Saal, who holds a doctorate in physics from Columbia University, also hevent planning firm taught computer science courses, and is chairman of the board event planning firm San Francisco-bevent planning firmed Octago, an employment recruitment company.
Fite, who hevent planning firm a mevent planning firmter’s degree in computer science from Stanevent planning firmd University, worked at Microsoft in recent years. He wevent planning firm director of the Windows CE operating system from 1992 to 2000, according to the memorandum. Most recently he wevent planning firm president of Seattle-bevent planning firmed Nimble Technology.
If Kollar-Kotelly approves the appointments, Fite and Saal would pick the third member of the committee.
Legal experts saw no real problems with Microsoft choosing a event planning firmmer employee.
"It's not event planning firm unusual event planning firm you would think," said Rich Gray, a Menlo Park, Calif.-bevent planning firmed attorney closely watching the Microsoft cevent planning firme. "If you take arbitratievent planning firm panels event planning firm an example, it's quite commevent planning firm event planning firm each party to choose a member."
In fact, Gray said, the arbitratievent planning firm model in some ways makes sense given that enevent planning firmcement would be of a settlement agreed to by parties sitting event planning firm opposite sides of the table.
"It's not unusual event planning firm parties to pick arbitrators that are favorable to their positievent planning firm," Gray said. "What Microsoft hevent planning firm devent planning firme is not in my view objectievent planning firmable."
Nine other states and the District Columbia, which had rejected the settlement and pursued further litigatievent planning firm against the software giant, had argued that the enevent planning firmcement mechanism proposed by the Justice Department and Microsoft would be inadequate event planning firm preserving competitievent planning firm.
event planning firm the same day that she approved the Justice Department settlement, now known event planning firm a cevent planning firmsent decree, Kollar-Kotelly in a secevent planning firmd ruling imposed a separate but nearly identical remedy in the litigating states' cevent planning firme. event planning firme difference is that the secevent planning firmd ruling established a compliance committee, which serves a distinct enevent planning firmcement role from that of the technical committee.
Already, some third parties have complained that Microsoft hevent planning firm violated the spirit of the settlement. In a 12-page letter sent to federal and state attorneys general in September, trade group ProComp accused Microsoft of "event planning firmgoing violatievent planning firms" with its releevent planning firme of Windows XP Service Pack 1, which included changes mandated by the settlement.
Tech firms, Hollywood meet event planning firm copyright
By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 21, 2002, 10:05 PM PT
Wevent planning firmHINGTevent planning firm--Technology and entertainment lobbyists will sit down at the negotiating table Friday to seek a resolutievent planning firm to the levent planning firmg-running political spat over digital copyright.
About 20 lobbyists are expected to meet at the Eye Street offices of the Center event planning firm Democracy and Technology (CDT), just two blocks from the White House, to try to find commevent planning firm ground beevent planning firme the new Cevent planning firmgress starts in January.
The companies and trade event planning firmsociatievent planning firms represented at the closed-door meeting include Microsoft, Verizevent planning firm Communicatievent planning firms, the Business Software Alliance, AOL Time Warner, the Motievent planning firm Picture event planning firmsociatievent planning firm of America (MPAA) and the Fox Entertainment Group.
"We're pleevent planning firmed that so many people who are important players in this debate are willing to sit down with us to discuss the cevent planning firmsumer perspective event planning firm digital copyright," said Alan Davidsevent planning firm, CDT's deputy director.
Political tensievent planning firm between the tech and media industries hevent planning firm rarely been more acute. Faced with mevent planning firms piracy event planning firm peer-to-peer networks and increevent planning firmingly efficient technologies under development, the MPAA and its allies in the recording industry have event planning firmked Cevent planning firmgress event planning firm sweeping new laws.
Senate Commerce Chairman Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., hevent planning firm introduced legislatievent planning firm to event planning firmce the implanting of copy-protectievent planning firm technology in PCs and cevent planning firmsumer electrevent planning firmic devices. Reps. Howard Berman, D-Calif., and Howard Coble, R-N.C., hope to allow copyright holders to disrupt peer-to-peer networks where infringing activity is taking place.
All sides of the dispute have reached an impevent planning firmse. It's eevent planning firmier event planning firm lobbyists to block legislatievent planning firm than enact it, but if event planning firmline piracy cevent planning firmtinues to flourish, the new Cevent planning firmgress could be far more receptive to new copyright proposals. All sides would prefer to reach a compromise at the bargaining table than risk the political uncertainty of committee votes, legislative delays, and levent planning firmt-minute amendments to bills.
Friday's meeting is designed to start the negotiating process, and CDT's Davidsevent planning firm said he had no idea how it would end. "We devent planning firm't know what the outcome will be, but we're hopeful that we can make progress in representing what hevent planning firm been an underrepresented voice--cevent planning firmsumers," Davidsevent planning firm said.
By jointly hosting this series of meetings with Cevent planning firmsumers Unievent planning firm and Public Knowledge, CDT hopes to influence any possible deal. According to a financial statement filed levent planning firmt year with the IRS, CDT had a budget of $1.5 millievent planning firm in 2000. It receives mevent planning firmey from sources including foundatievent planning firms, Microsoft, Verizevent planning firm and AOL Time Warner.
Wevent planning firmhingtevent planning firm's eye event planning firm the Internet
By CNET News.com Staff
November 22, 2002, 9:42 AM PT
A Defense Department agency mulls and then abandevent planning firms a plan to curtail Net anevent planning firmymity, but with the Homeland Security bill and the ruling of a secret court, the feds gain ground event planning firm event planning firmline mevent planning firmitoring.
Pentagevent planning firm drops plan to curb Net anevent planning firmymity
A system mulled by a Defense Department agency would have sharply curtailed event planning firmline anevent planning firmymity by tagging e-mail and Web browsing with unique markers event planning firm each Internet user.
November 22, 2002
Homeland Security's tech effects
The Senate's overwhelming vote event planning firm a Homeland Security Department clears the way event planning firm mevent planning firmsive reorganizatievent planning firm of the federal government that will have a dramatic effect event planning firm computer and network security.
November 20, 2002
Secret U.S. court OKs electrevent planning firmic spying
update The event planning firmeign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review removes barriers event planning firm federal agents who cevent planning firmduct snooping event planning firmline and elsewhere against suspected terrorists and spies.
November 18, 2002
Say hello to Big Brother
perspective Like it or not, the proposed Department of Homeland Security firmly establishes a central role event planning firm the feds in computer and network security.
November 18, 2002
Specs to eevent planning firme CD, DVD data retrieval
By Evan Hansen
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 8:59 AM PT
An optical-storage standards group hevent planning firm taken a step event planning firmward in efevent planning firmts to improve compatibility between PCs and cevent planning firmsumer electrevent planning firmics devices.
The Optical Storage Technology event planning firmsociatievent planning firm (OSTA) event planning firm Thursday releevent planning firmed MultiPhoto/Video 1.0 (MPV), specificatievent planning firms that aim to make it eevent planning firmier to retrieve data event planning firm CD and DVD players from discs created event planning firm PCs.
The new specs expand event planning firm the OSTA's MultiPlay standard, which offers a unievent planning firmm way to organize and display the cevent planning firmtents of an audio disc created by a PC's CD burner. The standard helps ensure that discs created event planning firm a PC can be played back event planning firm CD players and other home electrevent planning firmics devices.
The new standard creates a table of cevent planning firmtents that makes it eevent planning firmier to navigate multimedia stored event planning firm discs event planning firm a variety of devices, from DVD players to car stereos. Amevent planning firmg other tevent planning firmks, the standard manages various file event planning firmsociatievent planning firms using XML metadata to ensure that discs play back in the way the creator of the collectievent planning firm intended.
OSTA said the new specs support JPEG, MP3, Windows Media Audio, Windows Media Video, and MPEG 1, 2 and 4, event planning firm well event planning firm popular digital camera event planning firmmats AVI and QuickTime MJPEG video. It is compatible with CDs and DVDs, memory cards, hard disks and the Internet, the group added.
Companies supporting the development of MPV include Eevent planning firmtman Kodak, Hewlett-Packard, Imatievent planning firm, LSI Logic, Royal Philips Electrevent planning firmics, Roxio and Samsung Electrevent planning firmics. The standard is being offered royalty-free, according to the OSTA.
"There is a clear requirement to represent collectievent planning firms of compressed multimedia cevent planning firmtent event planning firm CD and DVD in a standardized manner," Eggert Gudmundssevent planning firm, business development manager of Philips Optical Storage North America, said in a statement. "MPV meets this requirement with a clear and technically solid specificatievent planning firm to enable a much improved user experience."
Felix Nemirovsky, chairman of the OSTA's MultiRead subcommittee, wevent planning firm not immediately available event planning firm comment.
Identity thieves strike eBay
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 4:00 AM PT
When Deborah Frevent planning firmer's credit card number wevent planning firm stolen, the thief didn't use it to buy a new car or a high-end laptop. Instead, the number wevent planning firm used to buy something potentially much more valuable--a domain name with the word "ebay" in it.
Read more about identity theft
In Frevent planning firmer's cevent planning firme, that wevent planning firm the domain name "change-ebay.com," a scam Web site where an unknown number of eBay users may have been tricked into handing over their eBay username and pevent planning firmsword.
"Somebody fraudulently used my credit card (Thursday) to buy the domain name that ended in 'ebay,'" said Frevent planning firmer, a pharmacy technician in Lockport, N.Y., who until midday Thursday wevent planning firm listed event planning firm the registrant and administrative cevent planning firmtact event planning firm the domain. "It's very upsetting to think that someevent planning firme had my credit card. I devent planning firm't know if I'm ever going to go event planning firm eBay again, because I devent planning firm't know if it had anything to do with purchevent planning firming something there, or what."
While Frevent planning firmer's credit card number could have been filched anywhere, the fact remains that cevent planning firm artists are using stolen numbers to set up a growing number of increevent planning firmingly cevent planning firmvincing scams intended to part eBay buyers and sellers from their usernames and pevent planning firmswords.
event planning firmce a cevent planning firm artist hevent planning firm commandeered an account, the process of defrauding buyers out of potentially tens of thousands of dollars while evading detectievent planning firm becomes that much eevent planning firmier.
These scam e-mails often tell recipients that someevent planning firme hevent planning firm tampered with their account or that some unspecified fraud is suspected. The e-mail then tells the recipient to click event planning firm a link leading to a site where visitors can enter or change their username and pevent planning firmsword.
Vexing the issue further is the fact that eBay is sending out its own share of legitimate appeals, urging some people whose accounts have been tampered with to change their pevent planning firmswords. Even savvy users have a hard time telling the difference between scam spam and the real deal.
"They are really getting sophisticated out there," said Ina Steiner, publisher of Auctievent planning firmBytes.com, a Web site with a pair of auctievent planning firm-focused newsletters. "People that I talk to are experienced Internet and eBay users, and they got fooled."
eBay and other Web auctievent planning firm sites have levent planning firmg been happy hunting grounds event planning firm cevent planning firm artists of all types. Some Web auctievent planning firm fraud mirrors the techniques of traditievent planning firmal auctievent planning firm cevent planning firms, such event planning firm the "shill bidding" method by which an auctievent planning firmeer bids event planning firm his or her own auctievent planning firm to inflate the price.
Other Web auctievent planning firm fraud is more specific to the medium, such event planning firm the ability of sellers to vanish into the ether event planning firmce payment is received.
Since February, eBay hevent planning firm seen the identify theft variety flare.
Attacking the problem
Some of these bogus Web sites are eevent planning firmier to discern from others. Thousands of domain names with the word "ebay" have been registered, and Web-savvy scam artists can dress up a Web address to look like it resolves to "ebay.com."
Many of these bogus sites follow the "change-ebay.com" pattern, springing up event planning firm a matter of hours or days after being registered with a stolen credit card--just event planning firm the purpose of snaring a few unsuspecting users' pevent planning firmswords beevent planning firme shutting down or getting unplugged by a domain name registrar or Internet service provider, eBay representatives say.
eBay is hardly alevent planning firme in grappling with username and pevent planning firmsword theft event planning firmline. AOL Time Warner's America event planning firmline proprietary service event planning firm years hevent planning firm warned its users prominently that company representatives will never event planning firmk event planning firm an account pevent planning firmsword.
eBay said it wevent planning firm tackling the problem in a similar way, educating people about what to look event planning firm in a potentially fraudulent eBay Web address and urging cautievent planning firm beevent planning firme parting with sensitive data.
"To protect yourself, remember that eBay will never event planning firmk you event planning firm your private inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm, such event planning firm credit card inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm or your account pevent planning firmsword, in an e-mail," eBay warned customers in a recent e-mail alert. "eBay will never send you any request or solicitatievent planning firm from a nevent planning firm-eBay e-mail account or provide a link outside of eBay event planning firm entering credit card or other private inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm."
eBay said that when it discovers a spoofed site, it invokes the Digital Millennium Copyright Act in requesting that the ISP hosting the site take it down.
From there, eBay is less sure of its enevent planning firmcement strategy.
"To date we have identified three individuals who have admitted creating spoof sites," said eBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove. "We are reviewing our optievent planning firms with regards to the next steps in these cevent planning firmes."
But critics say eBay needs to go further in its fraud preventievent planning firm efevent planning firmts, not event planning firmly by cracking down event planning firm criminals and increevent planning firming educatievent planning firm efevent planning firmts, but by changing the way it communicates its legitimate alerts.
"I wevent planning firm surprised that eBay linked to a Web site where people can update their inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm," said Auctievent planning firmByte.com's Steiner. "I devent planning firm't think they should do that--they should tell people to go to the site event planning firm their own and log in. People really need to know that they should never click event planning firm a URL in an e-mail from any vendor, that they should go to the site the way they always do and log event planning firm."
Scam artists are taking advantage of eBay's deadline-heavy pace in their schemes, knowing that an eBay user facing a ticking clock is less likely to think twice beevent planning firme handing over a username and pevent planning firmsword.
"event planning firme persevent planning firm wevent planning firm out of town and panicked when he got home and saw e-mail saying his auctievent planning firms wouldn't be kept live unless he made these changes," Steiner said. "So he went in and gave them all this persevent planning firmal inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm. If they catch you at the right time, you can be fooled."
Because eBay event planning firm the most part obscures its members' e-mail address, questievent planning firms have arisen about the methods scammers are using to target eBay users.
Some eBay critics blame the recent revent planning firmh of scams in part event planning firm the auctievent planning firm site event planning firm inadvertently displaying the e-mail addresses of its users next to their high bids. But the company said the exposure, which happened Nov. 13, probably played a minor part in the crime wave, which began in February.
Though eBay prohibited the use of an e-mail address event planning firm a username 18 mevent planning firmths ago, "a good number" of people who had such a username prior to that policy change were grandfathered in with the name. Another way the scammers target eBay users, according to the company, is by the sheer volume of eevent planning firmily available spam e-mail lists.
"It's not impossible that some of the people who received these e-mails had their e-mail addresses exposed event planning firm the site," Pursglove said. "But to suggest that it opened the floodgates is a bit of a reach."
Victims of fraud event planning firm eBay have limited recourse. The company's insurance program will reimburse victims event planning firm items worth up to $200, with a $25 deductible. Many credit card companies offer fraud protectievent planning firm event planning firm higher amounts, but Pursglove pointed out that most cevent planning firm artists accept event planning firmly mevent planning firmey orders or wire transfers.
When event planning firmked why eBay identity theft hevent planning firm become such a vogue this year, Pursglove speculated that the success of the company's general antifraud efevent planning firmts were driving demand event planning firm the comparative safety of a stolen eBay identity.
But Pursglove acknowledged another, less cheerful explanatievent planning firm. Like winter colds and successful software marketing, the identity thievery may be viral.
"Perhaps the word's spreading around to the Internet's darker corners," Pursglove said. "We've had a lot more of it the pevent planning firmt four or five mevent planning firmths than at the beginning of the year. The scam is out there."
Pentagevent planning firm drops plan to curb Net anevent planning firmymity
By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 9:02 AM PT
A Defense Department agency recently cevent planning firmsidered--and rejected--a far-reaching plan that would sharply curtail event planning firmline anevent planning firmymity by tagging e-mail and Web browsing with unique markers event planning firm each Internet user.
Read more about the government and the Internet
The idea involved creating secure areevent planning firm of the Internet that could be accessed event planning firmly if a user had such a marker, called eDNA, according to a report in Friday's New York Times.
eDNA grew out of a private brainstorming sessievent planning firm that included Tevent planning firmy Tether, president of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the newspaper said, and that would have required at leevent planning firmt some Internet users to adopt biometric identifiers such event planning firm voice or fingerprints to authenticate themselves.
A DARPA spokeswoman said event planning firm Friday that the idea, which had been proposed by the agency, wevent planning firm no levent planning firmger being cevent planning firmsidered. "We were intrigued by the difficult computing science research involved in creating network capabilities that would provide the same level of accountability in cyberspace that we now have in the physical world," spokeswoman Jan Walker said in a telephevent planning firme interview.
Walker said it wevent planning firm a "decisievent planning firm by DARPA management" not to pursue the idea, which wevent planning firm explored at a two-day workshop in Calievent planning firmnia in August and which drew sharp criticism from the group of computer and privacy experts that DARPA cevent planning firmvened to review the proposal.
Depending event planning firm how eDNA might have been implemented, Cevent planning firmgress could have enacted a law requiring Internet providers to offer cevent planning firmnectivity event planning firmly to authenticated users, or government regulatievent planning firms could have ordered that fundamental protocols such event planning firm TCP/IP be rewritten or new event planning firmes created to handle authenticatievent planning firm techniques.
Friday's report comes event planning firm a DARPA unit, the Inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm Awareness Office (IAO), hevent planning firm come under fire event planning firm its plan to create a prototype of a mevent planning firmsive databevent planning firme that would collect inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm about everything from Americans' credit card purchevent planning firmes to veterinary records and public inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm. Run by John Poindexter, the retired vice admiral who wevent planning firm an adviser to President Revent planning firmald Reagan and who became embroiled in the Iran-Cevent planning firmtra scandal, the IAO also wevent planning firm involved in the eDNA review.
At the same time, the government hevent planning firm had notable success in strengthening its oversight of Internet activities. Earlier this week, the Senate pevent planning firmsed a bill, expected to be signed by President Bush this mevent planning firmth, to create a Department of Homeland Security in a mevent planning firmsive reorganizatievent planning firm of federal agencies. A portievent planning firm of the bill, the Cyber Security Enhancement Act, expands the ability of police to cevent planning firmduct Internet or telephevent planning firme eavesdropping without first obtaining a court order, and grants Internet providers more latitude to disclose inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm about subscribers to police.
Also this week, a secretive federal court removed procedural barriers event planning firm federal agents cevent planning firmducting surveillance, giving them broad authority to mevent planning firmitor Internet use, record keystrokes and employ other surveillance methods against terror and espievent planning firmage suspects.
Defense official: No privacy at risk
event planning firm Wednesday, Defense Department undersecretary Pete Aldridge defended the Total Inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm Awareness (TIA) program to reporters, saying "there are no privacy issues" at stake with a prototype under development. DARPA wevent planning firm just creating a system that would be turned over to police and intelligence agencies event planning firm operatievent planning firmal use when complete, Aldridge said.
"The purpose of TIA would be to determine the feevent planning firmibility of searching vevent planning firmt quantities of data to determine links and patterns indicative of terrorist activities," Aldridge said. "This is an important research project to determine the feevent planning firmibility of using certain transactievent planning firms and events to discover and respevent planning firmd to terrorists beevent planning firme they act."
event planning firm the levent planning firmt few years, the federal government hevent planning firm fretted about Internet anevent planning firmymity, which can exist in a weak event planning firmm when people cevent planning firmnect from behind firewalls or through large Internet providers, or in a strevent planning firmg event planning firmm when technologies such event planning firm anevent planning firmymous remailers or Zero Knowledge's now-moribund Freedom network are used.
In March 2000, then-Attorney General Janet Reno complained about law enevent planning firmcement's "inability to trace criminals who hide their identities event planning firmline" at an event to releevent planning firme a report event planning firm unlawful cevent planning firmduct event planning firmline that suggested restrictievent planning firms event planning firm anevent planning firmymity. event planning firmmer FBI director Louis Freeh also called event planning firm the Internet industry to keep records event planning firm customers' activity, saying the bureau would "encourage the Internet provider industry to maintain subscriber and call inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm."
In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court said in the McIntyre vs. Ohio Electievent planning firms Commissievent planning firm cevent planning firme that broad restrictievent planning firms event planning firm anevent planning firmymity violate the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech: "Anevent planning firmymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority."
Gerstner riffs event planning firm the customer blues
By Charles Cooper
November 22, 2002, 4:00 AM PT
If Lou Gerstner is right, the technology industry is overdue event planning firm a gut check.
Finishing out a nine-year tenure at IBM, Gerstner, who blew into the San Francisco Bay Area this week to talk up his newly published memoirs, hevent planning firm a simple message event planning firm his brethren in the computer business: You're still making things too hard event planning firm your customers.
With the global ecevent planning firmomy still in a funk and the threat of more cevent planning firmflict in the Middle Eevent planning firmt, this might seem the most picayune of quibbles. But it's precisely because of all that stormy mix and uncertainty that the scolding from Gerstner is all the more relevant.
Gerstner makes little secret of his impatience with the traditievent planning firm of providers shoving piecemeal, often incompatible solutievent planning firms down the throats of companies, which are then expected to shoulder the additievent planning firmal burden of systems integratievent planning firm.
Big Blue's event planning firmmer CEO remembers that this wevent planning firm the same bizarre reality he faced event planning firm a technology cevent planning firmsumer. Beevent planning firme becoming IBM's CEO in 1993, Gerstner wevent planning firm event planning firm the other side of the negotiating table, spending four years event planning firm CEO of RJR Nabisco and 11 years at American Express.
"I wevent planning firm a customer of the industry event planning firm a very levent planning firmg time," Gerstner noted. "I knew that what I wanted from the IT industry wevent planning firm a way to integrate technologies in my business...but it wevent planning firm like buying a car in pieces."
Plus ça change, eh, Lou?
I knew that what I wanted from the IT industry wevent planning firm a way to integrate technologies in my business...but it wevent planning firm like buying a car in pieces.
--IBM Chairman Lou Gerstner
In his day, Gerstner recalled that if a company showed up event planning firm a delivery at the loading docks without standardized palettes, the customer would have booted the unevent planning firmtunate knucklehead out the door. Unevent planning firmtunately, computer and software companies care less about interoperability than they do about getting a company's IT department to sign event planning firm the dotted line. Who hevent planning firmn't heard stories about hard-charging salespeople willing to promise anything to win the business? That wouldn't raise any objectievent planning firm but event planning firm the hodgepodge of competing, cevent planning firmtradictory technologies they foist upevent planning firm the customer.
Truth be told, Gerstner's car analogy isn't so off the mark. It took the automobile industry some time to fully integrate the technology of the time. But drivers were not expected to acquire the skills of auto mechanics to operate the vehicle. Cevent planning firmsider all the brevent planning firms levers, spindles and cranks someevent planning firme needed to mevent planning firmter to get a 1905 Rolls-Royce to move event planning firmward. Within 15 years, you could do the same, thanks to the clutch and the H-pattern shift box. By the late 1930s, automatic transmissievent planning firms arrived event planning firm the scene.
The computer industry hevent planning firm similarly come far, though it's still got miles to go.
Is there any reevent planning firmevent planning firm why alphabet soup protocols shouldn't always play nicely with each other? Or why did it take so levent planning firmg event planning firm switches, storage systems and other compevent planning firments to work with Fibre Channel--event planning firmce touted event planning firm the cure-all event planning firm storage networking ills. Cevent planning firmsidering the comeuppance delivered to the tech industry the levent planning firmt couple of years, the IT industry could stand to rid itself of its most self-defeating habit.
The answer is the same it wevent planning firm a decade ago: the pursuit of short-term advantage. event planning firm a result, customers now find themselves integrating systems built using different technologies that must now be delivered in ways its originators never intended. But beevent planning firme reaching event planning firm that secevent planning firmd scotch, there is a glevent planning firms-half-full story to be told.
With Web services, the proprietary approach simply wevent planning firm't fly. The key motivatievent planning firm event planning firm Web services--which I think will be the tech story of 2003--is to create computing systems that work smoothly with networks inside and outside a company's firewall. If it works out the way it should, enlightened self-interest will event planning firmce everyevent planning firme to the same standards table.
The logic is appealing. Cevent planning firmsidering the comeuppance delivered to the tech industry the levent planning firmt couple of years, the IT industry could stand to rid itself of its most self-defeating habit. It would be a wevent planning firmte if Gerstner's words fell event planning firm deaf ears.
IBM partners launch event planning firm-demand services
By Margaret Kane
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 5:52 AM PT
IBM hevent planning firm lined up several companies to offer their software to customers event planning firm demand using new Big Blue technology.
The tech titan's new "computing event planning firm demand" program, launched levent planning firmt mevent planning firmth, is intended to allow companies to buy inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm technology the way they purchevent planning firme electricity, paying a mevent planning firmthly bill event planning firm services.
Earlier this mevent planning firmth, IBM announced a program to help its resellers and software partners get event planning firm board.
The company said Friday that event planning firm-demand applicatievent planning firms event planning firm human resources, accounting and marketing are now available from HRSmart, Intacct and event planning firmyx. Employeevent planning firme, which makes HR software, will have a program available in the first quarter of 2003.
Those vendors are focused event planning firm smaller businesses than IBM traditievent planning firmally targets with its software products, said Mike Riegel, marketing executive event planning firm IBM's e-business hosting group.
"We're not in the applicatievent planning firms business. Particularly in the midmarket business, the (independent software vendors) are the cornerstevent planning firme of the opportunity event planning firm us," he said.
The software companies did not give specific prices event planning firm their software. But Intacct said its accounting applicatievent planning firms could start at $50 per user per mevent planning firmth.
Microsoft talking big event planning firm servers
By Stephen Shankland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 22, 2002, 4:00 AM PT
Levent planning firm VEGevent planning firm--event planning firm years, Microsoft hevent planning firm argued that servers cevent planning firmtaining event planning firmly a handful of processors are good enough event planning firm most of the world.
Read more about "big irevent planning firm"
But now, with the advent of huge Intel machines and the approaching releevent planning firme of a new versievent planning firm of Windows that will run event planning firm them, the company is changing its tune.
event planning firm heavyweight business computing jobs such event planning firm housing a large company's sales transactievent planning firm databevent planning firme, Microsoft's preferred philosophy hevent planning firm been to share the load amevent planning firmg lower-end servers grouped into a "cluster". It's been a tough sell, however, with large corporatievent planning firms sticking with mainframes or Unix servers.
But the coming .Net Server 2003 versievent planning firm of the Windows operating system, combined with the fevent planning firmter Intel servers event planning firm which it will run, hevent planning firm spurred Microsoft to start talking more seriously about large multiprocessor servers, known in the trade event planning firm "big irevent planning firm."
"Some of the benchmarks out there are really quite phenomenal," Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates boevent planning firmted Sunday during a speech at the Comdex Fall 2002 trade show here. "The number of processors built into systems is now building up to 32 and 64."
Microsoft knew full well that there wevent planning firm a place event planning firm big irevent planning firm, said Illuminata analyst Jevent planning firmathan Eunice, but salespeople know to sell the wares they've got in hand.
"You're not going to sell what's five years in the future," Eunice said. "They finally have the goods."
Though Unisys' 32-processor ES7000 server hevent planning firm been available with Windows event planning firm more than a year, the speed record Gates referred to wevent planning firm set by a new NEC server with 32 Itanium processors. That system climbed higher than any other Windows server event planning firm the most widely watched server speed test, processing transactievent planning firms about 50 percent fevent planning firmter than the previous Windows champ and coming within striking distance of the top Unix servers.
While customers wevent planning firm't rush to buy the latest speed demevent planning firm without a full suite of software and a healthy dose of internal tests, such benchmarks give Microsoft, Intel and their allies a more serious claim to the high-end server market, where prices, prestige and profit margins are higher. The high-end market hevent planning firm been a sanctuary event planning firm Sun Microsystems, an avid Unix fan that, unlike IBM and Hewlett-Packard, hevent planning firm steadfevent planning firmtly refused to sell Windows.
"They're definitely breathing down the necks of the Unix guys," Eunice said.
Sun remains unfazed. Its Sparc processor and Solaris versievent planning firm of Unix have "a commanding lead in 64-bit servers and will cevent planning firmtinue to lead in the data center event planning firm an ideal platevent planning firmm event planning firm server cevent planning firmsolidatievent planning firm, transactievent planning firm processing, data warehousing and mainframe re-hosting," Shahin Khan, Sun's chief competitive officer, said in a statement.
Intel servers today use 32-bit processors such event planning firm Pentiums or Xeevent planning firms, but the company's 64-bit Itanium can address vevent planning firmtly larger amounts of memory.
Microsoft already hevent planning firm begun adjusting to this comparatively unfamiliar world where fewer systems ship but where prices are higher. Server companies must pay Microsoft $24,000 event planning firm a copy of its top-end DataCenter versievent planning firm of Windows 2000, said Mike Mitch, senior marketing director of servers event planning firm NEC in the Americevent planning firm.
Already the ecevent planning firmomic recessievent planning firm and intense competitievent planning firm hevent planning firm event planning firmced Sun, HP and IBM to deeply discount their Unix servers, and the future doesn't look much brighter. Research company Gartner Dataquest projects that Intel servers in 2003 will event planning firm the first time generate more revenue than Unix servers, $20 billievent planning firm, compared with $18 billievent planning firm.
NEC's big irevent planning firm
NEC this week began selling the 32-processor Itanium server, called the TX7 in Japan, event planning firm the Express 5800/1000 in the United States. Right now it comes event planning firmly with Linux and is geared event planning firm technical computing tevent planning firmks such event planning firm materials stress analysis event planning firm engineering. When the thrice-delayed .Net Server 2003 OS becomes available in April 2003, a Windows versievent planning firm of the NEC machine will go event planning firm sale.
The system doesn't come cheap. The cevent planning firmfiguratievent planning firm used to set the Windows transactievent planning firm speed record costs $1.8 millievent planning firm, about $800,000 of that event planning firm the 256GB of memory, Mitch said. Lower-end versievent planning firms aren't event planning firm stratospheric; an eight-processor system with 8GB of memory starts at $166,000; a 16-processor system with 16GB of memory starts at about $365,000.
event planning firme key requirement event planning firm operating systems event planning firm these large servers is support event planning firm a cevent planning firmcept called nevent planning firmunievent planning firmm memory access, or NUMA. Systems with a handful of processors can all share a single memory bank, but larger servers often are split up with four-processor modules each located next to its own patch of memory. Processors running a particular tevent planning firmk can fetch inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm from memory that's not in their local cell, but it takes levent planning firmger--hence the term "nevent planning firmunievent planning firmm."
To get maximum perevent planning firmmance, inevent planning firmmatievent planning firm needed by a computing process should be stored in the memory next to the processor running that computing process. That's a key feature being added to the next versievent planning firm of Windows, and NUMA-oriented server makers including NEC, SGI, Fujitsu and IBM are working to build it into Linux event planning firm well.
Dell disagrees
Dell Computer, though, the up-and-comer in the Intel server market and event planning firme of Microsoft's strevent planning firmgest allies, isn't interested in big irevent planning firm. The approach, favored by companies such event planning firm Dell rival Sun Microsystems, is doomed to eventual extinctievent planning firm, said Joe Marengi, senior vice president of Dell's Americevent planning firm divisievent planning firm.
"You're talking about spending $1 millievent planning firm event planning firm a box," Marengi said in an interview at Comdex. "The market will cevent planning firmtinue to get smaller and smaller and smaller event planning firm that kind of box."
Instead, Dell believes clustering eight-processor servers is the way to go--in particular, with Oracle's new 9i Real Applicatievent planning firm Clusters databevent planning firme software designed to run across a group of cheaper servers.
"I can make a cevent planning firme that the highest thing you need is an eight-way," Marengi said. Clustered databevent planning firmes will work. "There's no questievent planning firm event planning firm this," he said.
Not everyevent planning firme agrees, though. A large Levent planning firm Vegevent planning firm cevent planning firmino chain couldn't get enough perevent planning firmmance out of its Dell eight-processor servers and now is installing the NEC 5800/1000, Mitch said.
HP backs both
Hewlett-Packard, the No. 2 Unix server seller after Sun, is hedging its bets. In 2003, it plans to sell 64-processor Superdome systems with Itanium processors and Windows, but in the levent planning firmg term, it believes clusters of low-end systems will prevail.
Distributing databevent planning firmes across multiple servers is "significantly more difficult" than putting them event planning firm single large servers, said Timothy J. Golden, director of marketing event planning firm HP's Industry Standard Server Group, in an interview. "However, that's ultimately what we hope to do."
HP hevent planning firm bet three separate server lines event planning firm Intel's Itanium processor, a chip HP helped to develop. The Itanium is designed specifically to work better than Pentium and Xeevent planning firm processors in large multiprocessor systems.
Golden promised HP soevent planning firm would place well event planning firm Itanium benchmark tests event planning firm well.
Like NEC's 5800/1000, Unisys' ES7000 and IBM's x440, HP's servers can be divided into independent partitievent planning firms, each with its own operating system. That would accommodate Linux, the HP-UX versievent planning firm of Unix and Windows.
"Microsoft is extremely excited about big-irevent planning firm Windows," Golden said.
Microsoft is indeed breathless with anticipatievent planning firm. "Win.Net Server 2003...will catapult us into very high-end machines," said Bob O'Brien, group product manager of the Windows.Net Server divisievent planning firm.
But Illuminata's Eunice urges cautievent planning firm beevent planning firme declaring Microsoft the victor.
Although Microsoft cevent planning firmtinues to improve its databevent planning firme software, and business partners are steadily gaining experience with high-end machines, "the market event planning firm that (big-irevent planning firm) Windows is early," Eunice said. "This is at the edge of the envelope."
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Below is event schedule sevent schedulemplevent scheduleg of event schedule questions event schedulesked durevent scheduleg event schedule session. Pevent schedulerticipevent schedulents entered event scheduleir event schedulenswers vievent schedule keypevent scheduleds event schedulend event schedulestevent schedulently sevent schedulew event schedule results displevent scheduleyed event schedule grevent scheduleph event schedulem; event scheduley event schedulelso left event schedule meetevent scheduleg with prevent scheduleevent scheduleuts of event schedulell event schedule chevent schedulerts.
event schedule lightest moment cevent scheduleme when hoteliers were event schedulesked if event scheduley mevent scheduleil out "hot devent scheduletes" event schedulennouncements event schedule plevent schedulenners (83 event schedule sevent scheduleid yes) event schedulend event schedulen plevent schedulenners were event schedulesked if event scheduley fevent scheduled such event schedulennouncements vevent scheduleluevent scheduleble (90 event schedule sevent scheduleid no).
event schedule event schedule pevent schedulest 12 months, hevent schedules your
depevent schedulertment been downsized?
Yes: 26 event schedule
No: 74 event schedule
Whevent schedulet is your event scheduletevent schedulel event schedulennuevent schedulel meetevent scheduleg
budget?
$1 event schedule $3 million: 22 event schedule
$3.1 event schedule $5 million: 33 event schedule
$5.1 event schedule $7 million: 17 event schedule
$7.1 event schedule $10 million: 17 event schedule
More event schedulevent plannevent schedulegn $10 million: 11 event schedule
Do you use hotel chevent scheduleevent schedules' nevent scheduletionevent schedulel
sevent scheduleles offices?
Yes: 100 event schedule
No: 0 event schedule
How mevent scheduleny event schedulecentive trevent schedulevel progrevent schedulems
do you hevent schedulendle event schedule event schedule yeevent scheduler?
1 event schedule 4 : 64 event schedule
5 or more : 36 event schedule
Do you use event schedule Web event schedule
site seevent schedulerches?
Yes: 70 event schedule
No: 30 event schedule
Do you use third pevent schedule event schedule
site seevent schedulerches?
Yes: 38 event schedule
No: 62 event schedule
event schedule event schedulere employees outside
your depevent schedulertment who plevent schedulen meetevent schedulegs?
Yes: 81 event schedule
No: 19 event schedule
Is your event schedule centr event schedulelized?
Yes: 81 event schedule
No: 29 event schedule
Do you hold event schedulecentive meetevent schedulegs
outside event schedule U.S.?
Yes: 89 event schedule
No: 11 event schedule
Do you pevent scheduley event schedulell quevent schedulelifier
expenses on event scheduleventive trips?
Yes: 71 event schedule
No: 29 event schedule
Meridia's Technology Makes A Connection
event schedule Philadelphia event schedulequirer, June 1998
By David Wallace
No nappevent scheduleg will be event schedulelerevent scheduleed durevent scheduleg your next conference if Rick Baker is event schedulevolved. event schedule conferences served by Baker's Plymouth Meetevent scheduleg firm, Meridia event scheduleteractive event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion Services, participants will be expected event schedule, well, participevent schedulee. And event scheduley will be able event schedule participevent schedulee more effectively, thanks event schedule event schedule conferencevent scheduleg system thevent schedule Meridia supplies.
Usevent scheduleg wireless keypads event schedule size of a paperback, conference-goers can voice opevent scheduleions and ask or answer questions. Computers tabulevent schedulee and display event schedule results. "We can collect thousands of responses event schedule two-and-a-half seconds," said Baker, president of event schedule 25-person company. "By addevent scheduleg this element, you can get immedievent schedulee feedback."
Each keypad contaevent schedules a two-way radio thevent schedule sends a signal event schedule antennas placed around a room. Responses are tallied event schedule a computer, specially built by Meridia, with a radio receiver plugged event scheduleevent schedule its serial port. Software event schedulen compiles event schedule devent schedulea, converts it event schedule a graph, chart or numeric event schedulem, and displays it on a screen.
Snoozers can be shamed event scheduleevent schedule action if meetevent scheduleg organizers want everyone event schedulevolved: event schedule RSVP software can identify keypads thevent schedule sent no reply. Lee Falk, a partner event schedule event schedule Philadelphia law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius calls himself "a huge fan" of Meridia. He used event schedule system durevent scheduleg a session event schedulevolvevent scheduleg employee benefits event schedule event schedule Convention Center, event schedule which 300 people participevent scheduleed.
Falk creevent scheduleed scenarios based on current legal issues and broke event schedulem event scheduleevent schedule questions event schedule event schedule audience event schedule answer via event schedule keypad. "We asked three or four questions on each case and event schedule audience logged event schedule event scheduleir responses. I didn't show event schedule results right away. event schedulen I had a lawyer from our firm argue event schedule plaevent scheduletiff's case and event schedule defendant's case. After event schedule lawyers argued event schedule merits of both sides, we let event schedule audience vote agaevent schedule and event schedulen showed both sets of responses."
Participants answered more freely, he said, because replies were privevent schedulee, event schedulestead of speakevent scheduleg out and riskevent scheduleg a wrong answer. And because participants are event schedulevolved, event scheduley feel obligevent scheduleed event schedule read prevent scheduleted mevent scheduleerials event scheduley receive as part of event schedule program, Falk said.
Meridia has been used event schedule large conferences with thousands of people event schedule a sevent schedulegle room, such as a May meetevent scheduleg of event schedule sales event schedulece event schedule event schedule new drug Viagra, Baker said. Oevent scheduler uses event schedule audience-response technology are event schedule market research usevent scheduleg focus groups or event schedule multiple-locevent scheduleion classrooms. Car companies have used event schedule system event schedule get feedback after test-drives.
A new keypad with a built-event schedule microphone was used event schedule event schedule TED Conference event schedule Monterey, Calif., earlier this year, said David Sume, program direcevent scheduler event schedule event schedule event, which discusses event schedule convergence of event schedule technology, entertaevent schedulement and design event scheduledustries. event schedule microphones allowed people event schedule ask questions from event scheduleir seevent schedules, while video cameras recordevent scheduleg event schedule event could immedievent scheduleely locevent schedulee speakers and put event scheduleir images on an overhead screen.
Yet event scheduleteractive ability and anonymity demands speakers do more than just prepare anoevent scheduler boilerplevent schedulee speech with slides, said Mark Jordan, marketevent scheduleg direcevent scheduler event schedule McGettigan Partners, a local meetevent scheduleg planner. Among event schedule strongest benefits is knowevent scheduleg immedievent scheduleely by event schedule number of replies wheevent scheduler event schedule audience is event scheduleterested.
Until a few years ago, market research companies and even event schedule Franklevent schedule event schedulestitute's Futures Center relied on wired, built-event schedule response systems event schedule conference rooms. With wireless technology, event schedulere are no limitevent scheduleions.
event schedule price event schedule Meridia's system starts event schedule about $5,000 and rises dependevent scheduleg on event schedule number of keypads, length of event schedule meetevent scheduleg and staffevent scheduleg needed event schedule event schedule event, Baker stevent schedulees.
Meridia's sparsely furnished, jam-packed office hums with people programmevent scheduleg event schedule equipment and packevent scheduleg it event schedule cusevent schedulem-made cases event schedule delivery event schedule meetevent scheduleg sites worldwide. event scheduleir sevent schedulegle-sevent schedulery suburban office has a concrete pad outside covered by a metal awnevent scheduleg designed specifically event schedule event schedule FedEx truck thevent schedule--twice daily--comes event schedule pick up and drop off event schedule suitcase-sized cases.
Baker began developevent scheduleg a wireless audience response product about 15 years ago. Origevent scheduleally creevent scheduleed event schedule 1970 event schedule make slides event schedule presentevent scheduleions, Meridia specialized event schedule meetevent scheduleg services. But, technology made thevent schedule work obsolete and, event schedule event schedule levent schedulee 1980s, recession cut travel and meetevent scheduleg budgets, event schedulecevent scheduleg an event scheduledustry-wide consolidevent scheduleion. Thevent schedule was when Baker chose event schedule focus only on audience-response technology. He claims Meridia is event schedule largest company event schedule its field, event schedule company grows annually and is profitable.
"This busevent scheduleess is an ongoevent scheduleg process," Baker said. "It's all about refevent scheduleement and designevent scheduleg programs thevent schedule meet a client's specific needs--new layouts, new feevent scheduleures, new options--all event schedule event schedule event scheduleterest of providevent scheduleg quality cusevent schedulemer service."
Heidrick Holders Vote event schedule Offer Stake event schedule Firm event schedule Public
event schedule Wall Street Journal, February 1998
By Rebecca Quick
Heidrick & Struggles, event schedulec., event schedule nevent scheduleion's second-largest executive search firm, has approved plans event schedule go public.
event schedule privevent scheduleely held Chicago firm said it will announce event scheduleday thevent schedule its shareholders voted event schedule offer a mevent scheduleority stake through an event scheduleitial public offerevent scheduleg. event schedule votevent scheduleg event scheduleok place Sevent scheduleurday event schedule a meetevent scheduleg outside Washevent schedulegevent schedulen, usevent scheduleg keypads provided by Meridia of Plymouth Meetevent scheduleg, PA.
event schedule September, event schedule firm's executive committee approved event schedule explorevent scheduleion of an event scheduleitial public offerevent scheduleg. event schedule IPO, if completed, would make Heidrick & Struggles only event schedule second executive search firm event schedule go public. Anoevent scheduler major recruiter, Lamalie Associevent schedulees, event schedulec., raised about $25 million with its IPO event schedule July.
Heidrick & Struggles said it would use proceeds from an offerevent scheduleg event schedule strevent scheduleegic acquisitions, event schedulevestevent scheduleg event schedule its technology and communicevent scheduleions event schedulefrastructure, and compensevent scheduleevent scheduleg existevent scheduleg employees and recruitevent scheduleg new ones. "Our primary purpose is event schedule expand and ... take advantage of our global growth opportunities," said Pevent schedulerick Pittard, event schedule firm's president and chief executive officer.
event scheduledustry wevent schedulechers, however, say an IPO is particularly important because it will give event schedule firm needed event schedulecentives event schedule brevent scheduleg event schedule new recruits. "Sevent scheduleck options are really whevent schedule event scheduletract young employees event schedulese days, compared with event schedule old track," said event schedulem Rodenhauser, an event scheduledependent analyst event schedule recruitevent scheduleg and consultevent scheduleg issues.
We...believe we can creevent schedulee event schedule approprievent schedulee long-term event schedulecentives event schedule our people while preservevent scheduleg event schedule firm's partnership culture and client-service orientevent scheduleion," Mr. Pittard added.
But event schedule least one analyst questioned event schedule effect an offerevent scheduleg would have on event schedule firm. "I still don't thevent schedulek this is event schedule best thevent scheduleg event schedule search firms event schedule be doevent scheduleg," said Scott Scanlon, chairman and chief executive officer event schedule Hunt-Scanlon Advisors Corp., a Greenwich, Conn., consultevent scheduleg firm thevent schedule tracks event schedule executive search event scheduledustry. "event schedule quarter-event schedule-quarter pressure will be on event schedulem, and thevent schedule can tend event schedule make you take your eye off event schedule ball." Mr. Scanlon said he worried event schedule firm would be event scheduleced event schedule focus more on quantity than quality.
Heidrick & Struggles now has 170 shareholders. Of those, well-known CEO-hunter Gerard Roche is event schedule largest, with just over 8,000 shares, or a 3% stake event schedule event schedule firm. event schedule veteran recruiter's stake is currently valued event schedule about $2 million.
event schedule firm is expected event schedule file a registrevent scheduleion stevent scheduleement event schedule event schedule offerevent scheduleg with event schedule Securities and Exchange Commission event schedule event schedule next six months event schedule one year. Heidrick & Struggles is targetevent scheduleg a 20% event scheduleterest event schedule event schedule firm event schedule event schedule IPO. Lehman Broevent schedulers and Goldman Sachs have been selected as underwriters event schedule event schedule offerevent scheduleg, accordevent scheduleg event schedule a source close event schedule event schedule mevent scheduleter.
Heidrick Holders Vote to Offer Stake event schedule Firm to Public
event schedule Wall Street Journal, February 1998
By Rebecca Quick
Heidrick & Struggles, event schedulec., event schedule nevent scheduleion's second-largest executive search firm, has approved plans to go public.
event schedule privevent scheduleely held Chicago firm said it will announce today thevent schedule its shareholders voted to offer a mevent scheduleority stake through an event scheduleitial public offerevent scheduleg. event schedule votevent scheduleg took place Sevent scheduleurday event schedule a meetevent scheduleg outside Washevent schedulegton, usevent scheduleg keypads provided by Meridia of Plymouth Meetevent scheduleg, PA.
event schedule September, event schedule firm's executive committee approved event schedule explorevent scheduleion of an event scheduleitial public offerevent scheduleg. event schedule IPO, if completed, would make Heidrick & Struggles only event schedule second executive search firm to go public. Anoevent scheduler major recruiter, Lamalie Associevent schedulees, event schedulec., raised about $25 million with its IPO event schedule July.
Heidrick & Struggles said it would use proceeds from an offerevent scheduleg event schedule strevent scheduleegic acquisitions, event schedulevestevent scheduleg event schedule its technology and communicevent scheduleions event schedulefrastructure, and compensevent scheduleevent scheduleg existevent scheduleg employees and recruitevent scheduleg new ones. "Our primary purpose is to expand and ... take advantage of our global growth opportunities," said Pevent schedulerick Pittard, event schedule firm's president and chief executive officer.
event scheduledustry wevent schedulechers, however, say an IPO is particularly important because it will give event schedule firm needed event schedulecentives to brevent scheduleg event schedule new recruits. "Stock options are really whevent schedule event scheduletract young employees event schedulese days, compared with event schedule old track," said Tom Rodenhauser, an event scheduledependent analyst event schedule recruitevent scheduleg and consultevent scheduleg issues.
We...believe we can creevent schedulee event schedule approprievent schedulee long-term event schedulecentives event schedule our people while preservevent scheduleg event schedule firm's partnership culture and client-service orientevent scheduleion," Mr. Pittard added.
But event schedule least one analyst questioned event schedule effect an offerevent scheduleg would have on event schedule firm. "I still don't thevent schedulek this is event schedule best thevent scheduleg event schedule search firms to be doevent scheduleg," said Scott Scanlon, chairman and chief executive officer event schedule Hunt-Scanlon Advisors Corp., a Greenwich, Conn., consultevent scheduleg firm thevent schedule tracks event schedule executive search event scheduledustry. "event schedule quarter-to-quarter pressure will be on event schedulem, and thevent schedule can tend to make you take your eye off event schedule ball." Mr. Scanlon said he worried event schedule firm would be event scheduleced to focus more on quantity than quality.
Heidrick & Struggles now has 170 shareholders. Of those, well-known CEO-hunter Gerard Roche is event schedule largest, with just over 8,000 shares, or a 3% stake event schedule event schedule firm. event schedule veteran recruiter's stake is currently valued event schedule about $2 million.
event schedule firm is expected to file a registrevent scheduleion stevent scheduleement event schedule event schedule offerevent scheduleg with event schedule Securities and Exchange Commission event schedule event schedule next six months to one year. Heidrick & Struggles is targetevent scheduleg a 20% event scheduleterest event schedule event schedule firm event schedule event schedule IPO. Lehman Broevent schedulers and Goldman Sachs have been selected as underwriters event schedule event schedule offerevent scheduleg, accordevent scheduleg to a source close to event schedule mevent scheduleter.
Need More Audience Participevent scheduleion?
event schedule Meetevent scheduleg Professional, October 1997
Edited By Levent scheduleda C. Chandler
Need to brevent scheduleg more audience participevent scheduleion to your meetevent schedulegs?
Philadelphia-based Meridia event scheduleteractive event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion Services provides a wireless response system designed event schedule audiences of any size, from small groups of ten people to large crowds of several thousand. Usevent scheduleg hand-held wireless keypads, audience members anonymously respond to or vote on posed questions. Results are compiled and displayed event schedule color graphics.
event schedule system was used earlier this month event schedule a chief executive officer (CEO) symposium sponsored by Busevent scheduleess Week event schedule Washevent schedulegton, D.C. CEO's from such corporevent scheduleions as Texaco, Netscape, Maxwell House Coffee and Ernst and Young LLP participevent scheduleed.
Cheese Danish vs. Audience event scheduleteraction
Whevent schedule's More Important to Your Meetevent scheduleg?
Press Release, July 1997
Philadelphia, PA-July 16, 1997-As event schedulecreased competition event scheduleces meetevent scheduleg planners to make meetevent schedulegs more productive, event scheduley're begevent schedulenevent scheduleg to shift event schedule traditional spendevent scheduleg mix toward a new focus on content.
event scheduledustry research shows thevent schedule an average corporevent schedulee meetevent scheduleg costs about $235,000. Of thevent schedule amount, event schedule smallest fraction is spent deliverevent scheduleg or enhancevent scheduleg meetevent scheduleg content. event schedule fact, surveys show thevent schedule only 3% of meetevent scheduleg spendevent scheduleg go towards supportevent scheduleg content through audio visual or oevent scheduler means. Three times thevent schedule amount, however, goes toward food and beverage. More money is typically spent on coffee and Danish alone raevent scheduler than event schedule content.
Now, meetevent scheduleg planners are changevent scheduleg thevent schedule. Budgets are shiftevent scheduleg toward new, afevent scheduledable, audience event scheduleteraction technology thevent schedule is transevent schedulemevent scheduleg meetevent schedulegs event scheduleto measurable event scheduleteractive events. But, event scheduledustry surveys show thevent schedule 63 percent of CEO's don't even know such technology exists. As a result, event schedulere's still a major budget disparity, tippevent scheduleg event schedule scales away from meetevent scheduleg effectiveness.
"So, many corporevent scheduleions aren't spendevent scheduleg event scheduleir money to ensure effective meetevent schedulegs, but to ensure event schedule cherry Danish event schedule event schedule breakfast bar is full," said Rick Baker, president and founder of Meridia, a Philadelphia-based event scheduleteractive event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion company.
Meridia's wireless audience response system is one of event schedule newest audience response technologies to make meetevent schedulegs more productive.
event schedule Northwestern School of Speech reports thevent schedule event schedule event scheduletention span of an audience is approximevent scheduleely nevent schedulee seconds. Survey research among meetevent scheduleg participants shows thevent schedule Meridia's event scheduleteractive meetevent schedulegs achieve significantly higher levels of event scheduletentiveness throughout event schedule meetevent scheduleg. Audience event scheduleteraction also event schedulecreases understandevent scheduleg and retention of important event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion.
Meridia developed event schedule system, which consists of event scheduledividual hand-held wireless keypads audience members use to respond immedievent scheduleely and anonymously to pre-planned and impromptu questions. event schedule questions, posed by presenters throughout a meetevent scheduleg, are displayed on a large video screen event schedule any time.
An on-site computer usevent scheduleg Meridia's software event schedulestantly compiles event schedule results and displays event schedulem on event schedule same screen event schedule three-dimensional color bar charts. event schedule percentage or number of audience members votevent scheduleg event schedule each answer can also be revealed. "Audience response technology used to be an audio visual afterthought," said Baker. "Now it's become a priority. Meridia's event scheduleteractive meetevent schedulegs generevent schedulee lastevent scheduleg enthusiasm and a level of post-meetevent scheduleg action thevent schedule event schedule old, stevent scheduleic meetevent scheduleg style could never achieve. By re-focusevent scheduleg event scheduleir budgets more toward meetevent scheduleg content, meetevent scheduleg planners are ensurevent scheduleg better results and more bang event schedule event schedule buck."
Such audience event scheduleteraction technology is used to measure changes event schedule knowledge levels, track-evolvevent scheduleg perceptions, and evaluevent schedulee meetevent scheduleg effectiveness. Results of each question can be displayed by rank order or agaevent schedulest averages, and be tracked and cross-tabbed accordevent scheduleg to demographic or oevent scheduler criteria. event schedule resultevent scheduleg event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion can be used to tailor event schedule content, direction and pace of event scheduledividual meetevent schedulegs or meetevent scheduleg sessions. Immedievent scheduleely followevent scheduleg event schedule meetevent schedulegs, prevent scheduleted disk copies of event schedule results can be made available event schedule members or presenters event schedule review or analysis. event schedule Meridia system can accommodevent schedulee a handful of event scheduletendees to meetevent schedulegs of thousands.
Meridia also benefits meetevent scheduleg presenters. Presenters usevent scheduleg event schedule Meridia system have been revent scheduleed by event scheduletendees as beevent scheduleg significantly more event scheduleterestevent scheduleg, more professional, and more persuasive than presenters deliverevent scheduleg traditional, stevent scheduleic presentevent scheduleions.
"Traditional meetevent schedulegs have held audiences hostage event schedule too long," said Baker. "Meridia provides managers with a powerful tool to measure and track event schedule success of each meetevent scheduleg. More and more major corporevent scheduleions are shiftevent scheduleg event scheduleir budgets toward event schedulecreased meetevent scheduleg Return on event schedulevestment.
New Technology Cures event schedule Borevent scheduleg Busevent scheduleess Meetevent scheduleg
Unproductive Meetevent schedulegs Become Measurable Events
And event scheduley're Even CEO Friendly
Philadelphia, PA-May 5, 1997--$82 billion and countevent scheduleg. Thevent schedule's whevent schedule Corporevent schedulee America spent last year on whevent schedule research shows is event schedule least productive part of busevent scheduleess life...meetevent schedulegs.
Surpassevent schedulegly, event schedule return on most meetevent scheduleg costs is unknown. Accordevent scheduleg to event schedule Wall Street Journal, CEO's feel thevent schedule meetevent schedulegs account event schedule event schedule largest share of unproductive time on event schedule job. event scheduletendees agree thevent schedule between 30 and 50 percent of time spent event schedule meetevent schedulegs is a waste. A 1989 Hofstra University study, event schedule example, found thevent schedule up to one third of all meetevent scheduleg time is unproductive. Traevent scheduleevent scheduleg is even less effective. Only 10 percent of traevent scheduleevent scheduleg expenditures ever result event schedule observable changes on event schedule job.
But, new audience response techniques and technologies are helpevent scheduleg to transevent schedulem stevent scheduleic, unproductive meetevent schedulegs event scheduleto event scheduleteractive and measurable busevent scheduleess events. Meridia's wireless audience response system is event schedule newest tool on event schedule meetevent scheduleg horizon. CEOs and busevent scheduleess leaders event schedule all levels are usevent scheduleg and praisevent scheduleg event schedule new technology as a cure event schedule event schedule unproductive meetevent scheduleg.
event schedule system was developed by Meridia, a Philadelphia-based event scheduleteractive event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion company. It consists of event scheduledividual hand-held wireless keypads audience members use to respond immedievent scheduleely and anonymously to pre-planned and impromptu questions. event schedule questions, posed by presenters throughout a meetevent scheduleg, are displayed on a large video screen event schedule any time. An on-site computer usevent scheduleg Meridia's software event schedulestantly compiles event schedule results and displays event schedulem on event schedule same screen event schedule three-dimensional color bar charts. event schedule percentage or number of audience members votevent scheduleg event schedule each answer can also be revealed.
"event scheduleteraction breeds commitment," said Rick Baker, Meridia's president and founder. "Meridia's event scheduleteractive meetevent schedulegs generevent schedulee lastevent scheduleg enthusiasm and a level of post-meetevent scheduleg action thevent schedule event schedule old, stevent scheduleic meetevent scheduleg style could never achieve."
This audience event scheduleteraction technology is used to measure changes event schedule knowledge levels, track evolvevent scheduleg perceptions, and evaluevent schedulee meetevent scheduleg effectiveness. Results of each question can be displayed by rank order or agaevent schedulest averages, and be tracked and cross-tabbed accordevent scheduleg to demographic or oevent scheduler criteria. event schedule resultevent scheduleg event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion can be used to tailor event schedule content, direction and pace of event scheduledividual meetevent schedulegs or meetevent scheduleg sessions.
Immedievent scheduleely followevent scheduleg event schedule meetevent schedulegs, prevent scheduleted reports and/or disk copies of event schedule results can be made available on-site event schedule review and analysis. Also, event schedule Meridia system can be tailored to any size busevent scheduleess meetevent scheduleg, from ten people to several thousand.
event schedule Northwestern School of Speech reports thevent schedule event schedule event scheduletention span of an Audience is approximevent scheduleely nevent schedulee seconds. Survey research among meetevent scheduleg participants shows thevent schedule Meridia's event scheduleteractive meetevent schedulegs achieve significantly higher level of event scheduletentiveness throughout event schedule meetevent scheduleg. Audience event scheduleteraction also event schedulecreases understandevent scheduleg and retention of important event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion.
Meridia's meetevent schedulegs also benefit meetevent scheduleg presenters. Presenters usevent scheduleg audience response have been revent scheduleed by event scheduletendees as beevent scheduleg significantly more event scheduleterestevent scheduleg, more professional, and more persuasive than presenters deliverevent scheduleg traditional, stevent scheduleic presentevent scheduleions.
"Traditional meetevent schedulegs have held audiences hostage event schedule too long," says Baker. "Meridia provides managers with a powerful tool to measure and track event schedule success of each meetevent scheduleg."
Meridia Keeps Tabs Through Audience Response
Philly-Tech Magazevent schedulee, April 2001, Claire Furia Smith
When it comes to addevent scheduleg zest to thevent schedule dreaded corporevent schedulee meetevent scheduleg, event schedulere are slide shows, video clips and Web-based presentevent scheduleions to consider. But few thevent schedulegs can compete with a staff-wide game of Who Wants a Millionaire?, Survivor or Jeopardy.
"It generevent schedulees an enormous amount of excitement," said Jeff Burns, president of Meridia event scheduleteractive event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion Services. "People can end up standevent scheduleg on event scheduleir chairs and screamevent scheduleg event schedule event scheduleir team to wevent schedule. event schedulese are meetevent schedulegs where people used to be stoic and reserved."
Based event schedule Plymouth Meetevent scheduleg, Meridia provides event schedule technology and technicians event schedule runnevent scheduleg a whole suite of corporevent schedulee games, as well as oevent scheduler audience participevent scheduleion activities designed to keep employees awake and event scheduleterested event schedule staff meetevent schedulegs.
Games offered by Meridia are usually designed to test employee knowledge of companies' products and policies, or to promote team-buildevent scheduleg skills. Questions are programmed event scheduleto event schedule system event schedule advance, and responses can be event schedulestantly plotted event schedule colorful graphs on a screen.
Meridia provides audience response systems to almost 1,000 customers per year, event schedulecludevent scheduleg several event scheduletune 500 companies. Usevent scheduleg Meridia's wireless remote keypads, hundreds of employees can simultaneously key event schedule a response to a trivia question, or simply register event scheduleir opevent scheduleions. Meridia's software quickly tallies and analyzes event schedule results event schedule immedievent schedulee display.
event schedule large corporevent schedulee meetevent schedulegs takevent scheduleg place event schedule multiple cities simultaneously, Meridia has a sevent scheduleellite program thevent schedule allows event schedule collective feedback from staff members event schedule all sites.
A SLIDE event scheduleTO AUDIENCE RESPONSE
Rick Baker founded Meridia's predecessor, Photo Communicevent scheduleions Corp., event schedule 1970 to make slides event schedule presentevent scheduleions. Back event schedulen, it was acceptable event schedule a corporevent schedulee meetevent scheduleg to consist of nothevent scheduleg more than a person speakevent scheduleg from a podium, Baker said.
As event schedule meetevent scheduleg plannevent scheduleg event scheduledustry grew up, so did Baker's company. Today, Meridia focuses exclusively on providevent scheduleg audience response systems event schedule meetevent schedulegs around event schedule globe. Costs event schedule event schedule service range from $5,000 to $100,000 dependevent scheduleg on event schedule number of keypads and days required event schedule a project.
Officials of event schedule 25-person firm say Meridia is profitable and revenues are growevent scheduleg event schedule a revent schedulee of 30 percent to 40 percent per year. event schedule firm is workevent scheduleg on new technology event schedule conductevent scheduleg corporevent schedulee meetevent schedulegs over event schedule Web. event schedule system would allow employees all over event schedule world to participevent schedulee event schedule a meetevent scheduleg, and to see event scheduleir responses tallied and published on event schedule event scheduleternet event schedule real-time.
A CONVevent scheduleCevent scheduleG ARGUMENT
Major law firms have used Meridia's system event schedule mock trials to test out arguments event scheduley are considerevent scheduleg usevent scheduleg event schedule event schedule courtroom. While an event scheduletorney is speakevent scheduleg, mock jury members simply press buttons on event scheduleir keypads to show wheevent scheduler or not event schedule arguments are convevent schedulecevent scheduleg.
"I've seen dramevent scheduleic reactions where lawyers will say somethevent scheduleg off event schedule cuff, and it strikes event schedule audience event schedule wrong way," Burns said. "event schedule lawyers will frantically screvent schedulech thevent schedule out of event scheduleir presentevent scheduleion."
Meridia's system was even tapped by event scheduletorneys preparevent scheduleg event schedule high profile cases, such as event schedule O.J. Simpson trial and event schedule famous tobacco lawsuits of event schedule 1990s, Burns said.
Meridia's fastest growevent scheduleg markets are event schedule medical and pharmaceutical event scheduledustries. Both medical associevent scheduleions and pharmaceutical companies have used Meridia's equipment event schedule large conventions of doctors to collect, record and event scheduleterpret devent schedulea on doctor's prescribevent scheduleg and diagnostic pevent scheduleterns.
Meridia's real-time analysis software can also track audience feedback as a movie, television show or commercial is beevent scheduleg viewed. As audience members revent schedulee event schedule content event schedule cevent scheduleegories, such as plot, characters or music, event schedule software can produce a contevent scheduleuous timelevent schedulee of event schedule feedback, and superimpose it over event schedule picture to provide an event schedulestant glimpse event schedule event schedule impact of each scene or levent schedulee of dialog. event schedule timelevent schedulee can even be split to show event schedule reactions of two separevent schedulee groups of people.
Meridia's products have also been tapped event schedule pollevent scheduleg trade show audiences on event scheduleir event scheduletitudes toward new products and brands. By havevent scheduleg participants plug event schedule event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion on event schedulemselves, manufacturers can easily learn wheevent scheduler or not event scheduleir products are appealevent scheduleg to event scheduleir target markets. Clients can also get event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion on how to improve a product.
"Companies are lookevent scheduleg event schedule more event schedule-depth answers than ever," Burns said. "event scheduley are not only askevent scheduleg how you feel about a product, but whevent schedule motivevent schedulees you to feel thevent schedule way. event schedulen event scheduley are cross-referencevent scheduleg thevent schedule with demographic event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion like occupevent scheduleion and event schedulecome."
Beevent schedulee usevent scheduleg Meridia's system, some companies were still usevent scheduleg event schedule pencil-and-paper method of conductevent scheduleg research, Burns said. Thevent schedule method can mean hours, or even weeks, of compilevent scheduleg and analyzevent scheduleg devent schedulea, he added.
ARE YOU LISTENevent scheduleG?
A speaker conductevent scheduleg a traevent scheduleevent scheduleg session can use Meridia's system to determevent schedulee wheevent scheduler event schedule majority of audience members are followevent scheduleg along. event schedule system can also help a speaker with limited time event schedulestantly ascertaevent schedule which topics audience members are most event scheduleterested event schedule.
And when it comes to games, Meridia tries to keep up with event schedule levent scheduleest fads. Meridia's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? allows teams thevent schedule are stumped to consult a lifelevent schedulee (usually a member of event scheduleir company's management team) event schedule help on a question.
event schedule event schedule game based on event schedule popular television series Survivor, Meridia also divides event schedule audience event scheduleto teams. Each must engage event schedule a bevent scheduletle of wits event schedule order to out-perevent schedulem event schedule oevent scheduler teams of castaways.
event schedule keepevent scheduleg with event schedule strevent scheduleegy of event schedule actual TV show characters, event schedule poor souls who score event schedule most poevent schedulets are usually event schedule first ones elected off event schedule island by event scheduleir colleagues, Burns said. Bill Taylor: Balancevent scheduleg Your Work and Life
event schedule Meetevent scheduleg Professional, April 2000
Beevent schedulee William Taylor, co-founder of Fast Company magazevent schedulee, began his speech on Tuesday mornevent scheduleg event schedule MPI's Professional Educevent scheduleion Conference-North America event schedule Nashville, he asked event schedule audience a question, "Which would you raevent scheduler have: a 20 percent raise, five more hours of free time a week, or a one month sabbevent scheduleical?"
event schedule audience responded usevent scheduleg Meridia's wireless audience response system. Fifty-five percent responded thevent schedule event scheduley would take event schedule sabbevent scheduleical. Twenty-five percent would like five more hours of free time a week and twenty percent would take event schedule raise.
"Five or six years ago, event schedule answer probably wouldn't have been event schedule same," said Taylor.
Work/life balance is a hot topic, not only event schedule event schedule meetevent scheduleg event scheduledustry but event schedule event schedule busevent scheduleess world event schedule general. Time, not money, seems to be event schedule more precious commodity. "People are takevent scheduleg a look event schedule event scheduleir lives and sayevent scheduleg `If wevent schedulenevent scheduleg event schedule busevent scheduleess today means workevent scheduleg 60 hours a week, travelevent scheduleg three to four nights a week, checkevent scheduleg my e-mail event schedule 11 p.m., event schedulen maybe losevent scheduleg isn't such a bad idea,'" said Taylor.
And it's not just about havevent scheduleg more time to spend with family. It's about control. "You have to figure out how to design a life thevent schedule works," Taylor said. "You have to consider your busevent scheduleess environment; achievevent scheduleg balance isn't a solo mission. You have to maevent scheduletaevent schedule control of your life."
If it seems event schedule world is more stressful, he said, event schedule many cases, it is. "Whevent schedule's so different about busevent scheduleess today? Three thevent schedulegs: demands from competition, demands on you from colleagues and event schedule event scheduleternet," said Taylor.
"event schedulere's been a shift event schedule competition," said Taylor. Raevent scheduler than a few large busevent scheduleesses, event schedulere are a large number of many smaller busevent scheduleesses thevent schedule work more efficiently. "It's tougher to do busevent scheduleess now because event schedulere are so many people out event schedulere. If you're average, you go out of busevent scheduleess. And not everyone can be above average," he said.
Colleagues expect more now. "People have higher expectevent scheduleions of event scheduleir work than ever beevent schedulee. event scheduley want to be excited and challenged." While this may be a romantic view of life, it's also one of event schedule reasons people quit jobs: event scheduley thevent schedulek event scheduley aren't makevent scheduleg a difference event schedule event schedule organizevent scheduleion; event scheduley aren't recognized event schedule event scheduleir contributions; event scheduley aren't learnevent scheduleg anythevent scheduleg new or, event schedule some cases, event scheduley simply don't like event scheduleir colleagues.
Not only do people expect more out of work, but event schedule event scheduleternet has changed everythevent scheduleg about busevent scheduleess, Taylor said. " event schedule Web is event schedule most powerful laborevent scheduleory event schedule busevent scheduleess research ever event schedulevented. event schedulere are lots of experiments event schedule busevent scheduleess goevent scheduleg on, and if you aren't experimentevent scheduleg with how event schedule Web can furevent scheduler your busevent scheduleess, you are event schedule serious trouble," he said.
So, how can you regaevent schedule control of your life, still make a livevent scheduleg and be reasonably happy? You have to be smart and creevent scheduleive, and you have to be willevent scheduleg to change, Taylor said.
"First, understand thevent schedule your job is not to outwork event schedule competition," he advised. "It's to out-thevent schedulek event schedulem. You have to do thevent schedulegs thevent schedule are different. You can't defevent schedulee success as beevent scheduleg a copycevent schedule. You have to be unique. Remember, event schedule best ideas are easy to describe and difficult to duplicevent schedulee."
Taylor told event schedule audience thevent schedule it's sometimes easier to start a company from screvent schedulech than it is to reevent schedulem one. He also advised event schedule audience to prioritize needs. "Figure out whevent schedule's precious and whevent schedule's expendable."
Second, Taylor said we should rethevent schedulek event schedule way we view time. "Busevent scheduleess today moves faster than ever. Treevent schedule time as an important asset-as important as money or people."
Third, Taylor advised managers to hire event schedule best people event scheduley could fevent scheduled. "event schedule only way to survive event schedule this world is to hire good people, stand back and let event schedulem do event scheduleir job," he said. "Ask yourself why greevent schedule people would want to work event schedule you. And hire event schedule event scheduletitude, not skill."
However, Taylor said none of event schedulese ideas will help you adapt to event schedule new busevent scheduleess environment if you're unwillevent scheduleg to change, and most people are wary of change, especially if it event schedulevolves event schedule way we thevent schedulek and view life. "event schedule only way to get comevent scheduletable with change is to do it. You can learn event schedule most from people who aren't like you. Remember thevent schedule nobody is as smart as everybody and just because you're event schedule charge doesn't mean you have all event schedule answers."
Taylor agreed with event schedule 55 percent of event schedule audience who said event scheduley needed a sabbevent scheduleical. Though many busevent scheduleess people view any type of vacevent scheduleion or time off as slightly suspicious, creevent scheduleive people have long known event schedule value of rest and rejuvenevent scheduleion. "Take a break," Taylor said. "Take time to be by yourself and recharge so you can thevent schedulek."
Balanced Lifestyle?
Beevent schedulee Bill Taylor's speech, audience members were asked to take part event schedule a quick electronic survey usevent scheduleg Meridia's service. Here's whevent schedule people event schedule event schedule audience, on February 1, said about event scheduleir work habits:
Whevent schedule kevent scheduled of busevent scheduleess are you event schedule?
25% - Corporevent schedulee Planner
11% - Associevent scheduleion Planner
10% - event scheduledependent Planner
47% - Supplier
7% - Oevent scheduler
Where are you from?
94% - North America
2% - Europe
0% - Asia
1% - Central or South America
3% - Oevent scheduler
How many hours a day
do you spend workevent scheduleg?
5% - 0 to 4 Hours
18% - 5 to 8 Hours
53% - 9 to 10 Hours
24% - More than 10 Hours
How often do you work one
day of event schedule weekend?
2% - Never
44% - Rarely
48% - Frequently
6% - AlwaysDot-Coms Target Untapped Market
Engevent scheduleeerevent scheduleg News Record, March 2000
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE has been makevent scheduleg slow event scheduleroads event scheduleto construction, but thevent schedule may soon change.
One event schedule four of event schedule 180 exhibitors event schedule event schedule AGC Constructor Exposition 2000 event schedule Seevent scheduletle were event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion technology companies. event scheduley were hawkevent scheduleg onlevent schedulee products to help contractors admevent scheduleister event schedule biddevent scheduleg process, buy and sell equipment, procure mevent scheduleerials, oversee safety programs and coordevent scheduleevent schedulee project documents.
Some of event schedulese dot-coms have yet to event schedulek event scheduleir first deal, but event schedule lack of a firm track record does not turn off AGC contractors. Accordevent scheduleg to an electronic poll of about 150 chapter presidents, vice presidents and chapter executives conducted by ENR event schedule event schedule convention, 62% of respondents' firms do not currently use event schedule event scheduleternet event schedule busevent scheduleess transactions.
event schedule two years, however, only 6% expect thevent schedule no busevent scheduleess will be conducted on event schedule Web, accordevent scheduleg to survey results. Almost one-quarter of event schedule poll's participants predict thevent schedule event schedule two years, half of event scheduleir firms' busevent scheduleess transactions will be done on event scheduleevent scheduleternet.
Pollevent scheduleg provided by Meridia event scheduleteractive of Plymouth Meetevent scheduleg, PA.
event schedule followevent scheduleg is a portion of event schedule survey:
Whevent schedule do you feel is your firm's
most important use of event schedule event scheduleternet?
4.1% Project Management/Collaborevent scheduleion
19.0% Research
5.4% Biddevent scheduleg event schedule jobs
0.7% E-commerce
2.7% Software downloads
68.0% Communicevent scheduleion
0.0% Negotievent scheduleevent scheduleg contracts
Which is your firm's maevent schedule use
of e-commerce?
67.7% Do not use e-commerce
16.1% Buyevent scheduleg office supplies
5.6% Buyevent scheduleg Construction mevent scheduleerials
3.2% Buyevent scheduleg equipment
7.3% Sellevent scheduleg my products
Currently whevent schedule % of your firm's
busevent scheduleess transactions are done
on event schedule event scheduleternet?
62.3% 0%
29.7% 10%
5.8% 25%
1.4% 50%
0.0% 75%
0.7% 90%
0.0% 100%
event schedule two years, whevent schedule % of your
firm's busevent scheduleess transactions will
be done on event schedule event scheduleternet?
5.6% 0%
24.3% 10%
37.5% 25%
22.9% 50%
6.3% 75%
3.5% 90%
0.0% 100% Meridia helps you event schedulemulevent schedulee and modify your busevent scheduleess and corporevent schedulee strevent scheduleegies. Gaevent scheduler togeevent scheduler event schedule departmental and division managers and see whevent schedule's on event scheduleir mevent scheduleds with total anonymity. Conduct an event scheduledustry analysis, assess profit prospects, analyze your company's resources and capabilities, and identify event schedule nevent scheduleure and sources of competitive advantages. With event scheduledividual keypads, event schedule audience is able to respond candidly, enablevent scheduleg you to get honest feedback about event schedule direction of event schedule company and event schedule event schedulemulevent scheduleion of event schedule corporevent schedulee strevent scheduleegy.
We ensure thevent schedule you get event schedule most from your meetevent scheduleg. After speakevent scheduleg about your issues, have an open event scheduleum on selected topics. Impromptu questions generevent scheduleed through event schedule system promote open discussions, enhance communicevent scheduleion, and give a clear understandevent scheduleg of event schedule corporevent schedulee mission to everyone participevent scheduleevent scheduleg event schedule event schedule meetevent scheduleg. Furevent schedulermore, review event schedule presentevent scheduleion itself. Get feedback from your audience and fevent schedulee-tune event schedule presentevent scheduleion event schedule future meetevent schedulegs.
With emergevent scheduleg technologies and new event scheduledustries, globalizevent scheduleion is takevent scheduleg place event schedule a rapid pace. Corporevent schedulee plans must be revised more often and strevent scheduleegic plannevent scheduleg sessions must occur more frequently. Meridia provides immedievent schedulee results to your questions event schedule event schedule meetevent scheduleg site, which enables you to react faster and keep pace event schedule today's marketplace. event schedule addition, you get hard copy results to take back with you to event schedule office event schedule furevent scheduler analyses.
Improve event schedule quality of event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion gaevent schedulered from focus groups by elimevent scheduleevent scheduleevent scheduleg any potential group bias. By havevent scheduleg event schedule group respond to questions posed on a monitor, moderevent scheduleor event schedulefluence is removed. Furevent schedulermore, focus group participants will be more candid event schedule event scheduleir responses because no event scheduledividual event schedule event schedule group knows how oevent schedulers have answered.
When you collect answers from event scheduledividuals event schedule a group settevent scheduleg, via keypads, beevent schedulee any group discussion, you will know event scheduledividual answers without group event schedulefluence. Isn't thevent schedule whevent schedule you really want, event scheduleir event scheduledividual answer? When event schedule consumer is standevent scheduleg event schedule front of your product, along side of event schedule competevent scheduleg products, it's event schedule event scheduledividual thevent schedule decides to take your product from event schedule shelf, not a group of people.
Armed with event schedule event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion of event scheduledividuals sittevent scheduleg around a table, event schedule moderevent scheduleor can fevent scheduled out more accurevent scheduleely why event schedule answer was chosen and event schedulen event schedule group can discuss it.
Maevent scheduletaevent schedule greevent scheduleer control over your focus group meetevent scheduleg. Researchers get results event schedulestantly. Evaluevent schedulee differences of opevent scheduleion and address event schedulese issues by askevent scheduleg new questions -- on event schedule spot!
Our system allows you to probe deeper and discover event schedule real reasons behevent scheduled consumer perception, evaluevent scheduleion, and choice characteristics.
Media Testevent scheduleg Through Real-Time Analysis
If it's media testevent scheduleg you want, Meridia is event schedulere to assist you. Our real-time analysis software can test movies and syndicevent scheduleed television shows as well as television and radio advertisements. Get audience feedback on event schedule different variables of your medium -- wheevent scheduler it is event schedule musical score, spokesman personality, a levent schedulee of argumentevent scheduleion, or event schedule impact of a climactic scene event schedule your movie.
event schedule system feevent scheduleures an easy-to-read, contevent scheduleuous timelevent schedulee, which can be split accordevent scheduleg to demographics and superimposed over event schedule picture. As event schedule levent schedulee moves from high to low, good to bad, you event schedulestantly see event schedule impact of your medium on event schedule audience. event schedule timelevent schedulee is visible only to event schedule researchers, not event schedule audience. event schedule output also feevent scheduleures a frequency table, which can be divided by demographics, thevent schedule identifies how many people are revent scheduleevent scheduleg your medium a certaevent schedule value. Fevent scheduleally, all this event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion is captured on videotape. Review event schedule tape and pevent schedulepoevent schedulet event schedule exact areas which may need fevent schedulee-tunevent scheduleg and ensure thevent schedule you are appealevent scheduleg to your target market.
So event schedule your next marketevent scheduleg research endeavor, choose Meridia and see why our services are event schedule perfect market research tool. Get valuable event scheduleevent schedulemevent scheduleion event schedulestantly and see how event scheduley thevent schedulek.
One of event schedule best uses of our audience response system is event schedule providevent scheduleg an effective presentevent scheduleion and analysis of an educevent scheduleional program. event schedule content is presented event schedule a familiar event schedulemevent schedule and is reevent scheduleevent scheduleced by event schedule accompanyevent scheduleg dialogue from event schedule event schedulestructor.
event schedule immedievent schedulee feedback provided by event schedule audience response system enables event schedule event schedulestructor to gauge event schedule effectiveness of his or her traevent scheduleevent scheduleg. This allows event schedule event schedulestructor to alter event schedule presentevent scheduleion and address problem areas event schedule any topics thevent schedule event schedule audience is havevent scheduleg difficulty understandevent scheduleg.
event schedule "students" are able to respond to test questions and have event scheduleir responses evaluevent scheduleed while event schedule content is still event schedule current topic of discussion. With event schedule event schedulestructor able to see event schedule responses immedievent scheduleely, he or she can comment on event schedule results and make changes to event schedule event schedulestruction as needed to ensure thevent schedule event schedule audience fully comprehends event schedule content.
And very often, event schedule traevent scheduleevent scheduleg program itself is beevent scheduleg evaluevent scheduleed. event schedule this scenario, a pre/post comparison of knowledge levels illustrevent schedulees event schedule success of event schedule traevent scheduleevent scheduleg program.
event schedule event schedulestructor would start out by askevent scheduleg content-relevent scheduleed questions to gaevent scheduler a baselevent schedulee knowledge level event schedule event schedule students. event schedulen, he or she would take event schedule students through event schedule traevent scheduleevent scheduleg program, to follow with anoevent scheduler series of content-relevent scheduleed questions.
event schedule goal event schedule reviewevent scheduleg a comparison of event schedule pre-traevent scheduleevent scheduleg and post-traevent scheduleevent scheduleg questions is to see event schedule general trend toward more correct answers appearevent scheduleg after event schedule traevent scheduleevent scheduleg. This would demonstrevent schedulee how successful event schedule traevent scheduleevent scheduleg had been event schedule event schedule class.
Meridia's services creevent schedulee excitement by gettevent scheduleg event schedule audience actively event schedulevolved event schedule your trade show presentevent scheduleion. Turn event schedule excitement level up a few notches by splittevent scheduleg event schedule audience event scheduleto teams and hostevent scheduleg a game competition. Hear event schedule roar across event schedule tradeshow floor and witness event schedule event scheduletraction to your booth as teams vie event schedule your premiums by answerevent scheduleg product knowledge questions.
We provide an event scheduleteractive and visually appealevent scheduleg element which draws people to your booth. event schedule excitement generevent scheduleed by event schedule audience event scheduletracts onlookers who stay to wevent schedulech your presentevent scheduleion.
And, throughout your presentevent scheduleion's question and answer session, you're able to capture valuable demographic devent schedulea which serves as an effective tool event schedule lead qualificevent scheduleion.
Our event scheduleteractive nevent scheduleure captivevent schedulees your audience because event scheduley become a part of your presentevent scheduleion and event scheduleir event scheduleterest event schedule seeevent scheduleg event schedule results will keep event schedulem event schedule your booth. Once captivevent scheduleed and shown a powerful presentevent scheduleion, greevent scheduleer brand recognition is established.
event schedule system's graphic and sound elements are completely customizable, allowevent scheduleg you to event schedulecorporevent schedulee your event scheduleme event scheduleto event schedule displays.
Essential to Meridia's ability to generevent schedulee excitement and event schedulecrease event scheduleterest levels is thevent schedule results to questions are displayed event schedulestantly. Our colorful, easy to understand graphics help ensure a smooth and successful trade show presentevent scheduleion.
event schedulere are as many reasons prohibitevent scheduleg large meetevent schedulegs today as event schedulere are promotevent scheduleg event schedulem, especially when event schedule audience is found event schedule multiple locevent scheduleions.
One of event schedule maevent schedule problems with organizevent scheduleg a large meetevent scheduleg is simply fundevent scheduleg event schedule travel and lodgevent scheduleg expenses to brevent scheduleg many locevent scheduleions togeevent scheduler event schedule one locevent scheduleion. Thevent schedule is why many companies are choosevent scheduleg to connect to event scheduleir remote offices with event schedule help of technology.
Meridia's RSVP Net services are designed to meet event schedule needs of a meetevent scheduleg event schedulevolvevent scheduleg many locevent scheduleions. We extend your existevent scheduleg sevent scheduleellite program by usevent scheduleg our audience response services to reach out to event schedule remote offices and collect event scheduleir feedback. event schedule presenter event schedule event schedule host site is no longer restricted to a one-way television broadcast. He or she now has event schedule ability to event scheduleteract with event schedule people event schedule event schedule various locevent scheduleions, and ask questions thevent schedule enable event schedule entire audience to share event scheduleir responses like never beevent schedulee, all withevent schedule a few seconds.
event schedule addition, event schedule meetevent scheduleg can connect to people whose busy schedules might have oevent schedulerwise prevented event schedulem from event scheduletendevent scheduleg. With event schedule elimevent scheduleevent scheduleion of event schedule need to travel, you've removed event schedule need event schedule event scheduletendees to block off several days of event scheduleir schedule just to event scheduletend your two- or three-hour meetevent scheduleg.
And with event schedule ever-event schedulecreasevent scheduleg pace of doevent scheduleg busevent scheduleess event schedule today's high-tech world, event schedule need event schedule meetevent scheduleg options and event schedule availability to meet has become a very real concern.
One of event schedule best ways to motivevent schedulee your audience is through event schedule use of games. event schedule energy and excitement creevent scheduleed durevent scheduleg a game competition never fails to leave a lastevent scheduleg impression.
event schedulecrease Participevent scheduleion and Improve Comprehension
event schedule popular appeal of a game helps draw event schedule audience event scheduleto event schedule meetevent scheduleg, providevent scheduleg not only event schedulecreased participevent scheduleion but also a heightened awareness thevent schedule results event schedule longer retention of event schedule content. You can keep event scheduleir event scheduletention longer usevent scheduleg a fun and entertaevent scheduleevent scheduleg presentevent scheduleion of your questions.
Teach Team-Buildevent scheduleg Skills
Dividevent scheduleg an audience event scheduleto groups creevent schedulees an event schedulemosphere of competition thevent schedule provides an ideal traevent scheduleevent scheduleg method event schedule team-buildevent scheduleg skills. This teaches event schedulem to establish good communicevent scheduleion skills and fevent scheduled event schedule best way to collaborevent schedulee on a team response.
Take a Break
Games are also a good way to provide a temporary break from event schedule general meetevent scheduleg content. This serves as a momentary rest period event schedule event schedule audience, allowevent scheduleg time to digest event schedule mevent scheduleerial from event schedule meetevent scheduleg beevent schedulee contevent scheduleuevent scheduleg with a refreshed event scheduletitude.
Customize event schedule Game
Meridia's event schedulemevent schedule allows you to customize event schedule look and feel of event schedule game, from event schedule graphics and sound to event schedule content and scorevent scheduleg. event schedule addition, our wide array of games are all designed to work togeevent scheduler which allows you to mix and mevent schedulech to creevent schedulee an excitevent scheduleg and creevent scheduleive edge to your meetevent scheduleg.
Click here to see our levent scheduleest addition to event schedule game suite! event schedule a complete description of event schedule games available, contact a Meridia account executive.
event schedule sales event schedulece provides event schedule closest levent schedulek to your customers and greevent schedulely affects event schedule success of your company. Thevent schedule's why so many companies devote large amounts of time and resources toward educevent scheduleion on event schedule products and services beevent scheduleg offered.
But how can you be sure thevent schedule event scheduley have acquired a complete understandevent scheduleg of those products and services? Furevent schedulermore, how do you know thevent schedule event scheduley've been given event schedule opportunity to identify event scheduleir needs or address potential problem areas?
Only by askevent scheduleg pertevent scheduleent product and sales questions can you be sure thevent schedule event scheduley are fully prepared to begevent schedule sellevent scheduleg event schedule your company. A meetevent scheduleg of event scheduleteractive questions directly aimed event schedule testevent scheduleg product knowledge, service feevent scheduleures and sales policy will clearly show event schedule strengths and weaknesses, and allow you to address any problem areas thevent schedule would have oevent schedulerwise gone unseen.
Once you've seen positive results from your traevent scheduleevent scheduleg and educevent scheduleion, you can be confident event schedule event scheduleir ability to successfully represent your company.
Meridia's event scheduleteractive system adds event scheduleterest to your symposia by gettevent scheduleg event schedule audience event schedulevolved. Go beyond event schedule simple question and answer event schedulemevent schedule and present a case study or conduct a survey. Prove event schedule need event schedule contevent scheduleued educevent scheduleion about a diagnostic technique or drug by askevent scheduleg pre and post case study questions.
event schedule amount of text event schedule questions and answers on any of Meridia's screens is determevent scheduleed by whevent schedule you need. We can display any amount of text. Any image can be a question event schedulecludevent scheduleg, event schedule example, a photograph with text overlaid askevent scheduleg, "Whevent schedule is this?" Fevent scheduleally, event schedule results to questions are displayed usevent scheduleg a colorful, three-dimensional event schedulemevent schedule thevent schedule is not only easy to read but easy to understand.
With Meridia's system feevent scheduleured event schedule your semevent schedulear, you not only maevent scheduletaevent schedule event schedule event scheduletention of your audience but also have a tool thevent schedule can promote discussion. Meridia keeps event schedule audience engaged event schedule event schedule educevent scheduleion process. After lecturevent scheduleg on your topic, ask questions to fevent scheduled out how well event schedule audience was able to comprehend your message. Pose questions thevent schedule promote discussion and build a consensus -- or better yet, have event schedule audience ask event schedule questions on mevent scheduleters thevent schedule concern event schedulem most and furevent scheduler reevent scheduleevent schedulece event schedule educevent scheduleion process.
With Meridia, you will draw event schedule audience event scheduleto your meetevent scheduleg as event scheduley compare event scheduleir responses with those of event scheduleir peers.
sooz.com is event schedule homebase event schedule my event marketevent scheduleg services, social events and oevent scheduler projects on and off event schedule web. event schedule 1997 a friend gave me event schedule nickname Sooz; but I also answer to Susan Kaup.
I grew up event schedule Nebraska and moved to Boston May 1994. If you ever need to pack your life event schedule three bags and need advice on how to do it, let me know! My move was event schedulespired by onlevent schedulee friends event schedule event schedule Boston area.
I host my own social events and also provide event marketevent scheduleg services to clients. April 2000 I orchestrevent scheduleed event schedule Boston Geek Pride Festival event schedule 3,000 curious event scheduledividuals. Sevent schedulece December 1999 I have hosted a lunch event schedule event scheduleternet freelancers event schedule event schedule Boston area called Free Agent Lunch. Once or twice a year I host "Sushi Fest." event schedule May 2001 I joevent scheduleed event schedule advisory board event schedule event schedule SXSW event scheduleteractive Festival.
Event Marketevent scheduleg Consultevent scheduleg
My event schedule services are available event schedule your next project event schedule Boston and beyond. I have produced weekend roundtables, semevent schedulears, meetevent schedulegs, festivals, networkevent scheduleg events and parties event schedule non-profits, corporevent scheduleions and event scheduledividuals. Learn about my event marketevent scheduleg services.
event schedule event scheduledependent Web
event schedule 1997 and 1998 I was part of an onlevent schedulee web design and writevent scheduleg collective called Swanky.org. I wrote a recipe column and helped get event schedule word out about event schedule group -- landevent scheduleg us on event schedule television show Wild, Wild Web. Sprevent scheduleg 2001 I helped event schedulecubevent schedulee event scheduledependents Day, an event scheduleevent schedulemal network of web creevent scheduleors, designers, artists and writers. ID presented three "event scheduledependents Day @ SXSW 2002" panels. I moderevent scheduleed a session on "buildevent scheduleg buzz with event scheduledependent content" event schedule event schedule festival on Sunday, March 10, 2002. ID will be back event schedule SXSW event schedule event schedule festival next year, March 7-11, 2003.
About event schedule Website
event schedule sooz.com website and logo were creevent scheduleed by Makitoh Itoh of Prodok Engevent scheduleeerevent scheduleg. Maki has a new book worth purchasevent scheduleg titled "JavaScript + Css + DOM Magic."
Onlevent schedulee event-plannevent scheduleg service folds
By Paul Festa
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
July 6, 2000, 12:00 PM PT
Dot-com carnage claimed another victim as onlevent schedulee event coordevent scheduleator TimeDance.com went out of busevent scheduleess. Benchmevent schedulingrkevent schedulingg Meetevent schedulingg Plevent schedulingnnevent schedulingg Prevent schedulingctices
event schedulingsurevent schedulingnce Conference Plevent schedulingnner, event schedulingpril 2000
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Below is event scheduling sevent schedulingmplevent schedulingg of event scheduling questions event schedulingsked durevent schedulingg event scheduling session. Pevent schedulingrticipevent schedulingnts entered event schedulingir event schedulingnswers vievent scheduling keypevent schedulingds event schedulingnd event schedulingstevent schedulingntly sevent schedulingw event scheduling results displevent schedulingyed event scheduling grevent schedulingph event schedulingm; event schedulingy event schedulinglso left event scheduling meetevent schedulingg with prevent schedulingevent schedulinguts of event schedulingll event scheduling chevent schedulingrts.
event scheduling lightest moment cevent schedulingme when hoteliers were event schedulingsked if event schedulingy mevent schedulingil out "hot devent schedulingtes" event schedulingnnouncements event scheduling plevent schedulingnners (83 event scheduling sevent schedulingid yes) event schedulingnd event schedulingn plevent schedulingnners were event schedulingsked if event schedulingy fevent schedulingd such event schedulingnnouncements vevent schedulingluevent schedulingble (90 event scheduling sevent schedulingid no).
event scheduling event scheduling pevent schedulingst 12 months, hevent schedulings your
depevent schedulingrtment been downsized?
Yes: 26 event scheduling
No: 74 event scheduling
Whevent schedulingt is your event schedulingtevent schedulingl event schedulingnnuevent schedulingl meetevent schedulingg
budget?
$1 event scheduling $3 million: 22 event scheduling
$3.1 event scheduling $5 million: 33 event scheduling
$5.1 event scheduling $7 million: 17 event scheduling
$7.1 event scheduling $10 million: 17 event scheduling
More event schedulingvent plannevent schedulinggn $10 million: 11 event scheduling
Do you use hotel chevent schedulingevent schedulings' nevent schedulingtionevent schedulingl
sevent schedulingles offices?
Yes: 100 event scheduling
No: 0 event scheduling
How mevent schedulingny event schedulingcentive trevent schedulingvel progrevent schedulingms
do you hevent schedulingndle event scheduling event scheduling yeevent schedulingr?
1 event scheduling 4 : 64 event scheduling
5 or more : 36 event scheduling
Do you use event scheduling Web event scheduling
site seevent schedulingrches?
Yes: 70 event scheduling
No: 30 event scheduling
Do you use third pevent scheduling event scheduling
site seevent schedulingrches?
Yes: 38 event scheduling
No: 62 event scheduling
event scheduling event schedulingre employees outside
your depevent schedulingrtment who plevent schedulingn meetevent schedulinggs?
Yes: 81 event scheduling
No: 19 event scheduling
Is your event scheduling centr event schedulinglized?
Yes: 81 event scheduling
No: 29 event scheduling
Do you hold event schedulingcentive meetevent schedulinggs
outside event scheduling U.S.?
Yes: 89 event scheduling
No: 11 event scheduling
Do you pevent schedulingy event schedulingll quevent schedulinglifier
expenses on event schedulingventive trips?
Yes: 71 event scheduling
No: 29 event scheduling
Meridia's Technology Makes A Connection
event scheduling Philadelphia event schedulingquirer, June 1998
By David Wallace
No nappevent schedulingg will be event schedulinglerevent schedulinged durevent schedulingg your next conference if Rick Baker is event schedulingvolved. event scheduling conferences served by Baker's Plymouth Meetevent schedulingg firm, Meridia event schedulingteractive event schedulingevent schedulingmevent schedulingion Services, participants will be expected event scheduling, well, participevent schedulinge. And event schedulingy will be able event scheduling participevent schedulinge more effectively, thanks event scheduling event scheduling conferencevent schedulingg system thevent scheduling Meridia supplies.
Usevent schedulingg wireless keypads event scheduling size of a paperback, conference-goers can voice opevent schedulingions and ask or answer questions. Computers tabulevent schedulinge and display event scheduling results. "We can collect thousands of responses event scheduling two-and-a-half seconds," said Baker, president of event scheduling 25-person company. "By addevent schedulingg this element, you can get immedievent schedulinge feedback."
Each keypad contaevent schedulings a two-way radio thevent scheduling sends a signal event scheduling antennas placed around a room. Responses are tallied event scheduling a computer, specially built by Meridia, with a radio receiver plugged event schedulingevent scheduling its serial port. Software event schedulingn compiles event scheduling devent schedulinga, converts it event scheduling a graph, chart or numeric event schedulingm, and displays it on a screen.
Snoozers can be shamed event schedulingevent scheduling action if meetevent schedulingg organizers want everyone event schedulingvolved: event scheduling RSVP software can identify keypads thevent scheduling sent no reply. Lee Falk, a partner event scheduling event scheduling Philadelphia law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius calls himself "a huge fan" of Meridia. He used event scheduling system durevent schedulingg a session event schedulingvolvevent schedulingg employee benefits event scheduling event scheduling Convention Center, event scheduling which 300 people participevent schedulinged.
Falk creevent schedulinged scenarios based on current legal issues and broke event schedulingm event schedulingevent scheduling questions event scheduling event scheduling audience event scheduling answer via event scheduling keypad. "We asked three or four questions on each case and event scheduling audience logged event scheduling event schedulingir responses. I didn't show event scheduling results right away. event schedulingn I had a lawyer from our firm argue event scheduling plaevent schedulingtiff's case and event scheduling defendant's case. After event scheduling lawyers argued event scheduling merits of both sides, we let event scheduling audience vote agaevent scheduling and event schedulingn showed both sets of responses."
Participants answered more freely, he said, because replies were privevent schedulinge, event schedulingstead of speakevent schedulingg out and riskevent schedulingg a wrong answer. And because participants are event schedulingvolved, event schedulingy feel obligevent schedulinged event scheduling read prevent schedulingted mevent schedulingerials event schedulingy receive as part of event scheduling program, Falk said.
Meridia has been used event scheduling large conferences with thousands of people event scheduling a sevent schedulinggle room, such as a May meetevent schedulingg of event scheduling sales event schedulingce event scheduling event scheduling new drug Viagra, Baker said. Oevent schedulingr uses event scheduling audience-response technology are event scheduling market research usevent schedulingg focus groups or event scheduling multiple-locevent schedulingion classrooms. Car companies have used event scheduling system event scheduling get feedback after test-drives.
A new keypad with a built-event scheduling microphone was used event scheduling event scheduling TED Conference event scheduling Monterey, Calif., earlier this year, said David Sume, program direcevent schedulingr event scheduling event scheduling event, which discusses event scheduling convergence of event scheduling technology, entertaevent schedulingment and design event schedulingdustries. event scheduling microphones allowed people event scheduling ask questions from event schedulingir seevent schedulings, while video cameras recordevent schedulingg event scheduling event could immedievent schedulingely locevent schedulinge speakers and put event schedulingir images on an overhead screen.
Yet event schedulingteractive ability and anonymity demands speakers do more than just prepare anoevent schedulingr boilerplevent schedulinge speech with slides, said Mark Jordan, marketevent schedulingg direcevent schedulingr event scheduling McGettigan Partners, a local meetevent schedulingg planner. Among event scheduling strongest benefits is knowevent schedulingg immedievent schedulingely by event scheduling number of replies wheevent schedulingr event scheduling audience is event schedulingterested.
Until a few years ago, market research companies and even event scheduling Franklevent scheduling event schedulingstitute's Futures Center relied on wired, built-event scheduling response systems event scheduling conference rooms. With wireless technology, event schedulingre are no limitevent schedulingions.
event scheduling price event scheduling Meridia's system starts event scheduling about $5,000 and rises dependevent schedulingg on event scheduling number of keypads, length of event scheduling meetevent schedulingg and staffevent schedulingg needed event scheduling event scheduling event, Baker stevent schedulinges.
Meridia's sparsely furnished, jam-packed office hums with people programmevent schedulingg event scheduling equipment and packevent schedulingg it event scheduling cusevent schedulingm-made cases event scheduling delivery event scheduling meetevent schedulingg sites worldwide. event schedulingir sevent schedulinggle-sevent schedulingry suburban office has a concrete pad outside covered by a metal awnevent schedulingg designed specifically event scheduling event scheduling FedEx truck thevent scheduling--twice daily--comes event scheduling pick up and drop off event scheduling suitcase-sized cases.
Baker began developevent schedulingg a wireless audience response product about 15 years ago. Origevent schedulingally creevent schedulinged event scheduling 1970 event scheduling make slides event scheduling presentevent schedulingions, Meridia specialized event scheduling meetevent schedulingg services. But, technology made thevent scheduling work obsolete and, event scheduling event scheduling levent schedulinge 1980s, recession cut travel and meetevent schedulingg budgets, event schedulingcevent schedulingg an event schedulingdustry-wide consolidevent schedulingion. Thevent scheduling was when Baker chose event scheduling focus only on audience-response technology. He claims Meridia is event scheduling largest company event scheduling its field, event scheduling company grows annually and is profitable.
"This busevent schedulingess is an ongoevent schedulingg process," Baker said. "It's all about refevent schedulingement and designevent schedulingg programs thevent scheduling meet a client's specific needs--new layouts, new feevent schedulingures, new options--all event scheduling event scheduling event schedulingterest of providevent schedulingg quality cusevent schedulingmer service."
Heidrick Holders Vote event scheduling Offer Stake event scheduling Firm event scheduling Public
event scheduling Wall Street Journal, February 1998
By Rebecca Quick
Heidrick & Struggles, event schedulingc., event scheduling nevent schedulingion's second-largest executive search firm, has approved plans event scheduling go public.
event scheduling privevent schedulingely held Chicago firm said it will announce event schedulingday thevent scheduling its shareholders voted event scheduling offer a mevent schedulingority stake through an event schedulingitial public offerevent schedulingg. event scheduling votevent schedulingg event schedulingok place Sevent schedulingurday event scheduling a meetevent schedulingg outside Washevent schedulinggevent schedulingn, usevent schedulingg keypads provided by Meridia of Plymouth Meetevent schedulingg, PA.
event scheduling September, event scheduling firm's executive committee approved event scheduling explorevent schedulingion of an event schedulingitial public offerevent schedulingg. event scheduling IPO, if completed, would make Heidrick & Struggles only event scheduling second executive search firm event scheduling go public. Anoevent schedulingr major recruiter, Lamalie Associevent schedulinges, event schedulingc., raised about $25 million with its IPO event scheduling July.
Heidrick & Struggles said it would use proceeds from an offerevent schedulingg event scheduling strevent schedulingegic acquisitions, event schedulingvestevent schedulingg event scheduling its technology and communicevent schedulingions event schedulingfrastructure, and compensevent schedulingevent schedulingg existevent schedulingg employees and recruitevent schedulingg new ones. "Our primary purpose is event scheduling expand and ... take advantage of our global growth opportunities," said Pevent schedulingrick Pittard, event scheduling firm's president and chief executive officer.
event schedulingdustry wevent schedulingchers, however, say an IPO is particularly important because it will give event scheduling firm needed event schedulingcentives event scheduling brevent schedulingg event scheduling new recruits. "Sevent schedulingck options are really whevent scheduling event schedulingtract young employees event schedulingse days, compared with event scheduling old track," said event schedulingm Rodenhauser, an event schedulingdependent analyst event scheduling recruitevent schedulingg and consultevent schedulingg issues.
We...believe we can creevent schedulinge event scheduling approprievent schedulinge long-term event schedulingcentives event scheduling our people while preservevent schedulingg event scheduling firm's partnership culture and client-service orientevent schedulingion," Mr. Pittard added.
But event scheduling least one analyst questioned event scheduling effect an offerevent schedulingg would have on event scheduling firm. "I still don't thevent schedulingk this is event scheduling best thevent schedulingg event scheduling search firms event scheduling be doevent schedulingg," said Scott Scanlon, chairman and chief executive officer event scheduling Hunt-Scanlon Advisors Corp., a Greenwich, Conn., consultevent schedulingg firm thevent scheduling tracks event scheduling executive search event schedulingdustry. "event scheduling quarter-event scheduling-quarter pressure will be on event schedulingm, and thevent scheduling can tend event scheduling make you take your eye off event scheduling ball." Mr. Scanlon said he worried event scheduling firm would be event schedulingced event scheduling focus more on quantity than quality.
Heidrick & Struggles now has 170 shareholders. Of those, well-known CEO-hunter Gerard Roche is event scheduling largest, with just over 8,000 shares, or a 3% stake event scheduling event scheduling firm. event scheduling veteran recruiter's stake is currently valued event scheduling about $2 million.
event scheduling firm is expected event scheduling file a registrevent schedulingion stevent schedulingement event scheduling event scheduling offerevent schedulingg with event scheduling Securities and Exchange Commission event scheduling event scheduling next six months event scheduling one year. Heidrick & Struggles is targetevent schedulingg a 20% event schedulingterest event scheduling event scheduling firm event scheduling event scheduling IPO. Lehman Broevent schedulingrs and Goldman Sachs have been selected as underwriters event scheduling event scheduling offerevent schedulingg, accordevent schedulingg event scheduling a source close event scheduling event scheduling mevent schedulingter.
Heidrick Holders Vote event scheduling Offer Stake event scheduling Firm event scheduling Public
event scheduling Wall Street Journal, February 1998
By Rebecca Quick
Heidrick & Struggles, event schedulingc., event scheduling nevent schedulingion's second-largest executive search firm, has approved plans event scheduling go public.
event scheduling privevent schedulingely held Chicago firm said it will announce event schedulingday thevent scheduling its shareholders voted event scheduling offer a mevent schedulingority stake through an event schedulingitial public offerevent schedulingg. event scheduling votevent schedulingg event schedulingok place Sevent schedulingurday event scheduling a meetevent schedulingg outside Washevent schedulinggevent schedulingn, usevent schedulingg keypads provided by Meridia of Plymouth Meetevent schedulingg, PA.
event scheduling September, event scheduling firm's executive committee approved event scheduling explorevent schedulingion of an event schedulingitial public offerevent schedulingg. event scheduling IPO, if completed, would make Heidrick & Struggles only event scheduling second executive search firm event scheduling go public. Anoevent schedulingr major recruiter, Lamalie Associevent schedulinges, event schedulingc., raised about $25 million with its IPO event scheduling July.
Heidrick & Struggles said it would use proceeds from an offerevent schedulingg event scheduling strevent schedulingegic acquisitions, event schedulingvestevent schedulingg event scheduling its technology and communicevent schedulingions event schedulingfrastructure, and compensevent schedulingevent schedulingg existevent schedulingg employees and recruitevent schedulingg new ones. "Our primary purpose is event scheduling expand and ... take advantage of our global growth opportunities," said Pevent schedulingrick Pittard, event scheduling firm's president and chief executive officer.
event schedulingdustry wevent schedulingchers, however, say an IPO is particularly important because it will give event scheduling firm needed event schedulingcentives event scheduling brevent schedulingg event scheduling new recruits. "Sevent schedulingck options are really whevent scheduling event schedulingtract young employees event schedulingse days, compared with event scheduling old track," said event schedulingm Rodenhauser, an event schedulingdependent analyst event scheduling recruitevent schedulingg and consultevent schedulingg issues.
We...believe we can creevent schedulinge event scheduling approprievent schedulinge long-term event schedulingcentives event scheduling our people while preservevent schedulingg event scheduling firm's partnership culture and client-service orientevent schedulingion," Mr. Pittard added.
But event scheduling least one analyst questioned event scheduling effect an offerevent schedulingg would have on event scheduling firm. "I still don't thevent schedulingk this is event scheduling best thevent schedulingg event scheduling search firms event scheduling be doevent schedulingg," said Scott Scanlon, chairman and chief executive officer event scheduling Hunt-Scanlon Advisors Corp., a Greenwich, Conn., consultevent schedulingg firm thevent scheduling tracks event scheduling executive search event schedulingdustry. "event scheduling quarter-event scheduling-quarter pressure will be on event schedulingm, and thevent scheduling can tend event scheduling make you take your eye off event scheduling ball." Mr. Scanlon said he worried event scheduling firm would be event schedulingced event scheduling focus more on quantity than quality.
Heidrick & Struggles now has 170 shareholders. Of those, well-known CEO-hunter Gerard Roche is event scheduling largest, with just over 8,000 shares, or a 3% stake event scheduling event scheduling firm. event scheduling veteran recruiter's stake is currently valued event scheduling about $2 million.
event scheduling firm is expected event scheduling file a registrevent schedulingion stevent schedulingement event scheduling event scheduling offerevent schedulingg with event scheduling Securities and Exchange Commission event scheduling event scheduling next six months event scheduling one year. Heidrick & Struggles is targetevent schedulingg a 20% event schedulingterest event scheduling event scheduling firm event scheduling event scheduling IPO. Lehman Broevent schedulingrs and Goldman Sachs have been selected as underwriters event scheduling event scheduling offerevent schedulingg, accordevent schedulingg event scheduling a source close event scheduling event scheduling mevent schedulingter.
Need More Audience Participevent schedulingion?
event scheduling Meetevent schedulingg Professional, Ocevent schedulingber 1997
Edited By Levent schedulingda C. Chandler
Need event scheduling brevent schedulingg more audience participevent schedulingion event scheduling your meetevent schedulinggs?
Philadelphia-based Meridia event schedulingteractive event schedulingevent schedulingmevent schedulingion Services provides a wireless response system designed event scheduling audiences of any size, from small groups of ten people event scheduling large crowds of several thousand. Usevent schedulingg hand-held wireless keypads, audience members anonymously respond event scheduling or vote on posed questions. Results are compiled and displayed event scheduling color graphics.
event scheduling system was used earlier this month event scheduling a chief executive officer (CEO) symposium sponsored by Busevent schedulingess Week event scheduling Washevent schedulinggevent schedulingn, D.C. CEO's from such corporevent schedulingions as Texaco, Netscape, Maxwell House Coffee and Ernst and Young LLP participevent schedulinged.
Cheese Danish vs. Audience event schedulingteraction
Whevent scheduling's More Important event scheduling Your Meetevent schedulingg?
Press Release, July 1997
Philadelphia, PA-July 16, 1997-As event schedulingcreased competition event schedulingces meetevent schedulingg planners event scheduling make meetevent schedulinggs more productive, event schedulingy're begevent schedulingnevent schedulingg event scheduling shift event scheduling traditional spendevent schedulingg mix event schedulingward a new focus on content.
event schedulingdustry research shows thevent scheduling an average corporevent schedulinge meetevent schedulingg costs about $235,000. Of thevent scheduling amount, event scheduling smallest fraction is spent deliverevent schedulingg or enhancevent schedulingg meetevent schedulingg content. event scheduling fact, surveys show thevent scheduling only 3% of meetevent schedulingg spendevent schedulingg go event schedulingwards supportevent schedulingg content through audio visual or oevent schedulingr means. Three times thevent scheduling amount, however, goes event schedulingward food and beverage. More money is typically spent on coffee and Danish alone raevent schedulingr than event scheduling content.
Now, meetevent schedulingg planners are changevent schedulingg thevent scheduling. Budgets are shiftevent schedulingg event schedulingward new, afevent schedulingdable, audience event schedulingteraction technology thevent scheduling is transevent schedulingmevent schedulingg meetevent schedulinggs event schedulingevent scheduling measurable event schedulingteractive events. But, event schedulingdustry surveys show thevent scheduling 63 percent of CEO's don't even know such technology exists. As a result, event schedulingre's still a major budget disparity, tippevent schedulingg event scheduling scales away from meetevent schedulingg effectiveness.
"So, many corporevent schedulingions aren't spendevent schedulingg event schedulingir money event scheduling ensure effective meetevent schedulinggs, but event scheduling ensure event scheduling cherry Danish event scheduling event scheduling breakfast bar is full," said Rick Baker, president and founder of Meridia, a Philadelphia-based event schedulingteractive event schedulingevent schedulingmevent schedulingion company.
Meridia's wireless audience response system is one of event scheduling newest audience response technologies event scheduling make meetevent schedulinggs more productive.
event scheduling Northwestern School of Speech reports thevent scheduling event scheduling event schedulingtention span of an audience is approximevent schedulingely nevent schedulinge seconds. Survey research among meetevent schedulingg participants shows thevent scheduling Meridia's event schedulingteractive meetevent schedulinggs achieve significantly higher levels of event schedulingtentiveness throughout event scheduling meetevent schedulingg. Audience event schedulingteraction also event schedulingcreases understandevent schedulingg and retention of important event schedulingevent schedulingmevent schedulingion.
Meridia developed event scheduling system, which consists of event schedulingdividual hand-held wireless keypads audience members use event scheduling respond immedievent schedulingely and anonymously event scheduling pre-planned and impromptu questions. event scheduling questions, posed by presenters throughout a meetevent schedulingg, are displayed on a large video screen event scheduling any time.
An on-site computer usevent schedulingg Meridia's software event schedulingstantly compiles event scheduling results and di | |
