First

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 6/1/2000

Windows CE future still unclear

While Windows NT usage is widespread and has a bright future, the same cannot be said about Windows CE in industrial automation applications. That's according to a new study from Venture Development Corporation (VDC), titled "Trends in industrial PC software: operating systems, programming languages, and application software."

Stability is the main factor, cited by users, for the large, and growing, popularity of the Windows NT operating system.

There appears to be a lack of familiarity with Windows CE and a lack of "maturity" in the marketplace, causing the limited popularity of the software.

B2B to hit $5.7 trillion by 2004

AMR Research predicts that business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce will be adopted at a more accelerated rate than many companies realize, reaching $5.7 trillion by the year 2004. Based on the firm's report, industry leaders will move 60 to 100% of their transactions to the Internet over the next 2 years. The report also states that companies that do not take an aggressive approach to B2B e-commerce and prepare for digital marketplaces will lose customers and ultimately fail.

In addition, AMR Research says the B2B e-commerce momentum is being led by trading exchanges, cost savings, electronic data interchange (EDI) volume, and advanced supply chain management concepts.

For more information or a copy of the report, call 617-574-5217.

Calling all supply chain management experts

Innovation and effectiveness in supply chain management (SCM) will now be formally recognized with the establishment of the first-ever UCLA award for excellence in supply chain management.

A call for entries is open to organizations and individuals worldwide that have implemented supply chain solutions that have significantly advanced the state-of-the-art in SCM and offer new techniques and knowledge with wide applicability.

For more information regarding the details about submission and criteria, judging, eligibility, and award presentation, call 310-206-8197.

Are you an impulse online shopper?

Of all Internet users, 40%, or about 120 million people worldwide, have already made a purchase or transaction online. And according to an Angus Reid Group study of Internet users in 34 countries, as many as one in four purchases are made on impulse. A majority of shoppers (71%) said they were very satisfied with their online experience.

It appears, however, that online credit card payment is more of a North American phenomenon than a global one. Cash on delivery and bank drafts are almost as popular as instant credit card payments in Asia and Europe.

The majority of online shoppers planned their purchases and knew exactly where to find what they were looking for. However, 24% said they found a product by chance in the course of a routine Web site visit. Some 60% of global online purchasers say convenience is their motivation for using the Internet over traditional shopping methods.