Stories about: CMI

Storage management is taking a major step forward with completion of the first version of the Storage Networking Industry Association's Storage Management Initiative Specification.

When RPM International Inc. was looking for a way to streamline its purchasing processes, the multibillion-dollar manufacturer of speciality chemical products decided that the best approach would be to consolidate requirements from across all of its operations.

Now appearing on department-store shelves, between the blenders and the microwaves, is a new class of device known as Web appliances. They range from clunky, Jetsons-esque machines to cool, futuristic tablets. One, designed for the kitchen, combines a TV, Web browser, DVD player and baby monitor, so that parents can cook, Net-surf, watch movies and keep an ear for Junior at the same time. The variety of these new devices is testament both to human ingenuity and to wishful thinking.

HOLY TECHNOLOGY! To celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' birth, the city of Rome is holding a jubilee that includes cultural exhibits, family events, World Youth Day and Masses celebrated by the Pope. The 13-month celebration began on Dec. 24, 1999. It's a momentous event for worshipers, and the jubilee's orchestrators don't want technical or logistical difficulties to diminish their ability to worship. Toward that end, they have developed the Pilgrim Card, which they hope will give travelers "peace of mind in [their] stay devoted to faith, conversion and prayer."

A teen-ager pulls a packaged dinner from the kitchen freezer, scans it across a countertop Web pad and downloads cooking instructions from the food manufacturer. A computer system at the local supermarket receives an electronic replenishment order for the item and adds the same dinner to the family's weekly order.

When ClubComputer.com started selling computer products on the web in November 1998, it relied on a rather quaint back-end fulfillment system. The startup company e-mailed orders to suppliers, who manually entered the data into their own systems before processing and shipping merchandise to customers. CEO Dennis Tracz knew the system was far from cutting edge for a web-based business, but it seemed to hold up to ClubComputer.com's daily intake of 100 orders. Then last July the company hit it big following a stint as a featured merchant on the CNet Shopper site. Volume went from $200,000 a month to $1 million in 10 days, burying the e-mail ordering system.

Your home may soon be as networked as your office. We look at the latest technologies, products, and gizmos to separate the help from the hype.