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• Intel to Phase Out Processor Serial Numbers

  Intel Corp. plans to stop stamping serial numbers in its processors, starting with its Willamette chip due out later this year, the company said today.

  Written by Jack McCarthy • 27 April 00 12:01

• AT&T Wireless IPO Off to Slow Start

  AT&T Corp.'s Wireless Group initial public offering (IPO) was trading at slightly above the US$29.50 price per share set by AT&T during the morning today.

  Written by Nancy Weil • 27 April 00 12:01

• Olympus Unveils Dual-Duty Camera

  If you don't want to choose between a camcorder and a still camera, Olympus America Inc. is preparing a dual-duty solution. Those shutterbug conundrums could fade like an old Polaroid snapshot.

  Written by James A. Martin • 27 April 00 12:01

• Lotus Bluejay prepares for flight

  A little more than a year after Lotus Development rolled out Notes Release 5, the company is preparing an extension of its Domino messaging and Web application platform, code-named Bluejay, which will feature a healthy dose of collaboration and interoperability between Lotus Domino and the Microsoft's Office environment.

  Written by Stephanie Sanborn • 27 April 00 12:01

• Phone System to Warn Colorado County Citizens

  Adams County has become the second Colorado county to sign a contract to install an advanced telephone system that will warn residents about natural disasters, wildfires, chemical spills, hostage situations or other emergencies.

  Written by Daniel Keegan • 27 April 00 12:01

• Oracle Stands by May for Completing Apps Upgrade

  At the spring conference of the user group representing companies that use its business software, Oracle Corp. today reaffirmed that the final part of a delayed applications upgrade will ship in May.

  Written by MARIA TROMBLY • 27 April 00 12:01

• Denver Unveils Immunization System

  Denver public health officials recently unveiled an automated vaccine administration program that keeps track of all immunizations given in the city.

  Written by Daniel Keegan • 27 April 00 12:01

• Unlocking the Value of ERP

  Standing on this side of the whole Y2K thing we may sometimes feel a little silly. Y2K, the great business imperative driving the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, was, in hindsight, wonderfully uneventful. But if you are beginning to second guess your extraordinary efforts, late nights, and sometimes difficult ERP projects, think again. That effort invested in implementing new business processes and technology may have equipped you well to accelerate your company's move into the connected economy. But first, let us briefly review some of the research which underscores the current situation. Rest assured that if you feel that you have not yet received the full benefit of your ERP system you are not alone. To better understand the current situation, Ernst & Young surveyed 31 CFOs of predominantly Fortune 1000 companies. The research indicated some startling results: 48 per cent reported that returns from their ERP project were lower than expected while only 17 per cent reported gains which exceeded expectations. However, keep in mind that 76 per cent of all respondents report not having done a business case for their ERP projects. The reason most cited for not doing a business case was that Y2K pressures made the project a "must do". Digging deeper into the survey results, we find insights and lessons learned from which we can improve the current situation: - Over 42 per cent indicated that additional user training, better skilled people, and/or change management are required to fully leverage ERP; - 32 per cent indicated that changing or standardizing processes, organizing differently, changing the work culture, or "adapting to the power of ERP" are necessary to leverage ERP; and - 32 per cent indicated that full implementation, better integration, or economies of scale are necessary. If you are part of the group whose expectations of ERP are not yet satisfied, rest assured that you are not alone. Many of those in the same boat are revisiting their ERP projects with a view to optimizing their systems and processes. Before you go forward with a bold plan, it is important to know where ERP stands on your Executive's agenda. Whether it is backlash from the ERP era which focused on the back office, or it is driven by the Internet craze, you may find that ERP is out and Customer Relationship Management and e-commerce are in. Lets step back and discuss what this means to the custodians of newly delivered ERP systems. The value behind the ERP wave was integration. We implemented ERP systems to get parts of our business talking to one another and working together seamlessly. If we implemented our ERP systems effectively and were willing to challenge traditional ways of doing things we probably made out quite well. But the competitive heat continues to be turned up, and the flow of information within your company is no longer enough by itself. We must now extend our view of our business and assure that our processes and systems reach out and support the other parties with whom we interact. Those parties include suppliers, partners, customers, employees and shareholders. The Internet and CRM can provide technology solutions to help us to reach out to those interested parties. But to quote management guru Dr. Michael Hammer, "Putting a Web front-end onto bad systems and processes only advertises to the world how bad your systems and processes really are." To avoid this folly and to truly gain competitive advantage in the new connected economy we will have to go further. We will need to integrate the convenience and marketing appeal of the Internet and CRM with the proven back-end transactional processes supported by your ERP system. To illustrate the point, consider an example of an imaginary manufacturing firm that has chosen to enhance warranty and maintenance services for its products. Using the new system, customers will be able to log onto a password-protected Web site to look at parts catalogues and service notices. The site may also provide information about the location of service centres and phone numbers for order desks through which to place an order for spare parts. If the company is to take the next step and allow for the completion of a transaction, in this case ordering a part via the Internet, there are a host of additional systems that require consideration: is the part available? (parts inventory system), what shipping arrangements can be made? (logistics and distribution systems), is the customer's credit good? (accounts receivable and order entry systems). Chances are your ERP system was implemented to automate these not-so-sexy-but-oh-so-important back-office functions. In order to guarantee success with your e-commerce and CRM projects, be sure that you are starting on solid ground. To determine where you stand, ask yourself the following: - Has your ERP system changed the way you do business? - Are the users comfortable with the new system and have you retired the ones it was meant to replace? - Have you implemented enough of the system to assure integration across lines of business? - Do you have a defined action plan and structured approach to maximizing value from your ERP system? (If not, see the following ERP Innovation Action Plan) When you can answer "yes" to several of these questions you are ready to leverage your investment in the back office to truly help the front office. So if you feel that you spent the latter half of the 1990s implementing an ERP system which few appreciated, feel free to speak up when those around you want to "get closer to the customer" and "get on the Web". Some of the toughest work may be behind you. And if you approach the e-commerce and CRM opportunity with the lessons learned from your ERP experience, you will be sure to succeed in the connected economy.

  Written by Robert Scott and Jane Diercks • 27 April 00 12:01

• Smart Network Devices Pave Way to New Services

  The devices sitting at the edges of the network are about to get a little bit smarter. At least that's what panelists said here at the opening session of the Next Generation Network Ventures Conference.

  Written by Carolyn Gruske • 27 April 00 12:01

• UK wireless spectrum bids hit $35B

  Bids for third-generation wireless spectrum in the UK hit a total of $35 billion in the latest round of an auction that started March 6, with only six companies remaining out of an original field of 13.

  Written by Bob Brewin • 26 April 00 13:01

• Oracle's file system for all kinds of data

  Oracle finally has released a version of its Internet File System, a software program lets users store, search and e-mail Web pages, documents and other unstructured data in an Oracle database.

  Written by John Cox • 26 April 00 13:01

• Security Firm Warns of Red Hat Piranha 'Back Door'

  Internet Security Systems (ISS) says it has identified a backdoor password in the Red Hat Linux Piranha product that could allow an attacker to compromise a Web server and deface and destroy a Web site.

  Written by Ann Harrison • 26 April 00 12:01

• Corel merger worries spark cash concerns

  In its latest filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Canadian-based Corel announced it could run out of cash in 90 days if its merger with Inprise/Borland doesn't go through and current financial troubles continue.

  Written by Brian Sullivan • 26 April 00 12:01

• Lawson Plans Convenience Store E-Comm JV

  Lawson Inc. today became the latest among Japan's major convenience store chains to announce plans to enter the world of e-commerce.

  Written by Martyn Williams • 26 April 00 12:01

• PeopleSoft Set to Introduce Trading Exchange

  In three months or less, PeopleSoft Inc. will be launching its own trading exchange, PeopleSoft Marketplace, the result of its recent agreement with CommerceOne Inc.

  Written by Eugene Grygo • 26 April 00 12:01

• Gates: PC Will Remain Central

  The PC will retain a central role as the point of integration for Internet appliances, Microsoft Corp. CEO Bill Gates declared during his keynote speech at the software vendor's WinHEC conference here on Tuesday.

  Written by Dominique Deckmyn • 26 April 00 12:01

• NEC Unveils Eight-Way Servers

  With fast-growing e-commerce infrastructures in mind, NEC Corp. yesterday debuted an eight-way-capable Pentium III Xeon server aimed at enterprise users. The NEC Express5800/180Ra-7 server lets end users start off with as little as a single processor and expand to eight processors.

  Written by April Jacobs • 26 April 00 12:01

• Andersen, Edocs Align for E-Billing

  Andersen Consulting Inc. and edocs Inc. today announced an alliance to meet consumer demand for electronic presentation and payment of bills. The services will include secure online transactions with an easy-to-use interface and free or low-cost access to bills and statements.

  Written by Christine M. Campbell • 26 April 00 12:01

• MS breakup proposal not popular with IT managers

  The government's expected breakup recommendation for Microsoft isn't finding strong support among information technology managers, even those who agree that Microsoft broke the law.

  Written by Patrick Thibodeau • 26 April 00 12:01

• AT&T Wireless Stock Set for IPO

  AT&T Corp. plans to issue an initial public offering (IPO) tomorrow for its Wireless Group subsidiary, in what may be one of the largest IPOs yet.

  Written by Jack McCarthy • 26 April 00 12:01