10:30 am Break

TRACK SESSIONS

11:00 am
Putting the "e" in Business
Ed Douglas, Vice President, Business Product Management, Earthlink
This presentation discusses how traditional brick-and-mortar companies can maximize the potential of the growing Internet impact to effectively compete with larger competitors. Mr. Douglas contributes his insider's vision of electronic retailing and the potential pitfalls and key considerations of building a competitive advantage online. This session includes a checklist of services and support functions to consider before venturing online.

11:45 am
...But Can You Deliver?
Hannah Kain, President and CEO, ALOM Technologies
e-Commerce companies tend to spend "big bucks" and internal resources on the front-end of their business. An equally—or in some cases more important aspect—is the ability to deliver. This presentation outlines the best practices for e-commerce companies with a physical product to deliver. It also provides insight into how to calculate and control distribution cost—a crucial factor for e-tailers in order to turn a profit. The presentation includes hands-on experience with launching and maintaining fulfillment for 30 e-tailers, and contains metrics and brief case studies.

12:30 pm Luncheon and Exposition

2:00 pm
e-Merchandising—The Future for e-Commerce Success
Paul Cimino, Chairman and Chief Solutions Officer, Snickelways Interactive
Just as with brick-and-mortar stores, the success of any e-business depends largely on the quality of the customer experience. If the business rules are clearly understood, and if the customer base is well known, then computers, and all their associated technologies, can be used effectively to build a positive and enjoyable Web experience for the customer—an experience that will have several key results for the e-business. This session addresses the processes and methods by which these two results are achieved, a brief history of merchandising and the role of brand awareness in an e-business environment.

2:45 am
"News from the Front"
Details to follow.

3:30 pm Break

4:00 pm
Business-to-Business Communications
Norbert Mikula, Chief Technology Officer, DataChannel
Business-to-business communication all too often triggers the thought "machine-to-machine" integration. In other words, how do I enable the exchange of data between my own enterprise systems and those of my business partners (suppliers, customers, etc.)? However, this very narrow view of B2B leaves out two important aspects: document/content-oriented B2B and human decision making. This presentation takes a different look at B2B and B2C and analyzes what important processes need to be supported and optimized beyond transactions.

4:45 pm
Focus Your Human Resources on Your Core Business:
The Real Benefits of Outsourcing
Speaker to be announced, Mail.com
As IT budgets continue to skyrocket and the market for skilled IT employees becomes increasingly competitive, businesses are turning to application service providers to help control costs and free up valuable IT resources. This trend is evident in the Internet messaging market, as more and more businesses begin to outsource their e-mail, IP fax and collaboration services. This presentation examines the human resource costs of running an e-mail system and the strain it puts on a company's IT department. What tasks are on the average IT department's plate and what projects are being neglected by overwhelmed IT staffs who are forced to juggle too many responsibilities? Views are presented on outsourcing issues and what companies could accomplish if they didn't have to worry about their e-mail system and could concentrate on their core business functions.

5:30 - 7:00 pm Welcome Reception and Exposition