Business Strategies Leveraging the Next-Generation Internet

November 3, 1999

EVANSTON, IL, November 4, 1999 – Yesterday, Northwestern University hosted a unique forum on "Business Strategies Leveraging the Next Generation Internet." Northwestern's Communication Systems Program and International Center for Advanced Internet Research (iCAIR) brought together leading technology researchers and scholars as well as corporate innovators to explore advanced concepts in E-Business Strategy. The keynote speaker was presented by John Patrick, Vice President for Internet Technology at IBM, which is a major corporate sponsor of iCAIR.

"With the Next Generation Internet, the vast increase of available bandwidth will enable a new realm of media-enriched e-business applications," said John Patrick, Vice President of Internet Technology, IBM. "These future applications will include synchronous language translation, e-meetings, real-time collaboration, and high quality video which will enable a very natural way for people to engage in education, entertainment and e-commerce."

"The global revolution in digital communications for the twenty-first century presents major opportunities for businesses" said Joel Mambretti, director of iCAIR. "The key however is the development and execution of strategy, not merely deployment of technology."

Other corporate participants included Cisco Systems, Barnes and Noble, Ford Motor company/ANX (the automotive exchange network), and Starbelly, an innovative Internet startup company.

The forum noted that the digital economy is being driven by numerous innovations in business models. New advanced digital communications based on Internet technologies are revolutionizing many traditional businesses as well as other organizations. No single e-business strategy is appropriate to all corporations, and most existing strategies are undergoing continuous dynamic change and new capabilities are invented. In addition, more revolutionary change is coming. Even as business deployment of familiar Internet technology continues to accelerate, a "Next Generation Internet" is being created, which will be much more powerful than today's. Businesses must continually design and deploy new strategies to take advantage of the opportunities provided by ever-more powerful digital communications, especially to meet competitive challenges.

Communication Systems Program, Northwestern University: This program is directed at managers responsible for the investment, productivity and performance of information/communication technologies and systems in business, including those responsible for product and services development and marketing.

International Center for Advanced Internet Research, Northwestern University (iCAIR): iCAIR has been established by Northwestern and IBM with Cisco Systems and Ameritech to accelerate the development and implementation of advanced Internet technologies and services (www.icair.org). Northwestern University, established in 1851, is a leading private research and teaching institution with 17,700 undergraduate, graduate and professional students enrolled in 12 schools and colleges. It is considered one of the top ranked institutions for effective use of technology. For more information about Northwestern University, visit its Web site at http://www.northwestern.edu.

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