Abstract: EC-Gate creates a wireless vertical marketplace to enable B2B e-commerce. The first of several wireless virtual communities were unveiled at three international conferences in the Netherlands, Brazil, and Canada.

Abstract: The Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002 (also known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 0f 2002) was passed by US lawmakers to reinforce honest and transparent corporate practices in the wake of the various public accounting scandals and corporate failures of the 1990s. As with any far-reaching legislation of this magnitude, there is plenty of hype that has emerged in connection with this law. This document is designed to help large and small companies navigate some of the “hype” that sometimes blurs the line between fact and fiction.

Abstract: The Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act of 2002 (also known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 0f 2002) was passed by US lawmakers to reinforce honest and transparent corporate practices in the wake of the various public accounting scandals and corporate failures of the 1990s. The Act, named after US Senator Paul S. Sarbanes and US Congressman Michael G. Oxley, has changed the way public companies do business. Although not specifically covered under the Act, non-public entities are also finding that bankers, investors, and acquisition candidates are now conditioned to expect increased transparency and real-time disclosures, in effect placing a greater accounting and reporting burden on companies that are not legally obligated to comply with this act. As with any far-reaching legislation of this magnitude, there is plenty of hype that has emerged in connection with this law. This document is designed to help companies large and small navigate some of the 'hype' that sometimes blurs the line between fact and fiction.

Abstract: At any given time, one in four mortgage providers is looking to upgrade its loan origination system. The reason: its current system provides low rates of automation—including some processing functions that are not automated at all. Using people to process loan applications decreases profitability of a company in several ways, but by automating more processes, profitability can be improved—and the hidden costs eliminated.

Abstract: Manufacturing analytics is fundamental to enabling an enterprise to run at peak performance. For management to achieve this condition, it needs to have an underlying data collection and management system that looks to the total enterprise. Data collected at the packaging line must be available and compatible with financial and operational data, so that maximum value can be achieved.

Abstract: From point-and-click ordering using Web-based catalogs of individual suppliers, to marketplaces that bring together in one place the products or services offered by multiple suppliers, to live auctions that determine the lowest-price bidder — there is a wide range of new e-procurement methods and tools to help businesses buy goods and services better, faster, and cheaper.

Abstract: A straightforward way to drive prices down and obtain increased supplier attention is to leverage total purchasing volume through Internet-based auctions. This part addresses the implications of using e-procurement to Leverage Volume, including leveraging volume through outsourcing.

Abstract: There is a great deal of confusion over the meaning of data warehousing. Simply defined, a data warehouse is a place for data, whereas data warehousing describes the process of defining, populating, and using a data warehouse. Creating, populating, and querying a data warehouse typically carries an extremely high price tag, but the return on investment can be substantial. Over 95% of the Fortune 1000 have a data warehouse initiative underway in some form.

Abstract: There’s a system security hole that can crash your Windows 95 or 98 system. How long has it taken Microsoft to fix it? Three months and counting.

Abstract: The capacity of today’s storage systems is increasing at an astonishing rate. But the truth is: the more storage you have, the more you use. So, how do you create an efficient data storage system? And how much space can it really save you? Advanced single instance storage (A-SIS) deduplication can reduce storage consumption up to 95 percent—helping you conserve disk space, while keeping your system overhead low.

Abstract: Research shows that between 65 and 95 percent of all e-mail is considered spam. On an individual level, spam is an annoyance more than anything else, but on a company-wide basis, spam causes significant problems—and the cost to manage it is sizeable. Spammers are always one step ahead of antispam vendors, so to combat this persistent problem, companies need a single-source product that can eliminate spam for good.

Abstract: By any measure, retailers are overwhelming small businesses. More than 95 percent of all retailers have only one store. Almost 90 percent have sales less than $2.5 million (USD), and more than 98 percent have fewer than 100 employees. To compete, small businesses need to be innovative, and understand both personalization and value, and how to execute best practices to build success.

Abstract: Eastern Foods, Inc. produces fresh goods for one of the most widely dispersed populations in the world. The leading supplier of salad dressings to airlines, Amtrak, and the cruise ship industry, Eastern is nationally known for Naturally Fresh dressings as well as premiere meat sauces and dips sold in stores and distributed to the food service industry. The job has never been easy – but it has been made easier in recent years with the implementation of Ross Systems’ iRenaissance suite of business applications for both front and back office operations. The flow of information, necessary to make critical decisions and ensure high levels of service, now travels quicker than the fast-paced industry it serves. The plant scheduler has been able to reduce the number of daily individual production jobs by as much as 20%, as well as reduce the number of changeovers, resulting in higher capacity utilization and throughput. Visibility to the forecast and orders allows for better management of the scheduled cycle of product runs, which must be closely coordinated with inventory to ensure supply is both adequate and fresh. Cycle schedule compliance has improved from 88% to 95%.

Abstract: Sage Group's decision to finally group its plethora of enterprise-level applications in North America under the Best Software brand in 2002 emanated from the company's ability to deliver highly integrated components, and to weave a unified story around this concoction of products, many of them with best-of-breed traits.

Abstract: Several months after having unveiled its 'customer and/or partner for life' strategy blueprint at the end of 2002, Best Software recently organized its first annual Insights 2003 conference and briefed its partners on the actual steps of executing its strategy to prop itself up against the inevitable face-off against Microsoft Business Solutions.

Abstract: Although SAP’s recently announced tamed results for Q1 2002, which fit within the current market milieu, may add to some challenges moving forward, particularly seen from sharply reduced license revenue, and while some may question SAP’s justification of assimilating its two former subsidiaries, SAP has meanwhile become much more alert and diverse to spar with difficulties.

Abstract: Does Manugistics’ acquisition of a small ERP vendor confirms a further degree of integration and convergence between ERP, SCM and CRM applications in 2002 and beyond, with SCM and CRM moving towards the transactional aspects that have until lately been the prerogative of ERP?

Abstract: On May 30, QAD reported financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2002. Although not quite turning the corner, the business seems to be stabilizing against the backdrop of the economic slowdown, the fierce competition from the bigger vendors and the plight of many of its peers.