Die Perlen von Internet Capital

"When television became available, it was thought that success could be achieved simply by broadcasting theater performances. But in fact, no one wanted to watch theater on TV," Messer noted. "People come up with new ideas over time. When TV first came out, nobody had imagined anything like the Ed Sullivan Show. Did anyone foresee the popularity of shows like "Survivor," which feature ordinary people? You have to maintain an awareness that change occurs constantly."

In the world of the Internet, too, "even major companies that were successful in the beginning but neglected to innovate or evolve no longer have an important position in the marketplace," he said, stressing the need for change. "Broadband transforms work and daily life. And since consumers are changing in major ways, EC sites will have to evolve in keeping with those changes."


Infrastructure innovations continue with the focus tightened on added value.

"It's there when you need it, and that makes it well suited to the rhythm of life throughout the day," Messer said of the advantages of the Internet. He noted that broadband Internet users use the Internet 17.3 hours per month, adding that "there's been a major change from the age when people were happy with the information given to them to an era in which people seek out their own information."

Messer said that the leading players in his company's affiliate marketing business is not LinkShare, but the affiliates themselves. "I don't think that we have all the ideas," he said. "Affiliates are just platforms, and we will provide this simple means to the people with the ideas. LinkShare will keep the focus narrowed to added value as we continue to transform the infrastructure," he said, stressing his company's role as a platform provider.

To demonstrate LinkShare's continuous effort to provide transformative new services and functions, Messer noted the examples of XML compatibility, Web services, the InStore card that can be used at physical retail outlets, and data analysis function. He said that the latter is to be introduced in Japan in the coming days. "Data is so abundant that it can't be made thorough use of. Providing a simple interface making it possible to analyze meaningful data should make it possible to make deliberate decisions that take more data into account."

Sensing the intimate relationship between affiliates and search functions, the company also began offering the LinkShare Search Advantage search service. "There are cases in which the user can't search using the keyword that is actually desired," he said. "We intend to optimize search programs to affiliate sites using a common data set."

Messer also brought up the example of Google, noting that they are a competitor. "Google built the world's top brand in three years, and they did it without brand investment. Their website is simple, too. In the world of the Internet, it is possible to become a major player without major investment," he said, adding that "there'll probably be another Google-like presence on the Internet within two to three years."


When television first appeared, broadcasts of theater and radio footage were the mainstream. Now, programming featuring ordinary people is the most popular.


New capabilities offered by LinkShare Data analysis to start in Japan in a few days

Internet Capital Group, Inc. will open with position limits of 25,000,000 shares. The options will trade on the January expiration cycle. The specialist will be Wolverine Trading, L.P. Internet Capital Group, Inc. is an Internet holding company primarily involved in managing and operating a network of business-to-business e-commerce companies.

Sensient Technologies Corporation will open with position limits of 5,000,000 shares. The options will trade on the January expiration cycle. The specialist will be Group One Trading, L.P. Sensient Technologies Corporation supplies colors, flavors and fragrances.

Syneron Medical Ltd. will open with position limits of 7,500,000 shares. The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist will be Susquehanna Investment Group. Syneron Medical Ltd. designs, develops and markets aesthetic medical products based on proprietary Electro-Optical Synergy, or ELOS technologies.

Todco will open with position limits of 5,000,000 shares. The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist will be Group One Trading, L.P. Todco provides contract drilling services in the United States Gulf Coast area.

VCA Antech, Inc. will open with position limits of 5,000,000 shares. The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist will be AGS Specialists, LLC. VCA Antech, Inc. owns, operates and manages a network of free standing veterinary hospitals and veterinary-inclusive clinical laboratories in the US.

Walter Industries, Inc. will open with position limits of 7,500,000 shares. The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist will be Susquehanna Investment Group. Walter Industries, Inc. is a diversified company with major interests in homebuilding/financing and industrial operations.

The American Stock Exchange(R) (Amex(R)) is the only primary exchange that offers trading across a full range of equities, options and exchange traded funds (ETFs), including structured products and HOLDRS(sm). In addition to its role as a national equities market, the Amex is the pioneer of the ETF, responsible for bringing the first domestic product to market in 1993. Leading the industry in ETF listings, the Amex lists 155 ETFs. The Amex is also one of the largest options exchanges in the U.S., trading options on broad-based and sector indexes as well as domestic and foreign stocks. For more information, please visit www.amex.com .

quelle : www.nasdaq.com/asp /quotes_news.asp?selected =ICGE&symb.. .


Eine Meinung dazu von einem anderen Board:

"Hallo Leute,

Dass jetzt auch Optionen auf Internet Capital gehandelt werden können halte ich für einen großen Vorteil. Das und die Wiederaufnahme vom Small Cap Market in den NASDAQ National Market zeigt meiner Meinung nach eindeutig, dass unser Baby auf dem richtigen Weg ist. Auf mittelfristige Sicht(2 Jahre) halte ich Kurse von über 20$ auf jeden Fall für möglich."

Ich halte ebenfalls den wieder möglichen Handel mit Optionen fur bedeutsam. Schlechtere Zeiten brechen meines Erachtens für Shortseller an, die nicht mehr so leicht beginnende Kursanstiege ausbremsen können, um sich noch eindecken zu können. Meines Erachtens muss es aber keine zwei Jahre dauern, bis wir die 20 Dollar erreichen. Schon ein Börsengang, die Übernahme bzw. auch nur Andeutungen bei Linkshare sollte dazu ausreichen, wenn z.B. sichtbar wird, dass die angemessene Bewertung von Linkshare zwischen 500 Millionen und 700 Millionen oder gar darüber liegt

"TradeDoubler creates profitable partnerships throughout Europe based on its proprietary technology and comprehensive knowledge within online marketing. TradeDoubler's partners are major advertisers, publishers and agencies."


Von Tradedoubler aus lässt sich ganz gut auf den Umsatz von Linkshare schließen, der für 2003 einmal in einer von mir zitierten Quelle mit 50 Millionen angegeben wurde. Das kommt ganz gut hin, denn für die kleinere Tradedoubler werden für 2003 28 Millionen angegeben und 75% mehr in 2004, was 40 Millionen sind - meine Annahme von 50 Millionen in 2003 und 70 Millionen in 2004 für Linkshare ist also überaus realistisch, ebenso meine Annahme von 80 bis 100 Millionen Umsatz in 2005. Den Break-Even hat Linkshare schon ein Jahr früher als TradeDoubler erreicht, nämlich im Herbst 2001 - und zwar als erster Anbieter von Affiliate Marketing-Lösungen weltweit.

Und ein Ende des Wachstums ist nicht abzusehen, auch wenn jetzt anscheinend auch Yahoo mit einem Angebot seinen Hut in den Ring werfen will. Da die Kunden aber alle bei Linkshare sind, könnten die ja auch auf eine andere Idee kommen: Mir wäre das fast noch lieber als ein Börsengang von Linkshare, denn bei einer Übernahme springt oft noch mehr heraus als bei einem Börsengang.

"Eine Reihe interessanter Faktoren scheinen hier zusammenzutreffen", bemerkt Will Cooper, Chief Marketing Officer von TradeDoubler. "Zunächst einmal entwickelt sich der Online-Handel im Vergleich zum Einzelhandel sehr positiv. Verbraucher erledigen ihre Einkäufe wohl immer häufiger lieber von zuhause aus als im Kaufhaus. Anscheinend haben die Konsumenten noch gezielter als bisher auf Online-Schnäppchen gesetzt".

Grundsätzlich scheint es aber so zu sein, dass die Verbraucher nach den Weihnachtsferien dort wo sie sind, 'abgeholt' werden müssen. Wahrscheinlich ist es kein Zufall, dass der 12. Januar der Tag mit den höchsten Umsätzen war. Ein Großteil der Menschen kehrte an diesem Tag wohl erst aus dem Urlaub zurück. Cooper ergänzt: "Um 21 Uhr wurden die meisten Käufe getätigt, wahrscheinlich nach einem langen ersten Arbeitstag. Die Weihnachtszeit wird so schnell zur entfernten Erinnerung geworden sein. Das könnte auch die Popularität dieses Tages für Onlineshopping im letzten Jahr erklären."



Und Affiliate Marketing

über Provider wie die Internet Capital-Beteiligung Linkshare toppt den Boom beim Online-Handel noch zusätzlich. Wenn man sich die Clients-Liste von Linkshare ansieht, glaubt man zwar, dass da kaum noch was zu toppen sei. Aber es kommen laufend neue Kunden hinzu. Geht einmal auf die folgende Adresse:

www.linkshare.com/ rc/nma-main.shtml

Allein im vierten Quartal sind die ca. 50 teils sehr prominente Neukunden. Klickt aber nicht nur auf die New Merchant, die unter "Exclusive" ausgewiesen sind, sondern auf alle Links unter "New Merchants" um einen Eindruck vom Boom zu gewinnen. Ein vorerst unerschöpliches Reservoir sind die Merchants, die bisher Inhouse-Lösung praktzierten, von denen man sich mehr und mehr abwendet.

wo Internet Capital 46% hält:

ComputerJobs.com® Awarded WEDDLE’s User’s Choice Award
for Fourth Consecutive Year

HR Professionals, Recruiters and Job Seekers Pick
the Elite of the Online Employment Industry


ATLANTA (February 16, 2005) – ComputerJobs.com, the leading IT employment Web site for Information Technology professionals and those who employ them, today announced that it has been awarded the WEDDLE’S User’s Choice Award for the fourth consecutive year.

Winners of the 2005 WEDDLE's User's Choice Awards are selected through a yearlong survey on the WEDDLE’S Web site, located at www.weddles.com, by recruiters, job seekers and HR practitioners. The winning Web sites represent the pinnacle of service, value and user friendliness among the estimated 40,000 employment Web sites operating on the Internet today.

"ComputerJobs.com has been a part of our total recruitment solution since 1998,” says Greg McConnell, President, MindFind, Inc. “ComputerJobs.com gives us powerful tools for both business development and candidate recruitment. We've used a number of similar services in the past, including the ‘big guys,’ and have determined that ComputerJobs.com is the best solution for us."

Mike Gilfillan, CEO of ComputerJobs.com, says that every client and every candidate suggestion is taken in to account when creating new online tools for the company’s clients and its visitors. “ComputerJobs.com is constantly updated with new features based solely on the needs of our visitors,” says Gilfillan. “Our goal has always been to provide both our clients and job seekers with the critical results they expect from an employment Web site. And winning the 2005 WEDDLE's User's Choice Award for the fourth consecutive year confirms that we are exceeding those expectations.”

Recruiters and HR professionals who subscribe to ComputerJobs.com have access to all of the company’s client-side features, including Candidate Qualifying Questions, Resume Agent, Resume Portfolio and Candidate Mass Email. The company attributes much of its success though, to consistently supplying clients with a high number of quality IT candidates along with the ability to reach them very quickly.

Chase Morrow of ITAC Solutions agrees, saying, “ITAC Solutions has been Birmingham's fastest growing staffing company two years in a row. We could not have accomplished this without the help of ComputerJobs.com, which provides a great service, excellent value and quality IT candidates.”

About ComputerJobs.com
Founded in 1995 by and for information technology professionals, ComputerJobs.com is the Internet's leading IT employment Web site. Employers are rewarded with access to pre-screened resumes from experienced IT professionals, including many of the best and brightest IT talent in the industry. ComputerJobs.com is a privately held Atlanta-based corporation, with investments from Internet Capital Group (NASDAQ: ICGE) and Mellon Ventures.

About WEDDLE’s
WEDDLE’s is a specialty publisher serving the Human Resources and Recruiting professions as well as Job Seekers and Career Activists. Its annual Guides and Directory are used worldwide to make smart consumer decisions among the 40,000+ job boards and career portals operating on the Internet today. In addition, it publishes two bi-weekly e-newsletters – one for recruiters and HR practitioners and one for those seeking a new or better job – that are read worldwide.

LinkShare is pleased to present you with the New Merchant Announcement, a listing of new merchants offering affiliate programs in the LinkShare Network™. Please review the following merchants and apply to their programs by clicking on the 'Apply Here' link.

Featured merchant:

Bellamax Inc.


Voltexx Ink & Toner





Merchant:
Bellamax Inc.

Categories:
Hobbies & Collectibles: Art; Gift & Flowers: Gifts; Family: Entertainment

Description:
Bellamax restores damaged photos to prime condition. We deliver the lowest cost photo restoration available anywhere, the fastest turnaround of 2 business days or less, and the highest-quality images. Partner with us today!

Offer:
% of Sale : 10%
When Sales Exceed $701 then Commission is 11%
When Sales Exceed $1751 then Commission is 12%
45 Return Days

Apply Here to enter this merchant's program.



------------------------- ------------------------- ------------------------- -----




Merchant:
Voltexx Ink & Toner

Categories:
Computer & Electronics: Hardware; Business & Career: B-2-B, Office: Equipment

Description:
Voltexx sells ink and toner products for inkjet printers, copiers, and faxes at 40-70% off store prices. We specialize in hard-to-find products and sell B-2-C and B-2-B with over 5 million satisfied customers!

Offer:
2-28% commission on net sales.
30 Return Days

Apply Here to enter this merchant's program.






TM & © 2005 LinkShare Corporation. All rights reserved.

Perd im Stall:

Und Affiliate Marketing über Provider wie die Internet Capital-Beteiligung Linkshare toppt den Boom beim Online-Handel noch zusätzlich. Wenn man sich die Clients-Liste von Linkshare ansieht, glaubt man zwar, dass da kaum noch was zu toppen sei. Aber es kommen laufend neue Kunden hinzu. Geht einmal auf die folgende Adresse:

www.linkshare.com/ rc/nma-main.shtml

Allein im vierten Quartal sind die ca. 50 teils sehr prominente Neukunden. Klickt aber nicht nur auf die New Merchant, die unter "Exclusive" ausgewiesen sind, sondern auf alle Links unter "New Merchants" um einen Eindruck vom Boom zu gewinnen. Ein vorerst unerschöpliches Reservoir sind die Merchants, die bisher Inhouse-Lösung praktzierten, von denen man sich mehr und mehr abwendet.




Linkshare und Google sind nicht direkt gegeneinander aufgestellt, betreiben aber ähnlich Formen des Online-Marketings, das boomt ohne Ende. Langsam nähern wir uns ja der Zeit vor einem Jahr als die fast restlos versammelte Szene der Investment-Bänkster versucht Google zu verteufeln und dem Kleinanleger einen Kauf auszureden versuchten:

Day Two: Small investors say 'No' to Google IPO
CBS MarketWatch
NewsTeam | MarketWatch [MarketWatch] | POSTED: 08.05.04 @00:03

SAN FRANCISCO -- You don't have to be a poker player's daughter (and I am) to know that Google's IPO is a lot like gambling.

This table's minimum bet is something north of $500. Google's Dutch auction process is serving as a method for assessing the psychology of those pulling up seats at the table.

Many potential investors continue to say "no" to this offering. More are beginning to say they'd buy Yahoo instead. But there are also the few and the brave who say they are willing to buy this stock.

Over the next week, leading up to the Google IPO, I will report readers' responses.


In an ongoing poll of who's interested in buying Google between $108 and $135, about 90 percent of readers said they'd pass.

Page Howe: I think I will bid for shares at the midpoint of $120. The salvation is the company's size will make it the receiver of Index fund money. In fact some of the weakness right now in the space is funds lightening their loads to rebalance to this huge market cap new entry. In the risk-averse world of mutual fund managers, those in certain funds cannot miss this one in case it goes up.

My response: Good point. There is $1 trillion tracking the S&P 500 Index. This money flows through mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. But Google's float size may not be large enough to be included in an Index just yet. For instance, to qualify for the S&P 500, the company must have at least 50 percent of the shares outstanding available to trade. Plus, a company has to show four consecutive quarters of positive GAAP earnings, excluding certain items.

Stephen Messer: Google is undervalued. They're the only ones building distribution value, through AdSense. Its growth is tied to other people's growth. It's a higher-margin business. (Note: Messer is CEO and founder of LinkShare, an affiliate marketing company similar to Google's AdSense). [But] Google will suck up so much liquidity in the market for other Internet IPOs.

My response: Not many people think about this side of Google's business. It's one to watch.


Interessant ist, dass wir zum Schluss den CEO von Linkshare hören, der damals schon darauf hinwies, dass Google einen sehr rentablen Bereich hat - nämlich Adsense, eine spezielle Form des Affiliate Marketings. Auf die Kundenliste im herkömmlich Affiliate Marketing, die Linkshare in den USA aufzuweisen hat, dürfte aber selbst Google neidisch sein.


Über die Chancen des Affiliate Marketing macht der nachstehende Artikel einige interessante Aussagen:

1. Pattiann McAdams, executive director of e-commerce for Avon, zu Affilliate Marketing: "Affiliate marketing is our fastest-growing (customer) acquisition, and I'm optimistic that it still has a lot of growth potential," she said. "It's a way for us to get our brand out there and actually get cost-effective (customer) acquisition." Avon ist Kunde von Linkshare, ebenso die im Text erwähnten Apple, die in 2004 von Linkshare als Neukunde geworben wurden.

2. Auch Ebay setzt auf Affiliate Marketing: "EBay is also enthusiastic about its affiliate program. In an earnings conference call last year, eBay executives said affiliate marketing was one of the strongest drivers of consumer traffic to the company's online auction service. But they declined to provide details."



Investor's Business Daily
Internet & Technology
Sellers Stock Up On Affiliate Web Sites To Boost Marketing
By PETE BARLAS

January 14, 2005



Avon Products (AVP) is famous for using saleswomen to bring its cosmetics into the homes of consumers.

But these days Avon has another way to get inside homes: affiliated Web sites. For the last seven years, Avon has relied on thousands of partner Web sites to promote its online store. Avon pays these affiliates each time a consumer passes from their site and makes a purchase on Avon's Web site.

The approach is another way for the company to say "Avon calling" to customers, says Pattiann McAdams, executive director of e-commerce for Avon.

"Affiliate marketing is our fastest-growing (customer) acquisition, and I'm optimistic that it still has a lot of growth potential," she said. "It's a way for us to get our brand out there and actually get cost-effective (customer) acquisition."

Avon is one of many companies using affiliate marketing programs to push products and reach new customers online. EBay (EBAY) and Apple Computer (AAPL) also are big users of the technique.

And affiliate marketing will continue to grow as more companies decide they want to advertise online, says Stephen Messer, chief executive of LinkShare, a leading online marketing company. LinkShare manages affiliate marketing programs for Avon and others.

"Today, we manage over 11 million relationships between our merchants and Web sites that are in the network," he said. "It makes it easier for their customers to find their products."

Avon's affiliates include such sites as iVillage.com, a Web portal for women, and Ebates Shopping, a rewards site.

EBay is also enthusiastic about its affiliate program. In an earnings conference call last year, eBay executives said affiliate marketing was one of the strongest drivers of consumer traffic to the company's online auction service. But they declined to provide details.

Apple has used affiliate marketing to drum up customers for its iTunes online music service. After launching in April 2003, iTunes served up its 200 millionth song download in December. Apple also declined to discuss its affiliate marketing.

Success in affiliate marketing largely depends on finding the right mix of partner sites. In the music category, recording artist Web sites that attract fans are a good bet to generate music sales, says Messer.

"The key Web sites for iTunes are those sites that have fans, because that's where the buyers would be," he said.

Amazon.com, (AMZN) the world's largest online retailer, eschews TV ads in favor of online advertising — including affiliate marketing.

Amazon wants to reach consumers who are already online, says Frank Sadowski, vice of consumer electronics for Amazon.

"Affiliate marketing is very effective," he said. "Just being pervasive on the Internet and having Amazon.com come up on thousands of sites is very significant."

Like other online retailers, Amazon won't say exactly how many sites are in its affiliate marketing program. It also won't name any of the sites or say how much it spends on affiliate marketing.

"It's a significant portion for us," said Sadowski.

Companies want to protect their marketing secrets. A partner site that attracts customers and boosts sales is like gold, says Jeff Pullen, executive vice president of operations for ValueClick. (VCLK) ValueClick owns Commission Junction, which provides affiliate marketing and other services for 1,500 customers.

"Once you get a productive publisher, you don't want to lose him," said Pullen, who was chief executive of Commission Junction before ValueClick bought the company in December 2003. "If they are sending you new customers and they are helping you generate revenue, the last thing you want to do is post on your Web site which one of your sales people are the best."

In most affiliate marketing programs, advertisers pay their affiliate partners a percentage each time a consumer passes through to buy a product or service.

For example, if a consumer comes through an affiliate site and buys a $100 pair of shoes on a retailer's site, the affiliate partner gets about 10% of the sale.

ValueClick's Commission Junction gets about 30% of that fee, or $3.

The company's revenue from affiliate marketing program rose 37% in the third quarter vs. the year-ago period, Pullen says.

"What that tells us is that we are attracting new customers and existing customers are having success with the program," he said.

Affiliate marketing programs work differently than paid search programs, which require advertisers to pay a search company each time a consumer clicks on their ad listed in search results.

In affiliate marketing, a consumer must not only go to a site but also make a purchase. No cash changes hands unless a consumer completes a transaction, says Pullen.

"If the customer doesn't buy something — or fill out an application or become a registered user or whatever it is the advertiser is looking for — the affiliate doesn't get anything," he said. "Affiliate marketing is not a traffic aggregation strategy."

But is affiliate marketing better than the paid search approach?

Advertisers seem to like both.

A survey of 150 retailers by Shop.org and Forrester Research found that 59% used paid search in 2003. Nearly 50%, meanwhile, said they used affiliate marketing programs.

Retailers rated paid search as 96% effective in 2003. Affiliate marketing programs received a 94% effectiveness rating, the survey found.

Each approach has its advantages, analysts say. With paid search programs, advertisers can bid on key words or phrases in search results. A consumer typing in that phrase could likely end up on that advertiser's Web site.

In contrast, advertisers in affiliate marketing programs must hope that a consumer who clicks through to their site will be looking for something to buy, says Steven Kaufman, vice president and media director of Digitas, (DTAS) a marketing services company.

"It's a different world," he said. "You don't have a lot of control with affiliate marketing, and in a lot of cases, you get what you pay for."

In other words, affiliate sites don't always bring in good sales leads.

That's why advertisers say it's important to ditch ineffective affiliates.

Last year Avon reduced the number of Web sites in its affiliate marketing program to 2,500 from 10,000 in 2003. Avon cut the sites that didn't generate sales, says McAdams.

"We decided it was cleanup time," she said.

Now the company sees affiliate marketing as more effective than the paid search approach.

With affiliate marketing, customers are coming directly to Avon rather than searching among several rival products, says McAdams.

Other advertisers like both approaches.

Wine.com, an online retailer of wine and related products, spent about $1 million on Internet marketing services over the Christmas shopping season vs. $200,000 during year-ago period.

So far, results from affiliate marketing and paid search have been pretty even, says George Garrick, chief executive of Wine.com. And both were far more effective than plain-old Internet advertising, he says.

"What does

Revenues from continuing operations increased by 130 per cent to €65m (2003: €28 million)
900 clients – including new wins with Yahoo! Europe, Citibank, Eurostar and T-Online (2003: 665)
Unique visitors increased to 643 million (2003: 380 million)
Tracked and generated 5.5 million sales worth over €1 billion in sales value for clients (2003: 2.2 million sales / €400 million sales value)
14.6 million client leads (2003: 4.2 million)


Since first achieving profitability in 2002, TradeDoubler completed its second full year of profitability in 2004 due to robust revenue streams from the affiliate programme business and increasing its client base across all product areas. During 2004 TradeDoubler signed more than 200 new clients including Yahoo! Europe, Citibank, Eurostar and T-Online. Significantly, TradeDoubler also expanded existing relationships with key clients on an international basis, including Apple Store and Dell.

“I am pleased to announce that at the end of 2004 our activities have delivered another year of strong financial growth,” said Martin Henricson, CEO TradeDoubler. Our investment in our people and products, including the new AdTool solution and increased resources in our publisher teams throughout Europe, means that we are making excellent commercial progress. Our business activities are on a firmer footing than at any time since we were founded and we are excited about our prospects for 2005.”

During 2004 TradeDoubler’s Media Toolbox tracking and ad serving technology, provided to advertisers, publishers and agencies, grew by 23 new clients. The Consultancy arm also grew substantially to meet client demands and TradeDoubler’s own growth needs, with the total organisation growing from 110 to 160 employees.

Exciting technological developments have enabled a better level of service to publishers. The revolutionary new AdTool solution, which enables online publishers to design and manage their own adverts, is anticipated to achieve good traction in 2005.

Looking ahead to 2005 TradeDoubler will continue to grow all product areas. It will also expand the short term Campaigns business in order to increase TradeDoubler’s reach and attract more leading European publishers as well as assisting clients in reaching short term objectives.

TradeDoubler will continue to strive for increased growth, profitability and improved margins throughout 2005. It believes this will be achievable through strengthened relationships with existing clients, establishing new revenue streams, putting extra resource into key markets and assessing new markets whether within or outside Europe.


About TradeDoubler
Founded in 1999, TradeDoubler is the European leader in providing online marketing and sales solutions. Industry leaders all over Europe have partnered with TradeDoubler to work with performance-based marketing and to manage online relationships, in order to increase sales and improve online business. TradeDoubler is headquartered in Sweden with a presence in 15 other markets, and customers include Apple, Dell, John Lewis, Air France and Kelkoo. Please visit www.tradedoubler.com for further information.

Another key feature is the "always-on" aspect, which lets you receive a call (voice) while you're online (data). The latest 3G handsets have built-in digital cameras with up to 2.0 megapixels of resolution, and if you're wondering how you would ever store pictures that large, the handsets have data folders with as much as 24 megabytes of capacity.

GPS capability is available, turning your display into a map and guiding you to your destination. The ability to download ring tones has been taken to the logical next step—downloading songs, and the latest handsets such as the Casio W21CA let you listen to them on stereo speakers.

Many of these handsets are equipped with infrared devices, similar to a Mobil Speedpass, that let customers buy items from vending machines, for example, and have them billed to their wireless account. Smart card technology also has been introduced to turn handsets into e-wallets, thus replacing credit cards and cash.

One of the more interesting e-commerce applications uses the handset's digital camera and 2D barcode technology. KDDI recently launched a shopping service using this technology that radically increases its role in transaction processing. After incurring significant expenses to build its au wireless customer base, KDDI sought to recoup its investment by adopting an advertising model, charging advertisers for the right to put their products in front of customers. Again, think back to AOL cutting deals with advertisers to allow them access to its customers.

To manage this, KDDI partnered with top affiliate marketing service provider LinkShare. KDDI is now a LinkShare affiliate, and all advertisers that want to participate must become LinkShare merchants.

For example, a KDDI customer sees a print ad for an iPod in a magazine and decides to buy it. The print ad includes a 2D barcode in the lower-right corner provided to the advertiser by KDDI. The barcode contains all the relevant information—the advertiser, the price, the commission KDDI charges, transaction fees, etc. The customer snaps a picture of the barcode, LinkShare's technology calls up an image of the product, the user confirms the purchase and it's billed to the user's wireless account. LinkShare's technology calculates the purchase price, the sales commission paid to KDDI and the transaction fee paid to LinkShare.

3G wireless is far behind in the United States because of the hefty price tag attached to building the infrastructure, $60 billion by some estimates. 3G service is not expected to be widely deployed until the end of 2006. Verizon launched the service in San Diego and Washington, DC, in 2003. Cingular's recent merger with AT&T Wireless will jump-start its foray into 3G. AT&T launched 3G this year in Seattle, Phoenix, Dallas, Detroit, San Diego and San Francisco.

In the United States, cell phones are largely still just phones, but this is changing as users—mostly young people—incorporate cell phones into their daily lives for various types of communication, including text messaging and sharing digital photos. Advertisers are following along, experimenting with how best to use this emerging channel.

Projecting two years hence, when 3G is up and running, it seems clear that it will be a huge opportunity for marketers. The issue of advertising fragmentation becomes less of a challenge when one device consolidates most online activities and is always on. Whoever owns the customers will rule the day.



Interessant aus dem vorstehenden Text ist die Passage über das, was in Japan schon Realität ist: "One of the more interesting e-commerce applications uses the handset's digital camera and 2D barcode technology. KDDI recently launched a shopping service using this technology that radically increases its role in transaction processing. After incurring significant expenses to build its au wireless customer base, KDDI sought to recoup its investment by adopting an advertising model, charging advertisers for the right to put their products in front of customers. Again, think back to AOL cutting deals with advertisers to allow them access to its customers. To manage this, KDDI partnered with top affiliate marketing service provider LinkShare. KDDI is now a LinkShare affiliate, and all advertisers that want to participate must become LinkShare merchants. For example, a KDDI customer sees a print ad for an iPod in a magazine and decides to buy it. The print ad includes a 2D barcode in the lower-right corner provided to the advertiser by KDDI. The barcode contains all the relevant information—the advertiser, the price, the commission KDDI charges, transaction fees, etc. The customer snaps a picture of the barcode, LinkShare's technology calls up an image of the product, the user confirms the purchase and it's billed to the user's wireless account. LinkShare's technology calculates the purchase price, the sales commission paid to KDDI and the transaction fee paid to LinkShare.

In den USA dauert das noch ein wenig: "3G wireless is far behind in the United States because of the hefty price tag attached to building the infrastructure, $60 billion by some estimates. 3G service is not expected to be widely deployed until the end of 2006." Aber auch hier tut sich dann für Linkshare, für wen sonst, ein weiterer gigantischer Markt auf.

Daher glaube ich, um ganz ehrlich zu sein, auch nicht an einen Börsengang, sondern an ein Übernahmeangebot für Linkshare - unter einer Milliarde ist da meines Erachtens absolut nichts drin, denn die würde man ja zur Not auch bei einem Börsengang erreichen.






 
snag  




29.03.05, 10:29 Uhr (323 Klick(s)) Beitrag anzeigen

Marktführer

ist die Internet Capital-Beteiligung Linkshare wohl nachwievor unbestritten, wenn auch in den Texten in meinen vorstehenden Postings weitere Unternehmen genannt werden, die sich im gerade momentan explodierende Affiliate Marketing versuchen. Vor etwas mehr als einem Jahr konnte Linkshare jedenfalls noch unwidersprochen die Aussage machen, dass sie unter den Fortune 500-Unternehmen, die ein Affiliate Marketing betreiben, mehr Kunden haben als alle Konkurrenten zusammen.

Die nachstehende Auswahl der prominentesten Kunden spricht eigentlich dafür, dass sich an dieser Aussage nur wenig geändert haben dürfte:

www.linkshare.com/ clients/index.shtml  

The ComputerJobs.com Community also offers weekly articles written by the ComputerJobs.com staff and select users of the site, with topics ranging from general career advice to the latest and greatest applications and technologies. Users interested in searching for high-tech jobs can do so within The ComputerJobs.com Community site as well. Visitors also have access to the most popular search terms that recruiters and employers use when sourcing for candidates.

"Bringing people together to share information, advice and experiences is what the Internet is all about," says Turner. "With The ComputerJobs.com Community, our goal is to offer IT professionals a place to do all of that and more."

About ComputerJobs.com
Founded in 1995 by and for information technology professionals, ComputerJobs.com is the Internet's leading IT employment Web site with over 500,000 unique monthly visitors and 1.5 million registered users. Employers are rewarded with access to over 530,000 pre-screened resumes from experienced IT professionals, including many of the best and brightest IT talent in the industry. ComputerJobs.com is a privately held Atlanta-based corporation, with investments from Internet Capital Group (NASDAQ: ICGE) and Mellon Ventures.

Der neue Arm von Computerjobs könnte unter Umständen ertragreicher werden als die Online-Job-Vermittlung, denn diese Communities booooomen enorm. So konnte man beispielsweise heute im Handelsblatt lesen: "Die Marktforschungsgruppe Greenfield Online ist der neue Besitzer der deutschen Internetfirma Ciao AG. Der US-Konzern, der Konsumentendaten im Internet sammelt, zahlt für Cia 154 Millionen Dollar. Ciao betreibt eine Website, auf der Internetnutzer Meinungen über Produkte austauschen.

Welche Länder dem höchsten Anpassungsdruck unterliegen, kann man schon heute auf Basis von Produktionsstruktur und angebotenen Produktkategorien erahnen. Hart betroffen sind Länder, die Standardware zu möglichst niedrigen Preisen anbieten. Das gilt für die meisten Länder Osteuropas sowie die Türkei, die langfristig Probleme haben werden, ihre Massenware zu wettbewerbsfähigen Preisen zu liefern. Deshalb sollten sie sich auf höherwertige Textilien und vor allem auf „fast fashion“ spezialisieren. Das ist Mode, die kurzfristig auf den Markt gebracht werden kann. So können sie den Vorteil der räumlichen Nähe zum europäischen Endverbraucher ausspielen. Eine solche Umstrukturierung des Sortiments lässt sich schon heute in der Textilindustrie Mittel- und Südamerikas beobachten.

Nach Wegfall der Quoten werden sicherlich die Einkauspreise des Handels für Textilien und Bekleidung sinken. Denn für sämtliche Importe aus China entfallen die Quotenkosten, die Hersteller aufbringen mussten, um ein bestimmtes Warenkontingent exportieren zu dürfen. Sie betrugen bis zu 30 Prozent des Einkaufspreises. Zweitens verlagert sich durch den Wegfall der mengenmäßigen Beschränkungen die Textilproduktion noch stärker in Länder mit niedrigen Herstellungs- und Lohnkosten wie China oder Indien.

Last not least werden verstärkt billigere Artikel angeboten, denn die Quoten bezogen sich stets auf die Warenmenge und nicht den Warenwert, so dass bisher vornehmlich höherwertige Produkte exportiert wurden. Da sich China mit dem Beitritt zur WTO überdies verpflichtet hat, seine Importzölle bis 2010 zu senken bzw. aufzuheben, lassen sich Stoffe und Garne kostengünstiger in die Volksrepublik einführen und dort verarbeiten.

Deutliche Preissenkungen erwartet

Wie stark die Einkaufspreise des Handels künftig sinken werden, lässt sich aber noch schwer abschätzen. Einen Anhaltspunkt kann die Deregulierung in einigen Produktkategorien im Jahr 2002 geben: Damals sanken die Einkaufspreise innerhalb weniger Monate um bis zu 50 Prozent. Bei den Eigenmarken rechnen die Einzelhändler auch jetzt mit Preisnachlässen ihrer Produzenten bzw. Importeure; und bei den klassischen Markenartikeln erwarten sie von den Herstellern, dass sie ihre Einkaufsvorteile weitergeben. In welchem Ausmaß die Einzelhändler im Rahmen des enormen Wettbewerbsdrucks gezwungen sein werden, ihre Einkaufsvorteile durch Preissenkungen an die Verbraucher weiterzugeben, wird sich mittelfristig zeigen müssen.

Auf den wachsenden Druck werden die Unternehmen mit neuen Strategien und Maßnahmen reagieren, wobei die Einzelhändler im Wesentlichen über drei Hebel verfügen. Dazu gehören die Neuausrichtung des Sortiments bzw. eine Produktdifferenzierung: So werden die sinkenden Einkaufspreise dazu führen, dass Billiganbieter und Lebensmitteldiscounter vermehrt Standardtextilprodukte in ihre Sortimente aufnehmen - und damit den Druck auf traditionelle Textilhändler und Warenhäuser erhöhen. Um dem Druck zu entgehen, sollten diese versuchen, sich weniger durch den Preis als durch neue, attraktive Produkte mit erweitertem Kundennutzen zu profilieren.
Produktdifferenzierung könnte entscheident sein

Ein zweiter Punkt ist die Neuausrichtung des Beschaffungsmodells: Statt den Einkauf vorrangig über Importeure oder Agenten abzuwickeln, sollten Händler verstärkt eigene Einkaufsorganisationen vor Ort etablieren und direkt beim Hersteller einkaufen. Nur durch eine intensive Zusammenarbeit mit dem Hersteller ist eine Produktdifferenzierung (z.B. Einfluss auf das Produktdesign oder kürzere „Time to Market“) sowie höhere Produktionseffizienz (z.B. dank Design-to-Cost-Verbesseru ngen) zu erreichen. Gleichzeitig sparen sich die Händler die Marge des Importeurs von etwa 8 bis 14 Prozent.

Des Weiteren ist die regionale Neuausrichtung der Beschaffung zu nennen: Händler mit einer internationalen Einkaufsorganisation können ihre Beschaffungskosten senken, indem sie die neuen Möglichkeiten bei der Länderauswahl nutzen. Um Risiken zu minimieren, sollte ein gesunder Ländermix beibehalten werden. Last not least werden die europäischen Textil- und Bekleidungshersteller ihr Angebot spezialisieren müssen, insbesondere durch „fast fashion“ mit kürzerer Time to Market oder höherwertigen Produkten im Luxussegment .

Dr. Peter Breuer ist Principal bei McKinsey & Company in Köln. Christoph Eltze ist Associate Principal bei McKinsey & Company in Köln.


HANDELSBLATT, Dienstag, 29. März 2005, 16:50 Uhr


Einige werden jetzt fragen: Was hat das mit Internet Capital zu tun?

Die Anwort liegt in folgenden Passagen aus dem vorstehenden Artikel: Ein zweiter Punkt ist die Neuausrichtung des Beschaffungsmodells: "Statt den Einkauf vorrangig über Importeure oder Agenten abzuwickeln, sollten Händler verstärkt eigene Einkaufsorganisationen vor Ort etablieren und direkt beim Hersteller einkaufen. Nur durch eine intensive Zusammenarbeit mit dem Hersteller ist eine Produktdifferenzierung (z.B. Einfluss auf das Produktdesign oder kürzere „Time to Market“) sowie höhere Produktionseffizienz (z.B. dank Design-to-Cost-Verbesseru ngen) zu erreichen."

Wahrscheinlich wisst Ihr jetzt immer noch nicht, was das mit Internet Capital zu tun hat? Nun, das ist ganz einfach: Internet Capital hält 48% am weltweit führenden Anbieter von Product Design Management bzw. Product Lifestyle Management- Anbieter; Freeborders (weiterer Gesellschafter ist u.a IBM).


Ergänzend zum vorhergehend Angeführten

würde ich mir einfach einmal die 48%-Beteiligung von Internet Capital, Freeborders, ansehen:

www.freeborders.co m/  

Internet Capital hält an Freeborders 48%, lesenswert ist daher:

How to Select PDM/PLM Software, Part 2



By Brant Seibert, Special to Apparel

February 15, 2005

In this second part, we share some software selection and implementation stories from apparel manufacturers who have recently chosen a PDM or PLM system. These industry veterans each guided their companies through the challenging task of selecting a complex set of software from a bewildering array of offerings. What were the critical factors shaping their decisions?

Together the focus companies in this article cover a wide spectrum of the apparel industry, including small domestic brands, global apparel brands, private label retailers and foreign contract manufacturers. A common theme is the desire to transform business processes using PDM/PLM software as an enabler. The approach taken by each company varies widely, with some companies seeking to create a custom software solution to fit their ideal business processes, while others seek to adapt their business processes to the best practices already defined by the software.

New Kids on the Block

We start our review with a group of PLM vendors that is relatively new to the apparel industry. This group includes the world's largest PLM software developers, UGS, PTC, MatrixOne and others. These companies have typically developed their software serving the automotive, defense and aerospace industries - so how do they adapt their systems to the peculiar needs of the apparel industry? In two ways. First, by offering robust PLM engines on the back end that are designed from the ground up to integrate data from a variety of sources, including third-party software; and second, by building custom interfaces for the apparel industry using versatile configuration tools.

At one of the nation's largest retailers, the priority was to select a PLM system that could serve as a foundation for a complete overhaul of its private-label product supply chain. The objective was to reduce the time it takes a product to get from concept to store shelf from one year down to nine months. In addition to the merchandising benefits of a timelier product development process, this retailer would gain unprecedented visibility of the supply chain and be better equipped to resolve key bottlenecks.

The software review process required close to one year from initiation to implementation. Starting with eight PLM software providers and narrowing the field down to three, the review process included an extensive request for proposal (RFP), full-day product demonstrations, detailed discussions about the software vendor's customer support services and meetings with key executives from the software companies. The retailer ultimately selected UGS Teamcenter.

The underlying software architecture of Teamcenter, the retailer told Apparel , will provide the best foundation for building a custom solution designed to increase efficiency through each step in the supply chain. The technology enabler is an intelligent architecture which can connect third-party software, for example CAD-CAM and RFID systems, to a single information pipeline with unified data views. This unified approach enables the retailer to view in greater detail the critical path for a given garment. With this knowledge as a foundation, the retailer can engage in a practice of continual process improvement.

Stick to the Knitting

In contrast to the ground-up approach taken by some of the bigger players, many apparel companies choose to "stick to the knitting" by selecting a software product that is highly tailored to the apparel industry. Their strategy is to let the software vendor provide the information technology framework so that their companies can stay focused on what they do best. When selecting PDM or PLM software, these companies focus on the software vendors that have grown out of the apparel industry and that have developed, over many years, modules focused on each facet of the garment development and production processes.

When Michael Kors USA searched for a PLM system, the firm wanted to find a software vendor that understands the industry. "It is very difficult to find a software product manager who can interpret user requirements into software requirements," says David Grant, product development manager at Michael Kors USA. By selecting Freeborders, Grant says he believes Michael Kors USA "found an information technology partner that can take their business requirements and easily translate them into user functionality."

Freeborders starts with a PLM solution developed over a period of years specifically for the apparel industry and supports the system with a software development team in China that can accommodate any necessary customization.

Similarly, Shaul Cohen of Jordache says he knew just what he wanted when he started looking for a software vendor: "a company with an open platform that can be tailored to our business processes." By selecting Koppermann, after two years of vendor assessment, Cohen says he found a software partner with an approach that complimented his own. Jordache is now in the final stages of implementing a customized system for its full product line.

To enable the kind of customization required by companies like Jordache, Koppermann created a flexible relational database for the apparel and textile industries. The system saves data into a central database from a wide variety of sources - including third-party software - where it can be accessed, viewed and edited. This architecture provides the customer considerable power and flexibility to integrate data from disparate business processes. "The software is simplifying the way we work and eliminating duplicative processes," says Cohen.

But he offers a word of caution to others who may want to customize a product data system. "You the customer must understand your own business processes and know what you need from the technology," he says.

Managing Risk

For smaller companies, the complex process of tailoring software to fit existing business processes may not be worth the risk. A good example is Spyder Active Sports. Spyder is one of the world's leading makers of alpine ski wear, with a reputation for high-quality competitive alpine sportswear extending back more than 25 years. When selecting a software system for its product development department, Spyder chose to stay focused on what it does best and leave the software implementation to Lectra.

Spyder chose to start by implementing Lectra's Gallery solution only in the product development department, leaving the important merchandising and design departments undisturbed. According to Phil Shettig, Spyder's director of product development: "We knew we could only dedicate a relatively short amount of time and scarce resources to assure a successful launch. If the solution required a lot of customization, it was not going to work within our constraints. We ended up implementing our new PDM [system] in four months and have had no negative effects on productivity. In fact, we have seen efficiencies in the first month of using the new system."

While this step-by-step approach is working well for Spyder at this stage, the firm wanted to be sure the system could accommodate future growth. "One of the biggest determining factors in selecting our PDM/PLM solution was scalability," says Shettig. "Could this system meet our demands three to five years in the future? Does it cover enough of the product creation process for us to roll it out to other functional silos, aside from product development, such as raw materials, production and merchandising? The solutions that were able to offer us future functionality were more attractive."

Spyder is a good example of how a relatively small company can realize most of the benefits of a central database for managing product data, while limiting the costs of implementation and reducing unnecessary exposure to risk. By limiting the total number of seats using Gallery, Spyder reduced initial costs; by choosing not to customize the software system, Spyder reduced implementation risks.

would link hundreds of mills to thousands of brand and retail buyers around the world. Along with
strategic partners, INVISTA / DuPont was determined to develop an entirely web-based, hosted
service, which would allow brands and retailers to search, sample, cost and test new fabrics 24
hours a day, 7 days a week. This application would also provide a powerful centralized sales,
marketing and customer service platform for mills and fiber companies.
Why Freeborders? INVISTA / DuPont approached Freeborders China for application development. In 2001,
Freeborders developed a mission-critical enterprise application to connect over 500 mills in 50
countries to brands, retailers, and manufacturers all over the world. That project was successful
and INVISTA / DuPont asked Freeborders to partner in the development of the FASTextile.
Freeborders’ team of experienced IT professionals developed the solution at its wholly owned,
state-of-the-art technology development facility in China.
The Solution The Freeborders China team participated in all facets of FASTextile’s development. From
business analysis and planning to web content management, technical implementation and
rollout, Freeborders played a vital role. The Freeborders China team developed the necessary
tools and functionality to make FASTextile operate optimally for all stakeholders.
Freeborders developed a secure web-based solution that managed fabric sourcing, development,
sales and customer service through a private network.

The Freeborders China team developed sophisticated automated marketing systems for brands
and retailers, including fabric catalog storage, searching, promotion, sampling, tracking and
reporting capabilities. For mills, tools included sales lead management and customer service
automation.
Outcome FASTextile delivered:
•Reduced fabric time to market
•Improved innovation deployment
•Reduced costs of product development and sourcing execution
•Improved sales and customer service effectiveness for manufacturers and mills
By outsourcing FASTextile’s development to Freeborders China, INVISTA / DuPont and its
partners realized many benefits. Not only were significant cost savings achieved by utilizing
Freeborders’ team of experienced professionals and its IT facility in China, but the project was
completed on-time without compromising quality or innovation. As a result, INVISTA / DuPont
has selected the company as an ongoing partner for additional application outsourcing projects.
Quote
"Our partnership with Freeborders to build and host this scalable solution
has been instrumental."
Greg vas Nunes,
Vice-President Apparel Asia
INVISTA / DuPont

Today's systems are so sophisticated that they can integrate with online travel booking systems, housing services, meeting management applications, and more. Roommate matching, pre-meeting e-mail marketing, and links to meeting and destination information are further examples of the value electronic registration systems offer. Software experts and planners who use various applications that are currently available in the marketplace say organizations with simple to complex needs, and everyone in between, can realize significant savings and ROI with the adoption of electronic registration software.

"Online registration is the killer application for the meetings industry," says industry technology consultant Jeff Rasco, CMP, president of Wimberley, Texas-based Attendee Management and a partner with meetings industry tech consulting firm Tech3 Partners. "At its most basic level, it takes a task as menial and labor intensive as anything a meeting professional might do and automates it."

Rick Borry, chief software architect for San Francisco's Certain Software, whose flagship product is Register 123, says there are several major points of savings and value an organization can achieve with the adoption of online registration. Among them:
Saves time in performing data entry. Attendees enter their own data and complete payment. Data accumulates at a central source so the planner can run reports with the click of a button.


Saves labor costs, especially for large events that require temporary staff to manage traditional methods of phone, fax and mail-in registration.


Significantly reduces paper and postage expense. Conference promotions and follow-up communication get integrated with e-mail system.


Integrates online credit card processing with address verification to save in bank processing fees.


Generates profit for the event. The online method presents multiple opportunities for ad space sales on the conference website or with e-mail confirmations.
"An average cost per online registration is between two and three dollars," Borry says. "The traditional call center registration is between eight and 15 dollars. Obviously, your savings scale upward as the number of attendees increases. If you have less than 15 attendees, the online method is not usually a savings. But if you have over 50 or 100 attendees, it will be. For events with thousands of registrants, online is now mandatory."

Systems such as StarCite's product, RegWeb, gather registration and housing data all in one place. They can also lead registrants to an electronic air booking tool, says Mark Phillips, vice president of strategy for StarCite in Philadelphia. This will reduce travel agency booking fees.

"Instead of paying a $65 agent fee for an air transaction, you pay an electronic booking fee to an agency—usually a fraction of the manual cost," Phillips says. "The sponsoring organization then has all its data in one system whereas a manual process has registration, housing and arrival/departure lists in three bodies. You can order up a report and it's all right there."

An added time savings, Phillips says, comes from having individual attendees fill out their own online form.

"Online methods yield fewer entry mistakes than with the traditional re-typing of data from a print form," he says. "The data gets transmitted to hotels who will upload it. You save on their charges for re-entering data and get better quality control in the process."

Cvent users usually see ROI within four months, says Matthew Fisher, vice president of marketing for the Arlington, Va.-based Cvent.

"We are focused on meeting the needs of any organization, whether it be a small association or large multinational corporation," Fisher says. "Pricing is based on the number of events they do each year. Because everyone is so focused on ROI these days, we assist them in demonstrating the value of our product in a very short time."

Getting Started

Before registration software shopping begins, it's imperative to know current costs, according to both Borry and Rasco.

"An organization may be spending $50,000 doing what they are doing now, but they need to know that," Rasco says. "Years ago, when I was with a health care organization, we did a time and motion study over a week's time. We tracked every move people made in the registration process. Even back in 1990, we were saving $25 per person on registration. Nowadays, some leading providers say the savings can be in the 70 to 80 percent range."

Transition costs are one item to factor into the evaluation equation, Borry advises.

"The process of moving from traditional registration methods to online involves big change, like maybe moving away from traditional printed material, and there is a learning curve for everyone involved," he explains. "This must be factored in while searching for the best tool for the best value. The bottom line is, you really have to be flexible enough to evaluate your traditional processes to make an informed decision."

Rasco says the evaluation step can best be handled by someone outside the organization who knows the technology ropes. An expert will save a lot during this phase, produce results faster and probably come up with the best solution for an organization's needs. There are consultant programs from $1,000 per year and up, he says. In some instances, there may not be money for a consultant's input, but others can save money and ensure proper application selection with an expert's assistance.

"Even if you've done online registration for 10 years, there are probably new ways to be strategic with it, to get faster, cheaper and better," he says.

Achieving Acceptance

One of the big considerations in software selection and evaluation is knowing your constituency and anticipating its acceptance of an online registration environment.

"There's a lot of reticence to force people to register online," Phillips says. "Planners and meeting sponsors say they want a person on the other end of the phone for people who don't like technology, a sort of safety net. Most organizations end up doing the hybrid approach, but even they don't encourage people to use the phone. And they don't use two systems—they just offer assistance in filling out the online forms."

Denise McFarlane, registration coordinator in the meeting planning department of NASDAQ stock market's Rockville, Md., office, says she believes planners are often quicker to embrace process change brought by online registration than their attendees. Her office started with Cvent electronic registration in 2000 and acceptance has been gradual. This year, she anticipates about 90 percent of her people will use it.

"In the beginning we had a lot of debate about whether online is useful," she says. "But we have embraced it because we have seen it work and seen it give us big savings and efficiencies. We've stuck




Killer Application konkret

nachdem ich Euch vorstehend den Mund wässrig gemacht habe. Hier die Zahlen für 2004 von Starcite, wo Internet Capital offensichtlich in 2004 seine frei werdenden Mittel investiert hat, denn es ist Internet Capital gelungen, nachdem der Anteil nach einer Übernahme eines Konkurrenten durch Starcite, der mit Anteilen bezahlt wurde, auf 17% abgesunken war auf 37% zu erhöhen.

StarCite Reports Record Results For 2004

Meetings Marketplace Grows 75% to $1.3B
Supplier Database Now Largest At 77,000
Online Registrations Exceed 1M
PHILADELPHIA –March 22, 2005 - StarCite, Inc., the leading provider of technologies and services for the $300 billion global meetings and events industry, today announced a record 2004 with substantial growth of its marketplace, online registrations and corporate use of its technology.

Marketplace Grows 75%, Remaining Largest For Meetings & Events The StarCite Online Marketplace in 2004 delivered more than $1.3 billion worth of meeting RFP opportunities to hotels, 75 percent more than in 2003. StarCite users sent nearly 31,500 unique requests for proposals through the StarCite Online Marketplace in 2004, up sharply from nearly 18,000 in 2003.

The number of gross RFPs sent through the StarCite Online Marketplace rose 83 percent last year to more than 266,800. These RFPs provided more than 4.8 million room night leads to hotels. On a daily basis, StarCite provides nearly $5.2 million worth of lead opportunities to hotels in its database. At the current pace, StarCite expects its Online Marketplace to deliver $2 billion in revenue opportunities to hotels in 2005. Excluded from these figures is volume of private-label sites that StarCite powers for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Omni Hotels and individual hotels.

Global expansion of meeting initiatives of corporate customers also prompted a doubling of StarCite’s hotel/venue database in 2004. StarCite added 19,000 Europe, Middle East and Africa properties from the database of Meetings & Conventions, owned by Northstar Travel Media, and more than 600 Regus Group plc. venues. At year-end, StarCite offered the industry’s largest online marketplace with more than 77,000 suppliers.

Deepens Deployments in Fortune 1000

In 2004, StarCite increased and deepened deployments of its process and technology to a growing number of Fortune 1000 customers within the high tech, financial services, pharmaceutical and travel industries. Among its clients are Aetna, Aventis, American Cancer Society, Amgen, AT&T, Burger King, Cephalon, Inc., Chubb Insurance, Cisco Systems, Investors Group, Kawasaki Motors, Lehman Brothers and Motorola.

On the supplier side, StarCite integrated its technology with Daylight Software, thus streamlining the RFP process for suppliers and planners. StarCite technology also began powering meeting sites for Dolce International and tourism offices of Hong Kong and Guatemala.

Online Registrations Grow 54%

StarCite further expanded use of its leading attendee management tools in 2004 to more than 1 million transactions. It also extended the value of these tools by integrating with additional online booking solutions offered by GetThere and TRX PNR Data Acquisition.

StarCite also garnered two awards; one for its marketplace model, and a second for stellar business growth. In its debut on the Philadelphia 100 list of fastest growing companies, StarCite ranked 17 th in 2004. InfoCommerce Group also selected StarCite as one of 50 “Models of Excellence.”

“For the past five years, we’ve built, enhanced and acquired innovative new technologies and perfected our strategic meetings management processes,” said John Pino, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of StarCite, Inc. “Last year, the work began to pay off as we deployed or deepened penetration of our processes in some of the largest corporate meetings initiatives, expanded integration and powering of supplier sites and expanded globally. We look forward to intensifying our sales, deployments and proven solutions in 2005 as we expand and help our clients transform meetings management procurement and processes.”

About StarCite, Inc.

StarCite, Inc. provides the most comprehensive suite of applications and services to the $300 billion meeting and events industry. StarCite helps drive efficiencies and cost savings to both corporate buyers and suppliers. More than 400 corporate, association and third-party meeting buyers rely on StarCite’s Enterprise Meeting Solutions for workflow, procurement, supply chain management, spend analysis and attendee management. Thousands of industry suppliers rely on the StarCite Online Marketplace, Supplier Marketing Programs and Enabling Technologies to increase meeting revenues. Its StarCite International division represents destination management companies and other premier international travel suppliers using both technology and traditional means. StarCite is based in Philadelphia. Investors in StarCite include Internet Capital Group; Maritz Travel Company; Seaport Capital; Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.; and TL Ventures. For more information about StarCite, or its technologies and services, please visit www.StarCite.com. Investors in StarCite include Internet Capital Group (Nasdaq: ICGE); Maritz Travel Company; Seaport Capital; Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.; and TL Ventures.

Ich glaube nicht, dass ich mit meiner Behauptung, dass die 37% Anteil von Internet Capital an Starcite mehr als 100 Millionen Dollar wert sind, den Mund zu voll genommen habe. Legt man gar Bewertungen wie bei Travelzoo zugrunde, liegt man bei den 37% Anteil an Starcite eher bei einer Viertelmilliarde - aber wir wollen ja nicht gleich übertreiben.

investieren, keine nervösen Zocker, die beim kleinsten Hatschi gleich Reisaus nehmen. Anleger orientieren sich eben an fundamentalen Daten und kaufen wenn Shortseller und Kleinzocker falsch liegen. Warum das momentane extreme Shortselling ein Schuss in den Ofen wird, kann man auch an folgenendem Sachverhalt erkennen, nichts Gepfiffenes, sondern Fakten - und die setzen sich mittel- und langfristig durch, manchmal auch schon übermorgen. In Deutschland hat man allerdings das Glück, dass man schon ordern kann ehe die Amis aufmachen.

Warum E-Commerce erst jetzt so richtig

zu booooooomen anfängt, hat neben dem Breitband einen schlichten Grund: Männer sind im privaten Bereich überwiegend Nichteinkäufer, die Einkäuferinnen kamen spater, aber jetzt sind sie gewaltig da, wie Ihr den nachstehenden Ausführungen entnehmen könnt:

Die für das Einkaufen Zuständigen kommen jetzt ganz gewaltig, wie Ihr dem nachstehenden Artikel entnehmen könnt:

Internet in den USA ist feminin
Online-Verkaufsstrategien an Frauen anpassen



Frauen überholen die Männer beim Internetkonsum. Das ist das Ergebnis einer US-Studie mit dem Titel "Women Online in the US", die das Marktforschungsinstitut eMarketer www.emarketer.com jüngst veröffentlicht hat. Waren 1997 noch 65 Prozent aller Internetsurfer männlich, so betrug der Anteil der Frauen 2004 schon 51,6 Prozent. Laut Debra Aho Williamson von eMarketer werden Frauen auch die nächsten fünf Jahre ihre Präsenz im Internet weiter verstärken. Bis 2008 wird der Frauenanteil im Internet um 2,3 Prozent wachsen, so die Prognose der Marktforscher.

"Eine Kombination aus kulturellen, sozialen und Internetbusiness Trends wird das Gewicht zu Gunsten von Frauen verlagern. Aufgrund dieser Fakten vermutet eMarketer, dass Frauen online eine stetig wichtigere Rolle spielen werden - was einen transformierenden Effekt auf Inhalte, Handel und Marketing haben wird", so Williamson. Interessant für die Wirtschaft ist das steigende Interesse der Frauen mehr Geld im Internet auszugeben. Nutzten Frauen schon lange Zeit das Internet als Kommunikations- und Unterhaltungsmedium, so spielt es eine immer wichtigere Rolle als Einkaufsmöglichkeit. Darum müssen Unternehmen auf die Bedürfnisse und Vorlieben von Frauen eingehen. "Für Internethändler stellt sich die Herausforderung darin, Einkaufstools zu entwickeln, die möglichst die Einkaufserfahrung außerhalb des Internet imitieren können", so Williamson.

Linda Osusky, email: osusky@pressetext.com, Tel. +43-1-81140-317

Dass weltweit kaum ein Unternehmen davon so profitiert wie Internet Capital-Beteiligung Linkshare ist relativ leicht nachzuvollziehen - schließlich waren die Vorformen des Affiliate Marketing im herkömmlichen Commerce fast ausschließlich in Frauenhand.

According to one company insider, GoIndustry likes to see itself as the Toys Я Us of such products. Around US$350bn of trade is done in these categories each year, with US$100bn of that involving at least one Western European trader.

According to one engineering-business commentator, the decline of European manufacturing means sellers of industrial machinery are likely to be dominated by Western European companies. And, for the same reason, there is likely to be strong demand from developing countries, where lower wages mean machinery redundant in Europe can still be competitive. In its first phase of development, GoIndustry is expecting many of its buyers to hail from Eastern Europe.

Having just launched in the UK and Germany, GoIndustry will roll out to France in May and in Asia and the Middle East in the second half of 2000. Its content is translated in realtime by the web translation unit of SDL, a UK based software company.

Heath stressed that dealers in surplus equipment, who buy used machines from companies, refurbish them and sell them on, had little to fear from GoIndustry. In fact it represented a “free lunch for the economy”. Dealers, he said, could continue to add value by using GoIndustry and could benefit from saving money, because the 8% sales commission GoIndusty charges is less than their current sales costs.

Surplus dealers currently sell their wares in three different ways: through brokers, through an offline auction, or through classified ads. Heath argued that GoIndustry offered them superior online equivalents of offline auctions and classifieds at a lower cost, and thus reduced the need for “unproductive” brokers almost entirely.

Offline auctions typically charge 20% commissions and brokers up to 15%."

Wer kennt weitere Überlebende, bei denen es nicht mehr zum angekündigten IPO kam, die überlebt haben. Und wem gehören diese Überlebenden heute?

GoIndustry's Valuation & Appraisal Consulting division has several products to meet the needs of asset-based lendors, leasing firms, corporate planning, and asset managers. The team draws upon the experience of tens of thousands of appraisals and a database of transacted assets to deliver rapid, accurate values.

Our valuation experts work with both equipment & machinery assets and inventory, and furthermore deliver products unique in the industry, such as market analyses, asset management services from portfolio evaluation to asset tagging, and capital asset investment advisory.

Global Corporate Solutions offer an innovative combination of consultancy, software, and support which provides procurement, finance, production, and asset management professionals in major corporations with an enterprise view of their assets at key points in their life cycle. With the Enterprise Asset Manager and an installed base of clients using the solution for over two years, GoIndustry is a leader in asset management solutions.

Depth of Expertise

Industry and asset-specific knowledge is a strong factor driving the high level of service our clients expect. Our team has executed thousands of auctions and valuations in 20+ asset categories from metalworking / machine tools, mining, and printing to opto-electronics, telecommunications equipment, and pharmaceuticals. GoIndustry staff work together across geographies to ensure that the benefit of a global pool of experience improves each project.

GoIndustry's team of highly-qualified and experienced project managers, direct marketing experts, set-up staff, webcast technicians, and payment settlement staff provide event management capabilities which match the specific needs of any project. This functional expertise and a team of research experts enable us to manage truly unique events as diverse as the Millennium Dome and the Channel Tunnel with the same professionalism as the hundreds of sales we execute year.

Strategic Capabilities

GoIndustry has capabilities unique in the industry in its ability to deliver local service with global reach, combining the strength and experience of premium brands, and co-ordination of the global company through marketing, technology, finance, and a unique management team.

Local service with global reach is a powerful strength for GoIndustry. The firm has successfully managed high-value projects in over 70 countries on all inhabited continents. With offices in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, GoIndustry can combine its depth of asset and project expertise with local regulatory and market factors. Furthermore, our breadth and depth enable us to provide a seamless interface for multinationals wherever operations may be.

In addition to greenfield operations in various countries, GoIndustry merged operations of premium brands like Henry Butcher, Michael Fox, Karner & Co., and Appelboom together to provide clients with immense sector and geographic expertise. This combination brings the reputation and loyal buyer and seller base of these entities along with the know-how, databases, and track record of leaders in key markets together into one global firm.

Across geographies, the firm works together at a scale that traditional asset disposal firms are unable to match. GoIndustry supplements regional marketing capabilities with a world-class marketing team which leverages a database of over 1mn profiled, proven buyers and sophisticated research techniques to directly contact the right buyers for a particular project. Depending upon the project, this team will provide effective online and offline marketing across geographies to ensure that the maximum return is achieved.

Technology also provides GoIndustry with a definitive edge. Technology both serves clients directly and enables each member of the GoIndustry team to tap the resources and capabilities of a giant in the industry. Solutions include integrated software that enable sale and asset data to be managed throughout complex processes, databases to leverage prior transaction experience, proprietary GoWebcast, the web-based Marketplace, and the Enterprise Asset Manager. Financial systems and controls also ensure rapid and prompt settlement of auction proceeds.

Finally, GoIndustry has a management team unique in the business. Executives bring a combination of decades in the asset disposal and valuation business with experts in global management, finance, and product development. GoIndustry's executive board hail from four different nations and work closely together to build upon experience while continuously driving innovation.

Reputation for Quality

With these factors, the GoIndustry team worldwide has and will continue to drive service standards and innovation in the industry. Above all, we are dedicated to maintain our reputation for superior asset sales and services worldwide though delivery of the highest quality effort to clients - one project at a time.

Ein Marktkapitalisierung von 300 Millionen erscheint mir dann als ein angemessener Wert, die etwas mehr als 80% Anteil von Internet Capital wären dann fast ein Viertelmilliarde wert, das ist knapp unter der momentanen Marktkapitalisierung.


Untermauerung meines vorhergehenden Postings (Teil 1)

INCREASING DEMAND FOR PROCUREMENT BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING AND DIFFERENTIATED OFFERING HELP MARKET SHARE LEADER ICG COMMERCE ACHIEVE STRONG 2004 RESULTS

Procurement-Only Focus, Deep Market Experience, Comprehensive Offering Focused on Operational Improvements And Continuous Value Generation Combine To Drive Over 175% Growth In Services Backlog

PHILADELPHIA - March 9, 2005 - ICG Commerce, a leading procurement services provider, today announced key business results for 2004. The company signed 55 contracts during the year and achieved consistent double-digit quarter-over-quarter growth. The strong momentum is reflective of the company's track record of producing results for leading companies and points to its comprehensive approach to procurement as the most effective model for driving bottom-line savings and process efficiencies.

Among the new contracts signed in 2004 were eight agreements for comprehensive procurement management or outsourcing services, including those with new customers Avaya, Cooper Cameron Corp., Greif, Inc., Universal Packaging Corp., and Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. In addition, extensions were signed with a number of long-term customers such as Crown, Cork & Seal, Delta Air Lines, Indalex and Nordstrom.

"In 2004 ICG Commerce quantifiably distinguished itself as the leader in procurement-BPO with strong performance in customer acquisition,” said Edward H. West, chairman and CEO of ICG Commerce. “Our differentiated and comprehensive offering combined with external market factors have helped bring the procurement business process to the fore, elevating it from a back office function to a key business performance driver.” West added, “Further to the additions we’ve made on the customer front, we continue to add to our team of experts, most notably through the addition of Michael Zisman, former vice president, corporate strategy at IBM and current ICG Commerce and Internet Capital Group board member."

Due to the number of multi-year customer relationships secured in 2004, the value of ICG Commerce's services backlog (the value of all remaining contracted revenue) grew in excess of 175% throughout the year. Key market factors contributing to the company's growth included continued strong demand for overall cost reduction across industries and an increasing focus on core competencies. "Over the past few years, corporations in the U.S. and Europe began, in earnest, outsourcing major but non-core business processes, such as procurement, finance and accounting and human resource management," said Zisman. "This allows companies to focus on their core-competencies and benefit from the focus, expertise and cost effectiveness of others."

These factors continue to drive procurement-BPO growth as organizations increasingly realize that procurement transformation is an important vehicle for battling pressures on the purchase of indirect and direct materials, which in turn, impact product costs and profit margins.

"Recently, we have seen an increased appreciation at the senior executive level for the power of the procurement function to improve business performance," said Zisman. "Although procurement software alone automates some of the necessary processes, it severely understates the full savings potential of a proactive effort to improve overall procurement operations. The market is beginning to recognize the leadership role outsourcing can play in that process."

Impacting results more directly than external market forces was the company's model, which focuses exclusively on driving results through comprehensive procurement transformation. The ICG Commerce approach marries deep purchasing category expertise; process and operations specialists; and a comprehensive but flexible technology platform to build and execute programs that produce sustainable and measurable savings for customers year after year.

According to research published last year by analyst firm Nelson Hall, ICG Commerce currently leads the procurement-BPO industry in market share. In 2004, the company also earned recognition from both the Outsourcing Center and Forbes magazine as a leader in procurement outsourcing, which many have proclaimed to be the fastest-growing BPO segment.

Continuing to innovate, ICG Commerce made several infrastructure and organizational enhancements over the course of the year, including the unveiling of a Procurement Center of Excellence at the company’s new headquarters outside Philadelphia. Dozens of customers, prospects and industry experts have visited the center over the past six months to learn best practices and gain an inside look at the team managing transactions and purchasing activities on behalf of many of the world’s leading companies.

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About ICG Commerce, Inc.
ICG Commerce (www.icgcommerce.com)is a leading Procurement Services Provider exclusively focused on helping companies buy more effectively and efficiently in order to reduce costs significantly and continuously. The company offers an unmatched combination of process and category expertise and hosted technology to deliver Sourcing, Purchase-to-Pay Automation and Outsourcing Services. ICG Commerce Inc., a privately held company founded in 1992, is a member of Internet Capital Group’s (Nasdaq: ICGE) network of partner companies and has been honored as one of Forbes’ ‘Best of the Web: B2B’, UPSIDE Magazine’s ‘Hot 100’ and as an iSource 100 company.

“We are extremely pleased with the progress we have made within the market over the past year,” said CommerceQuest CEO Michael Forster. “The growth that we’ve achieved is strong evidence that our TRAXION EnterpriseBPMS is delivering significant value. In 2005, we will continue to help both new and existing customers achieve their business objectives through improved process efficiency and flexibility.”

CommerceQuest announced several strategic partnerships in 2004, including a new relationship with IBM to resell Process Manager for Data (PM4Data) to enhance IBM’s On Demand strategy. This joint enterprise integration platform has already illustrated benefits to customers, such as Charming Shoppes, Inc. and Standard Chartered Bank, who wanted to manage the movement of data across multi-platform environments, as well as gain visibility into disparate systems throughout the enterprise.

CommerceQuest extended its ecosystem of partners with new Value Add Solution Partners (VASP) and Technology Partner relationships. The Normandy Group, a Cognos Pinnacle partner, joined the VASP program capitalizing on the synergy between corporate performance management and business process management. In addition, a Technology Partnership was established with Mercury Interactive Corporation.

New partnerships with Mindjet and iGrafx were also announced in 2004. These relationships enable companies to complete the entire business process lifecycle with combined analysis, mapping, and execution capabilities via CommerceQuest’s Universal Process Engine. By using analysis, simulation and mapping tools, enterprises typically notice a 20-33 percent improvement in cycle time and throughput; however, executing and integrating processes with the Universal Process Engine from CommerceQuest can attain an additional 25-30 percent improvement.

Globally, CommerceQuest continued to build strategic partnerships throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Trinity Expert Systems and Devoteam are two leading solution-oriented companies aligning with CommerceQuest to provide marketplace differentiation for continued growth in a highly competitive environment, as well as to enable customer success through Enterprise BPM.

Another significant company milestone in 2004 was the announcement of TRAXION EnterpriseBPMS 8.1. This product enhancement featured new capabilities within the Business Innovation Xcelerator and Business Integration Xcelerator. By combining process modeling, workflow, simulation, integration, and extensive activity monitoring and management technologies, TRAXION EnterpriseBPMS enables companies to increase value and productivity, which benefit its bottom line.

About CommerceQuest (www.commercequest.com)
Founded in 1991, CommerceQuest is the only enterprise solutions provider that enables its customers to rapidly turn business strategy into business processes by fully integrating the work that people do with software systems that optimize business performance. CommerceQuest delivers a complete set of scalable business process management (BPM) solutions that leverage existing IT investments to unite people, processes and technology in a service-based architecture that spans the extended enterprise, from the mainframe to the Internet and everything in between. More than 500 industry-leading companies rely on CommerceQuest to help them integrate heterogeneous workflow and IT systems, including many of the Fortune 500 companies such as The Home Depot, Coca-Cola Bottling, Ahold, and American Express.

CommerceQuest is a privately-held company and a member of Internet Capital Group's (Nasdaq: ICGE) collaborative network of Partner Companies.