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Internet Story: 18 Dec 1998
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And they're off! "Marrakech, Dec 18, 0923: The ICO Global balloon is on its way. With a sharp snap of explosive bolts the capsule began to rise sedately into the air at 9:23am GMT." That was the report from the web site reporting Richard Branson's latest attempt to circumnavigate the world. You can keep track of their progress at the ICO Global site. |
E-Commerce Figures Re-evaluated CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (Reuters) - U.S. business trade on the Internet will explode from $43 billion in 1998 to $1.3 trillion in 2003, Forrester Research Inc. predicted in a report released Thursday. Forrester said it expected on-line business trade to surpass 9 percent of total U.S. business sales by 2003. On-line business trade will find its way into all U.S. business supply chains over the next five years, although not all industries will adopt Internet commerce at the same rate, the report said. Somewhat odd as their 5Nov1998 report was quoting figures of $1.8 trillion to $3.2 trillion! Of some note was that Forrester noted that Internet commerce will increase dramatically as more companies join in. Forrester said Internet trading initiatives generally start small, as early adopters use their industry clout to pull suppliers and customers online. "Once these companies realize the efficiencies of Internet trading, they will persuade their business partners to join them online," Forrester said in a statement. So the earlier you get into this the better - no time like the present!
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Iraq on the Net? Apparently Iraq is the worst catered for country in the world for Internet access. It just doesn't exist. This is for three reasons; #1: there has been an embargo of almost all goods, and certainly hi-tech goods, to Iraq since 02Aug1990; #2: much of the phone infrastructure was destroyed during the gulf war and has (because of #1) not been rebuilt yet; #3: the current Iraqi regime is very unlikely to allow its citizens free access to information! The only official, i.e. representing the current regime, Iraqi web site available is the Permanent Mission of Iraq to the UN. |
Andrew Stringer, © Pendle.Net Ltd, 1998