FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Richard Pinto, Caryn Kaufman (212) 688-8599
TOP U.S. AND CANADIAN NEW MEDIA COMPANIES, MAJOR CORPORATIONS GATHER TO CREATE NEW KNOWLEDGE AND SHAPE FUTURE OF E-COMMERCE
NEW YORK - December 10, 1997 - More than 40 top new media companies from
the U.S. and Canada, along with major corporations, today concluded their
participation in the CanApple/go-Digital Summit on E-commerce organized and
led by the Canadian Consulate General of New York and go-Digital Internet
Consulting Group, Inc.
"The Summit set a precedent for serious discussion that not only generated
high-level, forward- thinking strategies for e-commerce, but also outlined
tactics for bridging the present state of this rapidly evolving medium with
the future,' remarked Dr. Augustine C. Fou, a Summit organizer and
president/CEO of go-Digital.
Summit participants collaborated for two-days in executive roundtable
sessions to create new knowledge and shape the future of e-commerce, with
discussions focused on how e-commerce will significantly impact the retail,
publishing, education and entertainment industries. Overviews of theses
discussions are below and will be detailed in forthcoming white papers from
go-Digital:
· Retail: E-commerce will dramatically "reinvent" every stage of the sales
cycle and the business processes that underlie retailing as we know it.
The Internet medium gives companies unprecedented information and
interaction with consumers, access to new markets and customers, and new
distribution and marketing methods.
· Entertainment: Well beyond the old thinking of simply distributing
traditional entertainment like movies, music, and games, "entertainment" on
the Internet implies, and is ultimately enabled by, the convergence of
media, technologies, and revenue models. There is a continuum along which
online offerings evolve: entertainment, community, merchandising, and
"commerced entertainment."
· Education: The global nature of the medium belies its ability to raise
the standards of education, deliver curriculum interactively and on-demand,
and develop curriculum collaboratively. The Internet itself will become
the greatest repository of human knowledge, existing virtually and
accessible from anywhere, and removed from the limitations of time and
space; truly the "new Alexandria."
· Publishing: Now that every individual on earth can "publish" to a global
audience, the variety and volume of content will be phenomenal. However,
this will necessitate new paradigms in the publishing industry as we know
it to manage the new original content, rate its quality, and deliver it in
timely and effective ways.
John Engel, founder and managing partner of Stamford, Connecticut-based
e-Media said, "Dr. Fou focused the best minds in the Internet business for
two days on the challenges and rewards that e-commerce presents. We
have seen the crystal ball and I have gained a great deal through the
collaborative sessions. My clients are seeing fantastic returns from
e-commerce already and there is no end in sight."
"The wealth and depth of the knowledge of the participants resulted in
discussions that were immediately productive and focused on the most
important issues. The participants expressed a complete understanding of
the Internet industry; a common thread among the discussions centered upon
how to best transfer this knowledge to the customer," said Jeff Anderson,
vice president of marketing for Dallas-based c2o Interactive Architects,
and EDS business. "Interacting with such a high-caliber of industry peers
was both enjoyable and informative, but more significantly, a very
important and much-needed dialogue has been initiated."
Dale Jefferies, Marketing Manager of Canadian-based Netaxis said, "[The
Summit was] a forum of passionate dialogue on the status and future of the
new media industry…overall [an] excellent eye-opener on 'where the money is.'"
"The contacts were very valuable…[and] will lead to new business and
strategic alliances to help us grow," commented Terry Norman, president/CEO
of Clear Picture Corporation, another Canadian firm that participated in
the three-day Summit.
"One of the Consulate's goals is to promote cross-border alliances and
generate new business between Canadian and U.S. new media firms. The
Summit elevates the importance of our role in facilitating international
collaboration and pioneering of the industry," said Matt Toner, vice consul
and assistant trade commissioner of the Canadian Consulate General of New
York.
"By bringing together the pioneers, veterans, entrepreneurs, and knowledge
leaders of the new media industry, this Summit and the ones to follow will
be the fertile ground where participants will not only create the future of
the new media industry but also significantly impact the future of other
industries," added Fou.
CanApple New Media is a business development program offered by the
Canadian Consulate General of New York. The goal of the program is to
bring Canadian new media companies to New York's new media community,
"Silicon Alley," to forge new cross-border alliances, foster new business
opportunities, and facilitate actual business exchanges. To date, CanApple
has been instrumental in brokering more than 40 deals, ranging from
distribution to joint ventures, educational software to cutting-edge
animation, and from small web shops to corporate giants.
Specializing in Internet strategy consulting and implementation management,
New York-based go-Digital Internet Consulting Group, Inc. works with
clients to develop solutions that integrate business and technology
strategy, and marketing to create real value using the Internet medium.
go-Digital also manages the implementation of the client's online offering
using best-of-breed partner companies from the Design, Technology, and
Marketing Groups of the go-Digital Confederation.
For more information call Richard Pinto (rpinto@gte.net) or Caryn Kaufman
(carynk@gte.net) at 212-688-8599.
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