Developing an Internet Strategy

"For most of us, it's not a question of whether the Internet's going to be a 'must have,' but when," said Judy Cronin, introducing the September 17 panel that spoke to the 120 attendees at VANJ's luncheon meeting. Each one of the panelists had made the comittment to Internet technology, and each had arrived at a different way of using it.

George Taber, Editor of Business News New Jersey, described how the publishing industry is grappling with a technology that "has become a threat to every print publication in the world." While it can revolutionize the way information is delivered, the prevailing culture on the Internet is that information is free, yet publications have to pay to collect and publish that information. Although there are several experiments underway, most publications are still providing free information on their websites. Business News' website provides free news from its own reporting staff, as well as from Bloomberg's financial wire. It updates the site every day at 5:00 p.m. (For a more detailed discussion of publishing online, be sure to attend George Taber's presentation to the February meeting of HBSC. See page 4 of the winter 1997 newsletter for details.)

Al Schneider, Vice President of Usedmall.com, sees the Internet as a medium that has completely changed the way his company does business. His company bought and sold used computer equipment, and could have used the Internet to do more of the same, but instead developed an Internet strategy that created a new business. Usedmall.com brings together buyers and sellers of used equipment by taking classified ads from each. The monthly ads give buyers and sellers access to millions worldwide.

Tom Grech, VP of Customer Service for Merrill Corporate, financial printers, outlined how Merrill has used the Internet for customer service and information distribution. Customers access the company through its website, for both routine inquiries and downloading financial documents. Merrill also uses the Internet to distribute financial documents electronically. More of its filings are being distributed in electronic formats, as well as hard copy.

Hank Lamour of Cantor Fitzgerald, a Manhattan brokerage firm, teamed up with Donna Oliva of UNIF/X, a software developer to describe how Internet technology has been adapted to internal company communications. An intranet, it has the same look and feel of the Internet, but is available only to Cantor Fitzgerald employees. For more information on intranet development, contact UNIF/X.

Stuart Cooper, Director of Marketing for Studio 27, in Fair Lawn, described building and maintaining a website. He talked about how important it is to keep a site updated, " because you want people to come back. A site is never finished." 

Our panel consisted of: Judy Cronin, Cronin & Company 201-460-7543, George Taber, Business News New Jersey, 908-246-7677, Tom Grech, Merrill Corporate, 212-229-6701, Alan Schneider, Usedmall.com, 1-800-683-1608, Hank Lamour, Cantor Fitzgerald, 212-938-5000 Donna Oliva, UNIF/X, 212-406-1400, Stuart Cooper, Studio 27, 201-201-797-2727

©1997 New Jersey Business Forums Inc., c/o Trien Rosenberg, Box 1982, Morristown, NJ 07962-1982

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