InfoWorld
Lead with Knowledge
HOME/ SITEMAP
SUBJECT INDEXES
App Development
Broadband
Business Intell.
Business News
Business Strategies
Careers & Mgmt
Collab. Software
Content Mgmt
CRM
Database
E-Business
End-User Apps
End-User Hardware
Enterprise Apps
Ethics
Government
Licensing
Middleware
Mobile Computing
Networking
Online Community
Operating Systems
Processors
Security
Servers
Storage
Telecomm.
Web Services
Web Technologies
Wireless
XSPs
NEWS
CTO ZONE
TEST CENTER
FEATURES
COMMUNITY
OPINIONS
RESEARCH
EVENT
WEBCASTS
ABOUT InfoWorld
ABOUT US
About InfoWorld
Services
Advertise
Contact us
Employment
WHITE PAPERS

Learn to secure your PCs from new and unknown hacker attacks.

Free IDC White Paper - Discover Secure File Sharing for the Enterpriseattacks.
SEARCH:  
Home  //  Article
Print Article    Email Article
E-Business Secrets
Brian Livingston
INTERACTIVE TV WILL BE 44 PERCENT OF TV SHOPPING BY 2005

Calling attention to a potential opportunity for e-businesses, a new study by marketing firm Jupiter Media Metrix predicts that 44 percent of U.S. television shopping in 2005 will be conducted interactively, using a remote control rather than dialing a toll-free number.

Jupiter analysts predict that advertising on interactive television shows, similar to the Home Shopping Network, will comprise less than 10 percent of U.S. television advertising by 2005. Even so, this would represent $4.5 billion in advertising -- larger than all Internet advertising. This suggests a possible growth market for Web fulfillment businesses, which can supplant 24-hour toll-free telephone call centers staffed with live operators.

Conflicting interactive TV standards may initially reign and availability will be spotty, the study says. But "this fragmentation presents a unique opportunity for third-party advertising networks because they will be the only ones able to service national iTV campaigns," Jupiter concludes.

More information from Jupiter Media Metrix:

http://www.jup.com@1c.to/?3aa7

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

LIVINGSTON'S E-BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW

It's often said that new businesses should be as "efficient" as possible, but a new book argues that a certain amount of flexibility and "idle" time is essential to business productivity.

In "Slack," author Tom DeMarco defines slack as "the degree of freedom in a company that allows it to change." He says there are real costs in trying to get employees to do too much, which many businesses do by assigning many different projects to each individual.

DeMarco led a three-year study of 600 programmers, in which the productivity of each was measured. He found that being made to switch from one task to another imposed a direct penalty of slightly more than 20 minutes. The cumulative loss of productivity, compared with programmers with fewer interruptions, was more than one hour per day on average.

At its core, this book is about risk-taking, risk avoidance, and risk management -- some things all businesses would do well to understand better.

"Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency,"

By Tom DeMarco (Broadway Books)

http://www.amazon.com@54.vg/?076790768X

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

LIVINGSTON'S TOP 10 NEWS PICKS O' THE WEEK

1. Online music services rend Microsoft and AOL

http://www.thestreet.com@a6r.ms/?3f7

2. Biotech, health care are hiring during dot-bomb

http://www.sfgate.com@31.dk/?7df

3. Online prescriptions delivered by local pharmacies

http://www.miami.com@5a0.tc/?bc7

4. Web service grosses $4 million fielding 4,000 sites

http://inq.philly.com@836.as/?faf

5. Businesses are a bit rusty at selling tools online

http://www.chicagobusiness.com@1c.to/?1397

6. Laid-off dot-com workers sought by old employers

http://www.business2.com@th.gs/?177f

7. eBay teaches the secrets of selling products online

http://www.pioneerplanet.com@a2.tc/?1b67

8. E-commerce sites compete with catalogs, not retail

http://www.herring.com@54.vg/?1f4f

9. Direct-mail promotion pulls 9.7 percent response

http://www.marketingtowebmarketers.com@e.la/?2337

10. Smile! Your photo was caught on a traffic camera

http://home.vicnet.net.au@a6r.ms/?271f

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

THIS WEEK'S 'THEY CAN'T DO THAT ON THE WEB' PAGE

In last week's "E-Business Secrets," one of the news links led to Pop-Up Stopper, a free program designed to stop Web sites from opening new browser windows without your approval.

An even better download is WebWasher, a program that's free for individuals and schools, $29 for businesses. WebWasher provides a wide variety of options that can not only prevent unwanted pop-ups but can be configured to filter out irritating Web scripts, blinking animations, and more.

WebWasher download page:

http://www.webwasher.com/en/products/wwash/download.htm

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

E-BUSINESS SECRETS: Our mission is to bring you such useful and thought-provoking information about the Web that you actually look forward to reading your e-mail.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: "E-Business Secrets" is written by "InfoWorld" contributing editor Brian Livingston. Research Directors are Ben Livingston (no relation) and Eryn Paull. Brian has published 10 books, including:

"Windows Me Secrets":

http://www.amazon.com@54.vg/?0764534939

"Windows 2000 Secrets":

http://www.amazon.com@54.vg/?0764534130

Win a book free if you're the first to send a tip Brian prints. mailto:tips@SecretsPro.com


Brian Livingston , an InfoWorld contributing editor, has published 10 books, including Windows Me Secrets and Windows 2000 Secrets. Win a book free if you're the first to send a tip Brian prints. Send in your tips today, at tips@secretspro.com.



RELATED SUBJECTS

Business News
E-Commerce
MORE >
SUBSCRIBE TO:    E-mail Newsletters  InfoWorld Mobile InfoWorld Magazine
Home  //  Article Print Article    Email Article
Back to Top
 ADVERTISEMENT
 

SPONSORED LINKS

Protect Your Data: Get your FREE Enterprise Backup Intelligence Kit from ADIC.
New HP digital projectors — click now for limited-time introductory offers.
SeeBeyond Webinar - Topic: UCCnet, Thurs., 9/26/02 , 8-9 am PST
The Sun™ LX50 server with Linux or the Solaris™ OE. Click here.
Limited-time offer to optimize your distributed network from Volera

SUBSCRIBE
E-mail Newsletters
InfoWorld Mobile
Print Magazine

Web-based training
ABOUT INFOWORLD  |  SITE MAP  |  EMPLOYMENT  |  PRIVACY  |   CONTACT US

Copyright 2001 InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.