Internet Everywhere at IWCE

With so much talk about wireless Internet access, the 9,000 attendees of last month's International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) learned how the Internet is key to cellular and messaging providers alike.

One example is the FCC's Universal Licensing System, which facilitates filing and retrieve licensing information. The project is planned to be fully Internet-accessible this summer, and Roger Noel, FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau licensing & technical analysis chief, said that once the system is up and running, in most cases, licensees will be required to file this way.

Point-of-sale and marketing teams learned about sales-channel cannibalization and how to better manage their companies' Web sites. At the session entitled "E-Commerce: What's In It for You?" speaker James J. Datovech, ComVersant president, said companies must allow cannibalization within their own organizations in order for their e-presence to grow. His argument: Cannibalization takes place as businesses give up a percentage of their store revenues to their Web sites. Part of the tradeoff, however, could mean giving small commissions to the bricks-and-mortar stores that support the shipping and customer care of Web-site transactions.

Datovech said that more than half of all customer-service-related e-mails go unanswered. It's here where e-commerce falls short. Having a killer Web site is no longer sufficient; follow-through and responsible management of all Web inquiries is more important for revenue growth, Datovech said.

Session moderator Karl Means, a lawyer with Shulman, Roger, Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, presented e-commerce's legal issues, including domain names and intellectual property rights, which often are overlooked when entering the Internet marketplace. Means recommended research, due diligence and copyrighting all company logos and taglines.

For more IWCE news and product announcements, visit www.iwceconexpo.com.