Worldwide Net to grow through 2000
As many as 200 million people around the world may be using the Internet within a year or so, according to a report from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. The study, reported by the Associated Press, estimated 25 to 30 million people in more than 140 countries were on the Net at the end of last year. The Commission study also said businesses using the Web are saving as much as 95 percent on some telephone calls, fax services and banking by phone.
__________________________
Everyone arrive at their own conclusion as to the implication of the above, and the relevance these numbers may bear on the valuation of specific "Internut" stocks.
Perhaps... they are not as "nuts" as everyone seem to think...
One more reason to re-assess, today's valuations, and that in spite of growing competition, Schwab is still the best company to take advantage of a potential much larger explosion in on-line trading, (along with growth in Internet related commerce).
If the report is anywhere accurate... it seems to me that what we have seen is only the beginning...
I will try to search more on the: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific....
Edit: I found the web site for the above organization, have not found the specific article, but I will keep on searching, here is the web site:
unescap.org
.......................
Of course, that is only my opinion.
_____________________________
The entire Article and link:
cbs.marketwatch.com
Frank Barnako's Internet Daily
New online broker to debut
By Frank Barnako, CBS MarketWatch
Last Update: 4:35 PM ET Apr 9, 1999 Listen to Internet Daily
Austin, Texas-based CyBerCorp. will debut its online stock trading system this weekend. CEO Philip Berber said it's designed to send orders to sellers or buyers offering the best prices, including trading systems operated by Nasdaq and Electronic Communications Networks. Berber says he'll cut out the middle man, the market maker who uses these same sources, and pass the savings to the investor.
Worldwide Net to grow through 2000
As many as 200 million people around the world may be using the Internet within a year or so, according to a report from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. The study, reported by the Associated Press, estimated 25 to 30 million people in more than 140 countries were on the Net at the end of last year. The Commission study also said businesses using the Web are saving as much as 95 percent on some telephone calls, fax services and banking by phone.
E-tailers seen holding holiday gains
Analysts are hopeful e-tailers including Amazon.com (AMZN) and Ebay Inc. (EBAY) have been able to post sales greater than those they recorded during the Christmas selling season. The reason this is possible is the number of new people discovering the Web and shopping online, according to BancBoston Robertson Stephens analyst Lauren Cooks Levitan, Dow Jones reported. She estimates Amazon lost 29 cents a share on $260 million in revenue in the first quarter, compared with a 14-cent-a-share loss on $252.9 million in revenue in the fourth quarter. However, she believes Amazon will most likely beat her estimate, the report said, since its customer base has been growing rapidly.
Microsoft said to consider date with Jump
Perhaps following in the acquisition trail of America Online (AOL), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is reported in negotiations to buy online calendar service Jump Networks. About a week ago, AOL used an estimated $150 million of its stock to acquire When.com, explaining date and event scheduling on the Web is a powerful "sticky" application (one that is likely to hold users attention) which also offers e-commerce cross-promotion opportunities. Jump Networks went on the Web in mid-January, including a free online personal calendar and tie-ins with content sources including Reuters and the Weather Channel. Microsoft's interest in Jump was reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Spinner.com launches 'vertical' auction
Spinner.com is reported planning to get into the online auction business with a music-oriented sales site. In partnership with CityAuction, the streaming music Web service will provide a venue for people to sell vinyl albums, CDs, tapes and music memorabilia, Ziff Davis reported. CityAuction is a subsidiary of USA (USAI) Networks' TicketMaster-CitySearch.
Network TV programmers use Net for feedback
Web pages, discussion rooms and chat groups are becoming common sources for television program producers searching for feedback from fans and viewers. "It's great to have this volume of input," says John Romano, an executive producer of the young-skewing Fox drama Party of Five who regularly monitors online chatter, USA Today reported. He added, "It's like what we used to call ‘water cooler talk'." Syracuse University professor Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television, said, "It's like having free focus groups." The Fox network passes several hundred e-mail messages from viewers, to program producers, weekly. And next week CBS's network programmers will receive summaries of e-mails to the network's CBS.com Web site, the newspaper reported.
Frank Barnako is a reporter for CBS MarketWatch. He has owned shares in America Online since April 1995, and Amazon.com since September 1997.
|
