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Microcap & Penny Stocks : THNS - Technest Holdings (Prev. FNTN) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Keith Sherwood who wrote (12144)	4/29/1999 11:06:00 AM
From: Randy Long	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 15313

Sherwood, Year long voyuer, first post... You bring up a great point about maintenance on the FNTN site. As a the only other member of the FNTN Moscow Fan Club and currently employed in Internet Services, it is discouraging to see that FNTN is not maintaining and updating their site with current content. According to industry research, updated content drives the end user to return on a more frequent basis. Often a user will never return if they have no reason to believe they will find something new on a site. Anyone know if FNTN built and maintains their own site, or do they outsource it? Randall

To: Keith Sherwood who wrote (12144)	4/29/1999 11:20:00 AM
From: SandDollarBay	Respond to of 15313

all...Intersting article. Significant opportunity exists for FNTN. However, they are missing the boat with each day that passes and they delay, delay and delay. biz.yahoo.com Thursday April 29, 10:42 am Eastern Time Company Press Release Web Site Functionality Race Is Far From Over In Financial Services Market CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 1999--According to a new report by Mainspring, a Cambridge-based eStrategy service firm, the rapid development of Internet functionality in the financial services industry is dramatically changing the competitive landscape amidst a frenzied race for market leadership and market share. ''New web-based features and functions appear daily, raising the bar for competitors,'' said Patricia McGinnis, Mainspring managing director. ''To compete, executives must commit to continuous and rapid evolution of Internet functionality that ranges from providing basic product information to enabling online transactions.'' The eStrategy Report, ''Deploying Competitive Web Sites,'' found that while traditional FSI firms have kept pace with their virtual counterparts in deploying some types of functionality online, overall they are lagging behind. Nonetheless, the largest banks have responded more rapidly than their top tier peers in other sectors to the threat posed by virtual competitors. For example, nine of the top 20 banks have launched customer-centric e-commerce initiatives and are deploying other new web technologies in an effort to build greater market share. But, according to the report, the race is far from over. Mainspring surveyed more than 120 consumer-focused FSI web sites in multiple industry sectors (e.g., banking, brokerage, mutual fund, insurance) to develop a broad view of current FSI web site functionality. Overall, FSIs were rated on levels of functionality -- low, medium and high -- none of the ratings were very strong, illustrating that plenty of room for improvement exists for both virtual and traditional competitors. These findings indicate that product innovation in online functionality remains incomplete, and highlight the fact that the majority of consumers still manage their finances offline, their preferences still largely unknown. In parallel, rapid Internet process innovations allow latecomers and new entrants to deliver online financial services functionality more quickly and efficiently through new vendor solutions, outsourcing and hybrid solutions. ''In this intensely competitive environment, firms need an online strategy that differentiates the value proposition they present to potential customers,'' said McGinnis. ''For example, the online brokerage Wit Capital has an innovative plan for distancing itself from other online competitors by offering online investors information and participation in IPOs. This allows Wit to target a narrower segment of the market and to deliver users a richer online experience in terms of investment information and account-specific services.'' The report also illustrates that innovators like Bank of America, Scudder and Progressive Insurance are developing new web capabilities ranging from centralized financial information and extensive site personalization to wireless banking and online purchasing. The report finds that both the level of online functionality and the increasing pace of change are causing new management challenges. For example: -- It will be imperative for e-commerce executives to keep up with and quickly adapt to the rapidly accelerating pace of change. Major site enhancements will now occur as often as quarterly rather than in the 18 to 24-month life span enjoyed by early sites. -- This new rate of change will require executives to ensure that their IT development processes incorporate the flexibility required to track and respond to changes in the market. Budgets for Internet development will need to steadily increase to support rapid technology iteration even if executives cannot rigidly define benefits or revenue projections. -- Executives must continually monitor risk and competitive shifts in order to track new business and technology innovations. The greatest threat to financial firms may come from unexpected quarters wielding new business models, rather than from traditional competitors. ''Executives should take away from this that today's leadership position is by no means safe because there is so much room for improved functionality,'' added McGinnis. ''For those lagging behind it's not too late to catch up. Consumers using financial services online right now are such a small percentage of the population that current market share may be misleading and innovation will be rewarded. Today's follower could be tomorrow's leader in a very short period of time.'' The newly released analysis, now available at www.mainspring.com, is the latest in an ongoing series of monthly eStrategy Reports issued by Mainspring. Targeted at financial services and online retail industries, Mainspring's analysis addresses the needs of executive grappling with the impact of the Internet on their business and their industry at large. Future reports will examine online product redefinition, channel optimization, and organizational alignment. About Mainspring Mainspring is an eStrategy service firm offering a distinctive new approach to advancing Internet strategy development. By integrating an accelerated consulting process with strategic industry analysis and peer-to-peer interaction, the Mainspring eStrategy approach helps e-commerce executives rapidly identify and define attractive Internet business models and solutions. This proprietary approach is helping numerous Fortune 1000 companies in the financial services and online retail industries. For more information on Mainspring, please visit the Mainspring web site at (www.mainspring.com) or contact Christine Traulich by phoning 617/588-2351 or via email at ctraulich@mainspring.com. Contact: Mainspring Christine Traulich, 617/588-2351 ctraulich@mainspring.com www.mainspring.com Related News Categories: banking, computers, internet