Speech: SIMBA Online Conference, November 6, 1995

Online Expert Rips Unprofitable Internet, Offers Solutions…

“…At a recent online conference, one of the leading experts in global electronic commerce, took the Net to task for its serious deficiencies as a place to conduct commerce. Even suggesting that other networks may some day replace it – unless the Internet gets its act together.  Participating on a panel at the SIMBA Online Conference called Transforming the Web: From Hyperplace to Marketplace, William B. Seebeck, managing director of Grant/Seebeck International, said what was undoubtedly on many people’s minds: ‘Clients want to know, ‘When am I going to get my money back?’  The answer, Seebeck said, is that “it’s not going to be easy.”  Most of the revenue in global electronic commerce is concentrated currently in business-to-business online services, such as LEXIS/NEXIS, Dow Jones, NewsNet, Reuters, Financial Times Profile, and Dun & Bradstreet, Seebeck pointed out, which account for 93 percent of the market right now, or $18 billion annually. ‘Until or unless these services move to the Internet,’ Seebeck said, ‘we don’t expect to see a large return for any company on the Internet.’…Seebeck did offer solutions, the actions he believed were required for the Internet to become profitable. (See p. 6 for Seebeck’s “Top 10” List)….Seebeck said that ad agencies viewed the Internet as another communications medium, and more and more companies are offering information on it…’The result is that the Internet is becoming more of an advertising medium than an interactive sales transaction mecca,’ he said.  ‘The three companies to watch in the future are the three satellite networks – CyberStar (Loral Corporation), Spaceway (Hughes/GM) and Teledesic (Bill Gates/Craig McCaw),’ Seebeck said. ‘They in fact may become the real interactive network.’

Interactive PR, December 4-20, 1995

Speech: Top 10 Actions Needed for the Internet to Become Profitable

Seebeck's Top 10 Actions Needed

for the Internet to become Profitable

As presented at The SIMBA Online Conference held at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. on November 6, 1995.

 

1.     To become truly universal, it must become less American in its “management”.

 

2.     The Internet network infrastructure must improve so that it degradates less and becomes more efficient.

 

3.     Financial and other “private” transactions must be made secure to everyone’s satisfaction.

 

4.     The U.S. government must allow for the foreign export of the encryption technology necessary to protect Internet transactions.

 

5.     More users with a broader representation of the buying population (i.e., more women) must be present on the Internet.

 

6.     It must become possible to search for information on the Internet across databases or sites rather than one at a time.

 

7.     Payment for services must be electronic and be other than by credit card while at the same time remaining secure.

 

8.     Payments to buyers and sellers on the Internet must be in multiple currencies.

 

9.     PC’s must become more like appliances in order to dramatically grow the Internet user base.

 

10.  More business-to-business services must move to the Internet.

 - * -

Copyright 1995 WBSeebeck

Press Report: Online Service Gourmet Bill Seebeck

“…Confused over the different online services available?  Well, I can’t say I blame you.  After all, how do you differentiate between an array of services such as America Online, the Microsoft Network, CompuServe, and LEXIS/NEXIS or Knight-Ridder?  Things became clearer to me after conversations I had with online gourmet Bill Seebeck…”

Computer Weekly (U.K.), March 16, 1995