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News About The Netpreneur Program

1. MAKING CONNECTIONS THROUGH NETPRENEUR EXCHANGE Since the Program's Web site, Netpreneur Exchange, went to open-beta, venture incubator International Business Group (IBG) has received six unsolicited 'applications' for funding from regional netpreneurs. Tony Carter, Chairman of IBG, commented, "The Netpreneur Exchange is steering netpreneurs in the right direction." He added, "Each of the six netpreneurs came in [to IBG] out of the blue-- all a direct result of the Potomac Netpreneur Program."
The applications for funding submitted to IBG have ranged from "What do you think of this idea?" to "Would you be receptive to receiving my business plan?" Four of the applicants sent in a concept description. IBG is continuing discussions with the other two companies in hopes of helping them get their businesses off the ground. Formal presentations of their business plans are being reviewed. Tony Carter noted that for netpreneurs to effectively engage in a business endeavor with financial investors like IBG, they must be prepared to do four things. "All of us in the venture capital industry must see a write-up that answers the questions: What is the idea? What is the market? What has the netpreneur done before? and What is the financial outline for the next three years?"
Based in Herndon, VA and Dublin, Ireland, IBG helps bring net-centric businesses to life, providing hands-on help for netpreneurs. Applying a combination of advice and mentoring from seasoned entrepreneurs with seed funding, IBG gives companies a competitive edge when they enter the marketplace. For more about IBG and other venture capital groups, see the Funding & Finance area of Netpreneur Exchange (http://netpreneur.org).

2. PKW SEMINAR: YOUR BUSINESS AND THE INTERNET The Potomac KnowledgeWay Project and the Washington Business Journal will hold a seminar, "Your Business and the Internet: A Practical Forum for Executives," on Thursday, March 6. The executive panel, moderated by Cliff Webb, Vice President of Ryan McGinn and former NewsChannel 8 anchor, will share experiences on expanding their businesses to the Internet and discuss the impact on their organizations. They will also discuss how they are using the Internet to increase sales and develop new business; initial expectations and how they have changed over time; what they have learned and pitfalls to avoid; and the reality of ongoing operations. Panelists include: Brian Garr, CTO of Globalink, Inc.; Larry Lux, Senior VP and Managing Director of National Geographic Interactive; and Catherine Yandel, VP and Division Director for BTG, Inc.'s Information Solutions Division. Visit the KnowledgeWay's Web site (http://knowledgeway.org/webseries) for more information or to register online. The seminar will be held at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner; breakfast is from 7:30 to 8 a.m. and the seminar runs from 8 to 10 a.m. The cost is $50.

Regional Netpreneurs

1. IMAKE'S ISDN/INTERNET MEDIA SERVER
(Bethesda, MD) IMAKE (http://www.imake.com) announced it will release a new version of its ISDN/Internet Media Server for MPEG-2 compliant audio. The system uses browsers, such as Netscape Navigator, for control and ISDN Basic Rate Interface (64 Kbps) for guaranteed bi-directional audio playback and record. Internet or intranet users can search a catalog of available audio programs, either prerecorded audio stored in the Media Server or live feeds. The system provides broadcast quality audio distribution, recording and playback that can be sourced and played from multiple locations in real time while being recorded for later distribution. The company says it is the first ISDN Primary Rate audio server to be delivered with guaranteed delivery on a point to point network. Other systems rely on the Internet for delivery which does not provide for a guaranteed amount of bandwidth to be available between two computers, often making it unreliable and bursty.

2. WIRELESSNOW ABSORBS THE PCS PAGE
(Washington, DC) WirelessNOW (http://comnow.com) an electronic information source for the wireless industry, has absorbed the content of The PCS Page, a popular Web site for personal communications services (PCS) information. PCS Page content will migrate to WirelessNOW's site for access by WirelessNOW subscribers. The WirelessNOW PCS Pages include background on personal communications services in North America, Europe, and Asia; and details on market structure, network architecture, and key drivers in the industry. In addition, subscribers will have access to PCS industry news, regulatory information, analysis of PCS spectrum auction results, and links to PCS equipment vendors, operators, and industry associations. For $385 a year, subscribers to WirelessNOW get the Daily Wireless Update via e-mail and on the Web, stock reports, trade show updates and original columns.

3. ONLINE GAMING IS A WINNER FOR SIMULTRONICS
(Rockville, MD) Simutronics Corp., publisher and developer of online multi-player games says it is the #1 online content provider in the world. In December of 1996, 200,000 customers spent some 1.4 million paid hours playing the company's games which are available on most major online services, including America Online, Prodigy and CompuServe. The company's GemStone III game accounted for half the usage, and it's spin-off title, DragonRealms, logged in with about 500,000 hours in December. AOL's Games Channel newsletter recently reported that GemStone III is the "single most played game on AOL" and that DragonRealms is the second. Simutronics's newest offering, CyberStrike for Windows 95, is in the final stage of testing on AOL and is already a hit, with over 100,000 hours of usage across all online services. The privately held company has seen revenues grow by more than 300% per year for each of the past three years, driven by new titles, increased distribution, lower prices, and the growth in consumer online services.

4. CYBERCASH CREATES DIGITAL NEWSSTAND
(Reston, VA) CyberCash, (Nasdaq: CYCH) introduced the Digital NewsStand, a pay-per-view forum for magazines, newspapers and media services to offer daily or limited-time views of their high-value digital content without requiring consumers to commit to monthly or yearly subscriptions. The first publishers to post editions to the NewsStand will be BARRON'S Online, Financial Times of London, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg L.P., Quote.com, American Banker Online, Data Broadcasting Corp. and William O'Neil+Co. Inc. The Digital NewsStand uses CyberCash's CyberCoin micropayment technology with profits on the sale of a piece of news from the NewsStand split between the publisher, CyberCash and Internet navigation services which are promoting the NewsStand. "We believe that there is a very substantial market for spontaneous purchases on the Internet," said Elisabeth DeMarse, director of marketing, Bloomberg L.P. "With the Digital NewsStand, we see an easy, low-cost way to attract many new customers." Internet navigation services such as Yahoo!, InfoSeek, and Lycos will be promoting Digital NewsStand from their sites. CyberCash is at (http://www.cybercash.com).

5. PLS STREAMLINES JANE'S INFORMATION RETRIEVAL
(Rockville, MD) Personal Library Software Inc. (PLS) and Jane's Information Group announced today that PLWeb Turbo, PLS's intranet management solution, will be deployed internally by Jane's to simplify access to archived information and to improve customer service. The solution provides employees with internal online access to the volumes of military, aerospace and defense data published by Jane's Information Group. As customers call to request information, a Jane's representative can immediately identify a list of publications relevant to the customer's needs by searching across the entire internal Web site with a single request. Previously, employees had to search individual indices of over 60 periodicals published in print, online, or CD-ROM. PLS (http://www.pls.com) develops information retrieval and intelligent agent technology.

6. FANNIE MAE LAUNCHES HOMEPATH SITE
(Washington, DC) Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM), the nation's largest source of home mortgage funds, launched HomePath.com (http://www.homepath.com), a new Web site providing lists of lenders who offer Fannie Mae products, direct access to lender Web sites, access to home-buying guidance and referral services, and information about the mortgage finance process. The goal is to create an electronic mortgage marketplace, providing consumers with easy access to mortgage lenders, resources and assistance. Consumers can currently link to 23 Fannie Mae lenders, with more to be added over the next few months. Homepath also provides mortgage calculators and e-mail connections to Fannie Mae's HomePath unit, which will answer consumer questions and provide home-buying guidance and referral services.

Partnerships

1. UOL PUBLISHING AND AUTODESK LAUNCH VIRTUAL CAMPUS
(McLean, VA) UOL Publishing, Inc., (Nasdaq: UOLP), publisher of Web-based courseware for the academic and corporate education markets, has partnered with graphics software developer Autodesk, Inc., to create the Autodesk Virtual Campus (AVC) at (http://www.vcampus.com). AVC is an interactive learning site offering online courses, products and services that help students and professionals use Autodesk computer-aided design and animation software. UOL is responsible for the development and operations costs of the Autodesk Virtual Campus and will also provide the marketing and support for the service. This spring, UOL will also begin offering its interactive courseware development system to schools and companies who want to bring their Autodesk training to the Web. McLean-based UOL (http://www.uol.com) acquires, converts and develops course content for online delivery over networks. UOL offers its courseware primarily to part-time students and working adults in partnerships with schools and businesses.

2. CD-MAX & SILVERPLATTER ENABLE DATABASE ACCESS
(Reston, VA) CD-MAX, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: MAXX) NET-MAX system will be integrated into a new online information service to be launched by SilverPlatter Information Inc., allowing pay-per-use access to selected databases via the Internet. A dozen publishers have agreed to participate in the inaugural launch of the transactional pricing service, including H.W. Wilson, Willow Tree, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), Reference Service Press and IFI Plenum. Databases include all the Wilson databases, Medline Advanced, NTIS, GPO, ERIC, EconLit, Social Work Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts, AgeLine, Information Science Abstracts, Political Abstracts and RSP funding databases. The NET-MAX system will register and bill customers on a pay-per-use basis and track and report database usage. Previously, these databases were accessible only by subscription, but now occasional access can be accommodated.

3. SPACEWORKS AND INFORMIX FORM PARTNERSHIP
(Rockville, MD) SpaceWorks, Inc. and database software maker Informix Software Inc. of Menlo Park, CA, have formed a marketing and technology alliance that will provide businesses using the INFORMIX Universal Web Architecture with the ability to implement SpaceWorks electronic commerce applications. SpaceWorks (http://www.spaceworks.com) software provides businesses with Windows-based legacy system integration accessible through a Web browser. The applications link multiple back-office systems, providing an organization's trading partners, suppliers, vendors and customers with access to information related to accounts, products, inventories and transactions over a network via a consistent Web interface. The alliance includes joint marketing and sales efforts as well as technology integration elements.

4. TIS SECURES MAJOR INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCES
(Glenwood, MD) Trusted Information Systems, Inc.(TIS) (NASDAQ: TISX) announced partnerships with MATRAnet and Channel Connections International (CCI) that will establish additional international sales channels for the company's Gauntlet family of network security products. MATRAnet, the French provider of intranet managed services, will integrate the Gauntlet Internet Firewall technology into its software services architecture and will sell Gauntlet to its corporate customers and through its resellers. The initial focus is in the French market followed by expansion into most of the other European countries. TIS' (http://www.tis.com) partnership with CCI will strengthen sales and support in the Asia-Pacific market. The alliances come on the heels of a recent agreement by which IBM will be the principal international distributor of TIS' RecoverKey strong data-scrambling products and software development tools.

Netpreneurs Recognized

1. NEXT WAVE PRESIDENT NAMED TO PRSA EXEC COMMITTEE
Christine Moore has been named to the 1997 Executive Committee for the National Technology Section of the Public Relations Society of America (TSPRSA). Moore is president of NextWave Communications (http://www.next-wave.com), specializing in public relations and marketing communications for technology companies, particularly Internet startups. The firm also offers site design, content development, promotions and online marketing services. For more on TSPRSA, visit (http://www.tech.prsa.org) for links, directories, bulletin boards and information resources about online public relations.

2. MAKULOWICH IS A TOP RESEARCHER
Internet writer, trainer and speaker, John Makulowich has been profiled in Reva Basch's book, Secrets of the Super Net Searchers, as one of the world's top Internet researchers. Makulowich is a principal in The Writer's Alliance, Inc. (http://www.cais.com/makulow) in Potomac, MD, and writes the Net 201 column bi-weekly in Washington Technology magazine. He will be giving presentations on Web Authoring and Competitive Intelligence on the Internet for DCI in San Jose, CA and the Computers In Libraries Conference in March 10-12 in Arlington, VA.

Funding & Finance News

1. DIGITAL CITY ACQUIRES WP STUDIOS
(Vienna, VA) Digital City Inc. (DCI), the network of city-based information services jointly owned by America Online and the Tribune Co., has acquired the key assets of WP Studio, the New York City-based producers of sites like Total New York, ada 'web and Spanker. These sites will become productions of Digital City Studio and will produce original programming content for DCI. The purchase price was not disclosed. DCI also announced that it has become a minority owner of WP Studio's Primary Group division which will add Web advertising production and consulting services to DCI's current advertising solutions.

2. BAUER AUDIO VISUAL TAKES EQUITY POSITION IN VIDEOLINX
(Annandale, VA) Bauer Audio Visual, Inc. of Dallas, TX, obtained an equity position of VideoLinx Communications, Inc. The two companies will plan and provide videoconferencing to over 75 hotels and resorts nationwide where Bauer currently maintains the in-house audio visual services. As a part of this service, Bauer and VideoLinx will supply a portfolio of Picturetel videoconferencing equipment including desktop, group and executive systems, and multipoint video bridging. VideoLinx (http://www.videolinx.com) is a video conferencing service provider specializing in turnkey solutions and offering over 400 public video facilities around the world.

3. PSINET TO SELL INTERCON TO ASCEND
(Herndon, VA) PSINet Inc. (Nasdaq: PSIX) announced that it intends to sell its software subsidiary, InterCon Systems Corp., to Ascend Communications Inc. of Alameda, CA, (Nasdaq: ASND). Specific terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but PSINet will be paid in cash in an amount that will result in no material gain or loss. InterCon develops TCP/IP communications and integration software. The two companies also recently announced a multimillion dollar agreement for the national deployment of Ascend's GRF 400 Internet Protocol switch to upgrade PSINet's network backbone.

4. ISP-INVESTOR DISCUSSION LIST
ISP-INVESTOR is a mailing list dedicated to the discussion of investments in Internet Service Providers (ISP) or the ISP industry. It is open to investors or those seeking capital. The ISP-INVESTOR home page is at (http://www.isp-investor.com). The list is sponsored by SparkNET Corp. of Wisconsin and its President, Christopher M. Sevcik. To join, send e-mail to (isp-investor-request@sparknet.net) and include in the body: subscribe.

Regional News

1. GREATER WASHINGTON REGION HIGH TECH AWARDS
Nominations are being accepted for the 10th annual Greater Washington Region High Tech Awards to be held May 14, 1997. The Awards were developed to provide role models for future entrepreneurs and leaders in the area, and to increase the visibility of the technology industry. KPMG Peat Marwick LLP is the main sponsor of the event, along with Washington Technology, the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Suburban Maryland High Technology Council. The ceremony is expected to draw more than 1,000 business leaders from over 300 regional companies.
Among the awards, the KPMG Peat Marwick LLP High Tech Award is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of high technology in the region. Judging is by a panel of individuals experienced in the development and commercialization of technology products and services. Nominations for this year's program are being accepted through March 28. Any founder, owner or senior-level manager of a business in greater Washington who has successfully organized, developed or managed a technology concept into a commercial product or service may be nominated. For information visit (http://www.ice.kpmg.com/awards/dchitech.html), send e-mail to (hightechawards@KPMG.com) or phone 202/530-6815.

2. MARYLAND SUBURB'S HIGH-TECH STATUS CLIMBS
Montgomery County, MD has one of the highest levels of online presence and usership in the nation, reports the Montgomery Business Gazette (1-97). The suburban DC area rivals Silicon Valley in number of residents and businesses online. "Montgomery County is way ahead of the rest of the country," contends Peter Vos, president of Firefly Communications , a Web publisher and researcher based in Silver Spring. "Based on the number of registered domain users, the Washington Metropolitan area is second only to the entire state of California." The majority of county businesses have Internet access, he says, estimating the level to be about 60%. (Copyright 1997, Information, Inc., Courtesy of MCI)

Quick Hits

1. THE NET PERMEATES GE CORPORATE STRATEGY This month's Information Week explores how one company is integrating the Internet into its entire corporate strategy: "From purchasing light-fixture components to marketing polymers and resins, [General Electric] does more business on the Internet than any noncomputer manufacturer. GE is now the most profitable US company, reporting 1996 earnings of $7.28 billion on sales of $79.2 billion. The company believes the combination is no coincidence. GE attributes much of its bottom-line success to IT and E-commerce initiatives that have made the conglomerate more efficient in purchasing, manufacturing, bringing products to market, and designing services." For the whole story, see CMP Media's TechWeb at (http://192.215.107.71/wire/news/0128ge.html.body?).

2. FOCUS ON MARKETING: SYNDICATED SITES
The face of Web publishing is changing--and one of the more obvious shifts is away from "free links" that connect site visitors to the sites of competitors. Publishers from Yahoo! to Reuters to Travelocity are starting to include syndicated content on their sites that, while actually created by another publisher, often bears the buyer-site's brand name. Reuters set the trend over a year ago, and now syndication is widespread. "Almost every Web site will become a mini-online service; a mini-AOL that needs to aggregate content," Naveen Jain, president of InfoSpace, predicts in Inter@ctive Week (1-27-97) (http://www.interactive-week.com). "If you just provide links, your site is a revolving door where people just come in and go out again." InfoSpace (http://www.infospace.com) syndicates directories and mapping services to more than 60 sites. Other firms getting into the game include Amazon.com, Individual Inc., Vicinity Corp., and Warner Bros. Online. All of these companies are providing content and services to other publishers. The terms of the transactions vary. Some publishers pay a flat fee to receive content from another firm. Others simply split ad space and page views with the content provider. Some providers insist that their content contain a link to the syndicating site, while others allow the Web site operator to claim the content under its logo. "It's a dilemma," admits Hal Logan, president of Vicinity, which sells its mapping services to sites like Yahoo! and GeoCities and does not require that the Vicinity logo be placed on these sites. "Because our brand name does not show up, we're not as well-known as we'd like to be." But the company's services are popular for that very reason, and it does a thriving business. Industry experts warn small publishers that syndication is not the solution for everyone. Purchased content can help draw some visitors, but it is not worth the cost in all cases. "Sure extra content will generate incremental page views, but can you go out and sell that space?" asks Tim Brady, director of production at Yahoo! "It's still unclear whether small sites will have enough traffic to make this work for them." (Copyright 1997, Information, Inc., Courtesy of MCI)

Upcoming Events

Basics of Financing Technology & High Growth
Feb. 7, Arlington Information Technology Roundtable
Contact: Carol Park at 703/841-0606
A breakfast meeting with Richard Prins, Managing Director of Investment Banking at Crestar Securities.

Creating Forms & Tables For Web Pages
Feb. 8, CPCUG Headquarters, Rockville, MD
Contact: (http://www.cpcug.org/user/comm) or 301/762-9372
Sponsored by Capital PC User Group. $40 nonmembers/$20 members.

What's Going On In The Internet Backbone?
Feb. 11, 7:00 pm, Wash. Gas & Light, Springfield, VA
Contact: (http://www.cpcug.org/user/internet)
Meeting of the Capital PC User Group (CPCUG) Internet SIG. Speaker Dave Boyles discusses what's on the other side of your ISP, changes in Internet backbone structure interconnection policy and current challenges to developing a higher performance backbone.

Growing Your Business: How Leading Companies Share Equity
Feb. 19, 7:30 am-5:00 pm
The Inn & Conference Center, College Park, MD
Contact: Scott Gilmore <sgilmore@wam.umd.edu> Sponsored by the Univ. of Maryland's Dingman Center.

Writers and the Internet
Feb. 20, 6:30-9:30 pm, National Press Club
Contact: (http://www.net-writer.org), <washwriter@aol.com> or 202/347-3973
"A Washington Independent Writers Professional Development Program, taught by Gabe Goldberg. Advocates the Internet as a tool for research, communication and productivity enhancement." Members: $45/nonmembers: $55.

TECHLINK '97
Feb. 20, 3:00 pm, George Mason Univ., Fairfax, VA
Contact: (http://www.site.gmu.edu/~techlink) or <jcarbon1@osf1.gmu.edu>
Opportunity for faculty, students and corporate/agency representatives to discuss topics affecting the technology and higher education communities.

Agents on the Web
Feb. 26, 7:00 pm, Nat'l Science Foundation, Arlington, VA
Contact: (http://www.shirenet.com/dcida) or <jeff_graber@compuware.com>
Presentation by Mike McMorris. Regular meeting of the DC Internet Developers Association. Free.

Your Business and the Internet: A Practical Forum for Executives
Mar. 6, 7:30-10:00 am, Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, VA
Contact: (http://knowledgeway.org/webseries)
Seminar sponsored by The Potomac KnowledgeWay Project and the Washington Business Journal. Executive panelists share experiences on expanding their businesses to the Internet and the impact on their organizations. Panelists include: Brian Garr, CTO of Globalink, Inc.; Larry Lux, Senior VP and Managing Director of National Geographic Interactive; and Catherine Yandel, VP and Division Director for BTG's Information Solutions Division. $50.

Computers In Libraries Conference
Mar. 10-12, Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, VA
Contact: (http://www.infotoday.com/cil.html)
North America's largest technology conference and exhibition for librarian's and information managers.

Digital Dilemmas: Defining Ethics in the Internet Age
Mar. 12, 8:30 am-1:00 pm, Marymount University, Arlington, VA Contact: (http://www.marymount.edu/events/ethics/ethics.html) Conference for high-tech companies, consumer advocates, cybernauts, academicians and policy makers surveying the landscape of ethical considerations in the Internet Age. Speakers and panelists include: Rep. Tom Bliley, Chairman, House Commerce Committee; John Sidgmore, CEO of UUNet, Technologies, Inc.; Bill Melton, President and CEO of CyberCash, Inc.; Don Heath, President of the Internet Society; Tom Kalil, Senior Director to the National Economic Council and many others. $100. $40 for students. Register by Mar. 5.

Venture Capital Due Diligence: How It Works
Mar. 12, 7:30-9:30 am
Holiday Inn Tysons Corner, McLean, VA
Contact: Scott Gilmore <sgilmore@wam.umd.edu>
B-W Venture Group Networking Breakfast sponsored by the Univ. of Maryland's Dingman Center.