Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Multi-Channel Analytics
It is well known that multi-channel buyers are more profitable, and often more loyal. But how do you leverage that knowledge? I think you will be interested in reading this Q&A from Intelligent Enterprise with Matt Smith, Senior Director, Customer Insight, at Best Buy, showing how the company not only makes use of solutions from Visual Sciences (formerly WebSideStory) and Unica's Affinium, but also implements marketing/merchandising methods that best-in-class merchants employ to create a pro-active context for taking advantage of insights gained.
Friday, May 25, 2007
CommercialWare to Become MICROS-Retail
We learned at the Annual Catalog Conference in Boston earlier this week that CommercialWare, or rather "Datavantage/CommercialWare," a wholly owned subsidiary of MICROS Systems, Inc. and one of the major providers of multi-channel and direct commerce solutions, will be rebranded as "MICROS-Retail."
The first official public announcement of the name change will be made at the Datavantage/CommercialWare User Group meeting in Austin in September, with a major unveiling of the new MICROS-Retail brand at the National Retail Federation show next January in New York.
The CommercialWare Suite of solutions includes:
- CWSerenade
- CWDirect
- CWStore
- CWLocate
- CWCollaborate
- CWData & Analytics
- CWIntegrate
- CWValueCard
The first official public announcement of the name change will be made at the Datavantage/CommercialWare User Group meeting in Austin in September, with a major unveiling of the new MICROS-Retail brand at the National Retail Federation show next January in New York.
The CommercialWare Suite of solutions includes:
- CWSerenade
- CWDirect
- CWStore
- CWLocate
- CWCollaborate
- CWData & Analytics
- CWIntegrate
- CWValueCard
Junction Signs Brownells
Brownells, the world’s largest supplier of firearms accessories and gunsmithing tools, has selected applications from Junction Solutions for e-commerce and the management of its multi-channel business.
Brownells will be using both JunctionEOD and JunctionMCR for managing its multi-channel retail business. JunctionEOD, a scalable on-demand (SaaS) e-Commerce solution built on Microsoft .NET 2.0 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005, seamlessly integrates with JunctionMCR, a multi-channel order management and fulfillment solution built on Microsoft Dynamics AX. Together, these solutions are expected to enable Brownells to better manage and analyze catalog and Web campaigns through order entry, shipping and returns with greater efficiency and high-touch customer service.
Brownells will be using both JunctionEOD and JunctionMCR for managing its multi-channel retail business. JunctionEOD, a scalable on-demand (SaaS) e-Commerce solution built on Microsoft .NET 2.0 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005, seamlessly integrates with JunctionMCR, a multi-channel order management and fulfillment solution built on Microsoft Dynamics AX. Together, these solutions are expected to enable Brownells to better manage and analyze catalog and Web campaigns through order entry, shipping and returns with greater efficiency and high-touch customer service.
Datamann Partners with Epoch on POS Solution
Computer Connection, a division of Datamann, Inc., located in Vermont, and Epoch Software Solutions, located in New Jersey, have announced their partnership for the sale and support of CounterPoint software, a retail management and point of sale solution from Radiant Systems in Memphis, Tennessee (only available through authorized business partners).
Computer Connection will maintain its status as an authorized CounterPoint Business Partner, meeting the requirements set by Radiant Systems. Epoch Software Solutions will continue its business in the Mid-Atlantic region, while using Computer Connection for additional resources and as its bridge to Radiant Systems.
Computer Connection will maintain its status as an authorized CounterPoint Business Partner, meeting the requirements set by Radiant Systems. Epoch Software Solutions will continue its business in the Mid-Atlantic region, while using Computer Connection for additional resources and as its bridge to Radiant Systems.
Pindar Manages Digital Assets via Web
Pindar Graphics has introduced a digital asset management solution, WebImage, geared toward the distribution and management of assets via the web.
WebImage is integrated with Pindar Graphics’ product information publishing system, AgilityCMS, and handles digital assets such as images, documents and video. Users may search the assets by clicking nodes in a tree categorization view, or by searching in metadata fields.
WebImage has comprehensive access and security controls to ensure users can see and do tasks for which they have permission. These controls also allow for preprogrammed custom formatting of images on the fly and default locations of FTP sites, etc. When integrated with AgilityCMS, there is a two-way flow of assets and sharing of metadata without redundant actions required.
WebImage is integrated with Pindar Graphics’ product information publishing system, AgilityCMS, and handles digital assets such as images, documents and video. Users may search the assets by clicking nodes in a tree categorization view, or by searching in metadata fields.
WebImage has comprehensive access and security controls to ensure users can see and do tasks for which they have permission. These controls also allow for preprogrammed custom formatting of images on the fly and default locations of FTP sites, etc. When integrated with AgilityCMS, there is a two-way flow of assets and sharing of metadata without redundant actions required.
DMA Opposes “Simplified” Sales Tax Bill
Washington, DC, May 25, 2007 - The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is cautioning legislators about a bill introduced earlier this week that would allow states to force online sellers to collect sales taxes for all state and local taxing jurisdictions.
S. 34, introduced by Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY), would mandate provisions of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSTA), a voluntary agreement that 21 states are currently participating in. SSTA claims to offer a simplified, streamlined solution, but in fact would only add a new layer of complexity, expense and burden for businesses around the country.
“Unfortunately, the ‘The Sales Tax Fairness and Simplification Act’ is neither fair nor simple,” said Steven K. Berry, DMA’s Executive Vice President, Government & Consumer Affairs. “A truly workable simplification plan would standardize definitions of taxable goods across state borders and offer a single tax rate per state for all types and channels of commerce.”
In decisions in 1967 and again in 1992, the Supreme Court ruled that in order to be able to tax sales originating outside their boundaries, states must remove the burden placed on retailers by the complexity of having to comply with the requirements of thousands of different taxing jurisdictions.
There are currently more than 7,600 different sales tax jurisdictions in this country, including states, counties and municipalities, and even block-by-block areas. Currently, only businesses with a physical presence or "nexus" within a state are required to collect taxes for the jurisdictions within that state. “The failure of S.34 to address the need for a reduction in the number of tax jurisdictions remains a critical obstacle to a viable streamlined sales tax program,” said Berry.
Berry pointed out that many companies would not have sufficient resources to collect and remit sales taxes for each of the thousands of jurisdictions, much less to bear the cost of a possible audit at any time by 46 different state revenue departments (45 states plus DC impose sales tax).
DMA also cautions that the bill does not lay out strong enough requirements for creating consistent definitions of taxable goods. For example, in some jurisdictions tennis shoes are considered nontaxable clothing, and in others taxed as "athletic gear."
S. 34, introduced by Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY), would mandate provisions of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSTA), a voluntary agreement that 21 states are currently participating in. SSTA claims to offer a simplified, streamlined solution, but in fact would only add a new layer of complexity, expense and burden for businesses around the country.
“Unfortunately, the ‘The Sales Tax Fairness and Simplification Act’ is neither fair nor simple,” said Steven K. Berry, DMA’s Executive Vice President, Government & Consumer Affairs. “A truly workable simplification plan would standardize definitions of taxable goods across state borders and offer a single tax rate per state for all types and channels of commerce.”
In decisions in 1967 and again in 1992, the Supreme Court ruled that in order to be able to tax sales originating outside their boundaries, states must remove the burden placed on retailers by the complexity of having to comply with the requirements of thousands of different taxing jurisdictions.
There are currently more than 7,600 different sales tax jurisdictions in this country, including states, counties and municipalities, and even block-by-block areas. Currently, only businesses with a physical presence or "nexus" within a state are required to collect taxes for the jurisdictions within that state. “The failure of S.34 to address the need for a reduction in the number of tax jurisdictions remains a critical obstacle to a viable streamlined sales tax program,” said Berry.
Berry pointed out that many companies would not have sufficient resources to collect and remit sales taxes for each of the thousands of jurisdictions, much less to bear the cost of a possible audit at any time by 46 different state revenue departments (45 states plus DC impose sales tax).
DMA also cautions that the bill does not lay out strong enough requirements for creating consistent definitions of taxable goods. For example, in some jurisdictions tennis shoes are considered nontaxable clothing, and in others taxed as "athletic gear."
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Steps to Prevent "Google Hacking"
SRI Dynamics is offering a free White Paper on protecting your Website from "Google Hacking," i.e., using crawl data that has already been collected and indexed to look for vulnerabilities on your Website (Yahoo, MSN, and all the other major search engines can provide this same data).
The primary focus of the White Paper is how to best use a "vulnerability scanner" such as WebInspect to identify unsuspected "back doors" on your Website. It's a quick read, and worth at least a glance to make sure you've got these bases covered.
You can register to view the White Paper via Information Week.
The primary focus of the White Paper is how to best use a "vulnerability scanner" such as WebInspect to identify unsuspected "back doors" on your Website. It's a quick read, and worth at least a glance to make sure you've got these bases covered.
You can register to view the White Paper via Information Week.
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