GLITR May 13, 2008
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| Your report for Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Sprint Web cards make for easier road work at St. John Home Health
St. John Home Health Care has gone fully mobile with wireless Internet access cards from Sprint Nextel. The 175 field workers now can get on the Internet from anywhere their job may take them. Karen Oravec, director of clinical systems for the home health agency, said the implementation began six months ago and wrapped up with the last few users about two weeks ago. Now, employees have the ability regardless of location to pull up a map to a patient’s home, access patient records, communicate more effectively with the office and decrease the use of paper in all communications. Other time- and resource-saving measures include digital patient charting, updating patient condition more quickly, and the direct ordering of supplies and shipping them direct to a patient's home. More.
Verizon expands high-speed Internet coverage in Lansing area
More consumers and businesses across the Lansing area have or soon will have access to Verizon High Speed Internet. Verizon technicians are installing high-speed Internet equipment, based on digital subscriber line technology, at nearly 40 company offices, each which serves between 100 and 4,900 phone lines. When the expansion project is completed this summer, the broadband service will be available to more than 26,000 eligible customers in Bath, DeWitt, Fitchburg, Grand Ledge, Grass Lake, Laingsburg, Munith, Onondaga, Parma, Stockbridge, Wacousta, Webberville and Williamston. More.
New UM business engagement center opens
After months of planning and behind-the-scenes activity, the University of Michigan will officially open the doors to its new Business Engagement Center this week. The center, in the Galleria Building at 1214 S. University Ave., will provide one-stop shopping for businesses seeking student talent, university expertise, professional development for employees and research partnerships. The BEC is funded jointly by the UM Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office of University Development. It's a novel approach that's likely to be emulated by other U.S. universities, said Daryl Weinert, the center's interim executive director. More.
Van Dyke Schools using Danish firm's instruction software
NetOp School lets teachers develop interactive classroom environments, keep students on task on the computer. New computer lab software at the Van Dyke Public school system in Michigan is making class instruction more interesting and interactive than ever. NetOp School is software that enables instructors to both monitor class activity and teach at the same time, creating effective and efficient classroom instruction. More.
Biz-selling Web site reports strong first month
The Bingham Farms-based Web site SellMyBusiness.com Monday reported a successful first month following its early April launch. Exceeding initial expectations, the online exchange community has received more than a half million visits, while averaging 300-plus new site users per day. Additionally, visitors are spending an average of more than 12 minutes per visit and are committing to nearly 5,000 page views each day. To date, 811 new businesses for sale have been added to the site. More.
Gas Station TV names 10 finalists in BroadcaStar competition
Oak Park-based Gas Station TV, the company bringing news, entertainment and advertising to flat panel TVs atop gas pumps, Monday announced 10 finalists to be the public face of the GSTV Network. The finalists for the lifestyle segment host position come from across the country including New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Fairfield, Conn., Burbank, Calif., Hollywood, Calif., Columbus, Ohio and Hoboken, N.J. The winner will be chosen by public vote online now through June 30 at the competition Web site, www.beabroadcastar.com. More.
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Louis Glazer is president and co-founder of Michigan Future Inc. in Ann Arbor. Michigan Future is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that strives to better position Michigan in a knowledge-driven economy. Glazer is heading efforts to organize leadership to implement a new agenda for a knowledge-based Michigan. Working in partnership with the Ferndale Public Schools and Lawrence Technological University, he has helped create University High School, designed to connect students to good-paying careers in the automotive industry. With Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit he is launching a system for reducing chronic unemployment.Read more.
Do you know a business, professional or community leader whom you think deserves being honored as a Leader and Innovator? Click here to nominate them.
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LED lighting pilots under way in Escanaba, Ann Arbor
A pilot project to install a Troy company's LED-based replacements for flourescent bulbs is under way at a state office building in Escanaba. Over the next four years, Ilumisys Inc. will replace 200 flourescent tubes in the building with three successive generations of LED lamps. Ilumisys is a subsidiary of Altair Engineering Inc. Ilumisys LED lights are also now at work in a conference room on the fourth floor of Ann Arbor City Hall. More.
Facton, Munro link up to make American manufacturing competitive
Facton Inc., the Auburn Hills subsidiary of the German lifecycle costing software developer, today announced an alliance with the global lean design pioneer Munro & Associates Inc. and its software development organization Design Profit Inc. The two companies say they intend to help manufacturers' product cost reduction efforts while increasing efficiencies and profitability. More.
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Ann Arbor consultant finds satisfaction with e-retailing improved
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Netflix.com does the best job satisfying its customers, according to the Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index from Ann Arbor-based ForeSee Results.
The online retailer leads the Index with a score of 86 on the study’s 100-point scale with QVC.com, at 84, and Amazon.com, at 83, trailing slightly.
Overall, customer satisfaction with the Top 100 online retailers is up 1.4 percent to a score of 75.
“The Web continues to be a bright spot in retail, which is good news for retailers and even better news for consumers,” said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results “When competition for limited consumer dollars is fierce, as it is now in a weak economy, retailers are searching for ways to convert browsers to buyers. providing a satisfying Web site experience is the first place to start.”
ForeSee Results’ Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index is conducted using the scientific methodology of the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index. Customer satisfaction, when measured using the ACSI methodology, is a key measurement of current success and a predictive indicator of future sales (online and offline), loyalty, and word-of-mouth recommendations. Individual satisfaction scores for all 100 retailers are reported below.
The study found that online satisfaction drives loyalty, sales, and word of mouth.
Highly satisfied online shoppers are 69 percent more likely to purchase from the retailer the next time they are shopping for similar merchandise , 72 percent more likely to purchase online, 42 percent more likely to purchase offline and 74 percent more likely to recommend the retailer. In order to increase online satisfaction (thereby increasing loyalty and purchase intent), e-retailers in the aggregate should focus on online branding and improving site experience.
More at the Great Lakes IT Report.
Note: For information on how you can sponsor content in the Blue Box, contact Dan Keelan at (248) 455-7380 or dkeelan@cbs.com.
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THE WORLD IN TECH
MIT students show the power of open cell phones
What do you want your cell phone to be able to do? Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Hal Abelson put that question to about 20 computer science students this semester when he gave them one assignment: Design a software program for cell phones that use Google Inc.'s upcoming Android mobile operating system. In the process, they revealed the power of an open system like Android to shake up the mobile phone industry, where wireless companies are being pressured to loosen the control they have maintained over what devices do. If the brainstorms of these MIT students are an indication, phones will soon challenge the Internet as a source of innovation. For these students at least, cell phones should be all about location, location, location. Most of the projects produced by the seven teams of students involved programs that let phones track people's physical place -- or that of their friends -- to help them do things and meet up. More.
Apple: iPhones sold out online in US, UK
Apple Inc. said Monday its online stores in the U.S. and U.K. are sold out of the iPhone, a sign supplies are being winnowed ahead of the launch of the device's next generation featuring faster Internet surfing speeds. The Cupertino-based company confirmed that the iPhone is out of stock online, but added that brick-and-mortar stores run by Apple and iPhone carriers including AT&T Inc. might still have units available. Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris declined to comment on reasons for the shortage and on Apple's plans for an update to the device, which is widely expected to be unveiled in June at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. The paucity of iPhones for sale in some markets comes as Apple is hustling to meet its goal of selling 10 million of the hybrid iPod-cell phone-Internet surfing gadgets by the end of 2008. So far, Apple has sold 5.4 million iPhones, according to the latest data as of the end of March. More.
Report: HP nearing deal to buy EDS
Personal computer and printer maker Hewlett-Packard reportedly is nearing a deal to buy information technology services provider Electronic Data Systems for between $12 billion and $13 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported the talks Monday on its Web site. The newspaper said the acquisition could be announced as early as Tuesday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. HP spokesman Ryan Donovan declined to comment Monday. Plano, Texas-based EDS didn't immediately respond to messages. Buying EDS would give Palo Alto-based HP more tools to compete against IBM in the lucrative field of technology consulting and customer support.
New top-of-the-line BlackBerry doubles screen resolution
Research In Motion Ltd. on Monday introduced its first major new BlackBerry model in more than a year: the Bold, a high-end model that further demonstrates the company's desire to make tools for both work and play. The Bold, or 9000, has twice the screen resolution of the current Curve model, making for a very sharp display. It matches the resolution, but not the size, of the screen on Apple Inc.'s iPhone, which has emerged as a potent competitor in the "smart phone" category. AT&T Inc. on Monday said it would be the exclusive U.S. carrier for the Bold. It also has much more internal memory, a glossy metallic look, and adds corporate-strength Wi-Fi capabilities to third-generation cellular and Bluetooth radios. More.
Stocks: Research in Motion leads sector higher
Technology stocks closed higher Monday, led by Research In Motion Ltd., which shot up 7 percent as the company unveiled its BlackBerry Bold smart phone. By the close, the Nasdaq Composite Index ($COMPQ) rose 43 points, or 1.8 percent, to close at 2,488.89. The Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) rose 12.52 points or 2.1 percent to 596.55, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index ($SOX) added 4.62 points or 1.2 percent to 403.12. The Amex Pharmaceutical Index (DRG) added 2.61 points or 0.9 percent to 298.81, while the Amex Biotechnology Index (BTK) added 6.66 points or 0.9 percent to 754.77. The Dow Jones Industrial Average ($INDU) added 130.43 points or 1 percent to 12,876.31 as investors welcomed gains in the U.S. dollar and a decline in oil prices. The S&P 500 ($SPX) added 15.3 points or 1.1 percent to 1,403.58.
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All contents copyright 2008 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS Radio & Eye logo trademarked and copyright 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. Written and edited by Matt Roush, Technology Editor, WWJ Newsradio 950, Detroit. GLITR contains material from the Associated Press, Reuters and MarketWatch.com, used by permission. For coverage comments or news tips, e-mail Matt Roush at mnroush@cbs.com or call (248) 455-7380. For marketing and advertising queries, contact Dan Keelan at dkeelan@cbs.com or (248) 455-7252. To subscribe, e-mail Nancy Ho at nancy.ho@cbsradio.com. For questions or concerns, please email Pete Kowalski, WWJ's Station Manager.
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