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Discusses the importance of improving the shipping system to strengthen an organization's supply chain. Impact of transportation management systems (TMS); Conflicting goals; Ways for generating savings; Technologies that improve transportation; TMS benefits. INSET: NY/NJ Port Authority renews EDI contract.

Reports on Bell Atlantic's expansion plans. Cost of capital program slated within five years; Number of markets company hopes to penetrate; Target base; Technological innovations lined up by company; Number of homes targeted by the year 2000.

Reports on competitive access providers' (CAPs') calls for legalized access to the public network. Change in CAPs' business strategy; Two strategies in gaining regulatory parity with LECs on the state level; Authorizing Federal Communications Commission's preemptive actions. INSET: A 12-point plan for hastening competition..

The article provides information on the proper measures to prevent the shortage of profitable workers. According to the author, the shortage of profitable workers is not due to lack of skilled people, however, it is because of poor management. The author suggests that manager should properly evaluate and rank its employees to retain the profitable one.

Focuses on personal communications services vendors' development of a new generation of products aimed at solving problems such as cell siting, microwave relocation and support services. Differentiation of service from incumbent cellular providers.

Focuses on Bell Atlantic's strategy shift towards switched digital video (SDV) instead of the usual hybrid fiber coax technology (HFC). HFC as the architecture technology of choice for incumbent cable providers; Proposition key to in swaying Bell Atlantic away from HFC; Concern over HFC's power; Role of time of available technology; Bell's plan to broadcast SDV on a video dialtone platform. INSETS: ADSL not going away.;Toward the light..

Reports on the New York Number Portability Trial Task Force's technology trial on local number portability. Comments from task force co-chair, Suzzanne Yerdon; Selection of the vendor; Benefits for carriers; Use of existing database architectures; Need for the neutrality of the administrator.

Focuses on Sprint's cable venture in the personal communications system (PCS) field. Licenses acquired; Amount to be spent on upgrading cable plants; Formal agreement to expand into the local wireline market; Ronald LeMay as the venture's chief executive officer; Challenges facing the venture.

Reports on the expansion of Waynesboro, Va.-based CFW Communications from a rural telecommunication company into a multi-faceted communications corporation. Diversification of the company's lines of business; Formation of strategic alliances with companies having similar interests; Creation of a Sonet-based network. INSETS: CFW in a nutshell.;Sonet transport at CFW..

Focuses on the efforts of CD Radio, American Mobile Radio, Digital Satellite Broadcasting Corp. and Primosphere to develop the subscription radio segment of the radio market in the United States. Growth of the radio format; Granting of permission to the four companies to operate subscription-based radio services in the S-band spectrum; Concept of subscription radio; Identification of niche markets.

Focuses on personal communication services (PCS) technology in Berlin. E-plus' wireless networks; Berlin's demand for communication; Technologies used in the networks.

Profiles IntelCom Group President Bill Maxwell. Views on possibilities of local switched services; Objectives for company; Advantages of competition in the industry.

Reports on developments concerning competitive access providers for the first quarter of 1994. Teleport Communications Group Inc.'s planned major expansion; MFS Communication Co.'s acquisition of FiberNet; Formation of American Communications Services Incorporated.

Reports on the formation of the joint technical committee (JTC) to narrow the field of potential air interface standards. Participation of Personal Control System carriers in bidding on spectrum in 1994; Role of politics; Expected date by JTC to publish standards; Interoperability issues; Determination of final standards by carriers.

Reports on Regional Bell Operating Companies' offer to open their network to local business if allowed into divestiture-restricted lines of business. Inevitability of lifting divestiture line of business restrictions; Need for full competition in the communications market; Disagreement on timing of dominant provider entry into restricted business.

An interview with chief executive officer (CEO) Vince Davis of Macadamia Professional is presented. When asked how he started in the professional beauty industry, he states that he began a career at Kenra Laboratories Inc. Davis mentions that his role in the company is to provide, strategy, leadership and guidance with a clear and directional road map for employees and distributors. He adds that a small and tight portfolio makes the brand unique.

Discusses reasons why RBOC's and major independents continue to dominate local exchange despite competition. Difficult interconnection; Infancy of local number portability; Back office integration; Complications with states and municipalities; Vested interests.

Reports on the increase in partnerships among telecommunication service providers forged as a result of the Telecom 95 show in Geneva, Switzerland. Sales and marketing arrangement between ADC and Hitachi; ADC's alliance with Nokia to develop access solutions based on Homeworx platform; Microsoft's announcement of deal with Stratus Computer to develop application development platforms.

Reports on DGI Technologies' entry into the wireless area with the development of a new digital interface frame and cards. Use of Motorola's EMS-2500 switching system; Configuration of high-density digital interface frame; Advantages of redesigned interface frame; Customers that are trialing the frames.

Reports on Allen Telecom Group's (ATG) integration of its new generation of microcell environment with indoor cellular coverage. Redesign of Smartcell to serve new configurations; Configuration of hybrid link between internal wireless private branch exchanges and external cellular environment.

Reports on the trend among cellular carriers and vendors of integrating wireless private branch exchanges (PBX)/centrex systems with macrocellular environments. Provisions under Bell Atlantic Nynex Mobile's carrier deployment in Wallingford, Connecticut; Technology challenge; Option for carriers to use their licensed spectrum.

Focuses on Illinois Local Number Portability Workshop's selection of an architecture, vendors and timetable for implementing true local number portability. Use of database structure; Architecture developed by US Intelco Networks and Stratus Computer.

Discusses Communications Manufacturing Corp.'s development of a system that gives field technicians access to dialtone regardless of their location. Southwestern Bell's testing of CMC's system; System's aim to give technicians the choice of using landline or cellular network; Price of the units as its drawback.

Reports that a host of vendors is rolling out next-generation asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) products including the largest ATM switch yet introduced. Fujitsu Network Switching's unveiling of its ATM switch, Fetex-150 ESP B160; North Carolina Information Highway as one of Fujitsu's important customer; Introduction of SMX-6200, ATM multiplexer; General DataComm's (GDC) alliance with NetEdge.

Reports on the prospect of frame relay service and its growth as a formidable industry in the United States. Expected increase in revenue to $2 billion in 1997; Users' trend in saving on costs by replacing leased lines with frame relay services; Outweighing of revenue loss by inherent advantages; Frame relay versus switched multimegabit data service (SMDS).

Reports that legislatures and public utility commissions have passed and approved measures promoting local exchange carriers competition in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Washington. Difficulties being experienced by regional Bell operating companies (RBOC); RBOCs' announcement of the results of a study on number portability; Pac Bell's objection to resellers' demands for lower prices.

Focuses on ADC Telecommunications Inc. Concentration on its fiber/coax platform; Net income for 1993 and 1994; Major contracts won by the company.

Discusses MFS Datanet's deployment of a national asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network. Development of a network called Wide Area Voice Exchange (WAVE), that allows customers to combine voice, data and video over the same ATM network; Target customers; WAVE's variable bit rate technology.

Points out the probability of a collision between the Internet and telephone companies. VocalTec's offering of its Internet Phone at comparable rates with local telephone calls; Camelot publishing's launching of its Digiphone; Comparison of quality with telephone communications.

Focuses on Sprint's synchronous optical network (Sonet). Road construction crew's cutting of a fiber in Southern California; Use of four-fiber bidirectional line switched ring (BLSR) architecture; Plan for expansion of ring network. INSET: US West chimes in with its own Sonet..

Reports that telecommunication companies are considering partnership with other companies to enter the virtual transaction arena. Financial impact of planned move; Estimated growth of business transactions over the Internet.

Reports on how Teleport's growth is putting pressure on its Network Management Center headed by Pat Socci, vice-president-MIS. Doubling of the company's network capacity several times over the past few years; Unique problems due to monitoring and provisioning services over the network of networks.

Features the company MFS Communications. Impact of business on universal service; Deals with incumbents to interconnect networks; Changes in perception of competition.

Reports on the telecommunication companies' practice of performance monitoring. Reliability of self-healing technologies like Sonet; Costs of performance monitoring; Need for continuous improvement of service.

Focuses on the growth of Bell Atlantic Network Integration's outsourcing business. Factors that contributed to the company's success; Estimated value of the management outsourcing market in the United States; Reasons why end users are looking to outsource network management functions.

Reports that MCI Communications Corp. and a group of manufacturers have developed a ready-made number portability solution. Use of a database system in which NXX codes ported to non-incumbent carriers are placed into a service control point (SCP); Ability of the MCI/multivendor solution to allow rapid entry into the market; Nortel's submission of a proposal that will be more switch-centered than a database solution.

Reports on the National Standards Systems Network (NSSN) designed to act as a clearinghouse, connecting standards organizations and other information owners to those needing standards. Funding for the network; Pending issues that could push back the launch of NSSN; Three ways to search the database.

Reports on the business success of Manchester, N.H.-based Summa Four. Comments from president Barry Gorsun; Emphasis of the company's product suite; Strategy for the deployment of services; Development of alliances with other vendors; Decision not to enter the data switching market.

Reports on the use of broadband descrambling (BD) technology in the United States. Comments from Ron Katznelson, president of Multichannel Communication Sciences Inc. (MCSI); Features of BD devices; Handling of security and parental control; Advantages of the technology.

Focuses on the decision by the United States Departments of State and Justice on the legality of international call-back firms. Conformity with international law, principles of international comity and International Telecommunications Union regulations; History of call-back operations; Network arbitrage; Technology change.

Focuses on the plans of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) vendors to supply products capable of handling all forms of telecommunication traffic, including voice. Migration strategies for existing ATM switches announced by General DataCom (GDC), Fore Systems, Cascade and Ericsson; Cost justification; Conversion of 64 kb voice channels into ATM's 53-byte cell format.

Observes that asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) services can transport loads of data very quickly, but most users do not need huge amounts of bandwidth. Lack of users who need to use the capabilities of ATM service; Price constraints; Few cost incentives.

Reports on Bell Atlantic Carrier Services, a division that aims to open Bell Atlantic Corp. to potential competitors. Pat Hanley as president; Helen Seltzer as vice president for sales and marketing; Sale of access services to other carriers; Success of the company in terms of revenue.

Discusses the debate on open network management interface standards in the United States. Telecommunication carriers' adoption of the common management information protocol/common management information services; Defining a network element within the Advanced Intelligent Network. INSET: Unlocking interfaces (network management interfaces)..

Focuses on data communications users' growing interest in very small aperture terminal (VSAT) satellite systems. VSAT products from Hughes Network Systems.

Focuses on the Multi-dimensional Applications and Gigabit Internetwork Consortium (MAGIC) project in Kansas City, Missouri. Opportunity for telecommunication companies to experiment high-speed applications; Objective of the project; US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency funding of MAGIC's initial project on military applications.

Reports on the use of subscriber identity module (SIM) by personal communication services (PCS) providers to minimize cellular fraud. Features of the SIMs; Commitment of GO Communications to the SIM card concept; Use of the SIMs with DCS1900; Concerns regarding the American market's air interface standards. INSET: The many sizes of SIMs..

Reports on StarStream Communications president Zoe Hazen's venture into the telecommunications industry through the personal communication services auctions for designated entities (DE). Career history; Business plans.

Focuses on the planned launching of the first code division multiple access (CDMA)-based system by the CDMA Development Group. Companies comprising CDMA; Question on interoperability with the landline network; Ericsson's priorities in TDMA air interface; High cost of CDMAs; Release of study on CDMA superiority by Qualcomm.

Focuses on Regional Bell Operating Companies' (RBOC) views regarding reciprocal compensation with competitors for calls originated on non-RBOC networks. Nynex's reciprocal compensation agreement with MFS Communications; US West's proposal of a flat rate based on switched access rates; Competitors' opposition to using switched access rates.