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The article presents information on the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was kicked off by a speech by Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates, in which he talked of lifestyle and work style in the same breath, acknowledging how a person's gadgets will be as separated from their jobs as their personal lives are from work. Microsoft showed how its Media Center will deliver lists of the videos one's friends are watching, so they will know what they might want to see. Intel Corp. provided information on its new dual-core processor, CoreDuo, which the company is integrating into its successful Centrino processor line for mobile PCs.

The article profiles ten of the most large-scale enterprise resource planning (ERP) deployments. Appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corp., which began its SAP ERP deployment about five years ago and continues implementations, believes the value of ERP today is in helping to drive innovation and initiate change. Whirlpool has deployed a single instance of SAP's ERP suite and closes the books for 98 per cent of its businesses on the vendor's financial platform. BASF Aktiengesellschaft began its SAP ERP deployment at the end of the 1980s and completed in early 1990s. Now BASF is a third of the way through a project that's scheduled to be done in early 2007, consolidating multiple instances to one or two and standardizing processes.

This article reports that Blue Cross & Blue Shield (BCBS) of Rhode Island is determined to stay in top shape in the increasingly competitive health-insurance industry. As new players with deep pockets and national reach enter markets once dominated by one or two providers, the pressure is on for regional insurers to offer premium service. For BCBS of Rhode Island, that means getting the basics of customer care right. But two years ago, the insurer outsourced those basics--membership and claims processing--to Perot Systems, creating a gap in its ability to control the quality of the services it provides hospitals, health professionals, and members.

The article focuses on the health care industry which can use information technology and the Internet to provide consumers with accurate information and new services in order to improve patient outcomes. Pharmaceutical companies have a prominent role to play in the process. By playing a bigger role in controlling how their products are used, pharmaceutical companies say they can improve care and foster customer loyalty in the face of competition from generic drugs and potential revenue loss from U.S. patients filling prescriptions at lower-priced Canadian pharmacies. Using the Internet to accomplish this is new to most of the companies, and only about 20% of adults go online for drug information. INSET: DATA FLOW: Tracking consumers..

Focuses on the effort of audiovisual control system Creston Electronics Inc. to develop its information technology (IT) system in New Jersey. Amount of funds spend on computer software and supporting IT infrastructure; Sales performance of the company; Interest in strategic business-technology initiatives. INSET: THRIFT PAYS: Small companies say hosting saves money.

Focuses on the strategies used by application service providers (ASP) enhance service and improve technology in the U.S. Development of tools to integrate services with other applications; Advantages of application outsourcing; Provision of customer relationship management and financial management software to clients.

Features several chief executive officers of business technology companies and their insights on the U.S. information technology industry. John Chambers of Cisco Systems; Craig Conway of PeopleSoft Inc.; Larry Ellison of Oracle.

The article focuses on the use of video conference when conducting a virtual field trip. In 2009, report states that about 30 percent of U.S. schools have adopted video conferencing in providing virtual field trips to traditional venues like zoos and museums. According to the author, virtual field trips can be customized according to the students' interests and the educational goals they want to meet. Teachers and students alike can have the ability to travel around the world without the use of a passport through virtual field trips.

Provides information on a survey by Enterprise Management Associates on whether information technology (IT) professionals will implement storage area networks. Percentage of IT professionals that are evaluating, planning and not planning to implement SAN; Capacity requirements in implementing SAN; Decision-makers in purchasing SAN equipment.

Profiles Barbara Carlini, chief information officer of Diageo North America. Career highlights; Business philosophy; Carlini's contributions to Diageo North America.

Reports on a study on the enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications of 305 large and midsize companies in the U.S. by Peerstone Research. Applications integrated with ERP; Holding of a formal return on investment evaluation of ERP applications.

Reports on the deployment of customer relationship management software in the U.S. Integration of the enterprise-software systems and industry-specific processes; Features of the software; Expansion of the client base.

Reports on the technology integration efforts of companies in the U.S. Benefits of integrating business processes; Approaches to integration; Impact of integration on customer services.

Focuses on issues related to the cooling system of blade servers. Sales projections for the blade server; Prevention of overheating; Development of systems to cool servers by computer companies.

Focuses on the importance of information technology (IT) investment on boosting the business-services sector. Plan of companies on increasing IT spending; Significance of IT on improving customer service and simplifying business processes; Advantage of the investment increase on software and hardware vendors.

Focuses on the application of knowledge management by Texaco Inc. in the U.S. Creation of personal profile by employees via PeopleNet software; Usability of PeopleNet; Contribution of knowledge-management project on the revenue of the company.

The article focuses on the efforts of companies in the U.S. to help employees contribute to charity. Included in the efforts are the business sponsorship of fund-raising events that employees can participate in and programs in which the company matches the amount an employee contributes to charity. 11% of information technology and business managers say that their companies do not have program to support employee involvement in charitable causes according to "Information Week" Research survey.

Discusses the status of information security in businesses worldwide as of July 2000. Details on a survey on the importance of computer network security; Impact of employee conformity to companies in the United States and Great Britain.

This article reports that Deirdre Woods, CIO at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and her IT team soon will roll out enhancements to Wharton's Spike student portal that include mobile features such as letting students use text messaging to reserve study rooms and view course schedules. Woods previously worked at an econometric forecasting firm. Woods said that offshoring isn't going away, but it actually gives opportunities for a lot more different people to be in the profession, because it only makes the work more complex. One of the most popular electives is Wharton's negotiations class, and Woods has sat in on several sessions.

This article presents information on Karvy Global Services Ltd., a subsidiary of Karvy, India's largest financial-services firm, that provides BPO and knowledge-process outsourcing was launched in October 2005. Karvy is a well-known Indian brand, making it a desirable place to work. With the addition of the subsidiary, Karvy is able to offer new opportunities for employees. Arthur Flew, Karvy Global Services' chief executive officer said that there's a natural career progression in the pipeline. Other perks: A five- rather than six-day workweek, transportation to and from work, and on-site cafeterias and libraries.

This article reports that former WorldCom Inc. CEO Bernard Ebbers was sentenced for 25 years in prison last week for orchestrating the $11 billion accounting fraud that brought the once high-flying company to its knees.

The article presents information on Capital One Financial Corp.'s PeopleSoft applications. The PeopleSoft enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which serves as Capital One's backbone for financial, human resource, asset-management and supply-chain processes, supports about 18,000 users, including Capital One's 15,000 associates and some business partners. The applications are accessible via a Web portal based on BEA Systems Inc.'s technology. Capital One is exploring the possibility of partnering with ERP application service providers, now that the hard work of correcting data and linking processes is done.

This article reports that as companies outsource more business processes, they must determine the chief information officer's (CIO) role. At the start of Blue Cross & Blue Shield (BCBS) of Rhode Island's outsourcing contract with Perot Systems, the CIO at the time was in charge of both the BPO and IT components of the deal. That has changed under acting CIO Lance Kirk, who's employed by outsourcing advisory firm EquaTerra and has been working on BCBS of Rhode Island's outsourcing project since its inception some 3 and half years ago.

Reports that Tableau Software Inc. officially launches at the end of March 2005, promising companies the first desktop software to unite visualization technology with relational databases. Uses to get a graphical representation of their database query results; More intuitive understanding of trends affecting the business; Pat Hanrahan as co-founder and chief technology officer.

Highlights the Fall Conference of the information technology journal in Rancho Mirage, California. Need of a company to be flexible while maintaining profitability according to keynote speaker Ray Lane; Introduction of the concept of business Webs by New Paradigm Learning Corp. president Don Tapscott; Discussion presented by FedEx Corp. executive vice president and chief information officer Rob Carter.

Offers a look at the condition of the information technology industry in the U.S. Compliance of technology professionals with government regulations and radio-frequency identification technology mandates; Revenue growth; Information technology spending.

Focuses on branding in the information technology department. Reebok's digital-asset-management initiative.

Reports on the partnership between Siebel Systems Inc. and International Business Machines Corp. to offer the Siebel CRM on Demand subscription service in the U.S. Design of the service; Features of the service; Terms of the partnership.

Reports on the partnership mad by SalesNet Inc. with AptSoft Corp. for the provision of integration services to large customers in the U.S. Terms in the partnership agreement; Monthly fees for the service; Details on the design of the service.

Focuses on the benefits of the Customer Relationship Management for Fleet Boston Financial Corp. in the U.S. Increase access to data about the clients; Overview of the entire portfolio of services; Provision of an insight into strategies for product offering.

Reports on the complexity of managing the warranty process among U.S. manufacturers. Allocation of first-quarter revenue on warranty costs; Challenges faced by the firms in implementing warranty management software; Features of the enterprise software.

Reports on the business penetration of SAP in the small and midsized businesses. Launch of enterprise software; Business partner of the firm.

Investigates whether businesses should change their processes to suit the requirements of the enterprise applications. Consideration of the change of software used by businesses; Midsize companies' upgrading to modern enterprise applications; Growth of companies.

Reports on Model N Inc.'s launching of the Revenue-Execution Software.

Reports on the deployment of workflow software in drive to make a profit in refurbishing computers by Costco Wholesale Corp. in Washington. Maintenance of data integrity; Improvement of the operational efficiency of the company; Plans of the company to increase its staff to handle all returned systems.

Reports on supply-chain execution software vendor Manhattan Associates Inc.'s enhancement of its offering with a labor-management rationalization feature. Capabilities of the application.

Reports on RightNow Technologies Inc.'s offer of life-cycle implementation, project planning, optimization, and customized consulting services to firms using its eService Center software to improve customer interactions and maximize call-center efficiency.

Presents survey results on the career preferences of the women in the U.S.

Reports on the growth of edge-of-the-enterprise technologies in the U.S. Features of the technology; Use of the technology to improve collaboration in the business enterprises; Increase in the technology investment.

Reports on the services offered by customer service specialist Broadband Services Inc. to the cable television companies in the U.S.

Reports on sourcing software developed by Tradec Inc. and Emptoris Inc. Tradec's partnerships with knowledge providers to add content and intelligence to direct-material sourcing software; Emptoris' partnership with Cap Gemini Ernst and Young U.S.

Reports on the efforts of global companies to develop nimble supply-chain operations. Preparation made by Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc.; Standardization of information technology vendor's products; Modeling of manufacturing specifications with different data elements.

Focuses on the use of radio-frequency ID technology to track commercial goods from manufacture to distribution to sale in the U.S. Efforts of manufacturers to address out-of-stock incidents and the proliferation of counterfeit items; Strategies adopted by consumer products firm Procter & Gamble.

Discusses the difference between intrusion-prevention and intrusion-detection software. Familiarity of business technology executives with the answer; Relief offered by intrusion-prevention tools to companies in managing software patches; Challenge faced by information technology professionals in managing the patches.

Reports on the number of mergers of technology companies in the U.S. Acquisition of Rational Software Corp. by the International Business Machines Corp.; Opportunity to acquire weaker competitors; Cost of dealing with a large number of vendors and complex information technology systems.

Comments on the financial conditions of several business enterprises and entrepreneurs in the U.S. Details on the preference of several actors to use public transportation in travelling; Percentage increase of the server operating-systems from Microsoft Corp.; Enforcement of e-commerce patents.

Reports on FedEx Corp.'s plan of reinventing procurement practices through automating services procurement. Deployment of Elance Inc.'s Elance 3 procurement management application; Benefits of the software; Integration of Elance into FedEx's central procurement portal built on Ariba Inc. software.

Reports on Aspect Medical Systems Inc.'s use of information technology (IT) to aid in the analysis of data concerning the use of a medical device it supplied for testing in various hospitals. Features of IT solutions provided by Siebel Systems Inc. and Cognos Inc.; Ways in which the IT applications helped Aspect modify its business processes.

Reports on the growing number of chief executive officers (CEO) in the United States who taking extra caution in signing CEO-certified financial statements. Fear of getting involved in corporate fraud.

Comments on the importance of good moral character as a teenager in dealing with technology. Ethical implications of computer hacking; Privacy risks of the use of global positioning system; Views on downloading free music off the Internet.