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UCommerce - Our take on the Future

By Don Dovgin

Definition of uCommerce

"a strategic imperative in the ability to present seamless transactions across multiple organizations and provide tailored information when the customer demands it".

In this time of economic uncertainty, it is not a secret that corporate executives are under increased pressure to create shareholder value. Perhaps uCommerce is the answer.

What's uCommerce?

Don't think of ubiquitous commerce (uCommerce) as just a large population with cell phones and wireless Personal Digital Assistants (PDA's). Think of uCommerce as simply the business capability to communicate, interact and transact with anything, anyone, anytime, and anywhere.

From a strategic perspective uCommerce represents a combined view of an organization both in its ability to add value to create new revenue streams, but also in its ability to streamline the supply chain.

While many of the wireless applications tend to be somewhat tactical in nature, such as Schnieder's Qualcom system, or UPS' electric signoff, it is the sum of these capabilities combined that creates the real value. Imagine, hundreds of dispatchers saving even a conservative 10 minutes a week combined with decreased likelihood's of losing trailers or shipments. Again, while the premise of this implementation is very simple, it contributes real and substantial value.

We believe that it is a certainty that uCommerce is real. It is already being implemented in such industries as airlines, package delivery and 3rd party logistics. By 2004, 30% of the population will be carrying PDA's that will act as their remote control to the world. Normal order management techniques will begin to take new shape as billing becomes nearly instantaneous; just point and click your PDA! Businesses who have not yet caught on to eCommerce will be in for rude awakenings as information flow increases to light speed with this new technology capability.

Trends in the next five years

• By 2003 ground equipment and containers will be tracked across the airport wirelessly.

• By 2003 PDA and cell phones will interact with airport networks and seamlessly check in passengers, receive flight information, check in bags and act as their boarding pass.

• By 2005 RFID will allow for positive bag matching on domestic flights.

Learn more about:

RFID

eCommerce

On Air Cargo

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