STANDARD WILL EASE NETWORKING FOR BUSINESS - Questions are raised as
businesses open their applications and databases to customers and suppliers in an attempt to
increase efficiency. The major question is how to ensure that this traffic is from legitimate
sources. DSML could assist in this area. Directory services markup language or DSML is a
new standard that aims to help businesses control traffic by serving as a unifier for a
business's various directories used to run eMail, database, and other systems. Directories let
users download video clips, or prompt an interface to its eMail system. Often businesses
have a variety of directories for various application platforms. DSML is compatible with
XML and sets a standard framework for XML documents to receive and store directory
information. This allows any XML document access across directories and application
platforms. Microsoft, Sun, and Access360 have formed a high-profile alliance to push
DSML solutions. A future alternative, DSML 2.0, will add more functionality, but is more
complex and has been grounded for the time being because of the industry infighting.
(Investor's Business Daily, 23 Oct 01)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS ITS OWN INTERNET - A proposed
network, GovNet, is being considered by the federal government to provide it with
secure communications. Bush's special advisor for cyberspace security, Richard Clarke,
has been appointed to spearhead the project. Clarke is in the process of collecting
information from the US telecom sector. The General Services Administration (GSA)
Web site features a Request for Information (RFI) on the project. According to the
GSA, GovNet will be a private, IP-based voice and data network without commercial
or public links. In addition, it will also be impenetrable to the existing Internet, viruses
and interruptions. GovNet will also be able to support video, in addition to its critical
governmental functions. (InfoWorld.com, 11 Oct 01)

PHOENIX SIGNS CONTENT DEAL WITH AOL - The University of Phoenix,
an adult higher education provider, signed a deal with America Online to provide
educational content to users of AOL, CompuServe and Netscape.com The services
will have access to educational content from 20 degree programs offered by the
school in the areas of business, technology, nursing and education. University of
Phoenix president Laura Palmer Noone, noting the university began offering online
degree programs about the time AOL launched, said the alliance would offer "value
and academic opportunity to the AOL member community both online and on campus"
and provide the university's students a "seamless online education experience." The
University of Phoenix is a subsidiary of the Apollo Learning Group Inc. For more
information, visit: http://www.apollogrp.edu (Syllabus e-News, Resources, and Trends,
9 Oct 01)

ORGANIZATIONS CREATING DIGITAL COLLABORATION STRATEGIES -
One of the dialogues that was ripe among the human resource executives from Europe
and Asia at a recent European HR event was the immediate need to create wider Digital
Collaboration Strategies. In light of recent happenings, on both an economic and
political front, many of the HR executives need to dramatically expand the ability of
their workforce to collaborate through technology. While there are pockets of video,
audio and web based conferencing capacity throughout the organization, there are
few companies with enterprise Strategies for leveraging Digital Collaboration.
TechLearn Trends has developed and published a paper on ways to create a Digital
Collaboration Strategy. Additional ideas are welcome. Send to: emasie@masie.com
(TechLearn Trends 4 Oct 01)