9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Session B:
Personalized E-Commerce Sites for the Consumer
The key to success in the web business, just like the brick and mortar trade, is bringing your customer back. But on the Internet it’s sometimes harder to keep a customer in place after he’s parked the car in your mall then it is in the “real world,” simply because with a click of the mouse, he’s out of here. Making the customer at home and making him bond with your site, is the key to success. To that end, advanced e-commerce sites have developed highly sophisticated techniques in personalization to satisfy the customer’s needs, from providing calendars, e-mail, local weather reports, personalized stock summaries as well as personalized shopping aides such as those that secure the lowest price on a host of products and services that “know” your customer’s wants and needs. It not only makes good business sense to provide all of these useful “features,” it’s what makes the Internet so great. Customer satisfaction combined with continual technological innovation is the key to personalized e-commerce success.
Bonnie Lowell, CEO and President, YOUpowered, Inc.
Mike Bales, Director of Content New Business Group, Intel Corporation
Rick Rasansky, President and CEO, eCal
Richard Schwartz, VP of Emerging Technology, Vignette
Mary E Dickinson, co-founder, XseeksY.com
Doug Rice, Chief Creative Officer, Luminant Worldwide Corporation
Mary Whelan, Vice President E-Business, Lucent Technologies, Moderator
Bonnie Lowell, Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President, Technology Relationships, Younology, Inc.: As Younology's Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President for Technology Relationships, Bonnie Lowell plays a hands-on role in the creation and development of the company's technology and product architecture, as well as directs research and development efforts for the firm. As the inventory of the break-through technology that formed the basis for the founding of Younology, Ms. Lowell defines the strategic vision for the company's future and plays a leading role in the marketing and new product development strategy for the firm. Prior to founding Younology, Ms. Lowell held executive posts at NEC and served as chief engineer on a strategic tracking system for the U.S. Government. In 1991, she formed and served as president of Software Panache Corporation, a software consulting agency for Fortune 100 clients focusing on global, artificial intelligence-based solutions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics and computer science from Boston University and a Masters degree in mathematics and statistics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Doug Rice is Chief Creative Officer of Luminant Worldwide Corporation, one of the world’s largest and most experienced Internet professional services firms. Rice guides and directs Luminant’s creative vision, using his concepts for digital design and innovative technology, including rich and immersive broadband content, he oversees the design and creation of compelling and inventive user experiences for Luminant’s data driven and e-commerce sites. Previously, Rice was co-founder and CEO of Interactive8, a full-service interactive agency known for its expertise in bringing consumer brands online. Interactive8 was founded with Rice's foresight that the Internet would act as a marketing tool which could create tremendous branding opportunities for companies worldwide. From the ground breaking Batman Forever site in 1995, which was the first large-scale entertainment Web site, to the award-winning "M&M's" Network™ (m-ms.com) site which is one of the most highly trafficked brand sites online, he maintained a front-line role in the agency's work. Rice spearheaded the strategic development of some of the most highly complex database-driven sites on the Internet such as A&E Television Networks and is committed to addressing the changing role of advertising online. In addition, he foresaw the need to extend the Internet to diverse markets, and developed an in-house division focused on ethnic marketing. Prior to I8, Rice worked with some of the world’s leading photographers in the interactive digital video industry, developing projects for many top advertising and design clients. During this time, he produced advertising campaigns and pioneered landmark interactive commercial spots in the advertising industry. Rice was recently named as one of New York City’s Top 100 Internet business executives by The Silicon Alley Reporter, and has been profiled on CNN-FN and in Adweek. He has a BFA from Pratt Institute in New York.
Richard Schwartz is vice president of Emerging Technologies for Vignette Corporation. Richard brings over 20 years of industry experience, recently serving as founder, chairman and chief technology officer at Diffusion. During his tenure, Richard was responsible for the strategic product planning and future direction of the company. Prior to Diffusion, he was chief technology officer and senior vice president of technology at Borland International. Before Borland, Richard co-founded Ansa Software and was the co-creator of Paradox, the first relational database product used as a general business tool. Richard was an early researcher and pioneer of the Internet, participating at Stanford Research Institute (SRI) research in development projects validating basic Internet protocols. Richard received a BS and MS in Mathematics/Computer Science, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UCLA. Vignette Corporation (Nasdaq: VIGN) is the leading supplier of e-business applications for building online businesses. Vignette enables Internet businesses to reach more prospects, attract and retain new customers, increase overall customer satisfaction and raise the total purchase per visit. Vignette powers more than 400 of the leading dot.com and Fortune 500 e-businesses, including AT&T, BMW, CBS Broadcasting, c/net, Daimler/Chrysler, Drug Emporium, FedEx, Kinko's, Simon & Schuster, Sprint, Tandy Corporation, United Airlines and Waste Management. Vignette e-business applications transparently automate the customer's side of the interaction, taking away all the anxiety and work involved in being a customer. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Vignette Corporation has offices located throughout Europe and in Australia and can be found on the Web at http://www.vignette.com.
Mike Bales is Director of Content within the New Business Group at Intel Corporation.
His business unit is focused on delivering a vastly improved means by which people will interact with the Internet. Mr. Bales has been with Intel since 1999. Prior to his current position, he served as general manager for Tribune Company's interactive operations in Orlando, Florida. This included development and operation of the travel Web site Go2Orlando, the city guide Digital City Orlando, and an online version of the local newspaper, The Orlando Sentinel. Before beginning his career in interactive media in 1993, he was a newspaper editor and reporter for 20 years. Mr.Bales holds a Bachelor's degree in political science from Mercer University in Macon, Ga.