Solid Growth In E-Business Predicted For 2002

New Zealand's e-business industry ended last year in surprisingly good shape and early signs are that solid growth will continue into 2002.

That's according to Marty Verry, Managing Director of iStart.co.nz - New Zealand's e-Business Portal, who says the usage of the iStart informational site and e-Newsletter are good indicators of the e-business intentions of New Zealand companies.

"Last year ended with a strong sense of non-hype driven growth in the market", says Verry.

"It's a sign that the stigma from the dot-com fall-out is behind us and that investments are now being made on a return on investment basis, as opposed to the 'me-too' scenario that epitomised the early years of the Internet."

Verry holds out the recent completion of the www.richmond.co.nz site by New Media Communications as an good example of a company using the Internet to better strengthen business relationships.

"Farmers that have supplied stock to the company can now check the processing results and prices obtained online within 24 hours, rather than having to wait days for the rural delivery. Richmond had this information previously, yet by making it available to suppliers via the web they are able to build relationships and better supplier loyalty with farmers", he explains.

"Such examples of e-business in action have proved to be an effective way for people to understand the many applications of the Internet for business", says Verry.

"The case studies section of the iStart site now hosts over 250 such local examples and is proving to be useful tool for organisations to locate e-business solution providers with appropriate expertise. Users are able to search the archive by industry type or solution type, as well as learn more about New Zealand's leading solution providers in the site's virtual e-business expo", he adds.

Since launching in April last year, iStart has more than doubled the companies taking part in the virtual expo to sixty-eight, with recent additions including Oracle New Zealand, Tranzsoft and SalesLegend - all coming under the iStart site umbrella to demonstrate their solutions in action.

WestpacTrust have also taken a major sponsorship of the site as a means of demonstrating their electronic banking and Deskbank solutions which are designed to help integrate company's banking and financial operations via the Web.

ENDS

About iStart:

iStart - New Zealand's e-Business Portal, is a privately owed company established to help New Zealanders understand the uses of the Internet for business at a local level and to help locate solution providers with the appropriate expertise.

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