Global Information Summit 2001


	Theme:	Launching the Era of the Ubiquitous Network -Constant Availability of Broadband Networks

	Date:	March 8 (Thurs.) & 9 (Fri.), 2001

	Venue :	NIKKEI Hall(8th floor, Nihon Keizai Shimbun Tokyo Head Office, Otemachi, Tokyo)

Friday, March 9, 2001

eBay CEO Says Broadband Networks Will Boost E-Commerce

Meg Whitman

TOKYO (Nikkei)--The two-day Global Information Summit 2001 wound up here Friday with Meg Whitman, president and CEO of eBay Inc., confidently predicting a bright future for global broadband networks.

A keynote speaker at the summit sponsored by Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc., Whitman, whose firm operates the world's largest Internet auction site, said that the development of broadband communications and wireless technology will serve to dramatically expand the electronic commerce market.

Guest speaker, Irish Ambassador Declan O'Donovan, credited his nation's success in attracting so many high-tech companies from around the world to the early introduction of comprehensive e-commerce legislation.

Speaking on behalf of Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, unable to attend because of Northern Ireland peace talks, O'Donovan said that with the Electronic Commerce Act, enacted last July, Ireland established legal recognition of e-business transactions in most areas of business, private law and public administration by giving the same status to signatures, originals, writing and contracts in electronic form as their paper counterparts.

Participants in the closing panel on government and private sector roles in establishing broadband networks included Thomas Kalil, President Bill Clinton's former deputy assistant on technology and economic policy, and Koichi Sakata, chairman of Japan Telecom Co. (9434).

Many panelists expressed the view that governments need to pay more attention to problems created by the spread of the Internet, including overcoming economic gaps between nations and privacy infringements.

Speech

March 8 (Thurs.)
	[Overview] Mr. Michio Naruto Global Information Infrastructure Commission Forum(GIIC) Asia Co-Chair, Special Representative of Fujitsu Limited
	Biography
	[Keynote Speech] Mr. William E. Kennard Senior Fellow of Aspen Institute, former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission
	Biography
	[Keynote Speech] Mr. Etsuhiko Shoyama President and Representative Director of Hitachi
	Biography
March 9 (Fri.)
	[Keynote Speech] Ms. Meg Whitman President & CEO of eBay
	Biography
	[Guest Speech(Representative)] Mr. Bertie Ahern T.D. the Prime Minister of Ireland
	Biography

Panel Discussion

March 8 (Thurs.) Session 1

"New Era with Ubiquitous Network and Broadband Technologies": --Trends and issues relating to the leading-edge technologies like broadband and mobile technology; --Future of Information and Communication in business, home, and personal environment; etc.

March 9 (Fri.) Session 2

"New Business Models and Economic Rules for E-commerce": --Business models for the ubiquitous & broadband environment; --New rules for Net business, covering issues like intellectual property rights, security, taxation and so on; --Impact on existing business; ect.

March 9 (Fri.) Session 3

"Reconsideration of Government and Company Roles": --Government and company roles in construction of broadband information infrastructure; --Government and company roles in construction of broadband information infrastructure; --Regulations and laws towards the era of the ubiquitous network; etc.

e-GM Chief Calls For Standardized Business Rules

TOKYO (Nikkei)--Mark Hogan, president of e-GM, called Friday for the global standardization of business practices at the Global Information Summit 2001, sponsored by Nihon Keizai Shimbun Inc.

He made the remark at a panel discussion titled "New Business Models and Economic Rules for E-commerce," on the second day of the two-day conference.

Edward Zeng, chairman and chief executive officer of Sparkice.com Ltd., noted that it will be difficult to make online commerce truly international because of the world's many different languages and laws. Therefore, online commerce will spread gradually, first creating regional hubs, he said.

Other panelists were: Peter Pervere, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Commerce One Inc.; Fran Rooney, president and CEO of Baltimore Technologies Plc; and Hiroshi Fujiwara, president and CEO of Internet Research Institute Inc.

The discussion was moderated by Prof. Jiro Kokuryo of Keio Business School.

For further information contact: The Global Information Summit Secretariat gis@nikkei.co.jp