Amazon News - L'actualit� du cybermarchand - Commerce �lectronique, e-commerce

Amazon s'offre l'impression de livres � la demande

La soci�t� am�ricaine a mis la main sur BookSurge.com. Ce site est sp�cialis� dans les impressions de livres � la demande.

Didier Forray , 01net., le 28/04/2005 � 17h21

Apr�s une vague d'acquisitions en 1998 et en 1999, le libraire en ligne est de nouveau repris de fi�vre acheteuse. Apr�s l'achat de Joyo.com (un concurrent chinois) en ao�t dernier, Amazon vient de jeter son d�volu sur BookSurge.com, un site Web am�ricain lanc� en 2000 et sp�cialis� dans la distribution de livres imprim�s � la demande.

BookSurge propose un catalogue tr�s �clectique, de la version traduite en arabe du best-seller Da Vinci Code � des publications artistiques du Museum of Modern Art de New York en passant par des ouvrages � compte d'auteur. Un march� de niche qui a s�duit Amazon. � Nous cherchons � proposer � nos clients la plus grande offre de produits possibles et l'inventaire en croissance constante de BookSurge permet aux lecteurs de trouver encore plus facilement le livre qu'ils recherchent, justifie-t-on chez Amazon. Qu'un livre soit un best-seller ou une publication confidentielle, nous nous devons de pouvoir l'offrir � nos clients. �

Outre l'�largissement du catalogue, Amazon mise aussi beaucoup sur la technologie de BookSurge. � L'impression � la demande pr�sente un avantage important pour les sites de vente en ligne : nous pouvons effectivement stocker un nombre illimit� de r�f�rences et nous n'avons pas � nous pr�occuper de trouver de la place dans nos entrep�ts. Il suffit d'imprimer le livre lorsque celui-ci est command� !, explique la direction d'Amazon. Cela change aussi l'�conomie de l'�dition de petites quantit�s. D�sormais, �diter un livre ayant une demande faible ou incertaine devient rentable. � Et Amazon de souligner que les titres �puis�s feront d�sormais partie du pass�.

Si les r�f�rences de BookSurge devraient �tre int�gr�es rapidement � Amazon.com, il est en tout cas hors de question pour l'instant pour la firme de Seattle de fondre les deux sites. BookSurge devrait continuer � op�rer sous son nom. � La marque est tr�s forte et le site est reconnu et respect� dans le milieu des auteurs et des �diteurs �, assure le libraire.

Source : 01net.com

Amazon optimisera le commerce en ligne de Sears

Le d�taillant Sears Canada (TSX:SCC) et Amazon Services, filiale de Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN), ont annonc� leur association afin d'am�liorer l'exp�rience de magasinage en ligne des clients Sears.

Selon une entente portant sur plusieurs ann�es, Amazon Services cr�era un nouveau site web pour Sears Canada � l'aide de la technologie d'Amazon et fournira � Sears les outils lui permettant de contr�ler sa marque et son commerce en ligne.

Cette association permettrait � Sears d'allier ses comp�tences principales comme la commercialisation, le marketing, l'approvisionnement et le service � la client�le � l'expertise de Amazon Services dans les domaines techniques et du commerce �lectronique.

Les fonctions de magasinage d'Amazon.com comme Recherche, Navigation, Personnalisation, Recommandation et des fonctions Communaut� telles que les commentaires des clients auraient �t� choisies pour optimiser la pr�sentation de la marchandise en ligne et offrir une exp�rience plus conviviale.

Source : benefice.net

Amazon veut fid�liser ses clients avec un abonnement

Soumis � une forte concurrence, le n�1 mondial du commerce en ligne innove en lan�ant un forfait de livraisons illimit�es aux Etats-Unis. Mais les investisseurs n'aiment pas que l'on rogne ainsi ses marges. L'action Amazon chutait jeudi de 16% malgr� des r�sultats "� deux chiffres".

Apr�s avoir �t� le premier � g�n�raliser les livraisons gratuites � partir d'un certain
montant, Amazon innove avec une formule d'abonnement baptis�e Amazon Prime. Disponible dans un premier temps aux Etats-Unis, cette offre donne droit � un nombre de livraisons illimit�es en �change d'un versement annuel de 79 dollars. Avantages : il n'y a pas de commande minimum et le d�lai de livraison garanti est de 48 heures. A comparer avec un tarif actuel de livraison d'un seul livre en deux jours de 9,48 dollars. Ou avec des livraisons gratuites � partir de 25 dollars, mais qui mettent entre 8 et 10 jours pour arriver. Destin�e � fid�liser les clients, cette formule � sera co�teuse pour l'entreprise � court terme � reconna�t le PDG Jeff Bezos dans une lettre publi�e en page d'accueil du site. Mais l'entreprise fait face � une concurrence intense, y compris de la part des filiales Internet de g�ants de la distribution classique comme Wal-Mart. Lequel fait r�f�rence en mati�re de guerre des prix. Amazon a par ailleurs divis� par quatre le tarif de ses livraisons en 24 heures.

Pas s�r toutefois que ces nouveaux sacrifices faits sur les marges convainquent les investisseurs. Ou plut�t, on peut �tre s�r de leur m�fiance. Le titre Amazon chutait en effet de plus de 16% jeudi � l'ouverture du Nasdaq apr�s la publication des r�sultats du quatri�me trimestre. A premi�re vue pourtant, ces derniers paraissent excellents : sur un an, le b�n�fice net a �t� multipli� par cinq � 347 millions de dollars (et encore par deux si l'on exclut un �l�ment exceptionnel) pour un chiffre d'affaires en hausse de 31% � 2,5 milliards de dollars. Mais c'est un peu moins bien que pr�vu. Surtout, les investisseurs se sont aper�us que le taux de marge op�rationnelle �tait tomb� � 7% contre 7,9% un an auparavant. Signe pour eux d'une pression croissante de la concurrence pas forc�ment rassurante pour l'avenir. Alors que les livraisons rapportaient 12 millions de dollars au groupe en 1999, elles lui ont co�t� 197 millions en 2004. Au final, sur l'ensemble de l'ann�e derni�re, Amazon a r�alis� un chiffre d'affaires de 6,9 milliards de dollars (+31%) et un b�n�fice net de 588 millions. Pour 2005, il s'attend � des ventes comprises entre 8,05 et 8,65 milliards.

Source :
http://www.lexpansion.com/art/32.0.81691.0.html

Le titre d'Amazon chute de 16%

Le titre d'Amazon (AMZN) est en chute de 16,91% � 34,80$ en d�but d'apr�s-midi, apr�s que le sp�cialiste du commerce �lectronique eut rat� la cible des analystes hier et fait part de ses objectifs pour 2005.

Les analystes ont indiqu� qu'Amazon mettra davantage l'emphase sur les ventes plut�t que sur les profits en 2005.

�Amazon continue de r�duire les prix dans le but de hausser les ventes, au d�triment des profits�, a affirm� Mark Rowen, analyste chez Prudential, qui recommande le titre � �sous-pond�r�.

Hier, la soci�t� a publi� des profits de 0,82$US* par action. Alors que le b�n�fice net a grimp� consid�rablement il y a un an, les profits excluant les �l�ments non r�currents ont �t� de 0,35$ par action au 4e trimestre, soit 0,05$ de moins que ce � quoi s'attendaient les analystes.

Ainsi, des profits de 149 M$ ont �t� enregistr�s au 4e trimestre, par rapport � 73 M$ ou 0,17$ par action � pareille date l'an dernier.

Les ventes ont grimp� de 31% � 2,54 G$, soit bien au-dessus des anticipations des experts, qui les �valuaient � 1,95 G$. La soci�t� se dit tr�s affect�e par les g�ants du d�tail, tels que Wal-Mart (WMT).

Au 1er trimestre, Amazon pr�voit des ventes de l'ordre de 1,80 � 1,95 G$, alors que Wall Street mise sur 1,85 G$.

Pour l'ann�e 2005, les revenus sont estim�s � 8,05 � 8,65 G$, comparativement � des pr�visions de 8,1 G$ chez les analystes.

*Tous les chiffres sont en dollars am�ricains.

Source :
http://argent.canoe.com/lca/infos/etatsunis/archives/2005/02/20050203-131118.html

Amazon a fait bondir son b�n�fice de 150 % l'an dernier

SAN FRANCISCO - Le distributeur online am�ricain Amazon.com a d�gag� un b�n�fice net de 639 millions de dollars, soit 769 millions de francs, l'an dernier, en envol de 149,6 %. Les ventes ont bondi de 31,6 % � 6,92 milliards de dollars.

Au dernier trimestre, le profit net s'est inscrit � 346,7 millions de dollars, contre 73,2 millions un an plus t�t, selon un communiqu� publi� jeudi. Le chiffre d'affaires a grimp� de 31 % � 2,54 milliards de dollars.

"Les marges ont �t� inf�rieures aux attentes - le chiffre d'affaires a �t� bon, mais les marges sont un d�sastre", a comment� Chris Baggini, de Gartmore Growth Fund. "Le mix produit n'a pas jou� en leur faveur. La concurrence sur les prix a �cras� leurs marges."

Source :
http://www.swissinfo.org/sfr/swissinfo.html?siteSect=167&sid=5514740

Quand les pages jaunes d'Amazon rient jaunes

Amazon vient � peine d'annoncer ses pages jaunes que les probl�mes commencent. Les utilisateurs, improvis�s en testeurs, ont d�j� r�v�l� de nombreuses imprecisions et incoh�rences flagrantes dans le moteur de recherche beta, h�berg� sur le site A9.com.

Amazon n'avait pourant pas fait les choses � moiti� en envoyant pr�alablement des v�hicules �quip�s d'appareils photos num�riques dans les plus grandes villes am�ricaines. Plus de 20 millions de photos de commerces et de bureaux ont ainsi �t� prises afin de bien remplir la base de donn�e du moteur de recherche.

Mais les informations et images collect�es semblent encore en plein d�sordre, et le moteur de recherche est loin de retrouver vos clefs en un clic... ;) Parmi le Best Of, quelques adresses r�invent�es font sourire :

La patinoire du Rockefeller Center est prise pour un arr�t de bus.
Le tr�s respect� restaurant Nathan's Famous sur la Sixi�me Avenue de New York est pris pour une vulgaire station de m�tro.
A Atlanta, une librairie connue est repr�sent�e en photo par une... fontaine.
A Los Angeles, des caf�s et restaurants sont pris pour des magasins de v�tements...

Pas de quoi se r�jouir pour le directeur d'Amazon Udi Manber, qui s'�vertue � r�p�ter qu'ils font du mieux qu'ils peuvent pour tout arranger. Il pr�cise d'ailleurs que les propri�taires concern�s peuvent toujours signaler les imprecisions en bas de page sur le site, et le tout sera imm�diatement corrig�.

Aller encore un peu de courage, et le site A9.com pourra peut-�tre satisfaire les ambitions de concurrence de Google et de Yahoo.

Source :
http://www.pcinpact.com/actu/newsg/19070.htm

Amazon.com ajoute des photos � son index

Le g�ant de la vente au d�tail en ligne Amazon.com Inc. cherche � se faire une plus grande place sur le march� effervescent des moteurs de recherche Internet. La compagnie a ajout� un r�pertoire commercial local qui fournit des adresses et des num�ros de t�l�phone ainsi qu�une visite photographique de dix villes am�ricaines d�importance.

Ce service gratuit devrait �tre disponible jeudi � partir du site de recherche affili� A9.com. Une s�lection de photos, tri�es parmi les 20 millions de photographies prises dans des rues de villes am�ricaines, accompagnera les r�sultats de recherche locaux. A9, une compagnie de Palo Alto en Californie, d�clare que l�index est une compilation de photos prises � partir de camions qui ont sillonn� les routes du pays sur des dizaines de milliers de kilom�tres. Les v�hicules �taient �quip�s de cam�ras num�riques et de r�cepteurs GPS (global positioning system ou syst�me de positionnement � capacit� globale).

Amazon, de Seattle, Washington, cherche � obtenir une plus grande part du march� lucratif de l�engin de recherche. Google Inc. et Yahoo Inc. occupent pour l�instant la t�te, tandis que Microsoft Corp., AOL, Ask Jeeves Inc. et une longue liste de nouveaux arrivants s�efforcent de rattraper la t�te du peloton.

L�approche de A9 est quelque peu novatrice: un visiteur Internet qui clique un onglet Pages jaunes en cherchant un restaurant mexicain, verra appara�tre les m�mes renseignements ordinaires affich�s dans d�autres r�pertoires, accompagn�s cette fois de photos de fa�ades d��difices correspondants aux r�sultats affich�s.

Le nouveau service inclut des outils de navigation qui permettent aux utilisateurs de voir le voisinage imm�diat.

A9 n�a pas fait beaucoup parler d�elle depuis sa cr�ation en octobre 2003 par Amazon.

Source :
http://www2.canoe.com/techno/nouvelles/archives/2005/01/20050127-141815.html

Rue du Commerce et Amazon au top de leurs performances pendant la p�riode des f�tes

Mieux arm�s pour supporter le choc des achats de No�l, les sites de e-commerce offrent une disponibilit� qui s'am�liorent d'ann�e en ann�e. Witbe* s'est pench� sur 10 sites marchands pendant la p�riode des f�tes, entre le 16 d�cembre 2004 et le 3 janvier 2005. Grands vainqueurs : ChateauOnLine, Rue du Commerce et Amazon dont la disponibilit� et la rapidit� ont �t� jug�es les meilleures.

Suite de l'article...

Amazon.com livre une partie de ses outils aux d�veloppeurs francophones

Le site marchand pionnier autorise les programmeurs � utiliser des donn�es et des technologies issues de ses sites fran�ais et canadiens. Au final, les innovations servent � diversifier les canaux de ventes d'Amazon.

Philippe Guerrier, VNUnet.fr 21.01.2005

Amazon Services met � la disposition des d�veloppeurs les donn�es et les technologies de ses sites fran�ais et canadien. La filiale du pionnier am�ricain d�di�e aux web services pour compte de prestataires tiers compl�te ainsi sa panoplie d'outils E-Commerce Services (ECS) mis gratuitement � la disposition des programmeurs. Depuis octobre 2004, les d�veloppeurs disposaient d�j� de la version 4.0 du programme ECS sur quatre autres sites (Amazon.com, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.co.uk et Amazon.de).

Dans quelle mesure les d�veloppeurs peuvent-ils profiter des avanc�es technologiques d'Amazon ? Amazon.com les autorise � exploiter ses outils pour sortir des innovations qui entrent dans le dessein final d'enrichir le business du site marchand. Les nouveaux services peuvent �tablir des connexions avec le catalogue en ligne du site marchand et avec sa plateforme de march� (pour les ventes d'occasion de produits culturels par exemple).

Une liste cibl�e d'outils mis en acc�s libre

Naturellement, il va de soi qu'Amazon tient � garder le contr�le des licences qu'il conc�de gratuitement. Le site marchand a �tabli une liste pr�cise des outils technologiques mis en acc�s libre : le fonds d'informations sur les produits et leurs tarifs, une large base de donn�es images, les commentaires des clients sur les produits achet�s, les fonctionnalit�s pouss�es de recherche et celles li�es � sa Shopping Cart permettant d'ajouter plusieurs articles dans un panier avant de proc�der au r�glement.

En guise d'exemple, Amazon.com met en avant le cas de l'application Inside Messenger, d�velopp�e par une soci�t� britannique, qui lie l'outil de messagerie instantan�e MSN avec des fonctions de recherche des produits disponibles par cat�gorie sur Amazon. A chaque fois qu'un internaute conclut son achat en ligne par l'outil Inside Messenger, son exploitant re�oit une commission.

Source :
http://www.vnunet.fr/actualite/expert/applications/20050121008

Internet, vecteur de solidarit�

(...) De son c�t�, Amazon a nou� un partenariat avec la Croix-Rouge am�ricaine pour l'aider � collecter des fonds aupr�s du public. Sur une page consacr�e � l'op�ration, les clients d'Amazon sont sollicit�s pour des paiements par carte bancaire d'un montant de 5 dollars minimum. Mercredi 29 d�cembre, quelque 39 500 paiements ont �t� enregistr�s pour un montant de plus de 2,2 millions de dollars de dons. (...)

Extrait de http://www.rfi.fr/actufr/articles/060/article_32899.asp

Amazon.com enregistre des ventes record

27 d�cembre � 11h30

Lors de la fin de semaine de l�action de gr�ce am�ricaine, en novembre dernier, le pionner des cybermarchards rapporte que, pour la premi�re fois de son histoire, les ventes de produits �lectroniques ont surpass� celles des livres.

Cette longue fin de semaine marquait le d�but de la p�riode des f�tes la plus achaland�e sur le site du commer�ant en ligne depuis ses 10 ans d�existence.

Lors d�une des journ�es record, Amazon rapporte avoir vendu pas moins de 2.8 millions d�items � travers le monde, et ce, en 24 heures seulement. Une moyenne de 32 items par seconde.

Parmi les produits les plus en demande pour la p�riode des f�tes sur le site d�Amazon, le iPod d�Apple, les lecteurs DVD et les appareils num�riques figurent en t�te de liste. Les produits appartenant � la cat�gorie musique de m�me que les montres et les bijoux ont �galement connu un tr�s grand succ�s cette ann�e.

Les actions d�Amazon gagnaient 2,4 % atteignant ainsi 39,88 $US lors des transactions pr�c�dant l�ouverture des march�s.

Source : benefice-net.branchez-vous.com

Amazon : lancement du service de location de DVD

La d�clinaison britannique du site Amazon.com vient de lancer un nouveau service d�di� � la location de DVD. Au mois d�octobre, le site avait affol� le march� en annon�ant son entr�e sur ce march�.

En vertu d�un abonnement dont le montant correspond � un peu plus de 11,50 euros par mois, l�internaute pourra commander en ligne les films qu�il souhaite regarder et Amazon se chargera de les lui faire parvenir par voie postale. D�s r�ception, l�utilisateur dispose d�un d�lai de 30 jours pour retourner le produit au cybermarchand ou le proposer � la vente via le site.

Pour le moment Amazon.com n�a rien d�voil� quant � la strat�gie qu�il souhaite adopter pour son site fran�ais. Pourtant, certains de ses concurrents sont d�j� pr�sents sur ce segment. Ainsi le site Glowria.fr donne la possibilit� aux internautes de louer des DVD via des formules d�abonnement et poss�de un catalogue de plus de 5000 titres.

Source : mediabb.com

Amazon.com en r�gle avec la l�gislation sur l�exploitation des donn�es priv�es

Le cybermarchand �tait accus� par l�association Epic de ne pas respecter la loi am�ricaine sur la collecte de donn�es concernant des mineurs. Il n�en est rien selon les autorit�s de la concurrence, qui estiment qu�Amazon s�adresse aux adultes.

WASHINGTON � Le rayon jouets du cybermarchand am�ricain ne contrevient pas � la loi f�d�rale sur la protection de la vie priv�e des enfants, la Coppa (Children�s Online Privacy Protection Act). C�est la Federal Trade Commission (FTC), le r�gulateur am�ricain en mati�re de consommation et de concurrence, qui l�affirme dans une lettre dat�e du 24 novembre.

Elle rejette ainsi les accusations formul�es en 2003 par l�association de d�fense de la vie priv�e Electronic Privacy Information Center (Epic). Celle-ci estime qu'Amazon aurait d� appliquer, pour sa section jouets, la r�glementation applicable aux sites commerciaux qui ciblent des enfants de moins de 13 ans.

La Coppa pr�voit en particulier que les sites marchands ne doivent collecter aucune information concernant les enfants, sans avoir obtenu auparavant le consentement des parents. Ce qu�Amazon ne fait pas en permettant aux utilisateurs � et donc aux enfants, selon l�Epic � de s�enregistrer et de poster en ligne des avis sur les diff�rents jouets propos�s.

La FTC n�a pas retenu cette analyse; au contraire, elle a valid� les arguments d�Amazon qui affirme que sa section jouets a toujours vis� les adultes. �Le langage et le vocabulaire utilis�s sur ce site semblent s�adresser � des adultes plut�t qu�� des enfants, confirme la FTC dans sa lettre.

Par ailleurs, pour se plier � la loi, Amazon.com a cr�� un forum sp�cial pour les enfants de moins de 13 ans; ils peuvent y poster leur avis sans qu�aucune information personnelle les concernant ne soit collect�e, note la FTC. De plus, si un enfant met en ligne, malgr� cette pr�caution, son adresse ou son nom, Amazon a la possibilit� de retirer ce contenu d�s qu�il en est inform�, ou s�il s�en rend compte par sa propre surveillance. Aucune action gouvernementale � l�encontre d�Amazon n�est donc n�cessaire, �crit-elle en conclusion.

Avec Estelle Dumout � Paris pour ZDNet France

Source : zdnet.fr

Le patron d'Amazon.com veut aller dans l'espace

LOS ANGELES - Jeff Bezos, fondateur du distributeur sur internet 'Amazon.com, esp�re un jour pouvoir aller dans l'espace et finance dans ce but une soci�t� charg�e de mettre au point un v�hicule peu on�reux et r�utilisable.

Blue Origin se concentre pour l'instant sur de courts voyages dans l'espace, avant d'autres projets plus ambitieux.

"Ensuite, nous passerons � d'autres �tapes, comme peut-�tre le vol orbital", a d�clar� mardi � Reuters Jeff Bezos.

Le mois dernier, l'appareil SpaceShipOne a remport� le Ansari X-Prize r�compensant le premier vol habit� civil dans l'espace.

Le concepteur de SpaceShipOne, Burt Rutan, s'est associ� avec le propri�taire de Virgin Atlantic Airways, le Britannique Richard Branson, et esp�re pouvoir proposer des vols spatiaux touristiques en 2007.

Source : liberation.fr

Les 'recommandations' d'Amazon.com poursuivies

Les 'recommandations', indication des autres produits achet�s par les internautes qui ont command� un m�me produit, font l'objet depuis ao�t dernier d'un brevet am�ricain�

Allons-nous vers un nouveau scandale des brevets aux Etats-Unis ? L'affaire des 'recommandations' d'Amazon.com port�e devant les tribunaux par Cendant Corp. en prend le chemin !

Le principe des 'recommandations' est simple et commercialement fort judicieux : lorsqu'un internaute commande un produit en ligne, le site d'e-commerce lui indique les autres produits command�s par d'autres internautes pour un achat du m�me type.

Ainsi par exemple, � l'occasion de l'achat d'un appareil photo num�rique, le site indiquera � l'acheteur qu'en compl�ment ont �t� achet�s une sacoche de transport, des cartes d'extension m�moire, un tr�pied ou des accus�

C'est la technique employ�e par Amazon.com, qui ferait l'objet depuis ao�t dernier d'un brevet am�ricain d�pos� par Cendant Corp.

Cette soci�t�, peu connue en Europe, est un important groupe immobilier bas� � New York, qui g�re des franchises d'h�tels Days Inn ou Super 8, ainsi que des projets immobiliers avec des groupes comme Century 21 ou Coldwell Banker.

Cendant a d�pos� une plainte contre Amazon.com devant une Cour de District pour avoir enfreint un brevet nomm� "Syst�me et m�thode pour fournir la recommandation de produits ou services bas�s sur l'historique enregistr� des achats". La soci�t� ne demande pas de dommages et int�r�ts.

Une nouvelle fois, un acteur am�ricain majeur de l'Internet et des technologies va devoir affronter une entreprise sur un brevet portant non pas sur une technologie mais sur un concept, ce dernier �tant connu et employ� depuis longtemps depuis que la distribution a su s'informatiser�

Par ailleurs, on peut aussi consid�rer l'attaque contre Amazon.com sous l'angle d'un juste retour des choses, le cyber libraire n'�tant pas le dernier � chercher � d�poser des brevets sur des concepts relevant de pratiques courantes en ligne !

Source :
http://www.silicon.fr/getarticle.asp?ID=7158

Des stars sous le sapin d'Amazon.fr

Amazon.fr lance l�op�ration �des VIP sous votre sapin �

Les plus grandes stars proposent aux clients d�Amazon.fr des exclusivit�s pour No�l

Paris, le 2 Novembre 2004 - Pour No�l, Amazon.fr vous ouvre les portes des plus grandes stars internationales et fran�aises en vous proposant chaque jour une exclusivit� accessible � tous sur www.amazon.fr

Chaque semaine, du 1er Novembre au 22 D�cembre, Amazon.fr ouvre sa page d�accueil � 3 personnalit�s du monde de la musique, du cin�ma ou des Lettres. Ces personnalit�s - dont Robbie Williams, Paul Mac Cartney, Anna Gavalda ou encore Laurent Garnier � offrent un contenu exclusif aux visiteurs & clients d�Amazon.fr : interview choc, titre in�dit, message film�, souvenir�.

De plus, si vous en avez assez d�offrir la compilation de Tino Rossi implorant la venue du P�re No�l, vous retrouverez sur le site la s�lection de cadeaux de No�l de ces stars : livres, cds, dvds, jeux vid�os, il y en a vraiment pour tous les go�ts.

Et parce que c�est No�l, Amazon.fr vous offre la livraison gratuite � partir de 20 � d�achats quelque soit les produits s�lectionn�s. Le p�re No�l n�a plus l�exclusivit� de la livraison sans frais...

Les visiteurs & clients d�Amazon.fr d�couvriront entre autres :

� Un message exclusif de Robbie Williams

� Un nouveau titre de Fatboy Slim

� Des titres acoustiques des Corrs

� Une interview choc d�Anna Gavalda

� ET BIEN D�AUTRES SURPRISES !!!

>> Aller sur Amazon France.

Amazon.com offre des courts m�trages originaux

La version am�ricaine du cybermarchand pr�sente cet automne cinq courts m�trages originaux dont le premier a �t� lanc� en ligne ce mardi.

La section Amazon Theater, lanc�e ce mardi sur Amazon.com, proposera aux internautes une s�rie de cinq courts m�trages originaux produits par Amazon Services.

Intitul� �Portrait�, le premier film relate la transformation �tonnante d'une femme qui engage un photographe annon�ant ses services � l'aide de messages commerciaux non sollicit�s (!), une �fable hollywoodienne� d'une dur�e d'environ huit minutes.

Les films sont offerts gratuitement et les articles qui y sont pr�sent�s peuvent �tre achet�s sur le site d'Amazon. Vous pourrez d'ailleurs constater avec �tonnement que les jupes, souliers et t�l�phones cellulaires utilis�s dans le court m�trage sont plac�s bien en vue dans le g�n�rique.

Source :
http://www.branchez-vous.com/actu/04-11/08-333304.html

Amazon ouvre une boutique beaut�

L' e-marchand Amazon.com a ouvert officiellement les portes de son magasin de beaut�, lanc� en version beta en octobre dernier. Parmi les grandes marques pr�sentes en ligne dans la rubrique, les consommateurs trouveront des produits Sephora, L'Occitane ou encore Yves Rocher. La boutique vend �galement des cosm�tiques pour hommes.

Source :
http://www.journaldunet.com/0411/041104brefinter.shtml

Location de DVD sur Amazon ?

L'industrie am�ricaine du DVD s'affole sur la rumeur d'un service tr�s comp�titif que pourrait proposer Amazon sur ce segment de march�. Suite aux d�clarations d'Amazon sur son entr�e aux Etats-Unis dans le segment des DVD, Netflix, le leader des services am�ricains de location de DVD en ligne, vient de baisser ses prix de 18 % � 18 dollars par mois pour des locations illimit�es. Les autres acteurs de la location de DVD en ligne ont suivi le mouvement, baissant leurs prix de 20 � 17,50 euros par mois. Amazon a, pour sa part, refus� de confirmer la rumeur la semaine derni�re.

Source :
http://www.journaldunet.com/0410/041027brefinter.shtml

Amazon France change de t�te

Apr�s quatre mois de silence suite au licenciement d'une partie de ses salari�s (lire l'article du JDN du 30/06/04), Amazon France se fait de nouveau entendre. A sa t�te, un nouveau capitaine : Xavier Garambois qui occupait auparavant la fonction de directeur financier de la filiale fran�aise du cyber libraire. La ma�trise des co�ts semble donc plus que jamais � l'ordre du jour. Il remplace Thomas Lot (ex-pr�sident d'Amazon France et vice-pr�sident & General Manager Europe) qui, a priori, n'a pas quitt� Amazon. Il s'occuperait du d�veloppement international. En revanche, l'intitul� de son poste reste encore un myst�re.

Source : http://www.journaldunet.com/confis/confis.shtml

Amazon a tripl� son b�n�fice, mais les perspectives d��oivent

Fri October 22, 2004 9:33 AM CEST

par Michael Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc. a annonc� jeudi soir avoir plus que tripl� son b�n�fice du troisi�me trimestre, gr�ce � la vigueur de son chiffre d'affaires � l'international, mais il a �voqu� pour 2005 des perspectives en de�� des pr�visions d'analystes les plus positives.

Suite de l'article...

Amazon: sanctionn� sur ses pr�visions

(Cercle Finance) - Amazon est attendu en nette baisse � Wall Street, o� l'action du sp�cialiste de la vente en ligne d�visse de plus de 8% en pr�-ouverture, � 39,5 dollars.

Si le groupe a multipli� son r�sultat net par plus de 3 en l'espace d'un an, enregistrant un b�n�fice de 54,1 millions de dollars (13 cents par action) au troisi�me trimestre 2004, pour un chiffre d'affaires en hausse de 29% � 1,46 milliard de dollars, il d��oit par ses pr�visions.

L'exercice en cours devrait en effet se solder par un CA compris dans une fourchette de 6,68 � 6,93Mds$, inf�rieur aux attentes des analystes. Le CA 2005, attendu entre 7,4 et 8,15Mds$ devrait lui aussi d�cevoir.

Source :
http://www.cerclefinance.com/default.asp?pub=valactu&localcode=&isin=US0231351067&art=97288

Google concurrence Amazon

Suivant le A9 d�Amazon, Google lance Google Print, un outil de recherche dans les livres. Le syst�me fonctionne par volontariat. Les �diteurs envoient au moteur de recherche les livres qu�ils veulent voir r�f�renc�s, et Google en scanne la couverture, la quatri�me de couverture et indexe les premi�res pages. Si le mot-cl� cherch� est pr�sent dans le livre, la page du livre concern�e est affich�e. A l�internaute ensuite de cliquer sur les liens publicitaires menant vers les librairies en ligne. Au premier rang desquelles on trouve Amazon, pourtant concurrent de Google sur ce nouveau service.

Source : lexpansion.com

Systinet, Amazon et Altova poussent leurs outils XML et de services Web

Systinet, Amazon.com et Altova ont profit� de la semaine pour pr�senter leurs outils respectifs de d�veloppement de services Web, d'e-commerce et d'applications XML. Systinet a ainsi lanc� Systinet Developer pour Eclipse 5.0, un outil de d�veloppement qui supporte l'IDE Eclipse 3.0. Selon David Butler, le vice-pr�sident marketing de la firme, il s'agit du seul plug-in Eclipse destin� au d�veloppement de services Web. Le produit fournit des outils de d�veloppement, de d�boguage et d'ex�cution pour le d�ploiement d'applications de service Web.

Le groupe services Web d'Amazon a quant � lui pr�sent� deux services destin�s aux applications d'e-commerce et de recherche. Amazon E-Commerce Service 4.0 permet l'acc�s � la plate-forme technologique d'Amazon et � sa base de donn�es tandis qu'Alexa Web Information Service (AWIS) permet de tirer parti des 100 To d'informations agr�g�es par le compagnon de navigation Alexa Internet. Parmi les donn�es accessibles au travers des outils Amazon figurent les informations produits (descriptions, images�) et les avis de clients.

Enfin Altova a, de son c�t�, annonc� les versions 2005 d'XMLSpy, son environnement de d�veloppement XML, de StyleVision, son outil de conception de feuilles de styles, et de MapForce XML, son outil de cartographie. Ces nouveaux produits supportent les sp�cifications XSL Transformation (XSLT) 2.0, XPath 2.0, et XQuery 1.0. Ils sont aussi plus int�gr�s avec le framework Eclipse. Tous ces logiciels, actuellement en b�ta, seront disponibles en novembre.

Source : weblmi.com

Amazon lance sa version 4.0

Amazon lance sa version 4.0. Un million de produits sont disponibles sur le site de vente en ligne ainsi que des images, commentaires de clients et autres informations. De nouvelles cat�gories sont �galement propos�es : appareils et accessoires, horlogerie et bijouterie, sports et plein air, alimentation, instruments musicaux, hygi�me et beaut�. Les recherches sur le site peuvent se faire d�sormais par prix, par marque ou par cat�gorie de produits, au-del� de la simple recherche par mot-cl�.

Article du journaldunet.com

Amazon et Microsoft s�allient pour contrer les spammeurs

Les deux g�ants du commerce en ligne et des logiciels ont annonc� ce jeudi une alliance exclusive pour lutter contre le spam. Ensemble, Amazon et Microsoft ont d�pos� des plaintes devant la justice contre des exp�diteurs de courriers ind�sirables portant nuisance � leurs clients respectifs.

Devant un tribunal de Seattle, les deux groupes ont notamment engag� des poursuites contre la soci�t� canadienne Gold Disk Canada. Ils accusent cette derni�re d'avoir exp�di� aux clients d'Amazon et de Microsoft des messages �lectroniques frauduleux en faisant croire que ceux-ci �taient l'�uvre des deux grands groupes.

Cette pratique, baptis�e spoofing , permet aux exp�diteurs de courriers ind�sirables de capter l'attention de leurs destinataires en leur faisant croire que le message qu'ils re�oivent est directement �mis par une soci�t� dont ils sont clients.

Source : atelier.fr

Amazon offre un rabais aux utilisateurs enregistr�s de son moteur A9

Afin de promouvoir l�utilisation de son nouveau moteur de recherche, Amazon offre un rabais de 1,57% � ses utilisateurs.

Le libraire virtuel offre un rabais de 1,57% aux utilisateurs enregistr�s de son moteur de recherche A9. Cette d�marche s�inscrit dans une campagne visant � faire conna�tre son outil de recherche tout en faisant la promotion de ses produits et services.

Projet de la division � recherche � d�Amazon, la version finale du moteur A9 a �t� lanc�e la semaine derni�re apr�s une p�riode de mise � l�essai aupr�s des internautes. Le programme de rabais d�bute demain.

Source : branchez-vous.com

Amazon enrichit les fonctionnalit�s de son moteur de recherche

Le site A9.com, un moteur de recherche Internet affili� au commerce en ligne Amazon, est lanc� dans sa version finale qui permet notamment d'afficher sur une m�me page des r�sultats de sites Web, d'images, de livres et de films.

Lors d'une recherche sur A9.com, les internautes peuvent maintenant obtenir sur une m�me page, dans des colonnes s�par�es qui peuvent activ�es et d�sactiv�es, des r�sultats qui proviennent de sites Web et d'un catalogue d'images (fournis par Google), du contenu de livres (Amazon), d'une base de donn�es de films (IMDB) et de r�f�rences anglaises (dictionnaires, encyclop�dies, etc.) fournies par GuruNet.

Il s'agit d'un concept int�ressant pour les internautes qui d�sirent obtenir rapidement des r�sultats de recherche vari�s mais ce service �tant con�u pour les anglophones, l'utilit� de certaines cat�gories s'en trouve r�duite pour les utilisateurs francophones.

Aux internautes qui veulent bien s'enregistrer gratuitement, le moteur A9.com permet �galement de conserver en ligne l'historique des recherches effectu�es, des signets et des remarques sur les sites Web (diary), tous des �l�ments qu'on peut �galement rechercher. Autres d�tails dans la nouvelle Amazon lance un moteur de recherche et dans cette page de pr�sentation de A9.com.

Source : branchez-vous.com

Amazon.co.uk : nouvelle offre livraison gratuite

Amazon.co.uk r�duit le montant d'achat minimum � partir duquel il offre les frais de port � ses clients. Les britanniques pourront donc se voir livr�s gratuitement � compter d'un achat de 19 livres, contre 25 livres auparavant. Il y a un an de cela, Amazon.co.uk livrait gratuitement � partir de 39 euros.

Source : journaldunet.com

Pour s'implanter en Chine, Amazon se plie aux r�gles de P�kin

Par Estelle Dumout
ZDNet France
Lundi 30 ao�t 2004

Le cybermarchand am�ricain s�installe sur le juteux march� chinois en rachetant la soci�t� Joyo, qui vend des biens culturels en ligne. Et comme ses concurrents Yahoo ou Ebay, il explique diplomatiquement qu'il respectera les coutumes locales.

Amazon.com investit � son tour le march� chinois. Le g�ant am�ricain du commerce �lectronique a annonc� l�acquisition de la soci�t� Joyo, qui g�re l�un des principaux sites chinois de vente ligne de biens culturels � livres, CD et vid�os. La transaction se monte � 75 millions de dollars, avec un versement en num�raire de 72 millions, plus 3 millions en stock-options. Ce rachat devrait �tre d�finitivement conclu au cours du troisi�me trimestre 2004.

La Chine est le septi�me pays dans lequel Amazon s�implante � apr�s les �tats-Unis, le Canada, le Royaume-Uni, la France, l�Allemagne et le Japon. Les dirigeants de Joyo, qui ont choisi les Iles Vierges britanniques (dans les Cara�bes) pour domicilier leur maison m�re, ont toutefois indiqu� que la soci�t� continuerait ses activit�s ind�pendamment des autres sites d�Amazon. Elle a �t� cr��e en 2000, avec le soutien financier de deux soci�t�s chinoises: le groupe Lenovo (ex-Legend Computers, premier constructeur de PC en Chine populaire) et l'�diteur de logiciels, Kingsoft.

Selon le Financial Times, Joyo a r�alis� un chiffre d�affaires de 16 millions de dollars sur le premier semestre 2004, contre 19 millions pour l�ensemble de l�ann�e 2003.

La firme de Jeff Bezos embo�te ainsi le pas � plusieurs autres grands groupes internet, qui ont d�j� plac� leurs pions pour �tre sur le march� chinois. En 2003 la soci�t� d�ench�res en ligne Ebay a rachet� son concurrent local Eachnet pour 180 millions de dollars. Yahoo a, de son c�t�, mis la main sur 3721 Network Software (�diteur de logiciels de recherche en langue chinoise), pour un montant de 120 millions de dollars, tout en d�veloppant un partenariat avec l�un des principaux portails du pays, Sina.com, dans le domaine des ench�res en ligne. Google n�est pas non plus rest� inactif, puisqu�il a lanc� son service publicitaire Adwords en chinois et a pris une participation minoritaire dans le moteur de recherche local Baidu.com.

Pour avoir une chance de se tailler une part du g�teau chinois, tous doivent accepter de se plier aux r�gles impos�es par le gouvernement de P�kin pour �liminer les informations qu�il estime �subversives�. Sans cautionner ouvertement cette censure institutionnalis�e, une porte-parole d�Amazon, interrog�e par notre r�daction am�ricaine, s�en sort toutefois en se cachant derri�re un faux nez. Selon elle, l'e-commer�ant �respectera les coutumes et les r�gulations locales concernant les produits qu�il vend�. Et de se justifier en soulignant qu�il fait de m�me dans chaque pays, notamment en Allemagne, o� certains livres (comme ceux faisant l�apologie de l�id�ologie nazie) sont interdits � la vente par le gouvernement.

Source : zdnet.fr

Amazon acquiert le chinois Joyo pour 75 millions de dollars

Thu August 19, 2004 5:30 PM CEST

par Juliana Liu

PEKIN (Reuters) - Amazon.com, le num�ro un mondial de la distribution en ligne, a annonc� l'acquisition du leader chinois Joyo.com pour environ 75 millions de dollars, prenant ainsi pied sur le deuxi�me march� mondial par le nombre d'internautes.

Dans un communiqu�, le groupe am�ricain indique que l'op�ration, qu'il esp�re finaliser au troisi�me trimestre, n'aura pas d'impact significatif sur ses r�sultats du troisi�me trimestre et de 2004.

Le groupe de Seattle cherchait depuis plusieurs mois un partenaire ou une cible � la hauteur de ses ambitions sur le march� chinois que certains analystes �valuent � 16 milliards de dollars d'ici 2005.

La Chine, o� le nombre d'internautes devrait atteindre les 111 millions � la fin de l'ann�e, a d�j� attir� d'autres grands noms de l'internet comme le moteur de recherche Google, le portail Yahoo et le sp�cialiste des ench�res eBay.

"En un laps de temps assez court, Joyo.com s'est impos� comme la principale destination en ligne pour les livres, la musique et les vid�os en Chine", souligne Jeff Bezos, le directeur g�n�ral d'Amazon, dans le communiqu�. "Nous sommes heureux de prendre pied sur l'un des march�s les plus dynamiques du monde".

Joyo.com, fond� en 2000, vend essentiellement des livres, de la musique, des films et des jouets en ligne et est r�put� pour proposer aux internautes de grosses remises.

Ses principaux concurrents sur le march� chinois sont Sohu.com, Sina, NetEase.com, Dangdang.com et Bertelsmann.

Selon des responsables du groupe cit�s cette semaine dans les m�dias officiels, Joyo.com a r�alis� au premier semestre un chiffre d'affaires de 130 millions de yuans (15,7 millions de dollars), � comparer � un total de 160 millions sur l'ensemble de 2003, et il pr�voit de doubler ses ventes en 2004.

Le commerce en ligne a re�u un coup de pouce inattendu l'an dernier en Chine avec l'�pid�mie de pneumonie atypique qui a pouss� de nombreux habitants � acheter sur internet pour �viter de se rendre dans les magasins et risquer une contamination.

Avant de trouver un terrain d'entente avec Joyo.com, Amazon avait semble-t-il approch� son concurrent Dangdang. Selon des responsables de ce dernier, le groupe am�ricain a propos� de prendre une participation majoritaire pour un montant allant jusqu'� 150 millions de dollars mais Dangdang a rejet� l'offre, jugeant une fusion avec Amazon risqu�e.

Source : http://www.reuters.fr/

Amazon France en rupture de stock-options

Ils y ont cru. Mal leur en a pris. La plupart des salari�s licenci�s cet �t� par Amazon France ne verront jamais la couleur de leurs stock-options, attribu�es en fonction des bons et loyaux services rendus � la soci�t�.

Jeff Bezos est un visionnaire. En 2000, le fondateur du g�ant du commerce en ligne justifiait sa d�fiance envers les syndicats en expliquant que chez Amazon � tout le monde est propri�taire � [de la soci�t�, NDLR] , via les stock-options. Amazon, en vaste kibboutz de la nouvelle �conomie o� chacun recueillerait les fruits de son travail. L'image �tait s�duisante, mais le mythe a v�cu.

Quatre ans plus tard, pour une cinquantaine de salari�s du si�ge social d'Amazon France � Guyancourt (Yvelines), le r�veil est difficile. S'ils �taient � propri�taires �, les voici expropri�s. Selon nos informations, les plans de stock-options qui leur avaient �t� attribu�s sont partis en fum�e. En m�me temps que le plan social qui vient de toucher l'entreprise.

Une stock-option est la possibilit� pour un employ� d'acqu�rir une action � un prix pr�f�rentiel par rapport au cours boursier du moment. � Chez Amazon France, pour certains salari�s, une partie des stock-options �tait int�gr�e dans le contrat de travail, en plus du salaire brut. Pour d'autres, elles �taient attribu�es au terme d'un processus d'�valuation r�compensant la productivit�, la rentabilit�, et fiabilit� de l'employ� � , expliquent des salari�s de la filiale fran�aise. � Toutes les personnes en CDI en poss�daient, � des niveaux diff�rents. � Au final, la promesse d'une belle r�mun�ration s'est transform�e en mirage. � On nous achetaient en nous donnant des stock-options � , constatent - d��us - les salari�s.

Personne ne commente cette � affaire �

En pratique, beaucoup de personnes licenci�es cet �t� par Amazon France, avaient la possibilit� d'exercer leurs stock-options dans une � fen�tre � courant de la fin du mois de novembre 2004 � f�vrier 2005. Un sc�nario qui restera th�orique. Si l'on s'en tient au pr�avis de trois mois, qui a commenc� le 2 ao�t dernier avec l'envoi des lettres de notification de licenciement (� l'exception de certaines personnes parties en vacances), � la fin novembre ces salari�s ne feront plus partie de l'entreprise Amazon France. Une situation qui aurait pour effet d'emp�cher les employ�s de retirer le b�n�fice de leurs stock-options.

Sur cette question des stock-options, pourtant embl�matique de la construction d'Amazon, la direction, les repr�sentants du comit� d'entreprise que nous avons contact�s, et la d�l�gation syndicale CFDT de la filiale fran�aise, affichent une belle et troublante unanimit�. En s'abstenant � ce jour de tout commentaire.

Ceci �tant, apr�s un plan social boucl� � la vitesse de l'�clair, les salari�s d'Amazon France pourront peut-�tre se consoler en acceptant une derni�re offre de la part de leur direction . Car, faire un plan social est une chose. Encore faut-il que cela n'affecte pas durablement la vie de l'entreprise. Or selon nos informations, les responsables d'Amazon France se sont aper�us sur le tard que la r�duction d'effectif en cours dans la soci�t� pourrait avoir un impact n�gatif sur la bonne marche du site fran�ais. Ils auraient donc propos� � leurs salari�s sur le d�part une enveloppe de 200 euros bruts par semaine, pour continuer � entretenir le site de commerce en ligne.

Pendant ce temps, Jeff Bezos, qui a fond� Amazon apr�s un petit passage remarqu� � Wall Street, continue d'exercer ses stock-options. A titre d'exemple, pour la seule ann�e 2002, ses transactions se sont mont�es � plus de 36 millions de dollars. Mais Jeff Bezos - qui fut �lu � homme de l'ann�e �, en 1999 par le magazine Time - est un visionnaire...

Source : http://www.01net.com/

Amazon UK refuse de vendre un livre sur Bush et l'Arabie Saoudite

House of Bush, House of Saud", de Craig Unger, paru jeudi en Grande-Bretagne, est disponible sur le site am�ricain d'Amazon.

"Je peux seulement pr�sumer qu'Amazon craint d'�tre poursuivi, mais le livre sera disponible dans les magasins dans le pays", a d�clar� Martin Rynja, de la maison d'�dition Gibson Square Books.

Interrog� par l'AFP, un porte-parole d'Amazon.co.uk a refus� de faire des commentaires, �voquant simplement des "raisons l�gales".

Le livre �tudie les liens d'affaires pr�sum�s entre les proches du pr�sident am�ricain et un milliardaire saoudien qui vit � Djeddah (Arabie-Saoudite).

Michael Moore s'en est largement inspir� pour la r�alisation de son dernier film, "Fahrenheit 9/11", Palme d'or du festival de Cannes 2004.

Source : http://www.radiofrance.fr/

Amazon en t�te du Top 300 du e-commerce

Le site d'information sur le web Retailer, sp�cialis� dans la vente en ligne multicanal, a publi� une �tude sur les sites marchands aux Etats-Unis. Le "Top 300 Guide" �tablit un classement des 300 premiers sites de vente en ligne. Et le plus gros es sans surprise Amazon, avec un chiffre d�affaires de 5,25 milliards de dollars en 2003, suivi par Dell (2,8 milliards de dollars) et Office Depot (2,6 milliards de dollars. Les 300 premiers e-marchands ont g�n�r� des ventes de 40 milliards de dollars, soit pr�s de 60 % du total des ventes en ligne aux Etats-Unis.

Source : http://www.lexpansion.com/

Amazon : 10 ans de croissance et une pause

Le g�ant de la vente en ligne soufflera bient�t ses 10 bougies. Malgr� une immense notori�t� et des comptes positifs, les r�sultats 2004 de l'entreprise s'essoufflent un peu.

Amazon.com fait partie de cette petite poign�e de compagnies existant uniquement sur internet, a avoir acquis une taille plan�taire. Mieux, le groupe fond� en 1995 par Jeff Bezos a mis dans le pied en 2003 dans un club tr�s exclusif, celui des g�ants du web rentables. Amazon a peu � peu habitu� le monde du multim�dia, et surtout celui des analystes financiers � des ventes en progression r�guli�re d'un trimestre sur l'autre, surtout depuis l'instauration de la livraison gratuite pour toute commande d�passant un certain montant (aux Etats-Unis, 25 dollars). C'est donc une d�ception � la mesure des attentes que la plus grande librairie en ligne mondiale a suscit�e en affichant des ventes certes positives, mais moins importantes que pr�vu.

Selon un financier de la banque d'affaires Piper Jaffray "le fait marquant est que la croissance se ralentit de mani�re marqu�e, avec pour la premi�re fois une baisse des ventes � l'international d'un trimestre sur l'autre, alors qu'elles sont le moteur de la croissance pour Amazon." Il n'en fallait pas plus pour que les traders am�ricains "vendent du titre Amazon � tour de bras." L'action a alors entam� un plongeon dans le rouge et perdu pr�s de 13%, pour cl�turer la s�ance de vendredi sous la barre des 40 dollars, une premi�re depuis ao�t 2003.

La livraison gratuite plombe les r�sultats

La premi�re alerte avait eu lieu au premier trimestre 2004, lorsque plusieurs banques avaient laiss� entendre le prix de l'action �tait tr�s �lev� par rapport � la valeur r�elle de l'entreprise, pointant du doigt les "lourds co�ts d'exploitation" d'Amazon, d�s, notamment � la livraison gratuite. Le tr�s m�diatique Jeff Bezos n'est pas du tout de cet avis et estime que "m�me si la livraison gratuite co�te cher � l'entreprise, cela permet aux clients d'�conomiser des dizaines de millions de dollars chaque trimestre". "Nous pr�voyons de la maintenir ind�finiment" a insist� le patron du groupe.

Pour bien enfoncer le clou, il a rappel� que le port gratuit (instaur� � l'�t� 2002 aux Etats-Unis), a tellement dop� les ventes qu'il a depuis, �t� �tendu aux cinq autres pays o� Amazon est pr�sent (Canada, Royaume Uni, France, Allemagne, Japon).

Source :
http://news.tf1.fr/news/multimedia/0,,3160280,00.html

Please vote - Votez ! Vota!

I've created a poll to know in which language you would prefer to read these news as I will stop publishing news in 3 languages, only in one.

Je viens de cr�er un sondage pour savoir en quelle langue vous pr�f�rez lire les news de ce blog car je vais cesser de les publier en 3 langues, seulement une.

He creado un sondeo para saber en qu� idioma prefer�s leer estas noticias ya que no voy a publicarlas en tres idiomas sino en una.

Thanks, merci, gracias ;-)

Lo m�s raro de Amazon

La tieda 'online' re�ne en una lista sus 25 productos mas extra�os

"L�mpara con pie de pierna". Puede parecer un juego de palabras pero este es el producto n�mero uno de la lista de las 25 cosas m�s extra�as que Amazon.com ofrece en sus escaparates virtuales. La utilidad de la l�mpara es bastante normal, iluminar y decorar, pero otras ofertas son m�s curiosas, como la de un producto qu�mico que evita que los perros se coman sus excrementos, o el perfume de zorrillo, un producto 100% natural que oculta todo olor humano (...), efectivo con fr�o, lluvia o nieve".

Por tan s�lo 39 d�lares puede hacerse con la �M�scara Rejuvenecedora RJV10KIT�, un producto que promete mejorar su aspecto a costa, eso s�, de peque�as molestias. Los fabricantes recomiendan especialmente el producto de belleza a clientes un poco "masoquistas". Uno de los compradores comenta en Amazon que el sistema (varias placas de metal que contactan con la piel y la tonifican a trav�s de peque�as descargas) no es indoloro, y que despu�s de aplicarse la m�scara en sesiones de 25 o 30 minutos parece que va a �perforar la frente�.

M�s baratas a�n son las 'Pork Chocs', cortezas de cerdo recubiertas de chocolate que pueden adquirirse por menos de nueve d�lares el bote. Entre la oferta gastron�mica encontramos tambi�n la 'Tabla de quesos apestosos', que incluye tres tipos de quesos de fuertes olores, dos cuchillos, y la tabla de madera. Por menos de 150 d�lares un criadero de langostas ofrece ejemplares gigantes, de unos 5 kilos.

Por mucho menos, once d�lares, podemos convertirnos en due�os de un ejemplar del libro "V�mito de b�ho", que trae de regalo un fluido en el que podr� buscar restos de ratones, la comida favorita de este mam�fero alado.

http://www.cadenaser.com/

Los beneficios de Amazon en el 2� trimestre no cubrieron las expectativas

23/07/2004
Amazon.com ha anunciado un beneficio del segundo trimestre por debajo de las expectativas de Wall Street y sus acciones cayeron pronunciadamente en operaciones tras el cierre del mercado

La principal tienda en Internet registr� unas ganancias netas de 76 millones de d�lares (unos 62 millones de euros), � 18 centavos por acci�n, en comparaci�n con una p�rdida de 43 millones (35 millones de euros), � 11 centavos por acci�n, en el mismo per�odo del a�o anterior.

Los analistas esperaba de media ganancias de 19 centavos por acci�n. Amazon, con sede en Seattle y que se inici� como una librer�a en Internet, tuvo ventas por 1.390 millones de d�lares, dentro de su meta de 1.340 a 1.440 millones de d�lares.

Antes del anuncio, las acciones de Amazon cerraron el jueves en 45,82 d�lares en el Nasdaq, con una subida de un 2,4 por ciento, pero cayeron hasta 43,60 d�lares en operaciones tras el cierre del mercado.

http://www.noticias.com/

Las acciones de Amazon bajan un 8% por el temor a un crecimiento lento

Las acciones de Amazon.com Inc. ca�an un 8 por ciento el viernes por la preocupaci�n de que el crecimiento del minorista m�s importante de la Internet se est� desacelerando, inform� Reuters.

Viernes, 23 julio 2004
IBLNEWS, AGENCIAS

La ca�da se dio un d�a despu�s de que Amazon anunci� ganancias trimestrales que no alcanzaron las estimaciones de los analistas de Wall Street. Los especialistas tambi�n citaron una decepcionante alza en ventas de libros y m�sica en Am�rica del Norte, su mercado tradicional, de s�lo el 9 por ciento.

La compa��a culp� del escaso crecimiento a la exitosa comercializaci�n del �ltimo libro de Harry Potter el a�o pasado, pero los analistas dijeron que ser� dif�cil para Amazon revigorizar este segmento.

"Creemos que el crecimiento futuro de Amazon, particularmente en las ventas de sus productos de medios, continuar� desaceler�ndose", afirm� Mark Rowen, analista de Prudential Equities.

"Estas tasas de crecimiento no van a sostener el valor actual de Amazon", a�adi�.

Los resultados decepcionantes de Amazon se conocieron poco despu�s del moderado pron�stico del l�der de subastas online Ebay Inc., que arrastr� a otras firmas de Internet el jueves.

Los analistas expresaron que el crecimiento parece estar deteni�ndose en esas empresas despu�s de muchos a�os de desempe�o exitoso.

Amazon, con base en Seattle, anunci� ganancias de 18 centavos por acci�n, mientras que los pron�sticos de los analistas eran de 19 centavos por acci�n.

La compa��a alcanz� el tope final de su estimaci�n de ingresos del a�o fiscal 2004 de 75 millones de d�lares, pero no aument� el tope de sus perspectivas de beneficios operativos, lo que sugiere que las ganancias se est�n debilitando, seg�n los especialistas.

Las ventas internacionales, el motor de crecimiento de Amazon, por primera vez sufri� una ca�da en comparaci�n con el trimestre anterior.

Safa Rashtchy, analista de Piper Jaffray, asegur� que a pesar de la confianza en el valor de la marca Amazon, la eficiencia de su sistema de comercio online y su oportunidad en el mercado, las acciones de la empresa est�n sobrevaluadas.

"Todas esas cosas tienen un valor determinado y, en nuestra opini�n, ese valor est� lejos del actual precio de los t�tulos de Amazon", afirm� Rashtchy, que opina que Amazon tiene un "bajo desempe�o".

A las 1545 GMT, las acciones de Amazon perd�an 9,65 por ciento, a 41,40 d�lares en el Nasdaq.

Fuente:
http://iblnews.com/noticias/07/112129.html

Amazon Services to Provide American Express Merchants with Special Offer for Selling Through Amazon.

SEATTLE & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 29, 2004--Amazon Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN), and American Express today announced an agreement to give merchants who accept the American Express card a special offer to sell their merchandise on the Amazon.com Web site. Through this agreement, businesses in the U.S. that accept the American Express(R) Card can join the Amazon Services Pro Merchant program to sell on Amazon.com with no subscription charges for the first three months. American Express merchants can find more information and take advantage of the offer by visiting American Express Business Savings at www.americanexpress.com/bizsavings.

"Amazon Services is excited to join American Express in offering their merchant network a special offer for creating incremental sales of their products through the power of the Amazon e-commerce platform," said Tom Beckwith, Amazon Services Vice President for Service Sales. "With the busy holiday retail season just around the corner, the timing is perfect for American Express merchants to begin offering their products to the millions of shoppers who visit Amazon.com."

Hundreds of thousands of active seller accounts offer new, used, and collectible products on Amazon.com using Amazon Services solutions designed for retailers of all types and sizes. The Pro Merchant program offers retailers volume-listing tools, Amazon.com storefront capabilities, and unlimited free listings for a monthly subscription cost of $39.99 plus a commission when products sell. Some of the many Pro Merchant product categories which qualify for the Amazon Services-American Express offer are Apparel & Accessories, Gourmet Foods, and Sports & Outdoors.

"American Express is pleased to make the Amazon Services Pro Merchant program even more compelling through our Business Savings Program," said Elizabeth Rutledge, Vice President, Establishment Services, American Express. "With Amazon Services, merchants can realize true costs savings while expanding their businesses, simply as a benefit of accepting the American Express Card."

Business Savings from American Express is offered at no cost to any and all merchants in the American Express network across the U.S., regardless of size or location. Merchants do not have to enroll in Business Savings and can access the many expense savings offerings through www.americanexpress.com/bizsavings. In addition to the Amazon Services Pro Merchant Program, American Express merchants can receive special savings on car rentals, office supplies, delivery services and more.

Tens of millions of active Amazon.com customer accounts and high traffic volumes give retailers who sell on the Amazon.com e-commerce platform a wide audience for their brand and products. Amazon Services ensures that sellers have tools to maximize this exposure with Seller Central, a web-based suite of tools for managing listings. Amazon Services also handles all payment processing and fraud protection.

Fred Waters of SmoothFitness sells his company's products through the Amazon.com Sports & Outdoors Store as a Pro Merchant. "Selling on Amazon.com as a Pro Merchant has given my business a new sales channel for our products," said Waters. "In addition to reaching these new customers, our presence on Amazon.com has increased our brand recognition."

With today's announcement, American Express will be helping new retailers grow their businesses through the Amazon Services Pro Merchant program at a significant cost savings.

"Our Merchant Referral Program presents businesses like American Express with the opportunity to offer their customers the chance to grow their retail businesses using their existing technology investment," said Anne Wilbur, Amazon Services Director of Channel Development. "We look forward to working with American Express to find even more ways to help its merchants improve their businesses on the Web."

From: Amazon.com

Amazon.com to Launch Software Development Centre in Scotland

July 21 2004: Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that it will open a software development centre in Edinburgh, Scotland. Amazon Development Centre, Scotland will focus on developing new and innovative website features to help Amazon's customers find and discover anything they want to buy online.

The new centre is looking for exceptional computer scientists and software engineers with entrepreneurial spirit to join the start-up team. There will be an emphasis at launch on recruiting outstanding professionals with more than three years of industry experience in C++ or Java, who are ready for a bigger and more challenging role. Backgrounds in distributed system architecture, large scale websites, machine learning, statistics or human / computer interface will be of benefit. Candidates should have experience designing and building complex yet maintainable systems, and should be able to do so in about one third the time most competent people think possible.

Successful candidates will receive meaningful equity compensation.

Amazon Development Centre, Scotland is expected to open during the second half of 2004. Interested candidates may apply now at www.amazondc.com.

Matt Round, Managing Director of the new centre commented: "We are delighted to announce the launch of Amazon Development Centre, Scotland. Amazon's technology teams have already built a world-class e-commerce platform and many industry leading features for the Amazon family of global web sites. The new centre will offer software developers in the UK the chance to play their part in driving the evolution of e-commerce."

Scotland's Enterprise Minister, Jim Wallace, welcomed Amazon.com's announcement. He said: "The announcement by Amazon.com today that it intends to site its new remote software development centre in the Lothians is tremendous news. Plans to create up to 40 high value jobs mainly in software development and design is testimony to the calibre of our highly-skilled talent pool. It is also evidence we can secure cutting-edge research and design-based work to provide high quality graduates with rewarding career opportunities here in Scotland.

"I am pleased that the Scottish Executive is prepared to support Amazon's software development centre with a Regional Selective Assistance offer of up to �250,000. Attracting investment in growth industries is an important strand of the Smart, Successful Scotland strategy.

"I would also like to thank Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian for working alongside the company to demonstrate that Scotland is a highly competitive location for innovative and creative business to grow."

The team at Amazon Development Centre, Scotland will own the business and technology side of features developed and will be involved in all aspects of the process - from idea generation, business analysis and technical design through to front, middle and back-tier software development across a variety of architectures and technologies.

At launch specific roles on offer include Technology and Business Managers, Software Engineers, Senior Software Engineers and a Graphical Designer. Candidates interested in finding out more about the opportunities available at Amazon Development Centre, Scotland should log onto www.amazondc.com or call Obvious Solutions on 0870 046 8080.

From: Amazon.com

Amazon.com to book into the Capital

INTERNET giant Amazon.com is set to create 40 new jobs by opening a new software development centre in the Capital.

The facility will be tasked with creating new and innovative website features to help Amazon�s customers find what they want to buy online.

The firm is recruiting top computer scientists and software engineers to join the start-up team at the centre, which is expected to open at a so-far unidentified city site by the end of the year.

Matt Round, managing director of the new centre, said today: "We are delighted to announce the launch of Amazon Development Centre, Scotland. Amazon�s technology teams have already built a world-class e-commerce platform and many industry-leading features for the Amazon family of global websites.

"The new centre will offer software developers in the UK the chance to play their part in driving the evolution of e-commerce."

The Scottish Executive will provide up to �250,000 of Regional Selective Assistance funding for the project.

Enterprise Minister Jim Wallace added: "The announcement by Amazon.com today that it intends to site its new remote software development centre in the Lothians is tremendous news.

"Plans to create up to 40 high-value jobs by the end of 2006, mainly in software development and design is testimony to the calibre of our highly-skilled talent pool.

"It is also evidence we can secure cutting-edge research and design-based work to provide high-quality graduates with rewarding career opportunities here in Scotland."

From: http://business.scotsman.com/technology.cfm?id=833662004

Customer network value philosophy at Amazon.com

[Johannesburg, 19 July 2004] - Marketers are continually finding innovative ways to exploit business intelligence for profit. For some, merely knowing about individual customers is no longer enough. The latest trend in the US is to leverage the entire social network.

Specialist companies are now focusing on understanding a customer's place in society, and his or her network of friends. The aim? If identified as influential, customers can be encouraged in various ways to influence their friends.

"This customer network value philosophy is big in the US, although it's been slow to catch on in Europe," says Dr Andreas Weigend, Amazon.com's former chief scientist, now at Weigend Associates LLC.

"I would personally allocate my main marketing dollars to the leveraging of social networks for marketing," he told delegates at the recent SAS International Forum on business intelligence.

Social network marketing applies ideas from social analysis and social network research. In the US, social networking companies are springing up to help organisations exploit business intelligence. There are powerful algorithms that extract customer network value out of the data that companies have about their customers, based on their behaviour.

Social network marketing examines questions such as 'How much profit can a particular customer generate?' In the case of an online bookseller, for example, 'How many books will the customer buy for him- or herself, and can he or she influence others to buy?' Special promotions can be offered to customers with large network value, for example.

"If such a customer, let's call her Claudia, buys a book from Amazon.com, the online retail giant could suggest that Claudia supply e-mail addresses of friends who may also be interested in that book," says Weigend. "It could offer a 10% credit should one of her friends buy the book within a week. At the same time, it can e-mail the friends, along the lines of: 'Your pal Claudia bought this, would you like it?", offering a 10% discount to the prospective buyer.

"This is extremely powerful marketing as customers and Amazon.com alike win. Both customers benefit, and Amazon.com scores by offering value, not spam, and potentially gains another customer."

Amazon.com uses SAS business intelligence solutions to drive its business.

From:http://www.itweb.co.za

"Tout le monde se sentait sur un si�ge �jectable"

Apr�s l'annonce du plan social � Amazon France, les salari�s d�crivent un fonctionnement sur le mode �parano�.

Par Sonya FAURE

samedi 10 juillet 2004 (Liberation - 06:00)

Finalement, ils s'y attendaient un peu. �Tous les budgets �taient coup�s, m�me celui de l'agrafeuse... Ce sont des signes qui ne trompent pas.� L'annonce, il y a quinze jours, d'un plan social supprimant 50 des 67 postes du si�ge social d'Amazon France a choqu� par son ampleur (Lib�ration du 29 juin). Mais, depuis plusieurs mois d�j�, l'ambiance au sein de la filiale fran�aise du g�ant am�ricain de la vente en ligne �tait �d�l�t�re�, selon des salari�s. La direction n'a pas donn� suite � nos appels. Avec le plan social, ils vont se voir proposer une �d�localisation� dans la filiale anglaise ; pour ceux qui refuseront, la direction a d�voil� jeudi les conditions du �package� de d�part : cinq mois de salaire, plus un demi-mois par ann�e d'anciennet�, un droit de formation de 4 500 euros... et l'impossibilit� d'exercer ses stock-options.

�Pression�. �Les anciens ont le sentiment d'�tre flou�s, t�moigne une salari�e. Beaucoup n'ont pas �t� augment�s depuis leur arriv�e, en �change de stock-options... Et beaucoup de stocks arrivaient � �ch�ance d�s fin novembre, date � laquelle on pouvait les convertir en argent. Comme par hasard, le plan social s'ach�ve le 2 novembre.� Un employ� s'est amus� � calculer le montant des stocks ��conomis�s� par Amazon : ils paieraient largement le plan social...

Depuis l'annonce des suppressions de postes, quelques langues se d�lient dans une soci�t� qui a �rig� la parano en mode de fonctionnement. La direction ne communique jamais ses r�sultats, et, le jour m�me o� les salari�s ont appris le plan social, une employ�e am�ricaine est arriv�e au si�ge fran�ais de Guyancourt pour pr�parer les �Q and A�, les questions et r�ponses toutes pr�tes, � r�citer aux journalistes. Depuis un an, face � la �pression hallucinante� de la direction, la m�fiance a gagn� les salari�s : �On faisait tout �crire par mail, qu'on archivait pour se couvrir.�

Evaluations annuelles de plus en plus s�v�res, avertissements... Selon des �ex� d'Amazon, l'entreprise tentait de se �d�barrasser� de ses salari�s : �Tout le monde se sentait sur un si�ge �jectable. Plus d'une vingtaine d'entre nous sont partis de l'entreprise depuis un an, vir�s ou d�missionnaires�, pr�cise un ancien. �Les licenciements pour faute sont apparus : on fixe des objectifs d�mentiels, et on vous vire parce que vous ne les avez pas tenus�, raconte un autre, ex-chef de service.

Comme une r�p�tition g�n�rale � ce qui vient d'arriver aux trois quarts du personnel il y a quinze jours, une ex-employ�e, licenci�e au printemps, raconte : �En avril, la direction a annonc� � mon �quipe : "Vous avez huit jours pour r�fl�chir : l'Angleterre ou un licenciement �conomique." J'ai lu les conditions de travail qu'on me proposait l�-bas : le risque de se faire licencier du jour au lendemain, un salaire �quivalent, sans tenir compte du prix des loyers anglais...� Seule une personne accepte. Ils sont de nouveau convoqu�s. �La direction nous a propos� de signer une transaction : trois mois de salaire net � la fin du pr�avis, si on s'engageait � ne pas les poursuivre. En gros, si on �tait bien sages.� Les licenci�s sortent de la r�union � 16 h 15. A 17 h 15, leurs ordinateurs sont coup�s.

�Cost Killer�. Au lancement du site, pourtant, le 31 ao�t 2000, ils �taient une centaine, �trentenaires, motiv�s�. �C'�tait la grande p�riode du Net, t�moigne une ex-salari�e. On recrutait � tour de bras, on allait r�volutionner le monde.� Mais le vent tourne avec l'�clatement de la bulle Internet, puis l'arriv�e de Thomas Lot, troisi�me PDG d'Amazon France, en f�vrier 2002. �On l'appelle le Cost Killer. Il �tait t�tanis� par des objectifs fix�s par les Am�ricains, impossibles � atteindre.�

Car l'entreprise est �troitement contr�l�e par la maison m�re, qui impose ses m�thodes. M�me pour embaucher un stagiaire, les chefs de service doivent s'en r�f�rer au vice-pr�sident international � Seattle. La mobilit� pr�n�e (�Regardez Machin, il est entr� coursier, il est devenu chef de projet...�) vire � la remise en cause permanente. �C'est une bo�te o� on se r�organise tous les trois mois, observe un ancien. Un d�partement fusionne avec un autre, d�m�nage, change de manager : parfois quatre en quatre ans, pour une �quipe d'une dizaine de personnes...�

Gagn�s par la culture du secret vant�e par Amazon, les salari�s se sont mobilis�s trop tard. Seul syndicat, la CFDT s'est implant�e en d�cembre. �En 2001, lors du premier plan social, quand certains ont voulu monter un syndicat, la plupart r�pondaient en ouvrant de grands yeux : "Mon Dieu, mais si les Am�ricains savent �a ! On va tous �tre vir�s !"� Pour beaucoup d'employ�s, Amazon est la premi�re exp�rience professionnelle. �Ils pensent que tout est normal�, observe une ex-salari�e. Qui r�sume : �On �tait tr�s bien pay�s, pour fermer notre gueule.�

Source :
http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=222792

AMAZON recibir� pedidos para Portable Media Center

Redacci�n - (Noticias) - 09/07/2004

Microsoft dijo que Amazon.com comenzar� a recibir pedidos para Portable Media Centers, una nueva l�nea de aparatos port�tiles para escuchar m�sica y ver v�deos.

El mayor fabricante de software del mundo, que desarroll� aplicaciones para los nuevos aparatos multimedia, dijo tambi�n que estar�n disponibles partidos de la Liga de Beisbol para baj�rselos a los aparatos, que se prev� sean enviados a los clientes este mismo verano.

Microsoft, con sede en Redmond, Washington, ha estado trabajando desde principios de 2003 para que los fabricantes de estos aparatos coloquen sus productos en el mercado para competir con la popular reproductor musical digital iPod de Apple.

Dos modelos de Portable Media Center podr�n solicitarse en la p�gina www.amazon.com/portablemediacenters.

El Zen Portable Media Center de Creative y el YH-999, de Samsung, pueden ser pedidos por unos 500 d�lares (400 euros) y tienen capacidad de 20 gigabytes para almacenar m�sica, fotos y v�deo. Microsoft dijo que el Zen Portable ser� enviado a finales de agosto, mientras que el modelo de Samsung se enviar� en septiembre.

Microsoft dijo que los usuarios del nuevo Portable Media Center podr�n descargarse contenido de MLB.com, dijo la p�gina web oficial de la liga, adem�s de transferir su contenido de v�deo y audio a los aparatos desde los ordenadores personales.

Fuente :
http://www.noticias.com/index.php?action=mostrar_articulo&id=58025&seccion=Internet&categoria=Internet%20General&IDCanal=1

Les salari�s du web d�pla�ables � merci

Anne-Fran�oise Mar�s*, 01 Informatique, le 05/07/2004 � 07h00

Travailler dans les entreprises du web n'est pas sans impr�vu. Amazon France en donne une preuve en exp�diant certains de ses salari�s outre-Manche.

La nouvelle �conomie n'en finit pas d' �tonner ! On la croyait morte avec l'�vanouissement de la bulle. Eh bien, pas vraiment. Elle perdure, mais sous une autre forme. Impitoyable, celle-l�. Il ne s'agit plus de licencier pour cause de chute de chiffre d'affaires, mais pour simple changement de strat�gie.

Cit� comme un exemple de r�ussite, voici qu'un de ses � mod�les � - le leader mondial du commerce en ligne, Amazon.com - va supprimer, selon Lib�ration, une cinquantaine des soixante-dix postes de son si�ge fran�ais de Guyancourt. Pour la simple raison qu'il veut se restructurer par lignes m�tiers, et non plus par pays.

En raison d'une logique �conomique pure et dure. Avec possibilit� de d�localiser quelques-uns de ces postes en Grande-Bretagne.

P U B L I C I T �

Evidemment, vu des Etats-Unis, passer d'un c�t� � l'autre de la Manche ne repr�sente que quelques centaines de kilom�tres � franchir. Les implications personnelles ou familiales ne comptent gu�re !

Cette nouvelle d�monstration prouve � quel point les salari�s sont d�cid�ment consid�r�s comme de simples � pions �, d�pla�ables ou jetables � merci. Le but �tant, �videmment, de r�duire les co�ts pour augmenter la marge.

Ce n'est pas nouveau, certes. Mais le mouvement s'acc�l�re et se r�pand. Cette d�cision d'Amazon.com qui atteint aujourd'hui la France concerne aussi d'autres pays.

On est alors en droit de se demander o� va aboutir l'industrialisation actuelle � tous crins des processus, qui touche de plus en plus de m�tiers, faisant fi des fronti�res et des modes de vie.

A une pr�carisation g�n�ralis�e des emplois ? A une baisse des r�mun�rations ? D�j�, on apprend qu'aux Etats-Unis des informaticiens n'h�sitent plus � offrir leurs services pour un salaire deux fois moindre qu'il y a deux ans !

Source :
http://www.01net.com/article/247174.html

D�saccord entre Amazon et Toys"R"Us

Jean-Baptiste Su (depuis la Silicon Valley), 01net., le 02/07/2004 � 17h00

Quatre ans apr�s avoir c�l�br� leur alliance, Amazon et le sp�cialiste du jouet s'accusent mutuellement de ne pas avoir respect� les termes complexes et flous de leur accord. Le site Internet demande la fin du contrat.

Le mariage entre Amazon.com et Toys"R"Us tourne au vinaigre. Le magasin de jouets reproche au site Internet de ne pas respecter les termes de leur accord sign� en ao�t 2000. Un accord qui fait de Toys"R"Us, le distributeur exclusif de jouets sur Amazon pour une p�riode de dix ans.

Une accusation que l'entreprise de Seattle r�fute �videmment dans son document transmis en d�but de semaine � la justice am�ricaine et obtenu par 01net. � Amazon et Toys"R"Us ne sont pas d'accord sur la d�finition de certains termes utilis�s dans l'accord strat�gique sign� entre les deux parties et qui limitent pourtant s�rieusement le degr� d'exclusivit� de Toys"R"Us sur le site d'Amazon.com � , souligne le document.

Les termes de l'alliance autorisent apparemment Amazon, mais aussi les cyber-marchands pr�sents dans sa galerie virtuelle, � vendre sans contrainte des jouets qui ne sont pas disponibles dans la boutique g�r�e par Toys"R"Us. Pire encore, il leur est aussi permis de commercialiser n'importe quel jouet, exclusif ou pas, d�s l'instant que ses ventes ne d�passent pas 3,5 % du chiffre d'affaires annuel de Toys"R"Us sur Amazon. Un niveau qui est apparemment rarement atteint.

Toys "R" Us demande � la justice d'interdire un nouveau service d'Amazon

Outre le remboursement des frais d'exclusivit� de 200 millions de dollars qu'il a d�j� vers�, le sp�cialiste du jouet demande � la justice am�ricaine d'interdire le lancement d'un nouveau service que pr�pare son ancien partenaire. Le service GUI (Graphical User Interface) , aujourd'hui en version b�ta et indisponible pour les jouets, automatise le processus de cr�ation d'une boutique virtuelle sur la galerie marchande, pour y vendre des produits neufs ou d'occasion. Un service, qui selon Amazon, ne fait pas partie de l'accord.

Mais dans sa plainte, Toys"R"Us insiste : � Initialement, cela devait permettre � Amazon d'�tre comp�titif face � des sites d'ench�res comme eBay. Mais il n'a jamais �t� question qu'ils puissent vendre des jouets ou des produits pour b�b�s neufs et concurrencer Toys. En fait, nos principaux rivaux, comme Target ou Wal-Mart, pourraient parfaitement utiliser GUI pour nous concurrencer mais sans avoir � verser de droits d'exclusivit� � Amazon � .

Un m�diateur tente de r�soudre l'affaire

De son c�t�, le site Internet accuse le sp�cialiste du jouet de ne pas avoir respect� les termes de l'accord, demande � la justice de mettre fin au contrat et veut obtenir une compensation financi�re de 750 millions de dollars. Amazon souligne la � d�faillance chronique � de Toys"R"Us � effectuer une s�lection des 1000 jouets et 500 produits pour b�b�s les plus vendus dans ses magasins.

D'autre part, selon les termes de l'alliance, Toys"R"Us doit aussi proposer au moins 8 000 jouets et 2 500 produits pour b�b�s sur le site et en avoir au moins 90 % en stock. � Pendant les semaines de f�tes, Toys n'avait pas de stock pour plus de 20 % de ses meilleurs produits � , indique la plainte d'Amazon, qui r�v�le �galement que le sp�cialiste du jouet avait r�duit progressivement le nombre de ses produits commercialis�s � 5 dollars ou moins. Lapart de ces jouets �tait pass�e de 12 % en l'an 2000 � 0,2 % l'ann�e derni�re.

Pour l'instant, les deux parties discutent toujours gr�ce � un m�diateur. Mais dans cette dispute, le distributeur Toys "R" Us a le plus � perdre, puisqu'Amazon, qui demande la fin du contrat, est aussi devenu son unique relais sur Internet.

Source :
http://www.01net.com/article/247205.html

"Arthur Celebrity Audiobook'' Now Available for Purchase Exclusively at Amazon.com

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 2, 2004--

Clay Aiken, Kevin Bacon, Kelly Ripa, and other Celebrities Narrate
Stories from Marc Brown's Top-rated Children's Series;
Clay Aiken Shares Exclusive Bonus Track with Amazon Customers

Amazon.com LLC, an Amazon.com, Inc. company (Nasdaq:AMZN), today announced that the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" -- a new children's audiobook featuring such notable artists as Clay Aiken, Kevin Bacon, and Kelly Ripa narrating stories from the popular "Arthur Adventure Series" -- is now available for purchase exclusively on Amazon.com.

Arthur is the first title in the new "Stories for Heroes" audiobook series, in which children's stories are brought to life by popular sports and entertainment personalities. A majority of the "Stories for Heroes" sales proceeds benefit children's charities.

Visitors to Amazon.com can also access a free audio stream of an exclusive bonus story, "Arthur's Teacher Trouble," narrated by Clay Aiken. The audiobook and bonus track can be easily accessed at www.amazon.com/arthur.

"We're very excited to be sharing 'Stories for Heroes' with consumers, and have chosen to launch the series exclusively on Amazon.com to make it easy for people to find and discover the 'Arthur Celebrity Audiobook' and help us support these important children's charities," said Clay Aiken, recording artist and narrator on the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook."

A majority of the sales proceeds from the "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" will be donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which is the worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS; the National Education Association Health Information Network, which is dedicated to improving the health and safety of students and school personnel; and the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, which provides services and financial assistance to facilitate the integration of children with disabilities into the life environment of children without.

"The Arthur children's series is a perennial Amazon.com customer favorite," said Amazon editor Daphne Durham. "We're honored to support the 'Stories for Heroes' launch by introducing the 'Arthur Celebrity Audiobook' to our customers, who are not only sure to enjoy the audiobook, but also the exclusive bonus story from Clay Aiken."

The "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" is an enhanced audio CD that features stories, pictures, music, games, and educational content for children, parents and teachers, and was produced by New York-based (212)MEDIA. To learn more about the audiobook, enjoy the exclusive bonus content, and explore more Arthur products, visit www.amazon.com/arthur. The "Arthur Celebrity Audiobook" is eligible for Amazon.com's free Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.

From: Amazon.com

Amazon recorta plantilla en Francia para ahorrar gastos

Amazon.com tiene previsto recortar puestos de trabajo y reubicar a parte de la plantilla en su oficina francesa de Guyancourt. La compa��a ha justificado esta medida por la necesidad de ahorrar costes y centralizar operaciones en los Estados Unidos y el Reino Unido.

L D (Agencias) La tienda "on line" se�al� que, a pesar de estar centralizando funciones como finanzas y desarrollo de p�ginas web, mantendr� a un n�mero indeterminado de empleados de la oficina de Guyancourt, seg�n informa Reuters. �stos ser�n reubicados desde las oficinas actuales, cercanas a Versalles, a otras m�s peque�as cercanas a Par�s.

"Como todas las compa��as, estamos buscando la forma de hacer el negocio m�s eficiente", se�al� la portavoz de la cibertienda, Patty Smith, que se neg� a desvelar el n�mero de empleados que actualmente trabajan en la oficina de Guyancourt o la cifra de afectados por el recorte de plantilla. Al final del primer trimestre de 2004, Amazon contaba con 8.100 empleados en todo el mundo.

La portavoz indic� que el recorte de plantilla se enmarca dentro de la estrategia puesta en marcha el a�o pasado para reducir gastos. Lo que se ahorrar� en el pago de n�minas repercutir� sobre los consumidores, quienes detectar�n sensibles rebajas en el precio de los art�culos y la expansi�n de la entrega gratuita a domicilio.

Smith declar� que Amazon mantiene conversaciones con el Works Council, grupo que representa a los trabajadores, para reubicar parte de los puestos en Gran Breta�a, reasignarlos a otras zonas de la compa��a o indemnizarles. Las negociaciones se llevar�n a cabo los pr�ximos meses.

Fuente:
http://www.libertaddigital.com/noticias/noticia_1276226688.html

Amazon : les ventes explosent, les salari�s aussi

Karine Dobrzynski, 01net., le 01/07/2004 � 17h40

Le chiffre d'affaires � l'international enregistre un v�ritable boom depuis quelques mois. Dans le m�me temps, Amazon restructure toutes ses filiales, la France en t�te.

La rumeur courait depuis quelques temps � la mairie de Guyancourt (Yvelines), ville o� se situe le si�ge social d'Amazon. Pour �tre finalement confirm�e cette semaine : l'e-commer�ant r�duit drastiquement sa filiale fran�aise. La direction anglaise, seule habilit�e � commenter la situation hexagonale, se refuse � confirmer le nombre de postes supprim�s.

Le journal Lib�ration avance cependant le nombre de 50 licenciements sur 70 salari�s. � Nous leur proposerons � tous un reclassement au sein du groupe �, d�clare Rachel Silk, responsable presse pour Amazon UK. A savoir en Angleterre ou aux Etats-Unis.

Amazon ne quitte pas la France pour autant. Le site Internet hexagonal ne ferme pas et quelques salari�s resteront pour diriger les op�rations. La rumeur donne le PDG, Thomas Lot , sur le d�part. L'entrep�t d'Orl�ans continuera d'assurer les livraisons pour la France et l'Europe. Mais pour combien de temps ? En effet, Amazon va ouvrir un nouvel entrep�t en Ecosse, employant 300 personnes.

Le pionnier du commerce �lectronique justifie sa d�cision de r�duire la voilure en France par une volont� de rationaliser ses infrastructures. � Nous avons compris que nous pouvions centraliser de nombreuses fonctions en un lieu unique [Royaume-Uni et Etats-Unis, NDLR], r�sume Rachel Silk, dans le but de baisser encore nos prix �. Un argument qui sonne creux dans un pays o� le prix des livres est fixe et o� les trois grands du commerce en ligne fran�ais, Amazon, Alapage et la Fnac, pratiquent des prix sensiblement �gaux sur les disques et les DVD.

Depuis 2001, 1300 postes ont �t� supprim�s

Mais c'est sur les raisons l�gales de ce plan qu'Amazon pourrait avoir � r�pondre � l'inspection du travail de Montigny-le-Bretonneux (Yvelines), saisie du dossier. L'entreprise vient d'annoncer que, � l'international, ses ventes ont augment� de 80 % au premier trimestre 2004, et les b�n�fices de 58 %. Et � mieux servir les clients et �conomiser de l'argent � ne figure pas dans le code du travail comme justification d'un plan de licenciement �conomique collectif.

De fait, depuis le premier trimestre 2001, Amazon se r�organise. Plus de 1300 postes ont d�j� �t� supprim�s, ne laissant en place que 7 800 salari�s. Des fermetures de services et des regroupements d'�quipes ont lieu dans toutes les filiales : en Allemagne, au Japon, mais aussi en Angleterre. Selon la presse anglaise, une vingtaine de postes y serait ainsi menac�e de suppression. Alors qu'officiellement, selon le rapport annuel 2003, la restructuration est termin�e.

Source :
http://www.01net.com/article/247136.html

Amazon France va-t-il diminuer drastiquement ses effectifs ?

D�apr�s le quotidien Lib�ration, Amazon France, cybermarchand du produit culturel, serait sur le point de supprimer les trois quarts de ses effectifs. Le 29/06/2004 � 11:40

Selon un article publi� le 29 juin 2004 par le quotidien Lib�ration, la filiale fran�aise du sp�cialiste am�ricain du commerce �lectronique, Amazon, pr�pare un plan qui entra�nerait la suppression "d�une cinquantaine de postes sur 70."

Mis en ligne l��t� 2000, Amazon France (www.amazon.fr) a d�marr� son activit� en proposant aux internautes livres francophones, CD et DVD audio et vid�o. Par la suite, le cybermarchand a ajout� � son catalogue livres en anglais, logiciels, CD-Rom et jeux vid�o�

Il faut croire que management et logistique ont gripp�, et que la concurrence d�un poids lourd du paysage fran�ais de la distribution de produits culturels, fnac.com, a fait de l�ombre au "pure player".

Le si�ge national d�Amazon est install� � Guyancourt dans les Yvelines, son centre de distribution � Boigny-sur-Bionne dans le Loiret.

D�apr�s Lib�ration, les salari�s d�Amazon France, dans leur majorit�, se verraient proposer une "relocalisation" en Angleterre, d�autres devraient quitter l�entreprise en b�n�ficiant "de conditions de d�part g�n�reuses".

En France, seule une quinzaine de salari�s Amazon seraient maintenus dans leur fonction et install�s dans des locaux parisiens, a pr�cis� le quotidien.

Lib�ration a, par ailleurs, soulign� que cette initiative "s'inscrit dans un processus de centralisation des activit�s autour des m�tiers [du groupe] et non plus par pays."

Mardi matin, Amazon France n'avait pas officiellement comment� ces informations.

Source :
http://www.neteconomie.com/perl/navig.pl/neteconomie/infos/article/20040629114051

Amazon France exp�die ses salari�s � Londres

Par Christophe ALIX et Sonya FAURE

mardi 29 juin 2004 (Liberation - 06:00)

Jeff Bezos, le PDG am�ricain d'amazon.com, adore finir ses communications aux salari�s en forme d'encouragement : �Amazon n'en est qu'� ses d�buts... Chez nous, c'est toujours le "day one" !� Cette fois, pour les trois quarts des salari�s du si�ge de la filiale fran�aise du leader mondial du commerce en ligne, c'en est bien fini du day one. Selon nos informations, Amazon France s'appr�te � supprimer une cinquantaine des 70 postes de son si�ge de Guyancourt (Yvelines). Seuls une quinzaine de salari�s resteraient en France, � Paris cette fois, dans une surface beaucoup plus petite. Les autres, en majorit�, se verront proposer une �relocalisation� en Angleterre tandis qu'une dizaine n'aura d'autre choix que de prendre la porte, avec �des conditions de d�part g�n�reuses�, affirme l'entreprise. Le PDG de la filiale, Thomas Lot, le troisi�me en quatre ans, serait sur le d�part, selon des employ�s. �C'est un d�sinvestissement net du march� fran�ais, juge un concurrent, m�me si, commercialement, ils restent pr�sents.�

�Seule voie�. Pour la direction d'Amazon, cette chute des effectifs en France s'inscrit dans un processus de centralisation des activit�s, autour de ses m�tiers et non plus par pays. Une tendance d�j� observ�e chez d'autres grands noms du Web pr�sents en France sans effectif ou presque. La France, le plus modeste des march�s d'Amazon, apr�s le Canada, est la premi�re touch�e par cette �r�organisation globale�. Mais elle concerne �galement l'Allemagne et le Japon, pour lequel une partie des activit�s a d�j� �t� relocalis�e aux Etats-Unis.

Selon Amazon, cette r�organisation, qui se traduira par de nouvelles �conomies de co�ts, est �la seule voie possible� pour permettre � l'activit� fran�aise de devenir profitable et de continuer � faire b�n�ficier ses clients de prix bas.

Un ex-salari� confirme : �Ils recherchent toujours plus de rentabilit�, pour �tre toujours plus performants. Dans les nouvelles technologies, c'est moins compliqu� qu'ailleurs : tous les process peuvent �tre standardis�s, ils peuvent facilement supprimer des jobs.� Si les activit�s de la plate-forme de distribution d'Orl�ans (une soci�t� distincte) et celles li�es aux relations avec la centaine de fournisseurs d'amazon France ne sont pas �d�localisables� et donc pas concern�es par le plan, les �quipes sp�cialis�es dans l'entretien du site et le marketing �ditorial (chefs de rubriques et de produits, etc.), qui formaient le gros des troupes de Guyancourt, vont se voir proposer de d�m�nager � Slough, pr�s de Londres. Demain, le responsable du rayon BD pour la France ou DVD pour l'Allemagne travaillera depuis l'Angleterre. Seule l'�quipe charg�e de la �place de march�, qui permet aux professionnels et aux particuliers de s'acheter et de se vendre entre eux livres, CD ou DVD, reste en France. En forte croissance, cette activit� est celle sur laquelle mise Amazon en France pour rem�dier � des r�sultats plut�t d�cevants dans les ventes de produits neufs.

�Ambiance d�l�t�re�. Depuis plusieurs mois d�j�, la soci�t� tentait de provoquer des d�parts, selon des anciens de l'entreprise, qui parlent d'un �turn-over terrible� et d'une �ambiance d�l�t�re�. �D'avril 2003 � avril 2004, plus d'une vingtaine de personnes sont parties : d�mission ou licenciement. Tout le monde se sentait sur un si�ge �jectable. Ils nous ont �puis�s.� A la mani�re d'un rouleau compresseur, les Etats-Unis imposent lentement mais s�rement leur m�thode de management : �Un niveau d'exigence tr�s �lev�, selon les salari�s les plus indulgents. Une �pression hallucinante�, une �parano grandissante�, pour les plus aigris. Chez Amazon France, chaque d�partement est organis� en pyramide, dont le sommet renvoie directement � Seattle, le si�ge de la maison m�re. �M�me pour une manip sur un catalogue, m�me pour embaucher un stagiaire, il fallait l'autorisation du vice-pr�sident international � Seattle�, t�moigne un ancien chef de service.

Au printemps, le service de la supply chain (l'approvisionnement) avait d�j� �t� plac� devant le m�me choix crucial : l'Angleterre ou le licenciement �conomique. Sur les huit personnes concern�es, une seule avait accept� de rejoindre la filiale anglaise. Les sept autres ont �t� convoqu�es ; la direction a d�cid� d'interrompre leur pr�avis. Ils sont sortis de la r�union � 16 h 15. A 17 h 15 pr�cises, leurs ordinateurs �taient coup�s, selon un t�moignage. �Vir�s en 30 minutes par une bo�te que nous avons mont�e...�

Source :
http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=219422

La filial francesa de Amazon despedir� a la mayor parte de sus empleados

PARIS, 29 (EP/AFP)

La filial francesa del grupo norteamericano de comercio 'online' Amazon tiene previsto suprimir medio centenar de los 70 puestos de trabajo con que cuenta su sede en Guyancourt (Yvelines), inform� hoy el diario Liberation.

Solo una quincena de trabajadores seguir�n trabajando en las instalaciones de Paris, que ser�n reducidas. La mayor�a de los dem�s empleados ser�n objeto de recolocaci�n en Inglaterra, mientras una decena ser� despedido, incluyendo al propio presidente de la compa��a en Francia, Thomas Lot, de acuerdo con fuentes de la plantilla.

Para la direcci�n de Amazon, esta reducci�n de efectivos en Francia se inscribe en un proceso de cnetralizaci�n de actividades.

Source :
http://www.optize.es/servlet/RdServlet?fwd=conten2&page=/conten/pNoticias.jsp?IdContenido=17682&IdTipoContenido=84&fechaInicio=29/06/2004

Amazon.com seeks to dissolve partnership

By Jeffrey Gold, AP Business Writer | June 28, 2004

NEWARK, N.J. -- Online retailer Amazon.com, responding to a lawsuit by Toys "R" Us Inc., is seeking to dissolve their partnership, citing a "chronic failure" by the nation's No. 2 toy seller to adhere to their contract.

Seattle-based Amazon.com suggested it should be awarded at least $750 million as compensation for lost shipping revenue and other costs, in a countersuit filed Friday in state Superior Court in Paterson.

"We believe this counterclaim has no merit," Susan McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Wayne-based Toys "R" Us, said Monday. "We are currently engaged in mediation, and have agreed to avoid additional commentary."

The filing was reported Saturday by The Seattle Times.

Toys "R" Us subsidiary Toysrus.com sued Amazon.com in May, charging that the Web-based retailer violated exclusivity terms by selling, and letting others sell, products that their agreement required can be sold only by Toys "R" Us.

Toys "R" Us claimed it paid $200 million over four years for the privilege of having competitors kept off the Web site.

In its response, Amazon.com said their agreement provides exceptions that allow Amazon.com and others to compete for sales of toys, games and baby products.

For instance, Amazon.com said the deal allowed other vendors to sell such products on its Web site on terms available to the general public, and are not subject to exclusivity.

Amazon.com charged that Toysrus.com demonstrated a "chronic unwillingness or inability" to meet its contractual obligation to offer a comprehensive selection of top-selling toys, games and baby products.

It claimed Toysrus.com was out of stock of the most popular items during the critical holiday buying season, hurting efforts to compete with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's top toy seller.

Both Amazon.com and Toys "R" Us seek a judgment that the other is violating the agreement.

Toys "R" Us seeks unspecified monetary damages for breach of contract, or, a ruling that would void the contract and force Amazon.com to return the $200 million.

With the signing of the deal in August 2000, Toysrus.com stopped selling products through its own site to join the Amazon.com site, Toys "R" Us said.

Toys "R" Us shares fell 38 cents to close at $16.18 Monday on the New York Stock Exchange, while Amazon.com shares rose $1.59, or 3.1 percent, to close at $53.39 Monday on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.

Source :
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2004/06/28/amazon_seeks_to_cut_toys_r_us_ties/

Amazon quiere romper su acuerdo con Toys'R'Us

Amazon.com, la popular tienda "on line" creada por Jeff Bezos, reclama 750 millones de d�lares a Toys'R'Us como indemnizaci�n por los perjuicios que le ha causado su acuerdo de colaboraci�n, firmado en agosto de 2000, que ahora pretende cancelar.

(Libertad Digital) La decisi�n de Amazon se produce como respuesta a la denuncia que el pasado 24 de mayo present� la tienda de juguetes contra la cibertienda por violar un acuerdo de exclusividad, firmado por un periodo de cuatro a�os. �ste imped�a a la tienda "on line" llegar a acuerdos similares con terceras partes para comercializar juguetes, juegos y productos para beb�s en su 'cibertienda'.

Toys'R'Us asegura haber encontrado 4.000 registros de productos rivales en la p�gina de Amazon. "Creemos que podemos tener varios vendedores en la categor�a de juguetes, incrementar la selecci�n y ofrecer productos de Toys'R' Us, ha replicado Patty Smith, portavoz de Amazon. La compa��a con sede en Seattle mantiene acuerdos con minoristas como Gap, Foot Locker y Dean & Deluca, que pagan una comisi�n de entre un 10 y un 15 por ciento por cada producto que venden a trav�s de su p�gina.

Desde que ambas compa��as firmaron el acuerdo de colaboraci�n, Toysrus.com ha desembolsado cerca de 200 millones de d�lares para mantener el contrato de exclusividad, seg�n detalla en la demanda presentada el pasado mayo.

En la tienda conjunta, Amazon.com se encargaba de la parte t�cnica y del proceso de ventas, mientras que Toys "R" Us era responsable de las compras y la administraci�n del inventario.

Source :
http://www.libertaddigital.com/noticias/noticia_1276226503.html

Amazon and Toys 'R' Us Breakup

Recently Amazon.com terminated its partnership with Toysrus.com. This was a countersuit against Toys 'R' Us, who earlier sued Amazon for breaching its provisions of its $50 million a year agreement. Amazon.com asked a New Jersey Superior Court judge for an award of more than $750 million, arguing that Toys R Us failed to effectively choose top toys and baby products and to keep products in stock.

Amazon and Toys R Us agreed in August 2000 to run co-branded toy and baby sores online-a deal which would benefit both parties and help expand Amazon.com. Toys R� Us paid more than $200 million to take part in the deal.

Toys R� Us� stocks had fell 10 percent in the third quarter of last year and the first quarter of this year. Currently Amazon.com must figure out a way to make a profit in order to make up for the loss that the deal with Toys R Us brought about.

A court hearing is scheduled for July 23, 2004.

Source :
http://www.hardwaregeeks.com/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=252

Amazon.com to Webcast Second Quarter 2004 Financial Results Conference Call

SEATTLE, Jun 25, 2004-- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will hold a conference call to discuss its second quarter 2004 financial results on July 22, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET.

The event will be webcast live, and the audio and associated slides will be available for at least three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir.

SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon se apunta

Disponible en la Red en versi�n beta, A9 es el nombre del buscador presentado por la tienda on-line Amazon, su apuesta por competir con los principales buscadores del ciberespacio. Precisamente, el antiguo jefe de tecnolog�a de Yahoo!, Udi Manber, dirige el proyecto, que tiene su sede en Silicon Valley.

A9 incluye su propia herramienta de b�squeda, adem�s de la de Google, empleada para las pesquisas en la Red, y otras de Amazon ya existentes, como la base de datos de pel�culas. Sus principales novedades pasan por la posibilidad de guardar un historial de las consultas, introducir la duda directamente en la barra del navegador junto a la URL (si nos interesa encontrar informaci�n sobre Madrid, s�lo tendremos que teclear www.a9.com/Madrid) o bloquear pop-ups, adem�s de su atractiva propuesta de �buscar dentro del libro� (ver recuadro Hojeando libros ). Si contamos con Internet Explorer y una cuenta en Amazon, tambi�n tenemos la posibilidad de descargarnos la barra de herramientas del A9 en nuestro navegador.

Otra alternativa interesante es el historial, que incluye un diario de nuestras actividades en el buscador. As�, es posible almacenar y hacer anotaciones en las p�ginas de resultados que visitemos. Estas notas quedan guardadas para la pr�xima vez que entremos en esas webs. Para acceder a nuestras p�ginas visitadas, es necesario introducir nuestra contrase�a de usuario, una forma de proteger la intimidad y privacidad de la navegaci�n.

Los resultados se ofrecen en tres columnas seg�n su fuente: Internet (buscados a trav�s de Google), libros e historial. Al colocar el cursor sobre cualquiera de ellos, la pantalla nos muestra informaci�n resumida sin abandonar la p�gina de b�squeda, con datos como de qu� trata o cu�l es el n�mero de visitas que recibe la p�gina.

Source:
http://www.pc-actual.com/Actualidad/Reportajes/Inform�tica_personal/Mundo_digital/20040623015/2

Amazon invente un nouveau concept

Amazon invente un nouveau concept pour attirer les consommateurs. L'e-marchand offre aux internautes en avant-premi�re une sc�ne du film "Notebook", qui doit sortir le 25 juin. R�alis� par Nicholas Sparks, le film est tir� du roman �crit par Sparks lui-m�me. Amazon esp�re ainsi convaincre � la fois les amateurs de DVD et les lecteurs de s'int�resser � l'auteur-r�alisateur. Une nouvelle fa�on d'int�resser les consommateurs aux produits et de les pousser � acheter. L'option "preview" qui permet aux internautes de voir une sc�ne d'un film en avant-premi�re vient compl�ter l'offre d'Amazon qui permet �galement de lire en exclusivit� un chapitre d'un livre � para�tre.

Source :
http://www.journaldunet.com/0406/040621brefinter.shtml

Les marketplace, un eldorado pour les marchands

eBay, Amazon ou Priceminister abritent des milliers de vendeurs professionnels, nouveaux convertis ou vrais marchands, qui profitent de ces places de march� grand public pour d�velopper leurs activit�s commerciales. Un ph�nom�ne en pleine croissance. (09/06/2004)

Lanc�es aux Etats-Unis d'abord par eBay, puis par Amazon fin 2000, les places de march� grand public sur lesquelles peuvent vendre des commer�ants ayant pignon sur rue, voire des internautes, font de plus en plus recette dans le monde. "Sur le premier trimestre 2004, 23 % des unit�s vendues sur l'ensemble des sites Amazon dans le monde l'ont �t� par des tiers, particuliers et entreprises confondus", explique Fran�ois Saugier, responsable Marketplace chez Amazon France, l'activit� place de march� du cyberlibraire. Ce r�sultat est en progression d'un point par rapport au troisi�me trimestre 2003 (22 %) et de six points par rapport au troisi�me trimestre 2002 (17 %).

M�me ph�nom�ne chez eBay, le pionnier du genre, o� un quart des transactions r�alis�es sur les diff�rents sites pays a �t� conclu � prix fixes par le biais de particuliers ayant cr�� des micro-entreprises ou de commer�ants �tablis. Fin 2003, eBay recensait plus de 430.000 vendeurs professionnels sur son site am�ricain. En 2001, ils n'�taient que 150.000. L� aussi, la croissance est au rendez-vous.

Ce concept des places de march� grand public a, en raison de son succ�s, �t� dupliqu� dans de nombreux pays dont la France, qui compte aujourd'hui sur ce segment trois principaux acteurs : eBay France et PriceMinister (sur toutes les cat�gories de produit qu'ils proposent) et Amazon France, uniquement sur les produits culturels.

Il est difficile d'�valuer ce que repr�sente aujourd'hui ce march� dans l'Hexagone, eBay et Amazon �tant tr�s discrets sur leurs chiffres. Seules indications : eBay France recense plusieurs milliers de vendeurs professionnels et une croissance annuelle � trois chiffres de leur nombre, tandis qu'Amazon France affichait fin mars 2004, cinq millions d'offres propos�es par des tiers (particuliers et professionnels) sur Marketplace.

Seul PriceMinister d�voile quelques chiffres pr�cis. Si les offres propos�es par des professionnels repr�sentent 50 % de la totalit� des produits disponibles sur son site (2,7 millions d'articles), ils g�n�rent 30 % du chiffre d'affaires total. "Cet �cart entre volume et valeur vient du fait que les particuliers apportent beaucoup plus de diversit� produits que les professionnels", souligne Olivier Mathiot, directeur marketing et communication de PriceMinister.

Amazon : une plate-forme ouverte, y compris aux e-marchands

Quoiqu'il en soit, ce nouveau canal semble s�duire de plus en plus d'entreprises d�sireuses de vendre en ligne. Leurs profils et leurs motivations sont d'ailleurs tr�s vari�es, en particulier sur Amazon.fr et Priceminister.com. On y retrouve aussi bien de gros distributeurs qui utilisent Internet comme un canal de distribution compl�mentaire en affichant des prix plus agressifs que dans les r�seaux de distribution offline, que des petits sp�cialistes en province qui utilisent le Web pour �largir leur zone de chalandise. La formule de la place de march� n'est d'ailleurs pas r�serv�e aux seuls marchands offline. Amazon propose �galement sa plate-forme aux vendeurs virtuels parmi lesquels figurent en France Abebooks.fr, Chapitre.com ou encore Dvdmoinscher.com.

Le profil des entreprises sur eBay.fr est, en revanche, un peu plus sp�cifique. "Nous avons aujourd'hui sur notre plate-forme plus de petites, voire de micro-entreprises, que de grandes soci�t�s, indique Gr�gory Boutt�, directeur d'eBay France. Parmi ces micro-entreprises, il existe deux grands profils : soit l'entreprise existe d�j� et elle teste notre plate-forme pour g�n�rer du chiffre d'affaires suppl�mentaire. Soit elle se cr��e autour et gr�ce � la plate-forme et grandit uniquement gr�ce � ses activit�s en ligne." Un cas de figure qui semble de plus en plus fr�quent sur toutes les plate-formes et qui contribue � cr�er des emplois et, in fine, de la richesse.

Il faut dire que cette forme de vente, relativement in�dite, offre quelques avantages, surtout pour de petites structures. Dans leur mode de fonctionnement actuel, ces places de march� permettent aux entreprises d'acc�der � des milliers, voire � des millions d'acheteurs potentiels gr�ce aux plate-formes internationales comme eBay et Amazon, � un co�t qui n'a rien � voir avec la cr�ation d'un r�seau de boutiques ou de sites.

Pour s'installer sur ces places de march�, l'adh�sion au service est gratuite, quel que soit le statut du vendeur (entreprise ou particulier). "Nous voulons que les conditions de concurrence soient les plus claires possible pour ne pas avantager une cat�gorie par rapport � une autre, insiste Olivier Mathiot de PriceMinister. Nous voulons au contraire organiser la concurrence pour que les prix soient les plus bas possibles."

Sur eBay, les professionnels doivent toutefois mentionner leur statut lors de l'inscription et, s'ils le souhaitent, entrer leur num�ro de TVA. M�me chose sur PriceMinister qui demande aux professionnels de signer un contrat sp�cifique o� ils s'engagent sur la disponibilit� de leurs produits, sur la fiabilit� de leur envois et sur un clause d'exclusivit�. Ce dernier point repose toutefois sur la bonne foi du marchand, PriceMinister n'ayant pas les moyens de v�rifier son application. Cette clause n'existe d'ailleurs pas sur les autres plate-formes.

Sur le plan financier, les entreprises b�n�ficient des m�mes commissions et du m�me syst�me de versement que les particuliers. Seule exception : Amazon qui distingue les vendeurs en fonction de leur volume de vente. "Alors qu'un particulier verse 12 % de commission sur chaque vente au cyberlibraire et 1,14 euro de frais fixe sur chaque unit� vendue, un professionnel paye une commission identique auquelle s'ajoute un forfait mensuel de 39 euros HT", indique Fran�ois Saugier, responsable de Marketplace chez Amazon. Celui-ci donne droit a quelques services suppl�mentaires, comme des outils sp�cifiques de mise en ligne et de gestion des stocks.

Chez PriceMinister ou eBay, ces services sont aujourd'hui totalement gratuits. PriceMinister offre m�me � ces gros vendeurs une boutique en ligne h�berg�e par ses soins, une �quipe commerciale d�di�e qui compte douze personnes, et des animations et des mises en avant sur le site ou dans les newsletters. En contre-partie, les vendeurs doivent s'engager sur des disponibilit�s et un prix de vente. De leur c�t�, eBay et Amazon offrent une plate-forme internationale qui permet de toucher un nombre encore plus importants d'acheteurs potentiels et une tr�s forte audience.

Ces mod�les, tr�s avantageux, ne sont toutefois pas fig�s. Avec le lancement de nouvelles rubriques comme l'automobile, PriceMinister �tudie de nouveaux services et de nouveaux modes de facturation pour sa place de march�. De son c�t�, le mod�le d'Amazon n'est pas totalement complet en France. Contrairement aux Etats-Unis, le site fran�ais ne propose pas encore de cr�er une boutique virtuelle d�di�e � un seul marchand comme c'est le cas actuellement sur Amazon.com pour Target ou Toys'R'us. Mais ce n'est qu'une question de temps. "La question n'est pas est-ce que nous allons le faire, mais quand nous allons le faire", annonce Fran�ois Saugier.

Source :
http://www.journaldunet.com/0406/040609marketplace.shtml

Amazon.com Goes Plogging

By Ryan Naraine

E-commerce superstore Amazon.com has caught the blogging bug.

Looking to take advantage of the blogging (define) craze, the Seattle-based firm has launched a beta of Plogs, or personalized blogs, to shuttle links of recommended products and relevant shopping information to users.

Some Amazon.com shoppers were greeted with the Plog, which is powered by the site's ability to sift through pages that users visited and purchases made. It appears to be just another avenue for Amazon.com to recommends products during the online shopping experience, much like the existing "Customers who bought this item also bought these:" feature.

It is not yet clear if the new service was created by Amazon.com's A9 subsidiary, which was set up to build technology to power e-commerce searching.

According to Amazon.com director of platform and technology communications Craig Berman, the goal of the Plog service is to "provide users with an easy way to keep current on events that are relevant to them."

"The service is designed to further enhance the customer experience by providing personalized information, including product recommendations, order updates and other Amazon.com content in one convenient location," Berman said in an e-mail exchange.

According to a note on Amazon.com, the Plog is a diary-type feature of the users' shopping experience. "]It will help] you discover products that have just been released, track changes to your orders, and many other things. Just like a blog, your Plog is sorted in reverse chronological order. When we think we have something interesting or important to tell you, we'll post it to your Plog."

Berman said the latest move is part of the company's "relentless" mission to enhance the shopping experience for customers. "The more that customers visit the site and make purchases, the more interesting and helpful their Plog becomes."

The launch of Plogs comes on the heels of Amazon.com's embrace of RSS to shuttle content to Web shoppers. In March, the company rolled out hundreds of customized RSS (define) feeds, a move that gives a big thumbs-up to the growth of the content syndication format.

Amazon.com's RSS feeds have been programmed to deliver content by categories, subcategories and search results from its Web site. The company said the feeds would deliver a headline-view of the top 10 bestsellers in specific categories or set of search results. Categories include books, music, DVDs/videos, electronics, toys and magazines.

* ClickZ editor Pamela Parker contributed to this report.

From:
http://www.internetnews.com/ec-news/article.php/3363301

Amazon lanza "Plog"

La m�s famosa de las tiendas de comercio electr�nico ha decidido integrar las bit�coras online, tan en boga en el ciberespacio, a la experiencia de compra en su sitio. 03.06.2004, 12:38

Mouse.- La compa��a estadounidense ha bautizado el servicio como "Plog", para referirse a una especie de blog personalizado orientado a mostrar su cat�logo de productos.

Amazon utiliza toda la informaci�n que ha recolectado del usuario registrado, seg�n su patr�n de compras y agrega recomendaciones de productos en un formato tipo weblog.

La empresa describe a Plog como "un diario de eventos que mejorar� la experiencia de compra, ayudando a descubrir productos reci�n lanzados, seguir las �rdenes de compra(...)".

"Tal como un blog, su Plog se ordena en orden cronol�gico inverso. Cuando creamos que tenemos algo interesante o importante que contarle, lo reportaremos en su Plog", agrega.

Hay informaci�n relacionada (haga click aqu�) .

Fuente:
http://mouse.tercera.cl/detail.asp?story=2004/06/03/12/38/48

Amazon se lance dans la vente de photographies

Amazon.com a annonc� aujourd'hui un partenariat avec Getty Images, la plus grande banque d'images mondiale, afin de vendre des photographies de haute qualit� sur son site. Getty Images vend d�ja des photographies sur son site pour professionnels mais souhaitait �galement se lancer sur le march� de la vente aux particuliers, et Amazon est un partenaire de choix en la mati�re puisque c'est le leader de la vente de produits culturels en ligne.

Les tarifs pour les photographies iront de 12 � 49 euros selon �videmment la taille de la photographie. Outre les photos venant de la banque Getty Images, des photos historiques de la collection Hulton et de la National Geographic pourront �tre achet�es. On ne sait pas encore si le site fran�ais proposera ce service.

Ce nouveau partenariat est la suite logique de la strat�gie de diversit� poursuivie par Amazon.com puisque le site am�ricain vend d�ja outre des produits culturels des ustensiles de cuisine, de la vaisselle, des habits, des jouets pour enfants et des appareils �lectroniques.

Source :
http://www.presence-pc.com/news/n3983.html

Beastie Boys Talk Exclusively to Amazon.com about Their New Album and Debut Rare Concert Performance

SEATTLE--June 2, 2004--Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that in anticipation of the June 15 release of their long-awaited new album, "To The 5 Boroughs," Capitol Records recording artists, Beastie Boys, conducted an exclusive on-camera interview with Amazon.com music editor, Jason Verlinde. The interview and additional bonus material are available beginning today to music fans who pre-order the new album on Amazon.com.

The exclusive, 10 minute Amazon.com interview was conducted in New York City at Beastie Boys' downtown New York studio several weeks ago. Beastie Boys -- alternately sarcastic and serious -- riff on topics ranging from September 11's impact on the album, to their tongue-in-cheek passion for sub sandwiches (with extra lettuce), to their feelings about the upcoming Presidential race. This rare interview, which is one of only a handful the band will conduct in support of the album, provides an opportunity to observe the bands' unique chemistry and ironic sense of humor.

Fans who pre-order "To The 5 Boroughs" on Amazon.com beginning today will also be given immediate access, via video stream, to the music videos for "Ch-Check It Out" and two previously unavailable live concert performances--"Sure Shot" and "Super Disco Breakin"--recorded live in Glasgow, Scotland on the 1998-1999 "Hello Nasty" tour.

"The Amazon.com Beastie Boys interview reflects the eclectic tone of the new album, which includes a diverse array of material from party songs to politically-themed tracks," said Jason Verlinde, Amazon.com senior music editor.

To learn more or to pre-order Beastie Boys' new album, and receive the exclusive video stream, go to www.amazon.com/beastieboys or visit Amazon.com's music store (www.amazon.com/music). The album is available from Amazon.com for $12.98, a 32% discount. This is the band's first new album in six years.

From : Amazon.com

Amazon.com distributeur de d�coration d'int�rieur

Bombay, entreprise sp�cialis�e dans la d�coration d'int�rieur, a d�sign� Amazon comme distributeur en ligne exclusif de ses produits. Amazon devra d�velopper et g�rer les cyberboutiques de Bombay. En 2003, l'entreprise a enregistr� un volume d'affaires provenant des ventes en ligne de 17 millions de dollars, sur un volume total de 596 millions de dollars sur l'ann�e. Bombay utilisait d�j� la plate-forme d'Amazon pour vendre ses produits depuis octobre 2003.

Source :
http://www.journaldunet.com/0406/040601brefinter.shtml

X10.com Beats Amazon.com Prices for iPods

SEATTLE, WA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/28/2004 -- X10 Wireless Technology, Inc. -- a leading online retailer of affordable consumer electronics, specializing in security, surveillance, entertainment and automation products -- is excited to now offer a selection of best-selling iPods at the lowest prices available on the Internet.

Beginning Friday, May 28th, X10.com will offer the iPod 15GB, iPod 20GB and iPod mini for the best prices available on the web -- including Amazon.com. Quantities are limited.

With the creation of its new electronics store, X10 will offer the best value available on select and in-demand electronics products -- and extend the savings to their customers. For more details, visit http://www.x10.com/electronics/.

About X10 Wireless Technology, Inc.

X10 WTI has been operating out of Seattle, Washington since 1997, and has pioneered the development of affordable home solutions for everyday life, including home surveillance, security, automation and entertainment accessories.

For information: http://www.x10.com/electronics

From:
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=67966

Amazon Services and the Bombay Company Announce E-Commerce Alliance

SEATTLE & FORT WORTH, Texas, May 26, 2004 -- Amazon Services, Inc. and The Bombay Company, Inc. (NYSE:BBA) today announced that Bombay has chosen the Amazon Services Merchant.com solution for its online sales offering. Under their multi-year agreement, Bombay plans to launch new websites powered by Amazon's e-commerce technology for Bombay (bombaycompany.com), Bombay Kids (bombaykids.com), Bombay Outlet (bombayoutlet.com), and Bombay's Canadian operations and business-to-business operations. Amazon Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN).

"We thoroughly reviewed the options for taking our online channel to the next level and are confident we found this solution with Amazon Services," said James D. Carreker, Bombay's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We looked for a solution that is stable, scalable and one that includes the type of world-class customer tools and technologies that Amazon has become known for in order to continue our aggressive growth in online sales and to provide a great multi-channel shopping experience for our customers."

Under the agreement, Amazon Services will build and maintain Bombay-branded websites that are integrated with Amazon's back-end technology systems. Amazon.com shopping features such as 1-Click(R) shopping, Search and Navigation, Personalization, Ordering and Payments, and Community features like Wish Lists, Recommendations, and Customer Reviews will also be available to Bombay's online customers. Visitors to Bombay's sites will be able to shop conveniently using their Amazon.com account information. Bombay will continue to operate order fulfillment and customer service.

"We are pleased that The Bombay Company chose Amazon Services for its e-commerce technology solution," said Amazon Services Senior Vice President Mark Stabingas. "We look forward to putting Amazon's world-class technology and e-commerce experience to work in presenting Bombay's unique brand and selection to its growing online customer base."

In October 2003, Bombay joined the Amazon Services Merchants@ program and began offering selection through the Amazon.com website as an additional channel for acquiring new customers and increasing sales. Customers can continue to shop Bombay's branded storefront in the Amazon.com Home & Garden Store, which takes advantage of Amazon.com's trusted shopping environment, e-commerce technology, transaction-related customer service and traffic.

Source: Amazon.com

Toys R Us accuse Amazon de ne pas respecter ses engagements

Toys"R"Us, qui a confi� la vente en ligne de ses produits � Amazon, accuse le distributeur en ligne de ne pas respecter le contrat d'exclusivit� qui liait les deux soci�t�s. (26/05/2004)

Le syst�me de plate-forme d'e-commerce d�ploy� par Amazon est une nouvelle fois mis � dure �preuve. En mars 2002, plusieurs sites marchands avaient d�j� remis en cause les accords sign�s avec le distributeur en ligne, auquel ils avaient confi� la vente de leurs produits (lire l'article du 25/03/2002). Le voyagiste Expedia et le distributeur de jouets Toys "R" Us faisaient notamment partie des contestataires. Le 23 mai dernier, Toys "R" Us a relanc� l'affaire en accusant Amazon de ne plus respecter ses engagements.

Selon le distributeur de jouets, le contrat le liant � Amazon, sign� en ao�t 2000 pour une dur�e de 10 ans, incluait une clause d'exclusivit� sur la vente de jouets et jeux pour enfants. Or, plus de 4 000 produits vendus par Toys"R"Us sur Amazon.com seraient �galement vendus par des concurrents sur ce m�me site.

Amazon a imm�diatement r�agi � ces accusations en faisant une d�claration publique hier matin. La librairie en ligne a expliqu� qu'elle �largissait l'offre propos�e aux internautes, dans le respect des engagements pris avec ses patenaires et que les all�gations de Toys "R" Us �taient infond�es.

Les deux entreprises ont cherch� une solution amiable au diff�rend qui les oppose mais n'ont toujours pas trouv� d'accord. Amazon tenait hier son assembl�e g�n�rale annuelle.

Source :
http://www.journaldunet.com/0405/040526amazon.shtml

Toys "R" Us charges that Amazon violated its exclusivity rights

JEFFREY GOLD

Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. - Toys "R" Us Inc. maintains that when it agreed to become a featured part of Amazon.com, it expected competitors would be kept off the Web site. And it has paid $200 million in four years for the privilege over four years.

"Like any prospective anchor tenant ... (Toys "R" Us) wanted to be the only toy and game store and baby products store in the virtual mall," its subsidiary Toyrus.com charged in a lawsuit against Amazon.com.

Amazon.com has violated exclusivity terms by selling, and letting others sell, products that the agreement requires can be sold only by Toys "R" Us, according to the lawsuit, announced Monday by Wayne-based Toys "R" Us.

Other products reserved for Toys "R" Us through 2010 were sold through Amazon.com's "sponsored links," which connect customers to Web sites of other companies, said the lawsuit, which was filed Friday in state Superior Court in Paterson.

As of March, more than 4,000 products were being sold on Amazon.com in direct competition with Toys "R" Us, the lawsuit said.

"This violates the letter and spirit of our agreement," said David J. Schwartz, senior vice president-general counsel for Toys "R" Us. "We would be happy to compete with other vendors in these categories, but we are not willing to pay for exclusivity that we are not receiving."

The lawsuit also charged that Seattle-based Amazon.com is planning a new technology for its site that "will allow new and different merchants to offer additional products for sale on the Amazon site, including products exclusive to (Toys "R" Us)," the lawsuit charged.

The technology will allow the biggest competitors of Toys "R" Us - Target and Wal-Mart - "to compete side-by-side with (Toys "R" Us), without first having to pay the annual base fees (Toys "R" Us) pays for exclusivity."

A statement issued by Amazon.com spokeswoman Patty Smith showed the companies have a different view of the meaning of exclusivity.

"Among other things, we believe we can have multiple sellers in the toy category, increased selection, and offer products that (Toys "R" Us) doesn't have," Smith said. "We believe that the allegations made by (Toys "R" Us) are without merit, but we can't comment further on pending litigation."

The lawsuit seeks a court order barring the new technology to be used to sell competing products, a court finding that Amazon.com is violating the agreement, and unspecified monetary damages for breach of contract.

Alternatively, Toys "R" Us asks that the agreement be voided and Amazon.com return the $200 million.

With the signing of the deal in August 2000, Toysrus.com stopped selling products through its own site to join the Amazon.com site, Toys "R" Us said.

From:
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/business/8748711.htm

Juego de ni�os

La unidad de internet de la jugueter�a mas grande del mundo comenz� un litigio contra Amazon.com por violar los derechos que tiene Toysrus.com de ser el unico proveedor de juguetes, juegos y productos para bebes en amazon.com.

Seg�n la agencia Dow Jones Newswires, Toys �R� Us dijo que la exclusividad con amazon.com vence en el 2010 pero hasta el 17 de mayo de este a�o mas de 4.000 productos en diferentes categor�as relacionadas al acuerdo entre las empresas han sido ofrecidos por diferentes minoristas y tiendas en amazon.com.

Toys �R� Us con sede en Nueva Jersey adem�s confirm� que no estaba de acuerdo con pagar por una exclusividad que no recibe. Seg�n la firma comercializadora de juguetes, este problema hab�a sido planteado de manera amistosa con amazon.com a trav�s de terceros mediadores.

Patty Smith de Amazon.com con sede en Seattle dijo a Dwight Oestricher, periodista de Dow Jones que la empresa que representa tiene el derecho de tener vendedores m�ltiples de juguetes que no puedan ser ofrecidos por Toys �R�Us, y por ende la posici�n de la empresa comercializadora de internet sostiene que los alegatos de la distribuidora de juguetes no tiene meritos.

Para tener una idea del mercado de juguetes vendidos en internet, de los $2 mil millones vendidos en total por Toys �R�Us en el primer trimestre del 2004, Toysrus.com contribuy� con $ 53 millones, es decir aproximadamente un 3% de las ventas de Toys �R� Us son a traves de su unidad de internet.

Fuente:
http://www.hispanicnewspress.com/descifradolat/negocios/?id=3495

Amazon.com to Webcast Annual Shareholder Meeting and Investor Conference Presentation

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will hold its 2004 Annual Meeting of Shareholders in Seattle on May 25, 2004, at 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET.

Additionally, the Company will be speaking at The Goldman Sachs Internet Conference on May 27, 2004 at 8:00 a.m. PT/11:00 a.m. ET.

These events will be webcast live, and the audio and associated slides of both will be available for at least three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir.

CONTACT: Amazon.com, Inc.
Patty Smith, 206-266-7180

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

Fundador de Amazon compr� acciones de Google

NUEVA YORK, Estados Unidos (BLOOMBERG). �El presidente de Amazon.com Inc., Jeff Bezos, que en febrero ocupaba el puesto 82 entre las personas m�s ricas del mundo, seg�n la revista Forbes, podr�a escalar una o dos posiciones cuando Google Inc. salga a Bolsa este a�o.

Google, que opera el buscador de internet m�s utilizado del mundo, revel� en un documento oficial que Bezos era uno de sus cinco primeros inversores externos.

El grupo, en el que tambi�n se encuentra el anterior ejecutivo de Amazon.com, Ram Shriram, pag� seis cent�simos por acci�n de Google a finales de 1998, seg�n los documentos.

Bezos, de 40 a�os, ya ha amasado una fortuna personal de cinco mil 100 millones de d�lares, seg�n Forbes , al hacer de Amazon.com, con sede en Seattle, el mayor minorista por internet del mundo. El ejecutivo podr�a cosechar nuevos frutos con la salida a Bolsa de Google, que tiene previsto ingresar unos dos mil 700 millones con su oferta p�blica de venta, un r�cord para una salida a Bolsa de una empresa de internet.

�Hay que reconocerle m�rito a Bezos por su visi�n de futuro'', dijo Benjamin Horowitz, responsable ejecutivo de Opsware Inc., proveedor de software que form� con Marc Andreessen, uno de los cofundadores de Netscape Communications Corp. ��Qui�n habr�a pensado en 1998 que el nuevo �xito ser�a la b�squeda por internet?''.

Los responsables de Google no quisieron hacer comentarios y los ejecutivos de Amazon.com no quisieron dar acceso a Bezos para una entrevista.

Valoraci�n de la inversi�n

Google, con sede en Mountain View, California, vendi� 15,36 millones de acciones de serie A por 960 mil d�lares, poco despu�s de que la empresa se constituyese en una sociedad en septiembre de 1998, seg�n documentos remitidos por la empresa a la Comisi�n de Valores y Bolsa estadounidense (SEC) el 29 de abril.

Fuente:
http://www.prensa.com/hoy/negocios/1694124.html

Payback for this angel investor

By MILES WEISS
BLOOMBERG NEWS

Amazon.com Inc. Chairman Jeff Bezos, ranked by Forbes magazine in February as the world's 82nd-richest person, stands to move up a notch or two when Google Inc. holds its initial public offering later this year.

Google, operator of the most widely used search engine on the Internet, disclosed in a securities filing that Bezos was one of the company's first five outside investors. The group, which also includes former Amazon.com executive Ram Shriram, paid 6 cents a share for Google stock in late 1998, according to the documents.

Bezos, 40, already has built a personal fortune of $5.1 billion, according to Forbes, by turning Amazon.com into the world's largest online retailer.

He is set to reap further rewards as Google prepares to raise $2.7 billion through its IPO, a record first-time stock sale for an Internet company.

"You have to give Bezos credit for vision," said Benjamin Horowitz, the chief executive of Opsware Inc., a software provider he set up with Marc Andreessen, one of the co-founders of Netscape Communications Corp. "Who would have thought in 1998 that the next big thing would be Internet search?"

Google executives declined comment, and Amazon.com executives declined to make Bezos available for an interview.

Mountain View, Calif.-based Google sold 15.36 million Series A shares, for a total of $960,000, shortly after the company incorporated in September 1998, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 29. Bezos was cited in an exhibit to the SEC filing as one of five investors who owned the Series A preferred stock.

The document doesn't disclose the number of shares that Bezos holds.

Based on data in the filing, Google has a current stock market value of as much as $25 billion, or about $91 a share, according to estimates provided to The Wall Street Journal by Jack Ciesielski, publisher of Analyst's Accounting Observer.

That would represent a 1,500- fold return for the Series A investors, who will be able to convert their preferred stock into an equivalent number of common shares, according to the SEC filing.

Google said in notices submitted to the California Department of Corporations that $760,000 of the Series A proceeds came from investors in California. These were listed in the SEC filing as Stanford University, where Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page attended school and developed some of their search-engine technology; David Cheriton, a Stanford computer science professor; and Andreas Bechtolsheim, a founder of Sun Microsystems Inc. and the first outsider to invest in Google.

The state notices also said that $200,000 of the Series A proceeds came from investors outside of California. Bezos and Shriram both resided in Washington state when Google sold the Series A shares in 1998.

Silicon Valley startups such as Google often raise seed money from technology entrepreneurs such as Bezos and Bechtolsheim who already have established their own companies.

In addition to cash, these so-called angel investors sometimes provide advice and contacts to the startup and lend credibility when the new venture goes to raise more money.

"Once you get the name, it always makes the second sale easier," said Sanjay Shirodkar, a securities attorney at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP in Washington, who helps closely held computer-related companies sell shares to the public.

From:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/174321_google21.html

Amazon.co.uk to Open Second Fulfillment Centre

- Site Selected in Inverclyde, Scotland -

Thursday May 20, 2004--Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announced that it is planning to open a second UK fulfilment centre in Gourock, Inverclyde. The new facility, which is set to be operational in the second half of 2004*, is expected to create up to 300 new jobs within 18 months for employees in the local area.

Amazon.co.uk's decision to open a second UK fulfilment operation comes following strong international sales growth. In q1 2004, Amazon.com's international segment--made up of the company's UK, German, French and Japanese operations--grew 80% year-over-year to $684 million. The Gourock fulfilment centre will help handle future customer demand and provide network optimisation, dispatching a wide range of products including items from newer categories such as Electronics & Photo, DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoor.

The company will continue to operate its existing UK fulfilment centre at Marston Gate, near Milton Keynes.

Read more...

Amazon Picks Bostech For Integration Wares For Retailers Joining Amazon e-Commerce Program

05/17/2004

Bostech Corporation, a provider of embedded integration solutions to retail software vendors, says Amazon Services has certified Bostech to provide integration software for retailers joining Amazon's e-commerce platform. Bostech says the software solution - Bostech's LINC for Amazon.com - enables retailers to quickly and easily begin selling their products through the Amazon e-commerce platform.

Bostech offered these details:

Under the agreement, Bostech will work with retail software vendors to automate retailers' integration to Amazon. By leveraging the LINC for Amazon.com and Bostech's JumpStart services, retail software providers can now offer integration solutions certified by Amazon Services in a significantly compressed timeframe. These retail technology adaptors utilizing the LINC module will enable retailers to quickly begin selling their products through Amazon.

Among the first retail software providers to launch using the integration software will be CommercialWare, who will have two solutions certified by Amazon Services. Retailers utilizing CommercialWare's CWDirect software package or OrderMotion's solution will be able to quickly start selling through the Amazon.com e-commerce platform.

Bostech's certification further extends its lead as the most widely embedded integration solution used by enterprise software vendors serving the retail industry. "Using Bostech's solution, it is now possible for many retailers to benefit from Amazon's e-commerce platform quickly and easily," said Brad Bostic, CEO of Bostech Corporation. "Bostech is thrilled to work with Amazon Services and we look forward to offering the LINC product to any retail software vendor interested in a seamless integration to the Amazon platform."

"By working with Bostech, retailers now have the added option of using a Bostech adaptor as they integrate with the Amazon platform," said Matt Williams, Amazon Services' Director of Technical Alliances. "This provides retailers with an option that can simplify their integration process and ultimately accelerate their products being introduced to our millions of customers."

"We believe that embedding the LINC for Amazon.com into our software and ASP solution strengthens our position in the market because it provides an immediate path to Amazon for both our enterprise and emerging customers," said Donny Askin , CEO of CommercialWare. "We're excited about expanding our relationship with Bostech and Amazon Services and offering our cross channel retail customers this new solution for extending their reach."

From:
http://www.ebizq.net/news/4446.html

Amazon.com founder tops list of best performance per dollar

Knight Ridder News

LONDON, England - Jeff Bezos, founder of Internet retailer Amazon, provided the best value for money for shareholders of any leading U.S. chief executive last year.

Bezos, who delivered a 58 percent annual return to shareholders since taking his company public in 1997, comes out on top for the second consecutive year in a survey by Forbes Global.

The calculations, which will be published as part of the magazine's yearly bang-for-the-buck ranking of top executives' pay in its next edition, reveal that not all top bosses earn their pay. There are huge discrepancies in the value provided by the chief executives of the largest U.S. companies, it reveals.

The magazine included in its survey U.S. bosses with six years of tenure as chief executive and a six-year pay history. It found 194 bosses that fit the bill and ranked them according to four related criteria.

The first is by six-year stock performance (including capital gains and dividends) relative to a company's industry peers. It also examined absolute stock performance during the chief executive's tenure and performance relative to the S&P 500 over the same period. The final criteria is total pay over the six years, including cash realized from the exercise of stock options.

Forbes Global combined these four rankings to create a bang-for-the-buck score. Bezos was number one with an annual average pay of a mere $82,000 and a 34 percent return to shareholders. But the Amazon.com founder also owns $5 billion worth of the company's shares.

The next best bosses were Joseph Ficalora of New York Community Bancorp, a financial services institution, with a 32 percent average annual rate of return and an average salary of $1.6 million; Frank Lanza of L3 Communications, a supplier of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, with a return of 29 percent for a salary of $3.2 million; Vernon Hill of Commerce Bancorp, another financial services firm, with a return of 24 percent for a salary of $1.6 million; and Mark Pigott of truck-maker Paccar, who provided a return of 18 percent for a salary of $2.5 million.

The median six-year pay for the 194 bosses came to $4.1 million a year, while the median six-year return to shareholders was an annualized 8 percent. Forbes Global's worst chief executive, Richard Manoogian of Masco Corporation, was rewarded with an average annual paycheck of $13 million for a mere 2 percent annual return to shareholders. Stephen Bollenbach of Hilton Hotels and Michael Eisner of Disney were also among the worst performers, according to the magazine..

Forbes Global is also publishing a list of best-paid chief executives at 25 of the top companies by market capitalization.

The ranking takes into account base salary, bonuses, benefits, long-term incentive plans and profits from cashing on stock options, where that information was obtainable.

The top earners in the U.S. in 2003 ranked according to their total compensation were Reuben Mark of Colgate-Palmolive on $147.9 million; George David of United Technologies on $70.5 million; Richard Fuld of Lehman Brothers on $67.7 million; Henry Silverman of Cendant on $60 million; Dwight Schar of NVR on $58.1 million; Larry Ellison of Oracle on $40.6 million; Richard Kovacevich of Wells Fargo on $37.8 million; Howard Solomon of Forest Labs on $36.1; and James Cayne of Bear Stearns on $33.9 million.

The best paid UK bosses earn a fraction of what their U.S. counterparts make. Susan Kitchens of Forbes Global said: "British firms typically get high marks for the most transparent reporting standards, while some Asian companies disclose nothing at all. In some cases - Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial and UBS, for instance - the chief executive's pay is lumped together with that of the management board, meaning that we estimated the top guy's pay based on the aggregate figure."

From :
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/05/07/build/business/30-amazon-founder.inc

Amazon.fr se lance dans la vente de produits high-tech

Apr�s avoir lanc� sa plate-forme de e-commerce en novembre dernier, Amazon.fr propose depuis un peu plus d'un mois, une s�lection de produits multim�dia. Un premier pas vers de nouveaux d�veloppements. (10/05/2004)

Fid�le � la politique d'innovation de sa maison m�re, Amazon.fr commence progressivement � diversifier ses activit�s. Apr�s avoir annonc� en novembre dernier le lancement de sa plate-forme de e-commerce baptis�e MarketPlace (cf l'article du 10/10/03), Amazon France teste depuis un peu plus d'un mois la vente de produits audio, vid�o et multim�dia. Un premier pas qui, � n'en pas douter, devrait d�boucher tr�s bient�t sur l'ouverture d'une nouvelle rubrique et sur de nouveaux d�ploiements.

Une �volution que Thomas Lot, directeur g�n�ral d'Amazon France, a confirm� lors du forum sur le commerce �lectronique organis� jeudi 6 mai par Benchmark Group. "Pour nous, la largeur et la profondeur de l'assortiment sont de v�ritables atouts sur Internet. Et nous les d�veloppons soit par nous-m�mes, soit via des partenaires. Aussi, � la question allez vous d�marrer l'�lectronique grand public en France, nous avons toujours r�pondu oui, la question demeurant quand. De m�me, si vous nous demandez si l'on d�marera la bijouterie en France ? La r�ponse est oui, mais la question c'est : quand ? L'id�e, en fait, c'est d'ouvrir au fur et � mesure l'offre de mani�re � ce qu'� terme on trouve sur Amazon tout ce que l'on peut imaginer sur Internet."

Encore en test et en construction, cette nouvelle gamme de produits multim�dia est relativement discr�te, malgr� l'ajout en page d'accueil d'un pav� permettant un acc�s direct � cette derni�re, incluse au sein de la rubrique "logiciels et consommables". Par ailleurs, son assortiment est encore relativement �troit et peu profond. Amazon.fr propose � ce jour trois familles de produits : les lecteurs et enregistreurs de DVD/DivX, les portable audio MP3 et les appareils photo num�riques. Soit une quarantaine d'articles au total. Naturellement, ce n'est qu'un d�but. A titre de comparaison, cette rubrique comporte sur Amazon.com six familles de produits avec chacune trois ou quatre sous-cat�gories.

De m�me, pour l'instant, tous ces produits sont vendus en direct par Amazon.fr alors que sur Amazon.com, ils sont aussi propos�s par des sites partenaires ou par des particuliers � l'�tat neuf ou d'occasion. Un �largissement qui, sur Amazon.fr, n'est qu'une question de temps, puisque l'infrastructure (la MarketPlace) est d�j� en place.

Cela n'emp�che pas Amazon.fr de proposer, d'ores et d�j�, des prix relativement attractifs et souvent tr�s bien plac�s par rapport � la concurrence. De quoi attiser un peu plus la guerre des prix sur le secteur... et certainement inqui�ter quelque peu des acteurs comme la Fnac, Rue du Commerce ou encore Pixmania. Toutefois, question service, on reste sur sa faim. Les fiches descriptives des produits sont souvent assez limit�es et moins claires que celles que l'on peut observer sur d'autres sites marchands. Une sp�cificit� due, en grande partie, � la pr�sentation des informations qui est calqu�e sur celle du site am�ricain.

Source :
http://www.journaldunet.com/0405/040510amazon.shtml

XML Europe 2004: Refactoring XML

by Eric van der Vlist
May 05, 2004

The European XML conference (XML Europe) took place last month in Amsterdam. One of the presentations was titled "refactoring XML" and, without going that far, one of the main recurring themes was certainly refactoring the uses of XML.

Six years after the publication of XML 1.0, many people wonder if there is still room for XML conferences and if it isn't time to devote ourselves to XML applications. XML Europe 2004 proved them wrong and has shown that it's time to use the experience we have gained to optimize the use of XML. This will require important simplifications, a good deal of refactoring, and many more XML conferences to share our progress.

Web Services are Still Web Services
Jeff Barr, Web Services evangelist at Amazon.com, opened the conference by presenting the strategy and the realizations of Amazon.com in the domain of web services. In a very pragmatic way, Amazon.com is fulfilling the vision of the "extended company" we were trying to sell when I was working at Sybase, 10 years ago.

This is also the dominant vision in web services marketing presentations and you all know the picture: in a world increasingly competitive and specialized, organizations have to open their IT systems to their partners and customers so that they can use it and finally contribute to the benefits of the "extended enterprise".

To fulfill this vision, we might have thought that the full pile of web services standards (all those "ws-*" documents) was required but Jeff Barr's presentation proved us wrong. Despite a very wide scope of features of Amazon.com's web services, covering much more than the catalog including selling and buying, the interfaces have been designed for simplicity.

These services are available either as SOAP or REST (that is, XML over HTTP). Much simpler, REST web services can be tested using a web browser. They account for 80% of the actual requests. In my view this is confirmation of the continuity between the Web and web services. Before anything else, web services are, as their name indicates, services accessible on the Web. They belong to the Web, and that's what makes them so interesting.

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Amazon : les ventes internationales �galent celles des �tats-Unis

Pour la premi�re fois au cours du dernier trimestre, les ventes internationales du cybercommer�ant Amazon auraient atteint la valeur de celles r�alis�es aux �tats-Unis.

Au cours du premier trimestre 2004, Amazon a r�alis� un b�n�fice net de 111,1 millions $US (26 cents US par action) alors que pendant la m�me p�riode, l'an dernier, le commerce en ligne essuyait une perte nette de 10,1 millions $US ou 3 cents US par action. Les chiffres d'affaires des m�mes p�riodes �taient respectivement de 1,53 milliard $US et 1,08 milliard $US.

Les ventes internationales ont affich� une forte hausse de 80% tandis que celles des �tats-Unis et du Canada b�n�ficiaient d'une croissance plus modeste de 20%.

Source :
http://benefice-net.branchez-vous.com/nouvelles/04-04/08-196103.html

A9 no es una autopista

Siempre nos intriga averiguar que Amazon est� detr�s de un nuevo modelo de negocio, una nueva herramienta o un nuevo formato de ayuda a sus clientes. Llevamos unos meses siguiendo el desarrollo de su A9, un sistema de b�squeda distinto que, seg�n nos explica su propia web, ofrece siete razones para que lo utilicemos.

Como siempre, Amazon sorprende con una herramienta que est� destinada a mejorar su propia oferta. Sin embargo, como explica Yahoo News, A9 es ya una herramienta efervescente que permite almacenar, navegar y hacer anotaciones en las b�squedas personalizadas que hayamos llevado a cabo.

Yahoo, Google y otras compa��as especializadas en las b�squedas llevan ya varios meses ofertando sistemas personalizados de b�squedas, pero como no pod�a ser de otra forma, A9 tiene una orientaci�n integral al comercio electr�nico y la b�squeda de productos como una prestaci�n m�s integrada en el sistema.

Si se realiza una b�squeda en el sistema, A9 organiza el resultado en tres columnas: la primera ofrece un resultado similar a una b�squeda en Yahoo o Google. La segunda columna permite ver qu� libros existen en Amazon relativos a dicha b�squeda, y la tercera contiene el hist�rico de las b�squedas que hayamos realizado (aunque hay que estar registrado para poder utilizar esta �ltima columna). Amazon ofrece tambi�n una b�squeda dentro del libro, una aplicaci�n que se introdujo el a�o pasado, que permite, en aquellos libros que dispongan de esta opci�n, ver im�genes y buscar en su contenido. En algunas p�ginas aparecen los anuncios de texto de Google.

Los usuarios de Internet Explorer pueden incorporar una barra a su navegador que permite gestionar una especie de diario en el que podemos hacer anotaciones de las webs que visitemos y que aparecen cada vez que entramos de nuevo en ellas.

Como ya es costumbre, Amazon innova sus servicios y mejora sus prestaciones de forma constante. A9 representa una muy buena soluci�n en el �mbito de las b�squedas personalizadas y su integraci�n con las compras online.

Fuente:
http://www.baquia.com/com/20040428/not00002.html

The Book on Amazon.com's A9 Search Engine

By Cory Kleinschmidt - 4/26/2004

When Amazon.com announced that they were going to launch their own search engine called A9, many search engine observers thought they were nuts. I was one of them.

When Amazon.com released its beta search engine last week in the midst of search engine mania caused largely by the media's obsession with Google's every move, many people yawned. I was one of them.

I decided to wait a few days to kick A9's tires and see what Danny and Chris thought about it. Well, Chris said A9.com was pretty darn cool, so I finally decided to give it a spin. At first I wasn't terribly impressed. The search results were pretty much a carbon copy of Google's index, which Amazon is licensing as part of its distribution deal for placing Google's AdWords on Amazon.com. Not only that, but the search result links are... um, brown, instead of the standard bluish links on other search engines. Yuck!

Why A9 is Different

So, despite the horror of brown links, I decided to press on and put A9 through its paces, paying close attention to the much-ballyhooed personalization features. And you know what? I like A9, I really, really do.

To tap into the fun stuff, you have to register, or at least be a member of Amazon.com. And if you use the Web, you are. So, just sign in with your Amazon account, and you're set.

I hadn't anticipated that the personalized search history would be very compelling, but, wow, it sure is. With it, you can view a historical list of your own searches in a convenient sidebar called Search History that's so easy to use, it makes using Google feel so... old-fashioned (sorry, big G). The search history is very similar to Internet Explorer's "History" feature, which records the sites you've visited over a given period. Except here, you can track exactly how many times you searched on a phrase and delete searches you don't want to store.

And if you're a book junkie, you'll love the other sidebar, called "Book Results," which displays books related to the context of your search from Amazon's nifty "Search Inside the Book" tool. How neat. It will be interesting to see how often this leads me to buy something. If you're worried about screen clutter, don't be. Both sidebars can be expanded and collapsed with one click.

Other cool features: A9 tells you not only how many times you've searched on a phrase, but also shows a label next to the site in the seach results that indicates the last time you visited that site. Very cool.

I'm less than enthused, however, about the "Site Info" button associated with each search result, which displays Alexa data when you mouse over it. At least for the time being, Alexa's stats are practically useless. Their numbers are only based on the small number of people who have enabled the Alexa toolbar in Internet Explorer. But, now that Amazon has the means to more accurately measure how popular sites are, maybe Alexa's quality will improve. That wouldn't be a bad thing.

Minding Amazon's Business

If you think about A9 from a business perspective, it's quite ingenious. I don't think Amazon would be foolish enough to actually try to dethrone Google from its heavenly ordained post as the king of search engines; I don't think that's their point. Amazon has a customer base of millions, and I believe their primary goal is to use A9 to encourage more book sales. Expect to see a blizzard of ads all over Amazon.com after this beta period ends.

Just as Google "gives away" their ulra-fast and accurate search engine to induce people to click on search engine ads that make Google lots of money, Amazon will give away A9's search engine -- including all of its fancy features and toolbar (more on that in a bit) -- not just to cash in on the AdWords it displays, but to sell more books, CDs and other products.

A9, if you can get past the brown links, is so robust, you'll have a hard time believing it took only about a year to create. Of course, the hard part -- the search index, algorithms and infrastructure -- are piggybacked on Google's technology, so that probably sped development considerably. To contrast, there's a good chance we'll still be waiting on Microsoft's new "vapor engine" until 2006!

Another Flippin' Toolbar?

A9 wouldn't be a modern search engine without its own toolbar, now would it? But, this toolbar offers features not available on any other major toolbar. Sure, it has the now-obligatory search box, pop-up ad blocker and a panoply of features lifted from Google and Yahoo, but wait, there's more! You also have easy access to your personalized search history, which you can revisit and manage from the toolbar, as well as an integrated Diary feature, which just might be the most useful feature of A9's toolbar.

The Diary button enables you to store notes about particular pages, which should become a cherished feature for students, journalists and info junkies everywhere. Since it's web-based, you can supposedly access it from anywhere. Can you see that Amazon's going to be collecting an avalanche of data in no time? The demands on Amazon's infrastructure will likely prove considerable, but the benefits they'll reap by selling more products will more than pay for itself.

Should You Divorce Google?

If all this sounds appealing, you could very well face a serious dilemma, as I do now. Because A9 is essentially the Google of the future, it may be tempting to divorce our old love, the only search engine we could truly trust to be faithful to us for the past five years.

It's hard to believe that, for the first time since I started using Google five years ago, I could actually see myself switching to another search engine, or at least offering joint custody of my browser to A9 and Google. I'm still not sure I'm head over heels in love with A9, but my affection is growing daily.

So, I don't see a divorce on the horizon just yet. But, I'll sure be cheating on my first love quite a bit over the coming weeks.

From:
http://www.traffick.com/article.asp?aID=161

Amazon.com surprend une nouvelle fois le march�

R�sultats trimestriels en hausse et sup�rieurs aux attentes, la premi�re librairie en ligne a r�ussi son pari sur l'internationalisation et la diversification de ses activit�s

Le chiffre d'affaires d'Amazon.com progresse de 41% � 1,53 milliard de dollars. Si l'on retranche les profits issus des taux de change profitables aux activit�s en billets verts, 87 millions de dollars, le chiffre d'affaire du premier libraire en ligne a progress� de 33%.

Comme ce dernier chiffre l'indique, c'est surtout hors d'Am�rique du Nord qu'Amazon est all� chercher ses ressources. Allemagne, France, Grande-Bretagne et Japon ont enregistr� une progression de 80% � 684 millions de dollars, ce qui, � taux de change constant, repr�sente une progression de 58%.

La diversification des activit�s du groupe est l'autre explication des bons r�sultats du groupe, en particulier aux Etats-Unis et au Canada o� l'activit� traditionnelle, la librairie, semble s'essouffler. Amazon.com vient d'ailleurs d'ajouter une nouvelle corde � son arc, la bijouterie en ligne.

Sur un an, le r�sultat net du groupe au premier trimestre est pass� d'une perte de 10,1 millions de dollars � un b�n�fice de 111,1 millions. Le b�n�fice net pro forma d'Amazon.com, 97 millions de dollars, fait mieux que doubler les attentes du march�, qui misait sur 40 millions.

Amazon.com a r�vis� � la hausse ses objectifs pour le second trimestre et l'ann�e 2004.

Yves Grandmontagne

Source : http://www.silicon.fr/click.asp?id=4815

Amazon.com cerr� el trimestre con ganancias y fuertes ventas

Las ventas internacionales de la principal tienda al detalle de la red aumentaron un 80 por ciento y totalizaron 684 millones, crecimiento que se vio favorecido por el debilitamiento del d�lar frente a otras divisas.

EFE.- La compa��a de ventas por internet Amazon.com cerr� el primer trimestre del a�o con beneficios, frente a las p�rdidas del a�o anterior, y sus ventas crecieron un 41 por ciento, inform� hoy la empresa.

Las ganancias netas alcanzaron los 111,1 millones de d�lares o 0,26 d�lares por acci�n, comparado con una p�rdida de 10,1 millones o 0,03 d�lares por t�tulo en igual per�odo del a�o anterior.

Los ingresos por ventas totalizaron 1.530 millones de d�lares, frente a los 1.080 millones del primer trimestre de 2003, y super� sus propias previsiones de comienzos de a�o.

Los precios rebajados y una mayor oferta en la adquisici�n de art�culos a trav�s de su sitio en internet contribuyeron, entre otros factores, al fuerte incremento de ventas.

La compa��a prev� que sus ingresos en el segundo trimestre se sit�en entre 1.340 millones y 1.440 millones de d�lares y que al finalizar el ejercicio anual se coloquen entre 6.450 millones y 6.850 millones de d�lares.

Las ventas internacionales aumentaron un 80 por ciento y totalizaron 684 millones, crecimiento que se vio favorecido por el debilitamiento del d�lar frente a otras divisas.

Las ganancias operativas en ese apartado fueron de 41 millones, comparado con los 16 millones de hace un a�o.

En el mercado norteamericano, las ventas aumentaron un 20 por ciento y totalizaron 847 millones, mientras que los beneficios operativos fueron de 76 millones, un 46 por ciento m�s que en el a�o anterior.

Fuente :
http://mouse.tercera.cl/detail.asp?story=2004/04/23/10/17/54

Livres sur la cyberculture

Enqu�te sur les m�thodes de vente de DVD d'Amazon

WASHINGTON - Le vendeur en ligne am�ricain Amazon a annonc� vendredi que les autorit�s fran�aises avaient lanc� une enqu�te sur ses pratiques de vente de DVD en France.

"En avril 2004, nous avons appris que les autorit�s fran�aises avaient lanc� une enqu�te sur nos m�thodes de vente de DVD en France et nous coop�rons enti�rement avec elles", a indiqu� la soci�t�.

L'existence de cette enqu�te a �t� r�v�l�e lors de la remise des r�sultats trimestriels d'Amazon � la Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), au lendemain de l'annonce de b�n�fices trimestriels.

Source :
http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=199326

Amazon.com launches jewelry store

Amazon.com Inc. of Seattle has launched a jewelry store on its Web site as the e-tailer continues to expand its offerings. The company said the Jewelry store took orders from more than 100,000 customers during the beta test.

Last October, Amazon launched a long-rumored gourmet food and beverage store, selling candies, coffees, seafood, cheese, meats and gift baskets from several retailers. That followed the opening of a sporting goods store in September.

Some analysts have speculated that another possibility is an automobile store, in which Amazon would help drive sales for a network of dealerships, along the lines of the Autobytel.com model.

The jewelry store will offer rings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings and watches from several merchants. Listed as merchant partners in the announcement are Fortunoff, Ice.com, Kane Marie Fine Arts Gallery, Luxuria and Mondera.

Amazon said it plans to offer margins well below the industry average of 45 percent to 50 percent, and said specifically that its diamond jewelry margin will be about 13 percent.

From:
http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2004/04/19/daily33.html

Amazon.com Announces Record Sales Driven by Lower Prices and Expanded Selection; Launches Jewelry St

SEATTLE-(BUSINESS WIRE)-April 22, 2004-Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2004.

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Amazon.com Launches Jewelry Store -- Commits to Industry-Leading Prices for High-Quality Merchandise

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2004--Amazon Services, Inc., an Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) company, today announced the grand opening of its new Jewelry Store (www.amazon.com/jewelry) -- a single shopping destination committed to offering low prices on a large selection of high-quality rings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets, earrings and watches. Amazon.com is providing a Web site feature that makes it easy for customers to inform Amazon.com if they find a lower price on a comparable product from another reputable seller. If a lower price is verified, Amazon.com will reduce its price on its Web site to benefit all customers -- not just the customer reporting the lower price.

"We are thrilled to offer Amazon.com customers an unparalleled jewelry shopping experience by making it easy to find and discover the finest jewelry at lower prices than other retailers -- online or offline," said Eric Broussard, vice president, Amazon.com Jewelry. "Our goal is to bring to jewelry the same trusted shopping experience that customers have come to expect from Amazon.com."

Traditionally, jewelry product margins are high, in order to cover the costs of holding inventory, renting store space, and providing display cases, a professional sales force and security. Because Amazon.com does not incur many of these costs, the company is able to significantly reduce the margin on its products. While the average margin in jewelry retailing is approximately 45 to 50 percent, Amazon.com targets substantially lower margins on jewelry sales, and lower still -- about 13 percent -- on diamond jewelry.

Each piece of jewelry sold by Amazon.com is inspected by jewelry professionals to verify quality attributes and ensure an excellent product. Customers will find detailed product specifications about the gemstones, settings and metal stamps. Amazon.com also offers a "Create a Diamond Ring" feature with which customers can find the right diamond engagement ring based on their choices of diamond shape, carat size, color/clarity and setting style. A Learning Center provides buying guides for pearls, diamonds, precious metals and watches. Many of the diamonds and gemstones in the store are independently certified to be a specific cut, clarity, color, shape and weight. Finally, the store provides all of the tools and helpful information that Amazon.com customers know and love, such as Customer Reviews, Top Sellers, So You'd Like To, and Listmania.

The Amazon.com Jewelry Store offers a selection of more than 75,000 unique items, including sterling silver, blue topaz earrings for $15, and a platinum, radiant-cut diamond necklace totaling 31.74 carats for $93,000.

To provide this large breadth of selection, Amazon.com has teamed with jewelry merchants and designers to offer fine jewelry, fashion jewelry, designer jewelry, casual watches, sport watches, luxury timepieces and accessories.

Source : Amazon.com

S&P Raises Credit Ratings for Amazon.com

Analyst Diane Shand says the company has made significant progress in improving operating results and credit-protection measures.

On Apr. 14, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services raised its ratings on Internet retailer Amazon.com (AMZN ) and removed it from CreditWatch, where they were placed with positive implications on Feb. 10. The corporate credit rating was raised to B+ from B. The outlook is positive.

The upgrade reflects the significant progress that Amazon has made in improving operating results and credit-protection measures, and the expectation that this trend will continue, says S&P ratings analyst Diane Shand. The ratings reflect the risks of rapid growth, weak levels of profitability, and high leverage. These risks are tempered by the company's solid market position in online retailing and its increasing operating efficiency.

Seattle, Wash.-based Amazon.com is an online seller of millions of new and used items in categories such as sporting goods, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics, office goods, kids and baby products, and home and garden supplies. Amazon has been successful at creating a strong brand, which is critical to the long-term success of any retailer selling goods through the Internet.

The company's focus on convenience, service, selection, and content has enabled it to increase revenues at a 35% compound annual rate over the past four years. Amazon currently generates more than $5.2 billion of sales. The company has also done a good job leveraging sales against fixed costs. The operating margin increased to 9.4% in 2003, from 8.1% in 2002 and only 3.9% in 2001.

Standard & Poor's expects this strong growth to continue, as consumers have responded favorably to Amazon's everyday low pricing strategy. The company is also expected to further enhance its product offerings and merchandising strategy.

Still, the mature and intensely competitive retail environment could challenge Amazon. Although eBay.com (EBAY ) is Amazon's only major online competitor, it competes against all retail channels. The difficult retail environment over the past few years has heightened competition, and the pricing strategies of financially stronger retailers could pressure the revenues and margins of relatively weaker retailers, such as Amazon. In addition, Amazon's cost structure is still high, as the company invested heavily in technology and distribution centers ahead of demand. Return on assets is only 8.0%.

Cash flow protection measures have strengthened due to the company's improving operating performance and repayment of approximately $615 million of debt. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) coverage of interest increased to 3.0 times in 2003, from 1.7 times in 2002, and funds from operations to total debt rose to 16% from 6% in the same period.

Although Amazon remains highly leveraged, with total debt to EBITDA at about 4.4 times (pro forma for the redemption of $150 million of convertible notes in February 2004), leverage is down significantly. Total debt to EBITDA was 8.8 times at yearend 2002. Leverage is expected to continue to decline. The company has authorization from its board of directors to repurchase $500 million of debt.

In addition, Amazon generated $346 million of free cash flow in 2003. Capital expenditures should remain low over the next few years. Standard & Poor's expects that the company will use internally generated cash for debt reduction.

Liquidity. Financial flexibility is adequate for the near term. Liquidity is provided by $1.4 billion of cash and equivalents as of Dec. 31, 2003. Amazon's existing distribution network is expected to support its business over the next few years; therefore, capital expenditures should remain at the 2003 level of approximately $46 million.

Standard & Poor's believes that Amazon will be able to fund its growth over the next few years with internally generated funds and its existing cash and marketable securities. The company has no bank lines and no near-term debt maturities.

Outlook. Support for the ratings is provided by the company's large and growing customer base, improved margins, and substantial cash holdings. Higher ratings could be considered if Amazon is able to show continued gains in performance and credit-protection measures, and enhance financial flexibility, whether in the form of a more balanced debt maturity profile or the addition of a credit facility.

From Standard & Poor's RatingsDirect

Source :
http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/apr2004/pi20040414_3961_pi036.htm

Amazon d�voile sa t�te chercheuse pour les sites d'e-commerce

Jean-Baptiste Su (dans la Silicon Valley), 01net., le 16/04/2004 � 17h03

Les fonctions avanc�es du site A9 et son interface graphique sont susceptibles d'attirer les internautes vers ce nouveau moteur de recherche, aux d�pens de Google.

Faire du neuf avec du vieux. C'est semble-t-il la strat�gie choisie par Udi Manber, le patron de A9 (comme les neufs lettres du mot anglais algorithm ). Cette start-up vient de lancer la premi�re version de son moteur de recherche Internet en s'appuyant sur les technologies d�velopp�es par Alexa, Amazon et Google.

Si la simplicit� de la page d'accueil de cette filiale d'Amazon s'inspire de celle de Google, la page de r�sultats d'A9 est quant � elle radicalement diff�rente. Elle se compose de trois sections bien distinctes : les r�sultats de la recherche sur le Web pr�c�d�s d'un lien publicitaire ; les r�sultats provenant du moteur d'Amazon (qui affichent les liens vers les pages de livres dans lesquels apparaissent le ou les mots-cl�s) ; et, pour les internautes qui poss�dent d�j� un compte chez le libraire en ligne, l'historique des recherches effectu�es par l'utilisateur stock� sur les serveurs d'A9, pour mieux analyser leurs habitudes .

� A9 est un moteur de recherche destin� aux sites de commerce �lectronique. L'objectif est de l'utiliser au sein d'Amazon et de proposer ensuite la technologie � d'autres sites de e-commerce �, explique Alison Diboll, porte-parole de A9.

Google � la fois partenaire et concurrent
Les r�sultats Web des requ�tes proviennent directement de l'index de Google, mais A9 a choisi de n'en publier qu'une partie pendant sa phase de test. En effet, une m�me recherche sur les deux moteurs donnent un plus grand nombre de r�ponses dans Google que dans A9.

En revanche, la start-up ajoute � chaque r�sultat un bouton d'information, qui affiche une s�rie de statistiques sur le site recherch� : son temps d'acc�s, son rang sur la base de son trafic et m�me l'opinion des internautes. D'autres informations proviennent du site Alexa, une filiale d'Amazon sp�cialis�e dans l'analyse de sites Web et du trafic sur Internet .

� La barre d'outils, qui est aussi propos�e en t�l�chargement, ajoute les fonctions avanc�es du site A9, comme les statistiques d'un site et l'historique des recherches et de la navigation sur Internet Explorer. Elle permet en plus d'annoter chaque pages Web visit�es �, pr�cise Alison Diboll.

En combinant au sein d'une m�me page, les r�sultats de la recherche sur le Web et sur Amazon, site aujourd'hui limit� aux livres mais qui demain sera �tendu � la musique, la vid�o, l'�lectronique ou les v�tements, A9 se positionne comme un concurrent potentiel pour des sites comme Froogle, PriceGrabber, Yahoo Shopping, voire m�me eBay. Connaissant la dynamique du march� de la recherche sur Internet, on ne devrait pas tarder � voir d'autres sites adopter l'interface graphique d'A9.

Source :
http://www.01net.com/article/239476.html

Amazon.com se apunta a la guerra de buscadores y presenta 'A9'

Un dise�o innovador y la inclusi�n de los rankings de Alexa como medida para evaluar la popularidad de la p�gina son sus principales atractivos.

Jueves, 15 abril 2004
NOTICIASDOT, IBLNEWS

Dec�amos hacer poco tiempo que los buscadores eran cosa de dos y medio: Google, Yahoo y el tan anunciado MSN Search, como la alternativa proveniente de Microsoft que seg�n Nielsen/Netratings encabeza los �ndices de audiencia en Internet.

Pues bien, rectificamos. Ahora deberemos contar con un nuevo jugador que nos ha sorprendido con su �ltimo desarrollo y que puede poner las cosas dif�ciles a aquellos que a�n luchan por encontrar su propio espacio en este terreno.

Solo entrar en A9, que se encuentra en fase beta, observaremos que Amazon ha optado por "eliminar" servicios y prestaciones que confundan al usuario y coloca la caja central buscadora en el centro de la pantalla. Una estrategia que la mayor�a de buscadores han adoptado en los �ltimos tiempos.

Cuando procedemos a la b�squeda, !Sorpresa! se nos muestra una pantalla con tres columnas. La primera que ocupa el 90% de la pantalla nos muestra el listado de resultados. De la misma manera que Google utiliza PageRank para ordenarlos, Amazon G9 apuesta por los �ndices de Alexa, lo que significa que aquellas empresas que tengan un ranking m�s bajo ser�n las que aparecer�n en primer lugar. Adem�s incluye el cajet�n de Alexa para ampliar informaci�n sobre el recurso que nos es mostrado.

Otras dos columnas son b�squedas en libros y en la tercera un hist�rico de b�squedas realizadas para los usuarios registrados a A9.

Por supuesto, A9 incorpora enlaces patrocinados en la parte superior de la lista de resultados.

La salida del buscador viene acompa�ada de la aparici�n de la barra de navegaci�n de A9, que ofrece b�squedas directas desde el navegador (Internet Explorer) y bloqueo de pop-ups.

Un buen producto que viene a aumentar la competencia en el mercado de buscadores y a ampliar las posibilidades de los usuarios a la hora de encontrar aquellos recursos que le interesan.

Source :
http://iblnews.com/news/noticia.php3?id=105625

Amazon lance une version test de son site de recherche

Par Lisa Baertlein

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Le site de vente en ligne Amazon.com a d�voil� une version test de son nouveau service de moteur de recherche sur internet, faisant son entr�e sur un march� en plein essor.

Appel�e A9, cette nouvelle offre inclut les r�sultats de recherche du leader mondial du genre, Google, et permet aux internautes de fouiller dans le contenu des livres pr�sents dans la base de donn�es d'Amazon.

Amazon avait lanc� ce type de service baptis� "Search Inside the Book" ("Recherche � l'int�rieur du livre") en octobre et estime que cette innovation explique la hausse r�cente de ses ventes.

A9 a �t� con�u par A9.com, filiale d'Amazon. Ce nouveau produit garde en m�moire les recherches effectu�es par les clients et propose une barre-outils permettant de prendre et de conserver des notes sur une page web, un peu comme un lecteur qui annote les marges d'un livre.

Ce service, disponible � l'adresse www.a9.com, inclut aussi le service de publicit�s cibl�es payantes de Google, qui fournit depuis un peu plus d'un an des fonctions de recherche et de publicit� � Amazon.

La recherche d'informations sur le web est devenu un des secteurs les plus comp�titifs d'internet. Ses acteurs dominants, Google et Yahoo, sont engag�s dans une bataille f�roce pour des parts de march�, alors que MSN, la division internet de Microsoft se pr�pare � investir en force ce segment.

John Battelle, �diteur de Searchblog, estime que le service A9 sera tr�s b�n�fique pour Amazon et constituera une menace potentielle pour la client�le de Google.

"Amazon a pris le meilleur de Google et en a fait, selon moi, quelque chose de bien mieux. Cela vous rappelle quelque chose? C'est ce que Google a fait � Yahoo, et Yahoo � Netscape", �crit Battelle dans son Web log.

"Il est trop t�t pour dire exactement quelle est la strat�gie d'Amazon avec cette technologie", a d�clar� le porte-parole de Google, David Krane, qui a qualifi� Amazon de partenaire de valeur.

Source :
http://fr.news.yahoo.com/040415/85/3qwp0.html

ADVISORY/Christy Turlington Delivers Exclusive Video Message On Amazon.com

WHAT:
On the heels of the mahanuala launch, a new line of technically-focused yoga apparel, footwear and accessories from PUMA(R) and Christy Turlington Burns available online exclusively at Amazon.com, Amazon Services today unveiled a special video message from Christy Turlington Burns to Amazon customers.

In the exclusive video message, recorded at the recent invitation-only mahanuala launch event in New York, Christy welcomes customers to the mahanuala boutique at Amazon.com (www.amazon.com/mahanuala) and shares the inspiration behind the mahanuala collection. In addition to the exclusive video message, the mahanuala boutique features yoga tips and insights from Christy, mahanuala's creative director.

WHY:
Christy Turlington Burns and PUMA have selected Amazon as the exclusive online sales channel for mahanuala so that women everywhere can easily find, discover and buy the complete line of mahanuala performance apparel and cover ups, footwear and accessories the Amazon way -- easy navigation, a single shopping cart, and ordering and payment information already on file.

WHEN:
Beginning today, Amazon customers who visit Amazon's Apparel & Accessories store can access Christy Turlington Burns' exclusive video message. As an added bonus, PUMA is offering free shipping on all mahanuala orders on the Amazon Apparel store through the end of April. PUMA will also be donating 2% of the proceeds from the first month of mahanuala sales on Amazon to benefit Tibet House US. Tibet House is an organization dedicated to the proposition that the wisdom and arts of all human civilizations vitally enrich the emerging global culture.

WHERE:
To view this exclusive video message from Christy Turlington Burns, go to www.amazon.com/apparel.

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact: Amazon Services Media Relations, 206-266-7180

About Christy Turlington Burns

Entrepreneur, anti-smoking activist and fashion icon, Christy Turlington Burns is widely recognized as a prominent voice for yoga and a healthier way of life. Christy's long term interest in yoga has culminated in the creation of a number of successful businesses -- nuala (a lifestyle apparel brand), mahanuala (technically focused yoga apparel) and Sundari (an ayurvedic skincare company). She is the author of the best selling book Living Yoga: Creating A Life Practice.

About PUMA

PUMA(R) is the global athletic brand that successfully fuses influences from sport, lifestyle and fashion. PUMA's unique industry perspective delivers the unexpected in sportlifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories, through technical innovation and revolutionary design. Established in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1948, PUMA distributes products in over 80 countries. For further information please visit www.puma.com.

About Amazon's Apparel & Accessories Store

Launched in November 2002, Amazon's Apparel & Accessories store (www.amazon.com/apparel) provides the easiest way for customers to find, discover and buy apparel and accessories from more 2,000 brands -- with easy navigation, a single shopping cart, customer reviews, detailed product photos, and other helpful information -- in one convenient destination.

Source : Amazon.com

Amazon.com: Bookworm Turned Internet Empire

Lisa DiCarlo, 04.13.04, 6:00 AM ET

NEW YORK - By our standards, Amazon.com wasn't even considered a "big" company until after 2003, when its annual revenue surpassed $5 billion. Now that it qualifies, the Internet retailer has debuted at No. 5 on our list of America's 25 Fastest-Growing Big Companies.

Amazon's (nasdaq: AMZN - news - people ) five-year annualized growth, at 47%, is slower than the triple-digit growth of its early years, but is still impressive. After posting 34% sales growth in 2003, the company should see at least a 20% uptick in revenue this year, to between $6.2 billion and $6.7 billion.

The knock against Amazon, though, has never been about lack of revenue growth but about profitable revenue growth. The Seattle-based company did squeak out a net profit of $35 million in 2003, but warned that it probably will not be sustainable in the short term. That's mainly due to a change in the way it classifies investments in its five international subsidiaries. In its most recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company tempered any excitement about its profit by stating that it "should not be viewed as a material positive event."

Previously, Amazon.com's investment in its five subsidiaries was considered permanent. In other words, Amazon had no intention of being repaid for its investments. Now, because of the growth of its international divisions, Amazon does expect repayment. Gains or losses from those investments must therefore be included in the income statement, which resulted in the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) profit for 2003.

In any case, Amazon has for years tried to direct analysts away from valuing its financial performance according to GAAP profit, and steer them towards free cash flow (operating cash flow minus capital expenditures and dividends), which rose more than 150% to $346 million in 2003.

At least one analyst is getting the message. In a recent research report, Credit Suisse First Boston says that free-cash-flow metrics are more important in valuing a company, and points at Wal-Mart Stores (nyse: WMT - news - people ), which also focuses on cash flow. Amazon.com intends to grow free cash flow by "lower prices, over its fixed cost distribution network. This is similar to a strategy that Wal-Mart pursued since 1984," says CSFB.

What, then, to make of the 91% runup in Amazon's shares in the last year? At $48, the company is trading at a bubble-like 600 times 2003 earnings. That's more than five times that of another Internet success story, eBay (nasdaq: EBAY - news - people ), which has been profitable for years, and more than three times that of InterActiveCorp (nasdaq: IACI - news - people ), which has been building an Internet empire through acquisitions. Brick-and-mortar retail giants Wal-Mart and Target (nyse: TGT - news - people ) trade at 27 and 22 times fiscal 2004 earnings (ended in January), respectively.

Amazon.com started life in 1995 as an Internet bookseller, but today books are but one cog in the wheel. In addition to books, movies, music and software, you can find Prada handbags, gourmet foods, lawn furniture, health and beauty products, and engagement rings.

Through partnerships with thousands of other companies, the Web retailer offers everything from $1,500 Gucci python boots (on sale!) to a $1.29 tube of Gleem toothpaste. There does not seem to be a product category out of step in the Amazon universe. According to CSFB, the contribution to profits for third-party transactions is roughly the same as for its own merchandise.

And that is expanding to include Internet search technologies. The company has a Silicon Valley-based subsidiary, called A9, which is working on an e-commerce search engine, according to spokesperson Patty Smith. She says Amazon will use the engine, which is still in the development stage, as well as license it to other e-commerce companies.

While the company has dozens of product categories, it breaks down sales into only two chunks: Media, which includes books, videos, DVDs, software, videogames and other items, accounts for about $4 billion of 2003 sales; electronics, a low-margin but growing business, brought in about $1.1 billion.

"As Amazon continues to grow its revenue, it will be able to further decrease prices that it charges, as economies of scale further take effect. These lower prices will in turn attract more customers, again growing revenue, perpetuating the virtuous cycle, and entrenching Amazon further in its competitive position. This is, in essence, the Amazon.com business model," says CSFB.

The company will report first-quarter results on April 22 and is anticipating year-over-year revenue growth of at least 28%.

Source :
http://www.forbes.com/ebusiness/2004/04/13/cx_ld_0413fastest.html

Myrtle S. Potter Elected to Amazon.com Board of Directors

SEATTLE--April 12, 2004--Myrtle S. Potter, President of Commercial Operations for Genentech, Inc., (NYSE:DNA) has been elected to serve on Amazon.com's (Nasdaq:AMZN) board of directors.

Potter becomes the seventh board member and sixth independent member to sit on Amazon.com's board of directors.

"Myrtle's expertise in operations, and her dedication to developing innovative products to improve people's lives, makes her an outstanding addition to our board of directors," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com.

"Amazon.com has never forgotten that the customer comes first," said Potter. "The company remains focused on delivering lower prices, expanding free shipping, and providing greater selection, and I'm delighted to join the Amazon board."

Potter joined Genentech, Inc. in 2000 as executive vice president and chief operating officer for the San Francisco-based company. Prior to joining Genentech, Potter was president of Bristol-Myers Squibb's U.S. Cardiovascular/Metabolics business unit. Potter joined Bristol-Myers Squibb in 1996 as vice president, strategy and economics.

Potter is a member of Genentech's executive committee and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago.

Source : Amazon.com

El mundo en el 2054: tecnolog�as y empresas que dominar�n, seg�n Fortune

En 2054 una compa��a de Internet, AmazonBay, dominar� el comercio mundial entre particulares. La edici�n americana de Fortune realiza un ejercicio de imaginaci�n y provocaci�n intelectual sobre cu�les ser�n las 10 primeras empresas del pa�s.

S�bado, 10 abril 2004
AMIGOT NEWS NEW YORK

El experto en pron�sticos y asesor de pel�culas como Minority Report y Deep Impact, Peter Schwartz dibuja un escenario de ficci�n donde Microsoft ser� Indosoft y tendr� su sede en un complejo en Mumbai, en la India, que se denominar� Gatestown; e IBM seguir� liderando las tecnolog�as de la informaci�n al haber introducido con gran �xito, en 2023, el primer ordenador dom�stico cu�ntico que almacenar� trillones de archivos de informaci�n en c�psulas del tama�o de una alubia.

Amazon e eBay se habr�n fusionado en 2015, habiendo adquirido antes un banco, una compa��a de tarjetas de cr�dito y una aseguradora. La nueva AmazonBay ofrecer� una experiencia de compra personalizada, el shipping, o env�o de mercanc�a, ser� gratuito y tendr� 1.800 millones de clientes, en su mayor�a en Asia.

Lire la suite de l'article...

Ex-Amazon engineer in field with Google, Microsoft and others

Real glut buster: Web site helps sift news
Ex-Amazon engineer in field with Google, Microsoft and others

By TODD BISHOP
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Google News is a popular destination for the latest headlines, My Yahoo! offers personalized collections of news, and even Microsoft Corp. is creating its own news search engine.

Yet the presence of those Internet giants isn't stopping a 31-year-old Seattle man from forging ahead with his own news-search business.

Then again, Greg Linden is no ordinary entrepreneur.

A former Amazon.com software engineer, he led the group responsible for the software that produces personalized site features and product recommendations based on the preferences of individual Amazon users. He developed the original technology behind Amazon's recommendation engine, which looks at what people buy and which pages they view to generate recommended items.

Linden's news site, Findory.com, applies a similar concept of personalization to online news. In addition to letting a person search for news by keyword and subject, the site automatically remembers which news articles a person reads via the site and identifies other news articles likely to be of interest.

"There's so much news available now," Linden said. The idea behind Findory is "to help you find focus in this glut of information that's coming at you."

The site works in part by using a traditional method of content analysis, detecting similarities among articles based on keyword and subject. But more significantly, Linden said, the technology is able to present any given user with additional suggestions based on articles that have been viewed by other people who have displayed similar interests.

If only the content-based methods were used, people might tend to get pigeonholed, or stuck in a particular category, seeing only news of the same subject or keyword as they had seen previously. For example, someone who reads articles on Iraq or sports might only be offered other articles on Iraq or sports.

But by going further than that, Findory applies to news a concept similar to the Amazon.com feature that lets someone viewing an item see other products purchased by people who bought the same item.

The key point here is to be able to offer more interesting content" than possible through basic subject and keyword association, Linden said. "The idea is that you come to Findory, and you just read news like you normally would, and the site just gets better and better, it keeps showing you more interesting and relevant news."

Microsoft recently announced plans for MSN Newsbot, a news search engine that will offer personalized results based on the articles the user has viewed, but not based on the articles viewed by others with similar interests.

That point of differentiation could prove important to Findory in an increasingly crowded corner of the tech world. In addition to news searches and sites from such big companies as Yahoo, Microsoft and Google, there is a long list of smaller competitors, ranging from Technorati and Feedster to Newsindex.com and Daypop.

"It's a fun time right now in the search-engine market," said Web search expert Brian Davison, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. "You've got multiple big entities involved and trying to compete."

Most of the smaller companies have little chance to take substantial market share from the bigger players, he said, but through their unique technologies and features, they may be able to influence the direction of the larger companies and the broader market.

"There's a million different models" for searching for news online, said Jupiter Research analyst David Card. "It might not be that one wins. There's many different people who have different ways of consuming news online, so you don't necessarily have to have one winner."

Linden graduated in 1996 from the University of Washington with a master's degree in computer science. He worked at Amazon.com for five years, ultimately as senior manager in the personalization group. He left to attend the Sloan Program at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, an accelerated graduate-level management program.

He formed his company and launched the Findory.com site at the beginning of this year. The site shifted about a month ago from a beta, or preliminary, version to the current one. Traffic is "still fairly modest," with daily visitors numbering in the thousands, Linden said, but he is anticipating growth as more people learn about it.

For now, Linden is funding Findory.com himself, and he is the sole employee. At its current rate, he said, the company could operate without additional funding for at least the next year.

The site doesn't currently include advertising, but Linden said he plans to eventually develop a targeted ad engine that would serve as a revenue source for the company. The text-based advertising would be unobtrusive and "as helpful as advertising can be," by using Findory.com's record of news stories visited by a person to deliver ads likely to be useful.

Other companies, including Google and Yahoo, currently offer sponsored links alongside traditional search results. But Linden said Findory should be able to "do it as well or better than Google because we have a history of news articles that you've viewed."

Findory keeps a record of the news articles a person reads via "cookies," a common practice in which small blocks of text are transferred from the site to a user's Internet browser, letting the site know when a user returns.

Addressing potential privacy concerns, use of the site is completely anonymous. Findory stores no names, e-mail addresses, or other data aside from the record of stories a user views, Linden said. Nor does the site attempt to create profiles of users, he said.

A log-in option is available for people who want the personalization to follow them as they move from one computer to another, but that feature uses a username and password selected by the user.

One advantage of the site is that the personalization happens automatically, as a person reads news. Some other sites require users to go through a set-up process.

Linden chose the name Findory to signify that the site is "related to finding." He avoided an explicit reference to news in the name to leave open the possibility of someday expanding beyond news to a broader personalized Web search. Linden has patents pending on the algorithm behind his news search and the broader Web search.

Others might be daunted by the emergence of the likes of Microsoft as a competitor. But Linden said he welcomes the development, because it shows the importance of personalized news searching. "I think it's fantastic," he said. "It legitimizes the space."

BIO

Name: Greg Linden

Age: 31

Company: Findory.com

Headquarters: Seattle

Position: Founder, president and chief executive officer

Previously: Created the original technology behind Amazon.com's recommendation engine

Education: University of Washington, M.S. in computer science; Sloan Program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, M.S. in management.

Source :
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/168376_findory09.html

Amazon France accus� de vente ill�gale de DVD import�s

La police a men� une perquisition dans les locaux de la filiale fran�aise d'Amazon. Le site marchand est soup�onn� d'avoir propos� � la vente des DVD import�s, sans respecter la chronologie des m�dias.

La journ�e de mardi a �t� plut�t mouvement�e chez Amazon France. La filiale fran�aise du groupe de commerce �lectronique a fait l'objet d'une double perquisition. La premi�re dans les locaux de son si�ge social, situ� � Guyancourt (Yvelines). La seconde dans sa base logistique, install�e � Orl�ans (Loiret).

Agissant sur commission rogatoire, les policiers de la Direction r�gionale de la police judiciaire (DRPJ) de Versailles m�nent une enqu�te sur des pr�sum�es ventes ill�gales de DVD import�s sur Amazon.fr. Ce type de ventes enfreint la r�glementation fran�aise sur la chronologie des m�dias, qui fixe notamment un d�lai de six mois entre la sortie d'un film en salle et sa sortie vid�o.

Hier, mercredi, Amazon France a confirm� cette op�ration polici�re "dans le cadre d�une enqu�te pr�liminaire sur les ventes de certaines r�f�rences de DVD en France". Un porte-parole du site fran�ais indique que "l�enqu�te polici�re est en cours. Nous coop�rons totalement avec la DRPJ".

A l'origine de la commission rogatoire, se trouve l'Association de lutte contre la piraterie audiovisuelle (Alpa). "Cela faisait plusieurs mois que nous travaillons sur ce dossier", explique Fr�d�ric Delacroix, le d�l�gu� g�n�ral de l'Alpa (cf JDN chat du 18/12/03). L'association a en fait d�pos� une plainte � l'encontre d'Amazon France pour deux motifs : infraction � la chronologie des m�dias d'une part, et violation de la territorialit� des droits d'autre part. Ce second motif porte sur la commercialisation de produits vid�os en France au m�pris des droits de l'�diteur national."Nous avons pu d�tecter quelques dizaines de films disponibles sur Amazon.fr en infraction, poursuit Fr�d�ric Delacroix. Ces DVD ne devraient pas figurer sur le march� fran�ais � ce moment-l�."

Cette enqu�te pr�liminaire devrait appporter des �claircissements sur l'ampleur des ventes de produits DVD "made in US" en France. En filigrane, elle pourrait mettre en lumi�re d'�ventuels points faibles dans les cha�nes d'approvisionnement et les circuits logistiques mis en place entre la maison-m�re d'Amazon aux Etats-Unis et ses filiales � l'international. Cette affaire pourrait �galement appara�tre comme une cons�quence de la guerre commerciale que se livrent les marchands culturels. Contraints de pratiquer des prix planchers, les sites s'approvisionnent en dehors de la France afin de trouver des meilleurs tarifs de gros.

Source :
http://www.journaldunet.com/0404/040408amazon.shtml

Amazon.ca Lowers Prices Again with 30% off Hundreds of Thousands of Books Over $25

SEATTLE -- April 6, 2004 -- As part of its ongoing commitment to lowering prices for customers, leading online retailer Amazon.ca (www.amazon.ca) today unveiled a new, everyday low price offer on hundreds of thousands of Canada's most popular books.

Amazon.ca announced it is extending its previous offer of 30 percent off books over $30 to include books priced at $25 or more, making more than 250,000 books available to customers at a 30 percent discount. Amazon.ca has offered customers 30 percent off books $30 or more since its June 2002 launch.

Thirty-percent off books over $25 is not a seasonal or limited-time promotion, but an ongoing, 365-days-a-year offer that dramatically increases the savings available to Amazon.ca customers on both hardcover and paperback books across a wide range of genres. Examples of current topselling books now available at lower prices include:

Dime Store Magic, by Kelley Armstrong, now $17.47 (30% savings)
Eragon: Inheritance, Book I, by Christopher Paolini, now $20.27 (30% savings)
Living the G.I. Diet: Delicious Recipes and Real-Life Strategies to Lose Weight and Keep it Off, by Rick Gallop, now $17.47 (30% savings)
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office: 101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers, by Lois P. Frankel, now $20.97 (30% savings)
The Automatic Millionaire: Canadian Edition: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich, by David Bach, now $20.97 (30% savings)
The Heart Is an Involuntary Muscle, by Monique Proulx, now $17.47 (30% savings)
The Myth of Ability: Nurturing Mathematical Ability in Every Child, by John Mighton, now $17.47 (30% savings)
Vernon God Little, by D.B.C. Pierre, now $17.50 (30% savings)

"At Amazon.ca we are continually working to lower prices for Canadians," said Marven Krug, general manager, Amazon.ca. "With today's announcement, we are extending the savings already available on Amazon.ca, which include 40 percent off Globe and Mail bestsellers and Free Super Saver Shipping on orders of $39 or more, to also include 30 percent off books over $25 so that customers can save even more money shopping at Amazon.ca."

In June 2002, Amazon.ca launched with free shipping on orders over $75, 30 percent off books over $30 and up to 30 percent off DVD pre-orders and bestsellers. Since then the online retailer has introduced several additional, everyday discounts for customers, including 40 percent off Globe and Mail bestsellers, Free Super Saver Shipping on orders of $39 or more, and $14.99 or less on thousands of CDs. Amazon.ca is now extending its 30 percent discount on books to include books over $25. Amazon.ca also offers customers everyday low prices on software titles and computer and video games and accessories.

Source : Amazon

Police raid Amazon.com offices in France

PARIS, April 6 (AFP) - Police searched offices of the French subsidiary of the US-based Internet retailer Amazon.com Tuesday in a check on DVDs they suspected were being sold illegally, officials said.

The operation took place at the headquarters of the subsidiary, Amazon.fr, in an eastern Paris suburb, and in a warehouse belonging to the company in the central city of Orleans.

Law enforcement officials said officers were scrutinising DVDs to see where they came from as part of a preliminary investigation into "audiovisual piracy".

A source close to the inquiry said there were suspicions that some of the DVDs sold online did not "conform to the laws" in France governing such items.

The website of Amazon.fr offers DVDs in many categories, including those made for the French market, DVDs imported from the United States and Britain, and second-hand discs.

Source :
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=58&story_id=6369

Los fundadores de Microsoft, Amazon y Yahoo dominan la lista de millonarios en EEUU

Seg�n ha informado la revista Forbes, Bill Gates, fundador de la compa��a Microsoft, encabeza un a�o m�s la lista de los m�s ricos en EEUU, con una fortuna estimada de 46.000 millones de d�lares. Paul Allen, que junto a Gates fund� Microsoft, ocupa la tercera plaza con una fortuna estimada de 22.000 millones, despu�s de un incremento de 1.000 millones respecto del 2002.

Bill Gates, de 47 a�os, casado y padre de tres hijos, no s�lo mantiene tan privilegiada posici�n sino que adem�s aument� su fortuna estimada en 3.000 millones respecto del pasado a�o. La relaci�n anual de los 400 principales millonarios estadounidenses que elabora la publicaci�n revela adem�s que la riqueza conjunta de este selecto grupo aument� un 10 por ciento respecto del 2002 y asciende ahora a 955.000 millones de d�lares.

El financiero Warren Buffet se mantiene en segunda posici�n, si bien su fortuna estimada no vari� respecto del pasado a�o y se mantiene en 36.000 millones. Helen Walton, viuda de Sam Walton, fundador de la cadena Wall-Mart y sus cuatro hijos, ocupan cinco puestos de entre los diez m�s acaudalados, con una fortuna estimada para cada uno de ellos de 20.500 millones de d�lares. Cierran esta relaci�n de diez el presidente de Oracle, Larry Ellison, con un fortuna de 18.000 millones y el director ejecutivo de Dell, Michael Dell, con una riqueza estimada de 13.000 millones.

El alza en el valor de las acciones de algunas compa��as de tecnolog�a e Internet ha supuesto una notable mejora en las fortunas de algunos empresarios, entre ellos de Jeff Bezos. El fundador de Amazon.com ha aumentado en 3 millones de d�lares su fortuna personal en el 2003, que llega a 5.100 millones y ocupa el puesto 32 en la lista de millonarios. David Filo y Jerry Yang, fundadores del portal de internet Yahoo!, tambi�n han visto como se triplicaba pr�cticamente su fortuna en un a�o, que ahora alcanza los 1.600 millones y 1.400 millones respectivamente.

La revista Forbes calcula las fortunas personales mediante una estimaci�n del valor de las acciones que poseen y de otros activos, entre ellos sus propiedades inmobiliarias.

Source :
http://www.libertaddigital.com/noticias/noticia_1276201748.html

Une top-mod�le se lance dans le yoga

La top-mod�le Christy Turlington a lanc� sa propre collection de v�tements pour la pratique du yoga.

La top ne jure que par les bienfaits de cette discipline corporelle et spirituelle. Si bien qu'elle s'est associ�e � la firme Puma afin de mettre en march� les v�tements appel�s Mahanuala et leurs accessoires.

Les v�tements sont vendus exclusivement via le web par le site Amazon.

Turlington est la preuve de l'efficacit� du yoga, elle qui a accouch� il y a 5 mois et qui depuis a perdu les 40 livres qu'elle avait prises.

Source :
http://www.radioactif.com/potins.php?n=1058

PUMA and Christy Turlington Team with Amazon to Launch New Yoga Collection; Online Boutique Features

WESTFORD, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- March 31, 2004 -- PUMA(R) and Christy Turlington Burns today announced the launch of mahanuala, a new line of technically focused yoga apparel, footwear and accessories. Amazon Services, Inc., an Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) company, will be the exclusive online sales channel of mahanuala. A dedicated boutique within the Amazon Apparel & Accessories store, www.amazon.com/mahanuala, now offers consumers added benefits like yoga tips and insight from mahanuala Creative Director, Christy Turlington Burns.

Lire la suite de l'article...

Borders Books & Music to Open Store in Dubuque, Iowa

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2004--Borders Books & Music(R) will open an 18,674-square-foot store in Dubuque, Iowa, in November 2004. The store will be located in the Kennedy Mall at the intersection of U.S. 20 and Wacker Drive. The new Borders will offer Dubuque residents a comfortable place to explore a vast selection of book, music, DVD and newsstand titles. The store will include a Cafe Borders that offers a variety of gourmet coffees, teas, beverages, desserts and light food items.

The new location will be Borders' fourth in the state of Iowa, including stores in West Des Moines, Davenport and one in Ames that opened in May 2003. The new site was selected based on a variety of factors including demographics, the strength of the cotenants, traffic patterns, the availability of parking and the overall attractiveness of the site.

"Dubuque is a beautiful city on the Mississippi River with tremendous regional draw throughout the Iowa-Wisconsin-Illinois tri-state area," said Kathy Seitz, district manager for the new Borders location. "The store will offer corporate discounts to schools, libraries and businesses in the area. Free events like lectures, author signings, musical performances, children's activities and 'Benefit Days' that support local charities will be held throughout the year."

Borders is an industry leader in selection, customer service and convenience. Borders stores offer up to 200,000 book, music, DVD and periodical titles, as well as cutting-edge service technology through Title Sleuth(TM) self-service computer stations located throughout the store. Title Sleuth allows Borders customers to easily determine if a particular book, CD or movie is in stock at the store they are visiting or at a nearby Borders location and offers access to more than 15 million used, out-of-print and hard-to-find titles worldwide. For Borders.com and Amazon.com shoppers, "In-Store Express Pick Up" service combines the ease of ordering online with the convenience of paying for their purchase and picking it up the same day.

Exploring contemporary books and CDs by innovative authors and artists is easy with Borders' "Original Voices" program - featuring the works of more than 200 contemporary authors and illustrators from around the world in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, young adult and children's picture books throughout the year. For those unsure of what they're looking for, "Borders Recommends" titles and reviews are displayed throughout the store, and knowledgeable booksellers are happy to suggest titles well suited to each customer. In the multimedia section, digital listening stations let customers scan and preview nearly every CD in store and view trailers of DVDs. In addition, Borders' experienced buying staff recommends music and movie titles everyone should have in their personal libraries through in-store "Borders Essentials" lists.

Source :
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040330005550&newsLang=en

Amazon.com gets cookies patent, incites boycott

A free-software activist yesterday threatened to repeat an earlier campaign for a boycott of Amazon.com if the company tries to enforce a recently granted cookies patent, according to news site ZDNet UK.

In 1984, Richard Stallman founded the GNU Project that developed a free UNIX-like operating system called GNU. His site explains that GNU, pronounced "guh-noo," is a recursive acronym for "GNU's Not Unix."

He adds that variants of the GNU operating system, which use the Linux kernel, are now widely used; and though these systems are often referred to as "Linux", he says they are more accurately called GNU/Linux systems.

Stallman first organised a boycott of Amazon.com in 2000 when it asserted its rights in its controversial "one-click" business method patent by suing rival book retailer Barnes & Noble. The action settled, but not before Barnes & Noble had altered its on-line purchasing system to require two clicks rather than one.

This week, Stallman told ZDNet in an e-mail that he will re-launch the boycott if Amazon.com attacks anyone over a patent granted this week for �Use of browser cookies to store structured data�.

Cookies are small text files sent from a web server to a web site visitor�s computer and are stored on the hard drive, so that when the user visits the web site again or visits another page of the site, the site will remember him.

Without cookies, it is often said that the internet would have no memory. They are used by most commercial web sites and serve a valuable purpose.

The cookie patent now granted to Amazon.com, according to the patent filing, applies to �web site customisation using cookies, and more particularly, to a method of extending the functionality of cookies to increase web site performance.� The patent focuses on solving the problem of multiple accesses to the back end database.

According to ZDNet, Stallman�s first boycott had little effect on Amazon.com, but succeeded in raising the profile of software and business method patents. The controversy over these patents continues and there is growing pressure on the US Patent and Trademark Office to rethink its approach.

According to John MacKenzie, intellectual property specialist at Masons, the international law firm behind OUT-LAW.COM:

"This is a good example of the distinct difference between the US Patent office and the approach taken by the European Patent Office. In the States both business method and software patents are allowed. In the EU they are not.

�The dilemma for those operating on-line is that the internet is global, and the creation of sophisticated cookies might infringe the Amazon.com patent. Instead of the US Patent office checking the patent, for example for prior art, it is left to the companies targeted by Amazon.com to argue that the patent is not valid.

�This is obviously an unsatisfactory situation that has many calling upon the US Congress to rectify."

Source :
http://www.out-law.com/php/page.php?page_id=amazoncomgetscook1080910745&area=news

Amazon d�clenche � nouveau la pol�mique avec un brevet sur les cookies

Le g�ant am�ricain rouvre le d�bat sur la course � la propri�t� dans les technologies du web. Il vient d'obtenir, aux �tats-Unis, un brevet prot�geant une "invention" sur une m�thode de "classification structur�e", bas�e sur les cookies.

LONDRES � Amazon est menac� de subir le m�me boycott qu'en 2000, s'il entend exercer des poursuites � l'encontre de tout autre site de commerce �lectronique afin qu�il lui reverse une licence sur son brevet relatif aux cookies.

Ce document (n�6.714.926), �mis par le bureau am�ricain des brevets (PTO) le 30 mars et intitul� �Utilisation des cookies de navigateur pour stocker des donn�es structur�es� (�Use of browser cookies to store structured data�), porte sur l�utilisation des cookies pour personnaliser les sites internet.

Les cookies �taient d�j� utilis�s pour personnaliser des sites bien avant qu�Amazon ne d�pose sa demande de brevet aupr�s du PTO, il y a d�j� plus de quatre ans (demande d�pos�e le 31 janvier 2000). Toutefois, � en croire bien s�r la description technique du brevet, il existe une diff�rence cruciale entre la mani�re �traditionnelle� de se servir des cookies et l�id�e qu�en a Amazon.

Amazon a une conception diff�rente du cookie

La diff�rence r�side dans le processus qui intervient lorsqu�un internaute revient sur un site apr�s que ses donn�es personnelles ont d�j� �t� captur�es et enregistr�es dans un cookie sur son PC. Dans le mod�le courant, d�taille le document, �les informations contenues dans le cookie sont utilis�es pour acc�der � une base de donn�es [back-end database] afin d�en extraire des informations compl�mentaires sur l�utilisateur, telles que ses pr�f�rences ou les donn�es de son compte. Ces donn�es issues de la base peuvent ensuite servir � personnaliser la page web demand�e.�

Le probl�me avec cette approche, poursuit Amazon dans son brevet, c�est qu�elle n�cessite de fr�quentes requ�tes � la base de donn�es. �Pour les sites web qui sont visit�s des milliers de fois par jour, la n�cessit� d�acc�der � la base de donn�es peut entra�ner une d�gradation consid�rable des performances. Celle-ci peut r�sulter d�une capacit� de charge limit�e sur le syst�me de base de donn�es, d�un trafic r�seau accru entre les serveurs web physiques et la base de donn�es, ou des deux.� Amazon affirme pallier ce probl�me en stockant au sein des cookies toutes les informations sur l�utilisateur n�cessaires pour personnaliser les pages web ou, au moins, les pages web auxquelles il acc�de le plus souvent. �Cette approche permettrait de r�duire, voire d��viter, les acc�s aux bases de donn�es lors d�une requ�te de pages.�

�Si Amazon se met � attaquer quelqu�un � ce sujet, nous recommencerons son boycott �, a pr�venu Richard Stallman, le plus fervent des militants du logiciel libre et fondateur de la Free Sotfware Foundation, dans un courriel adress� � ZDNet. Stallman avait d�j� organis� un boycott d'Amazon courant 2000, lorsque le libraire en ligne avait intent� un proc�s infructueux � l�encontre de son rival Barns & Noble pour violation de son fameux brevet d'�achat en un clic�.

Richard Stallman est une nouvelle fois � la t�te de la fronde

�Nous ciblons sp�cifiquement notre boycott sur Amazon, car parmi les milliers de soci�t�s � avoir obtenu des brevets logiciels, elle est l�une des rares � �tre all�e jusqu�� poursuivre r�ellement un tiers�, explique Stallman. �C�est ce qui en fait un agresseur de premier ordre. La plupart des d�tenteurs de brevets logiciels affirment les avoir d�pos�s "� des fins d�fensives", autrement dit pour inciter � un �change de licences au cas o� ils seraient menac�s par des poursuites sur leurs brevets. Comme il s�agit d�une r�elle strat�gie d�autod�fense, bon nombre de ces d�tenteurs de brevets pourraient mettre leur menace � ex�cution. Mais cette excuse n�est pas valable pour Amazon, car ce sont eux qui ont tir� les premiers.�

M�me si � l'�poque ce boycott n�a gu�re entam� le chiffre d�affaires d�Amazon, il a enflamm� le d�bat quant aux brevets logiciels, dont bon nombre pensent qu�ils sont hors de contr�le.
Aujourd'hui, Amazon UK n�a pas �t� en mesure d�indiquer si sa maison m�re pr�voit d�utiliser son tout nouveau brevet sur les cookies, pour intenter des proc�s � d�autres sites de commerce �lectronique.

Pour en savoir plus :
Apple d�fend l'interface de son iPod

Matt Loney, ZDNet UK

Source :
http://fr.news.yahoo.com/040402/7/3q91h.html

PUMA and Christy Turlington Team with Amazon to Launch New Yoga Collection; Online Boutique Features

Mahanuala enhances a woman's sense of herself rather than competing with it, said Christy Turlington Burns, Creative Director, mahanuala. While the collection looks very stylish, it is made to sustain rigorous physical activity. Whether or not one practices yoga or other contemplative sports, any woman will appreciate the comfort and ease-of-movement that this collection offers. The relationship with Amazon is a natural and logical fit because the online boutique lends itself beautifully to the spirit of mahanuala by promoting self discovery and evolution.

Mahanuala was designed to complement nuala, Christy's existing lifestyle collection. Especially created for Asanas, the physical limb of yoga, mahanuala addresses the more technical needs of a true yoga practice, whether at home or at a yoga center. The collection of stylish performance apparel is characterized by soft shapes, natural materials and technical fabrics coupled with a fresh color palette.

We are thrilled that Amazon was selected as the exclusive online sales channel for PUMA's launch of mahanuala, said Russ Grandinetti, vice president of Amazon's Apparel & Accessories store. Amazon.com is uniquely suited to educate customers about the benefits and attributes of technically sophisticated products and help them make informed purchase decisions.

The mahanuala boutique in Amazon's Apparel store offers customers the complete mahanuala line of performance apparel and cover ups, footwear and accessories the Amazon way - easy navigation, a single shopping cart, and ordering and payment information already on file. PUMA will manage fulfillment and customer service.

To celebrate the launch of the mahanuala collection, Christy, PUMA and Amazon are hosting a special, invitation-only event on March 31st at Spirit in NYC. As an added bonus, PUMA will be offering free shipping on all mahanuala orders on the Amazon Apparel store in the first month of the site's launch. PUMA will also be donating 2% of the proceeds from the first month of sales on Amazon to benefit Tibet House US. Tibet House is an organization dedicated to the proposition that the wisdom and arts of all human civilizations vitally enrich the emerging global culture.

To visit the mahanuala boutique at Amazon.com, go to www.amazon.com/mahanuala.

PUMA(R) is the global athletic brand that successfully fuses influences from sport, lifestyle and fashion. PUMA's unique industry perspective delivers the unexpected in sportlifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories, through technical innovation and revolutionary design. Established in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1948, PUMA distributes products in over 80 countries. For further information please visit www.puma.com.

Source :
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Mar/1027500.htm

Nouveaut� livre : "L'affiliation : pourquoi ? Comment ?"

R�sum�

Optimisez votre marketing en ligne gr�ce � votre programme d'affiliation

Les directions marketing ont pour obsession permanente de diminuer les co�ts d'acquisition de leurs programmes de marketing en ligne.

Pour atteindre cet objectif, l'affiliation s'impose. Dans la relation d'affiliation, un site �diteur (l'affili�) s'engage � promouvoir les produits et services de l'annonceur et � �tre r�mun�r� en fonction de ses r�sultats. Nous sommes ici au c�ur du " performance marketing ".

�labor� � partir de l'analyse de dizaines de programmes, ce livre vous donne toutes les cl�s pour cr�er, d�velopper, animer votre propre r�seau d'affili�s.

Tous les outils concrets pour

comprendre le m�canisme de l'affiliation
Savoir si l'affiliation est pertinente pour votre web marketing
choisir la solution de gestion la mieux adapt�e
d�finir la r�num�ration des affili�s
r�ussir le lancement
recruter de nouveaux affili�s
animer le r�seau

Au sommaire

Comprendre l'univers de l'affiliation et son r�le marketing
B�tir le programme
Pr�parer le lancement
Lancer le programme
Animer votre r�seau
Recruter de nouveau affili�s
Conclusion
Annexes

Acheter ce livre

Librer�as en l�nea: a s�lo un clic de distancia

(...)

La empresa pionera a nivel mundial en este tipo de negocio fue Amazon (www.amazon.com), l�der mundial del comercio electr�nico, que ha invertido 10 a�os de trabajo y un par de miles de millones de d�lares en alcanzar esta posici�n l�der, que permite garantizar el acceso personalizado a decenas de millones de clientes.

Aunque comenz� vendiendo libros, pronto expandi� su actividad a la venta de otras mercanc�as como discos y DVD, por lo que ahora es una tienda diversificada, que ofrece ropa, juguetes, electrodom�sticos, computadoras e incluso diamantes.

Ninguna otra empresa de tecnolog�a tiene la capacidad que posee Amazon para abastecer un n�mero tan grande de clientes en l�nea y potenciar la venta cruzada de productos. Por tal motivo, empresas como Toys'R Us, Target y Borders Group, le conf�an sus transacciones electr�nicas. (...)

Source :
http://www.el-universal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia_supl.html?id_articulo=13142&tabla=articulos

Kerry is ahead on Amazon.com

Compiled by Seattle Times technology staff

Do Amazonians lean left?

Amazon.com began accepting $5 to $200 donations for presidential candidates at the beginning of the year. The results, so far, seem to favor the donkeys.

Democratic candidate John Kerry was in the lead late Friday with $100,307 in donations made via Amazon, followed by President Bush, with $21,002.86. Libertarian candidate Gary Nolan was third with $16,165.

Kerry also led in the number of donations, with 2,126 contributions averaging $47.18 apiece. Bush garnered 551 contributions at a $38.12 average; Nolan had 465 donations averaging $34.76.

Amazon wins regardless of which candidate receives the most. The company said U.S. law prohibits it from donating services to any, or all, presidential campaigns, so it's charging its standard Amazon.com fee of 25 cents per contribution, plus 2.5 percent of the contribution amount (on par with other services, such as PayPal, which allow users to collect money online.)

At that rate, Amazon has received $3,039.18 of Kerry's $100,307 contribution total.

Consider it a vote for e-commerce.

Source :
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/
2001890238_btdownload29.html

Amazon.com to Webcast Investor Conference Presentation and First Quarter 2004 Financial Results Conf

SEATTLE--March 26, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) announced today that it will speak at the Bank of America Consumer Conference in New York on March 31, 2004, at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET.

Additionally, the company will hold a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2004 financial results on April 22, 2004, at 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET.

These events will be webcast live, and the audio and associated slides of both will be available for at least three months thereafter, at www.amazon.com/ir.

Source : Amazon.com

'21 Dog Years' begs for howls of laughter at Berkeley Rep

FORMER Amazon.com employee Mike Daisey's nondisclosure agreement has expired, and that's a good thing for the audiences of his one-man show, "21 Dog Years: Doing Time @Amazon.com ." A hit in Seattle, New York and Scotland, Daisey's show is a late addition to the Berkeley Repertory Theatre season. The show runs from June 10 to July 2 on the company's Thrust Stage. Daisey began working at Amazon in 1998 during the height of the dot-com boom and found himself immersed in the madcap world of Internet start-ups where leather-clad employees spent their mornings trading stocks online as packs of dogs roamed the hallways. From a lowly customer service rep to a rising star in business development, Daisey observed the excesses and eccentricities of doing business in the then-untested frontier of the World Wide Web. While doing his time at Berkeley Rep, Daisey also will mount a workshop production of a new show, "Wasting Your Breath," the tale of a darkly comic road trip from Maine to Seattle. Tickets for "21 Dog Years" range from $25 to $35. Tickets for the workshop (June 22 and 28) are $5. Call (510) 647-2949 or visit www.berkeleyrep.org -- Chad Jones Great America parade

You know summer's just around the corner when the area's amusement parks open their doors with new attractions.

SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer lead the list of popular characters marching in the "Nickelodeon Celebration Parade," which steps off at

5 p.m. Saturday at Paramount's Great America in Santa Clara.

The characters celebrate spring Hollywood style with more than 75 performers and floats winding through the park. The parade makes five stops along the way where children are invited to join in the fun by making bubbles, throwing pies and spraying water.

The parade is at 5 p.m. during the park's open days through May 31.

Beginning June 2, kids and parents can mingle with the Nickeleodon crowd, including Cosmo and Wanda from "The Fairly OddParents" and Nick Jr.'s Little Bill, for hugs and photos at "Meet the Nicktoons Live." This 5 p.m. show is at the park's Hollywood Plaza through Oct. 24.

Paramount's Great America is on Great America Parkway, reached via Highway 237 or U.S. 101. Open days and hours vary until June 2, when the park begins its summer schedule. Admission is $47.99 adults, $39.99 seniors, $33.99 kids; free for kids younger than 2. For details visit www.pgathrills.com or call (408) 988-1776.

-- Catherine Schutz

Source :
http://www.timesstar.com/Stories/0,1413,125~1549~2040325,00.html

Amazon UK lance deux nouvelles rubriques marchandes

Le site d'Amazon UK a lanc� deux nouvelles rubriques marchandes : une d�di�e au bricolage et l'autre au jardinage. Elles viennent compl�ter la cha�ne "Maison et Jardin" du site marchand qui a �t� inaugur�e en avril 2003.

Source : Journaldunet

Amazon.co.uk Taps Into Home Improvement Market With Launch Of DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoors

London: March 24, 2004: Leading online retailer Amazon.co.uk today announced the launch of two new categories--DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoors--that offer a wide range of DIY, gardening and home-improvement products at low prices. The new categories can be found in Amazon.co.uk's new Home & Garden shop (www.amazon.co.uk/homeandgarden), which will also incorporate Amazon.co.uk's existing Kitchen & Home and Personal Care categories.

Amazon.co.uk's DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoors categories will offer low prices on thousands of items at launch, from biscuit jointers to long-nose pliers, lawnmowers and bird tables. With top brands on offer--including Black & Decker, Bosch, DeWalt, Draper, Stanley and Faithfull--and free delivery on qualifying orders over �25, the launch will answer the growing demand for online home-improvement shopping.

As an introductory offer, Amazon.co.uk customers will receive a free Stanley 9-way screwdriver set when they spend over �20 in the DIY & Tools shop. For more details, visit www.amazon.co.uk/homeandgarden.

Robin Terrell, managing director of Amazon.co.uk, commented: "Amazon.co.uk's goal is to be the place where customers can find and discover anything they want to buy online. Today's move into DIY, gardening and home improvement products is a natural progression towards achieving that goal. The launch of DIY & Tools and Garden & Outdoors follows our successful expansion into new categories including consumer electronics, kitchen items and personal care."

Lire la suite de l'article...

Audible Now Offering $100 Instant Rebates on Apple iPods and Other Bestselling Handheld Devices on A

WAYNE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2004--
Subscribe to an AudibleListener(R) Membership Plan and Receive a $100 Rebate on MP3 Players and PDAs at Amazon.com

Audible, Inc. (OTC BB: ADBL) today announced an instant rebate of $100 on best-selling AudibleReady(R) handheld devices for those Amazon.com customers who commit to a 12-month AudibleListener(R) membership plan as part of their device purchase. Audible is the leading provider of digitally delivered spoken word audio.

Details on the $100 instant rebate can be found at www.amazon.com by searching on a specific AudibleReady digital audio player. AudibleReady portable digital audio players such as the Apple iPod or iPod Mini, and personal digital assistants including palmOne Zire, Tungsten handhelds, select Sony Clie models, and Pocket PCs from Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba are all included in this special offer.

"We are confident that shoppers looking to get the most out of their iPod, Tungsten, Jornada, or other portable device will welcome the convenience of having a vast range of audiobook best sellers and other informative and entertaining programs available to them wherever they go," said Foy Sperring, senior vice president of Strategic Alliances, Audible, Inc. "This $100 instant rebate is another step forward in Audible's relationship with Amazon.com. We look forward to serving new AudibleListeners as a result of this initiative."

Source :
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040323005269&newsLang=en

Amazon.com aims for post-boom success

By Allison Linn

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SEATTLE - Amazon.com, what a short, strange trip it's been.

Ten years after it was founded in Chairman and Chief Executive Jeff Bezos' garage, Amazon.com has experienced more dizzying ups and downs than most companies see in decades.

The Internet retailing giant has zoomed through periods of lightning-fast growth -- fueled by catchy slogans like "get big fast" and "deliver at any cost." And it has hunkered down through somber stints of belt-tightening, layoffs and restructuring, its executives driving more mundane tasks like leveraging fixed costs and improving productivity.

Meanwhile, it has gone from Wall Street darling to pariah and back again -- with shares in the company swinging like a pendulum all the way.

And the ride isn't over yet. Shares in Amazon rose sharply in 2003, as Wall Street rewarded the company's internal cost-cutting and sales growth. But the stock has again tumbled this year, driven in part by concerns that the company's aggressive discounting and free shipping offers will be too harmful to its financials in the short-term.

Bezos insists the company is committed to those plans, arguing that it is key to one strategy that has never changed at Amazon -- a focus on customer service. But he says that it's still way too early to say whether Amazon is getting close to a phase that could be called business as usual.

"That's a very good question, and I think one that can really only be answered in retrospect. So, ask me again in 10 years," he said with a laugh.

No one could have predicted how things would unfold at Amazon. When Bezos officially launched the Amazon.com Web site in 1995, his "ambitious" five-year business plan called for $100 million in sales in the year 2000.

By the year 2000, annual sales had hit $2.76 billion -- but the company also lost $1.41 billion that year, prompting 1,300 layoffs.

For all of its short life, the company has enjoyed the benefits -- and suffered the consequences -- of being among the first major Internet retailers. That's led to major brand recognition and helped the company grow at an astronomical pace while enjoying relatively little major competition.

"The e-commerce market is growing very rapidly, and Amazon has almost all of it for itself," noted Safa Rashtchy an analyst with Piper Jaffray.

But Amazon's leading role has also meant the company has had to constantly move into largely uncharted territory. That has resulted in some major missteps, such as big investments in failed ventures like living.com and pets.com. It's also meant constantly tweaking plans while trying to figure out how people want to shop online.

For example, Bezos said, the company did not originally plan to "get big fast." But when Internet retailing took off in the late 1990s, executives felt that was what they had to do to succeed.

In early 2001, the company also abruptly switched to a more austere model, announcing layoffs and closing some operations.

Amazon has stayed lean since, employing 7,800 people as of the end of last year. It even eked out a net profit in 2003 -- although the company warned in its annual report that investors shouldn't take that as a sign that it will happen again.

Amazon also has tweaked many of its retailing plans, such as its move to have other companies sell their products through Amazon. Originally, those offerings were to be separate from Amazon's. Now, customers see offerings from Amazon and those other companies together. Amazon says it usually makes the same amount of money no matter which one the customer chooses. Such third-party sales represented about 24 percent of products sold at Amazon in the fourth quarter of last year.

Bezos conceded it can be tough to know when to forge ahead and when to pull the plug, but he points to the third-party sales strategy as an example of persistence paying off. In the same way, Amazon is doggedly standing behind its plan to offer customers lower prices and free shipping on many orders -- even if it proves costly in the short-term.

Amazon chief financial officer Tom Szkutak said the question Amazon asks itself is, "'Why would a customer not buy from Amazon.com today?'

"And we're trying to get it down to, the only reason not to buy from Amazon.com is because you want it today."

Even that's not always a deterrent, he notes. Some products are available for in-store pickup.

Rashtchy and other analysts agree the discounting strategy will eventually pay off.

"I think it is the right strategy for the long-term; it's just not entirely in sync with investor expectations," Rashtchy said.

Looking ahead, he sees Amazon's biggest potential in international markets -- improving business in places like Germany and Japan where the company already operates, and expanding into new markets, such as China.

He also will be looking for the company to become less dependent on selling books, music and videos and get more of its business from other items, ranging from tools to engagements rings.

Bezos said Amazon decided long ago to focus more on customers than competitors. But Rashtchy said there are some potential competitive threats, such as more sophisticated search engines that could make it easier for potential customers to find other, smaller retailers online.

As with so many other Amazon ventures, analyst Dan Geiman of McAdams Wright Ragen expects that Amazon's current pricing and shipping policies will be tweaked over time.

"It's always kind of a work in progress, and they get better at what they're doing over time," he said. "But I think at this point their strategy has been pretty successful."

Source :
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/business/8254499.htm

S�minaire commerce �lectronique : nouvelles opportunit�s, nouvelles strat�gies

Forum le 6 mai 2004
Au Pr� Catelan - Paris
S�minaires les 5 et 7 mai 2004 � Suresnes

Intervenants :

Bruno Delaporte,		3Suisses
Christophe Lasserre,		Alapage
Thomas Lot,		Amazon
Henri de Maublanc,		Aquarelle
Thomas Romieu,		Club des Cr�ateurs de Beaut�
Helmi El Amri,		Conforama
Jan Loning,		Fnac
G�rard Haas,		HAAS Soci�t� d'Avocats
Loic Le Moaligou,		Houra
Benoit Chopin,		Joupi
Jean-Marie Boucher,		La Redoute
Thomas Petuaud Letang,		Lapeyre
Olivier de la Clergerie,		Ldlc
David Lachaud,		Nature et d�couvertes
Pingki Houang,		Pixmania
Gauthier Picquart,		Rue du Commerce
Bruno Viret-Lange,		Top Achat
Agn�s Henaff,		Willemse
Bernard le Marois,		Wine and Co

Programme :

8 h 30	Accueil / Caf�
9 h 00	Commerce �lectronique : les r�sultats de l'�tude Benchmark Group Quelle croissance de l'e-Commerce en 2003 ? Quels business plans pour 2004 ? Quels secteurs porteurs ? Quels enseignements du march� am�ricain ? Panier moyen, fr�quence des commandes, taux de transformation� Comment �voluent les principaux indicateurs des marchands �lectroniques ? Principaux enseignements en exclusivit� de l'�tude annuelle sur le commerce �lectronique de Benchmark Group, par St�phane Loire, Directeur de projet.
9 h 30	Les nouvelles opportunit�s du commerce �lectronique D�mocratisation d'Internet, d�veloppement des connexions haut d�bit, �mergence de nouveaux mod�les (plate-forme d'e-commerce, �volution des galeries marchandes des FAI�) : comment les marchands appr�hendent l'�volution de leur environnement ? Comment relever ces nouveaux d�fis ? Concentration, coop�ration, europ�anisation : quels sc�narios de structuration possible pour le commerce �lectronique ? Internet mobile, t�l�vision interactive : quelles nouvelles perspectives ? Des acteurs majeurs fournissent leur vision du march�. Avec Thomas Lot (Amazon), Jean-Marie Boucher (La Redoute), Gauthier Picquart (Rue du Commerce), Loic Le Moaligou (Houra). Table ronde anim�e par Ludovic Desautez, Journal du Management.
10 h 30	Pause / Caf�
10 h 45	Boutique en ligne et r�seau de magasins : tirer profit des synergies et des compl�mentarit�s Comment suivre efficacement un consommateur d'un canal � l'autre ? Comment optimiser le taux de transformation global de l'enseigne ? Organisation des magasins, techniques de vente : quelles sont les incidences du site marchand sur le r�seau de distribution physique ? Comment sensibiliser et mobiliser les �quipes en magasin autour du site et des services en ligne ? Avec Jan L�ning (Fnac), David Lachaud (Nature et D�couvertes), Thomas Petuaud Letang (Lapeyre), Helmi El Amri (Conforama). Table ronde anim�e par St�phane Loire, Benchmark Group.
11 h 30	De la VPC au e-commerce Comment positionner son site Internet par rapport � ses catalogues ? Peut-on se contenter de proposer en ligne une s�lection de son catalogue ? A quelle �ch�ance faut-il viser l'exhaustivit� ? Comment accompagner sa client�le d'un canal � l'autre ? Comment s�duire de nouveaux prospects sans effrayer ses clients historiques ? Comment mieux servir sa client�le gr�ce � Internet ? Comment ajuster son organisation (service client, achats, marketing�) pour davantage de r�activit� et de flexibilit� ? Avec Agn�s Henaff (Willemse), Thomas Romieu (Club des cr�ateurs de beaut�), Bruno Delaporte (3Suisses). Table ronde anim�e par Thierry Hamelin, Benchmark Group.
12 h 15	D�jeuner
14 h 00	Les attentes des internautes : quelles �volutions ? R�sultats d'une enqu�te en ligne sur les usages et attentes des internautes en mati�re d'achat en ligne. Quels comportements sp�cifiques pour la client�le f�minine, pour les nouveaux acheteurs en ligne ? Quelle fid�lit� vis-�-vis des marchands suivant les produits achet�s ? Quelle satisfaction vis-�-vis des prestations des marchands ? Quelles cons�quences sur les pratiques de consommation en ligne ? Quels leviers de d�veloppement selon les cat�gories de produits ? Une pr�sentation de Thierry Hamelin, Directeur des �tudes, Benchmark Group
14 h 15	Optimiser l'efficacit� de son site et de son merchandising Avec l'essor du haut d�bit, quelles innovations pour mettre en valeur son offre, mieux servir les clients ? Quelles v�ritables perspectives et opportunit�s pour des politiques commerciales personnalis�es, pour le " dynamic pricing " ? Cross selling, Up selling : comment utiliser efficacement les dispositifs d'e-merchandising pour maximiser son panier moyen ? Banni�res, t�tes de gondole, corners : comment servir efficacement la politique promotionnelle des fournisseurs ? Ergonomie, navigation : les cl�s pour accro�tre son taux de transformation ? Avec Christophe Lasserre (Alapage), Benoit Chopin (Joupi), Olivier de la Clergerie (LDLC), Bernard le Marois (Wine and Co). Table ronde anim�e par Julien Barras, Benchmark Group.
15 h 30	La loi sur l'�conomie num�rique : ce qui va changer pour les marchands Responsabilit� commerciale, e-mailing : comment la loi sur l'�conomie num�rique va concr�tement modifier les conditions d'exercice de la vente sur Internet ? Quelles dispositions n�cessaires pour limiter l'ins�curit� juridique ? Une pr�sentation de Ma�tre G�rard Haas, Avocat au Barreau de Paris, HAAS Soci�t� d'Avocats.
16 h 00	Pause / Caf�
16 h 30	Communication : nouvelles strat�gies, nouvelles techniques Fort de moyens accrus, comment r�orienter de mani�re pertinente ses strat�gies de communication vers des objectifs d'image et de notori�t� ? Quels nouveaux arbitrages entre les diff�rents leviers publicitaires ? Avec Bruno Viret-Lange (Top Achat), Pingki Houang (Pixmania), Henri de Maublanc (Aquarelle).Table ronde anim�e par Pierre Lombard, Benchmark Group. Inscription : *http://www.benchmark.fr/asp/evenement/inscription.asp?f_id=7961*

Amazon.co.jp Offers the Japanese version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for Immediate

Date-of Release Delivery for pre-order customers on the Publication Day, September 1 for Free!
On-The-Day Delivery is the first realization in the history of Amazon.co.jp

Read more...

Amazon.co.jp Launches New Computer Store

Expanded PC Selections of Laptops and Desktops Offering "up to 15% Reward Program" plus an additional 10,000 JPY gift certificate for the purchase of a computer-item costing over 100,000 JPY.

Read more...

Meilleures ventes livres commerce �lectronique sur Amazon.fr

Amazon.de opens new House & Garden shop

Munich, March 10, 2004 - Amazon.de has opened its new "House & Garden" shop, which offers Internet users a selection of thousands of favorably priced, brand-name products made by leading manufacturers. The "House & Garden" shop offers merchandise in the following categories: "Do It Yourself," "Garden & Leisure Time," "Body Care & Bath" and "Kitchen & Household." Amazon.de offers free delivery on orders worth �20 or more (see site for details).

Lire la suite...
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=97664&p=IROL-NewsText

USA: Amazon.com Jan-Feb Sales Jump 90%

10 Mar 2004

Sales at Amazon.com�s online Apparel & Accessories Store jumped by 90 per cent in the first two months of 2004 the internet retailer said on Tuesday, prompting new names to join the site.

Baby Phat, Bluefly, Coldwater Creek, Elisabeth, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, J Jill, Lucky Brand Jeans, Maidenform, Pacific Sunwear, Rocawear and XOXO are some of the companies who have signed up alongside the 200 apparel retailers already selling through Amazon.com.

"Pacific Sunwear selected Amazon.com because of the exposure to millions of new customers who haven't yet experienced our brand," said Carl Womack, senior vice president and chief financial officer, Pacific Sunwear of California Inc.

Amazon said that in January and February its sales included 52,000 pairs of shoes, 48,000 pairs of pants and jeans, 25,000 pairs of underwear, 21,000 jackets, coats and fleeces, and 15,000 men's dress shirts.

The company has also calculated that its Apparel & Accessories Store offers more than 2,000 brands featuring over 150,000 clothing styles with more than one million colour and size combinations.

And since its launch in November 2002, more than one million customer accounts have ordered an apparel item from the site.

Source :
http://www.just-style.com/news_detail.asp?art=33255

Les frais de port des librairies en ligne

L'Internaute a compar� les frais de port et les seuils au-del� desquels la livraison est gratuite de quatre cyberlibraires. (Mars 2004)

Quand on veut acheter des livres sur Internet, il faut bien s�r comparer les prix de vente des diff�rentes librairies en ligne qui font r�guli�rement des offres sp�ciales et en g�n�ral 5 % de r�duction sur les livres.
Mais, le prix des livres �tant strictement encadr� par la loi, il faut surtout tenir compte des frais de port factur�s par les cyberlibraires et, si possible, commander suffisamment pour que ceux-ci soient gratuits.

Nom	Frais de port*	Gratuit � partir de...	Site
Alapage	2,80 � : Colissimo 7 � : Chronopost	25 � d'achat en Colissimo	www.alapage.fr
Amazon	2 � : Colissimo 7 � : Chronopost	20 � d'achat en Colissimo	www.amazon.fr
Chapitre	3 � (+ 1,50 � par livre suppl�mentaire) : Colissimo 14 � (+ 2 � par livre suppl�mentaire) : Chronopost	59 � d'achat pour les livres neufs	www.chapitre.com
Fnac	2,90 � : Colissimo + 2 � pour le service 24 h	25 � d'achat en Colissimo	www.fnac.com

*en France m�tropolitaine

Le cyberlibraire ayant les frais de port standard (Colissimo) les moins chers est Amazon : la livraison co�te 2 � et est gratuite � partir de 20 � d'achat.

La Fnac pr�sente les frais de port express (Chronopost) les plus attrayants : il suffit d'ajouter 2 � pour recevoir en 24 h les produits disponibles.

Chapitre a les frais de port les plus �lev�s : 3 � en Colissimo (plus 1,5 � par livre suppl�mentaire) et 14 � en Chronopost (plus 2 � par livre suppl�mentaire).

Quant au mode de paiement, il est possible de r�gler sa commande par carte bancaire ou ch�que, mais sachez que sur la Fnac ces derniers ne sont accept�s qu'� partir de 140 � d�achat.

Source :
http://www.linternaute.com/acheter/comparatifs/0403frais_cyberlibrairies

Amazon.com Apparel & Accessories Store Reaches One Millionth Customer Account

A Host of Top Apparel Retailers and Brands, Including Baby Phat, Bluefly, Coldwater Creek, Elisabeth, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, J. Jill, Lucky Brand Jeans, Maidenform, Pacific Sunwear, Rocawear, Samsonite, Shady LTD, Teva Sports Sandals and XOXO Joining Store

SEATTLE--March 9, 2004-- Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that several leading apparel retailers and brands, including Baby Phat, Bluefly, Coldwater Creek, Elisabeth, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, J. Jill, Lucky Brand Jeans, Maidenform, Pacific Sunwear, Rocawear, Samsonite, Shady LTD, Teva Sports Sandals and XOXO are joining more than 200 apparel sellers in the Amazon.com Apparel & Accessories Store (www.amazon.com/apparel), which offers more than 2,000 brands featuring over 150,000 clothing styles with more than one million color and size combinations. Amazon.com's integration of new apparel partners continues to accelerate, with more than 50 new merchant partners integrated in the past few months.

Since its launch in November 2002, more than one million customer accounts have ordered an apparel item from among their favorite apparel brands the Amazon.com way -- with easy navigation, a single shopping cart, customer reviews and other helpful information. Sales in the first two months of 2004 are up approximately 90 percent year-over-year in the Amazon.com Apparel & Accessories Store. A sampling of orders from that time period includes 52,000 pairs of shoes, 48,000 pairs of pants and jeans, 25,000 pairs of underwear, 21,000 jackets, coats and fleeces, and 15,000 men's dress shirts.

"We're excited to be serving our one-millionth customer account in the Amazon.com Apparel Store," said Russ Grandinetti, vice president for Apparel at Amazon.com. "These are brands and products that our customers know and love, and are great additions to our ever-expanding selection of more than one million unique items."

"Pacific Sunwear selected Amazon.com because of the exposure to millions of new customers who haven't yet experienced our brand," said Carl Womack, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. "Amazon.com and Pacific Sunwear combined, offer customers the best of both worlds -- access to popular action sports apparel, footwear and accessories, in an exceptional online shopping environment."

Amazon.com combines experience in online retailing with its expertise in providing customers with the most helpful features and information, and offers this best-of-breed e-commerce experience to apparel and other retailers. Additionally, Amazon.com merchant partners benefit from helpful site features, such as top sellers lists, product descriptions, and similarities that customers have come to expect from Amazon.com.

To experience all that Amazon.com's Apparel & Accessories Store has to offer, visit www.amazon.com/apparel or go straight to Amazon.com and click on the Apparel & Accessories tab.

Source : Amazon.com

A mi derecha Amazon, a mi izquierda eBay

Es dif�cil no ser parcial. Lo intentamos muchas veces, pero la realidad es que el coraz�n domina con frecuencia a la cabeza. En Baqu�a intentamos manterner una actitud de parcialidad con respecto a los dos grandes jinetes del comercio electr�nico mundial. Siempre hemos defendido el modelo de Amazon, aunque a veces hayamos dudado de su viabilidad y todos nos hemos alegrado de leer la buena nueva de su primer a�o completo con beneficios. A pesar que hemos tenido que esperar casi 10 a�os para verlo.

El caso de eBay es completamente distinto. Su modelo de negocio le ha permitido ser rentable desde el principio. El caso es que cuando le�mos en Yahoo News el art�culo de Leslie Walter, periodista del Washington Post, sobre las posturas antag�nicas que mantienen ambas empresas, no pudimos dejar de analizarlo y, francamente, aunque todo cuanto dice Leslie es verdad, creemos que su inclinaci�n natural hacia Amazon desprecia alguno de los puntos fuertes de eBay.

Veamos primero las cifras que ambas empresas acaban de dar a conocer y que sirven de base a Leslie para su reflexi�n. Amazon vendi� 1.940 millones de d�lares en el �ltimo trimestre de 2003, frente a los m�s de 7.000 de eBay. Lo que es m�s significativo: eBay obtuvo un incre�ble margen bruto (ventas menos coste de las mismas) del 82%, lo que le permiti�, despu�s de deducir todos los gastos restantes, finalizar con un 22% de margen neto, mientras que Amazon se tuvo que contentar con un esquel�tico 4%.

El ataque de Leslie a eBay se basa en que la empresa ha aumentado sus precios de venta. Es decir, las comisiones que cobra por sus servicios de subasta y exposici�n. Amazon, por el contrario, contin�a bajando precios, convencida de que su futuro est� en devolver a los clientes el m�ximo de lo que pueda ahorrar en sus operaciones.

�Posturas antag�nicas? Quiz�s sea cierto que, como se comenta en el art�culo, Jeff Bezos se present� ante los analistas con un humilde deseo de servir a los clientes, mientras que Meg Whitman lo hizo de manera triunfante, anticipando alcanzar los 3.000 millones de d�lares de resultado un a�o antes de lo que ella misma hab�a previsto hac�a 2.

Entendemos que Leslie prefiera la parquedad prusiana de Amazon comparada con la decadente forma de moverse, en jet privado de 30 millones de d�lares, de los ejecutivos de eBay. Sin embargo, como �l mismo dice, ambas empresas provienen de dos campos opuestos del comercio electr�nico.

Si los tuvi�ramos que comparar con empresas del mundo f�sico eBay ser�a equiparable a El Corte Ingl�s, mientras que Amazon estar�a mas cerca de Carrefour. Pero esta simplificaci�n ser�a ,b>muy enga�osa, porque ambos modelos de negocio son modelos de Internet que nada tienen de comparable a los de los comerciantes f�sicos.

Ambos han demostrado ser capaces de atender bien a millones de clientes, pero el modelo es completamente distinto. Por lo menos al inicio. Amazon quer�a ser el mejor vendedor online, eBay quiere que sus clientes se hagan ricos -o por lo menos se diviertan como enanos- a trav�s de su plataforma mundial de intercambio. Si haces feliz a la gente y les cobras por su diversi�n puedes tener mejores m�rgenes que si, simplemente, compras y vendes.

En un punto tiene raz�n el art�culo: a medida que Amazon quiere ofrecer la misma infraestructura que eBay, puede cambiar las reglas del juego e incluso mostrar a la gente que quiere ser feliz que puede serlo a menor precio. Pero eso queda en el futuro.

Hoy por hoy, ambas empresas ocupan campos diferentes. La mayor�a de los grandes negocios de eBay se cimentan sobre la suma de muchos peque�os y medianos negocios que se hacen con tanto margen, que no les importa el peaje que les exige la empresa. Amazon, en cambio, est� en la guerra del precio, y quiere ah� ser el campe�n. Mientras compra y venda, cosa que no hace eBay, y tenga sus propios stocks, como los comerciantes f�sicos, sigue teniendo una dependencia h�brida del mundo f�sico que no tiene eBay, y que limita sus m�rgenes.

Donde verdaderamente existe el peligro para eBay, m�s que en su actual optimismo (que el art�culo compara a los mejores tiempos de AOL), es en que Amazon se ebayice y convierta su capacidad de compra en subastas agregadas a bajo precio, desviando tr�fico de eBay y captando m�s y m�s p�blico, hasta ahora fiel a eBay, hacia su plataforma.

Por otra parte, Amazon, cada vez m�s, se est� convirtiendo en comerciante de comerciantes y puede, en alg�n momento, terminar las ventas propias en beneficio de terceros. Quiz�s la gran oportunidad de Amazon se encuentre en vender su parte f�sica a Wal-Mart o a una serie de comerciantes f�sicos l�deres en cada pa�s y convertirse, ya sin modelo f�sico alguno, en su brazo armado en la venta online.

Lo interesante de ambos modelos, inequ�vocamente propios de Internet, es que aunque ahora parezcan juntarse en algunos puntos, creemos que tienen objetivos completamente distintos, y los actuales par�metros de crecimiento y rentabilidad pasan por el tipo de evoluci�n que ambos van a sufrir en los pr�ximos dos a�os.

Vivimos en un tiempo muy interesante.

Source :
http://www.baquia.es/com//20040202/art00003.html

Passion about books can run amok

In July 1995, something extraordinary happened in the world of commerce. In a makeshift office near Seattle, a little bell tinkled and everyone in the room looked up. People at computers gave each other quizzical looks, shook their heads as if to say, ''Not me!'' and then began whooping it up. That bell had notified them of the very first ''live'' customer visiting their Web site and purchasing a product from their new business venture called Amazon.com.

About two years later, Amazon served its 1 millionth customer, and in 1999, it had reached more than 10 million customers worldwide. Amazon's influence and trail-blazing business model regarding online selling practically wrote the ''how-to'' manual on e-commerce. But almost every Amazon.com story left out one tiny little aspect of sales: the buying public. That's why the latest buzz about its online book reviews and their questionable veracity made me smile.

In an effort to build a community, Amazon.com invites Web visitors to share their feedback on books in a lively little section called ''write an online review.'' You don't have to actually prove you've read the book in question. Anyone can simply hop online and review a book, heaping praise or pity on any title of his or her choice and remain anonymous.

The ingenuity � misguided though it may be � of a truly motivated person never fails to amaze me. Let's say an enterprising young author by the name of T.B. Carson writes a book he calls ''Caterpillars Among Us.'' Because of the promise of anonymity, Carson begs friends, family, neighbors and other positively disposed folks to write glowing reviews of his book, or perhaps list that book under the ''also recommended'' section of another title. To do that, people write a review (again, having read the book in question or not is irrelevant) of whatever best-selling book they choose and then add, ''I also enjoyed 'Caterpillars Among Us,' a wonderful new book by first-time author T.B. Carson.''

Here's another way to boost sales of Carson's book: pollute the ''customers who purchase this also bought books by _'' section under the latest best seller. Just buy Carson's book and then purchase the new novel by best-selling author John Grisham. Grisham's book will get thousands of hits and each viewer will see Carson's book as well. The two purchases cross reference each other online.

Unfortunately, other writers can dilute Carson's best efforts to drive sales by writing reviews that do little more than give them a platform to introduce their own masterpiece. Reviews reading like this are not uncommon: '''Caterpillars Among Us' offers a basic introduction to the subject at hand, but you'll find more practical information in my book called 'Our Friends, the Centipedes.'''

Then you have Carson's actual enemies, who will not hesitate to submit something like this: ''T. B. Carson wouldn't know a caterpillar if one crept up his arm and tapped him on the shoulder, and used 50 legs to do it. Don't waste your money.''

Practices like these have apparently run wild at Amazon.com. Until now. A few weeks ago, a glitch in the software that served Canada revealed the identities of all the online reviewers and the jig, as it were, was up. Authors trashing other authors. Customers with an ax to grind burying writers. People writing rave reviews of their own books. Friends praising friends.

It's nearly impossible to police this kind of thing. But you have to admire the efforts of some people. If someone cares passionately about spreading the word about a book, good or bad and motives aside, that gives me hope that books, in this wired, double-click age we live in, still matter to some of us.

Ren�e A. James of Allentown is a freelance writer and works at Rodale Inc. Her e-mail address is raaj3@msn.com

Source :
http://www.mcall.com/business/local/all-james307mar07,0,5991440.story?coll=all-businesslocal-hed

Amazon ruling

Amazon.com Inc., the world's biggest Internet retailer, and Ingram Industries Inc. must pay $15 million to On Demand Machines Corp. for infringing a patent for quickly printing books as customers request them. A jury in St. Louis, Mo., on Wednesday found Amazon.com and Ingram Industries Inc.'s Lightning Source subsidiary willfully infringed a patent owned by On Demand, a privately held company. On Demand is entitled to ask the judge to triple the damages awarded by the jury, Bill Cunningham, an attorney for the company said. The patent covers a method that allows customers or bookstores to view sales information and order books on demand.

Teen grooming products

With sports-related product names like Body Slam and Lid Lock, three former Procter & Gamble Co. employees hope their new personal grooming line will capture what they say is a largely untapped market of about 22 million preteen and teenage boys. Cincinnati-based OT OverTime will roll out the line of body wash, shampoo, hair gel and anti-perspirant this month in partnership with their old employer, the consumer products giant P&G. OT OverTime says the line is the first complete set of personal-care products developed exclusively for 9- to 16-year-old boys. OT OverTime will manufacture, market and distribute the products under the OT trademark licensed to P&G. Neither party would reveal terms of the agreement.

Homebuilder shares surge

U.S. homebuilder shares rose to a record, posting their biggest weekly gain in six months, on signs sluggish job growth may enable the Federal Reserve to hold off on raising interest rates anytime soon. The Standard & Poor's Supercomposite Homebuilding Index of 14 residential builders rose 19.36 points, or 3.1 percent, to 650.5 points at 4 p.m. in New York trading. The index soared 97 percent last year. U.S. companies created 21,000 jobs in February, the Labor Department said, fewer than forecast for the second straight month. Bonds rallied as investors bet the Federal Reserve won't raise rates until the end of the year, futures contracts showed. A 45- year low in mortgage rates last year sparked a surge in homebuilders' shares, as Americans bought homes in record numbers.

Source :
http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87~11271~2001018,00.html

Le futur monopole du Net

Apr�s avoir r�volutionn� la recherche d'information en ligne, les moteurs commencent � r�genter l'e-commerce lui-m�me. Google et Yahoo! sont d�sormais des concurrents d'eBay et d'Amazon. S'ils trouvent un modus vivendi, les quatre g�ants pourraient, � terme, �tre en situation d'oligopole.

De plus en plus d'�e-acheteurs� potentiels se tournent d'abord vers les moteurs de recherche, et non plus directement vers les sites marchands comme le site d'ench�res eBay (1�re entreprise commerciale du Web, 22 % de l'ensemble du commerce on-line, $ 24 milliards de ventes en 2003) et le vendeur de biens culturels (et autres) Amazon. Selon une �tude Goldman Sachs, le mouvement a commenc� durant la p�riode de No�l 2003: deux acheteurs am�ricains sur cinq ont alors commenc� par utiliser Google, et un tiers Yahoo!...

Les moteurs de recherche font directement le lien entre l'offre et la demande, pr�levant leur d�me au passage gr�ce aux �liens commerciaux�, achet�s par des entreprises. Ce fonctionnement revient � court-circuiter les portails d'e-commerce. Ces derniers, pour b�tir leur croissance, se sont donc appliqu�s � concentrer un maximum de produits et services.

Or, les moteurs de recherche fonctionnent en �d�tricotant� la Toile: ils parcourent des millions de pages pour chercher pr�cis�ment ce que l'utilisateur leur demande, sans tenir compte de la source ou de la localisation. On pourrait donc comparer les portails comme Amazon � d'immenses supermarch�s en ligne: on y entre, on s'y prom�ne, on a le choix parmi ce qui se trouve dans les rayons - et uniquement l�. Un choix vaste, mais pas illimit�. Les moteurs de recherche, quant � eux, ressemblent � d'�normes catalogues, rassemblant toutes les marques disponibles sur le march�, et donnant directement acc�s aux vendeurs, petits ou gros.

Microsoft dans la danse
Pour d�fendre leur position, les deux g�ants de l'e-commerce �traditionnel� sont contraints d'entrer dans le jeu des moteurs de recherche, comptant parmi les principaux acheteurs de leurs liens commerciaux. Ils consacrent ainsi d'�normes budgets � s'ins�rer au c�ur m�me de leurs nouveaux concurrents - et contre-attaquent en investissant dans la cr�ation de technologies alternatives de recherche:eBay d�veloppe actuellement un nouveau moteur, sur lequel l'entreprise garde encore le silence.

Cela prouve en tout cas que les deux cybermarchands ont pris la mesure de l'�volution: ils en ont les moyens, contrairement aux petits vendeurs... D'ici quelques ann�es, ces derniers n'auront sans doute pas le choix: il leur faudra conclure des accords avec au moins l'un des quatre g�ants,Amazon, eBay, Google ou Yahoo!, pour pouvoir continuer � exister sur la Toile.

Un autre poids lourd pourrait se joindre aux soldats du commerce �lectronique: Microsoft, qui compte lancer son propre moteur de recherche d'ici la fin de l'ann�e, afin de croquer une part de ce g�teau si app�tissant.

Ariane Petit

Source:
http://www.trends.be/CMArticles/ShowArticleFR.asp?articleID=35276&sectionID=322

Collegiate Pacific, Amazon.com ink pact

Dallas-based Collegiate Pacific Inc. said Wednesday it has signed a sales and distribution agreement with online retailer Amazon.com Inc. of Seattle.

Under the arrangement, Collegiate Pacific, which makes sports equipment, will sell its products through the Amazon.com Sports & Outdoors store.

Terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.

Collegiate Pacific, which has sold its products mainly to institutional markets, said the deal would enable the company to reach online shoppers.

"The consumer-direct channel is a new and untapped market for our products," Adam Blumenfeld, president of Collegiate Pacific, said in a statement. "Amazon.com allows Collegiate Pacific to enter this space without exposure to the traditional costs and burdens associated with direct marketing to millions of potential consumer accounts."

Collegiate Pacific posted $21 million in sales for fiscal 2003, which ended June 30.

Source :
http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2004/03/01/daily18.html?jst=b_ln_hl

6 mai 2004 - Forum : Commerce �lectronique - Nouvelles opportunit�s, nouvelles strat�gies

La plupart des marchands �lectroniques ont continu� d'enregistrer des croissances � deux ou trois chiffres sur ce d�but d'ann�e 2004. Cet essor n'est pas pr�s de se tarir car le commerce �lectronique s'appuie sur des leviers de d�veloppement durables et solides, en particulier la confiance accrue des consommateurs vis-�-vis de l'achat en ligne.

Mais pour tirer profit pleinement de cette dynamique, les acteurs du e-commerce devront relever de nombreux d�fis. Quel positionnement, quelle strat�gie et quelles alliances face � la reconfiguration pr�visible du paysage du e-commerce europ�en ? Comment anticiper et prendre en compte efficacement l'�volution du cadre r�glementaire ? Comment positionner son site Internet par rapport � ses autres canaux de distribution ?

Pour r�pondre � ces questions, Benchmark Group r�unit les plus grands marchands sur Internet (Rue du Commerce, La Redoute, Amazon, Fnac, Alapage, 3 Suisses, Houra, etc.). Ils partageront au cours de ce nouveau forum leurs visions du secteur, leurs exp�riences et leurs meilleures pratiques.

Programme complet et inscriptions :
www.benchmark.fr/forum/commerce2004

Amazon.com downgraded to "underweight"

Monday, March 01, 2004 1:12:05 PM ET
Lehman Brothers

NEW YORK, March 1 (New Ratings) � Analyst Douglas Anmuth of Lehman Brothers issues an �underweight� rating on Amazon.com, Inc (AMZN). The target price has been reduced from $40 to $36.

Shares of Amazon.com, a web-based global retailer company, with a diversified range of products, are currently trading at $45.17.

According to Lehman Brothers� research note published on February 27, Amazon.com is likely to experience substantial margins deterioration through 2004. The analyst mentions that the company�s focus on long-term cash flow generation and competitive leverage enhancing measures are unlikely to meet investor expectations in the near term.

Lehman Brothers expects the declining gross margins at Amazon.com�s international operations and the company�s new store opening expenses to further offset any near-term incremental operating margins growth potential. Moreover, the company�s North American revenue growth momentum is likely to considerably deteriorate by the second quarter this year, the analyst says.

The current valuation of Amazon.com�s stock is unattractive, the analyst believes.

Source:
http://www.newratings.com/analyst_news/article_390308.html

Amazon poursuivi par de vieux brevets embarrassants

Par Matt Loney
ZDNet UK
Lundi 1 mars 2004

Le cybermarchand am�ricain est attaqu� pour violation de brevets relatifs aux syst�mes de vente en ligne, dits �brevets sur les paniers d�achat�. D�pos�s en 1998 par Open Market, ils sont d�tenus aujourd�hui par un �diteur qui lui r�clame des royalties.

Le leader mondial du commerce de d�tail sur internet est poursuivi en justice pour violation pr�sum�e de trois brevets notoires relatifs aux processus d'achat en ligne. Ils ont �t� accord�s en 1998 � une soci�t� de commerce �lectronique aujourd'hui d�funte, Open Market.

Cette action en justice est d�voil�e dans le dernier dossier financier transmis par Amazon aux autorit�s am�ricaines de contr�le des march�s financiers, la SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). Un autre proc�s distinct y est �galement mentionn�, intent� en juillet 2003 par Pinpoint Inc., pour violation suppos�e d'une autre technologie de commerce �lectronique.

Lorsque les brevets d�pos�s par Open Market (portant sur le principe du panier d'achat, ou "shopping cart patents") ont �t� accord�s par l'office am�ricain des brevets, le PTO, de vives critiques se sont �lev�es. D'abord, d'autres soci�t�s telles que NetMarket ont pr�tendu avoir �t� les premi�res � d�montrer ces techniques. Ensuite, la controverse a fait rage pour savoir si les "m�thodes commerciales" devaient faire l'objet de brevets (un d�bat raviv� r�guli�rement, comme suite au visa obtenu tout r�cemment par IBM sur un mode "innovant" de r�tribution de d�veloppeurs open source). Bon nombre d'observateurs ont craint, � l'�poque, que les brevets d'Open Market ne soient utilis�s pour faire fermer des sites de commerce �lectronique, qui ne pourraient pas ou ne voudraient pas payer de royalties ou frais de licence.

Au coeur du d�bat: faut-il breveter ou non les "m�thodes commerciales"?

� peine un an plus tard, Amazon a �t� � son tour fortement critiqu� pour avoir d�pos� son propre brevet sur la possibilit� d'effectuer un achat "en un clic". Cette action a d�clench� dans le monde un boycott d'Amazon.com et a suscit� tellement de lettres de plainte que son dirigeant et fondateur, Jeff Bezos, avait d� r�diger une lettre ouverte appelant � une r�forme des brevets, non sans avoir auparavant intent� une action infructueuse contre son concurrent Barnes & Noble.

En 2001, Open Market a �t� rachet� par Divine Inc., fournisseur de services et d'outils d'int�gration qui a ensuite fait faillite. L'actif de Divine a �t� repris en mai 2003 par la soci�t� d'investissement Saratoga Partners, qui l'a ensuite majoritairement revendu. �tait incluse la propri�t� intellectuelle d'Open Market, qui a �t� rachet�e par Soverain Software, �diteur de logiciels de commerce �lectronique. C'est aujourd'hui cet �diteur qui intente un proc�s contre Amazon pour violation du brevet sur les paniers d'achat.

Amazon a annonc� �tre poursuivi par Soverain sur le brevet num�ro US 5.708.780 (enregistr� au PTO) concernant les syst�mes de surveillance et de contr�le d'acc�s aux serveurs internet. Ce brevet est �galement connu sous l'appellation �brevet d'identification de session�. Il permet non seulement aux d�taillants �lectroniques d'analyser la mani�re dont les utilisateurs surfent sur un site, mais �galement de limiter l'acc�s � un contenu sp�cifique, notamment des abonnements ou des informations sur des comptes. Ce brevet ne s'applique pas aux cookies, mais il pourrait concerner d'autres m�thodes de tra�abilit� des consommateurs, dont les certificats num�riques.

En 2003, Amazon obtient un brevet sur des "bons d'achat virtuels"

Le cybermarchand am�ricain doit �galement affronter une action en justice portant sur les brevets 5.909.492 et 5.715.314, relatifs aux syst�mes de ventes en r�seau. Ils visent les processus permettant aux acheteurs d'accumuler des articles avant de r�gler leur facture sur une boutique en ligne; la fa�on dont les donn�es d'achat et de r�glement sont transmises via une URL; et l'utilisation de bons num�riques de promotion pour effectuer des achats sur le web, transmises via messagerie �lectronique, c�d�rom ou encore par t�l�achat. N'oublions pas, � ce titre, qu'Amazon a obtenu en 2003, cette fois sous le r�gime autrement plus strict de l'Office europ�en des brevets, un autre brevet portant sur des "bons d'achat virtuels".

Soverain Software veut obtenir des mesures de redressement par voie d'injonction, a affirm� Amazon dans son dossier transmis � la SEC, ainsi que des dommages et int�r�ts qui �quivaudraient � des �royalties raisonnables�.

Pour sa part, Amazon �conteste les all�gations d'action fautive et entend se d�fendre �nergiquement� tant contre l'action de Soverain, que contre le proc�s de juillet 2003 intent� par Pinpoint Inc. et qui concerne les technologies de personnalisation.

Source : http://www.zdnet.fr/actualites/business/0,39020715,39143566,00.htm

Amazon UK interviewe les �crivains

Le site britannique d'Amazon a lanc� hier, mercredi 25 f�vrier, une nouvelle rubrique sur son site, baptis�e Authors' Lounge (le coin des auteurs). Ce nouvel espace proposera aux internautes de courtes interviews vid�o exclusives des auteurs de best sellers, d'une dur�e de 30 � 60 secondes. La rubrique accueille d'ores et d�j� des entretiens avec Philip Pullman, Bill Bryson, John Le Carre et Griff Rhys Jones.

Source :
http://www.journaldunet.com/0402/040226brefinter.shtml

Amazon.com and W3C to Headline at this Year's XML Europe 2004 Conference and Exposition

XML Europe 2004

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 24, 2004--
Keynote Presentations from Industry Visionaries Will Examine Advances and Challenges in XML, Web publishing and Web Services

IDEAlliance, a leading trade association dedicated to fostering XML and other information technology standards, today announced the keynote lineup for XML Europe 2004, being held 18-21 April, at the Amsterdam RAI Centre, in the Netherlands. The annual event, now in its 21st year, is Europe's largest XML event and will feature in-depth tutorials, a conference program presented by global experts, and Europe's largest XML vendor pavilion.

"This year's keynote presenters follow XML Europe's fine tradition of providing attendees with unique insights and new points of view," said Edd Dumbill, XML Europe Programme Chair. "Both the W3C and Amazon are part of XML's success story on the Web and in business and their experiences have a lot to offer XML Europe attendees."

The three day conference event will kick off on Monday, 19 April, with a presentation from Web Services Evangelist at Amazon.com, Jeff Barr. Barr will describe Amazon's unique success in integrating public web services. Working with a wide variety of customers and developers, Amazon's experience shows that the technology is only half the story.

Also headlining on Monday will be Steven Pemberton, Senior Research at CWI Amsterdam -- the Dutch National Research Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science -- and Senior Researcher with W3C/CWI, The Netherlands. Pemberton has been closely involved with the Web from its inception. He chairs the HTML and Forms Working Groups and is co-author of, among others, the HTML, CSS, XHTML and XForms recommendations. He is also editor-in-chief of ACM/interactions. Pemberton will deliver an experienced and insightful view into the future of XML on the Web.

"This year's keynote speaker lineup proves to be no exception to the level of quality expected by our conference attendees," said Marion Elledge, VP of IDEAlliance. "In addition to the keynotes, we have presenters representing more than 15 nations, from some of the world's leaders in XML technologies. Attendees will be able to take away real-life applications and solid information that can be applied to current industry challenges."

XML Europe 2004 will be co-located with Seybold Seminars Amsterdam, the Global Summit on Content Creation and Management. In addition to the two conference programs, the events will share a pavilion. The Pavilion floor will feature vendors from Europe, North America, and Asia. More than 50 providers of software, systems and solutions are slated to showcase their latest innovations this April. Last year's event had more than 650 attendees and this year's event promises to draw an even greater crowd.

For more information on the Seybold event, visit www.Seybold365.com/ams2004.

For complete details on XML Europe, including exhibiting, sponsoring, program content, registration and housing -- visit the event web site at www.xmleurope.com or call IDEAlliance at +1 703-837-1070.

About IDEAlliance

IDEAlliance (International Digital Enterprise Alliance) is a not-for-profit membership organization. Its mission is to advance user-driven, cross-industry solutions for all publishing and content-related processes by developing standards, fostering business alliances, and identifying best practices. Founded in 1966 as the Graphic Communications Association, IDEAlliance has been a leader in information technology -- developing Document Markup Metalanguage (GENCODE), sponsoring the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), and fostering eXtensible Markup Language (XML). IDEAlliance builds on these languages to create specifications that enhance efficiency and speed information in all aspects of publishing and content-related processes. Learn more about IDEAlliance at www.idealliance.org.

Source :
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040224005644&newsLang=en

Amazon.fr sur le march� des produits de haute-technologie ?

Nomatica : d�clic boursier

Cr�neau porteur. Alors qu'ils �taient encore une dizaine il y 4 ans, les sites de commerce �lectronique sp�cialis�s dans la vente de produits vid�os, informatiques et num�riques se sont r�duits � vue d'oeil apr�s l'�clatement de la bulle internet, laissant bon nombre de sites "sur le carreau", et ce pour le plus grand bonheur de quelques sites marchands qui se partagent aujourd'hui ce march�. Parmi ces acteurs majeurs Nomatica est l'un des plus populaires. Actuellement, le site enregistre ainsi pr�s de 70.000 sessions par jour, soit un total d'environ 45.000 visiteurs quotidiens et pr�s d'un million de pages vues. Positionn� d'entr�e avec des prix agressifs, dont le diff�rentiel par rapport au prix public peut aller jusqu'� 20%, Nomatica fait v�ritablement figure de t�te de proue d'un march� vou� �... exploser. Un march� que la soci�t� a �tendu � l'ensemble de l'Europe puisque depuis sa cr�ation, Nomatica s'est voulu profond�ment europ�en en d�veloppant des sites dans plusieurs langues. Aujourd'hui, pas moins de 13 versions du site fran�ais sont propos�es sur la page d'accueil.

Consolidation. Rueducommerce, CDiscount, LDLC.Com et quelques acteurs se partagent donc aujourd'hui le march� des produits num�riques et photographiques sur Internet. Si les mouvements de rachats auxquels on a pu assister au cours des ann�es fastes d'Internet ne sont plus l�gion et se sont m�me taris, l'ann�e 2004 pourrait servir de nouveau tremplin � des op�rations de consolidation. L'arriv�e annonc�e en France d'Amazon sur le march� des produits de haute-technologie pourrait en effet inciter les sites fran�ais concurrents � envisager des rapprochements pour faire face � cette offensive du g�ant am�ricain. Avec des actionnaires de qualit� comme Dassault D�veloppement qui d�tient 9% du capital et Turenne Partners qui en poss�de 18%, la soci�t� dispose d'ailleurs d'une arme financi�re non n�gligeable pour une acquisition.

Valorisation �lev�e. Le dossier Nomatica, l'une des (tr�s) bonnes surprises du March� Libre depuis son introduction, a de quoi attiser la jalousie des soci�t�s Internet cot�es en Bourse. Jugez plut�t, introduite � 4 euros le 21 juin 2001, l'action Nomatica s'�change aujourd'hui autour des 13 euros, soit un bond du titre de pr�s de... 225%. Une performance dont peu de soci�t�s peuvent se pr�valoir en si peu de temps et qui peut inciter � la prudence � court terme d'autant que les ratios boursiers actuels ne sont plus forc�ment "cadeau". On pr�f�rera donc attendre un repli pour se positionner.

On attendra un r�tro pour se replacer.

Source :
http://finances.voila.fr/cotations/actualite2.html?page=&id=boursier_con_fr:1077544800&sym=PMLNOM-OTC.PSE

Amazon.com "market perform," target price reduced

Tuesday, February 17, 2004 2:40:10 PM ET
Piper Jaffray

NEW YORK, February 17 (New Ratings) - Analyst Safa Rashtchy of Piper Jaffray maintains her "market perform" rating on Amazon.com, Inc (AMZN). The target price has been reduced from $55 to $52.

Shares of Amazon.com Inc, a leading online store, are currently trading at $46.38.

According to Piper Jaffray� research note published this morning, Amazon.com�s gross margins growth is expected to slowdown to 22.3% in 2005. Increased competition would impact the company�s proprietary and third party sales results, the analyst believes. The company is likely to undertake pricing cutting initiatives during 2004 and 2005, the analyst says.

The analyst expects the company to record a 23% growth in its 2005 revenues, along with a 43% growth in the EPS to $1.09. The target price has been reduced to reflect the potential decline in Amazon.com�s gross margins, Piper Jaffray explains. Although the company�s stock is currently trading at a premium to that of its peers, its shares possess limited upside potential, the analysts add.

The EPS estimate for 2005 is $1.09.

Piper Jaffray maintains its "market perform" rating on Amazon.com Inc.

Source : http://www.newratings.com/new2/beta/article_385216.html

Amazon.com gana la disputa sobre un cibersitio parecido

El due�o de un cibersitio que argumentaba que Amazon.com no puede tener la exclusiva del nombre en ingl�s del r�o m�s caudaloso del mundo para vender productos supo el viernes que s� puede.

Los �rbitros de la Organizaci�n Mundial de la Propiedad Intelectual (OMPI) de las Naciones Unidas dijeron al estadounidense de Arizona, que est� detr�s de amazonbooks.net y amazonbooks.org que transfiera el control a Amazon.com, con sede en Seattle, que vende productos en todo el mundo.

Paul Horner dijo a la OMPI por correo electr�nico, en respuesta a una queja sobre el nombre de la conocida marca, que sus cibersitios ofrecen recursos sobre el Amazonas (en ingl�s Amazon) para viajeros potenciales o personas que s�lo quieren aprender m�s sobre el r�o.

Sin embargo, los tres �rbitros hallaron que los sitios ofrec�an escasa informaci�n original el r�o Amazonas y que enlaza con otros sitios con los que Horner no ten�a conexi�n, y se parec�an sospechosamente a amazon.com. Peor a�n, los �rbitros dijeron que amazonbooks.net y .org ofrec�an enlaces a otros sitios -que incluyen al minorista rival e-Bay- competidores de la firma de Seattle.

Hab�a, seg�n los tres expertos, "una razonable inferencia de que Horner atraer a los consumidores que, por error, visitan estos sitios" en lugar de los operados por Amazon.com.

Desde que el arreglo de disputas fue lanzado hace m�s de tres a�os, la OMPI ha atendido cientos de querellas sobre nombres de cibersitios, muchos que involucran a marcas y personas famosas.

Source : http://www.elsemanaldigital.com/fdi/articulos.asp?idarticulo=3311

Glitch unmasks book 'reviewers' at Amazon.com

By AMY HARMON
New York Times

Close observers of Amazon.com noticed something peculiar this week: The company's Canadian site had suddenly revealed the identities of thousands of people who had anonymously posted book reviews on the U.S. site under signatures like "a reader from New York."

The weeklong glitch, which Amazon fixed after outed reviewers complained, provided a rare glimpse at how writers and readers are wielding the online reviews as a tool to promote or pan a book -- when they think no one is watching.

John Rechy, the author of the best-selling 1963 novel, "City of Night," and winner of the PEN-USA-WEST award for lifetime achievement, was one of several prominent authors who have apparently pseudonymously written themselves five-star reviews, Amazon's highest rating. Rechy, who laughed about it when approached, sees it as a means to survival when online stars mean sales.

"That anybody is allowed to come in and anonymously trash a book to me is absurd," said Rechy, who, having been caught, freely admitted to praising his new book, "The Life and Adventures of Lyle Clemens," on Amazon under the signature "a reader from Chicago." "How to strike back? Just go in and rebut every single one of them."

Rechy is in good company. Walt Whitman and Anthony Burgess both famously reviewed their own books under assumed names. But several modern-day writers said the Internet, where anyone from your mother to your ex-agent can anonymously broadcast an opinion of your work, has created a more urgent need for self-defense.

Under Amazon's system, any user of the site may submit a review without publicly providing any personal information (or evidence of having read the book). The accidental posting of real names on the Canada site was for many a reminder that anonymity on the Internet is seldom a sure thing. It was the result of a technical glitch that occurred when the company performed a routine transfer of reviews from the U.S. site, the company said.

"It was an unfortunate error," said Patricia Smith, an Amazon spokesperson. "We'll examine whatever happened and make sure it won't happen again."

But even with reviewer privacy restored, many people say Amazon's pages have turned into what one writer called "a rhetorical war," where friends and family members are regularly corralled to write glowing reviews and each negative one is scrutinized for the digital fingerprints of known enemies.

One well-known writer admitted privately -- and somewhat gleefully -- to anonymously criticizing a more prominent novelist who he felt had unfairly reaped critical praise for years. She regularly posts responses, or at least he thinks it is her, but the elegant rebuttals of his reviews are also written from behind a pseudonym.

Numbering 10 million and growing by tens of thousands each week, the reader reviews are the most popular feature of the Amazon's sites, according to the company, which also culls reviews from more traditional critics like Publisher's Weekly. Many authors applaud the democracy of allowing readers to voice their opinions, and rejoice when they see a new one posted -- so long as it is positive.

But some authors say it is ironic that while they can for the first time face their critics on equal footing, so many people on both sides choose to remain anonymous. And some charge that the same anonymity that encourages more people to discuss books also spurs them to write reviews that they would never otherwise attach their names to.

Jonathan Franzen, author of "The Corrections," winner of the National Book Award, said that a first novel by Tom Bissell last fall was "crudely and absurdly savaged" on Amazon in anonymous reviews he believes were posted by a group of writers whom Bissell had previously written about in the literary magazine The Believer.

"With the really flamingly negative reviews, I think it's always worth asking yourself what kind of person has time to write them," Franzen said. "I know that the times when I've been tempted to write a nasty review online, I have never had attractive motives." Franzen declined to say whether he had ever given in to such temptation.

The suspicion that the same group of writers, known as the "Underground Literary Alliance," had anonymously attacked his friend Heidi Julavits prompted the novelist Dave Eggers to write a review last August calling Julavits' first novel "one of the best books of the year."

Eggers, whose memoir, "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," made him a literary celebrity, chose to post his review as "a reader from St. Louis, MO." But the review appeared under the name "David K Eggers" on Amazon's Canadian site on Monday, and Eggers confirmed in an email message that he had written it.

"I've done that one or two times before, when I like a book and the reviews on Amazon seem bizarre," Eggers said. "In this case I just tried to bring back some balance."

Michael Jackman, a member of the Alliance, which champions "underground writing" and has been critical of contemporary writers' focus on themselves rather than the wider world, called the presumption that his group had written the anonymous reviews "the height of arrogance."

"It's interesting that they find some negative reviews and assume that the reason for it must be partisan ax-grinding and not real taste," Jackman said. "I mean, there's no accounting for taste, is there?" Whether it is arrogance, paranoia or simply common sense, positive reviews come under suspicion too.

"Could the five-star reviews (so far all but one from NY, NY) be the work of the author's friends?" asked a one-star review by "A reader from Washington, DC" on the review page for Susan Braudy's "Family Circle," a biography of Kathy Boudin, a former member of the Weather Underground, and her family.

Reviews are not the only features Amazon writers take advantage of to improve their image on the site. Many authors have been known to list their own books as an alternate recommendation for any given book, and to compile lists of favorite books -- often consulted by browsing customers -- with their own at the top. One even bought up copies of his own books to boost his ranking on the site, which changes by the hour.

Books are far from the only products subject to anonymous reviewing these days. The growth of electronic commerce has spawned a new kind of critical authority -- one's peers. On Amazon alone, customers depend on each other for advice on CDs, DVDs, garden tools and electronic equipment. On dozens of other Web sites, average citizens anonymously review restaurants, software, even teachers.

The word-of-mouth advice is widely seen as empowering to consumers who no longer have to rely on privileged critics who have access to a television station or printing press to disseminate their opinions. But just how reliable the new authorities is the subject of increasing debate, at least among active Amazon users.

As the Amazon sites expand visitors are seen as an increasingly important venue. Mark Moskowitz, an independent filmmaker, sent an email message to about 3,000 people last week asking them to review the DVD of his film, "Stone Reader," which goes on sale next week.

"If you didn't see it but heard it was good, go ahead and post anyway, (what the heck)" Moskowitz' told them. "It doesn't obligate you for anything, even the truth,"

Despite the widespread presumption that they are stacked, both readers and writers say the reviews affect sales, especially for books by new writers that are not widely reviewed elsewhere.

To increase the credibility of the reader reviews, Amazon has introduced a means for users to vote on the quality of each review, and a corresponding ranking of the top 1,000 reviewers. But the site's discussion boards are full of carping about how people are trying to play that system, too. Prolific reviewers speculate that Harriet Klausner, 55, who has long reigned as No. 1, cannot possible read all the books she reviews.

In a telephone interview, Klausner, in turn, accused the No. 2 reviewer of getting people to vote for him and against her in a "desperate attempt to be No. 1."

But such concerns among reviewers pale beside those shared by a range of naturally obsessive writers.

Late last month on her radio talkshow, Dr. Laura Schlessinger used a call about an anonymous letter to vent her distress over some of her Amazon reviewers, who she described as "scummy, creepy, people."

The novelist A.M. Homes said the one Amazon review that has stuck in her mind was a negative one from someone who signed off "A reader from Chevy Chase," which is her hometown.

"The world of books is a very small world these days, and any time someone takes the time to share their opinion it's incredible," Homes said. "But I do want to know who that person from Chevy Chase was and what their problem with me really is."

Source : http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2403132

S&P may raise Amazon.com's credit rating

By GREG WILES
BLOOMBERG NEWS

Amazon.com Inc. may have its credit ratings raised by Standard & Poor's for the first time because the company is making "significant progress" in boosting sales and profit.

About $1.9 billion of debt is affected, Standard & Poor's said in a statement yesterday. Amazon's corporate credit is rated B, or five levels below investment grade.

Amazon's sales rose 34 percent last year to $5.26 billion, while Chief Executive Jeff Bezos reduced debt by $464 million. Income from operations almost doubled, providing more money to cover the $130 million of interest payments it made in 2003.

A ratings change would be the first by Standard & Poor's, which has maintained Amazon at the same level since August 1998.

"They have gotten to a point where there are operating efficiencies, and they're reducing debt," Standard & Poor's analyst Diane Shand said in an interview. "They are the place to go on the Web, and people are using them for convenience and selection."

Standard & Poor's will meet with Amazon's management to determine whether a higher rating is warranted. Amazon, which last year recorded its first full-year profit since its founding in 1994, is projecting sales this year will rise to as much as $6.7 billion.

The online retailer also is redeeming $150 million of its 4.75 percent convertible subordinated notes due in 2009.

Source : http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/160119_amazoncredit11.html

La segunda supervivencia de Amazon.com

Expansi�n - Madrid
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

La tienda virtual ha quitado la raz�n a los agoreros que insist�an en que era imposible que la empresa fuera rentable.

Lo ha conseguido. Amazon.com ha demostrado que no s�lo es una superviviente de la burbuja de Internet, sino que puede ser, adem�s, un negocio rentable. La compa��a fundada por el ex banquero de inversi�n y su actual primer ejecutivo, Jeff Bezos, se anot� unos beneficios de 73 millones de d�lares (57,7 millones de euros) en el cuarto trimestre, gracias a los cuales la compa��a registr� su primer ejercicio completo en n�meros negros desde que se fund� en 1995, con un beneficio de 35,3 millones de d�lares. En 2002, perdi� 149,1 millones de d�lares. Durante los �ltimos tres meses del a�o pasado, las ventas crecieron un 36%, con lo que la cifra de negocio de todo 2003 se situ� en 5.260 millones de d�lares, un 34% m�s que en el ejercicio anterior.

Si bien es cierto que las ventas recibieron un empuj�n gracias a la ca�da del d�lar, que impuls� su facturaci�n fuera de Estados Unidos, lo cierto es que Bezos ha recogido los frutos de una estrategia que se ha revelado ganadora. Por un lado, gracias a un estricto recorte de costes, la compa��a ha conseguido aligerar su cuenta de resultados. Por otro, sus agresivas campa�as promocionales de descuentos y de env�os gratuitos han sido acogidas con entusiasmo por unos clientes cada vez m�s acostumbrados a hacer sus compras en la red. Pero ello no quiere decir que Amazon.com no se enfrente a retos importantes.

Una de las preocupaciones de los analistas es que la estrategia de descuentos de la empresa est� empezando a hacer mella en el margen bruto -ventas totales menos su coste, en porcentaje sobre las ventas totales- que cay� desde el 23 por ciento en 2002 hasta el 22 por ciento el a�o pasado. Bezos se�al� el pasado martes que ese descenso se debe, efectivamente, a los constantes descuentos, aunque se compensa con la mejora de los m�rgenes operativos de la empresa. Por otro lado, no dio ninguna se�al de que tenga la intenci�n de acabar con la pr�ctica de las rebajas: �Seguiremos devolviendo a los clientes nuestras mejoras en forma de menores precios�, afirm� el consejero delegado de Amazon.com.

Otro aspecto que los analistas observan con atenci�n es la estrategia de diversificaci�n. La compa��a est� tratando de reducir su dependencia de las ventas de libros, m�sica y v�deos, de momento su mayor l�nea de negocio. En Am�rica del Norte, dichos productos generaron unos ingresos de 751 millones de d�lares durante el cuarto trimestre, un avance del 16 por ciento. Las ventas de productos electr�nicos y de mercanc�as en general -que abarca las comisiones que Amazon.com ingresa de las ventas que otros fabricantes realizan a trav�s de su web- sumaron 353 millones de d�lares, con un incremento del 22 por ciento. Sin embargo, ese segmento parece estar en retroceso, puesto que las ventas del tercer trimestre hab�an crecido un 35%.

Como se�ala el analista de Goldman Sachs Anthony Noto, �ste �ltimo negocio presenta oportunidades de crecimiento m�s limitadas, ya que Amazon.com lo tendr� m�s dif�cil para aplicar la estrategia de descuentos que tanto �xito ha tenido con los libros, m�sica y v�deos. Adem�s, el mercado de productos electr�nicos es ya muy competitivo y Amazon.com no ejerce control alguno sobre los precios que otras empresas venden a trav�s de su web.

Source : http://www.expansion.com/edicion/noticia/0,2458,440063,00.html

A Study In E-Commerce Opposites

By Leslie Walker
Thursday, January 29, 2004; Page E01

EBay and Amazon.com, the Internet's top two e-commerce sites, are taking opposite approaches to growth. EBay raised its prices this month for the fourth year in a row, while Amazon renewed its pledge to keep cutting prices even if it means lower profits.

The contrast reflects how much more power the highly profitable eBay wields than Amazon.com, which reported its first-ever annual profit this week. Their business models differ, too, since eBay owns no inventory and its prices are commissions charged to sellers.

But their diverging strategies also suggest a difference in attitude that may bode well for Amazon and ill for eBay.

Listen to eBay chief executive Meg Whitman gushing about the company's quarterly earnings on a conference call with investors last week: "The eBay marketplace is a powerhouse," she crowed. "We continue to enjoy ever-bigger, ever-faster cycles of success, fueled by the unlimited opportunity of our huge addressable market." Unlimited? I suppose if eBay could piggyback on President Bush's plan to send humans to Mars, that might be true.

On Amazon's conference call with investors this week, by contrast, chief executive Jeffrey Bezos sounded down to earth. He didn't flinch when an analyst asked why the Seattle retailer insists on lowering prices.

Bezos said his company believes in giving customers what they want. "The things that matter to them are convenience, selection and lower prices," Bezos declared. He said the company has made a "conscious decision" to drive product prices lower on the belief that it will ultimately pay off in higher sales. "We will, for years and years and years, consistently give back the gains we get in lower operating costs to our customers in the form of lower prices," he vowed.

Contrast that with the rhetoric from eBay execs, who raised the company's 2004 sales forecast, predicting it would collect $3 billion in revenue this year, a full year ahead of a target it set two years ago. No estimates were offered on how much of the extra revenue would come from the fee increases.

Yet after years of growing much faster than rivals, eBay is finally showing signs of a slowdown, however slight. Last week the auctioneer reported earnings of $143 million on $648 million in revenue during the final quarter of 2003. Not bad for an eight-year-old company, huh? Yet its 57 percent increase in quarterly revenue was down sharply from the 89 percent revenue spurt eBay reported a year earlier.

Which may be why eBay decided to raise prices. Starting Feb. 2, the fees it charges to list items for sale are going up sharply. Items with bid prices starting at more than $500 will cost $4.80, up 45 percent from the current listing fee. Items priced from $1 to $9.99 will cost 35 cents, an increase of a nickel, or 17 percent. While there's no increase for items priced under $1, fees for setting reserve prices in some cases will double.

Separately, eBay collects commissions on the final value of each item sold, and it increased those fees by roughly 10 percent two years ago. Last year the auction giant raised prices for several other services.

To put the company's complex fee structure in perspective, 292 million items were listed for sale on eBay in the last three months of 2003, which generated $502 million in fees -- or about $1.72 per listing. Higher-priced items, naturally, cost more to sell. Starting next week, for example, an item selling for $150 will cost a seller $7.15 in fees, or about 5 percent of the sales price. And that doesn't count payment processing fees eBay collects from many sellers through PayPal, its payment subsidiary.

Five percent might seem paltry when you consider the tens of millions of buyers who frequent eBay; to be sure, putting up brick-and-mortar stores would cost a great deal more. But you have to wonder how long eBay can sock it to sellers in the form of annual price increases before small sellers start fleeing to rivals such as Yahoo and Amazon.

It's interesting to watch eBay and Amazon marching toward some middle ground in retailing after each started in opposite corners. For years, eBay was home to small merchants who sold mostly used goods at auction prices. It has since added loads of big retailers who sell new merchandise, some at fixed prices. At the same time, Amazon started as a direct seller of new books and subsequently invited other merchants to sell both used and new merchandise on its site. Amazon collects commissions on those third-party sales, just like eBay does, which yields higher profits for Amazon in part because it doesn't have to buy those goods.

That's probably the biggest difference between the two Internet commerce leaders -- how eBay's lower costs yield fatter profits. Fair revenue comparisons are tough, precisely because Amazon still owns most of its inventory and includes those costs in its reported revenue, while eBay neither buys nor ships any goods.

But any way you look at it, eBay is the giant. Its sellers moved $7 billion worth of merchandise in the fourth quarter last year, while Amazon's gross sales totaled $1.94 billion. EBay's gross profit margin -- its revenue minus the cost of sales -- was 82 percent. That's after subtracting the cost of running its Web site, customer support and payment processing operations. And eBay's bottom-line profit stood at 22 percent of its revenue after subtracting all other expenses, including the hefty $172 million that eBay forked over for marketing and sales expenses. Amazon's gross profit for the same quarter, by contrast, was 22 percent, and its bottom-line profit was under 4 percent.

Given its profits, no wonder eBay executives can afford to hopscotch around the world in the $30 million private corporate jet the company purchased a while back. But I can't help feeling dismayed by the self-congratulatory tone of their comments to Wall Street. In fact, it reminds me of the cheerleading we used to hear from executives at America Online before the onetime king of new media merged with Time Warner.

And we all know how that one turned out.

Leslie Walker's e-mail address is walkerl@washpost.com.

Source :
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A58253-2004Jan28&notFound=true

Le nom des critiques anonymes d�voil�s sur Amazon.ca

C'est ce qui s'appelle un bug... et c'est le New-York Times qui rapporte la nouvelle. Selon le journal, sur le site d'Amazon, c�l�bre librairie en ligne (www.amazon.ca), les identit�s des personnes ayant publi� des critiques �taient visibles � l'�cran au cours de la semaine derni�re. Surprise : certains auteurs ne s'�taient pas priv�s de venir �crire en ligne tout le bien qu'ils pensaient de leurs propres ouvrages, n'h�sitant pas � s'octroyer g�n�reusement des "5 �toiles" (meilleure note possible sur le site d'Amazon !). C'est donc sur Amazon (qui a promis de tout faire pour cela ne se reproduise plus) que le "on n'est jamais aussi bien servi que par soi-m�me" prend tout son sens !

Source : http://www.zescoop.com/news.php?id=881

Mois des professionnels chez Amazon

Le site de commerce en ligne propose � ses clients professionnels fran�ais une s�lection de logiciels professionnels avec des r�ductions allant jusqu�� 20 %. Une offre r�serv�e aux professions lib�rales, entreprises et associations.

L�antivirus Kaspersky Personal Pro 4.5 passe ainsi de 79.99 � 63.99 � et une r�duction de 20 % est propos�e sur les gammes des logiciels de gestion et comptabilit� "Ciel !" et les suites bureautiques et utilitaires Microsoft, Apple et Scansoft, entre autres. Des remises sont �galement effectu�es sur des produits Adobe. Enfin, Amazon propose dans sa rubrique Consommables et accessoires les cartouches d�encre HP, Canon, Epson et Lexmark, ainsi que des cartouches compatibles, � prix r�duit.

L�ensemble de ces offres sont disponibles jusqu�au 1er mars prochain.

Timoth�e de Saint Albin

2004-02-09

Source :
http://www.multimedialaune.net/index.php3?action=page&id_art=69259

Nouveau livre : Mining Amazon Web Services: Building Applications With the Amazon Ap!

Book Description
Amazon's new Web Services allow any computer application to find and display Amazon product information and initiate commercial transactions. "Power Selling with Amazon.com Web Services" is the only book on Amazon Web Services. Written for professional web developers creating Amazon store fronts and web site owners who want to get a piece of the action by selling for Amazon.com, this unique book focuses on development, not consumer, features. Topics include: Working with Web Services data; Writing applications using VBA, Visual Studio .NET, PHP, Java; Writing applications for mobile devices; Refining/crafting your Web Services program and considering user needs.

Introduction

Part I: Discovering Amazon Web Services
Chapter 1: Learning about Amazon Web Services
Chapter 2: Using Amazon Web Services to Your Advantage
Chapter 3: Working with Web Service Data

Part II: Writing Amazon Web Services Programs
Chapter 4: Starting the Development Process
Chapter 5: Writing Applications Using VBA
Chapter 6: Writing Applications Using Visual Studio
Chapter 7: Writing Applications Using PHP
Chapter 8: Writing Applications Using Java
Chapter 9: Writing Applications for Mobile Devices

Part III: Refining Your Amazon Web Services Program
Chapter 10: Crafting Your Application
Chapter 11: Considering User Needs
Chapter 12: Other Refinements You Should Consider

Appendixes
Appendix A: Helpful Third Party Resource Sites
Appendix B: Amazon License Checklist
Appendix C: Amazon Area ID List
Appendix D: Late Breaking Amazon Web Services News
Glossary

Index

Commander ce livre / Buy this book

Amazon.fr : un changement des commissions assez inaper�u...

Je ne trouve pas d'article � ce propos pourtant le fait est l� depuis quelques temps d�j� : fini le temps des 15% maximum de commissions sur les livres pour lesquels vous aviez plac� un lien direct ! Dor�navant le maximum de commissions est de 7.5% ! Pour le reste, �a reste 5% et 2.5% pour les produits achet�s en Market Place.

Pourquoi un tel changement ? Pour faire passer le plus d'affili�s sur le syst�me de "paliers" ?

Nouveau livre : Google, Amazon, and Beyond: Creating and Consuming Web Services

Table des mati�res
Chapter 1--The First Service
Chapter 2--The Plumbing--DMO and SOAP
Chapter 3--More Services, Java Applet
Chapter 4--dbService
Chapter 5--Same with REST
Chapter 6--XSLT
Chapter 7--WebDAV
Chapter 8--Weblogs and RSS
Chapter 9--WSDL

Book Description
While many books are focused on the underlying technologies of Web Services and others are dedicated to providing Web Services, few books show how to consume Web Services. This new book provides a thorough review of the technologies and techniques for connecting client applications to services of all kinds. Using a decidedly hands-on approach, the authors show extensive examples of programming with XML, SOAP, REST, and WSDL in JavaScript (tested in IE and Mozilla) and in Java (using open-source tools available on Windows, Linux, and OS X).

Technology Involved: XML, JavaScript, SOAP, Java, JDBC, REST, XSLT, JSP, WSDL, WebDAV

JA Majors Book Info
Provides a hands-on introduction to the power of Web Services. Based on the publicly available Google and Amazon Web Services, this book presents a variety of cross-platform examples showing how to create, provide, deploy, and consumer Web Services. Softcover.

About the author
Alexander Nakhimovsky: Alexander Nakhimovsky received an MA in mathematics from Leningrad University (1972) and a Ph.D. In linguistics from Cornell (1979) with a graduate minor in computer science. He has been teaching computer science at Colgate University since 1985. He is also the author of books and articles on linguistics and artificial intelligence�the foundational concepts of the Semantic Web.

Tom Myers: Tom Myers studied physics in Bogota and Buenos Aires before receiving his BA from St. John's College, Santa Fe (1975) and a PhD. in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania (1980). Recently, he has been working mostly on Java and XML projects, especially database work in Java using J2EE. He is also the author of a book and several articles on theoretical computer science.

Acheter ce livre sur les Web Services d'Amazon

La prochaine bataille du Web

Les grands sites marchands qui s'affrontent pour proposer la meilleure exp�rience de shopping sur le net aux internautes, tous les articles au bout d'un clic, sont en train de se livrer une autre bataille, plus feutr�e mais pas moins f�roce. Le dernier trimestre 2003 a �t� marqu�, sur la sc�ne fran�aise du Web grand public, par l'entr�e sur le march� de la vente de bien culturels d'occasion (livres, disques, vid�o, etc.) de deux poids du e-Commerce : Alapage et Amazon.

Ces deux sp�cialistes ont ouvert leurs pages aux particuliers qui souhaitaient y vendre les livres qui ne sont plus relus, les vid�os qui ne sont plus regard�es ou les jeux vid�o pass�s de mode. En faisant cela, ces sites sont entr�s directement en concurrence avec les services sp�cialis�s dans le "recyclage" de produits culturels que sont Priceminister et 2xmoinscher.

C'est que cette possibilit� de recycler des achats d�cevants ou des cadeaux pas d�sir�s a g�n�r� un v�ritable ph�nom�ne sur le Web grand public avec plus de 20 000 mises en vente par jour sur les sites sp�cialis�s juste apr�s les f�tes de fin d'ann�es (Lire l'article du JDN du 23/01/04). Des volumes qui commencent � attiser les convoitises...

Mais, contrairement aux apparences, ce ne sont pas les acheteurs que cherchent � attirer ces grands sites. En effet, il s'agit cette fois de conqu�rir non plus les consommateurs (c'est quasiment d�j� fait !) mais bien les marchands, les autres, les petits, ceux qui n'ont pas encore ouvert boutique sur le Net. Grande population potentielle en v�rit� ! Songez-y, il y a l� des milliers de distributeurs, de d�taillants, de commer�ants qui ne demandent qu'� se joindre � la danse et qui, pour ce faire, vont aller grossir les rangs d'Amazon ou d'Ebay.

Prenez l'exemple d'Amazon avec sa Marketplace. Ce n'est pas un hasard si la marketplace d'Amazon.fr parait aussi aboutie d�s son d�marrage : elle b�n�ficie de l'exp�rience de celle d�j� en place sur Amazon.com. Mais surtout, l'offre d'articles a �t� abondante d�s le d�but parce qu'Amazon.fr soigne ses relations avec les vendeurs pro. Et ces "vendeurs pro" ne sont pas seulement des particuliers qui se sont pris au jeu, mais bien des commer�ants qui utilisent le site d'Amazon.fr comme infrastructure de vente...

Amazon vise tout particuli�rement � fid�liser la population des professionnels. Cette strat�gie est facile � comprendre et d�coule directement de celle d'Amazon.com : les sites d'Amazon n'ont pas vocations � �tre "seulement" des sites marchands � destination des consommateurs mais bien aussi des sites de services pour les marchands !

En effet, il est bien plus int�ressant pour un petit d�taillant de profiter de l'infrastructure bien rod�e et du trafic important d'un site g�ant comme Amazon plut�t que de s'�chiner � essayer de batir son propre petit site qui sera perdu au sein de l'oc�an du Web (un bon r�f�rencement est quelque chose de plus en plus difficile � obtenir) et qui, de toutes fa�ons, ne pourra jamais �tre aussi riche fonctionnellement.

Pour le groupe Amazon aussi, l'int�r�t est double : non seulement il augmente sa largeur d'offre (et accroit encore ainsi sa pr�cieuse "liquidit�") mais il optimise aussi l'utilisation de ses moyens informatiques, qui sont consid�rables, en les mettant � disposition de l'immense r�seau des d�taillants sp�cialis�s, contre abonnement, cela va de soi... Ce n'est pas pour rien que le groupe Amazon a appel� cette section de son site "marketplace" (cela ne vous rappelle rien ?).

M�me strat�gie et m�me vis�e du c�t� d'Ebay : devenir un point de vente universel pour tous et donc aussi pour les marques. C'est pour cela qu'Ebay multiplie les initiatives avec HP et d'autres. L'argument est le m�me : venez donc chez moi pour �couler vos produits, j'ai la notori�t�, le trafic et les fonctionnalit�s... Apportez simplement vos produits, je me fais fort de vous les vendre !

C'est l� une autre d�clinaison de l'informatique � la demande avec ces exemples (r�ussis) de "marketplace on demand". Et gageons que ces g�ants ne vont pas s'arr�ter en si bon chemin, je ne serais pas �tonn� de les voir s'attaquer au BtoB apr�s avoir su si bien faire dans le BtoC...

par Alain Lefebvre
Consultant
Article publi� le 5 f�vrier 2004.

Source :
http://www.journaldunet.com/rubrique/expertise/040205lefebvre.shtml

Francis Ford Coppola Releases Short Video in Support of His Lost Classic, "One from the Heart'', Exc

Legendary Director Teams with Amazon.com to Debut Exclusive Video, Hoping the Film It Supports "Will at Last Find an Audience" via the Global Online Retailer

SEATTLE--Feb. 4, 2004-- American Zoetrope and Amazon.com (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced the debut of a short video, available exclusively on Amazon.com, which features rare footage and commentary by Francis Ford Coppola about the making of his 1982 feature film, "One from the Heart," starring Teri Garr, Frederic Forrest, Raul Julia and Nastassia Kinski. In the video, Coppola also discusses the making of the film's Oscar(R) nominated soundtrack which was composed by Tom Waits and performed by Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle.

Lire la suite...
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=97664&p=IROL-NewsText&t=Regular&id=491520&

Christian's Tell Amazon.com " See Ya Later Alligator"

Phoenix Arizona) �The Buck stops here� says ten�s of thousands of Christians worldwide to Amazon.com. The once undisputed online souce for Christian Books, Music and Home Videos, has been feeling the �BITE� for the last two years as completion for online Christian dollars hit an all time high. Companies such as ChristainBooks.com and new online mega-bookstore SpreadTheWord.com with it�s impressive inventory of over 150,000 titles, have been steadily 'snapping' away at amazon.com�s market share.

SpeadTheWord.com�s philosophy is simple, says Susan Zahn, a Christian Publicist from Phoenix, Arizona. �As a Christian owned and operated company �SpreadTheWord.com� promotes a moral and ethical lifestyle, and as such, is 100% accountable for what they sell and promote online to their associate dealers and the public at large. Amazon.com on the other hand sells grace and smut mixed together. This of course is objectionable to a great many Christians�.

To illustrate her point, Zahn referred to a book offered through amazon.com that depict humans having sex with demons, using a well known Bible quote as it�s title � He Came To set The Captives Free� by Rebecca Brown. Listed below are two excerpts from Brown�s book � My clothes were all taken off and Satan had sex with me to prove that I was his high priestess. (The high priest and many others had sex with me also.) ..." � Sex for the others in the cult was free and easy and just about all the time� also sex with children. A very high percentage of all children within had sex, if they want to. There was sexual intercourse with demons also. Demons that could be seen and heard and felt in a physical manifestation. ��

Zahn appears to be right. By entering a simple search function using the key words �group sex� a whooping 67,000 entry came up. That did surprise me, so I typed in �x-rated� and another 41,000 books were listed in various categories. I had to shake my head, �Was this the same amazon.com, that friendly little online bookstore I shopped at?� I thought?

With the understanding that we �all live� in a modern culture dominated by the popular media, the Internet and the motion picture industry. Mediums that continually pound away, particularly at our young people, with negative messages that promote promiscuity, through the ever prevalent and powerful tools of the media; Was I myself promoting that �pagan agenda� by investing my spending dollars with a company such as amazon.com? A company that promotes the sales of such books as: 'The X-RATED Bible' by Ben Edward Ackley, American Atheist Press - Austin, Texas, 1985.

It is becoming more and more evident to me, that ours in not merely a battle of flesh and bone, but a war of principalities and powers. As such, when and where do we take a stand and stop honoring companies that do not honor a Christian ethic? Why would we wish to spend our Christian dollars with a non-Christian bookstore, when alternative choices are just a click away?

The question is not so much, that amazon.com sells such such questionable materials. The real question is. �Why are we, as Christian's still going there?�

We only one thing to say to amazon.com

� See ya later Alligator�.

Ellie Crain Susan Zahn

Source : http://www.phxnews.com/fullstory.php?article=9117

Amazon.com agrees to collect Kansas sales taxes

TOPEKA � Amazon.com, the online seller of books and music, has agreed to begin collecting sales taxes imposed by Kansas and its cities and counties, beginning April 1.

The announcement came Tuesday during a meeting of the House Taxation Committee.

Kansas Revenue Secretary Joan Wagnon said Amazon.com was expected to pay $1 million to $1.2 million a year.

Officials from the online company attended the committee session. Amazon.com has a distribution warehouse in Coffeyville, Kan.

Since July 1, Wagnon said, about 600 companies have volunteered to collect and remit sales taxes to the state and its cities and counties.

An estimated $5 million in sales taxes will be collected from the 600 companies.

� John L. Petterson/The Star

Source : http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/7868036.htm

Les cybercommer�ants r�pondent-ils bien � leurs clients ? Amazon.fr class� 10e

Guillaume Chazouill�res, L'Ordinateur Individuel, le 28/01/2004 � 07h00

Les sites marchands se soucient-ils vraiment des mails que leur envoient leurs clients ? Pour le savoir, nous avons, cette ann�e encore, �valu� la qualit� et la rapidit� des r�ponses de 34 boutiques en ligne, tous secteurs confondus. Palmar�s.

Suite et palmar�s : http://www.01net.com/article/231045.html

Amazon.com Announces Partial Redemption of 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes

SEATTLE--Jan. 27, 2004--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) today announced that on February 26, 2004, it will redeem $150 million in principal amount of its outstanding 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2009. The CUSIP numbers for the Notes are 023135AD8 and 023135AF3.

The Notes will be redeemed at a redemption price of 102.375% of the principal amount at maturity, plus accrued and unpaid interest from February 1 through February 25, 2004. The Notes to be redeemed will be selected by lot in accordance with the procedures of The Depository Trust Company, the registered holder of the Notes. After completion of the redemption of $150 million in principal amount of the Notes, there will be approximately $900 million aggregate principal amount of Notes outstanding.

The right to convert the Notes to be redeemed into common stock of Amazon.com will expire on February 25, 2004. The current conversion price for the Notes is $78.0275.

Copies of the notice of redemption may be obtained from The Bank of New York, the trustee and paying agent for the Notes, by calling Bondholder Relations at 1-800-254-2826.

Source: Amazon.com

Amazon.Com Announces Record Free Cash Flow Fueled by Lower Prices and Year-Round Free Shipping

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=97664&p=IROL-NewsText&t=Regular&id=488636&

Amazon affiche les premiers b�n�fices annuels de son histoire

Pour la premi�re fois de son histoire, Amazon.com affiche des r�sultats annuels dans le vert. Le cyberlibraire a annonc� avoir d�gag� un b�n�fice net annuel de 35,28 millions de dollars en 2003, contre une perte nette de 149 millions de dollars en 2002.

Les principaux indicateurs d'Amazon.com en 2003 et 2002
http://www.journaldunet.com/0401/040129amazon1_popup.shtml

Ces bons r�sultats sont dus, pour l'essentiel, � la forte croissance des ventes et � la r�alisation de b�n�fices sur les deux derniers trimestres de l'ann�e 2003. "Ces chiffres traduisent l'am�lioration de l'efficacit� d'Amazon parall�lement � l'augmentation des volumes, d�clare Thomas Lot, Vice-president et General Manager Europe. Sur le quatri�me trimestre, la part des "fulfillments costs" [NDLR : co�ts occasionn�s par les op�rations de pr�paration de commande, le service de relation client�le et les commissions sur les achats par cartes bancaires] n'a repr�sent� que 8,2 % des ventes, contre 8,9 % un an plus t�t".

Ces r�sultats traduisent �galement l'efficacit� de la strat�gie du cyberlibraire, qui repose sur le triptyque suivant : des tarifs attractifs, des services innovants (tels que "Search Inside the Book", fonction permettant aux visiteurs d'effectuer des recherches par mots-cl�s dans le texte des livres), et une diversification croissante de son offre gr�ce � sa plate-forme de e-Commerce. Ce dernier dispositif est aujourd'hui pr�sent sur chacun de ses sites, ce qui lui permet non seulement d'augmenter le choix de produits disponibles, mais aussi ses marges, puisque le cyberlibraire n'est pas oblig� d'augmenter proportionnellement ses stocks. En 2003, la part des ventes r�alis�es sur Amazon pour le compte de soci�t�s tierces comme Toys"R"Us ou Target a augment�, passant de 17 % en moyenne en 2002 � 24 % par trimestre en 2003. Au 31 d�cembre, Amazon disposait de 600.000 vendeurs actifs dans le monde, parmi lesquels plus de 1.000 grandes marques.

C�t� produits, ce sont les activit�s historique d'Amazon.com, � savoir les livres, la musique, les DVD et la vid�o, qui ont le plus contribu� � l'envol de son chiffre d'affaires sur le quatri�me trimestre. Avec 1,434 milliard de dollars, leurs ventes ont progress� de 33 % en un an. D�j� en hausse le trimestre pr�c�dent, les ventes de produits �lectroniques grand public, continuent �galement de progresser. Le chiffre d'affaires g�n�r� par ces derniers a augment� de 48 % en un an, pour atteindre une valeur de 473 millions de dollars.

Comme l'ann�e derni�re, l'autre fait marquant de ce bilan de fin d'ann�e est la croissance continue des ventes � l'international. Sur le quatri�me trimestre 2003, le chiffre d'affaires g�n�r� par les sites japonais, fran�ais, allemand et anglais a augment� de 74 % (+ 54 % hors effets de change) pour atteindre 804 millions de dollars. L'international repr�sente d�sormais 41 % des revenus d'Amazon sur les trois derniers mois de l'ann�e, pour un profit op�rationnel pro forma de 39 millions de dollars, soit 5 % des ventes.

Quant au chiffre d'affaires r�alis� par les sites internationaux en 2003, celui-ci a pratiquement doubl� en un an, franchissant la barre des deux milliards de dollars. Sur l'ann�e, l'international repr�sente d�sormais 38 % des revenus du groupe contre 29,7 % en 2002. Malheureusement, Amazon refuse toujours de communiquer des chiffres d�taill�s par pays, qui seuls permettraient d'�valuer la contribution de chaque pays.

Fort de ces bons r�sultats, Amazon.com a r�vis� � la hausse ses pr�visions de chiffre d'affaires sur 2004. La soci�t� table d�sormais sur une fourchette de revenus situ�e entre 6,20 et 6,70 milliards de dollars, pour un profit op�rationnel net entre 355 et 455 millions de dollars. En France, apr�s l'int�gration cet automne du service de Market Place, 2004 sera plac�e, selon Thomas Lot, sous le signe de l'innovation technologique. "Nous ne sommes qu'au d�but du commerce �lectronique en France et il reste beaucoup � faire en mati�re d'innovations technologiques", pr�dit le patron du site fran�ais.

Source : http://www.journaldunet.com/0401/040129amazon.shtml

Amazon appelle aux dons pour les politiques am�ricains

Le site de commerce en ligne Amazon propose depuis quelques jours un service pas comme les autres. Une rubrique permet aux internautes am�ricains de faire des dons � l'intention des dix-sept candidats en lice pour l'�lection p�rsidentielle aux Etats-Unis. Amazon insitste sur le fait qu'il ne soutient aucun candidat et que le service pourra �tre interrompu � tout moment.

Source : http://www.01net.com/article/231030.html

LinuxWorld: Amazon's two faces present IT challenge

By Stacy Cowley, IDG News Service

NEW YORK - Amazon.com Inc. has two businesses: The one it runs in November and December during the height of the holiday shopping rush, and the one it runs the rest of the year. Building a cost-effective IT infrastructure that can scale to handle the year-end crush while remaining inexpensive during slower months is one of the obstacles Amazon.com's IT staff grapples with, Vice President of Infrastructure Tom Killalea said Tuesday in a presentation at LinuxWorld.

Amazon.com is a vocal evangelist about the benefits of a Linux-based infrastructure. The online retailer began adopting Linux in 2001, first migrating its Web servers to the operating system, then moving the servers running its custom-built applications for handling systems such as order fulfillment and customer management. Its goal was to develop as inexpensively as possible an IT infrastructure reliable and fast enough to meet customer demands.

The company's computational needs are intense, Killalea said. At the most recent holiday season's peak, Amazon.com shipped 1 million packages in a single day, and processed 20 million inventory updates from third parties. While some of Amazon.com's technology is seen by its 37 million customers, much of the company's IT infrastructure is devoted to handling millions of back-end daily operations, and to serving the 550,000 sellers sharing Amazon.com's platform, Killalea said.

So far, Amazon.com has been pleased with the performance of its Linux infrastructure, and with the cost savings generated, according to Killalea. The company started with what he called the easiest Linux entry point for businesses, server-load balancing technology. From there, it added fault-tolerant clustering systems with failover capabilities -- and there Amazon.com began to see the real advantages of using open-source software. Because Linux-based hardware is so cheap, Amazon.com could afford to set up standbys for systems that historically would have been too expensive to protect with redundant hardware, Killalea said.

Amazon.com is now in the throes of the next stage of its Linux adoption: Moving the servers and warehouse for its Oracle database to Linux boxes. Amazon.com's data warehouse is about 14T bytes, and it needs speedy processing of several gigabytes per second of data. Using Oracle Corp.'s Real Application Clusters on Hewlett-Packard Co. ProLiant servers and HP Modular Smart Array storage systems, Amazon.com is trying to hit all three corners of the "fast, reliable, cheap" technology triangle, Killalea said.

"It's difficult, but from the proof-of-concept we've done it looks like we can do it," he said.

While Amazon.com has smoothed out many of the technology challenges involved in building an always-on, worldwide retail system, others remain daunting, Killalea said, citing personalization as one of the biggest problems bedeviling Amazon.com's IT team.

"It's an area where today we're doing a horrible job, as technologists," he said. "We're doing 1 percent as good a job as we hope to be doing in 50 years."

Amazon.com's latency goals call for information to appear before customers within fractions of a second of being summoned. Meeting that goal, while juggling the myriad factors that go into tailoring content, is a problem that pushes the limits of available technology, Killalea said. Demand forecasting is another area where he anticipates improvement through advancing hardware and software capabilities.

Killealea strayed from the Linux theme toward the end of his speech, when he touted the functionality made possible through Web services and associated standards such as XML (Extensible Markup Language) and SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol).

Amazon.com released in July 2002 the first version of a software development kit allowing developers to interact with Amazon.com systems exposed through Web services. That kit has now been downloaded more than 50,000 times, Killalea said, and Amazon.com has a list of hundreds of applications created to work with its system -- from tools for sellers to help them better manage Amazon.com inventory, to more whimsical toys such as http://www.baconizer.com/, an application that graphically maps connections between any two items in Amazon.com's extensive catalog.

Source : http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/01/21/HNamazonchallenge_1.html

Bluefly.com to Open 'Storefront' in Amazon.com

Bluefly.com to Open 'Storefront' in Amazon.com Apparel & Accessories Store; Millions of Amazon.com Customers To Have Direct Access to Bluefly's 350 Designer Brands

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 2004--Bluefly.com (NASDAQ SmallCap: BFLY), the leading online retailer of designer brands at discount prices, announced today that it has signed a contract to open a Bluefly storefront in the Apparel & Accessories store on Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN). Expected to launch later this year, the Bluefly storefront on Amazon.com (www.amazon.com/apparel) will offer thousands of designer apparel and luxury home products to Amazon.com's large and established customer base.

Bluefly chief executive, Ken Seiff, expects the storefront to benefit both businesses, but it is the customers who stand to gain the most from the alliance. "Amazon.com has more than 37 million active customer accounts worldwide, and many of these customers have never even been exposed to Bluefly," he said. "The Bluefly storefront on Amazon.com will give them access to thousands of designer items, at discounts averaging 50-60 percent off retail value. We expect Amazon.com customers to respond enthusiastically to these great deals."

Launched in November 2002, Amazon.com's Apparel & Accessories store provides the easiest way for customers to find, discover and buy apparel and accessories from over 1,500 brands - with easy navigation, a single shopping cart, and customer reviews, detailed product photos, and other helpful information.

Source : http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20040121005835&newsLang=en

Scammers Go Phishing on Amazon.com

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com
January 16, 2004

Amazon announced some of its sellers have received fraudulent emails that attempt to trick them into disclosing personal information or shipping items that had not been sold. Such hoax emails usually send users to spoof sites in what's now known as "phishing" scams.

Phishers have impersonated PayPal and eBay since 2002, and ecommerce and financial institutions have been increasingly targeted. Early this week Citibank warned it was targeted in several phishing campaigns. And today, IDG News Service reported that virus authors continue to use phishing emails to help spread viruses (http://digbig.com/3kqc).

Amazon's announcement on Thursday warned users, "Amazon.com does not send out e-mails requesting personal information. If you receive such an e-mail, do not respond. If you have already responded, please notify us immediately."

Amazon.com has a page on its site to help users avoid spoof emails.

Source : http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y04/m01/i16/s03

Les sites marchands r�sistent aux pics de trafic de No�l

Pendant la p�riode cruciale de No�l o� les ventes en ligne battent traditionnellement de nouveaux records, Le Journal du Net a demand� � Witbe d��valuer la
disponibilit� et la rapidit� d�une s�lection de 10 sites marchands.
Eveil et Jeux, Digital Shopping et la Fnac occupent les trois premi�res places du panel.

Witbe a surveill� la performance de 10 cybermarchands toutes les heures, 24 heures sur 24, du 5 au 25 d�cembre 2003, en effectuant pr�s de 500 visites
sur chacun des sites.
D�une mani�re g�n�rale, la disponibilit� des sites est bonne, avec un taux de r�ussite moyen de 98,9 % et ce malgr� l�afflux des visiteurs, notamment sur les sites
tr�s fr�quent�s tels que Fnac et Amazon. En mati�re de rapidit�, 6 des 10 sites test�s affichent de bons r�sultats avec un temps de chargement de la page
d�accueil inf�rieur ou �gal � 3 secondes.
Le site Eveil et Jeux arrive en t�te, gr�ce � un taux de r�ussite de 100 % et � la vitesse de chargement de sa home page en une seconde qui est la plus rapide du panel. Le secret de cette performance r�side dans la structure m�me du site, qui adopte une pr�-home statique tr�s rapide, mais obligeant l�internaute � cliquer une nouvelle fois avant d�acc�der au catalogue de jouets.
Avec un indice de performance de 94 sur 100, Digital Shopping et la Fnac se partagent la deuxi�me place du panel. La Fnac se distingue tout particuli�rement par sa rapidit� avec un temps de chargement de la home page en 2,4 secondes, juste derri�re la page statique d�Eveil et Jeux.
Viennent ensuite Amazon, Paniers.com etChateauOnline, affichant un indice de performance tr�s proche de 91 � 89 sur 100. Amazon fait preuve d�une disponibilit� sans faille � 100 % et d�une bonne rapidit� (2,8s), sans doute gr�ce � la l�g�ret� de sa home page qui ne p�se que pr�s de 60 Ko. Une belle performance lorsque l�on conna�t l�audience du premier libraire en ligne. En milieu de classement, ChateauOnline d�montre de bons r�sultats homog�nes avec un indice de 89 sur 100 et devance de loin son concurrent Rouge et Blanc, rel�gu� � l�avant derni�re place.
En fin de classement, Nomatica, Rouge et Blanc et Joupi sont p�nalis�s par leur lenteur :
l�internaute doit patienter plus de 5 � 7 secondes pour acc�der � leur page d�accueil.
En de�� du taux de r�ussite moyen, Rouge et Blanc totalise 8 �checs de connexion,
dont 7 dans la nuit du 10 au 11 d�cembre. En dixi�me position, Joupi est victime d�une trentaine d��checs de connexion dont la plupart ont �t� constat�s pendant les nuits du 20 et du 22 d�cembre, mais �galement le 24 en milieu de journ�e.
La contre-performance du marchand de jouets peut aussi s�expliquer par le poids de sa page d�accueil (environ 230 Ko) et sa structure compos�e d�une centaine d��l�ments diff�rents � t�l�charger.

Source: http://www.lettredumarketing.com/2004011403.shtml

ALLIED DOMECQ PRODUCTS FEATURED IN AMAZON.COM�S GOURMET FOOD STORE

Allied Domecq Spirits, North America (NYSE:AED), a marketing-led brands business, announces the availability of its trademarked food and beverage products at Amazon.com�s new Gourmet Food Store. Just in time for Valentine�s Day, consumers can indulge in their favorite Kahl�a�, Sauza�, Beefeater�, Stoli� and Champagne Mumm� gourmet treats by shopping at www.amazon.com/gourmetfood.

Lire la suite de l'article...
http://www.happyhours.com/pressRelease_story.htm?&itemid=148