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CENTRUL
DE AFACERI T R A N S I L V A N I A
Dr. Radu-Adrian Mlesnita's intervention
at the Reunion on Business Enviroment Development through Electronic Tools:
E-BUSINESS
(March 17, 2000, Radio Hall Cluj-Napoca)
E-commerce is now replacing the classic one with an incredible speed. The research results of NETSERV Company are presenting the following figures regarding Internet sales:
Europe joined USA and Japan in “the power of Internet” much later and makes now incredible efforts for reducing this handicap; Europe is now the fastest growing market, and in 2003 it will have 30% from the global market. "Who owns the information, manages the situation".
What Cluj people have to do? How can we prepare for not “losing the train” and not self eliminate in this hard competition or to avoid to find ourselves in the perifery of the civilized world of the XXIst century?
The answer is only one: each of us has to work in the building of this Virtual Highway and to make possible that the Information and Communication flow to pass through Cluj-Napoca. This will surmount, first, the unfavorable geographical position of our bi-millenar city. Second it will assure the future of our community for one more century, flexible and independent, in direct contact with the world. This means that we avoid the "traditional" intermediaries and commissioners, placed 400 killometers from South and West. Third, it will guarantee our continuity in manufacturing and delivering our products in the future. Cluj-Napoca was and it has to remain a FUTURE SUPPLIER, and the people from Cluj to manufacture the FUTURE and sell it in the country and abroad.
If now, our strategic products are the education and the local intelligence, our new products have to be from ICT field. You will find out about some of these results today and to the next meeting of CATclub.
Now, back to Transylvania Information Highway; this will not have only to pass through Cluj-Napoca, but more: our city will have to become the CROSS ROAD for the informational roads of Transylvanian region. For this we’ll have to plan and design virtually every activity, exactly like we are doing now in the real life. The initiative, the creativity, the originality, the cleverness, “the talent and the sweat”, the effort and the financing belongs to each of us, to every company.
The second strategic concept and key word for us is: TRAFFIC. It’s not enough to build a VIRTUAL CROSSING, but to improve and to grow to the maximum the informational traffic from and towards our companies and our city. Why?! The answer is very simple: “to make e-money work in/for Cluj-Napoca”. Never forget that the most valuable marchandise is the INFORMATION.
It’s clear, simple and easy to say, but what “virtual tools” should we create for taking them in our hands and then to begin to work efficiently? The first is called CLUJ-NAPOCA CYBER CITY to which will have to contribute every of us, as soon as possible, for building in the future every element and detail of our city, in the virtual plan. This super site will be parked and developed at the following locations: http://www.ClujNapoca.ro and http://www.Kolozsvar.ro.
The next virtual tool is called “THE FIRST TRANSYLVANIAN ELECTRONIC MARKET”, which was launched last year and which we are developing every day, through CAT-E-CAT, the first real and virtual business center from Central-East Europe. I would like to remind you that Transylvania Business Center (CAT) was founded in Cluj-Napoca in May, 1992 and it is 100% "made in Cluj-Napoca". We have designed this first electronic market and we’ve endowed it with the main virtual services, from which you can benefit, free of charge.
E-MARKET is the meeting place of the request and offer, an essential source of INFORMATION and PARTNERSHIP for each of us. Here you can find the useful information you need and the fastest way to connect to the European market - SINGLE MARKET or to the international one - GLOBAL MARKET. The First Electronic Market is our main virtual access gate and it’s developing rapidly due to: the increasing of the companies’ web sites which are members of CAT and also due to the traffic or the visitors’ number registered every day (the average is 2-3 potential partners, investors, clients/ hour). E-BURSA opened an electronic review for business announcements, called "AZi Market" This is the place where we invite you to work and to develop e-commerce, e-banking and more: http://e-cat.ro
You’ll have the pleasure and the comfort to discover this unique Transylvanian universe, which is in harmony with the world and which is based on the following principles: decentralization, horizontal and simple, visible, transparent and accessible, network and direct communication, internationalization and globalization, democrat, free, independent, a-political, non-profit, non governmental, auto financed, flexible and dynamic. This is what every intelligent human being wants today...
Introducing e-banking represent for us the 4th phase in connecting directly Cluj and Transylvania region to the Global System. It is necessary to remind that the 1st was realized by Codec - TV Cable, since 1995, when we started to build the Internet infrastructure in our town. The 2nd step was the establishment of the first ISP and IPP as Transylvania Web Factory . The 3rd phase, started in 1996 and refers to the creation of E-CAT - ELECTRONIC BUSINESS CENTER, which is developing now the Electronic Market.
But how can we accelerate the alignment process to the international standards and to improve the life quality of people which are living in Cluj?! Few ideas could be taken in consideration this year, with immediate impact in the next year:
1. Each of us has to create a site, every company has
to create it’s own interactive VIRTUAL SHOP (with on-line offers, orders,
bills, virtual payment tools, etc.) and add it to CAT-E-CAT.
2. Each company has to open an account to a bank having
e-banking or Internet banking facilities and to make on-line discounts.
3. Each mass-media company has to support with information,
interviews, news, advertising or announces, the progress in the ICT field,
especially those made by the local small and medium sized enterprises.
4. Each software or hardware company (PCs, cables,
etc.), ISP, IPP has to make discounts on their services, for facilitating
the access of each ordinary people to the Internet information and communication
advanced technology.
5. Each training company has to offer acceptable conditions,
especially to the young, unemployed and low income people, for the
PC-Internet training courses and to introduce long-distance training.
6. School principals and university deans have to
push for endowing the institutions they run with computer networks connected
to Internet, assuring this way our children’s education in ICT.
As usual, our hope is in the young generation! Transylvania Business Center launched two years ago a training program for high-school pupils, called Lyceum Business Center, endowing them with 2 PCs - connected to Internet through Codec, furniture, biblioteque, copier, printer, telephone line, cellular, consumables. Through its specialists, Transylvania Business Center held seminars and made workshops for them, helping the children this way to better understand the business world. For it’s simulations and practical activities, this program is sustained from Transylvania Business Center’s membership fees (around 5 - 6 million ROL/month). This kind of program should exist in every high-school, depending on it’s specific domain and should be supported by the local companies.
Many managers and owners are connected to Internet, but they still have restraints in working “on-line” with their PCs. In the building where I have my office, all the managers have their own PC/Laptop on their desks and they are sending e-mail messages not only to their business partners, but also to their employees which are working on the same floor with them. Unfortunately there still are some managers which are afraid of PCs and Internet!!! DON’T BE AFRAID, because it’s pure and simple, it will supply you with intelligence, competence and efficiency, but the most important thing: it will save your time and money. Soon, on the local market will appear the digital mini note-books, connected directly via satellite to Internet and their utilization is very accessible... Even a kid will be able to use it.
If until our next meeting the directors, managers, owners (and I’m not talking about their employees) will not have on their desk their own PC/Laptop connected to Internet, it will mean that they didn’t understand what they have to fight in the globalization market. I want to say again that the new virtual education is individual and based on the following principles: “one-to-one”, “business-to-business”, “from contact-to-contract”. Its appropriation is a personal matter.
The globalization and ICT promoting is watched very closely by every international organization. There were launched networks, programs and international awards. For example you can subscribe with a project until Sunday, March 19, 2000 to Stockholm Challenge Award. Don’t loose such virtual opportunities!
The newspapers, the magazines, the local radios and TVs are supporting this campaign of introducing the new communication technologies in our region. All of our newspapers, radios, TVs are on Internet and they can be saw and listened wherever you are, 24 hours/day. It’s a remarkable result! That is why I want to congratulate them, because once again they were the first and I take this opportunity to thank them for the extraordinary contribution to our effort in creating Cluj-Napoca’s image in the world. I also want to thank all the software, hardware, cable, telephone, radio companies for connecting on time Cluj-Napoca to Internet Global System. For me they are the true honorable citizens of the virtual city NAPOCENSIS. I know that they did it for Cluj-Napoca’s sake.
Next, I want to invite you to see some presentations of the companies which registered great progresses in ICT.
We will not finish this large and essential subject for our community’s future today, that is why I invite you to participate to the next reunion in May, for continuing the presentation of other advanced and intelligent results in different fields of activity, of Cluj-Napoca specialists.
If you have ideas or comments, please e-mail us.
Thank you for your attention!
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