COMNEWS WEBWATCH.

RESOURCES

* Global Knowledge offers its broadband

and high-speed access training at various locations: "Building Broadband Networks," Tampa, FL, Sept. 20-22, and Raleigh, NC, Sept. 27-29; "Frame Relay Internetworking," Tampa, Sept. 25-27; "Understanding Digital Subscriber Line (xDSL)," Atlanta, Sept. 26-27; and "Optical Networking," Atlanta, Sept. 28-29. ATM Technology tracks are also being offered: "ATM Essentials," Washington, Sept. 25-26; "ATM Internetworking," San Francisco and St. Louis, Sept. 20-22, and Washington, Sept. 27-29; and "ATM Troubleshooting," Chicago, Sept. 20-22. Visit http//am.globalknowledeg.com or call 800-68-7737.

* Active Communications International (ACI) announces its "Deploying VoIP" conference, set for Sept. 25-26 in San Francisco. Technology and business leaders will show how implementing VoIP can increase revenues by streamlining enterprise telecommunications networks. Visit www.acius.net.

* The Mobile Satellite Users Association (MSUA) hosts the first International Mobile Satellite Users Conference and Exhibition (MSUA-I), a comprehensive forum for evaluating current and future mobile satellite services, Sept. 27-29 in Crystal City, VA., near the District of Columbia. Visit www.msua.org.

* Two Rivers Technologies brings its two-day seminar on "Mastering Telecommunications Fundamentals: The Basics of Voice and Data Communications," to the following locations: Washington, Sept. 26-27; Tampa, Sept. 27-28; Austin, TX, and Pittsburgh, PA, Oct. 2-3; Las Vegas and Omaha, NE, Oct. 4-5; Boston, Oct. 12-13; San Francisco, Oct. 17-18; Seattle, Oct. 19-20; Anchorage, AK, Richmond, VA, and Morristown, NJ, Oct. 23-24; and Orlando, FL, Oct. 25-26. Visit www.tworivers-tech.com, or call 732-758-0165.

* Websourcing 2000 Conference & Exposition, scheduled for Sept. 28-29 in Boston, offers IT and business managers with the entire range of "Web sourcing" strategies and options available for meeting business needs. Visit www. intmedgrp.com, or call 508-870-5858, ext. 20.

WEB TALK GAINING MOMENTUM ...

The rush is on among telcos to gain a foothold in the Web talk (Web site-based IP telephony) space. Equant recently announced its global voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service, while AT&T has already deployed VoIP over much of its internal voice network. Equant's service reaches into 54 countries, while AT&T has 28 global locations and 10 U.S. cities on its VoIP network. The payoff will be huge for these two, as well as for others, such as Sprint, MCI/ Worldcom and incumbent local exchange carriers. Research firm IDC predicts Web users will spend 150 minutes per week talking via the Internet in just four years, up from about 20 minutes a week last year. By 2004, Web talkers will account for 60% of those online, or 420 million users total.

THE WEB TALK REVENUE DILEMMA ...

The problem for telcos and carriers in the Web talk arena: revenue. Currently, most of the more than 80 million minutes of Web voice traffic carried this year will be free. At the very least, such calls are considerably cheaper than those placed over private networks. Picking up the slack will be revenues from advertising, premium services, e-commerce fees and hosted services. By 2004, income from those sources is expected to exceed $16 billion. With more players in the market, however, competition for those dollars could mean a thinning of the provider ranks.

DSLERS MEET IN BEANTOWN ...

With DSLcon Fall being held this month (Sept. 19-20) in Boston, industry insiders will be discussing not only the rapid deployment of digital subscriber lines (DSL) but also the future of what is becoming a commodity technology. Offering just DSL access is not going to keep DSL providers profitable, according to a study by Cahners In-Stat Group. Increasingly, providers will have to offer various products and IP services that will differentiate their offerings from the competition. According to Mike Lowe, of the group, "If a carrier expects to be a player in the DSL space, it will need to differentiate through value-added services. Otherwise, it'll be nothing more than a broker of lines."

SOFTWARE AT THE EDGE ...

The end of software in the shrinkwrap package is upon us. At least that is the take from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Within 10 years, all software will be sold as a service, via the application service provider (ASP) model, he says. Ballmer's comments come as Microsoft begins its makeover to Microsoft. Net, and a year after Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy made virtually the same prediction. McNealy's timetable, however, was slightly shorter--five years vs. 10. The Microsoft plan is to also become an ASP, supplying its software online to partnering ASPs.