Thursday, April 06, 2000

The Cyber Scene in Austin ~ by Glenn Coleman (+ Shakers&Stirrers)



Internet Security was the topic at Austin's Technical Business Network.  A
consortium of Application Service Providers gathered to discuss the
challenges of keeping sensitive data secure.  Ravi Rao of USIS America, Vic
Ellisor of Broadwing Communications, John Green of Shield Communications
and Roland Mueller of TuVit spoke on a panel moderated by Brian Montgomery
of DataBase City.  The buzz in the crowd was all about the new ASP launched
that week by Gretchen McMasters, Guenter Kruass, and Bernd Grohmann.
"Alentis" will be an ASP for ASPs, connecting the resources of this
powerful new model to the companies who know that model best.

Nathan Wayman and Company's "Flaming Head Design" is leaving Austin to
relocate to Denver Colorado. Flaming Head will keep their Austin clients.

Technology news and chat room "Quantumrealms.com" is slowly pushing beyond
the Austin area and attracting national attention.  This is the site to
fame or flame the latest computer upgrade or gadget.  The site was started
by University of Texas student and former KDi designer Ed LeCroy.

Whoops! Austin based NetPliance released its new "IOpener" last week, a $99
web terminal that comes with NetPliances' ISP already installed.  A naughty
Linux hacker discovered a way to add a hard drive to the machine, and
replace the installed OS with Linux, posting his discoveries on the net.
Sales of the little machine are overwhelming, but it is uncertain if
NetPliance will be able to retain its residual ISP revenues.

Garry Fortin, the V.P. of Marketing at Aperian will be the guest speaker at
the Austin meeting of the American Electronic Association.

A company called Zeus Development is rumored to be starting an event
scheduled for late August called "Texas Interactive."  Britt Roberts
relates that Dell Computer is sponsor number one.

Viewon.com's CEO Stuart Penny will be grilled by investors in a June
episode of PBS's MoneyHunt.

SHAKERS & STIRRERS -- AUSTIN
Austin Monthly has lost its well know editor Sylvia Arabian, who is now
freelancing.

CEO Eric Miller of Rightsworld.com will be keeping his development team in
the company's new digs on 6th Street in Austin, not on W. 23rd in New York.
Sorry Big Apple.

And finally, where has Kevin Koym, the founder of Praxsys been hiding for
all these weeks?  The answer emerged last month and surprised no one. 
Kevin and company have formed another start up.  SmartPrice.com  will allow
consumers to shop online and compare all manner of telecom services, and
right there online they can shop them or drop them.

Keep the good stuff coming to gcoleman@nucentrix.com here in this City of
Austin.