PARAMUS, NJ-November 10, 2000 - NAPL (the National Association for Printing Leadership) has introduced a new, comprehensive resource to help graphic arts professionals "click away the confusion" about Internet business strategies. The NAPL E-Connection is intended to provide a central source for industry professionals to keep on top of Internet news and find useful information on e-commerce trends. It can be accessed via NAPL's web site, at napl.org and clicking onto the E-Connection icon. E-Connection is co-sponsored by Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., printable.com,and Pitman.com. The E-Connection delivers news, analysis, and strategies through five components: CyberInk, a 16-page, quarterly newsletter, CyberInk is written by the independent research firm of CAP Ventures, Inc., Norwell, Mass., recognized experts in the graphic arts industry and new media. CyberAdvise, a monthly Internet news advisory and summary of current e-commerce events, is also prepared by the experts at CAP Ventures, Inc. CyberCast, a biweekly offering of general industry and management topics, is developed by the editorsof NAPL's Communications staff (sponsored by Pitman.com and printable.com) CyberLearn, live and archived Webcast seminars from NAPL's Conferences and Continuing Education Department, featuring top industry speakers. They are available for downloading so they can be "attended" at one's desktop. CyberTrends, a monthly analysis of e-commerce trends and issues, is written by veteran industry observer and Printing News Associate Publisher and Editorial Director Patrick Henry. "We are all being overwhelmed by the amount of information concerning graphic arts and the Internet," commented I. Gregg Van Wert, NAPL President, "and that's compounded by its speed of change. Yet our members need to know and understand what e-commerce is all about. We've introduced the E-Connection so they have one source for accessing reliable information. They will find information that will, first of all, help them understand e-commerce; then, help them define and execute a profitable e-commerce business strategy." The inaugural issues of the NAPL E-Connection components offer a broad range of content on various facets of e-commerce in the graphic arts: CyberAdvise - Source for understanding trends According to the authors of CyberAdvise, the monthly (electronic) advisory, several key trends can be gleaned from recent trade show activity: Business models are continuing to evolve. These changes make it difficult to track and classify different players in the market. Alliance and acquisition activity shows no signs of slowing. This is motivated by print buyers and print providers seeking complete, end-to-end solutions. Vendors are integrating complementary tools with their offerings to provide more complete answers for their customers Unlikely partners are collaborating to develop industry standards, as they demonstrate their commitment to working with underlying standards that will ultimately help the industry as a whole Established "brick and mortar" companies (e.g., companies within traditional facilities) are adding "click and mortar" (e.g., "virtual") units CyberAdvise offers a complete discussion of each of these issues, as well as a hyper-linked index of important announcements on industry e-commerce news. CyberCast - How to collect on past-due accounts The November issue of CyberCast (biweekly electronic newsletter) focuses on financial management issues, offering strategies for collecting past-due accounts. Such techniques as keeping careful customer records, avoiding intimidation or threats, asking questions, and being polite but persistent will help recover receivables while keeping customers. CyberInk - Understanding the world of e-business The inaugural issue of CyberInk includes articles on how to assess the Internet's impact on your business; definitions of basic e-commerce terms; the printing industry and the internet; a discussion of the various, current print dot coms and how they differ; job definition format (JDF) standards; and other helpful information. CyberTrends - Yes, e-commerce is confusing. Yes, it is here to stay. Printing News Associate Publisher and Editorial Director Patrick Henry assesses the current state of e-commerce and the printing industry, where there are already upwards of 200 e-commerce solution providers. According to Henry, most printers in the U.S. have not given the dot-coms the enthusiastic reception these new companies may have hoped for. In general, he says, printers appear to be taking a "wait-and-see" attitude toward e-commerce, but he believes that they will ultimately have to adopt Web-based e-commerce solutinos because this is how their customers will want to conduct business with them. CyberLearn - Hear Wallace Stettinius, Sean McArdle, others Eager learners who were unable to attend recent NAPL seminars can download two samplings, again, by clicking on the E-Connection logo at www.napl.org. Seminars currently available include Wallace Stettinius speaking on "A 12-Step Process for Implementing Strategic Management"; and Sean McArdle talking about "Successful Sales Strategies in the 21st Century." Frank Romano will be featured in a live webcast on November 13 from 2:00 to 4:30, speaking on "Trends, Technologies, and the Commercial Printer." Each session is 90 minutes in duration, and includes streaming video presentation. Live webcasts feature the ability to ask questions of and receive answers from the speaker in real time. For more information on E-Commerce, click onto www.napl.org or contact NAPL's Interactive Media Department, at (800) 642-6275.