E-Commerce Information Sessions to Be Offered by TTC

The first in a series of e-commerce training and information sessions for government and business and industry will be hosted on Wednesday, Sept. 26, by the Technology Transfer Center at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The e-business information session will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon at the E-Business Resource Center, located within the Business and Technology Resource Center at 2401 Reach Road, Williamsport.

For the first session, the TTC is teaming with the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce to sponsor the program. Chamber members will receive a coupon enabling them to participate for no fee. The charge for other participants will be $25.

The session will be targeted at small-business owners and manufacturers who would like to learn more about e-business. Participants will observe and engage in various forms of e-commerce, using models developed for business-to-business, business-to-consumer and consumer-to-consumer transactions.

Those attending will explore how the Internet can be utilized effectively by manufacturers, retailers, cities, townships and entrepreneurs. The session will also examine what components are necessary for creating a good e-commerce Web site, as well as many standard business practices.

Topics will include the use of information technology for inventory, in-stock information, order status, shipping time, marketing, purchasing information, warehouse-to-client information, customer profiles and purchasing information, mailing lists and access to public information. Participants will use the demonstration model hosted in the E-Business Resource Center computer lab to practice electronic transactions.

More than $60,000 has been invested in the 17-workstation lab. In addition to state-of-the-art projection, digital equipment and printers, the lab will be home to the "E-Commerce Enterprise Zone."

The mission of the E-Business Resource Center is to support the emerging technology of e-business in Northcentral Pennsylvania, primarily by sponsoring awareness-raising activities and developing and presenting training options for those interested in learning the technical skills required for Internet-related employment.

Seating is limited, and early registration is recommended. To register or obtain more information, call the TTC at Penn College at (570) 327-4775, or send e-mail. You may also visit online.