Around the World in Eighty Clicks; A Global View On the Web for 2001.

Business/Technology Editors

TYSONS CORNER, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 2000

By 2005, less than 35% of Internet users will be able to speak English.

Today 50% of Internet users speak English, while 80% of Internet content is still dominated by English.

--Forrester Research

Many years ago, people predicted what life would be like in the year 2001: hover-cars, living in outer space, robodogs--essentially a Jetson's life run solely by computers. While the hottest toy this holiday season is in fact an electronic pet, it's safe to say that people are still in control and very grounded. Ironically, what wasn't predicted was the one technological development that promises to have the most impact--the Internet. And, it's only lately that we have started to recognize a breakthrough in Web-based international communication.

With the dawning of a new millennium, Alain Hanash recently put to paper some of his immediate expectations for the Web. Born in Minnesota to French/Lebanese parents, raised in Lebanon and France, and now a resident of Washington D.C., Hanash is the founder and president of Multicity.com, which offers the multilingual tools a company needs to communicate on the global Internet. Hanash understands the difficulties in globalizing a business, but he also perceives the significant impact the Internet will have on international commerce.

Hanash says "some of the major Internet players in 2001 will be traditional companies focusing on cross-border commerce issues, including multiple currency order fulfillment and cross-border product delivery." For companies that provide integrated transportation and logistics solutions or even traditional vendors, buying and selling across virtual geographic borders will mean nothing if you can't ship the product.

Equally important, digital authentication of individuals for Internet-based applications will become mainstream. "Digital signatures will be commonly used in e-commerce, especially in auctions," Hanash says. "Major credit card providers will propel this trend by providing this capability through their secure private payment features."

Additionally, "networks" will become the predominate presence on the Net. "The top five Internet properties in terms of traffic will be `networks' rather then traditional destination sites," explains Hanash. "Major Internet sites will adopt a decentralized model and a few newcomers will make it to the top."

He also predicts that the Vikings will win the Superbowl -- "It's about time!"

Alain Hanash, president of Multicity.com, Inc., has been interviewed by Sam Donaldson, has appeared on CNNfn's Digital Jam and has been quoted in Reuters on the globalization of the Internet. For more information and to speak to Hanash on communications and e-commerce implications of Internet globalization, please call Dustin Smith, Schwartz Communication, 781-684-0770, [e-mail] or James DuBeau, Multicity.com, 703-462-0065, [e-mail].