NEW ORLEANS – Are you on board for a 21st century journey? Thatwas the question posed by Terry Jones, founder and former CEO ofTravelocity.com in his opening address to financial institutions atTechMecca 2005. Jones, founder of one of the most successfulInternet companies, offered his unique insights on the marketingtechniques, branding approaches and technological advancementsneeded to meet the demands of the 21st century. The Internet ishere to stay, Jones offered, to no one's surprise. “We've had theboom, we've had the bust. Where are we headed now? Dotcoms failedbecause they didn't create one-on-one relationships with customersthat retailers have relied upon in the past. Yet, e-commercecontinues to grow,” Jones said. “There's no doubt, we are wired.Ninety-one percent of college students are online; 81% of collegestudents have made online purchases. Fifty-three million Americansbank online. Information is everywhere, and the Internet offers usspeed, simplicity and convenience.” To take advantage of theInternet and other 21st century technologies, businesses mustbecome part of the evolving world. “Technique follows technology,”he said. “Think about business in a different way. Figure out howyou can simplify lives. Solve a problem. Give people what theycan't get in the physical world.” As examples, Jones cited PayPal,a method of online payment that presents a new form of competitionto financial institutions. Land's End, a clothing retailer, nowallows its patrons to order custom-fit jeans from its website, apractice that Jones said currently accounts for 40% of its sales.CareNow, an emergency health care clinic, allows people to makeappointments online, so that they may stay at home until it is timeto see a doctor, instead of sitting in a room full of sick peoplewaiting their turn to be seen. Jones even showed a Swiss army knifein which the fork had been replaced by a USB drive. The Web isabout direct marketing, Jones told his audience. “People like toshop online, so they know what they want before they go into thestore. Researching products is the third most popular onlineactivity. Become part of the process; create an annuity stream.Service is more important now than ever.” What's in store for theimmediate future? Falling telecom costs continue to change theworld, Jones noted. “Borders Books has coupons on cell phones.Cokes and parking meter tolls are being charged to cell phones. InKorea, one can watch soap operas on cell phones while taking thesubway to work.” “Fifty-five percent of Internet users currentlyhave broadband (88% of Staples' customers), and that trend willcontinue,” said Jones. “There will be more music and video filesharing, opportunity aggregation, national yard sales (E-bay), andmore video ads. How about radar golf balls (with RFID sensors) thatcan always be found or GPS interactive ads that pop up in your carwhen you drive by a particular restaurant?” “The way to avoid beingmarginalized is to draw your own margins,” Jones concluded.Approximately 270 community bankers and 180 credit unionprofessionals attended TechMecca. More than 100 technology vendorsparticipated in the expo, representing a diverse range of productsand services, from computer hardware and software to electronicpayment systems to security and telecommunications [email protected]