The next two years are set to bring dramatic changes in Europe: not only are most European countries going online, but 11 countries of the European Union are phasing out their own currency and accepting a common currency (the Euro) during 1999 and 2000. The combination of these two factors is widely thought to give strong stimulation to E-commerce.

In this session, we will discuss:

• The ramifications Euro will have on E-commerce.
• Payment mechanisms which will be used in the U.K., Germany, France, Switzerland, and elsewhere in Europe.
• Examples of Virtual stores in Europe

Matthew Jones heads the Electronic Commerce Solutions group at Waterstone Consulting, where he specializes in Internet, Intranet and Extranet technologies.

Mr. Jones works with clients to identify the most appropriate technology solutions for their applications and provides executive-level consulting for product development organizations. He has performed hands-on evaluations of a vast number of products, knowledge management, and telephony.

Mr. Jones has had more than seven years experience in the world of Internet publishing and electronic commerce. Prior to joining Waterstone Consulting, he created and managed NetFire, an Internet consulting company, whose client list included Novell, Computer Associates, Franklin Covey, and Sports Marketing International. In 1995, Mr. Jones founded Win95 Magazine (recently renamed Win98 Magazine), an Internet-based publication covering the world of Microsoft Windows. He served as Editor-in-Chief from 1995 to 1997 when he assumed the position of technical editor.

Mr. Jones has spoken frequently at international conferences including the Global Marketing Conference, Web Multimedia, and others. Mr. Jones is regularly published in many publications, including NetWare Connection and Win98 Magazine.