Technology

Consumer goods firms are only as sharp as the products they release.

The No. 2 sports apparel and equipment maker in the world, adidas-Salomon Canada, uses the IBM eServer iSeries platform to gain a competitive edge in its market.

Usually, discussion and analysis of a particular subject is a matter of bringing in a number of viewpoints, weighing them and making a case for the most likely futures.

Many eye-opening stories emerged in 2004 but the rise of "Bloggers"-- every day people who post Web logs on the Internet for all to see--- is clearly one of the most interesting.

Even though the growth of supply chain software has cooled significantly since the hey day of the explosive growth seen in 2000, there is still a huge opportunity for vendors to adjust offerings to better suit the needs of clients, according to a 2004 AMR Research report.

Last month, AMR Research humbly pointed out that its prediction in RFID spending for Wal-Mart's Top 100 suppliers was off its mark.

Supply chain execution software has re-entered the investment spotlight as supply chain partners face heightened pressures.

Even though the following IT firms did not land a coveted spot on this year's Reader's Choice list, Consumer Goods Technology would be remiss by not bringing them front and center.