Nov 1, 1998 12:00 PM

Hype List

| Ranking| Tendency| Life Expectancy

| 1| | Text Mapping| 18 months

Data mining, it was once believed, would make sense – and dollars – out of all the information gathering dust in databases. Turns out the spread of spreadsheets has been curbed by the rise of McLuhan's new "oral" culture: Business communication in the age of the Web exists in the form of electronic conversations, not numeric data. Thus companies such as Perspecta are pushing products that use XML to automatically group and tag key concepts within documents. Unfortunately, an architecture built on predefined fields may not be able to read between the lines of your email.

<strtimgstreting-Automation Software</ststronths</st>

e corporate giants such as SAP plaster entire org charts with enterprise software solutions, smaller outfits are targeting the marketing part of the supply chain. DataMind and iMarket, for instance, promise a large loyal customer base on the quick – their data-crunching tools and "real-time" message centers give you a leg up on the competition whether you're selling soap or senators. But the headlong rush toward a one-to-one future may have less to do with marketplace demand and more to do with a glut of marketers. This is one area where some disintermediation is welcome.

| <ong>gsrcng>TV Sets</strongng>s</strong>

time for the November kickoff of digital broadcasting (and, coincidentally, the shopping season), retailers are crowding shelves with DTV sets and set-top boxes. And along with the product profusion comes consumer confusion, as buyers assess the advantages of PowerTV and WinCE. But manufacturers face headaches of their own: Beyond the standards battles (e.g., 1,080i versus 720p), computer-like services will bring computer-like product cycles. Which means gearing up for a marketplace driven by upgrades and the inevitable demand for a sub-$1,000 DTV. Program note: More Gordon Moore, less Mary Tyler Moore. <p

<stro4</s "hteatd Products | 2 mtrong> </>

al episode of Seinfeld> – the about nothing – cut to a commercial for Gardenburger – the burger without beef – sales shot from hot to sizzling. The prime-time patty pitch was part of a boom in meatless food products, from the "You Won't Believe It's Meatless!" Boca Burger to Lightlife's Meatless Lightburgers. Like "fat-free" cookies, the "meatless" moniker reflects a strong grasp of psychographics: T-bone eaters might try tofu for health reasons, but they'll find the label "vegetarian" unpalatable. A sure thing for sweeps: "ranch fresh, flesh and dairy free" vegan chow. <em

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