E-banking comes to town: Exploring how traditional UK high street banks are meeting the challenge of technology and virtual relationships

UK high street banks are continuing to extend the choice of channel through which customers can manage their moneycolon; an obvious example is e-banking. They have been keen to exploit technological advances and changing customer attitudes to alternative channels. Additionally, competition from leaner new market entrants has provided an added incentive to adopt new approaches. In the light of such developments, it is worth reflecting on the changing nature of the bank–customer relationship. This paper suggests that banks are finding it difficult to manage relationships effectively due, in large measure, to the sheer volume of customer data generated by new interactive, technology-based channels. Paradoxically, it seems that the more data banks have about customers the less likely they are to know them on a personal level. It is further suggested that channels such as e-banking potentially reduce the level of personal contact between bank and customer to the extent that a ‘virtual’ relationship develops. This paper concludes that, given the tendency towards ‘virtualisation’, it is inconceivable that bank–customer relationships will become any more intimate in the future. Indeed, a greater degree of personalisation in customer communication may be the very best that banks are able to offer.     

评《中国大运河史》

在中国，除了万里长城之外，没有哪一项人工工程可与京杭大运河相媲美，没有哪一项工程像大运河那样时间久远，没有哪一项工程像大运河那样深刻地影响中国的政治、经济、文化。对于大运河的研究，自其开凿以来就没有停止过，可是集大成之作尚数《中国大运河史》。《中国大运河     

黑龙江省医药销售企业现代化管理刍议

黑龙江省各医药销售企业规模日益扩大,伴随着信息技术在各行各业日益深入的应用,传统的手工记账已经不能满足日益增加的业务量的需要及进行有效控制和管理的需要.因此,应用现代财务软件已经势在必行.     

Consistent estimation in the bilinear multivariate errors-in-variables model

A bilinear multivariate errors-in-variables model is considered. It corresponds to an overdetermined set of linear equations AXB=C, A∈ℝ^m×n, B∈ℝ^p×q, in which the data A, B, C are perturbed by errors. The total least squares estimator is inconsistent in this case.  An adjusted least squares estimator is constructed, which converges to the true value X, as m →∞, q →∞. A small sample modification of the estimator is presented, which is more stable for small m and q and is asymptotically equivalent to the adjusted least squares estimator. The theoretical results are confirmed by a simulation study. Acknowledgements. We thank two anonymous reviewers for their suggestions and corrections.? A. Kukush is supported by a postdoctoral research fellowship of the Belgian office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs, promoting Scientific and Technical Collaboration with Central and Eastern Europe.? S. Van Huffel is a full professor with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.? I. Markovsky is a research assistant with the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.? This paper presents research results of the Belgian Programme on Interuniversity Poles of Attraction (IUAP V-22), initiated by the Belgian State, Prime Minister's Office – Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs of the Concerted Research Action (GOA) projects of the Flemish Government MEFISTO-666 (Mathematical Engineering for Information and Communication Systems Technology), of the IDO/99/03 project (K.U. Leuven) “Predictive computer models for medical classification problems using patient data and expert knowledge”, of the FWO projects G.0078.01, G.0200.00, and G0.0270.02.? The scientific responsibility is assumed by its authors.     

燃气热水器步入万和时代？

近日,一个并不起眼的换届选举却引起了社会各界的广泛关注。记者从四川成都举行的“中国五金制品协会燃气用具分会第三届会员代表大会”中获悉,民营企业出身的广东万和集团成为新一届理事长单位,其集团总裁卢楚其先生被选举为第三届理事会理事长。万和如何带领中国热水器改天换地,颇令人关注。万和能带雁群突围?20年前,玉环、沈乐满、神州、万家乐四大家族瓜分天下;随后的神州、万家乐、万和三足鼎立的短暂过渡;上世纪90年代末,全国市场只剩下万家乐、万和两强争霸,燃气热水器行业似乎在演绎“双雄争霸”之路。万和最终的胜出使燃气热水器初…     

项目融资模块间关联研究及实证分析

本文从项目融资框架结构出发,对项目融资模块之间的相互联系及影响进行了系统分析。并以加拿大塞尔加纸浆项目为例,说明项目融资模块之间是如何相互影响和相互作用的。     

零阶环—注锁振荡器的功能等效

本文从注锁振荡器(IO)工作的物理过程入手,分析了其锁定过程中所完成的各种功能。并把这些功能模型化,建立等效模型框图。推导出闭环传递函数,揭示了其零阶环的实质,讨论了其独具的许多优异应用特性。