Document Center

Delegation of government, labor, and media leaders interested in the transition of a small business to e-commerce in Silicon Valley

Belmont, CA. July 14, 2000: Document Center Inc. today hosted a top-level delegation of German leaders during a four-city tour of the United States to examine the impact of electronic commerce on business development.

Members of the delegation included Mr. Matthias Berninger, Member of the German Parliament, the Greens, Ms. Andrea Nahles, Member of the German Parliament, Young Social Democrats, Mr. Bodo Ramelow, Member Thuringian State Parliament, Ms. Gerlinde Walburga Sommer, Deputy Editor-In-Chief, Thueringische Landeszeitung, Mr. Michael Wuebbels, Director, Public Service Workers Union, and Dr. Christiane Zerfass, Press Spokesperson, Trade Banking and Insurance Trade Union.

The meeting focused on the experience of Document Center Inc. in transitioning from a paper-based distributor of technical documentation (standards) to a web-based distribution model. Topics covered included the pros and cons of various funding methods, such as angel investing and venture capital, the employment situation in Silicon Valley, and the rate of adoption of technology by small business in general.

Competitiveness and the Workplace: A Single Country Project for Germany is the area of concern for the trade mission, in the U.S. under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Program. The visit was arranged locally by the International Diplomacy Council, an organization founded to encourage communication, understanding and respect between international visitors and the people of the San Francisco Bay Area. The group is additionally stopping in Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, and New York.