Intelligent Manufacturing € September € 1996 € Vol. 2 € No. 9

SME Launches Web Site

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The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) (Dearborn, Mich.) has established the Global Manufacturing Network (GMN), a World Wide Web site for manufacturing information. GMN helps locate information on manufacturers, suppliers of products and services, industry events, training, publications, and technical papers. It is available to users free of charge, and includes a search engine that allows users to seek such information as specific magazine articles, updates since their last search, or companies supplying similar products for comparison purposes.

SME's entire member body is registered for the service, although all manufacturing professionals may access the Web site. Vendors of manufacturing technology solutions can also join the network as member suppliers.

Before launching GMN, SME conducted a survey of 2,500 manufacturing professionals and found that 51% of those who responded have Internet access at work, and 43% have access at home. In addition, 91% see an increase or dramatic increase over the next year in their use of the Internet to gather information that they can apply in their job. GMN may be accessed at http://www.globalmfg.com