Remember the "Hello World" advertising campaign Nike used to introduce us all to Tiger Woods back in 1996?

In his introductory press conference for the shoe company, Woods made a brief opening statement that began with "Well, I guess, hello world," and the golfing universe has never been the same.

Of course it's fun to compare our company to Tiger Woods, but NetWorld Alliance is on a quest for dominance from a vantage point similar to the one Woods faced five years ago. We've done a good job of establishing ourselves in our corner of the world - covering the ATM and Kiosk industries -- but now we've set our sights on a larger stage.

First, we've launched our International News and Research Center (INRC) with news and information about ATM markets in four global regions. Sponsored by ATM manufacturer Diebold, you can now find ATM news and features focused on specific geographic areas.

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An equally important step in NetWorld Alliance's quest for a place in the world is the presence of our first representative based in Europe. Kevin Waterhouse, who has helped develop strategies and build technology businesses on both sides of the Atlantic, has signed on as NetWorld Director of Marketing for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

"There's huge untapped potential in the European market, plus some parts of Africa and the Middle East," said Waterhouse, who will be based in the United Kingdom. "I have a lot of experience dealing with U.S. and European companies. I believe there's a story to tell to European partners, my role is get them better involved in the industries."

Waterhouse, who spent several late summer weeks at NetWorld's Louisville, Ky. headquarters, will be seeking out companies ready to branch out both within and beyond their home country's borders.

"Many companies are looking broadly at their industries, and they're not sure how to move to broaden their business at home and in international markets," Waterhouse said. "At NetWorld, I can help them to open up new markets and introduce them to potential strategic partners."

Of course, at ATMmarketplace we've written numerous stories about ATMs and kiosks in various regions, such as the recent feature on ATMs in Australia. Our emphasis on international coverage will include articles and columns penned by writers stationed in our primary regions - Latin America, Asia Pacific and Australia, and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).

ATMmarketplace has enjoyed exceptional traffic growth, and a significant part of that growth has come from international site visitors. Through the first half of 2001, 20 percent of the people joining the site have addresses outside the United States.

If you're a regular reader of our ATM site, you've already enjoyed columns by Mike Lee, the international director for ATMIA Europe. On the KIOSKmarketplace side, a number of the companies we cover regularly are based in Europe, and in Eckhard Reimann, an esteemed kiosk consultant, we have a regular contributor in Germany. Craig Keefner, founder of kiosks.org and a NetWorld vice president, often attends international events and writes about them for both kiosk sites.

Dick Good, NetWorld CEO, said the international expansion is a natural next step for the firm. "It's a significant step for NetWorld to make this commitment to develop our business in Europe. I'm confident Kevin's presence in the overseas markets will be an asset for both our advertisers and readers."

This week, our new man on the ground, Kevin Waterhouse, will be at the ATMIA Europe trade show, and he'll be in attendance at other industry events in Europe. 

Hello World, indeed.