Freaky Fusion Beguiles

I just got a press release from Adtoma about Fusion, their new "all-in-one ad management platform," that sets up one central database system for proposals, orders, and campaigns ("obviating the need for spreadsheets," the release says). What's so great about that? Well, reportedly, Fusion is a "software solution that integrates and streamlines the entire media chain, from C.R.M. to proposal and sales management, to advertising operations." Why am I so struck by this? Maybe because I just spent two weeks, and employed three very heavy brains, to publish a teeny tiny proprietary database (104 records) on the Web. It was a big pain (yes, it works, but it hurt). So, right about now, I have an inkling of where the world is going with databases and online access, with everybody from everywhere marching to one digital beat. It's both scary and exhilarating. Incidentally, Adtoma is headquartered in Sweden. First the furniture, now the Internet. It's certain to be a beautiful thing, and, hopefully, no assembly will be required for Fusion users.