ALL E-NEWS

Subject: December 2001 ECMgt.com: Year-end 2001 in Review
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December 1, 2001 *4,300 subscribers* Volume 3, Issue 12
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CONTENT - ECMGT.COM E-COMMERCE NEWS

  • E-STRATEGIES & TRENDS

  • E-PRODUCTS

  • E-SERVICES

  • E-MARKETING

  • SUPPLY CHAIN

  • CONTENT, PORTALS & COMMUNITY

  • GOVERNANCE & GOING GLOBAL

  • PARTNERS & DEALS

  • MOVERS & SHAKERS

 



E-STRATEGIES & TRENDS

This section sponsored by ECnow.com, please visit them at http://www.ecnow.com

  • Online Travel Rebounding Faster Than Rest of Industry
  • Little Growth Expected In Online Holiday Shopping
  • Web Privacy Concerns Cost $3.4 Billion
  • W-ASP IT Infrastructure Spending Down 20% in 2001
  • Asian server sales down 18 percent
  • Internet Usage Climbs to Record High in October
  • Irish Like It at Work, French at Night
  • Studies Predict Java, MMS Future
  • PC Shipments in Latin America Declined 3%
  • Trust Central to E-Commerce, Online Marketing
  • New FBI Top 20 List: Ms Iis Stays On Top
  • Two-Way and IP Boosts Market for Digital Equipment in Cable Headends
  • Retail Metro Ethernet Services Revenue Is Reaching over $4 Billion
  • Economy to Blame for E-Business Budget Cuts
  • To Build Online Trust, Let Shoppers Take Control
  • The Mobile Opportunity is Still Alive
  • Increasing Demand for World Phones by International Travelers
  • eCommerce Will Prevail Through The Economic Downturn In 2002
  • Holiday Shoppers Choosing Stores Over Net
  • Consumer Organizations Find Complaints About Internet Growing
  • Internet Continues To Fuel Global Economy
  • Launch of Next-Generation Consoles Begins the Evolution of Online Gaming

Online Travel Rebounding Faster Than Rest of Industry
Like most travel-related companies, Chicago-based online travel agency Orbitz saw business drop sharply after the air attacks, and has been working ever since to return to normal levels.

Little Growth Expected In Online Holiday Shopping
Consumers have been battered by an economic slowdown, layoffs, the Sept. 11 attacks, anthrax fears and an ongoing fear of terrorist reprisals from the war in Afghanistan.

Web Privacy Concerns Cost $3.4 Billion
Consumers' concerns over privacy are taking a massive toll on Internet commerce, with Internet research firm Cyber Dialogue in a recent study putting that total at $3.4 billion yearly.

W-ASP IT Infrastructure Spending Down 20% in 2001
Wireless Application Service Provider (W-ASP) IT infrastructure spending will be 20% below 2000 spending levels.

Asian server sales down 18 percent
Server sales in the Asia-Pacific region dropped by 18 percent in revenue during the third quarter of 2001, compared with the same period in 2000, according to a report from researcher IDC.

Internet Usage Climbs to Record High in October
Internet usage in the U.S. reached an all-time high, rising four percent in October and spiking 15 percent year-over-year to more than 115.2 million users

Irish Like It at Work, French at Night
Irish Internet users shop most on company time, the Swedes are the most likely to make an impulse buy, and the French prefer scouring for deals at breakfast and in the middle of the night.

Studies Predict Java, MMS Future
A picture of the future wireless world dominated by Java-based phones capable of roaming the world and exchanging multimedia messages emerged from a flurry of research studies.

PC Shipments in Latin America Declined 3%
Latin America PC shipments totaled 1.8 million units in the third quarter of 2001, a 3.1 percent decline from the same period last year.

Trust Central to E-Commerce, Online Marketing
Trust -- or the lack of it -- is emerging as one of the critical roadblocks to success in e-commerce and online marketing initiatives.

New FBI Top 20 List: Ms Iis Stays On Top
The SANS Institute and the FBI want to ensure that the most common security holes get fixed with an updated list of vulnerabilities that leave the Internet open to attack.

Two-Way and IP Boosts Market for Digital Equipment in Cable Headends
The number of cable headends converting to digital acquisition will experience a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 35.8% worldwide over the next five years.

Retail Metro Ethernet Services Revenue Is Reaching over $4 Billion
Established carriers are beginning to deploy metro Ethernet services as a new means to fulfill capacity needs.

Economy to Blame for E-Business Budget Cuts
A Forrester Research survey found that the number of large companies in North America that have cut their e-business budgets has nearly doubled in the past five months

To Build Online Trust, Let Shoppers Take Control
Web surfers will become buyers 'only when marketers overcome the lack of trust that paralyzes many would-be Net shoppers,' the McKinsey report said.

The Mobile Opportunity is Still Alive
Gartner Lists Top Five Recommendations for Mobile Operators

Increasing Demand for World Phones by International Travelers
As international travel growth continues the importance of always being in contact carries over from daily life into all travel situations.

eCommerce Will Prevail Through The Economic Downturn In 2002
Shoppers Most Affected By The Poor Economy Only Make Up 14% Of Online Sales

Holiday Shoppers Choosing Stores Over Net
Americans expect to do most of their holiday shopping in stores rather than online this year, and those who do plan to turn to the Web say that convenience will be the key reason.

Consumer Organizations Find Complaints About Internet Growing
More people are finding fault with the Internet as more individuals flock to it.

Internet Continues To Fuel Global Economy
The e-commerce revolution may have been born in the U.S.A., but try to get Amazon.com to deliver live sheep within 48 hours and see how far you get.

Launch of Next-Generation Consoles Begins the Evolution of Online Gaming
Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony Positioning to Compete for Online Gaming Market which is Projected to be a $2.3 Billion Industry in the United States by 2005.


E-PRODUCTS NEWS

  • IBM Supercomputers Tabbed by Agencies
  • Dell Two-Way Server Targets Small Biz
  • Java App Server Bolsters Apache
  • Linux-Based PDA To Take on Palm, Microsoft
  • Novell's new wireless LAN connects 2,000 employees
  • Java in phones picking up steam in Asia
  • Rivals Compaq, EMC Promote Storage Interoperability
  • Apple Gets It Right With Sleek, Smart IPod Music Player
  • Videophones Set To Ring in New Communication Era
  • Sony hedges bets with DVD formats
  • Gates to Tout Tablet PC at Comdex Keynote
  • Ericsson Puts Enterprise Products Into Distribution
  • Companies Scared Of Linux?
  • Atheros 802.11a Product Gets XP Certified
  • Siebel Drafts CRM For Security Duty
  • Jamming technology blocks cell phone rings
  • VIA Bares New Version of Legally Disputed Chipset
  • Xbox, GameCube play well with consumers
  • Lucent Looks To New Products For Profitability
  • IBM Spreads 'Pixie Dust' On New Drives
  • Can Intel Measure Up in the Server Market?
  • FBI snoop tool old hat for hackers

IBM Supercomputers Tabbed by Agencies
IBM Corp., said the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) agreed to help it expand its "Blue Gene" research project.

Dell Two-Way Server Targets Small Biz
Dell Computer Corp., introduced a dual-processor system for small- and medium-sized businesses, the PowerEdge 1500SC.

Java App Server Bolsters Apache
Covalent Technologies announce the general availability of Enterprise Ready Server 2.0, a Java application server used to improve the security, reliability and system management capabilities of the Apache Web server.

Linux-Based PDA To Take on Palm, Microsoft
Although analysts warn of the challenges of touting Linux in a sector dominated by Palm and Microsoft, Gmate Co. Ltd. is moving confidently ahead with plans to market a Linux-based personal digital assistant in December.

Novell's new wireless LAN connects 2,000 employees
Using wireless network management applications from Sniffer Technologies and a unique approach to security, Novell has deployed what it believes is the world's largest single wireless LAN

Java in phones picking up steam in Asia
Sun's telecom partners in Asia are planning deeper use of Java software in mobile phones. The phones' appeal may still be narrow, though, because of a limited number of applications.

Rivals Compaq, EMC Promote Storage Interoperability
Normally fierce rivals Compaq Computer Corp. and EMC Corp. loosened up a bit when they agreed to cross license storage system application programming interfaces (APIs).

Apple Gets It Right With Sleek, Smart IPod Music Player
Shinier, smaller and pricier than the competition, the iPod is vintage Apple.

Videophones Set To Ring in New Communication Era
With drastic drops in equipment pricing, satellite telephone systems are being readied for deployment inside ambulances and utility installations, and across an array of other businesses and services.

Sony hedges bets with DVD formats
The consumer electronics giant is coming out with DVD+RW drives and discs but plans to continue to support competing formats.

Gates to Tout Tablet PC at Comdex Keynote
Bill Gates will use his annual opening keynote at Comdex in Las Vegas to tout one of his favorite projects, the Tablet PC.

Ericsson Puts Enterprise Products Into Distribution
Ericsson Enterprise signed a distribution agreement with Graybar Electric, a voice and data communications products distributor. Graybar is Ericsson's first U.S. distributor for its enterprise product line.

Companies Scared Of Linux?
Linux penguins are braying louder, but companies don't plan to adopt many of them in the near future.

Atheros 802.11a Product Gets XP Certified
Atheros Communications, Inc. announced that it is the first company to receive the Microsoft Designed for Windows XP Logo Program certification for an 802.11a product.

Siebel Drafts CRM For Security Duty
Siebel Systems Inc. announced a repackaging of its customer relationship management applications for homeland security.

Jamming technology blocks cell phone rings
A Hong Kong company hopes to sell signal jamming technology, previously used by the military to thwart lethal missiles, to block annoying cell phone calls in places such as hospitals, places of worship and restaurants.

VIA Bares New Version of Legally Disputed Chipset
VIA Technologies has unveiled a faster chipset for Pentium 4 processors -- an advanced version of the same chipset that rival Intel claims violates its patents.

Xbox, GameCube play well with consumers
Consumers may be curbing their spending in some areas, but they apparently don't mind splurging on the two newly released video game consoles from Nintendo and Microsoft, according to new research.

Lucent Looks To New Products For Profitability
Lucent Technologies Inc., in the midst of slashing jobs and selling businesses, said it has the new products to allow it to return to profits next year as targeted.

IBM Spreads 'Pixie Dust' On New Drives
IBM is extending the use of its "pixie dust" technology--which ups the capacity of hard drives--to a new line of drives to be announced.

Can Intel Measure Up in the Server Market?
Intel Corp. has made significant inroads into the server market with its new Xeon (the server version of Pentium 4) line of processors

FBI snoop tool old hat for hackers
"Magic Lantern," a reported method for sneaking surveillance programs onto a suspect's computer, appears to be little more than old hacking technology.

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E-SERVICES NEWS

  • Web services directory put to the test
  • Campaigning For Web Services
  • BMC Readies Updated Monitoring Service
  • Amazon Reorganizes, Emphasizing Third-Party Services
  • IAR Bits and Bytes
  • Poor Service Panacea?
  • Mercury App Monitors, Enforces SLAs
  • Ramping Up Security With Streaming Video
  • Online Service Universe Co-Op Builds on Imici
  • SafeWeb Dumps Free Online Privacy Service
  • MagnetStudio to Offer .Net Alternative
  • Cox Begins Its First Open Access Broadband Trials
  • Are Kiosks Distancing Us from the Human Touch?
  • XP Can Be A Minus With AOL Plus
  • Customers In Demand
  • Disney puts games on the very small screen
  • Verio Pushes Into Enterprise Hosting Space
  • Some Cable Customers Left In the Dark
  • Avoid Late Fees by Paying Credit Card Bills by Phone or on Internet
  • Rural ILECs, The Shining Star in the Telecom Sector
  • Delta cooks up CRM tool for holiday travelers

Web services directory put to the test
Four major software makers will launch an updated test version of a public Web services directory that lets businesses list and find online services.

Campaigning For Web Services
In an effort to address the demand for education and information on Web services, technology business advisory firm Delphi Group is unleashing an aggressive campaign for developing market awareness.

BMC Readies Updated Monitoring Service
BMC Software Inc. is looking to emphasize the "manage" in managed services with a new monitoring service.

Amazon Reorganizes, Emphasizing Third-Party Services
While Amazon has seen growth slow down in its core category of books, music and video, other non-retail sectors have proven to be increasingly profitable.

IAR Bits and Bytes
Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based rich media e-mail firm MindArrow Systems is offering streaming video e-mail cards, hoping to attract customers that want to substitute them for traditional corporate holiday cards, it said.

Poor Service Panacea?
There is no way any company can scale up their call center operations fast enough to handle those sorts of spikes.

Mercury App Monitors, Enforces SLAs
Mercury Interactive will test the service-level management waters next week, hoping to dip into a more mature market for SLA monitoring.

Ramping Up Security With Streaming Video
PacketVideo, a company that had been focused on making it possible to stream video to consumers via wireless networks, suddenly has found itself branching into an unforeseen market: security.

Online Service Universe Co-Op Builds on Imici
Instant-messaging service provider Imici said it is providing its instant-messaging technology to Internet service providers that belong to the Online Service Universe Co-Op, a growth-oriented cooperative of independent ISPs.

SafeWeb Dumps Free Online Privacy Service
Many faithful users have contacted SafeWeb suggesting they would pay to use the privacy technology again. But SafeWeb is focusing its energy on creating a new, different product.

MagnetStudio to Offer .Net Alternative
Application development software startup MagnetPoint Inc. will release a Java-based application development framework for building Web services.

Cox Begins Its First Open Access Broadband Trials
Six months after initially announcing the deal, Cox Communications, is launching its technical trial of EarthLink and America Online, Inc., Internet services over Cox's broadband cable network in El Dorado, Ark.

Are Kiosks Distancing Us from the Human Touch?
More and more, self-service -- usually in the form of a kiosk -- is becoming synonymous with customer service.

XP Can Be A Minus With AOL Plus
Some users of America Online's high-speed Internet service have lost their ability to connect over digital subscriber lines after upgrading to Windows XP, according to message board postings.

Customers In Demand
Demand planning can help suppliers know their customers better.

Disney puts games on the very small screen
Walt Disney's online division continued its push into the wireless Web on Tuesday by offering games that are playable on cell phones.

Verio Pushes Into Enterprise Hosting Space
Verio Inc. is looking to push up the ladder in the Web hosting world, relying on a branding campaign, its telecom parent, cost-saving plans and managed services to move it into the larger enterprises.

Some Cable Customers Left In the Dark
David Nash's case is the perfect example of the confusion created when cable companies start playing "give and take" with their Internet subscribers and not telling them about the giving or taking.

Avoid Late Fees by Paying Credit Card Bills by Phone or on Internet
Credit card companies have different approaches to payments by phone.

Rural ILECs, The Shining Star in the Telecom Sector
A new Yankee Group Report, "The Rural ILEC Sector," examines rural ILECS, a service provider sector that is relatively unknown but one that is surprisingly very successful in these difficult times.

Delta cooks up CRM tool for holiday travelers
Delta passengers can track airport wait times at Delta.com through a new CRM tool the airline's programmers developed in spite of the fact that most airline IT projects are in a holding pattern


E-MARKETING

  • Palm to Focus on Hardware in New Ads
  • TV Uses 'Time-Reduction' Technology
  • Dell says PC sales to stay strong in Asia
  • Despite Rise in Electronic Payments, Checks Are Still Main Cash Alternative
  • Is Palm Headed For A Fall?
  • Nokia goes gadget-happy to boost sales
  • E.piphany Lands Latin American Customers
  • Bluetooth Ready For Mass Market
  • AOL, Chrysler Launch Holiday Promotion
  • Whatever Happened to Dot-Com Stunts?
  • Doubleclick Untroubled By 24/7 Free Ad Offer
  • Apple Tries To Woo Windows Defectors
  • Big Boost In Sales Of Advertised Pharmaceuticals
  • Consumers Rarely Use Ad Blockers
  • Sega cuts prices to unload Dreamcasts
  • Web Merchants Fish for New Holiday Hooks
  • British Airways Calls Non-Fliers 'Gutless Cowards'
  • Goodby Lands Adobe Account
  • Sun joins move to lure IBM mainframe users
  • Red Hat Counters Microsoft's Education Offer
  • Online Ad Market Holding On in Britain

Palm to Focus on Hardware in New Ads
Hoping to boost flagging sales, Palm, Inc. announced plans to unveil a new advertising campaign on, which aims to hook holiday shoppers.

TV Uses 'Time-Reduction' Technology
Football fans who listened to a Pittsburgh Steelers on radio last month noticed a curious thing: The game on TV was about 30 seconds behind.

Dell says PC sales to stay strong in Asia
Dell Computer said that its Asia-Pacific business would continue to grow faster than the overall market.

Despite Rise in Electronic Payments, Checks Are Still Main Cash Alternative
According to the Federal Reserve, the volume of retail payments made electronically over the Internet is so small that it is 'almost unmeasurable.'

Is Palm Headed For A Fall?
The Lengthening Shadow of Microsoft Darkens Its Door

Nokia goes gadget-happy to boost sales
With a series of new products aimed at gadget lovers, wireless leader Nokia is hoping to set itself up for a promising 2002.

E.piphany Lands Latin American Customers
Latin American companies, ABN Amro, Banco Um, Datamidia, Grupo Aval, and Sony Latin America, have recently chosen applications from E.piphany, Inc. to power their CRM strategies.

Bluetooth Ready For Mass Market
Three-and-a-half years after the radio-based, short-range networking technology was unveiled, Bluetooth at last is ready to enter the mainstream, according to a new report.

AOL, Chrysler Launch Holiday Promotion
AOL Time Warner will be the exclusive advertising partner for Chrysler's "Home for the Holidays" promotional program, an effort that seeks to tie in vehicle marketing with travel and safety information.

Whatever Happened to Dot-Com Stunts?
Dot-com stunts were more often about brand-awareness overkill than about focused brand-building and strategic marketing.

Doubleclick Untroubled By 24/7 Free Ad Offer
Top online advertising company DoubleClick Inc. isn't too worried that its struggling competitor 24/7 Real Media is offering to deliver online ads for free through year-end.

Apple Tries To Woo Windows Defectors
Apple Computer has a message for Windows users considering an upgrade to XP: Come back to the Mac.

Big Boost In Sales Of Advertised Pharmaceuticals
But Full Impact of Direct-to-Consumer Campaigns Unclear

Consumers Rarely Use Ad Blockers
While groups like the Interactive Advertising Bureau mull the idea of challenging the legality of the so-called "ad blockers," new research shows that the blockers have yet to catch on with consumers.

Sega cuts prices to unload Dreamcasts
Sega of America announced that it is dropping the price of its discontinued Dreamcast video game console to $49.95 around the price of a single game for consoles from Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.

Web Merchants Fish for New Holiday Hooks
As Web merchants head into the holiday season, e-tail marketers are looking at a whole bunch of skittish and penny-pinching consumers

British Airways Calls Non-Fliers 'Gutless Cowards'
Virgin Airways Creates Ad To Exploit Competitor's Gaff

Goodby Lands Adobe Account
Imaging software giant Adobe Systems, Inc. has handed its estimated $20 million U.S. advertising account over to Omnicom's Goodby Silverstein & Partners, concluding a three-month-long review.

Sun joins move to lure IBM mainframe users
Sun Microsystems is contributing Unikix software, which runs mainframe CICS applications on Unix machines, and along with Amdahl the two are offering to rehost applications.

Red Hat Counters Microsoft's Education Offer
Red Hat, never one to miss an opportunity for publicity, on Tuesday offered an alternative to Microsoft Corp.'s proposed settlement of more than 100 private antitrust cases against it.

Online Ad Market Holding On in Britain
The total U.K. Internet advertising market for the first half 2001 was £90.2 million, a 42 percent increase over online ad spending from one year earlier.

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SUPPLY CHAIN NEWS
This section sponsored by - Sameday.com, please visit them at http://www.sameday.com

  • Haht Integrates, Analyzes Demand Plans
  • Shipping Just Gets Harder for E-tailers
  • Manufacturer Takes Auctions In-House
  • Rival retail exchanges working on common standards
  • Fast, Focused, and Flexible
  • Drumroll, Please: Siebel 7 Is Here
  • B2B Grows With the Information Flow
  • Qualcomm, Eutalsat Team on Fleet Management
  • Web-enabling Supply Chain Logistics
  • B2B E-Commerce Takes a Global View, Cautiously
  • IBM Hardware, Software Initiative Targets Mid-market
  • Packager Readies Private Hub
  • Newgistics Gears Up To Deliver Many Happy Returns
  • Moneris, Wildcard Partner on Wireless POS
  • HP, i2: SRM Is to B2B as CRM Is to B2C
  • Start-up helps carriers keep customers
  • Convergys Enlists Allies To Boost Billing App
  • One Quick Hit at a Time
  • Competitors Rail Against Alleged SBC Abuses
  • B2B Leaders Turn to Collaboration
  • B2B Exchanges Still Working Out Kinks
  • Progress Slow on Supply Chain Projects

Haht Integrates, Analyzes Demand Plans
An upgrade to Haht Commerce Inc.'s demand management software provides the functionality manufactures need to reduce the complexity of coordinating and managing their customer-facing business processes across channels.

Shipping Just Gets Harder for E-tailers
The threat of anthrax in post offices is just one of many shipping concerns facing consumers and e-tailers.

Manufacturer Takes Auctions In-House
Airplane ejection seat manufacturer Martin-Baker is bucking the trend of having an auction service provider or e-marketplace do the dirty work, choosing instead to run its B2B auctions in-house.

Rival retail exchanges working on common standards
By 2003, GlobalNetXchange and the Worldwide Retail Exchange, two competing retail industry marketplaces, plan to push their catalog providers to use a common set of data standards.

Fast, Focused, and Flexible
Focusing on core competencies and leveraging partner abilities can drive business success,

Drumroll, Please: Siebel 7 Is Here
After months of anticipation, after announcements by more than 100 vendors that they are fully prepared to support this new software product, Siebel Systems has shipped the seventh major release of Siebel eBusiness Applications.

B2B Grows With the Information Flow
Most business-to-business e-commerce technologies focus on automating the physical aspects of a company's fulfillment and order functions.

Qualcomm, Eutalsat Team on Fleet Management
Five-year pact for European satellite-based tracking system,

IBM Hardware, Software Initiative Targets Mid-market
As part of its strategy to reach the small and mid-sized market with integrated offerings, IBM and Intentia announced a combined hardware and software offering designed to reduce the cost of collaborative e-business.

Web-enabling Supply Chain Logistics
Four new Web-based applications for supply chain management allow manufacturers and suppliers to square up on logistics management while collaborating on real-time orders, production and quality control testing.

B2B E-Commerce Takes a Global View, Cautiously
While consumers tread lightly when it comes to conducting international e-commerce, businesses have begun to use the Web to erase borders and streamline their global operations,

Packager Readies Private Hub
Diversified manufacturer Owens-Illinois Inc. early next year will flip the switch on a private online marketplace through which it will do business with both suppliers and customers.

Newgistics Gears Up To Deliver Many Happy Returns
Supply chain vendor Newgistics has announced the availability of a returns management application for multichannel retailers.

Moneris, Wildcard Partner on Wireless POS
Pilots under way in several Canadian cities with Domino's Pizza and Motorola Canada,

HP, i2: SRM Is to B2B as CRM Is to B2C
Hewlett-Packard and i2 Technologies have formed an agreement to develop supplier relationship management tools for private marketplaces, based on i2's supply chain collaboration product.

Start-up helps carriers keep customers
Backed by $90 million in venture capital, 3-year-old Telephia aims to be to wireless carriers what Nielsen is to TV networks: a key source of timely market intelligence.

Convergys Enlists Allies To Boost Billing App
Convergys has launched a program designed to improve the performance of its billing and CRM products and services by enlisting the help of independent software makers.

One Quick Hit at a Time
Using portal technology can help you extract value from your supply chain one step at a time

Competitors Rail Against Alleged SBC Abuses
An ever-expanding list of abuses has forced the Competitive Local Exchange Carriers Association of Michigan to file a complaint over supposed unfair and monopolistic practices of SBC Communications.

B2B Leaders Turn to Collaboration
Though three erstwhile leaders in the business-to-business arena have been bloodied by the souring economy and dying dot-coms, all are forging ahead with new software to revitalize their platforms.

B2B Exchanges Still Working Out Kinks
Most companies that have joined business-to-business (B2B) exchanges - portals designed to link suppliers and manufacturers via the Internet express disappointment with the results.

Progress Slow on Supply Chain Projects
Supply chain managers at some companies said their automation projects are being slowed by problems such as inadequate IT resources and hesitation on the part of suppliers.


CONTENT, PORTALS & COMMUNITY

  • Growing Pains...the Birth of New Domains
  • Toys Sold Online Highlighted in Consumer Warnings
  • Hidden Messages: Any There There?
  • EBay To Conduct First Online Auction of New Homes
  • Calculating Costly Content Management
  • Photo Finishing From Afar
  • FastTrack Approaches Napster's Former Popularity
  • Bluelight.com: Not Your Parents K Mart Anymore
  • Broadband defectors on the rise
  • Security Expertise In Short Supply
  • Amazon Heads for the Web-Free Internet
  • U.S. Army leading the way in portal technology
  • Nordic Firms Plan to Boost Remote Working
  • Online Bill Payment Gains Converts
  • Harry Potter Web Sites To Muggle Up With
  • Orbitz Tells U.S. It Brings Competition to Online Travel
  • Online Message Boards Increasingly Screened
  • Salesforce.com Gets into Financial Planning Game
  • Playboy says hacker stole customer info
  • Good News for E-Commerce, but Shoppers Be Wary
  • Dos and Don'ts for Small E-Businesses
  • E-mail overhaul to avoid overload?

Growing Pains...the Birth of New Domains
The highly controversial global top level domain .biz opened up for business on the public stage, the second new TLD approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers this year.

Toys Sold Online Highlighted in Consumer Warnings
Web sites selling toys on the Internet are increasing in popularity, but fail to provide the same choking and age warnings found on toys sold in stores.

Hidden Messages: Any There There?
Niels Provos, a computer science graduate student at the University of Michigan, took the dais at a Stanford University lecture hall Wednesday evening with what seemed a comforting message.

EBay To Conduct First Online Auction of New Homes
Following its purchase of an online auctioneer of foreclosed homes, EBay now steps further into Web real estate sales with an upcoming auction of new homes in L.A. County.

Calculating Costly Content Management
CrownPeak Technology, Calif.-based content management Application Service provider, unveiled its ROI calculator, a new tool for determining return on investment of a firm's content management initiatives.

Photo Finishing From Afar
A proposed standard for moving images across the Internet would let users send prints with a system similar to an ATM network.

FastTrack Approaches Napster's Former Popularity
Napster has been offline since mid-summer and is struggling to put together a marketable subscription product while at the same time, according to a new study, many people are flocking to free peer-to-peer file-swapping alternatives.

Bluelight.com: Not Your Parents K Mart Anymore
K Mart, long the domain of bargain-seeking shoppers, is getting a face-lift on the Internet with the opening of its Hewlett-Packard online store.

Broadband defectors on the rise
Katy Ling, a software consultant who had her home wired for high-speed Internet access last year, did what many technology analysts said would never happen: She bailed out of broadband.

Security Expertise In Short Supply
According to a recent report from online certification company Brainbench, disaster-recovery and network-security skills are scarce within the IT workforce.

Amazon Heads for the Web-Free Internet
With the recent restructuring of Amazon, Bezos looks to be positioning his company to join a race that has barely begun -- Internet commerce that goes beyond the World Wide Web.

U.S. Army leading the way in portal technology
The U.S. Army has created a new intranet portal "Army Knowledge Online" that will provide all 1.2 million active duty soldiers, National Guardsmen, reservists, civilians and contractors a one-stop shop for Army information.

Nordic Firms Plan to Boost Remote Working
The vast majority of Nordic firms plan to let their employees access company data remotely because using mobile technology boosts efficiency

Online Bill Payment Gains Converts
Following numerous anthrax scares, worries about handling mail are almost as strong as concerns over late-arriving payments as a reason people cite in signing up to pay bills online, a new study has found.

Harry Potter Web Sites To Muggle Up With
So you can't quite get to the village of Hogsmeade, but you can chill with Harry Potter and his crew in some rather magical places online.

Orbitz Tells U.S. It Brings Competition to Online Travel
According to online travel site Orbitz - which is run by the airlines themselves - rivals Travelocity and Expedia were operating in a 'cozy market.'

Online Message Boards Increasingly Screened
Critics say double standard exists in favor of harsh, anti-Arab messages

Salesforce.com Gets into Financial Planning Game
Salesforce.com, which hosts CRM applications, has forged a new partnership with Closedloop Solutions, a vendor of financial applications.

Playboy says hacker stole customer info
Playboy.com has alerted customers that an intruder broke into its Web site and obtained some customer information, including credit card numbers.

Good News for E-Commerce, but Shoppers Be Wary
There's good news for online merchants as yet more surveys predict a ho-ho-ho kind of holiday selling season. But it comes with a warning for consumers as another report says online rip-offs of shoppers are on the rise.

Dos and Don'ts for Small E-Businesses
Looking to raise money for a small online business? Experts say that in today's difficult economic environment, some basic tenets for securing financial backing remain

E-mail overhaul to avoid overload?
If you struggle to keep up with today's e-mail volumes, what will you do in the future when you get ten times as many messages, including unsolicited e-mail from corporate systems and alerts from a variety of devices?

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GOVERNANCE & GOING GLOBAL

  • More Middle East Gets Hip To e-Banking
  • FBI wants Carnivore powers for phone taps
  • 16 U.S. agencies flunk computer security review
  • FCC Puts an End To Wireless Caps
  • Controversial cyber crime treaty ready for signatures
  • FCC Outlines EchoStar-Hughes Issues
  • Internet Addicts Drain Finances of British Firms
  • Senators Back Renewed Net Tax Ban
  • IDC Advisory Service Examines the Evolution of Online Payments
  • Company Makeovers Tout Homeland Security Expertise
  • New Australian Net censorship laws condemned
  • ICANN Warned Of Its Own Vulnerabilities
  • No cure for online privacy
  • UCITA opposition turns up heat
  • Congressman Makes Appeal To P-To-P Advocates
  • Despite Moratorium, States Move Toward Taxing E-Commerce
  • Industry group wants software holes kept mum
  • UN Task Force to Address Technology
  • Uncle Sam wants...virtual reality training
  • FTC warns online retailers to live up to shipping promises
  • PlanetGov Swings Back Into Old Federal-Contracting Orbit

More Middle East Gets Hip To e-Banking
Misys International Banking Systems', the Dublin, Ireland-based subsidiary of financial services solutions provider Misys plc., announced a customer win for its Fontis iBanking solution.

FBI wants Carnivore powers for phone taps
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has asked telecommunications companies to make changes in their state-of-the-art networks to make it easier for the FBI to conduct surveillance.

16 U.S. agencies flunk computer security review
In a scathing report released, a U.S. congressional subcommittee flunked 16 federal agencies on their computer security efforts, while giving barely passing grades to a host of other agencies.

FCC Puts an End To Wireless Caps
Regulators at the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-1 to eliminate the spectrum allocation cap.

Senators Back Renewed Net Tax Ban
A letter sent by six senators urging passage of a two-year moratorium on new Internet taxes has prompted complaints from some state and local government organizations.

IDC Advisory Service Examines the Evolution of Online Payments
With $700 billion in consumer spending and $4 trillion in business spending forecast to be spent on the Internet worldwide in 2005, the need for innovative online payment systems is enormous.

Company Makeovers Tout Homeland Security Expertise
Within hours of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon Sept. 11, Unisys Corp. officials were huddling to discuss how the terrorist attacks would change the dynamics in the federal market.

New Australian Net censorship laws condemned
New Internet censorship laws introduced to NSW Parliament will criminalise Internet material unsuitable for children, effectively banning adult discussion of social and political topics.

ICANN Warned Of Its Own Vulnerabilities
Many of the people attending the ICANNs' conference used a wireless network at the hotel, and AT&T researcher Randy Bush knew some of the passwords they typed into their systems.

No cure for online privacy
About 65 million Americans have sought health information on the Internet, but many of their online activities are not protected by U.S. medical privacy rules.

Controversial cyber crime treaty ready for signatures
A controversial international treaty to combat online crime is ready for adoption by participating countries after foreign ministers of the Council of Europe approved the final draft

FCC Outlines EchoStar-Hughes Issues
Justice Department is expected to examine whether deal violates antitrust laws.

Internet Addicts Drain Finances of British Firms
On average, staff spend three hours a week surfing the net for personal reasons. The cost of this time-wasting works out as 7.5 percent of the salary paid to each employee.

UCITA opposition turns up heat
Proponents of the UCITA software licensing law have indicated a willingness to bend on a provision that would allow vendors to shut down a customer's system remotely, but opponents say it's not enough.

Congressman Makes Appeal To P-To-P Advocates
U.S. Congressman Rick Boucher asked for their support in his legislative efforts to make the authorized distribution of music over the Internet a reality.

Despite Moratorium, States Move Toward Taxing E-Commerce
Americans opposed to paying sales tax on online purchases won a battle this month when Congress extended a moratorium on Internet-related taxes for two years.

Industry group wants software holes kept mum
A collection of security companies has formed a group to create standard policies and guidelines for how information about software security flaws is distributed and published

UN Task Force to Address Technology
A new U.N. task force on technology pledged Tuesday to fight poverty, improve education and create jobs by expanding access to the Internet and other communications tools in the developing world.

Uncle Sam wants...virtual reality training
New virtual reality games allow U.S. soldiers and platoon leaders to become enveloped in lifelike wartime environments. Realistic lighting and sound mimic the feel of a variety of hostile situations.

FTC warns online retailers to live up to shipping promises
The Federal Trade Commission has sent letters to 72 online retailers warning them not to make holiday promises they can't keep.

PlanetGov Swings Back Into Old Federal-Contracting Orbit
In May 2000, PlanetGov saw itself as the preeminent Web site for anyone associated with the federal government. It hired a Washington Post columnist and promised to run 200 of the most relevant news stories every day.


PARTNERS & DEALS

  • Value of Mergers and Acquisitions Falls
  • Systemonic Emerges as Key 802.11a Player
  • Deal may put Microsoft at head of the class
  • CoreExpress Selling to Williams
  • Amazon Invests in CatalogCity
  • IBM partner program revenue turning heads
  • AOL Europe Joins Forces With Lastminute.Com
  • Microsoft Lands TV deal
  • Contract specialists urge protection for software, outsourcing deals
  • Gateway Rethinks AOL Investment
  • Large Wireless Mergers May Loom
  • Outpost.com Comes in from the Cold
  • Gateway bundles goodies for consumers
  • Global Crossing Wins $700M Pact
  • Tarantella Expands Its Government Partnerships
  • Compaq, Atempo Strike NAS Backup Partnership
  • COLT Telecom Connects With iBasis
  • Juniper can't shake Cisco's shadow
  • Global Crossing to Sell IPC Trading to Goldman-led Group
  • Lucent Fiber Optics Unit Sold

Value of Mergers and Acquisitions Falls
Even as venture capital investment continues to fall nationwide by other measures, merger and acquisition activity remains steady, although the value of the deals has fallen significantly.

Systemonic Emerges as Key 802.11a Player
Systemonic of Germany has acquired the products and intellectual property of the RF Networking group of Raytheon Commercial Ventures Inc.

Deal may put Microsoft at head of the class
A proposed settlement agreement in a series of antitrust suits may not only give Microsoft a fairly inexpensive legal resolution--it may also help the company and its PC allies further erode Apple Computer's position in education.

CoreExpress Selling to Williams
Virtual private network company CoreExpress is selling its fiber-optic network, intellectual property and Internet protocol capabilities to Tulsa, Okla.-based Williams Communications Group Inc.

Amazon Invests in CatalogCity
There are some things you just can't buy without seeing them in a catalog first, and Amazon.com, is taking a piece of that action by making a $5 million investment in the company that operates CatalogCity.com.

IBM partner program revenue turning heads
For IBM, making a commitment beats the single life.

AOL Europe Joins Forces With Lastminute.Com
World's largest online service gives Lastminute a boost

Microsoft Lands TV deal
Software maker to provide technology for Charter Communications.

Contract specialists urge protection for software, outsourcing deals
Procurement specialists are preaching that smart IT buyers should install protection clauses in their software licenses and outsourcing contracts in case vendors go belly-up

Gateway Rethinks AOL Investment
Struggling PC maker Gateway said it was discussing changing a 2-year-old agreement for America Online to buy convertible stock, as Gateway looks to avoid a huge stock dilution.

Large Wireless Mergers May Loom
The merger of two top U.S. mobile telephone companies has long seemed unfeasible. Setting aside complicated technological and corporate governance issues, popular opinion dictated that antitrust regulators would never let such unions fly.

Outpost.com Comes in from the Cold
It's been a long, strange road for the beleaguered Outpost.com, has finally found a home, announcing the completion of its cash merger with Fry's Electronics Inc. and going private.

Gateway bundles goodies for consumers
Gateway is launching a deal that lets consumers go from zero to geek for just under $100 a month.

Global Crossing Wins $700M Pact
Bermuda-based IP bandwidth provider Global Crossing Ltd. won a 12-year, $700 million contract to develop and manage global wide area data and voice network infrastructure for IT services company Computer Sciences Corp.

Tarantella Expands Its Government Partnerships
Internet infrastructure software maker Tarantella says it has established some new partnerships with the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal government contractors.

Compaq, Atempo Strike NAS Backup Partnership
To give end users more data back-up options, Compaq Computer Corp. on Monday will announce a partnership with Atempo Inc.

COLT Telecom Connects With iBasis
iBasis Inc., a provider of Internet-based VoIP, announced that COLT Telecom Group plc. has interconnected its pan-European network with The iBasis Network, the global VoIP infrastructure.

Juniper can't shake Cisco's shadow
No matter what deal Juniper Networks makes, the one constant as it expands its presence in the industry is rival Cisco Systems.

Global Crossing to Sell IPC Trading to Goldman-led Group
Struggling telecommunications company Global Crossing announced that it will sell its IPC Trading Systems unit to an investment group led by Goldman Sachs Capital Partners 2000 for $360 million in cash.

Lucent Fiber Optics Unit Sold
Lucent Technologies Inc. said it has completed the sale of its fiber optics business to Furukawa Electric Co. and CommScope Inc. for $2.3 billion, slightly less than an earlier offer.


MOVERS & SHAKERS

  • Packard, Hewletts In Hp-Compaq Family Feud
  • Verizon Wireless IPO Back on Track
  • Broadcom files patent suit against Intel
  • Tech Innovators Learn How To Avoid Washing Out
  • U.S. judge dismisses French effort to curb Yahoo
  • Separating fact from fiction
  • The Supercomputer Letter
  • E-Commerce Key to Global Economic Growth
  • Feds Step Up Efforts Against Online Anthrax Opportunists
  • Overstock.com Challenges Amazon on Book Prices
  • When the Hacked Becomes the Hacker
  • New hacker tool could target Web servers
  • Microsoft Case Moves On
  • eBay Bolsters Charitable Effort
  • Microsoft Settles Class Action Suits
  • EU sets Microsoft talks for December
  • Timeline set in Microsoft antitrust case; public gets say
  • Open-source approach fades in tough times
  • E-Taxes Take Another Holiday
  • MusicCity Hit with Another Copyright Lawsuit
  • Wireless Networking for Airports - Right Concept, Wrong Time?
  • Inventors challenge BlackBerry patent

Packard, Hewletts In Hp-Compaq Family Feud
Opposition to Hewlett-Packard's bid to buy Compaq Computer has gained ground as David Packard, son of the HP co-founder, said that he would back the Hewlett family's decision to oppose the acquisition.

Verizon Wireless IPO Back on Track
Verizon Communications CFO Fred Salerno told investors that an IPO of the communications giant's Verizon Wireless subsidiary was on the front burner

Broadcom files patent suit against Intel
Communications chipmaker Broadcom said it had filed a lawsuit charging that certain Intel semiconductors infringe on patents held by Broadcom.

Tech Innovators Learn How To Avoid Washing Out
Sun Laboratories offers this grounding statement on its Web site: 'Even though our research may push the boundaries of what is possible, we work hard to keep our development focused on what is practical and profitable.'

U.S. judge dismisses French effort to curb Yahoo
A U.S. District Court judge in San Jose ruled that Internet portal Yahoo Inc. can't be forced to comply with French laws against the sale of Nazi paraphernalia on its auction site.

Separating fact from fiction
While many rumors these days turn out to be true, there are still some questions--Does Larry Ellison have cancer? Has Wired cut its staff?--that remain firmly in gossip circles.

The Supercomputer Letter
Experts came to learn the latest about groundbreaking technology used to decode the human genome, visualize the birth of stars and create digital battlefields.

E-Commerce Key to Global Economic Growth
E-commerce will continue to be a driving force behind future economic growth worldwide, and may be especially important for developing countries

Feds Step Up Efforts Against Online Anthrax Opportunists
Seeking to stem the rising tide of questionable and illegal products being sold online to prevent anthrax and other diseases linked to bioterrorism, federal authorities are stepping up their crusade against Internet profiteers in the US and abroad.

Overstock.com Challenges Amazon on Book Prices
At the same time that Overstock said that it would beat Amazon's book prices by 10 percent, it blasted Amazon's growth philosophy.

When the Hacked Becomes the Hacker
The latest security software for the Web goes further than ever in identifying the origin of attacks, but experts say any hack attack -- even a retaliatory one -- is illegal.

New hacker tool could target Web servers
Companies with servers running Microsoft's database application should watch out for a new hacker tool that scans and then infects systems, network security experts warn.

Microsoft Case Moves On
Microsoft Corp. may have settled its lengthy antitrust case with the Department of Justice, but the refusal of nine states and the District of Columbia to agree to the terms will keep the case open for the foreseeable future.

eBay Bolsters Charitable Effort
eBay, moving to shore up its ambitious "Auction for America" charitable fund-raising effort launched after Sept. 11, announced a new round of corporate sponsors, including Microsoft, Pepsi and AOL Time Warner, among others.

Microsoft Settles Class Action Suits
Microsoft cleared another legal hurdle this week by settling a slew of class action lawsuits alleging that the software company overcharged PC consumers for its products.

EU sets Microsoft talks for December
U.S. software giant Microsoft will have a chance to respond to the European Commission's antitrust concerns at a hearing here on Dec. 20 and 21, European Union Competition Chief Mario Monti.

Timeline set in Microsoft antitrust case; public gets say
A week after a settlement was reached in the antitrust case between the U.S. and Microsoft, the judge in the suit has laid out how the case will proceed now that it has splintered into two tracks.

Open-source approach fades in tough times
The ideological purity of the open-source software business is being diluted by a new era of pragmatism as start-ups adjust to the economic slump.

E-Taxes Take Another Holiday
Online merchants have grown more efficient as time has gone by. But now, they must respond to the extension of the moratorium on Internet taxation.

MusicCity Hit with Another Copyright Lawsuit
Online file swapping service MusicCity.com and two similar Web sites were hit with yet another copyright infringement lawsuit by a music publishing association.

Wireless Networking for Airports - Right Concept, Wrong Time?
Some analysts are convinced that Wi-Fi, a technology that creates wireless local area networks, is about to explode.

Inventors challenge BlackBerry patent
A group of U.S. inventors claims that RIM's BlackBerry infringes on eight patents controlled by a holding company called NTP.

 

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