ALL E-NEWS

Subject: Apr2001 ECMgt.com: A New Internet-Enabled World
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April 1, 2001 *4,100 subscribers* Volume 3, Issue 4
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CONTENT - ECMGT.COM E-COMMERCE NEWS

  • STRATEGIES & TRENDS

  • E-PRODUCTS

  • E-SERVICES

  • E-MARKETING

  • SUPPLY CHAIN

  • CONTENT, PORTALS & COMMUNITY

  • GOVERNANCE & GOING GLOBAL

  • PARTNERS & DEALS

  • MOVERS & SHAKERS

 




STRATEGIES & TRENDS

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

  • IT labor crunch easing
  • Continental Drift
  • Coming Soon: Web Sites That Think
  • Delays On Mobile Services In US
  • Industry Analyst Bullish On The Future For Technology
  • IDC Forecasts Worldwide DRAM Market Will Shrink to $24 Billion in 2001
  • IDC Believes Worldwide Mobile Middleware Revenue Will Erupt to Nearly $1.5 Billion in 2005
  • Industry heavyweights plot future of wireless
  • U.S. wireless industry eyeing Japan's I-Mode success
  • Analyst Sees First Sales Decline For PC Industry
  • Wireless Internet Hits Airports
  • Evolution of Home Automation into Smart Home Networks Propels Equipment Sales to $1.7 billion
  • Online Grocery Buying Slowly Catching On
  • Up To A 3rd In US Will File Taxes Online In 2001
  • Slowdown in Broadband Modem Market Reflects Widespread Economic Downturn
  • Most Internet Users Wary Of E-Commerce
  • Startups are flocking to storage
  • B-To-B Market Boom Predicted
  • Lowest Income Is Fastest-Growing Group Online
  • Tickets To Go
  • Americans Blame Greed and Clueless Executives for the Dot-com Meltdown
  • PC-Based Internet To Be Eclipsed In Europe By ITV By 2005
  • Net Gambling Sites Double In Past Year

IT labor crunch easing
Employers in certain metropolitan regions report that they are having an easier time finding qualified IT workers, according to a Federal Reserve report issued this week.

Continental Drift
Undersea fiber emerges as the new Gulf Stream of global voice and data traffic, though satellites will remain aloft

Coming Soon: Web Sites That Think
Artificial intelligence technologies promise Web sites that react to your input.

Delays On Mobile Services In US
Ninety-six million US consumers will use mobile devices to access the Internet by 2005, up from 4.1 million in 2000

Industry Analyst Bullish On The Future For Technology
With dot-coms seeming to fold every day, and even old guard companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer warning of a tough road ahead, these seem like dire times. But the IT industry has seen it all before with the creation of each new era of computing and has lived to tell the tale

IDC Forecasts Worldwide DRAM Market Will Shrink to $24 Billion in 2001
The DRAM market will decline sharply this year. According to IDC, total DRAM revenue will reach $23.8 billion in 2001, a revenue decrease of 18% and severe 46% price erosion compared with 2000.

IDC Believes Worldwide Mobile Middleware Revenue Will Erupt to Nearly $1.5 Billion in 2005
The worldwide mobile middleware market is ready to erupt. According to IDC, revenue in this industry will explode at a compound annual growth rate of 61%, from $137 million in 2000 to nearly $1.5 billion in 2005.

Industry heavyweights plot future of wireless
The marathon keynote session that kicked off the CTIA Wireless show here was filled with industry superstars, several of whom made a point of disagreeing with the idea of a wireless Internet separate from the wired Internet.

U.S. wireless industry eyeing Japan's I-Mode success
Wireless Internet use in the U.S. hasn't met analyst projections, prompting industry officials to look at the wildly successful I-Mode wireless Internet service in Japan.

Analyst Sees First Sales Decline For PC Industry
Add this to the pile of bad news emerging from the high-tech sector: For the first time in its history, the PC industry will experience negative year-over-year sales growth in 2001,

Wireless Internet Hits Airports
Many airports do have Internet kiosks, but sensing a further opportunity, some airlines and airports have begun forming partnerships with service providers to bring wireless local area networks to parts of their terminals.

Evolution of Home Automation into Smart Home Networks Propels Equipment Sales to $1.7 billion
The traditional home automation market is beginning to change, as new applications are developed for smart devices

Online Grocery Buying Slowly Catching On
Most consumers have never purchased groceries over the Internet, but the convenience of the Web offers merchants an opportunity to reach more customers

Up To A 3rd In US Will File Taxes Online In 2001
More people as many as a third of Americans will file taxes online this year.

Slowdown in Broadband Modem Market Reflects Widespread Economic Downturn
A Q4 2000 decrease in revenue and unit shipments in the broadband modem market is indicative of broad economic slowdown

Most Internet Users Wary Of E-Commerce
Bob Myman has stopped buying things over the Internet.

Startups are flocking to storage
The unsexy storage industry -- once the place where only the most conservative IT managers would venture -- is witnessing an unprecedented level of entrepreneurial interest.

B-To-B Market Boom Predicted
The worldwide business-to-business Internet commerce market will boom to $8.5 trillion in 2005 despite economic slowdowns, according to a Gartner report.

Lowest Income Is Fastest-Growing Group Online
The population of Internet users earning less than $25,000 a year grew by 46% in the past 12 months, increasing at a faster clip than any other income group

Tickets To Go
Electronic delivery will place tickets in the Palm of your hand.

Americans Blame Greed and Clueless Executives for the Dot-com Meltdown
As the fortunes of Internet companies have fallen in recent months, Americans who have followed these developments believe that the difficulties of dot-coms are attributable to overeager investors looking for quick profits and poor business plans by dot-com entrepreneurs.

PC-Based Internet To Be Eclipsed In Europe By ITV By 2005
Growing Consumer Demand in Europe, Coupled With Fast Growth Of Digital TV, Will Create TV-Based "Internet For The Masses." $17 Billion Expected in European T-Commerce By 2006

Net Gambling Sites Double In Past Year
Number of online casino and gambling Web sites has doubled up in the past year with players betting on future potential, according to a new report.

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E-PRODUCTS NEWS

  • Mac owners offer mixed reviews of Opera
  • Handspring Launching New Visor?
  • Sun readies launch of midrange UltraSPARC III servers
  • Compaq introduces 64MB iPaq handheld
  • Norton AntiVirus puts a lock on email
  • Apple Announces New G4 Strategy and Pricing
  • Seeking the Big Picture With 360-Degree Web Video
  • SAP Leverages CRM for Intellectual Property Management
  • 'HailStorm' already stirring a tempest
  • Handspring Unveils Thin Visor
  • Next beta of Windows XP ready to roll
  • Microsoft touts smart phones, outlines wireless plans
  • AMD to unveil new chips, delay others
  • Bluetooth Teething Troubles
  • IBM To Offer Linux Version Of MySAP For Mainframes
  • Sun introduces new mid-range servers
  • B2B integration vendors facing shakeout
  • Nortel's Next-Generation Optical System
  • IBM launches WebSphere Portal Server
  • Will Oracle Finally Deliver With Release Of 11.5.3?
  • Eazel Releases Nautilus
  • Hewlett-Packard Launches New Handheld Devices

Mac owners offer mixed reviews of Opera
Can the Mac operating system support another Web browser, especially one that isn't free?

Handspring Launching New Visor?
Rumors abound that the handheld maker will soon deliver a slimmer Visor. Fan sites have pictures of the 'Visor Edge,' but the company only acknowledges that something is afoot.

Sun readies launch of midrange UltraSPARC III servers
Sun Microsystems Inc. this month plans to boost its midrange Unix server lineup by announcing a set of multiprocessor systems based on the company's 64-bit UltraSPARC III chip.

Compaq introduces 64MB iPaq handheld
Compaq Computer on Friday unveiled two new iPaq handhelds, including one equipped with 64MB of memory.

Norton AntiVirus puts a lock on email
Users of the Symantec Corp.'s Norton AntiVirus software may have problems getting their e-mail when the program's e-mail filter fails to run properly.

Apple Announces New G4 Strategy and Pricing
Apple is slashing the price of its 733Mz PowerMac G4 because of a greater-than-expected availability of high-speed chips from Motorola, the company announced.

Seeking the Big Picture With 360-Degree Web Video
Internet video has growing pains, seeks to move beyond the novelty of pan-and-zoom.

SAP Leverages CRM for Intellectual Property Management
In its continuing effort to gain market share in the CRM industry, SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) has announced the addition of enhanced functionality within its mySAP Media product...

'HailStorm' already stirring a tempest
In pledging conformance to open standards and protocols, Microsoft Corp. said all the right things with the launch here earlier of HailStorm, the software maker's building blocks initiative for Web services.

Handspring Unveils Thin Visor
It must be time for new spring fashions, and in the handheld personal digital assistant arena, Handspring Inc. is going with the thin look

Next beta of Windows XP ready to roll
Barring an unforeseen "show stopper," Microsoft expects to release beta 2 to testers. The OS is being pitched to consumers as the "next revolution."

Microsoft touts smart phones, outlines wireless plans
Microsoft's partners are expected to begin selling Stinger smart phones in the U.S. by year's end. The phones were designed, among other things, to tie into enterprise Outlook e-mail systems through a firewall.

AMD to unveil new chips, delay others
Advanced Micro Devices will unveil a pair of new desktop PC processors but the company has delayed some of its future products.

Bluetooth Teething Troubles
Sadly for 3Com's Shaun Paice, it was a fairly typical demonstration of a dazzling new technology. Paice was showing just how easy it was to link two laptops using the long-awaited miracle of wireless communication.

IBM To Offer Linux Version Of MySAP For Mainframes
IBM thinks it has an answer for big enterprises fed up with the complexity of supporting enterprise applications running across hundreds, or even thousands, of small servers--run everything off a single mainframe.

Sun introduces new mid-range servers
Sun Microsystems Inc. rolled out four new mid-range servers that incorporate high-end features typically reserved for its enterprise-class Starfire servers.

B2B integration vendors facing shakeout
The online business-to-business integration market is in the midst of consolidation as vendors offer solutions that expand traditional EDI trading through emerging XML technologies.

Nortel's Next-Generation Optical System
Nortel Networks Corp. unveiled a line of next-generation optical networking products Monday, promising to deliver "massive bandwidth" and integrated network transmission speeds of between 40 and 80 Gbps.

IBM launches WebSphere Portal Server
Like IBM Global Services' launch of its corporate portal in December and subsidiary Lotus Development Corp.'s knowledge management suite in January, IBM's Software Group is now jumping into the portal software market.

Will Oracle Finally Deliver With Release Of 11.5.3?
Larry Ellison, Oracle's president and CEO, made a familiar pitch at Oracle AppsWorld in New Orleans.

Eazel Releases Nautilus
Although it represents a small dent in the dominance of Windows, Eazel's release last week of its Nautilus 1.0 software--which provides a Linux-based graphical user interface for desktop computers--brings Linux one step closer to the desktop

Hewlett-Packard Launches New Handheld Devices
U.S. computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. unveiled a new color-screen handheld computer in a move that makes its product line more cost-competitive.

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E-SERVICES

  • i2-Nike fallout a cautionary tale
  • Salesforce.com to launch online CRM service
  • IBM starts consulting practice for biotech
  • MP3.Com's Online Music Service Challenged
  • PSA Makes Plans
  • Priceline, Travelocity To Pilot New Services
  • Airlines Stick E-Commerce in Coach
  • U.S Postal Service taps digital authentication
  • CRM suite vendors face the music at Gartner Summit
  • Gartner To E-Stores: Fulfillment, Fulfillment, Fulfillment
  • Lotus to bundle Mobile Notes with Nokia and Ericsson
  • USPS Plans Web-Based Address Change Service
  • Vignette Reaches for Bigger Slice of CRM Pie
  • Shopping While You Drive
  • Loudeye Plugs Into Net Radio Technology
  • Staples to combine online, catalog operations
  • eMarketplace Savings Will Come At A Great Cost To Companies
  • Motorola, Ericsson, Siemens To Develop Wireless Game Standard
  • Fannie Wants To Dominate The Web
  • Microsoft, Reuters Team On Messaging Venture
  • M-Wallet Offers Wireless One-Click Shopping

i2-Nike fallout a cautionary tale
Although public bickering between software suppliers and their customers is nothing new, last week's high-profile spat between i2 Technologies and its client Nike highlighted an ugly trend in the software industry that just won't go away.

Salesforce.com to launch online CRM service
San Francisco-based sales force automation company Salesforce.com Inc. will include full customer relationship management services on a hosted, monthly subscription basis.

IBM starts consulting practice for biotech
IBM said it has created a consulting practice to advise pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on how to use advanced computers and software to discover new drugs.

MP3.Com's Online Music Service Challenged
Music site battles in two courts, fighting copyright charge and its own insurance company.

PSA Makes Plans
Professional services automation is one of those markets that is bustling with so much energy that it may well unravel at the seams.

Priceline, Travelocity To Pilot New Services
In a bid to gain a bigger share of the online travel market, both Priceline and Travelocity unveiled new initiatives.

Airlines Stick E-Commerce in Coach
News about Orbitz, the multi-airline mega-site that promised to revolutionize the way Internet users make travel reservations, began to appear almost two years ago -- before the site even had a name.

U.S Postal Service taps digital authentication
The U.S. Postal Service announced a new service that will issue digital signatures on smart cards through post offices across the country using "in-person proofing" as part of the process.

CRM suite vendors face the music at Gartner Summit
The gauntlet was thrown down early at a "vendor challenge" panel at the Gartner Group CRM Summit.

Gartner To E-Stores: Fulfillment, Fulfillment, Fulfillment
Internet retailers that don't improve the start-to-finish shopper experience are in much greater risk of failure than those that do

Lotus to bundle Mobile Notes with Nokia and Ericsson
Lotus Development Corp. today said it has struck deals with Nokia Corp. and LM Ericsson Telephone Co. to equip cellular phones sold in Europe with its Mobile Notes software and access to applications on Domino Everyplace servers

USPS Plans Web-Based Address Change Service
The U.S. Postal Service soon will announce a Web-based change-of-address service targeted to the 41 million Americans who move each year.

Vignette Reaches for Bigger Slice of CRM Pie
Austin, Texas-based Vignette Corporation (Nasdaq: VIGN) claims its new CRM marketplace will help businesses build better and longer-lasting relationships with their customers...

Shopping While You Drive
The new TalkWallet from Qpass Inc. lets consumers make purchases by simply talking into their phones,

Loudeye Plugs Into Net Radio Technology
Digital content deliverer Loudeye Technologies said it acquired Internet radio technology to better stream music over the Web and boost authorized online music sales.

Staples to combine online, catalog operations
The office-supply retailer announced plans to combine its e-commerce affiliate with a catalog operation aimed at small businesses and consumers, a move that's intended to cut internal costs.

eMarketplace Savings Will Come At A Great Cost To Companies
Companies will spend an estimated $5.4 million to $22.9 million each to integrate into online markets over the next five years

Motorola, Ericsson, Siemens To Develop Wireless Game Standard
Three wireless telecommunications giants, hoping to entice consumers to use their cell phones for games as well as calls

Fannie Wants To Dominate The Web
The mortgage finance queen is locking up the online market.

Microsoft, Reuters Team On Messaging Venture
Reuters Group, the world's largest financial information provider, said it will offer an instant messaging service to let staff, clients and suppliers of 25 financial institutions send and receive text in real time

M-Wallet Offers Wireless One-Click Shopping
A mobile wallet that aims to facilitate a range of wireless transactions -- including micropayments, retail purchases and time- sensitive services

...

E-MARKETING NEWS

  • Stunts That Work
  • Compaq lands Blue Cross Blue Shield deal
  • Purchase of middleware developer extends Palm's reach into enterprise
  • Autonomy Signs Up Telecom Suitors for CRM
  • Boring Old B2B Steals E-Tail's Thunder
  • Pivotal CRM Advances on European Front
  • Cisco Stakes Claim In Lucrative Market
  • Will New Banner Ad Formats Benefit Branders More Than Direct Marketers?
  • B2C Spending Dropped Sharply In January
  • Linksys Named Best Vendor by the E-Commerce Channel
  • GM revs up online vehicle sales program
  • EMC, at CeBit, is bullish about growth
  • The Race To Bring Geography To The Borderless Web
  • Taking the Pain Out of Partnerships
  • Local Phone Giants Fight To Stay Whole
  • Novell needs to reach Microsoft-minded executives
  • Poor Online Service Costs Retailers Offline Sales
  • Digital Marketing Hits the Mainstream
  • High-speed mobile wireless takes three giant steps
  • UK Firm Trials Text Message Advertising
  • P&G Walks Fine Line

Stunts That Work
How to make your offline marketing tactics innovative and effectiveóand provide more than a one-time boost

Compaq lands Blue Cross Blue Shield deal
Compaq Global Services, the computer maker's services arm, is set to announce Monday a five-year, multimillion dollar technology services contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, winning the deal over rivals IBM Global Services, Electronic Data Systems and others.

Purchase of middleware developer extends Palm's reach into enterprise
Palm acquired mobile middleware developer Extended Systems for $264 million in a deal that will give handheld device maker the ability to integrate mobile devices with back-office systems.

Autonomy Signs Up Telecom Suitors for CRM
Continuing its run of attracting telecom companies to its product offerings, Autonomy has added Nortel, Telecom Italia and MCI Worldcom to its roster of customers...

Boring Old B2B Steals E-Tail's Thunder
So it turns out that amid all the teeth-gnashing about the future of e-commerce, business-to-business (B2B) online sales were cooking right along.

Pivotal CRM Advances on European Front
Demand chain software maker Pivotal Corporation has announced one of its first European victories: Belgacom France has selected Pivotal's CRM software to synchronize its marketing, sales and customer service activities over the Internet...

Cisco Stakes Claim In Lucrative Market
The first major test for Cisco System Inc.'s Long-Reach Ethernet networking products will be high speed Internet access for guests of the giant Starwood Hotels and Resorts Inc

Will New Banner Ad Formats Benefit Branders More Than Direct Marketers?
When the Internet Advertising Bureau recently announced it was establishing standards for seven new banner ad formats, brand marketers thought their ship had come in.

B2C Spending Dropped Sharply In January
Consumer online spending in the US decreased by about 50 percent in January, dropping to USD3 billion from Decemberís figure of USD6.1 billion.

Linksys Named Best Vendor by the E-Commerce Channel
Linksys(R), a leading provider of broadband, wireless and networking hardware for the Home, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO), and Small/Medium Business (SMB) corporate environments, was awarded 'Best Vendor' at e-tailVision(TM), produced by Vision Events

GM revs up online vehicle sales program
In order to test a new online sales model for its vehicles, General Motors has unveiled plans to launch an ambitious pilot program May 1 in the nation's capital.

EMC, at CeBit, is bullish about growth
Mike Ruettgers, executive chairman of the data storage giant, told show attendees that EMC expects to see revenues of $12 billion this year.

The Race To Bring Geography To The Borderless Web
The benefits of using geographic data to target marketing efforts on the borderless Web are applicable to a wide range of online businesses,

Taking the Pain Out of Partnerships
Trapezo hopes its automated partnership software will save teetering dot-coms--and its own skin too.

Local Phone Giants Fight To Stay Whole
As impatience over the slow pace of local telephone competition intensifies, authorities in more than a dozen states are considering proposals that would break former Bell telephone companies in two in a bid to help their rivals gain access to the basic wires reaching homes and offices

Novell needs to reach Microsoft-minded executives
Some users at Novell's BrainShare 2001 conference said they're ready to install its Internet-based software, but first they -- and Novell -- have to get their bosses to buy into the idea.

Poor Online Service Costs Retailers Offline Sales
If roaring bears and rolling blackouts aren't enough for dot-coms to worry about, Jupiter Media Metrix revealed more bad news

Digital Marketing Hits the Mainstream
Marketing executives of five of the biggest offline companies discuss the impact of the Internet on their strategies.

High-speed mobile wireless takes three giant steps
Three of the top four U.S. mobile wireless carriers plan limited rollouts of high-speed wireless networks this year at speeds of 144K bit/sec. and ramping up to 3G bit/sec. within two years. Missing from the announcements, however, were pricing details.

UK Firm Trials Text Message Advertising
Cadbury's, Carlsberg, Tango, Amnesty International and Capital Radio are among 35 organisations involved in a trial of advertising over mobile phones in the UK.

P&G Walks Fine Line
In an effort to better market its brands via the Internet, Procter & Gamble announced an advertising initiative with media company INNX that further demonstrates the blurring line between advertising and editorial material on the Web.

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

 

  • IBM algorithms boost b-to-b e-commerce
  • Consortium releases new business process language
  • i2's RightWorks deal shakes up B2B sector
  • Cendant Spices Up Online Travelers' Journeys
  • Global supply chains may force internal system changes
  • Tech Firms Integrate Products for Business Intelligence
  • Financial services streamline b-to-b supply chain
  • New CRM Apps Target Auto, High-Tech, Retail Sectors
  • Dueling exchanges make big plans
  • Commerce One strengthens hand with Exterprise buy
  • Mitsubishi To Forge $163M Supply Chain
  • Microsoft warns of fraudulent digital certificates
  • 46% Of B-To-B Websites That Have Been Online 3+ Years Are Profitable
  • App Helps Boeing Link Factory Floor to Suppliers
  • Worldwide Hotel Chain Takes Services Wireless
  • Online Problems Could Deter Customers
  • SAP Scores CRM Deals with PwC, Villeroy & Boch
  • The High Cost of Joining E-Marketplaces
  • Zyman Back Aprimo Marketing Platform
  • B2B Exchanges: Will They Survive?

IBM algorithms boost b-to-b e-commerce
Two powerful algorithms specifically designed for b-to-b e-commerce applications will allow vendors to conduct advanced auctions as part of their procurement processes.

Consortium releases new business process language
Looking to separate business processes from the applications in which they're imbedded, a technology industry consortium yesterday released the Business Process Modeling Language (BPML) specification.

i2's RightWorks deal shakes up B2B sector
i2 Technologies' acquisition of RightWorks was small, but the deal's ramifications are big. Analysts said that i2's latest acquisition could start a price war for business-to-business software.

Cendant Spices Up Online Travelers' Journeys
Consumers making travel arrangements online soon will be able to take virtual tours of hotels, cruise ships and other attractions, thanks to a content syndication agreement between Cendant Membership Services (CMS) and HotelView Corporation...

Global supply chains may force internal system changes
U.S.-based companies looking to automate transnational supply chains frequently have to alter their internal systems in order to handle the technical and business variables that await them in other countries, according to attendees at a supply-chain conference held here.

Tech Firms Integrate Products for Business Intelligence
Technology Solutions Company and Matrix Technology Group, Inc. said they will combine TSC's data integration, warehousing and data mining with Matrix's CRM applications to help businesses capture and leverage critical data...

Financial services streamline b-to-b supply chain
Whereas the product supply chain is achieving both visibility and velocity in the New Economy, the money supply chain lags far behind, with most companies still working under Old Economy, 60-day payment schedules.

New CRM Apps Target Auto, High-Tech, Retail Sectors
E-business applications provider Intershop announced it is targeting its latest software releases at the automotive, high-tech, retail and consumer goods industries.

Dueling exchanges make big plans
The GlobalNetXchange and WorldWide Retail Exchange marked their first anniversaries by fleshing out some ambitious business and technology plans, but some retailers and analysts said the rival online marketplaces still face big obstacles

Commerce One strengthens hand with Exterprise buy
Commerce One Inc.'s acquisition yesterday of software developer Exterprise is expected to enhance Commerce One's collaborative commerce capabilities -- seemingly the new Holy Grail in the business-to-business market.

Mitsubishi To Forge $163M Supply Chain
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has announced it will spend 20 billion yen -- about US$163 million -- over the next 18 months to create an Internet-based, worldwide supply chain management system for its semiconductor group...

Microsoft warns of fraudulent digital certificates
The software vendor disclosed that two digital certificates mistakenly issued in its name by security services vendor VeriSign could be used by malicious attackers to trick users into running unsafe programs.

46% Of B-To-B Websites That Have Been Online 3+ Years Are Profitable
Experience plays a pivotal role in online profitability for B-to-B websites

App Helps Boeing Link Factory Floor to Suppliers
Boeing Corp. is in the early stages of adding predictive intelligence to its MRP system.

Worldwide Hotel Chain Takes Services Wireless
Bass Hotels & Resorts and Air2Web Inc. have teamed to help travelers access hotel information through wireless devices, including PDAs, Web-enabled phones and digital text- messaging phones...

Online Problems Could Deter Customers
Annoy customers online and you may lose business at your brick-and-mortar store.

SAP Scores CRM Deals with PwC, Villeroy & Boch
German software maker SAP AG closed out the week on a strong note with two announcements at the CeBIT 2001 IT conference in Hanover, Germany.

The High Cost of Joining E-Marketplaces
Large corporate buyers can expect to spend between $5.4 million and $22.9 million over the next five years to integrate into online marketplaces, reports Forrester Research Inc.

Zyman Back Aprimo Marketing Platform
Zyman Marketing Group and Aprimo Inc. have teamed up in a new partnership aimed at offering a comprehensive set of online tools for marketing professionals.

B2B Exchanges: Will They Survive?
If you're joining an e-marketplace, make sure it's got what it takes

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CONTENT, PORTALS & COMMUNITY

  • Windows Now Slightly Open
  • Critics worry about impact of New.net domain plans
  • Hacker "Coolio" to work on jail PCs
  • Minimultimedia
  • Descramble That DVD in 7 Lines
  • The Mad, Mad World of E-Commerce
  • Users, Vendors Face Off Over UCITA Law In Texas
  • Cable TV Operators Continue to Upgrade Infrastructure
  • AT&T Broadband Installs Three-Millionth Digital Cable Customer
  • MBAs talk tech in E-Biz 101
  • MusicCity Emerges as Top Napster Alternative
  • IT skills upgrade HR resume
  • Wireless Net Service Taps March Madness
  • Courtesy Phoning
  • More Characters Added To Multilingual Domain Syste
  • ABN Amro/Digital Island hosting trial scores 25% savings
  • Lessons learned in layoffs
  • Outsmart, Outgun, Outlast
  • Sony's Plan For Online Bank Approved
  • Intel To Make 250,000 Web Gizmos For Aol Deal In Spain
  • Mir Crashes; Wreckage on eBay
  • Mobile Portals Will Not Drive WAP Site Traffic

Windows Now Slightly Open
Microsoft will share 95 percent of its operating systems source code with key developers. But the company hasn't reversed itself on loathing collaborative development; engineers can look at but not touch the code.

Critics worry about impact of New.net domain plans
Some users and Internet watchers said they're concerned that New.net, a start-up company that's offering 20 Internet domains outside the control of the organization that manages the Domain Name System, could do more harm than good by striking out on its own

Hacker "Coolio" to work on jail PCs
A teenage computer hacker who defaced Web sites was sentenced Friday to nine months behind bars--and was ordered to help program the jail's computers.

Minimultimedia
Rich media is coming to a new generation of wireless devices. How users and developers will receive it is an open question.

Descramble That DVD in 7 Lines
A new, slimmed-down version of DVD descrambling now exists: a mere seven lines of Perl code. It's so lean, you too can attach it to your e-mail signature file. Hello, movie industry lawyers.

The Mad, Mad World of E-Commerce
With nearly 300 shopping days left until Christmas, it is certainly too early to start fretting over e-commerce's annual rite of passage, the holiday shopping season.

Users, Vendors Face Off Over UCITA Law In Texas
Texas could become a key showdown state for the UCITA, as opponents are moving aggressively to prevent the legislature there from passing the controversial software licensing law.

Cable TV Operators Continue to Upgrade Infrastructure
Cable TV Operators Continue to Upgrade Infrastructure; Digital Data and Video Services More Widely Available

AT&T Broadband Installs Three-Millionth Digital Cable Customer
AT&T Broadband has installed its three-millionth digital cable customer, continuing its leadership in the deployment of advanced video services, the company said

MBAs talk tech in E-Biz 101
Amazing. It's only 9:30 on a bone-chilling Saturday morning, and already Bill Schiano's class is deep into a discussion of the evolution of the Web as a place to do business.

MusicCity Emerges as Top Napster Alternative
Since January, a secretive Tennessee company has been quietly positioning itself as an alternative to Napster.

IT skills upgrade HR resume
When the founders of peer-to-peer software startup Data-Synapse Inc. were finalizing their business plan early last year, they knew the New York company's success would hinge on its ability to recruit top technical talent, a major challenge in a highly competitive market.

Wireless Net Service Taps March Madness
A new March Madness Channel wireless e-mail and Internet service is aiming to serve as a central location to which hard-core college basketball fans will turn for access to real-time scores, schedules, and news from the NCAA Tournament

Courtesy Phoning
Socially unacceptable mobile communication gets the Miss Manners treatment.

More Characters Added To Multilingual Domain System
VeriSign Inc., owners of Internet domain registry Network Solutions, says it is increasing again the number of non-English characters supported by its fledgling system for processing multilingual Net addresses.

ABN Amro/Digital Island hosting trial scores 25% savings
ABN Amro, the world's 16th-largest bank, announced last week that an experiment with outsourcing Web hosting has paid off with a 25% savings.

Lessons learned in layoffs
Enterprises must cope with human, legal issues

Outsmart, Outgun, Outlast
What are the critical ingredients of lasting success in the networked business world? How do you recession proof a company? Seven key strategies can pave paths of leadership.

Sony's Plan For Online Bank Approved
Financial authorities have approved Sony Corp.'s plan to set up an online bank, the first by a non-banking company in Japan

Intel To Make 250,000 Web Gizmos For Aol Deal In Spain
The world's biggest semiconductor company Intel Corp. will supply 250,000 Web access devices that Spain's biggest bank, Banco Santander Central Hispano

Mir Crashes; Wreckage on eBay
As expected, Mir made its spectacular crashdown into the South Pacific during the night. Now, 'authentic wreckage' has begun appearing on eBay. And, believe it or not, people are bidding.

Mobile Portals Will Not Drive WAP Site Traffic
Mobile portals searching for sound revenue models will draw few users and disappoint firms looking for them to drive traffic,

...

GOVERNANCE & GOING GLOBAL

  • German court: AOL allowed illegal music swaps
  • Congress moves to roll back new ergonomic standards
  • Singapore's 3G blues
  • Telecom users ask FCC to slow growth of area codes
  • Notice to e-businesses: Taxes are due
  • Bush adviser urges increased cybercrime cooperation
  • Tech-Friendly Roster Emerges In Washington
  • Senate Banking Committee OKs High-Tech Export Control Bill
  • ICANN Defends Intellectual Property Approach
  • Rep. Wilson Intros House Version Of R&D Bill
  • Class Action Lawsuit Commenced Against Amazon.com, Inc.
  • Online Retailers Call For Simpler Tax Rules
  • A Slow Boat to B-To-C
  • Microsoft Upbeat About Europe IT spending
  • U.S. firms find no haven in safe harbor
  • UN working group seeks common ground on security
  • Web Elections Unlikely
  • Flat Rate a Fat Bust in Europe
  • Libraries Spearhead Attack on Cyber-Porn Law
  • FCC Chairman Expounds On Telecom, Wireless Policies
  • Bankruptcy Bill Twist
  • Kentucky Senate Kills 'Zero Call' Law

 

German court: AOL allowed illegal music swaps
An appeals court upheld a ruling against Internet giant America Online that could give the music industry a weapon against online piracy, court officials said.

Congress moves to roll back new ergonomic standards
Under pressure from business groups, Congress this week voted to roll back a new set of workplace ergonomic regulations that took effect in the waning days of the Clinton administration and were aimed partly at reducing the repetitive-motion injuries that afflict many computer users.

Singapore's 3G blues
Third-generation wireless telephone service suffered another setback this week when the government of Singapore slashed millions off the opening price for the 3G licenses it plans to auction in April.

Telecom users ask FCC to slow growth of area codes
A small group of large telecommunications users is asking the Federal Communications Commission to take a broad step to slow the proliferation of new area codes and prevent the nation's phone numbers from running out.

Notice to e-businesses: Taxes are due
Think your e-business doesn't owe sales taxes? Think again. States are gearing up to collect taxes already due. To avoid paying steep back taxes later, make sure you comply with current laws now.

Bush adviser urges increased cybercrime cooperation
Saying the "cybereconomy is the economy," National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice called for the bolstering of joint efforts by the government and the private sector to protect important computer networks in the U.S. from attacks.

Tech-Friendly Roster Emerges In Washington
It never hurts to have friends in high places. With technology playing a higher-stakes role in Washington politics, a growing number of Congress members are defining themselves as key figures when it comes to high-tech matters.

Senate Banking Committee OKs High-Tech Export Control Bill
The Senate Banking Committee approved legislation that would give the executive branch added authority in regulating high-tech exports.

ICANN Defends Intellectual Property Approach
The powerful Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was on Capitol Hill, this time defending its stance on intellectual property protection and its decision to allow Internet addressing companies to set their own guidelines for safeguarding copyright and trademark holders.

Rep. Wilson Intros House Version Of R&D Bill
Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., Wednesday joined her New Mexico Sens. Pete Domenici, R, and Jeff Bingaman, on the research and development tax credit train with a permanent credit bill of her own.

Class Action Lawsuit Commenced Against Amazon.com, Inc.
A securities class action lawsuit was commenced on behalf all persons who acquired Amazon.com, Inc. securities between February 2, 2000 and March 9, 2001.

Online Retailers Call For Simpler Tax Rules
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, which is considering two controversial issues related to Internet taxation, was told last week by online retailers that they shouldn't be forced to collect sales taxes unless state tax rules are simplified and some of the collection costs are reimbursed to companies.

A Slow Boat to B-To-C
Because of its enormous population of more than 1 billion people, mainland China would appear to hold tremendous market potential for operators of business-to-consumer Websites.

Microsoft Upbeat About Europe IT spending
U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp was quoted as saying it was upbeat about IT spending in Europe, where customers were still seeking to catch up with U.S. IT investment.

U.S. firms find no haven in safe harbor
European Union's data privacy directive raises 'considerable' trade issues

UN working group seeks common ground on security
Delegates from the United Nations will meet with U.S. technology industry representatives to devise new global strategies for dealing with cybercrime and other security threats, as well as data privacy issues

Web Elections Unlikely
In sad news for civic-minded couch potatoes, U.S. citizens may neverget the option to vote in a presidential election from home.

Flat Rate a Fat Bust in Europe
Flat-rate plans for dialup Internet service, once all the rage in Europe, are proving to be unprofitable. Inexpensive Net connections are only a dream.

Libraries Spearhead Attack on Cyber-Porn Law
At issue is a free speech challenge to a U.S. law designed to prevent children from being exposed to Internet pornography in public libraries and schools.

FCC Chairman Expounds On Telecom, Wireless Policies
On stage here at the CTIA 2001 Wireless, newly installed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell was introduced to some 2,000 industry executives as a logical and brilliant choice to head up the agency

Bankruptcy Bill Twist
Reform law would require firms to honor privacy policies.

Kentucky Senate Kills 'Zero Call' Law
The Kentucky state Senate has failed to act on a proposed "zero-call" list before the end of its 2001 legislative session, effectively killing the bill.

...

PARTNERS & DEALS NEWS

  • FirstService Buys Canadian CRM Stalwart
  • Blockbuster, Enron clip Web movie pact
  • Bombs Away
  • Convergys Unites with IBM for Wireless CRM
  • Drkoop Attends Personalized Healthcare Delivery
  • AT&T to acquire assets of bankrupt DSL provider NorthPoint
  • Citrix To Extend Web Services With Sequoia Acquisition
  • Emblaze Agrees License Deal With Microsoft
  • CA and partners go all out for mobile
  • WebMD, Microsoft Ink New Deal
  • Compaq, Allscripts join to offer handheld PCs to doctors
  • SAS To Acquire Intrinsic
  • Agilent, HP Talk Strategic Alliance
  • Groove teams with Microsoft for enterprise collaboration
  • Dell, Samsung sign $16B supply, R&D deal
  • Lucent Seeks Fiber Unit Buyer
  • IBM, Symbian Bring Office To Cell Phones
  • Alliances Make Strange Bedfellows
  • Net2Phone Beats Estimates, Revamps Deals
  • Sprint and Sun Form Alliance to Provide An Integrated Solution For E Business Customers

FirstService Buys Canadian CRM Stalwart
FirstService Corporation a Canadian property and business services provider, took a giant step toward growing its CRM business by acquiring Canadian CRM and fulfillment company Herbert A. Watts Ltd for an undisclosed sum.

Blockbuster, Enron clip Web movie pact
Blockbuster and Enron Broadband Services said Friday that they have broken off an exclusive partnership to deliver movies over the Web, signaling new static over the highly anticipated creation of video-on-demand services.

Bombs Away
The war of words goes on in the wake of the Microsoft-Sun settlement, while developers remain skeptical

Convergys Unites with IBM for Wireless CRM
An agreement between Convergys Corp. and IBM will provide billing and customer service support for IBM's UNIX servers, giving wireless operators access to a high-performance hardware system and greater flexibility in choosing hardware providers...

Drkoop Attends Personalized Healthcare Delivery
Hoping to meet healthcare provider and consumer demands for customized healthcare information, Drkoop.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: KOOP) and I-trax, Inc. have teamed up to launch a suite of Web-based health management services...

AT&T to acquire assets of bankrupt DSL provider NorthPoint
AT&T Corp. announced it will acquire all of the assets of bankrupt DSL provider NorthPoint Communications Group Inc. in a deal valued at $135 million, according to company officials.

Citrix To Extend Web Services With Sequoia Acquisition
Application server software company Citrix Systems Inc. is moving to extend its product line to include Web content and applications by agreeing to acquire portal company Sequoia Software Corp. for $184.6 million in cash

Emblaze Agrees License Deal With Microsoft
Emblaze, an Israeli company whose technology streams video to mobile Internet devices, said it had entered a licensing agreement with software giant Microsoft Corp

CA and partners go all out for mobile
At CeBit in Germany, CA and an A-list of partners announced plans to take the software giant's e-business products into the mobile arena.

WebMD, Microsoft Ink New Deal
Internet health-care firm WebMD Corp. said that it has revised its partnership with Microsoft Corp.

Compaq, Allscripts join to offer handheld PCs to doctors
Compaq Computer Corp. announced a deal with Allscripts Healthcare Solutions to provide physicians with iPAQ Pocket PCs that they can use to access patient information

SAS To Acquire Intrinsic
Continuing to expand beyond its data-analysis roots, SAS Institute Inc. has agreed to acquire Intrinsic, a British developer of marketing automation and campaign-management software

Agilent, HP Talk Strategic Alliance
Computing giant Hewlett-Packard Co. and the company it spun off in 1999, Agilent Technologies Inc., are discussing a ``strategic alliance'' for joint business intiatives.

Groove teams with Microsoft for enterprise collaboration
Groove Networks made a foray into collaborative applications for the enterprise this week through a development agreement with Microsoft that's related to the software giant's new Internet-based HailStorm technology.

Dell Computer Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. have entered into a $16 billion, four-year agreement for Samsung to supply the computer maker with key parts, the companies said.

Lucent Seeks Fiber Unit Buyer
Lucent Technologies confirmed that it is looking for a buyer to pick up its Optical Fiber Solutions unit in an attempt to pay down part of its $8.5 billion debt.

IBM, Symbian Bring Office To Cell Phones
IBM and Symbian announced a partnership Thursday to work on technology that will allow people to access their work e-mail, calendar and corporate information via their cell phones.

Bigfoot Dances Expressive Merger Tango
E-mail marketing companies Bigfoot Interactive and Expression Engines each have agreed to their mutual merger inquiries, bulking up in an automated marketing industry that is starting to show a bent for consolidation.

Alliances Make Strange Bedfellows
When Enron and Blockbuster unveiled their exclusive, 20-year video-on-demand marriage of convenience last July, one of the first thoughts that sprung to mind was, "Which company will still be around in 2020?"

Net2Phone Beats Estimates, Revamps Deals
Internet phone service provider Net2Phone beat Wall Street expectations and moved up its profitability projections, while saying it has revised partnerships that were proving too expensive.

Sprint and Sun Form Alliance to Provide An Integrated Solution For E Business Customers
Sprint Corp. and Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: SUNW) are aligning sales and marketing teams to create

---

MOVERS & SHAKERS NEWS

  • Lessons Learned From Loudcloud
  • Critics Slam VeriSign's Dot-Org Plan
  • CyberInsurance ?
  • Domain Name Registration Gets 64 More Languages
  • Proxim files lawsuits to protect patents
  • Quake Rattles IT at Seattle-Area Firms
  • Touched by an Angel
  • U.S. Makes Web Stock Scammer Pay
  • DVD Code Crack Stirs New Copyright Battle
  • Wall Street firms embrace WorldStreet's p-to-p offerings
  • Micron Electronics to exit PC business
  • Insurance carriers move to crumple paper processes
  • Venture Capitalists Lose As Their Companies Sink
  • CompuServe Accused Of Denying Rebates
  • AOL Denounces Lawsuits
  • IBM, Toshiba, Sony Team Up To Develop Supercomputer On A Chip
  • Visteon, L&H propose technology sale to settle legal dispute
  • MSN In Global Cold War Against AOL
  • Via once again on collision course with Intel
  • Getting to Know You
  • HIPAA privacy rules under fire in Washington
  • Netmorf Turns Into a Memory
  • AOL Anti-Spam Effort Loses E-mail

Lessons Learned From Loudcloud
Loudcloud, the Net services startup co-founded by Marc Andreessen, makes a lackluster debut on Nasdaq. But hey, at least they made it out.

Critics Slam VeriSign's Dot-Org Plan
Internet domain name registrars are criticizing industry leader VeriSign's moves to release its monopoly hold on top level domain (TLD) names such as dot-net and dot-org, arguing that the powerful player is using its position to quash competition for the profitable dot-com TLD.

CyberInsurance ?
At the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year, hackers with a political ax to grind broke into a forum database.

Domain Name Registration Gets 64 More Languages
Three months after VeriSign Global Registry Services (GRS) began registering Web site addresses in four languages other than English as part of a test process, the company has added 64 new site registration languages to bring the Internet to a larger number of non-English speakers around the globe.

Proxim files lawsuits to protect patents
Suits allege that six companies infringed on patents for direct-sequence wireless local area networking technology

Quake Rattles IT at Seattle-Area Firms
IT systems at Seattle-based corporations received their first real-world disaster recovery tests in the wake of Wednesday's 6.8-magnitude earthquake, which knocked out phone systems and power to thousands of businesses and residents.

Touched by an Angel
With venture capital scarce and restrictive of a companyís options, many find angel investors a tempting alternative

U.S. Makes Web Stock Scammer Pay
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has settled its lawsuit with Web stock picker "Tokyo Joe," who made more than US$1 million selling stock picks on his Web site.

DVD Code Crack Stirs New Copyright Battle
As Hollywood movie studios scramble to shelter DVD copyrights, a new program that breaks DVD code is fueling a battle between proponents of free speech protection and those who want to bolster copyright protection.

Wall Street firms embrace WorldStreet's p-to-p offerings
Taking Advantage of the financial services industry's eagerness to adopt early on peer-to-peer technologies, WorldStreet next week will roll out what it believes to be the first p-to-p network for the financial services market.

Micron Electronics to exit PC business
Micron Electronics said it is exiting the PC business and merging with Web hosting company Interland in a $130 million stock deal that will transform the company into a hosting firm.

Insurance carriers move to crumple paper processes
Two insurance industry projects involving powerhouses such as St. Paul Cos., AIG and The Hartford promise to automate paper-based processes in a bid to save the companies both money and time.

Venture Capitalists Lose As Their Companies Sink
Young firms cautious but optimistic despite string of failures

CompuServe Accused Of Denying Rebates
The state attorney general's office filed suit against CompuServe, claiming the Internet service provider failed to deliver promised rebates

AOL Denounces Lawsuits
The media powerhouse says the lawsuits--typically filed by companies or executives against people who have posted unflattering messages in internet chat rooms--threaten both free speech and the growth of the Internet.

IBM, Toshiba, Sony Team Up To Develop Supercomputer On A Chip
Tech heavyweights IBM, Toshiba, and Sony Computer Entertainment are joining forces to develop computer chips that they say will bring supercomputing power to consumer devices.

Visteon, L&H propose technology sale to settle legal dispute
Struggling software vendor Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products said it has agreed to sell some of its technology to Visteon, the world's second-largest automotive supplier, in order to settle a lawsuit over a failed joint venture deal.

MSN In Global Cold War Against AOL
With the Hailstorm initiative, Microsoft is not only swiping at its old foes, Sun Microsystems and Oracle, but at Internet aggregation king AOL Time Warner, as well.

Via once again on collision course with Intel
Via Technologies Inc., the Taiwan-based chip maker that has become a thorn in the side of Intel Corp. in recent years over its disputed use of licensed technology, is set once again to take a poke at the chip giant.

Getting to Know You
Your computer has all the RAM and megahertz it will ever need. What doesn't it have? Sensitivity. But soon PCs will be aware of your every mood.

HIPAA privacy rules under fire in Washington
The sweeping set of medical data privacy rules that were announced late last year by the Clinton administration were criticized today by Republican lawmakers and health care industry groups

Netmorf Turns Into a Memory
Netmorf, a company that allowed users to access corporate databases and the Internet from any device, went out of business. What does this mean for companies of its kind?

AOL Anti-Spam Effort Loses E-mail
Hundreds of thousands of e-mails sent by EarthLink Inc. customers to America Online accounts were rejected and lost over a period spanning at least 10 days,

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