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A year ago this month, Webvan called it quits. If it seems like the shutdown happened earlier than that, it might be because the company was on the way out for months before its final exit. Or it might be that, in the big picture, Webvan just didn't matter that much. Maybe the Webvan lesson is th...

As e-commerce server providers go head-to-head, touting their wares as the latest and greatest, meaningful hardware comparisons sometimes get lost in the shuffle. But what makes the ultimate e-commerce server? The answer to that question must be based on the particular e-commerce venture and its ...

The war of words over travel site Orbitz has reached the White House. Several Orbitz competitors, including Travelocity parent Sabre Holdings and Expedia.com, recently sent representatives to a White House meeting, at which they made their case for stepping up reviews -- already under way by the ...

Amid growing problems behind the scenes, America Online is releasing the first major beta version of AOL 8.0. The full version is expected to launch this fall. While analysts said they do not expect version 8.0 to attract new customers, new enhancements could help AOL keep the ones it already has...

In a deal that might ultimately shift the balance of power among computer vendors, IBM will pay $3.5 billion in cash and stock for PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting. Pascal Matzke, a senior analyst at Giga Information Group, told the E-Commerce Times that the acquisition is "actually a good match...

Analysts agree that Dell's build-to-order model for selling PCs and servers not only works well for current market conditions but also is likely to keep rivals chasing the company for the foreseeable future. Still, the company must overcome some potential long-term hurdles.

Venture funding dropped 11 percent last quarter to $5.7 billion, a level not seen since late 1998, as venture capitalists continued to nurse their wounds and stayed on the sidelines in large numbers, according to the latest quarterly survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Venture Economics a...

Maybe it's only a coincidence, but not long after televisions flashed images of Adelphia Communications executives being taken away in handcuffs, the stock market began its most impressive single-day rally in recent memory. If it's not coincidental, though, the fact that fraud charges against a m...

Microsoft has generated so much hype about .NET that many are wondering whether the software giant's technology for connecting information, people, systems and devices can live up to its billing. Customers have given the technology a lukewarm, if not downright cold, reception, leading many to que...

The worldwide server market continues to struggle through the economic doldrums, according to Garter Dataquest, gaining a mere 0.5 percent in the second quarter. Worldwide server shipments totaled 1.08 million. Analysts said uncertain market conditions are preventing companies from purchasing hig...

Heavy promotions and midsummer sales are driving Web surfers to the sites of brick-and-mortar retail chains during a traditionally slow shopping season, according to a new report from Nielsen//NetRatings. For example, the research firm said, traffic to OfficeDepot.com more than doubled during the...

Legal professionals face an uphill battle in dealing with thorny new issues raised by the globalization and growth of e-commerce -- from taxes and intellectual property disputes to privacy and cybercrime. According to Thomas Smedinghoff, a partner at law firm Baker & McKenzie, the ever-changi...

Japanese Internet venture investor Softbank has sold its remaining stake in E*Trade, taking a loss as part of an effort to realign its holdings and reduce its exposure to the dot-com world. Softbank said it sold a total of 12 million shares of E*Trade stock for $3.60 each, raising $43 million. Wh...

Cisco Systems has announced a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Ayr Networks in a stock deal worth as much as $113 million. Cisco said it will use Ayr's technology to augment its IOS software, the network operating system used by Cisco's routing and switching platforms. Yankee Group ...

The U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would let music companies and other media entities legally enter file-swapping services to block users from trading copyrighted files. Claiming to be "a big fan of [peer-to-peer] networks and the technology behind them," several state representatives i...