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Although Amazon.com has denied it will post back-to-back profitable quarters, analysts, investors and other e-tailers will be watching closely for signs of growth when the company reports first-quarter earnings. Moreover, they will want to determine the impact of the e-tailer's free shipping offe...

In most cases, small e-tailers and other e-businesses must climb big mountains to reach their goals. For example, the increasingly cluttered Internet sales channel demands that sellers provide unique and aptly delivered products and services. "If small companies are 'me toos' to the big players, ...

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates will take the witness stand to testify in the government's ongoing antitrust trial against the software giant, the company announced. Gates's appearance will mark the first time he has testified in person during the proceedings. He is expected to stress that the reme...

TMP Worldwide, the parent company of job site Monster.com, has paid $800,000 for rights to acquire the Jobs.com domain name and trademark from a defunct competitor. TMP said the bankruptcy court purchase will give its family of job search sites an immediate traffic boost. Jobs.com is now an umbre...

As expected, eBay met estimates in what is turning out to be a mostly positive earnings season. The company reported a first-quarter profit of $47.6 million, more than double the $21.1 million it booked in the year-ago period. Revenue swelled 59 percent, from $154.1 million a year ago to $245.1 m...

E-commerce mergers and acquisitions may not grab much attention, but experts say the B2B sector could see its share of consolidation in the coming months. Experts predict that a still-tough economy could spur some big players to give themselves an edge by acquiring the service capabilities of sma...

As the fourth quarter unfolds each year, e-commerce is measured and evaluated so closely that it seems as if each purchase is reported the instant it is made. Judging how well e-commerce is faring during the rest of the year is more challenging, but the second quarter contains some important holi...

In an effort to improve the quality of online information and strengthen consumers' faith in the Web, Consumers Union -- the advocacy group that publishes Consumer Reports magazine -- has moved its system of objective ratings to the Web. But Web site ratings are not a new idea, and previous attem...

Adding credence to a growing belief that the technology market is slowly regaining its balance, Apple Computer has reported a significant profit and a rise in revenue. Customers demanding the computer maker's revamped desktop iMac helped push its second-quarter profit to $40 million, nearly equal...

The recent outcry over used book sales on Amazon, where a shopper can find a used book for a fraction of the cover price on the same page as the new book, is the ultimate tempest in a teapot. When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos talks about the company's sale of used books, he seems to truly believe what h...

Online shoppers' thoughts are turning to spring and summer vacation plans, and they are using the Web to turn those thoughts into reality. According to Internet measurement firm Nielsen//NetRatings, traffic to travel Web sites grew 12 percent to 51.2 million visitors in March, up from 45.9 millio...

Against a backdrop of solid earnings news from some bellwether tech companies, e-commerce software maker Commerce One reported sharply lower sales for the first quarter and said it will slash its workforce by another 30 percent. "Enterprises are more interested in applications that help them cut ...

While it is still too early to declare the technology market in full economic rebound, Intel's modest 2.2 percent year-over-year revenue gain -- to $6.8 billion -- in the first quarter of 2002 indicates that the market is slowly creeping out of decline. Net income in the first quarter grew 86 per...

Recent history has shown that there are no sure things in e-tailing. And with eyes looking to the future, analysts are hesitant to hail even today's strongest companies as sure long-term victors. "I have not seen anything that indicates that one has a leg up on the other," Giga Information Group ana...

March was not a big month for e-commerce, according to Internet research firm Jupiter Media Metrix. For the most part, Web users put away their wallets and flocked to sites about religion and entertainment, though travel sites also gained ground. Easter and Passover observances during the month d...