Articles by Chet Dembeck

Internet gift delivery business CarePackages.com has capitalized upon an untapped e-commerce niche with its Halloween-themed ScarePackage The package, which ranges in price from $9.95 (US$) to $15.95, is stuffed with Halloween brand-name goodies such as M&Ms, Kit Kat, Good 'N Plenty and Milk Duds, and is then delivered in a box that features a pict...

In sports, the superstars always seem to get the good press, while the solid utility players rarely get noticed That is, until they make an error.

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing a bill that would prevent cyber-squatters from holding a company's trademark hostage The bill is a reaction to a spate of occasions where people have tried to extort money from big corporations by registering Web addresses that are similar or identical to their corporate name...

Walgreen Co., the largest drugstore chain in the United States, announced yesterday that it is attempting to keep pace with the rapidly-developing Internet pharmacy market by launching an entirely revamped walgreens.com Web site The new site provides patients with more comprehensive features than its original offering. Among the new options, custom...

A new study of UK e-commerce has found that 27 percent of those surveyed have purchased goods online and 49 percent have used the Web to compare the prices of goods and services The study, released today by e-commerce consortium CommerceNet and Nielsen Media Research is the first in a series of in-depth studies into the Internet habits of British a...

As one of the pioneering Internet search engines, AltaVista is hoping that a combination of revamping its Web site and a $120 million (US$) ad campaign will be enough to catapult it out in front of Yahoo! and America Online Created in 1995 by Digital Equipment Co., AltaVista was folded into Compaq Computer Corp. as part of the PC giant's 1998 takeo...

According to a University of Texas study funded by Cisco Systems, Inc., e-commerce in the U.S. skyrocketed 127 percent from the first quarter of 1998 to the first quarter of 1999 The study, which was released today, also concluded that this unprecedented growth will have a profound effect upon the future of brick-and-mortar businesses.

Drkoop.com, Inc., the Internet healthcare network led by former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, announced today that a record 14.7 million page views for September has made it the Web's most visited health site This volume represents an increase of more than 12 percent from August page views, based on I/PRO's records.

Microsoft Corp. and Japanese cell phone company NTT Mobile Communications Network, Inc.(NTT DoCoMo), are joining forces to offer Japan's 27 million cellular phone customers wireless Internet access. The 50-50 joint venture, Mobimagic Co. Ltd., will be a Japanese corporation, and will develop and market mobile data services for users of NTT DoCoMo's wireless networks. Once established, Japanese users will be able to retrieve files from home or office PCs over the phone, read their e-mail and view calendars using Microsoft's Windows CE operating software.

Last Thursday, Amazon.com filed suit against barnesandnoble.com in U.S. District Court, alleging that its online book-selling rival illegally copied and implemented a patented shopping feature This legal action comes only a week after priceline.com filed a similar suit against software giant Microsoft Corp., claiming that Microsoft's Expedia.com In...

Internet postage provider Stamps.com announced today that it has acquired privately-held iShip.com for stock worth $300 million (US$) The agreement will combine iShip.com's Web-based multi-carrier shipping technology with Stamps.com's core Internet Postage service, providing customers with one-stop access to mailing, shipping and tracking services,...

America Online, Inc. and interactive television software developer OpenTV announced today that they are joining forces to deliver AOL applications to consumers via OpenTV's interactive television platform Industry observers feel that this move is the latest by the number one online service provider to counter the thrust that rival Microsoft Corp. i...

Excite@Home (Nasdaq: ATHM) announced today that it has agreed to purchase online greeting card company Blue Mountain Arts Publishing for approximately $780 million (US$) in cash and stock, with the possibility of a bonus stock issue that would push the deal above $1 billion According to Media Metrix, an online Internet and Digital Media measurement...

As low-cost online investment firms such as E*Trade and Ameritrade, Inc. continue to lure investors away from the brick-and-mortar brokerages, many industry observers believe that it is only a matter of time before the traditional pillars of Wall Street become obsolete In fact, the pressure is so intense that many big name brokerage houses are bein...

Ace Hardware Corp. and OurHouse.com have announced plans to pump more than $100 million (US$) into a new joint e-commerce venture The two companies will launch a new Web site in November that will provide expert advice on how-to make home improvements and offer a selection of more than 22,000 products such as upscale decorative lighting and bathroo...

A decision made earlier this week by the Miami, Florida county commissioners must have sent shock waves all the way to the Dulles, Virginia headquarters of America Online The Miami-Dade County commissioners voted against requiring cable companies that provide high-speed Internet connections to share their lines with competitors, causing some indust...

Number one online service AOL has announced a cross-promotional agreement with Gateway, Inc. that will pump $800 million (US$) in cash and stock into the number two computer reseller The deal will give America Online about 5 percent of Gateway, which will in turn receive a $180 million investment in AOL stock.

Earlier this week, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. responded to its troubles by announcing that it will split its digital properties off into a separate company and revamp its Web site to offer the contents of its 32-volume set online for free Following in the footsteps of other populare-commerce Web portals, Britannica.com's site will be supported ...

As part of an effort to turn around its losses, CompUSA launched a re-designed e-commerce Web site earlier this week By doing so, the number one brick-and-mortar retailer of PCs hopes to double the number of visitors it attracts to the Internet.

Just two months after online toy seller eToys, Inc. announced European expansion plans, it has launched a United Kingdom version of its popular Web site The site, www.etoys.co.uk, marks the first time that the Santa Monica, California-based company has ventured outside of the United States.