Articles by Lori Enos

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is ready to give its seal of approval to Covisint, the business-to-business (B2B) Internet marketplace backed by DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors Citing sources close to the talks, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the FTC will approve the joint venture with no strings attached, but will re...

Continuing its crackdown on porn sites that illegally bill customers, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Thursday that it has won a $37.5 million (US$) judgment against an adult Web site operation that was billing customers for X-rated Internet visits they had not made and services they did not order A federal judge in California iss...

In a move designed to ease consumer concerns about online security and cut down on credit card fraud, American Express (NYSE: AXP) rolled out a new product Thursday that will allow its cardholders to use disposable credit card numbers for online purchases The new service, called Private Payments, will be available to American Express small business...

Controversial online travel venture Orbitz announced Friday that it is delaying the launch of its Web site until next summer "A phased-in launch that includes a monster beta test will ensure that Orbitz can handle the transaction volume and deliver the reliability and service levels consumers deserve," said Orbitz chairman and president Jeffrey Kat...

A consortium of 36 of the Web's biggest companies -- led by IBM, Ariba, and Microsoft -- announced plans Wednesday to create an online business directory that will make business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce simpler and more efficient According to the companies, the new standard, called Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI), will b...

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the potential of international e-commerce may never be realized unless standards are adopted to regulate cross-border transactions The report, "Consumer Protection in the Global Electronic Marketplace: Looking Ahead," poses tricky questions about which laws -- the buyer's or seller's -- govern t...

The majority of online gamblers -- some 60 percent of those surveyed -- believe the sites they visit are "fixed," according to a survey released Tuesday by online market research firm Greenfield Online The "What Are the Odds?" study also found that 31 percent of online gamblers are not satisfied with Internet gambling sites and that only 15 percent...

Online shoppers will spend almost $20 billion (US$) this holiday season, according to a study released Tuesday by Gartner Group The Stamford, Connecticut-based Internet research firm is predicting that worldwide online holiday sales will reach $19.5 billion this year, an 85 percent increase over last year's holiday season revenue of $10.5 billion.

A new report by Media Metrix (Nasdaq: MMXI) division AdRelevance shows that while traditional companies are beginning to realize the marketing potential of the Internet, online advertising is dominated by dot-coms The report, "Dot-Coms in the Driver's Seat," revealed that despite recent shake-ups that have left some dot-coms floundering, dot-com ad...

E-tail giant Egghead.com (Nasdaq: EGGS) announced late Thursday that it will be moving approximately 20 percent of its staff from Silicon Valley to Vancouver, Washington over the next several months The Menlo Park, California-based company said the move is part of a plan to reach profitability by the end of next year.

Consumers spent over $5.5 billion (US$) shopping on the Internet during the second quarter of this year, an increase of 5.3 percent from first quarter online sales of $5.24 billion, according to separate figures released Thursday by Nielsen//NetRatings and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) The figure represents .68 percent of all retail sales, ...

An optimistic report released Friday by the U.S. Internet Council (USIC) predicts that the Internet will continue to evolve into an open and global information environment and that those nations, corporations and citizens who can adapt to the Net's constant innovation will thrive The study also showed that although English-speaking users in North A...

Just as the Internet has changed the way retailers relate to their customers, it will change the way that U.S. federal, state, and local governments deal with constituents, according to a new report by Forrester Research The report, "Sizing U.S. eGovernment," predicts that governmental entities will collect 15 percent, or $602 billion (US$), of fee...

In a bid to avoid costly copyright litigation, 34 percent of colleges around the U.S. have banned their students from using Napster, according to a survey released Tuesday by Internet research firm Gartner Group According to the report, "Colleges and Universities Prepare for Napster's Sophomore Year," some university administrators are taking the t...

A report released Tuesday by Internet research firm Jupiter Communications concludes that multi-channel shoppers -- shoppers who use traditional stores, Web sites and print catalogs -- purchase 30 percent more than those who use only one retail channel Most retailers fail to take advantage of the multi-channel shopping trend, however. The report, "...

U.S. federal authorities have sued to shut down an online pyramid scheme posing as an investment club The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil action in a Dallas, Texas federal court on August 24th to stop Le Club Prive (LCP), a Panamanian corporation based in The Netherlands, from defrauding investors.

The Internet economy will by 2002 employ more than 10 million people across a variety of industries in the United States and Europe, according to a study released Monday by Chicago, Illinois-based Andersen Consulting The report, "Internet Enabled Job Creation and the Digital Revolution," concluded that even though some individuals in traditional in...

The most recognized e-tailer in the United States, Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), announced Tuesday that it will launch a French-language site Thursday. According to the company, Amazon.fr will be "dedicated to customers in France and to French-speaking customers around the world." "This is a store created for and designed by French people, which for t...

A new survey released by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) predicts that cybercrime -- including Internet fraud, e-mail abuse, hacking, and viruses -- will increase over the next 20 years The report, "Future Crime Trends in the United Kingdom," comes days after three men were arrested for using bogus accounts to steal money from Egg, one of...

A survey released Thursday by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) indicates that e-commerce is paying off handsomely for car dealers that have a well-established Internet presence According to NADA, dealerships that have been operating Web sites since 1995 sell some 13 new vehicles per month, compared to just five new vehicle sales f...