Articles by Lou Hirsh

While scientists have been reaping the benefits of clustered computing for several years, using it to search for intelligent life in the universe and sift through vast amounts of data in hopes of making a breakthrough, business users have largely ignored this technology -- until recently. IBM product manager Barbara Butler told the E-Commerce Time...

Shopping carts have become standard equipment for online vendors. But software developers -- particularly those that make some of the larger off-the-shelf e-commerce packages -- are upping the ante by integrating additional features into their products For example, as companies become more sophisticated about selling online, developers are expandin...

While the worst of times may be over for companies in business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, the sector remains unsteady and is likely to see more consolidation and survival-oriented alliances. Some struggling companies still may fall by the wayside. "I don't think the shakeout is over," Forrester research director Laurie Orlov told the E-Commerce...

Open source technology is cheap to use, comes with few frills -- and has yet to gain the popularity enjoyed by proprietary products from giants like Microsoft. Nevertheless, many companies are taking advantage of open source offerings' flexibility and low cost for use in e-business operations....

Despite a corporate spending downturn that has led to revenue and market capitalization problems for once high-flying Lucent, analysts and company officials agree that the telecom giant can stay in the game and possibly thrive over the long term However, while analysts said the company must shift some of its big-picture priorities in order to recov...

When you want something done right, there are times when doing it yourself is not the best option. Even the best companies need to recognize the limitations of their operational expertise and know when to outsource certain e-business functions For example, many companies now outsource a variety of ongoing, daily e-business tasks that do not fall wi...

While Big Blue's name was not always synonymous with e-commerce, the technology giant has become a major player in the sector in recent years IBM made that transition in part through savvy partnerships with software companies specializing in e-business, and in part by offering its WebSphere software, which amounts to a flexible infrastructure kit t...

Microsoft's monopoly status led to its landmark antitrust trial. Now, its corporate foes and several state attorneys general are out for blood as the company's ultimate punishment is decided by the courts Despite the software giant's legal woes, it has forged ahead in a number of areas, including e-commerce. According to figures from research firm ...

Numerous products and services are now available to shield consumers and businesses from the ever-increasing barrage of spam. But experts warn that no service can possibly keep out all the junk and say that if users are not careful, they could end up blocking some mail that they actually might want "What's spam to you could be useful company inform...

E-commerce is garnering converts at an increasing pace, even though it is not grabbing the headlines it once did Analysts say this quiet explosion is making its mark in back-office streamlining of systems, in business-to-business (B2B) dealings between companies, and in efforts to assist customers by providing self-service Web channels. It is also ...

As wireless providers search for the right mix of services to spawn a boom in mobilecommerce, experts say they also must develop a data pricing strategy that clicks withcustomers According to Yankee Group researchdirector Adam Zawel, the practice of charging based on bytes or kilobytes of datatransmitted to a mobile device baffles many users....

Credit cards remain the predominant mode of payment in e-commerce, but other online transaction methods have entered the market in recent years. Some of these methods -- such as Flooz, which attempted to emulate online currency -- did not fare well. But another type of transaction system, in which a company serves as an intermediary between buyers...

Instant messaging (IM) can help e-commerce sites capture potential sales, but cost, service and technological hurdles must be cleared before IM can have a major impact, according to analysts. Gartner research director Rob Batchelder told the E-Commerce Times that live, instant help could help e-tailers address the problem of shopping cart abandonm...

E-commerce mergers and acquisitions may not grab as much attention as such high-tech pairings as Hewlett Packard and Compaq, but experts say the business-to-business (B2B) sector of e-commerce could see its share of consolidation in the coming months Experts predict that a still-tough economy and tight competition could spur some big players to giv...

Experts have a message for undecided shoppers who think a single comparison Web site will give them all the information they need to choose from among a dizzying array of options: Keep looking Because of comparison sites' various agendas -- not to mention wide variations in their ability to deliver on promises -- consumers should view such sites as...

In the realm of e-commerce, credit cards rule. But the distant relationship between buyer and merchant, combined with the anonymity enjoyed by potential wrongdoers, makes the processing job tougher than it would be for a brick-and-mortar purchase That is why most e-commerce sites scrutinize customers when they buy something or conduct any business ...

Microsoft and Oracle find themselves butting heads in a number ofhigh-tech arenas, but the software giants have both managed to carve outa sizable presence in the e-commerce sector The companies have so far taken different, but profitable routes to providinge-commerce products and services to clients, with Microsoft focusing in recentyears on growi...

In the world of e-commerce security companies, experts find it impossible to agree on which provider is king. But they agree emphatically that nobody does it all That is because "all" has become increasingly hard to define as Internet use has increased in recent years. With new threats constantly cropping up -- ranging from hacking threats to new v...

Size matters a lot in the world of brick-and-mortar commerce, where the biggest retailers make the largest impact in marketing and pricing. But online commerce in many ways is a great equalizer, and experts say small players can stay in the game -- and score some niche victories -- by using the same tools and strategies available to entrenched combatants...

Despite numerous legislative, consumer and technological efforts to weed it out, experts say spam e-mail continues to proliferate, sparking increasing user irritation in the process In fact, the problem has worsened in recent months. "There is now 16 times as much spam on the Internet as there was just two years ago," Gartner vice president Joyce G...