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Storage software maker Veritas (Nasdaq: VRTS) has scooped up two smaller firms in deals worth about US$600 million, leading a pre-holiday buying spree by software companies that has rapidly accelerated the pace of industry consolidation. In a separate deal, business intelligence software firm Cognos said it will pay $160 million in cash to acquire...

The number two software supplier Oracle said Wednesday it had beaten its ownconservative quarterly estimates and indicated the company's financialdownturn may be coming to an end Oracle's quarterly revenue of US$2.31 billion fell from last year's $2.38billion. But the figure still beat out Wall Street earnings expectations of 8cents a share on $2.2

The speed of information delivery is continually increasing. Most people who work in office environments have had access to broadband Internet connections for years, and more home users than ever before can surf the Web at speeds that eclipse those of the fastest dial-up modems According to audience measurement firm Nielsen//NetRatings, which track...

A Russian software firm has been acquitted of copyright infringement in the first-ever criminal prosecution under the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The decision seems likely to reopen debate on the law's future. After more than two days of deliberations, a federal jury in California found ElcomSoft not guilty of copyright ...

Trying to find anyone willing to forecast a vigorous rebound in 2003 technology spending is like searching for a nonexistent needle in a haystack. But it is almost as hard to find someone who thinks tech spending has anywhere to go but up. Overall, most analysts and high-tech bellwethers -- at least those willing to commit to a forecast -- expect ...

In a move that likely indicates companies will not return to vigorous spending on telecommunications equipment anytime soon, Cisco Systems has inked a deal with SBC Communications to offer outsourced communications services. Cisco will provide its network engine to SBC, which will work with Cisco to market the outsourced services. The two companie...

As more companies pursue ever-scarcer revenues in this slow economy, they are putting more emphasis on getting the word out about their presence. To rise above the clutter, those firms may be thinking about moving beyond traditional marketing channels to attract more attention -- and customers. But how far should companies go in their online efforts?...

In a first for the PC industry, Gateway has announced it will entice holiday shoppers with a "buy one, get one free" PC deal Specifically, Gateway customers who purchase the company's high-end machines -- the 700XL desktop and 600XL laptop, which retail for US$3,499 and $2,399, respectively -- will receive a free 300s desktop, without a monitor. Sh...

Even in a world of overstuffed e-mail inboxes and jaded recipients, advertisers continue to find value in e-mail marketing campaigns. The difficulty, of course, is finding a way to stand out amid a sea of spam. Successful marketers have done so -- and at the same time have refined their e-mail blasts to a point at which recipients are not only wil...

Aiming to parlay its soaring popularity as a search site into e-tail glory, Google has launched a shopping search site, quietly releasing a beta version of Froogle during the busiest shopping week of the year. Much like the main Google search site, Froogle will use automatic Web-crawling technology to generate results. Merchants need not pay to be...

When nearly 1,000 IT organizations descended on the Homeland Security TechExpo in Washington, D.C., this fall, all had the same goal: to garner a piece of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pie, worth a total US$38 billion Made official last month by President Bush, the DHS consolidates 22 agencies employing a total of 170,000 federal employ...

Technology giant Hewlett-Packard and Japanese telecommunications firm NEC have announced they will provide joint outsourcing services for organizations in China, Japan and the United States. The offering eventually may extend to other areas, including Southeast Asia and Europe The companies said the services will be tailored to customers' needs and...

The information technology industry is emerging from what many are callingthe worst downturn in the sector's history. In an effort to weather the storm, many high-tech companies have cut prices and even introduced special financing deals to help move inventory and generate revenue But analysts see an upward trend on the horizon -- especially as com...

EBay sellers in eight states have been hit with lawsuits filed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), claiming they sold pirated DVDs through the auction site. The MPAA filed suit Tuesday against nine separate ventures, marking the first time that the industry group, whose members include most of the large movie studios, has targeted...

The dot-com landscape is littered with the wreckage of e-commerce companies that did not survive the Internet shakeout. The bright side of this bleak reality is that those e-businesses still standing are far more likely to be profitable than their deceased brethren were. The question now is: What lies ahead for these survivors? E-businesses should ...

Online sales continue to impress as the holiday season enters its home stretch, according to two new reports. ComScore/Media Metrix said consumers spent US$2 billion during the week after Thanksgiving, marking an all-time one-week sales record for the Web and representing an increase of 34 percent over the same week in 2001. As in past years, the ...

Each year, a different shining jewel helps define holiday e-commerce. Two years ago, it was PlayStation2 -- the hard-to-find gaming consoles drove shopping bots nutty and led to sky-high auction prices. Last year, the DVD player ruled the day, on its way to becoming the fastest-selling electronic appliance ever. What product will be the hallmark o...

The world's most-trafficked Web site said Monday that it willbegin offering Web hosting packages aimed at small businesses For between US$11.95 and $39.95 per month, small businesses will receive10 to 35 e-mail accounts, 50 to 350 megabytes of storage and 20 to 35 gigabytes of data transfer. The two top packages also will offer a round-the-clock, t...

The general malaise in the economy and in the high-tech sector in particular has been especially hard on the telecommunications industry. Recent signs, though, have pointed toward a slow but welcome recovery for high-tech, raising the question of whether the uptick will spell relief for the telecom industry as well. Unfortunately, the answer is probably not...

IBM has struck a deal to buy Rational Software for US$2.1 billion, continuing a lengthy acquisition spree that has focused on the software industry in recent months. Under terms of the deal, IBM will pay $10.50 in cash for each outstanding share of Rational stock, a 29 percent premium over Thursdays closing price. The deal is expected to close in ...