E-Commerce

Intel has said it will combine two unprofitable business groups in its communications industry segment in a bid to repair one of the few glaring flaws in the company's performance in recent quarters. Specifically, the chipmaker plans to meld its wireless communications business with the Intel Commun...

In a sign of the growing popularity of hosted e-business, Buy.com subsidiary BuyServices has announced it will manage hosted Web sites for several MTV Networks properties, including MTV, VH1 and CMT. BuyServices will provide back-end and front-end e-commerce capabilities, distribution, payment and c...

As part of an ongoing effort to trim costs, America Online has laid off 350 workers in its California offices and has offered another 100 the choice to relocate to the East Coast or be fired. AOL said most of the affected employees work in software creation for the core online service product in sho...

The U.S. Congress has passed the most sweeping anti-spam legislation to date, authorizing creation of a do-not-e-mail list that allows consumers to opt out of all unwanted messages. President Bush has indicated he would sign the so-called CAN SPAM legislation, which could become law as soon as next ...

Although dial-up is still the dominant method by which most U.S. residents access the Internet, DSL and cable are making inroads. Of course, not all high-speed Internet providers are created equal. Customers must choose a provider on the basis of availability, rates, customer service and reputation,...

In a legal move that ultimately could affect the size of search engines' revenue stream, Google has asked a court to clarify whether or not its keyword-based advertising program is infringing on company trademarks. Google filed the request following complaints from American Blind & Wallpaper Fac...

The Web hosting industry is vast and growing -- but for potential customers, the array of choices can be mind-boggling. Faced with hordes of vendors vying to win their business, companies must determine their goals before leaping into the fray. Questions prospective customers should ask themselves, ...

In its latest attempt to stem the flood of membership losses that has besieged it for more than a year, America Online has partnered with Systemax to offer a complete PC for just $299. The computer comes complete with monitor and printer, but there is a catch in the form of a required 12-month subsc...

Some of the biggest retailers' Web sites reacted sluggishly during the post-Thanksgiving e-tail rush, with as many as one in five potential transactions failing at peak times, but overall the e-commerce sector held up under intense shopping activity, according to tracking data from two firms. Keynot...

Hewlett-Packard has announced plans to launch a music download service and to enter the consumer electronics market with its own music player and a line of high-end flat-panel televisions. Executives indicated the company intends to use the January Consumer Electronics trade show in Las Vegas as a v...

Over the last several months the U.S. economy has shown signs of improvement. John Challenger, CEO of outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, told the E-Commerce Times that there has been a 50 percent drop in high tech job cuts from last year. However, the IT job terrain has c...

Today's teenagers have powered the ongoing success of apparel seller Abercrombie & Fitch and music heavyweight MTV, among many other brands -- but the vast majority of e-tailers have long ignored the buying power of this group of consumers. That neglect is shortsighted, say industry experts who ...

In a move that could open a new front in the search engine wars, America Online has purchased Singingfish, a search company that focuses exclusively on helping Web surfers find audio and video clips on the Internet and whose customers include Microsoft and RealNetworks. Although AOL did not disclose...

Microsoft has announced it is putting the finishing touches on its own entry into the music download business, setting up a competitive showdown with a host of already established players in the marketplace. The software giant has not set a specific date for the launch of its service, which will be ...

Now that Apple's iTunes Music Store (iTMS) does Windows and Napster has been rehabilitated, more people are venturing into the world of legal music downloads. However, the onset of legal music download services has brought a new issue front and center: sound quality. The bit rate of an iTMS AAC file...