Spotlight Features

In his first appearance since the announcement of the landmark Microsoft antitrust settlement, CEO Steve Ballmer told an audience last week that the software giant is striving to fulfill the provisions of the settlement decree. Of course, it remains to be seen how the company actually will conduct b...

WiFi, a technology that enables wireless Web access at speeds many times faster than a standard dial-up connection, is cropping up in coffee shops, airports and hotels. But despite WiFi's increasing convenience, m-commerce, once seen as a promising way to sell goods, is unlikely to be a boon for ret...

In some ways, it is easier than ever to build an e-commerce site. As technology has matured, its price has fallen. However, the growing need to integrate a site's business operations -- such as ordering, sales and call center functions -- has raised the bar, even as the number of e-commerce technolo...

What is free, easy to learn and manage, and compatible with other file formats and every major platform? (Hint: It also represents one less tie to Microsoft.) The answer is OpenOffice.org, according to the creators, managers and evangelists of this open source office productivity suite. One of the m...

In the last two years, BroadVision's revenues have collapsed, and its market cap has shrunk. Even after a year of aggressive cost cutting, the company's third-quarter results showed continuing losses. That red ink has spurred speculation that BroadVision could run out of money before it executes its...

Dell is not a company that rests on its laurels. It has climbed back on top of the PC sales heap just a few months after the HP-Compaq merger displaced it, and it has extended its brand name into the printer and PDA markets to help drive its bottom line. Now, other manufacturers must respond to Dell...

With the merger of Hewlett-Packard and Compaq a done deal and its strong reputation intact, the new HP seems well positioned to remain a leading force in the global IT arena. HP spokesperson Rebeca Robboy told the E-Commerce Times that the merger has enabled the company to "deliver more for less," i...

Apple has made it a priority to lure small businesses to the Mac OS platform, reasoning that they will be willing to abandon Windows in favor of a network that is easier to maintain without tremendous IT resources. Brian Croll, Apple's senior director of software for worldwide product marketing, tol...

Of all Yahoo's recent efforts to diversify its revenue base beyond advertising, the company's alliance with SBC to offer co-branded Internet service has raised the most eyebrows. Is Yahoo! on track with its new initiatives, or is it losing the focus that made it a force to be reckoned with in the on...

3D e-commerce is a pair of jeans seen from every angle. It is the ability to mix and match shoes, dresses, coats or belts; to explore the nooks and crannies of an entire home; and to capture the most realistic, detailed view possible. It is also entering the mainstream as companies strive to win con...

Like Apple Computer, Linux vendor Red Hat is playing the role of challenger as it tries to convert longtime users of a competing brand to its own products. But according to officials at Red Hat, the similarity between the two companies' missions ends there. Red Hat product services director Marty We...

"Where there's a will, there's a way" could be the motto of messaging provider Critical Path, which in just two years dumped its management team, shed its considerable debt, extracted itself from extraneous business pursuits, rid itself of shareholder lawsuits, brokered a lucrative financing deal an...

PC processor giant Intel recently launched two new cell phone chips, and in 2003, it plans to launch a semiconductor lineup for wireless notebook computers. "Intel's vision is to have Intel silicon in all mobile devices," Intel spokesperson Christine Vermes told the E-Commerce Times. So, why is Inte...

When it comes to selling computers to consumers online, the easier, the better. Both Dell and Apple have taken this adage to heart -- but which online store is best? Dell's service options, such as a prominently featured toll-free order number and in-depth online help, trump Apple's FAQ pages and le...

Pop-up ads can interrupt, slow or even ruin a Web surfer's experience, but these annoying products of the online ad slump can be eliminated using a number of methods -- including free, third-party software that deflects unwanted browser windows. On the other hand, unsupported third-party software ca...