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Not too many years ago, the acronym VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) was virtually unheard of. Today, it is becoming an everyday term. In fact, the major phone companies ignore this technology at their peril. A while back, I remember trying to set up my computer to receive and send phone calls vi...

Six Apart, which develops and provides blogging software and service, announced today that it has acquired Danga Interactive, operator of LiveJournal, an online community organized around personal journals, for an undisclosed amount. The merger of the two blogging pioneers makes the new company a bl...

Reports of the demise of the consolidation trend in the wireless sector might have been premature, as Alltel, which currently ranks sixth in the U.S., is reportedly in talks to buy regional carrier Western Wireless. The deal, which has yet to be made official, would be worth an estimated US$4 billio...

Every holiday season, online retailers develop a "tractor beam" focus on customers, ensuring orders are met, packages arrive on time and toys are in stock. However, historical data show that January is even busier than December -- and more valuable for building and solidifying customer loyalty, acco...

Business folks reach agreements, lawyers write the contracts. This being the case, often times a business person need not concern him or herself with the details of the final contract or what is commonly referred to as the "legalese" aspects of an agreement. However, there are exceptions in that the...

Customers of all major wireless phone carriers continue to be largely unhappy with the service they're getting, but analysts say consumers probably aren't nearly disgruntled enough to slow the growth of the mobile industry. Consumer Reports said its annual survey of cell phone users found a majority...

All you will need to establish a worldwide trademark is the desire to go global with a powerful global identity. The rest will fit if you follow the right procedures and make sure your entire organization is ready to play the new global games. There has been a drop in the old branding cost of some 9...

In a bid to bring two of the hottest technology trends together and put a potentially "disruptive" tool into the hands of consumers, Vonage said today it will roll out handsets later this year that will enable voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone calls using WiFi connections. Vonage announced a...

Online shopping in the U.S. soared by 25 percent, to US$23.2 billion, during the 2004 holiday season, with almost every category posting year-over-year increases, according to the latest holiday eSpending Report from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Harris Interactive, and Nielsen//NetRatings. Online shopp...

Business communication skills are the most important skills that any manager or staff person can have. You might have the best product or service in the world. You might have great technical skills and domain knowledge. However, if you cannot communicate effectively, then you are lost.

A Trojan dubbed "Downloader.GK" caused the most damage to computers in 2004, marking the first time a worm hasn't occupied the top spot, according to Panda Software. This signifies an important change in the impact that malicious code is having on computers, the company concluded. Downloader.GK is b...

The much-hyped CAN-SPAM Act -- the first major stab at legislation in the U.S. aimed at cutting down the flood of unwanted commercial e-mail messages -- is seen largely failing to live up to its promise during its first year. The Act, which took effect at the start of 2004, was meant to curtail spam...

Blogs are becoming a key part of online culture, according to two surveys by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, but a majority of Americans still don't know what a blog is. Meanwhile, commercial entities are beginning to explore the power of the blog. Blogs -- the term is short for Web lo...

A spate of mergers and good consumer demographics have the wireless industry poised for a strong 2005, with brokerage house Merrill Lynch the latest to weigh in with a more bullish outlook on the sector. From improved outlooks for subscriber growth to next-generation broadband and emerging markets s...

Web analytics isn't what it used to be. A new breed of tools and technologies has led to a rebirth of analytical hopefuls, and well-known brands are hopping on board. Omniture is the largest stand-alone Web analytics application service provider. The company grew more than 150 percent in 2004, with ...