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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. The two giants will target small and mid-size enterprises that want to take...

As more companies pursue ever-scarcer revenues in this slow economy, they are putting more emphasis on getting the word out about their presence. And although the Internet is not the only marketing channel a business should examine, it definitely should be part of the plan. "The Internet makes up a ...

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 $3,499 and $2,399, respectively -- will r...

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. "If it's relevant, timely and from a trusted source, consumers will be glad to receive a ...

Aiming to parlay its soaring popularity as a search engine 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. Merchants need not pay to be listed on Froogle. The beta version refers shoppers to merc...

Made official last month by President Bush, the Department of Homeland Security consolidates 22 agencies, employing a total of 170,000 federal employees, under a single virtual roof. The question on many IT executives' minds is: What can my company gain from this reorganization? The department's 200...

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. Ann Livermore, execut...

The information technology industry is emerging from what many are calling the worst downturn in the sector's history. In an effort to weather the storm, high-tech companies have cut prices and even introduced special financing deals to help move inventory and generate revenue. But when the purse st...

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 lawsuits mark 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 li...

Online sales continue to impress as the holiday season enters its home stretch, according to two new reports. ComScore/Media Metrix said consumers spent $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 ove...

Each year, a different shining jewel helps define holiday e-commerce. Two years ago, it was PlayStation2. 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 of holiday 2002? It may be too early to tell, but...

The world's most-trafficked Web site has announced it will begin offering Web hosting packages aimed at small businesses. For between $11.95 and $39.95 per month, small businesses will receive 10 to 35 e-mail accounts, 50 to 350 megabytes of storage and 20 to 35 gigabytes of data transfer. "We see 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 ...

IBM has struck a deal to buy Rational Software for $2.1 billion, continuing a lengthy acquisition spree that has focused on the software industry in recent months. Rational makes development tools that are used to customize software running a host of devices, ranging from mobile phones and routers t...