EDP Weekly's IT Monitor articles from November 1999

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor archives from November 1999

MICROSOFT WILL SOON OPEN 'STORE-WITHIN-A-STORE' AT UP TO 7,000 RADIO SHACKS: Companies Form Five-Year Alliance To Sell MSN Web-Access, Other Products To Consumers.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 15, 1999... Under a five-year agreement announced late last week between Microsoft Corp. and Radio Shack, the two companies will establish a Microsoft "store within a store" in as many as 7,000 RadioShack locations across the US. Customers will be able to...

Agranat Awarded US Patent For Embedded Web Server.(EmWeb)(Company Business and Marketing)
November 15, 1999... Agranat Systems Inc. of Maynard, Mass., received a patent on Oct. 26 for its "EmWeb" embedded Web server technology which enables microprocessor-based devices to be accessed, configured and managed by any Web browser. EmWeb is used to...

MAXTOR CORP. ANNOUNCES 7200 RPM, 40.9 GIGABYTE IDE HARD DISK DRIVE: New DiamondMax Plus 40 Well Suited For Server And Entry-Level RAID Applications.(Product Announcement)
November 15, 1999... Milpitas, Calif.-based Maxtor Corp. rolled out its new high performance DiamondMax Plus 40 hard drives last week. With 7200 RPM spin speeds and other performance features, Maxtor says the new IDE drives provide the performance required for...

ORACLE CORP. OUT WITH COMPREHENSIVE XML DEVELOPER KIT AND SUPPORT PROGRAM: Oracle One Of 1st To Offer Supported Kit For Developing XML- Enabled Applications.(Product Announcement)
November 15, 1999... Oracle Corp. has announced immediate availability of the beta version of Oracle XML Developer's Kit -- bundled components, tools and utilities for building and deploying XML-enabled applications to create and maintain e-business marketplaces....

MARKET RESEARCH.(Industry Trend or Event)
November 15, 1999... Majority Of US Internet Users Say They Want Personalized Information A new survey from Privacy & American Business, a non-partisan think tank, indicates a majority of US Internet users want information tailored to their needs, and are...

USING STACKING TECHNOLOGY, SILICONTECH BUILDS 320 MEGABYTE COMPACT FLASH CARD.(Product Announcement)
November 15, 1999... Memory designer and maker SiliconTech Inc. last week announced its 320MB Type II CompactFlash card, the highest capacity available in this form factor. SiliconTech also says it reached its high capacity while maintaining its industry leading...

TIBCO Software Acquires Xerox Corp. Subsidiary InConcert.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 15, 1999... TIBCO Software Inc., a Palo Alto, Calif., provider of real-time infrastructure software for the Internet and enterprise, has completed its purchase of InConcert Inc., a subsidiary of Xerox Corp. and a developer of software solutions for telecom...

WEB AUDIT REVEALS NUMEROUS ERRORS ON FORTUNE 100 WEB SITES.(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)
November 15, 1999... Despite spending up to $20 million to establish a truly differentiated Web presence, Fortune 100 Web sites are surprisingly dysfunctional, according to an extensive Web audit conducted by ParaSoft Corp., a Monrovia, Calif., provider of software...

VERIO, CONCENTRIC, OTHERS TO OFFER OFFICE 2000 APPLICATIONS FOR RENT OVER THE INTERNET: Seven Firms Plan To Participate In New Microsoft 'Office Online' Pilot Program.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 15, 1999... Verio Inc., the Englewood, Colo., operator of Web sites for businesses and a leading provider of Internet services, is one of at least seven high-tech firms expected to participate in a new pilot program spearheaded by Microsoft Corp. that will...

Ideation Software Improves Safety, Reliability Of Products, Processes.(Anticipatory Failure Determination System Software Version 2.2)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 15, 1999... Ideation International of Southfield, Mich., has released a new version of its software used for developing safer products, processes and technologies. The tool is based on Anticipatory Failure Determination (AFD), an advanced application of...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 15, 1999... John Grifonetti was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Datek Online Holdings Corp. Grifonetti succeeds Edward Nicoll, who recently was named Chairman and CEO. Grifonetti joined the company as CFO in December 1997. Prior to that...

INFOBANK ACQUIRES OUTSTANDING INTEREST IN EAI SOFTWARE MAKER ELLIOT PEARCE LIMITED UK: Weighs Option To Buy NY-Based E-Commerce Consultancy EPL US.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 15, 1999... Infobank International Holdings PLC is acquiring the outstanding 75 percent interest it does not own in Elliott Pearce Limited (EPL UK), a London-based maker of business to business e-commerce Enterprise Application Integration ("EAI")...

COMPAQ CLAIMS NEW ALPHA SERVERS OUT PERFORM THOSE BY SUN, IBM, HP.(Product Announcement)
November 15, 1999... Compaq Computer Corp. announced significant processor enhancements to its high-end AlphaServer GS60, GS60E, and GS140 systems late last week. The AlphaServer offerings are based on technology Compaq acquired along with its buy of Digital...

CASH TECHNOLOGIES, MP3.COM, SENSAR SET TO BEGIN INTERNET ATM CARD PURCHASE PILOT.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 22, 1999... Security Provided By Tiny Camera Attached To PC Which Captures Image Of User's Iris Cash Technologies Inc. has reached agreements with popular online digital music destination MP3.com Inc., and Sensar Inc., a leading manufacturer of iris...

Spurred By "Bluetooth," Intel To Open Wireless Communications Center in Sweden.(Company Operations)(Brief Article)
November 22, 1999... Intel Corp. said last week it will open a Wireless Competence Center in Sweden's capital city of Stockholm to develop a new generation of standards-based technologies and products, providing business users and consumers with wireless...

REALESTATE.COM, LYCOS NETWORK ANNOUNCE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR BROAD-BASED ALLIANCE.(RealEstate.com to provideLycos with real-estate content)(Company Business and Marketing)
November 22, 1999... RealEstate.com To Add Interactive Tools To Lycos Real Estate Web Guide Online real estate information and services firm RealEstate.com late last week announced a two-year strategic agreement with popular Internet portal Lycos Inc. to...

POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE WILL BE COSTLY TO ONLINE RETAILERS THIS CHRISTMAS.(Industry Trend or Event)
November 22, 1999... Datamonitor Says It Will Cost Online Retailers $3.2 Billion Over Holidays Businesses lost $1.6 billion online last year by failing to Web-enable their customer service operations, according to a new research report by IT market analysis...

ZIFF-DAVIS TO SELL ZDTV INTEREST TO VULCAN VENTURES FOR $204.8 MILLION.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 22, 1999... Big IT publishing firm Ziff-Davis Inc. has agreed to sell its 64 percent interest in ZDTV to Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures Inc. investment organization for $204.8 million. The transaction is expected to be completed within 45 days. The...

MARKET RESEARCH.(Internet seen as ally for channel partners)(Industry Trend or Event)
November 22, 1999... The Internet Is Channel Partners' Friend, IDC Report Insists Despite many predictions to the contrary, the Internet will work as a "powerful ally rather than a decimating nemesis" for channel partners, predicts IT market watcher...

KEANE, IBM TEAM UP TO PROVIDE SYSTEMS INTEGRATION SERVICES UTILIZING SANFRANCISCO COMPONENTS.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 22, 1999... IT consulting firm Keane Inc. of Boston, Mass., and IBM Corp. have announced a strategic partnership for delivering systems integration services utilizing SanFrancisco, a Java-based set of components developed by IBM that allow developers to...

PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS WITH ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS NEEDED IN E-COMMERCE.(Industry Trend or Event)
November 22, 1999... As e-commerce continues its explosive growth, web-based businesses will be looking more and more to professional managers for sustained growth and profitability. But what kind of managers will they need? According to Michael Zinn,...

Inexpensive Device Turns e-Books Into Braille Readers.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 22, 1999... Engineers at the federal government's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a low-cost device that can easily transform the text of e-books into Braille. Researchers developed the prototype as a low-cost...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 22, 1999... OnDisplay Inc., a San Ramon, Calif., provider of software for powering e-business portals, appointed former GE executive Venkat Mohan President and COO. While at General Electric Information Services (GEIS) Inc., Mohan was vice president of...

EZGOV.COM LAUNCHES BIG GOVT. PORTAL; KEMP, CUOMO JOIN BOARD OF DIRECTORS.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 22, 1999... ezgov.com launched an online portal last week that is the first to provide citizens in every state with a direct online link to their federal, state, and local governments. Citizens and businesses across the country can pay parking and...

Comptek Research Acquires Phase Two's Military Signal Processing Assets.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 22, 1999... Buffalo, N.Y.-based electronics and data/comm systems provider Comptek Research Inc. has acquired software development tools, test equipment, and other assets of Phase Two Industries Inc., a privately-held Santa Clara, Calif., firm specializing...

INTRANETS, SECURITY SYSTEMS CAN HELP GOVERNMENTS WITH CRISIS RESOLUTION, NEGOTIATING.(Government Activity)
November 22, 1999... Intranet technology and developing security systems are offering the potential to assist heads of government, foreign ministers and diplomats in dealing with crisis resolution and multilateral negotiations, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former United...

VISIO, BEYOND.COM, INTELLISYS LAND BIG SOFTWARE CONTRACT WITH INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 22, 1999... Visio Corp. and partners Beyond.com and Intellisys Technology Corp. (ITC) have just landed a contract with the Internal Revenue Service, which will license 87,000 IRS employees to use Visio 2000 Standard, Professional and Technical editions....

AOL, INTUIT TEAM UP TO CREATE ONLINE HOUSEHOLD BILL PAYMENT SERVICE.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 29, 1999... Powered By Quicken, New Service Provides Simple Way To Pay Electronic, Hard Copy Bills Online Leading online service America Online Inc. and Quicken maker Intuit Inc. are joining forces to offer AOL customers an online service for managing...

Defense Dept. Considers Banning JavaScript From Military Web Sites.(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
November 29, 1999... The US Dept. of Defense (DOD) is considering banning all JavaScript and other mobile code from military Web sites because the tools could pose a security risk to its computer systems. According to a report in online newspaper Inter@ctive Week,...

FUJITSU, TIVOLI ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE GLOBAL STORAGE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS.(Tivoli Systems)(Company Business and Marketing)
November 29, 1999... Fujitsu Will Bundle Tivoli Management Agent With Storage Systems Under 4-Part Pact Fujitsu Limited of Japan and IBM-owned Tivoli Systems Inc. last week announced an agreement to provide customers worldwide with comprehensive management of...

HYUNDAI ANNOUNCES FIRST SHIPMENTS OF DOUBLE DATA RATE (DDR) SYNCHRONOUS DRAM.(Company Operations)
November 29, 1999... Hyundai of Korea last week launched its 64Mb Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM into full volume production. Already, initial shipments of DDR are finding their way into high-end graphics cards. DDR will also launch into numerous other applications...

COMPAQ INTROS LIGHTWEIGHT, FEATURE RICH PROSIGNIA POWERED BY PENTIUM III, II.(Prosignia Notebook 170)
November 29, 1999... Houston-based PC maker Compaq Computer Corp. said last week it will begin shipping its Prosignia Notebook 170 in December. The new feature-rich notebook received the Computer Reseller News Recommended Award earlier this month during Fall...

MARKET RESEARCH.(survey commissioned by CyberSource)(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)
November 29, 1999... Internet Fraud A Growing Concern For Most Online Merchants Seventy-five percent of online merchants consider credit card fraud to be a concern, yet 41 percent do not know they are held financially liable when online fraud takes place, finds...

eMachines Wins PC Computing Award For Best Low-Cost Desktop.(eMachines Inc.'s eTower 400i3 PC)(Product Information)(Brief Article)
November 29, 1999... eMachines Inc.'s eTower 400i3 PC received PC Computing Magazine's 11th annual MVP Award for the best low-cost desktop PC. eMachines won this year's award over finalists Compaq and Gateway. According to PC Computing, "...eMachines'...

INTERNET TAX PLANS COULD SHRINK E-COMMERCE MARKET BY 24 PERCENT.(Americans for Tax Reform)(Internet/Web/Online Service Information)
November 29, 1999... Citing a study by the University of Chicago and National Bureau of Economic Research, a group called Americans for Tax Reform warns that new schemes to impose sales tax collection to e-commerce could cause the market to shrink significantly,...

BUYING XEN CORP., CACI CITES SYNERGIES IN CYBER SECURITY AND ELECTRONIC COMMERCE.(CACI International Inc)(Company Business and Marketing)
November 29, 1999... CACI International Inc., which earlier this month sold off its COMNET software unit for $40 million (see EDP Weekly -- IT Monitor, Nov. 8, pg. 7), is buying XEN Corp., a privately-held company headquartered in Fairfax, Va., with other offices...

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE.(News Briefs)
November 29, 1999... Timothy Fleming was named Chief Technology Officer at HomeGain.com, a home seller Web site created to match consumers with real estate agents. Fleming comes to HomeGain.com from E-TRADE, where he was vice president of Product Development, and...

LARGEST-EVER SCALABLE LINUX TEST BED FOR OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT DEBUTS.(The US Dept. of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory is working with IBM Corp and VA Linux Systems)
November 29, 1999... 512-CPU Linux Cluster Built By Argonne Lab With Help From VA Linux, IBM Corp. The US Dept. of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory is working with IBM Corp. and VA Linux Systems to build "Chiba City" -- the largest supercomputing cluster...

AMERICA ONLINE AGREES TO LICENSE MICROSOFT DIRECTX MULTIMEDIA API.(Company Business and Marketing)
November 29, 1999... Microsoft Corp. announced a licensing agreement with America Online Inc. last week for Microsoft's DirectX multimedia API components. The "nonexclusive distribution agreement" enables AOL to give its users the ability to run games and...

NEW 'COTS' SOLUTION CENTER AMS' FIRST R&D FACILITY TO FOCUS ON DEPT. OF DEFENSE.(American Management Systems)(Company Operations)
November 29, 1999... Fairfax, Va.-based American Management Systems (AMS) has just opened a new research center designed specifically to address the enterprise solutions needs of big information technology buyer the US Dept. of Defense (DOD). Put together by AMS'...

ISP CHARGED WITH INTERCEPTING CUSTOMER EMAIL, POSSESSING UNAUTHORIZED PASSWORD FILES.(ALIBRIS)(Company Business and Marketing)
November 29, 1999... An Internet bookseller which also operated an Internet communications service was charged in federal court last week with intercepting electronic communications and the unauthorized possession of password files. A criminal "Information"...

IPIX TECHNOLOGY LETS JUDGES, DESIGNERS TAKE VIRTUAL TOURS OF FEDERAL COURTHOUSES.(Interactive Pictures Corp)(Government Activity)
November 29, 1999... Interactive Pictures Corp., a provider of immersive imaging for the Internet, has been chosen by the US General Services Administration (GSA) to provide navigable photographs of federal courthouses around the US using its IPIX virtual tour...