eWEEK EDITORS

Software maker Blue Martini Software, Microsoft, color company Pantone and data network QRS plan to announce this week that they will develop the National Retail Federations Product Attribute System — a kind of dictionary of consumer goods descriptions. The problem is simple: While the Internet has paved the way for information to flow freely within […]

I really meant to winterize my Colorado home by Thanksgiving, but I was having too much fun writing about all the exciting tidings in our industry and winning several pool tournaments. Then I got my December utility bill, which was 50 percent higher than the previous month. I didnt walk, but ran to the hardware […]

Many kiosks dont do much to attract customers, boost marketing or raise sales, but examples of successful kiosks are emerging, according to Francie Mendelsohn. Her firm, Summit Research Associates, studies kiosks. Some of the best examples are in Europe, Mendelsohn says. Take Oscar, a kiosk found in Prague. It doesnt sell anything by itself. Oscars […]

In Indiana, where good-ole-boy, bare-knuckled politics are the rule, Ameritech is hiring well-connected players to carry its message to state lawmakers. Jon OBannon, son of Governor Frank OBannon, was brought on board in May to join a team of external affairs directors who lobby Indiana state legislators. His targets included the powerful chair of the […]

In the back of the Sephora store in Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Md., stands a kiosk. The plain, white machine clashes with the European beauty supply stores dramatic black décor — which may be why its shoved to the rear, and turned sideways. It draws on the power of the Internet, but offers only marginally […]

Where the Customers Are Like many Internet businesses, ASPs got ahead of themselves in estimating their markets, says Agiliti Chief Executive Tom Kieffer. “We assumed that things like messaging, storage and basic business services were the table stakes, but at this point, they are the game,” says Kieffer, who spent last year trying to sell […]

The dismal news at the Ground Zero conference last month was that Chemdex, a pioneering digital exchange, would be scuttled. It was shocking news at an event that had become a lovefest for the business-to-business industry. Yet it was also a fitting culmination to a year that had seen the entire Net marketplace industry shattered. […]

Petro Not PetroNet, a company with ambitious plans for a 13,500-mile optical network, suspended operations last week after failing to secure a second round of financing. PetroNet is an apparent casualty of the tightening of venture-capital purse strings and the fact that companies that dont have existing relationships with manufacturers typically have to wait more […]

To bolster its web content management offerings, Merant plc. last week inked a deal to acquire the enterprise division of NetObjects Inc. for $18 million in cash. Merant previously focused on change management software and application code management. The deal will expand the companys capabilities to include Web content management, enabling Merant to provide customers […]

The latest research shows that most cable customers are “very” OR “somewhat” receptive to interactive television features. And thats before theyve even seen the “e-cliner” — a La-Z-Boy recliner designed for Web-enabled TV. The reclining armchair comes with a built-in keyboard, a Sony receiver for Microsofts WebTV Networks and two free months of the interactive […]