Mel Duvall

The computer services industry has been one of the few bright spots in the technology sector in 2001, powered along by long-term contracts and a growing trend toward outsourcing. But the industry itself has changed from a year ago. So-called Internet consultants, which focused on Web site development and business-to-consumer e-commerce projects, were hit hard […]

Companies involved in technology outsourcing are weathering the economic storm better than most – and in some cases, theyre even thriving in the downturn. Corporations such as Electronic Data Systems, IBM and Keane that have large outsourcing and consulting organizations were able to perform much better than the overall technology sector in the last quarter, […]

Revenues fell by more than 50 percent at electronic commerce software maker Ariba in its fiscal fourth quarter, but the company took some comfort in its ability to wrestle expenses under control. The Sunnyvale, Calif. company reported Wednesday that revenues fell to $62.7 million in the quarter ended Sept. 30, from $134.8 million for the […]

These days, its not easy to tell if the glass is half full or half empty in the application service provider industry. Research firm IDC came out with what should have been a cause to pop the champagne corks earlier this month, when it reported that a study of 50 ASP implementations showed an average […]

The software industry is staggering in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and the sputtering economy, third-quarter earnings reports reveal. With few exceptions, software vendors said companies are delaying or canceling new application deployments, or putting off expansions. They now believe the effects will be felt well into 2002 and, consequently, many have announced […]

Business intelligence software vendors are quickly aligning themselves with major application developers, as it becomes apparent that companies want analytics to be an integral part of any new deployment. Business Objects will announce this week that its software will be embedded in the suite of applications offered by supply chain vendor i2 Technologies. Information Builders […]

Software stalwart Siebel Systems could not avoid the impact of the current market turmoil, suffering a worse-than-expected plunge in its third-quarter net income. San Mateo, Calif.-based Siebel said on Wednesday, Oct. 17, that revenue from software license fees plummeted 38 percent in the quarter, as companies delayed or cancelled spending on customer relationship management projects. […]

Companies that have implemented hosted business software from application service providers have been experiencing eye-popping returns on their investment, a study by research firm IDC has shown. The study, one of the first detailed looks at ROI for the emerging sector, is bound to give the industry a much- needed shot in the arm. But […]

For most of the last decade, I-managers have fought an ongoing battle to recruit and keep talented technology workers. With the business revolution brought on by the emergence of the Internet, IT workers were able to dictate terms to potential employers, demanding and receiving double-digit salary increases, stock options, signing bonuses and various other perks. […]

USinternetworking has received a $100 million round of investments, which the company hopes will put an end to questions in the marketplace about its financial viability. With dozens of application service providers (ASPs) going under this year, USi said it has been hurt by concerns about its own financial status. USi CEO Andrew Stern said […]