E-Commerce Times
http://www.ecommercetimes.com
E-Commerce Times: the E-Business and Technology Super Siteen-usCopyright 20072008-09-08T02:31:17-07:00ECT News NetworkECT News NetworkE-Commerce Times: the E-Business and Technology Super Sitehourly12008-09-08T02:31:17-07:00E-Commerce Timeshttp://www.ecommercetimes.com/images/rss/ect_100x36.jpg
http://www.ecommercetimes.com
A Decade of Google
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64409.html
When Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google on Sept. 7, 1998, they had little more than their ingenuity, four computers and an investor's $100,000 bet on their belief that an Internet search engine could change the world. It sounded preposterous 10 years ago, but look now.Michael Liedtke2008-09-07T04:00:00-07:00Search
When Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google on Sept. 7, 1998, they had little more than their ingenuity, four computers and an investor's $100,000 bet on their belief that an Internet search engine could change the world. It sounded preposterous 10 years ago, but look now: Google draws upon a gargantuan computer network, nearly 20,000 employees and a $150 billion market value to redefine media, marketing and technology. Perhaps Google's biggest test in the next decade will be finding a way to pursue its seemingly boundless ambitions without triggering a backlash that derails the company.
]]>2008-09-07T04:00:00-07:002008-09-05T16:07:03-07:00Ford's Foray Into the New Auto Space Frontier
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64413.html
Ford Motor's newly created business unit to rapidly develop in-car technologies doesn't even have a name yet -- it's been using the working title "Connected Services" as other names are researched -- but there's been no lack of speed, or direction, on the new 40-person team.Sarah A. Webster2008-09-07T04:00:00-07:00Mobile Tech
Ford Motor's newly created business unit to rapidly develop in-car technologies doesn't even have a name yet -- it's been using the working title "Connected Services" as other names are researched -- but there's been no lack of speed, or direction, on the new 40-person team. The group, a compilation of Ford's most talented leaders in engineering, marketing and the like, already has filed for more than a dozen patents, said Doug VanDagens, director of the new group.
]]>2008-09-07T04:00:00-07:002008-09-07T14:30:03-07:00App Stores: Microsoft, Google Follow Apple
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64400.html
When Apple opened its iTunes App Store in July, the idea of a mass-market Web site that sells downloadable games, tools, and other applications for cell phones was a rarity. Handset owners could buy apps from their carriers or the occasional niche site. But these days, the app store concept is becoming commonplace.Olga Kharif2008-09-06T04:00:00-07:00Wireless
When Apple opened its iTunes App Store in July, the idea of a mass-market Web site that sells downloadable games, tools, and other applications for cell phones was a rarity. Handset owners could buy apps from their carriers or the occasional niche site. But these days, the app store concept is becoming commonplace. The question is, does the world need a warren of wireless app stores? In the coming six months, at least four would-be rivals of Apple will probably open their own online bazaars where developers of all stripes will sell downloadable software applications.
]]>2008-09-06T04:00:00-07:002008-09-06T06:34:47-07:00Wikis Within the Enterprise: Serious Collaboration
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64393.html
Wikis began as free, open, public spaces for anyone at all to contribute and share their knowledge, expertise, and wisdom. Businesses have begun to recognize, however, the power of the wiki model for accomplishing internal collaborative tasks, like revising HR documents, producing specifications, and communicating across time and space. Call it Wiki 2.0 -- and it's the newest thing in enterprise software.Vivian Wagner2008-09-06T04:00:00-07:00Wikis
Wikis began as free, open, public spaces for anyone at all to contribute and share their knowledge, expertise, and wisdom. Businesses have begun to recognize, however, the power of the wiki model for accomplishing internal collaborative tasks, like revising HR documents, producing specifications, and communicating across time and space. Call it Wiki 2.0 -- and it's the newest thing in enterprise software. "The wiki is a tool that groups can use as an extension of their workspace," wiki expert Stewart Mader.
]]>2008-09-06T04:00:00-07:002008-09-05T13:36:29-07:00Comcast Takes FCC Bull by Horns in Throttling Battle
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64401.html
Comcast has answered the Federal Communication Commission's order -- to not only cease its controversial network management practices, but also reveal them publicly -- with a legal maneuver of its own: The cable provider has asked the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to overturn the ruling.Erika Morphy2008-09-05T14:41:26-07:00Law
Comcast has answered the Federal Communication Commission's order -- to not only cease its controversial network management practices, but also reveal them publicly -- with a legal maneuver of its own: The cable provider has asked the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to overturn the ruling. Prior to this juncture, Comcast has been circumspect in its dealing with the FCC on this matter, unwilling to challenge its authority outright. Now, though, the battle lines have been drawn.
]]>2008-09-05T14:41:26-07:002008-09-05T14:42:08-07:00What's Up With the Ad About Nothing That Has Everyone Talking?
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64398.html
It's only fitting that Jerry Seinfeld's first Microsoft ad is -- well, about nothing. The 90-second spot, which debuted during Thursday night's NFL game, shows Seinfeld and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates meeting in a shopping mall shoe store. Seinfeld casually saunters in, munching on a churro, and gets into a conversation with Gates about shoe size and finding the proper fit.JR Raphael2008-09-05T11:28:01-07:00Television
It's only fitting that Jerry Seinfeld's first Microsoft ad is -- well, about nothing. The 90-second spot, which debuted during Thursday night's NFL game, shows Seinfeld and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates meeting in a shopping mall shoe store. Seinfeld casually saunters in, munching on a churro, and gets into a conversation with Gates about shoe size and finding the proper fit. Oh yeah, and also about the advantages of showering with your clothes on. The blogosphere's already buzzing with criticism and calls of failure for the heavily hyped ad.
]]>2008-09-05T11:28:01-07:002008-09-05T16:39:34-07:005 Burning Questions About E-Commerce Search Solutions
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64390.html
You can thank Google for raising your online customers' search expectations through the roof. The 900-lb. gorilla of Internet search delivers such quality results -- in just tenths of a second, as the results page tells you -- that online shoppers won't settle for anything less than blindingly fast search results from the e-commerce sites they visit.Shaun Ryan2008-09-05T04:00:00-07:00Search
You can thank Google for raising your online customers' search expectations through the roof. The 900-lb. gorilla of Internet search delivers such quality results -- in just tenths of a second, as the results page tells you -- that online shoppers won't settle for anything less than blindingly fast search results from the e-commerce sites they visit. You may be working hard at SEO and paid search listings to draw visitors to your site, but if your site search function falls apart when they get there, they'll waste no time in shopping elsewhere.
]]>2008-09-05T04:00:00-07:002008-09-06T05:34:08-07:00The New IT Cocktail: Technology With a Dash of Strategy
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64392.html
While some great leaps in efficiency and quality have been made over the past decade, contact centers are still in the early stages of evolution. Without question, the explosion in Internet-based transactions in recent years has raised the bar on customer service and significantly impacted the way companies operate.Paul Segre2008-09-05T04:00:00-07:00Strategy
Many contact centers continue to operate at suboptimal levels. Case in point: One financial services company has managed to turn "press zero to talk to a human" into not just a selling point but a major advertising campaign. While some great leaps in efficiency and quality have been made over the past decade, contact centers are still in the early stages of evolution. Without question, the explosion in Internet-based transactions in recent years has raised the bar on customer service and significantly impacted the way companies operate.
]]>2008-09-05T04:00:00-07:002008-09-04T15:57:58-07:00Viewers Stampede to Online TV
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64399.html
In the last two years, American households that use the Internet have doubled their online television viewing. Now, nearly 20 percent use the Internet to watch television broadcasts online, and no, it's not all on YouTube. Based on a survey of 10,000 households, The Conference Board and TNS report that 72 percent of online households have family members who log on for entertainment purposes on a daily basis.Chris Maxcer2008-09-05T13:26:56-07:00Media Convergence
In the last two years, American households that use the Internet have doubled their online television viewing. Now, nearly 20 percent use the Internet to watch television broadcasts online, and no, it's not all on YouTube. Based on a survey of 10,000 households, The Conference Board and TNS report that 72 percent of online households have family members who log on for entertainment purposes on a daily basis -- but they're also logging on from multiple locations. Nearly 90 percent watch online broadcasts at home, 15 percent watch at work, and 6 percent watch from other locations.
]]>2008-09-05T13:26:56-07:002008-09-05T20:05:16-07:00Can Web 2.0 Survive the Cancer of Comment Trolls?
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64388.html
I can hear the complaints already: If you read one more geeky media type going on about how Web 2.0 is helping transform the news from a lecture into a conversation, you'll fire off an angry e-mail or toxic, troll-worthy comment accusing me of trafficking in trendy new media cliches.Renay San Miguel2008-09-05T04:00:00-07:00Tech Buzz
I can hear the complaints already: If you read one more geeky media type going on about how Web 2.0 is helping transform the news from a lecture into a conversation, you'll fire off an angry e-mail or toxic, troll-worthy comment accusing me of trafficking in trendy new media cliches. If you do, then I thank you for helping to illustrate the point of today's column. Comments on journalism, media and political news Web sites from readers or news viewers are indeed allowing for instant, richer feedback.
]]>2008-09-05T04:00:00-07:002008-09-05T08:55:42-07:00Red Hat Makes $107M Virtualization Bet
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64395.html
Software developer Red Hat bought an Israeli company in a bid to gain a competitive edge against Microsoft and smaller rivals that provide computing services for complex networks. Raleigh, N.C.-based Red Hat said Thursday that it paid $107 million in cash for privately held Qumranet, which sells software that helps computer systems run multiple programs more efficiently on less equipment.John Murawski2008-09-05T09:22:27-07:00Business
Software developer Red Hat bought an Israeli company in a bid to gain a competitive edge against Microsoft and smaller rivals that provide computing services for complex networks. Raleigh, N.C.-based Red Hat said Thursday that it paid $107 million in cash for privately held Qumranet, which sells software that helps computer systems run multiple programs more efficiently on less equipment. The acquisition continues Red Hat's David vs. Goliath narrative of chipping away at Microsoft's global dominance gained through its proprietary Windows operating system.
]]>2008-09-05T09:22:27-07:002008-09-05T09:22:18-07:00Samsung Sets Sights on SanDisk
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64396.html
Samsung Electronics is pursuing an acquisition of U.S. computer memory card maker SanDisk, a South Korean online business newspaper reported Friday. Both Samsung and SanDisk declined to confirm or deny the report. However, SanDisk's shares climbed more than 26 percent in morning trading Friday.2008-09-05T09:33:04-07:00Deals
Samsung Electronics is pursuing an acquisition of U.S. computer memory card maker SanDisk, a South Korean online business newspaper reported Friday. Both Samsung and SanDisk declined to confirm or deny the report. However, SanDisk's shares climbed more than 26 percent in morning trading Friday. "We are considering various opportunities regarding SanDisk but nothing has been decided," Samsung spokesperson James Chung said. He did not elaborate.
]]>2008-09-05T09:33:04-07:002008-09-05T09:34:18-07:00Michael Moore Preaches to Choir Online for Free
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64394.html
Inspired by Neil Young and Radiohead, Michael Moore will release his new film online and for free. The film, "Slacker Uprising," follows Moore's 62-city tour during the 2004 election to rally young voters. It will be available for three weeks as a free download to North American residents, beginning Sept. 23.Jake Coyle2008-09-05T09:24:07-07:00Media Convergence
Inspired by Neil Young and Radiohead, Michael Moore will release his new film online and for free. The film, "Slacker Uprising," follows Moore's 62-city tour during the 2004 election to rally young voters. It will be available for three weeks as a free download to North American residents, beginning Sept. 23. An official announcement of the film is planned for Friday. Moore said he considered releasing "Slacker Uprising" theatrically as "Michael Moore's big election year movie" as he did with 2004's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which was highly critical of President Bush.
]]>2008-09-05T09:24:07-07:002008-09-05T09:25:03-07:00
When Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google on Sept. 7, 1998, they had little more than their ingenuity, four computers and an investor's $100,000 bet on their belief that an Internet search engine could change the world. It sounded preposterous 10 years ago, but look now: Google draws upon a gargantuan computer network, nearly 20,000 employees and a $150 billion market value to redefine media, marketing and technology. Perhaps Google's biggest test in the next decade will be finding a way to pursue its seemingly boundless ambitions without triggering a backlash that derails the company.
]]>
Ford Motor's newly created business unit to rapidly develop in-car technologies doesn't even have a name yet -- it's been using the working title "Connected Services" as other names are researched -- but there's been no lack of speed, or direction, on the new 40-person team. The group, a compilation of Ford's most talented leaders in engineering, marketing and the like, already has filed for more than a dozen patents, said Doug VanDagens, director of the new group.
]]>
When Apple opened its iTunes App Store in July, the idea of a mass-market Web site that sells downloadable games, tools, and other applications for cell phones was a rarity. Handset owners could buy apps from their carriers or the occasional niche site. But these days, the app store concept is becoming commonplace. The question is, does the world need a warren of wireless app stores? In the coming six months, at least four would-be rivals of Apple will probably open their own online bazaars where developers of all stripes will sell downloadable software applications.
]]>
Wikis began as free, open, public spaces for anyone at all to contribute and share their knowledge, expertise, and wisdom. Businesses have begun to recognize, however, the power of the wiki model for accomplishing internal collaborative tasks, like revising HR documents, producing specifications, and communicating across time and space. Call it Wiki 2.0 -- and it's the newest thing in enterprise software. "The wiki is a tool that groups can use as an extension of their workspace," wiki expert Stewart Mader.
]]>
Comcast has answered the Federal Communication Commission's order -- to not only cease its controversial network management practices, but also reveal them publicly -- with a legal maneuver of its own: The cable provider has asked the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to overturn the ruling. Prior to this juncture, Comcast has been circumspect in its dealing with the FCC on this matter, unwilling to challenge its authority outright. Now, though, the battle lines have been drawn.
]]>
It's only fitting that Jerry Seinfeld's first Microsoft ad is -- well, about nothing. The 90-second spot, which debuted during Thursday night's NFL game, shows Seinfeld and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates meeting in a shopping mall shoe store. Seinfeld casually saunters in, munching on a churro, and gets into a conversation with Gates about shoe size and finding the proper fit. Oh yeah, and also about the advantages of showering with your clothes on. The blogosphere's already buzzing with criticism and calls of failure for the heavily hyped ad.
]]>
You can thank Google for raising your online customers' search expectations through the roof. The 900-lb. gorilla of Internet search delivers such quality results -- in just tenths of a second, as the results page tells you -- that online shoppers won't settle for anything less than blindingly fast search results from the e-commerce sites they visit. You may be working hard at SEO and paid search listings to draw visitors to your site, but if your site search function falls apart when they get there, they'll waste no time in shopping elsewhere.
]]>
Many contact centers continue to operate at suboptimal levels. Case in point: One financial services company has managed to turn "press zero to talk to a human" into not just a selling point but a major advertising campaign. While some great leaps in efficiency and quality have been made over the past decade, contact centers are still in the early stages of evolution. Without question, the explosion in Internet-based transactions in recent years has raised the bar on customer service and significantly impacted the way companies operate.
]]>
In the last two years, American households that use the Internet have doubled their online television viewing. Now, nearly 20 percent use the Internet to watch television broadcasts online, and no, it's not all on YouTube. Based on a survey of 10,000 households, The Conference Board and TNS report that 72 percent of online households have family members who log on for entertainment purposes on a daily basis -- but they're also logging on from multiple locations. Nearly 90 percent watch online broadcasts at home, 15 percent watch at work, and 6 percent watch from other locations.
]]>
I can hear the complaints already: If you read one more geeky media type going on about how Web 2.0 is helping transform the news from a lecture into a conversation, you'll fire off an angry e-mail or toxic, troll-worthy comment accusing me of trafficking in trendy new media cliches. If you do, then I thank you for helping to illustrate the point of today's column. Comments on journalism, media and political news Web sites from readers or news viewers are indeed allowing for instant, richer feedback.
]]>
Software developer Red Hat bought an Israeli company in a bid to gain a competitive edge against Microsoft and smaller rivals that provide computing services for complex networks. Raleigh, N.C.-based Red Hat said Thursday that it paid $107 million in cash for privately held Qumranet, which sells software that helps computer systems run multiple programs more efficiently on less equipment. The acquisition continues Red Hat's David vs. Goliath narrative of chipping away at Microsoft's global dominance gained through its proprietary Windows operating system.
]]>
Samsung Electronics is pursuing an acquisition of U.S. computer memory card maker SanDisk, a South Korean online business newspaper reported Friday. Both Samsung and SanDisk declined to confirm or deny the report. However, SanDisk's shares climbed more than 26 percent in morning trading Friday. "We are considering various opportunities regarding SanDisk but nothing has been decided," Samsung spokesperson James Chung said. He did not elaborate.
]]>
Inspired by Neil Young and Radiohead, Michael Moore will release his new film online and for free. The film, "Slacker Uprising," follows Moore's 62-city tour during the 2004 election to rally young voters. It will be available for three weeks as a free download to North American residents, beginning Sept. 23. An official announcement of the film is planned for Friday. Moore said he considered releasing "Slacker Uprising" theatrically as "Michael Moore's big election year movie" as he did with 2004's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which was highly critical of President Bush.
]]>