Stories by Todd R. Weiss

Changes proposed in domain name registration contract

Under a proposal between the group responsible for managing the Internet's domain naming system and VeriSign Inc., which administers the process under contract, amendments could be coming that will change some of VeriSign's responsibilities.

Domain-name registration gets 64 more languages

Three months after VeriSign Global Registry Services (GRS) began registering Web site addresses in four languages other than English as part of a test process, the company has added 64 new site registration languages to directly bring the Internet to a larger number of native speakers around the globe.

Linux vendors consolidating, cutting back

Consolidation and cutback moves by Linux vendors accelerated last week, highlighted by VA Linux Systems Inc.'s disclosure of increased losses, a 25 percent workforce reduction and key management changes.

US Defense Department plans 512-processor Linux cluster

The US Department of Defense (DOD) Friday said it plans within the next few months to install a 512-processor Linux cluster that's supposed to be able to process 478 billion calculations per second at a computing facility in Hawaii for use in applications such as tracking and fighting wildfires across the country.

Lucent gets $6.5 billion in new credit lines

Lucent Technologies, which is struggling to recover from massive losses and internal cutbacks, Friday announced that it has lined up US$4.5 billion in new credit lines and secured another $2 billion in available financing to replace an existing credit agreement.

Linux vendors consolidating, cutting back

Consolidation and cutback moves by Linux vendors accelerated this week, highlighted by VA Linux Systems Inc.'s disclosure yesterday of increased losses, a 25 percent workforce reduction and a new president and chief operating officer.

Kmart to spend $270 million on new technology

Kmart Corp. Friday announced plans to spend US$270 million to install new point-of-sale terminals and mobile computing technology in its retail stores as part of a two-year IT overhaul effort the company detailed last summer.

Microsoft to expand access to source code

Microsoft Corp. is preparing to announce a limited expansion of its Windows source-code sharing program that could pave the way for "potentially hundreds" of new customers, including some corporate users, to gain access to the code, a company official said.

Dell closes online marketplace after four months

Analysts said Dell Computer Corp.'s sudden shutdown of a business-to-business exchange it launched with great fanfare just four months ago provides more evidence that companies need to be sure of what they're doing before they dive headlong into new Internet-based business strategies.

IBM, Canadian research firm team up on Linux/Unix cluster

Continuing a string of announcements related to the development of high-performance Linux systems, IBM Corp. Tuesday said it's building a server cluster that will combine the open-source operating system with Unix for use by a Canadian firm doing advanced medical research work.

Shell Building Linux Supercomputer with IBM

The oil exploration unit of Royal Dutch Shell Group Inc. yesterday said it's working with IBM Corp. to build a massive Linux-based supercomputer that will link together 1,024 servers running the open-source operating system.

Unisys to cut 2000 jobs

Unisys said two months ago that job reductions and other corporate changes were in the works because of declining revenue and profits. Now the axe has fallen.

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