Stories by Ellen Messmer

British Firm Invades U.S. with E-Commerce Suite

British company Infobank Inc. has set up its U.S. office here and by the end of next month plans to release a version of its business-to-business e-commerce software that company executives claim will be a bargain at a half-million dollars.

Visa, MasterCard Plan Anti-Fraud Initiatives

Visa International Inc. and MasterCard International Inc. have separately drafted new plans to wage war against online credit-card fraud, a costly burden for merchants who get fooled into accepting phony card numbers over the Web.

Petrochem B2B Exchange Wins Regulatory Approval

Trade-Ranger, a business-to-business (B2B) marketplace formed last April by 14 oil refiners and Mitsubishi Corp., has won government approvals, allowing it to start processing transactions next month.

CA Ships Long-Awaited Neugents

For years Computer Associates International Inc. touted Neugents, software that can search through data sources to find patterns of activity and predict outcomes.

Symantec to Acquire Axent in $975 Million Deal

In a merger that will have a strong impact in the security arena, Symantec Corp. Thursday announced its intent to purchase Axent Technologies Inc. in a stock-swap-based transaction valued at US$975 million.

Web Having Huge Impact on Call Centers

The traditional 800-number call center, a bustling place where customer service representatives handle inquiries as fast as possible over the phone, is adapting to the demands of doing business on the Web.

Schools Master Online Exchanges

Business is warming to the idea of using online buying exchanges to make purchases, and the same is true for schools, even the K-12 school systems not commonly on the cutting edge of network trends.

Patently Unfair?

Does anybody own the Web and e-commerce? A growing number of companies and individuals say they do, claiming patent rights to such things as hyperlinks, online auction procedures and even Web-based access to databases.

Vendors Provide Intranet Security, Privacy

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. and Secure Computing Corp. next week are proposing separate means to let trading partners gain restricted access to corporate intranet applications.

Altitude Software Ready to Fly with CRM Package

Altitude Software, whose customer relationship management products are found mainly in European call centers, is making a push into Web-based CRM with an eye toward wooing U.S e-commerce customers.

SmarterKids.com Prepares Network for Christmas

Christmas in July? That's the way it is around online educational toy store SmarterKids. com, which is retooling its supply-chain management process and bulking its network to prepare for the holiday shopping season.

Lessons from an Asian B2B exchange

While dozens of brand-new business-to-business exchanges are eager to grab the spotlight, an older service provider used by high-tech manufacturers active in Asia offers a telling lesson on the advantages and drawbacks of online supply chains.

Banks Turn to Web for Check Processing

In a first for the banking industry, the Chicago Clearing House Association and its eight member banks this week will begin Web-based processing of check adjustments, departing from the paper-based process they've had for 135 years.

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