Stories by Ellen Messmer

Ironside Upgrades E-Commerce Gateway

Ironside Technologies Inc. next month will ship an updated version of its Java-based IronWorks e-commerce application for granting restricted access to trading partners via the Internet.

IBM, Nortel Help Fund B2B Exchange for Electronics

IBM Corp., Nortel Networks Corp. and several Japan electronics manufacturers have launched a business-to-business online trading exchange to buy and sell computer components, electronics and telecom equipment.

Newer, More Powerful Firewalls Emerge

The firewall has traditionally served as the sentry between the outside world of the Internet and the internal corporate network. But the next generation of firewalls will be inside the corporate network's perimeter on Web servers, PCs, modems and silicon chips.

Supply-chain software meets e-commerce

For decades, companies have been using supply-chain management (SCM) software to plan product purchases or sales, and keep track of ordered items through the shipment and billing processes. But now the advent of Web-based e-commerce is leading to a transformation in SCM.

Cisco Targets Call Centers, Unified Messaging

Cisco Systems Inc. has organized a new division called the Internet Communications Software Group to expand its product line in two areas: customer-contact centers and unified messaging.

XML Consolidation Begins; Vignette, WebMethods Buy

This week brought the start of industry consolidation among the software vendors pioneering the use of XML, as WebMethods Inc. said it would buy Active Software Inc. and Vignette Corp. announced it would acquire OnDisplay Inc.

B-to-B Exchanges Evolving in Fits and Starts

A year into their struggle to start an online business-to-business exchange with suppliers, the Big Three automakers came up with a name for the venture last week - Covisint - and also spoke about the obstacles it faces. The Covisint marketplace won't be able to start processing transactions until Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler put to rest antitrust concerns raised by the Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission.

Service Aims to Ease XML Use

Later this year, WebMethods Inc. plans to launch a Web-based service to help corporations register e-commerce partners and let those partners exchange data with XML-based WebMethods e-commerce servers.

Trapezo Swings into Web Content Sharing

Start-up Trapezo Inc. announced a hosted application service that lets Web-based businesses regularly exchange content, with Trapezo acting as the middleman.

Marketing Costs Drive Up Telecom Service Costs

At BusinessWeek's daylong e-Networks conference, WorldCom Inc. vice chair John Sidgmore was given the keynote address to say whatever he wanted to hundreds of corporate CEOs and chief information officers.

Marketing Expenses Hike Network Service Costs

If the cost of network services seems high, you can blame that on the amount of money spent selling it to you. At least that's the case at MCI WorldCom Inc., according to Vice Chairman John Sidgmore.

Reorganized Network Associates on the Rebound

Last year was a nightmare for Network Associates Inc., one of the world's largest software companies. It ended up more than $50 million in the hole, struggling to digest eight separate security and network management companies it had bought in the past two years.

Patent Case Goes to Court

Despite its positive outlook, Network Associates Inc. still faces major headaches. Chief among them is a patent infringement lawsuit that antivirus software competitor Trend Micro Inc. is pursuing against the firm.

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